ऊँचाई

 Sometimes we take others for granted, we are occupied by an inflated sense of self-worth, which reaches the point where no deliberations are held and no opinions are shared. A sense of self-worth which does not allow communication, where enmity breeds disrespect. A situation where you become so exclusive to self that you lose connection with the rest. Such situations abound in friendship where one cannot stoop a little to save it, in relationships where neither of the two is ready to compromise and negotiate, in political discourse where the loyalty for an ideology supersedes wisdom. In those times, I am often reminded of the following poem by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Uchai

 

Uche pahad par, ped nahi lagte

Paudhe nahi ugte, na ghaas hi jamti hai.

Jamti hai sirf barf, 

Jo Kafan ki tarah safed 

Aur maut ki tarah thand hoti hai

Khelti, khilkhilati nadi,

Jiska roop dharan kar,

Apne bhagya par boond-boond roti hai.

Aisi uchai,

Jiska paras

Paani ko patthar kar de,

Aisi uchai,

Jiska daras heen bhav bhar de,

Abhinandan ki adhikari hai,

Aarohiyon ke liye aamantran hai,

Us par jhande gade ja sakte hai,

Kintu koi gauraiyya,

Waha need nahi bana sakti,

Na koi thaka-mada batohi,

Uski chaav me pal bhar palak hi jhapka sakta hai.

Sacchai yeh hai ki 

Kewal uchai hi kaafi nahi hoti,

Sabse alag-thalag,

Pariwesh se prithak,

Apno se kata-bata,

Shoonya me akela khada hona,

Pahad ki mahanta nahi,

Majboori hai.

Uchai aur gehrai meh

Aakash paatal ki doori ha.

Jo jitna ucha,

Utna ekaki hota hai,

Har bhaar ko swayam dhota hai,

Chehre par muskan chipka,

Man hi man rota hai.

Jaroori ye hai ki

Uchai ke sath vistaar bhi ho,

Jisse manushya,

Dhoond-sa khada na rahe,

Auron se ghule-mile,

Kisi ke sangh chale.

Bheed mein kho jaana,

Yaadon mein doobh jana,

Swayam ko bhool jana,

Astitwa ko aarth,

Jiwan ko sugandh deta hai.

Dharti ko bauno ki nahi,

Uche kad ki insaano ki jaroorat hai.

Inte uche ki aasman chu le,

Naye nakshatra me pratibha ke beej bo le,

Kintu itne uche nahi,

Ki paav tale dhool hi na jame,

Koi kanta na chube,

Koi kali na khile.

Na vasanth ho, na patjhad,

Ho sirf uchai ka ghamand,

Matra akelapan ka sannata.

Mere prabhu!

Mujhe itni uchai kabhi mat dena,

Gairon ko gale na laga sakun,

Itni rukhai kabhi mat dena.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee