Manmohan

• Neelkanth
  

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While sleeping
A snake bites me
A hole drills into my forehead
Poison runs from feets to nails.
My bed cover gets blue
Then four bedposts
Ultimately whole floor turned bluish.
 
A Shiv  emerges
From this blue background
Whose throat is blue 
Whole hue is bluish.
 
He says
If you want to create the Bhagirathi
Then you have to go to  the Himalayas
Near the Gangotri
Where no Parvati exits.
Either you are there or your halfbody.
 
If you want to churn the sea
Then you have to live in the world of snakes
Near by the Sheshnaga
Where each snake has its own tale.
 
If  a snake bites you while sleeping
Then get up and come with me 
Where  there is no Shiv  and no Parvati
Only  ‘Poison’ is there
Which you have to drink like nector
Then  ‘Neelknth’ will rise from you.
 
 
translated by Nirupama Dutt
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MANMOHAN is a poet and linguist of Punjabi language. He was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2013 for his novel Nirvaan. He has authored several books of poetry, literary criticism and translations.

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