Rahasya: The Secret of Life
Hindi Kavita | Poemorama at Paper Poetry
सीखो जीवन का रहस्य
प्रकाशमय सूर्यमुखी से
तेज़ धूप में भी हस्ता-खिलता
सबको सुख और प्रेम बांटता
सीखो जीवन का रहस्य
हमारी सुन्दर प्रकृति से
हर मौसम में खुद को बदलना
और सदा परिश्रम करना
सीखो जीवन का रहस्य
गीत, कला, कथा, पुराण से
जो आत है उसका निश्चित है जान
मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात्
English Transliteration:
Seekho jeevan ka rahasya
Prakashmae suryamukhi se
Tez dhuup me bhi hasta-khilta
Sabko sukh aur prem baat ta
Seekho jeevan ka rahasya
Humari sundar prakriti se
Har mausam me khud ko badalna
Aur sada parishram karna
Seekho jeevan ka rahasya
Geet, Kala, Katha, Puraan se
Jo aat hai uska nishchit hai jaan
MrityurMokshaMamritat
English Translation:
Learn the secret of life
From bright Sunflowers
They blossom merrily under the blazing Sun
Spreading peace and love around
Learn the secret of life
From the beauty of nature
Changing with each season
and always working hard
Learn the secret of life
From songs, art, stories and mythology
Life that comes must certainly go
Conquering death to immortality
This is in response to the prompt 25. H — Hindi, ‘the A — Z of Languages’ for Poemorama Part 3. Thank You Indubala Kachhawa and Paper Poetry editors, Carolyn Hastings and Suntonu Bhadra for this thought provoking prompt.
I am Indian and I am a polyglot like most Indians. While English has been my first language in education, Hindi is our national language and I have read some brilliant Hindi writers while growing up and I like to read more of their works now. India is home to several languages and dialects and the beauty, flavour and simplicity of each language is unique and unparalleled in literature. My mother tongue is Urdu which is known for its gentle sweetness and delicate phonetics. I have always been fascinated by different cultures, cuisines and languages. There is so much beauty in diversity.
This poem is in Hindi (Devanāgari script) and has the final verse in Sanskrit from the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra of the Yajurveda . It is a holy mantra and one of my favourites in the Hindu Philosophy of life and death. It is a mantra to liberate oneself from death and attain salvation or immortality. In addition to being a sacred language, Sanskrit is also the oldest language in the world but fell out of common usage around 600 B.C. It is now a liturgical language.
You may like to read about my recent trip to see the Milky Way!
