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Panchavati, An Introduction

by Maithili Sharan Gupt (1886-1964)
translated by Paddy Raghunathan

The full moon’s mesmerizing rays
Appear to skim the lake and sand,
As moonlight, fresh, diffuses over
Surfaces of sky and land.

The earth transmits a joyous pulse
From melodies of green grass blades.
On cue, the trees begin to sway—
A gentle westerly pervades.

The shaded woods of Panchavati
Enclose a modest leaf abode,
And keeping watch from a high rock
Is a young prince who’s calm, composed.

This warrior, why’s he still awake
When all creation’s deep in sleep?
He’s used to pomp and luxury;
Now he’s constrained by vows to keep.

What’s this brave youth’s avowed purpose
That sleep’s been sacrificed like this?
The jungle’s where he must now live
While abnegating princely bliss.

That which he dutifully guards,
What wealth resides in that abode?
In whose defense, his body, mind
And soul are thoroughly bestowed.

To cleanse our tainted mortal world,
She who accompanies her Lord,
And now resides in this leaf hut,
Is Lakshmi, whom three worlds adore.

She represents a brave clan’s pride:
It’s apt she’s guarded by the brave.
It’s lonely, night has just set in,
And nightly beasts can act depraved.

Even though there’s no one nearby,
It’s hard to silence a man’s mind.
He starts conversing with himself,
As thoughts, replies, are intertwined.

Every so often, he looks up,
And joyfully surveys the scene.
All to himself, the fearless warrior
Advances thoughts that are pristine.

How fresh, how dazzling the moonlight!
O, how devoid of noise tonight!
How beautiful the night’s sweet odor,
Does anything here lack delight?

Things haven’t stopped, they’re on the move,
Accompanying nature’s dance,
But they continue so sequestered,
As though they’re in a peaceful trance!

The beautiful earth scatters pearls
Whilst everyone is fast asleep.
When dawn takes hold, the morning sun
Recovers them in one fell sweep.

Later the sun opts for a break,
Bestowing on the lovely evening
A gentle, almost zero darkness,
Which gives to dusk a fresh new meaning,

Whence glittering like liquid dew,
The moon’s rays take a happy turn,
And soulful nature shows her joy
By shedding tears of sweet concern.

For errors made unknowingly,
Indeed she punishes us harshly,
But then she nurtures both the young
And old just as impartially.

It feels like ’twas just yesterday,
Yet thirteen years have gone so fast!
Seeing us come deep in the jungle
Had made our father full aghast.

The time will come soon when our term
In this deep jungle will be over,
But what would be more satisfying
Than wealth I’ve gained from this exposure?

My noble brother will then take
On weighty tasks of governance.
Busy he’ll be with royal duties,
And won’t give us a fleeting glance.

Keeping in mind the good he’ll do,
I certainly won’t feel denied.
Don’t we aristocrats all know
How to take such things in stride?

An early version appeared in Creative Webzine in May 2023

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Original Hindi

पंचवटी प्रसंग

— मैथिली शरण गुप्त

चारुचंद्र की चंचल किरणें,

खेल रही हैं जल थल में,

स्वच्छ चांदनी बिछी हुई है

अवनि और अंबर तल में ।

पुलक प्रकट करती है धरती,

हरित तृणों की नोकों से,

मानो झूम रहें हैं तरु भी

मंद पवन के झोंकों से ।।

पंचवटी की छाया में है,

सुन्दर पर्ण-कुटीर बना,

जिसके सम्मुख स्वच्छ शिला पर,

धीर वीर निर्भीकमना,

जाग रहा ये कौन धनुर्धर

जब कि भुवन भर सोता है?

भोगी कुसुमायुध योगी-सा

बना दृष्टिगत होता है ।।

किस व्रत में है व्रती वीर ये

निद्रा को यों त्याग किये?

राजभोग्य के योग्य विपिन में

बैठा आज विराग लिए ।

बना हुआ है प्रहरी जिसका

उस कुटीर में क्या धन है?

जिसकी रक्षा में रत इसका

तन है, मन है, जीवन है!

मर्त्यलोक मालिन्य मेटने

स्वामि संग जो आयी है,

तीन लोक की लक्ष्मी ने

ये कुटी आज अपनायी है ।

वीर वंश की लाज यही है,

फिर क्यों वीर न हो प्रहरी

विजन देश है निशा शेष है,

निशाचरी माया ठहरी ।।

कोई पास न रहने पर भी,

जन मन मौन नहीं रहता;

आप आप की सुनता है

वह आप आप से है कहता ।

बीच-बीच में इधर-उधर निज

दृष्टि डालकर मोदमयी,

मन ही मन बातें करता है

धीर धनुर्धर नयी नयी-

क्या ही स्वच्छ चांदनी है ये

है क्या ही निस्तब्ध निशा,

है स्वच्छंद सुमंद गन्धवह

निरानंद है कौन दिशा?

