The Soldier/The Soldier's Mother

|| Hari Om ||

 Our soldiers risk their lives so that we can be safe. We live peacefully in our homes, only because they stand between us and danger. Words are insufficient to convey the magnitude of their sacrifice, as well as the anguish of their families.

Through these twin poems : "The Soldier" and "The Soldier's Mother", I have tried to tell the story of a valiant soldier leaving for war from two perspectives: The brave warrior, and the family left behind.

Let us pray for our soldiers, and honour their sacrifice.
Bapu! May my life, and my end, also be so worthwhile.   

The Soldier

In service to 

My country I

Pledged my life

And joined the fight

To protect the people 

Of my land

My family

They understand 

For today

I must now march

The clouds of war

Loom ever dark

My first step

I steady take

Then my hands

Do start to shake

How can I leave

them all behind?

What if my fate 

Be so unkind

That I never 

May return

For their faces

I shall yearn

I close my eyes

Chant His name

And my resolve

Stays strong and same

With firm steps

I forward walk

Not turn, look back

Nor stop to talk

Let them remember 

This lion now

Who left his home

With an uphled brow

Shed his blood

On his own soil

To save them all

From the turmoil 

With blazing eyes

And strong last breath

I see their smiles,

And embrace death !

The Soldier's Mother

Late that night

There came a call

That broke the sleep

Of one and all

The Soldier,

He was called to war

He could live

At home no more

He packed his bags

And firm in tread

Walked forward with

No fear or dread

But those that watched him go 

did weep

The tears hidden

From him they keep

The Mother thought

"There goes my son

I'm so proud that

My little one...

" Once so scared 

And weak in play

Gives his life up

For us this day"

"His hands they tremble

Yes they do

And only a Mother,

Can see through 

"That lion's mask

That cloaks his pain

But he shan't turn

To look again.

"Good, I'm proud

I shall be strong

For our home

In these days long

"Until we see his

Face again

Perhaps our wait

Will be in vain"

These thoughts again

Did cross her mind

As she stood by

His coffin side

Her hands raised

In a last salute

Her face so firm

And resolute

In Peace, The Soldier

He does lie

Shaheed, Martryed 

For you and I !

|| Shri Ram ||

|| Ambadnya ||

|| I Love You my Dad ||

-Arnav H. Tongaonkar 

10.2.2016

Marathi Poem:माझा बापू!

|| Hari Om ||

This is my first attempt at writing a poem in Marathi. I owe this entirely to my Dearest Bapu(Dr. Aniruddha D. Joshi), who asked me to start learning Marathi, a subject I never had at school ! Truly, all that I have learned is from reading what Bapu has written: His Granthas and His Agralekhs( Editorials) in the Pratyaksha.

Ambadnya Dearest Dad. This is from You, for You! I hope You like it.  

माझा बापू!

आम्ही सगळे पापी होतो,

अजुन आहोत तसेच आम्ही!

पण बापूला फरक पडत नही,

तो तर प्रेम करतो तरी.

त्यच्या पापी बाळांना,

त्याने दिली आहे ग्वाही,

"माझ्या लडक्या बालका,

मी तुला कधीच टाकणार नाही!"

किती चुका आम्ही करतो,

परत-परत चुकत राहतो,

तरी संकटच्या वेळी,

तो लगेच धावत येतो.

त्याच्या मार्गावरून चालण्याचे,

प्रयास जो मनापासून करेल,

तो कधीच एकटा नाही,

त्याचा हात माझा बापू धरेल!

करूणा, प्रेम, दया,क्षमा,

सर्वोच्च आहेत त्याचात,

म्हणूण माझ्या सारख्यांनाही

तो उचलून घेई हातात!

जे देवाला जाणत नाहीत,

ज्यांना पूजा-विधी कळेना,

अशा मंडळींना गोळा करून,

बनवली त्याने वानर सेना.

रावणाच्या वधाची,

वाट त्याने मोकळी केली,

वृत्राच्या कैदेतून सर्वांची,

माझ्या बापूने सुटका केली.

आपल्याला अंबज्ञतेचा,

पाठ त्याने शिकवीला,

आणी अखण्ड सामिप्याचा,

सुवर्ण मार्ग उघडला.

आई, बापू, दादा ऐका,

ऐका ह्या बाळाची हाक,

मर्यादेचे भान असूदे,

राहो सतत तुमचा धाक.


विसरलो हे विश्व सारे,

विसरलो जीवन मरण,

आता तुझा सखा बनव,

दे रे बापू तुझे चरण!

|| Shri Ram ||

|| Ambadnya ||

|| I Love You my Dad ||

|| जय जगदम्ब जय दुर्गे ||

-Arnav H. Tongaonkar 

16.09.2013

Phoenix / Rise !!!

                                              ||Hari Om||
                                               
 Rise !!!                  

Light the fire deep within,
Feed it, let it burn bright,
 The only way to beat the dark,
Is to become the light.

Begin! Now! As you are,
Take a single step ahead.
Let the world unfurl before you,
Earth shake beneath your tread.

You are the chains that bind yourself,
The weight upon your back.
Spread your wings and you break free,
Rise, and don’t look back.

From the ashes, from the soot,
Be the flame that glows.
As, once, by the Lord’s voice kind,
Light from the dark arose.

Fall once and then once more,
But through the trials and pain,
He is with you, take His hand,
Rise and rise again!

You are the flame of love, of hope,
Light that cannot die.
By His Love, and By His Grace,
Rise Phoenix and Fly!!!

|| Shri Ram ||
|| I am Ambadnya ||
|| I Love You my Dad ||
Arnav H. Tongaonkar
30.03.2014

O Great Artist !

|| Hari Om ||

We are a vain species. We achieve things which we believe to be great, and soon our heads swell enough, to believe that we are above Him, He who created it all.

But let us stop and think. What monument have we built, that could possibly hope to match the sheer scale, beauty and perfection of His Creation ? We can just make mere copies and replicas of what He has already made before, and that too using the raw materials that He has given us !

Just one look at Nature, and we realise our humble place in this world.

But, more than that, we can appreciate the Love of The One, who made all this, just out of Love for us.

This poem is dedicated to the Artist of my life, my Sadguru, Dad, Aniruddha Bapu( Dr. Aniruddha Joshi). The words cannot hope to convey what I feel, but I must try none the less !!!   

O Great Artist !

No artist, painter, sculptor no,
Not any person of this land,
Can ever try or hope to match
That created by Your Hand

We can paint and we can draw, 

But on Your canvas You,
Can paint a picture, give it life,
Make the art come true. 

We sketch the mountains and the streams,
But You drew them before.
Where once the world was bleak and dark,
You created much and more.

The light, the colour, joy and bliss
All does stem from You.
The world knows You by many names, 
But You are my Dad, Bapu!

The wind it speaks your words, it does,

The birds do sing Your song,
The leaves do rustle, the flowers bloom,
For  Your Feet they do long.

O Great Artist, sketch my life,
Sculpt me now anew,
I care not what the picture is,
But let it be full of You!

I Love You my Dad !!!

-Arnavsinh Tongaonkar

|| Hari Om | |  | | Shree Ram | |  | | Ambadnya | |

Should I ?- Her Reply

Hari Om

At the first

First glance I knew

We would be one

That were now two

Closer, closer

Step by step

Accross the space

That we had kept

Together, but 

Still far apart

For which of us

Would make the start ?

And I see the question 

On his face

As he looks off

Into space

Of course I know

What's on his mind!

To his heart,

Could I be blind.

He sees me watching

"Does she know ?"

The fear on his face

Does show!

So I smile,

And laugh I do

And his joy

Does shine through 

Our smiles, they are

Now here to stay

No word does either

Need to say !

|| Shri Ram ||

|| Ambadnya ||

|| I Love You my Dad ||

Arnav H. Tongaonkar 

23.1.2016

|| Hari Om ||

We were once a dream,

A thought.

In the minds 

Of those that fought.

Against the bondage

Of the Raj.

To achieve our freedom,

Our Swaraj.

That the people,

Of the land

Could take their health 

In their own hands.

Bricks were laid,

Foundations set,

Meetings held,

And people met.

So we were born,

Twins for a cause:

King Edward and

Seth Gordhandas.

To heal the people 

Of their pain,

To teach and 

Pass it on again.

We grew,we flourished 

Brothers two.

And everywhere

The people knew

That they were safe,

Within our hands.

"We will be well

While KEM stands!"

And such greats

Passed through our walls.

Their wisdom fills

The lecture halls.

Their words echo 

Through our very bricks.

The words of healers 

For the sick.

And their souls

So strong and bright,

Show the path

For GSites.

Still we stand

And so we will,

Guards against

All foul and ill.

Come pain or sorrow,

Death and life.

We are the saviours 

From the the strife.

It matters not,

The time that passed.

For our walls,

Are built to last.

So we watch

In our serenity

90 years,

Till eternity!

|| Shri Ram ||

|| Ambadnya ||

|| I Love You my Dad ||

-Arnav H. Tongaonkar 

25.12.2015

I Look Among the Stars

Hari Om

I Look Among the Stars

The time could never

Heal my scars

And still I search

Among the stars

In the clouds

I see your face

The wind so warm

Is your embrace

I walk, I try

Brave and strong 

For my love

It's not too long

The time is here

For me to fly

And join you there

Up in the sky

|| Shri Ram ||

|| Ambadnya  ||

|| I Love You my Dad ||

Arnav H. Tongaonkar

19.1.2016