During my early college days, I happened to stumble across the great poet Ramdhari Singh, known by his pen name Dinkar. What intrigued my interest was the epic named Rashmirathi (roughly translates to rider of the chariot of light) written by him. I had goosebumps when I listened to one of the poems in Chapter 3 called “Krishna ki Chetavani”, from Anurag Kashyap’s movie, Gulaal. Although the poem has been sung and adapted by many (by the likes of Manoj Bajpayee and Ashutosh Rana), below is my humble try, to get the same essence in its English form. The translation may look raw but I have tried my best to preserve the meaning in its entirety from the Hindi version, while keeping the rhyming intact.
For years through forests, they did roam,
Embracing trials, far from home.
Through sun and rain, over rock and stone,
The Pandavas emerged, in spirit grown.
Fortune sleeps not every day,
Let’s see what fate has yet to play.
To show the path of friendship true,
To guide all towards the righteous view,
To make Duryodhana comprehend,
And terrible destruction to end,
The Lord to Hastinapur came,
The Pandavas’ message to proclaim.
If justice you’ll give, then half will suffice,
But if even this you find too high a price,
Then grant us just five villages to own,
Keep all your lands, let them be your throne.
We’ll gladly live there, content we’ll be,
Never against kin raise our sword, you’ll see!
Duryodhana couldn’t spare even this small part,
Society’s blessings failed to touch his heart.
Instead, he sought to bind the Lord divine,
Attempting the impossible, crossing the line.
When destruction looms over mortal man,
First dies wisdom, ending reason’s span.
The Lord let out a thunderous roar,
His cosmic form began to soar.
The mighty elephants of directions swayed,
As the angry Lord these words conveyed:
“Stretch out your chains, try to bind me tight,
Yes, Duryodhana! Use all your might!
See, the sky dissolves in me,
The wind, too, merges, can’t you see?
All sounds vibrate within my being,
The universe in me is decreeing.
Immortality in me does bloom,
In me also swings the pendulum of doom.
The eastern mountains are my radiant brow,
The earth my chest, expansive and broad now,
My arms encircle the universe’s girth,
Mainaka and Meru, my feet on earth.
The glowing planets and starry host,
All dwell within my mouth, from coast to coast.
If you have eyes, behold this sight immense,
In me, see the cosmos, vast and dense.
All beings, moving or still, mortal or not,
Perishable humans, immortal gods’ lot.
Hundred million suns, hundred million moons,
Hundred million rivers, seas, and lagoons.
Hundred million Vishnus, Brahmas, Maheshs divine,
Hundred million Vishnus of wealth and brine,
Hundred million Rudras, Time’s faces galore,
Hundred million guardians of cosmic law.
Stretch out your chains, try to bind these, do dare,
Yes, Duryodhana! Capture them if you dare!
Behold the earth, the nether worlds below,
See times past and future’s flow.
Witness creation’s primordial dawn,
The great war of Mahabharat drawn.
The earth lies covered with the slain,
Find yourself, if you can, in this mortal plane.
See in the sky, my hair unfurled,
Beneath my feet, the nether world.
In my fist, all three times enclosed,
My form terrific, now exposed.
All beings from me take their birth,
To me return, leaving the earth.
From my tongue, dense flames emerge,
In my breath, the winds surge.
Wherever my gaze happens to fall,
Creation blossoms, heeding the call!
When I choose to close my eyes,
Death all around swiftly flies.
You’ve come to bind me, so you say,
What chains have you brought today?
If in your mind you wish me bound,
First chain the endless sky around.
You can’t restrain the void, you see,
How then do you hope to fetter me?
My words of wisdom you did spurn,
The value of friendship you didn’t learn.
So be it, I shall now depart,
But hear my final resolve, take heart.
No more pleas, only war remains,
Life’s victory or death obtains.
The stars will clash in the sky above,
Fierce fire will rain from heavens’ glove,
The great serpent Shesha will sway its hood,
Terrifying Time will open its maw for food.
Duryodhana! Such a war will rage,
Like never before, on history’s page.
Brother against brother will fight,
Poison arrows will fall, day and night,
Crows and jackals will feast with delight,
Man’s fortune will shatter in this plight.
At last, you’ll lie upon the earth,
For violence, you’ll bear the curse.
The assembly was stunned, all were in fright,
Silent they were, or fainted outright.
Only two men remained unshaken,
Dhritarashtra and Vidur, joy overtaken.
Hands folded, they stood elated,
Fearless, ‘Victory!’ they celebrated.
Let me know in the comments what you felt about the translation.
Leave a Reply