By
Vijay Kumar Dhingra
As I return to blogging today after a longish pause,
I felt inspired to mark the occasion with a children’s poem on the honeybee, in celebration of World Honeybee Day.
When we celebrate the honeybee, we honour its unwavering focus in locating nectar, its habit of staying purposefully busy, its discipline, and the tireless work it performs within its brief lifespan of just four to six weeks.
During this pause from blogging, I have been actively pursuing my passion for writing poetry — both for children (in Hindi) and for adults — drawing from my experiences, reflections, and the knowledge I’ve gained through various sources.
I’m happy to share that I recently published a book on Amazon titled “The Speaking Verses (Part 1)”, crafted especially for my young friends aged eight and above. Each poem carries a gentle message wrapped in rhyme. A similar, though not identical, Hindi version titled “Bolti Samjhati Kavitayen” has also been published on Pothi.com and is available on Amazon as well.
(Links will be shared in a separate post for those interested.)
Coming back to World Honeybee Day, here’s the Hindi poem I wrote today:
यह मधुमक्खियाँ
रानी मधुमक्खी बैठी अकेली, देती अंडे हज़ार,
दो से पाँच वर्ष का जीवन, कामगार कई हज़ार।
कामगारों का जीवन लेकिन मात्र हफ्ते चार से छे,
सर्दी और गर्मी के कामगार भी अलग-अलग हैं होते।
छत्ता बनाती कामगार मधुमक्खियाँ, बनातीं वह षट्कोण,
दो से पाँच हफ्ते वाले कामगार, ग्रंथि से छोड़ें तरल मोम।
मुंह में चबा कर करतीं पतला और उसको फैलातीं,
षट्कोणों की प्रणाली में सदा मधुमक्खियाँ छत्ता बनातीं।
फूलों का रस ला-ला, लार से करतीं जमा अपने छत्ते में,
गर्मी की कामगार मक्खियाँ रहतीं नहीं यूँ ही छत्ते में।
लार्वा और प्यूपा अंडों से निकल कर करते हैं मधुपान,
पर यह ऐश बस कुछ ही दिनों की, फिर करना पड़ता काम।
इक दूजे को पता देतीं रस का, करके एक विशेष नाच,
भिनभिन करके गाना गातीं, करें न कोई शिकायत।
नाचते-गाते करते काम, उनका बीत जाता है जीवन,
जैसे मम्मी-पापा करते बिना शिकायत बच्चों का पोषण।
काम करते-करते ही मर जाते गर्मी वाले कामगार,
सर्दी आते ही हो जाती सर्दी की नई फ़ौज तैयार।
सर्दी वाले होते छत्ताघुसैल, जाते नहीं वह बाहर,
शहद खा कर शरीर की गर्मी से करते सर्दी का उपचार।
छत्ते के पास जो देखतीं खतरा, तो कर देती हैं आक्रमण,
जमा किए शहद की करतीं रक्षा, मर जातीं मार के डंक।
मेहनतकश, संगठित, व्यस्त जीवन से कराती हैं पहचान,
कर्म निरंतर करते रहने की शिक्षा पाए मधुमक्खी से इंसान।
These Honeybees (English Version)
The queen bee all alone, laying eggs in heaps,
Living two to five long years, while worker bees toil in sweeps.
The workers live just weeks, not more—four to six at best,
And summer bees and winter bees are built with different quests.
The worker bees build honeycombs, in hexagons so neat,
With glands they secrete waxy drops, their task they then repeat.
They chew it soft within their mouths and shape it into place,
Creating hexagons so fine—a marvel to embrace.
They gather nectar from the blooms and mix it with their spit,
And store it in their comb so sweet—they work hard, never quit.
The summer bees don’t idle at home; their duty is the field,
While larvae sip the honey fine, in cells so gently sealed.
But pleasures last for just a while, then duty calls anew,
They dance and hum and waggle round, to show the path so true.
With no complaints they live their lives, in buzzing unity,
Like parents serve their children well, with love and loyalty.
Summer workers die at work—no break, yet no lament,
While winter brings a tougher batch, for cold they are well meant.
They stay indoors, defend the hive, and warm it with their might,
By eating stored honey, they make the cold feel light.
When danger nears the precious hive, they sting to shield their home,
They guard the honey amassed, no matter what may come.
Hardworking, bold, and unified, in constant busy stride,
They teach us how to live and serve, with karma as our guide.
We celebrate World Honeybee Day on the 20th of May every year, honouring these tiny tireless workers whose lives mirror the teachings of ancient Indian wisdom.
Just as the honeybee lives a life of selfless service, discipline, and purpose, so too does the Bhagavad Gita guide us toward a meaningful existence rooted in karma yoga — the path of righteous action.
The Honeybee and the Gita
The Bhagavad Gita says:
योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय।
सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते॥ (2.48)
God says to Arjuna:
“Dear Arjuna, do your work with full focus and honesty, but don’t get too attached to the result. Stay calm whether you win or lose. That calmness is called real yoga.”
And these little creatures practice it naturally — they work tirelessly to gather nectar and make honey, even though they know the honey collected by summer bees will be used not by them, but by winter bees to protect the hive and queen. This selfless devotion reflects the spirit of this timeless verse from the Gita.
The Gita also says:
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥ (2.47)
God says to Arjuna:
“You should do your best in whatever you do — like reading, playing, helping at home — but don’t always think, ‘What will I get?’ Just do your work honestly. Leave the result to God.”
Key messages from these two verses for children:
- Try your best in everything — studies, sports, art, helping others.
- Don’t worry too much about whether you win or lose.
- Stay calm and happy no matter what. That’s what the Gita teaches!
- You can only choose your actions, not the results.
- Don’t work only for prizes or praise.
- Keep doing your duties — that’s what makes you strong and wise!
- Learn from your mistakes and try to improve your focus and effort.
- And above all: NEVER GIVE UP!
With love and blessings to my young friends!
– Vijay Kumar Dhingra
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