In 1996, during a journey to Patiala for work, I boarded the early morning train named the ‘Himalayan Queen’. As I attempted to engage myself in the newspaper, I was interrupted by the passenger seated next to me. He greeted me and offered to recite the Bhagwat Geeta with explanations. Intrigued, I agreed, and what followed over the next three hours turned out to be one of the most enriching experiences I’ve had with a stranger. Each Sanskrit verse was presented musically, accompanied by its explanation in English. The gentleman introduced himself as a faculty member from the Thapar Institute of Technology, hailing from a southern state of India. Though I didn’t maintain further contact with him, he ignited within me a desire to learn the basics of the Geeta.

Upon my return to Delhi, I requested my wife to retrieve a book titled ‘Geeta the Mother’ by Dnyaneshwar Maharaj, which I had purchased back in 1974 from the University Book Shop in Kurukshetra during my tenure as an Associate Lecturer in Civil Engineering. Despite having the book for so long, I had never bothered to open and read it until 1996, fearing that I wasn’t mature enough to grasp its profound philosophy. To my surprise, the book still contained the cash memo from the purchase, which amused my wife. However, from that day onwards, I dedicated about a quarter of an hour each day to read and comprehend it. The translation of the Bhagwat Geeta in English was captivating, and I thoroughly enjoyed delving into it. Despite my reluctance to delve deeper into religion and the demands of my professional life keeping me occupied, I found solace in reading it.

During the Covid pandemic, while confined indoors, I stumbled upon the Bhagwat Geeta by Siril Parbhupada in Hindi. This version provided more detailed interpretations of the original verses, leading me to contemplate the world in the company of the Supreme Soul after the union of the soul with the Supreme Soul. This contemplation inspired me to write a poem titled ‘Mukti’, which is presented below in both Hindi and English.

मुक्ति

न थल न जल न नक्षत्र न आकाश

न सूरज न चंदा बस अलौकिक प्रकाश

न सरदी न गरमी न व्याधि न ह्रास

बस तुम केवल तुम और तुम्हारा आभास

न वयंजन न स्वाद न भूख न प्यास

न धन न वैभव न जरा की आस

न रिद्धि न सिद्धि न कौशल न प्रयास

बस तुम केवल तुम और तुम्हारा आभास

न जय न पराजय न यश न उपहास

न लोभ ना मोह का क्रोध न त्रास

न प्रशंसा न कुंठा न विषाद न उल्हास

बस तुम केवल तुम और तुम्हारा आभास

न गुरु ना स्वामी न साथी न संत्रास

न असक्ति न विरक्ती न पखंड न संन्यास

न विधि न परिधि न समय न श्वास

बस तुम केवल तुम और तुम्हारा आभास

English Version

The desire of Soul

Not land, nor water, nor stars in the sky,

No sun, no moon, just a celestial light.

Neither cold, nor heat, nor sickness, nor glee,

Only you, just you, and your soul’s decree.

No taste, no flavour, no hunger, no thirst,

No wealth, no riches, no good or the worst.

No success, no skill, no effort, no gain,

No victory, no defeat, no fame to behold,

Only you, just you, in your inner terrain.

No greed, no attachment, no anger to scold.

No sorrow, no joy, no despair, no cheer,

Only you, just you, in your essence clear.

No guide, no master, no companion, no strife,

No attachment, no detachment, no pretence in life.

No destiny, no boundaries, no time, no breath,

Only you, just you, beyond life and death.