बंद नहीं, अब भी चलते हैं,

नियति नटी के कार्यकलाप,

पर कितने एकांत भाव से,

कितने शांत और चुपचाप!

है बिखेर देती वसुंधरा,

मोती, सबके सोने पर,

रवि बटोर लेता है उनको

सदा सवेरा होने पर ।

और विरामदायिनी अपनी,

संध्या को दे जाता है,

शून्य श्याम-तनु, जिससे उसका

नया रूप झलकाता है ।।

सरल तरल जिन तुहिन कणों से,

हंसती हर्षित होती है,

अति आत्मीया प्रकृति हमारे

साथ उन्ही से रोती है!

अनजानी भूलों पर भी वो,

अदय दंड तो देती है,

पर बूढ़ों को भी बच्चों सा,

सदय भाव से सेती है ।।

तेरह वर्ष व्यतीत हो चुके,

पर है मानो कल की बात,

वन को आते देख हमें जब

आर्त अचेत हुए थे तात ।

अब वह समय निकट ही है जब,

अवधि पूर्ण होगी वन की ।

किन्तु प्राप्ति होगी इस जन को,

इससे बढ़कर किस धन की!

और आर्य को, राज्यभार तो,

वे प्रजार्थ ही धारेंगे,

व्यस्त रहेंगे, हम सबको भी,

मानो विवश विसारेंगे ।

कर विचार लोकोपकार का,

हमें न इससे होगा शोक;

पर अपना हित आप नहीं क्या,

कर सकता है ये नरलोक!

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Paddy Raghunathan is an IT Project Manager. His poems have appeared in Time Of Singing, A Journal For Christian Poetry, and in Ohio Poetry Association’s annual and ekphrastic anthologies. A translation of his from the Hindi language is featured in May 2023’s Creativity Webzine. In 2020, one of his sonnets appeared in the Cuyahoga County Library’s April Poetry Month collection online. In 2022, he was also a judge in Time Of Singing’s Ekphrastic Poetry Contest.

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10 Responses

  1. Roy Eugene Peterson

    Paddy, I do not know Hindi, but I can recognize a great poem and a beautiful translation. The words you chose evince a highly skilled vocabulary making this a wonderful poem to read and bringing to life the vivid imagery that grabs the imagination. One minor point–I would have added a “d” to make “adored” past tense in the seventh verse to make it better rhyme with “Lord,” but you may have preferred to keep it present tense. In any case, this was highly enjoyable.

    Reply
  2. Paddy Raghunathan

    Roy,

    Thank you for the kind words. Much appreciated.

    Indeed I did have a reason to keep that line in present tense, as the original is in present tense.

    Thank you again for the kind words,

    Paddy

    Reply
  3. Joseph S. Salemi

    The seventh quatrain mentions Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, good luck, and general prosperity. She appears in the Ramayana as Sita (her human avatar) who becomes the wife of Rama, the hero of that epic. Rama himself is the avatar of Vishnu, the god who preserves and protects creation.

    I assume that the sleeping youth in this poem is Rama, and that the thirteen years mentioned in the seventeenth quatrain refers to the period of time when Rama and Sita went into voluntary exile in the forest.

    Reply
    • Paddy Raghunathan

      Indeed here Sita is the incarnation of Lakshmi, just as Ram is the incarnation of Vishnu.

      But the youth here is Lakshman, Ram’s younger brother.

      Best regards,

      Paddy

      Reply
  4. Margaret Coats

    Beautiful introduction to a special atmosphere. The conclusion, revealing that the speaker is the younger brother of the principal character, provides a unique point of view. Having shared in a long watch, he is nonetheless properly deferential, which make him seem noble and trustworthy. The story, like his repute, is enhanced thereby. Paddy, your words choices and metrical competence allow this work to glow in English.

    Reply
    • Paddy Raghunathan

      Thank you for your comments, Margaret.

      Much appreciated.

      Paddy

      Reply
  5. Brian A Yapko

    I wish I could read the original Hindi for I have a special love for Indian culture. This is superbly engaging. Thank you for this skillful and enjoyable work, Paddy!

    Reply
  6. Joshua C. Frank

    Wow! I don’t know any Hindi, but I have translated French poetry, and I know it is no easy task to get it into rhyming, metrical English! Is the rhyme and meter the same in Hindi?

    Even in English, you still manage to give us an exotic, otherworldly sense. Well done!

    Reply

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