Mahatma Gandhi 8 - Mohandas Gandhi's Marriage Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon
Mahatma Gandhi 8 - Mohandas Gandhi's Marriage
At the age of thirteen,
Mohandas Gandhi married
Kasturba -A child of same age!
Innocent children,
No interference,
But to comply,
With wishes of parents and
And the entire family!
Lifelong faithfulness,
A promise made,
By the bride and groom
While walking,
The ‘Satpadi' or
The seven steps,
The seven vows
Of a Hindu marriage!
The boy and girl
Ignorant,
Naive,
Take the seven steps playfully,
Unaware of the significance
Of the nuptial knot
'Unwittingly hurled into the
Ocean of life! '
Child marriage,
A common event of olden days
Now condemned and
Shunned!
An act of economic convenience,
Planned by the family members,
A grand waste of time and energy,
A great loss of study and education!
When a girl or a boy
Needed to play with dolls or toys;
They were already live actors
Of a real life play!
They were like puppets
Dancing to the tune of the puppeteers!
Every move sanctioned and governed
By the elders who pulled the shots!
Gandhiji narrates
About his child marriage
Though painful and remorseful
To recall and record his own marriage
'Swallowing many bitter droughts'!
At an age when most children studied
Putting together their vital energies
Towards a progressive goal in life!
Gandhiji emphasised the fact that
He was not merely betrothed,
But actually married,
While he was still in school!
Mohandas passionately fond of his wife,
Could never concentrate on his studies,
As such, his efforts to educate her
In their youth remained unsuccessful!
Mohandas Gandhi soon
Assumed the role of
An authoritative husband!
As Kasturba was illiterate
He was anxious to educate her.
But his 'lustful love left no time'
For any kind of serious study.
A rare confession, indeed!
My own grandmother was married when she was a child of thirteen years.
Most of the families practised this to ensure greater financial security and economic growth within the family circles.
Many leaders of India fought against this regressive act and have put an end to this practice. Yet, in villages and remote parts, rural areas of India, child marriages still exist, though they have been declared illegal.
A beautiful informative poem about Mahatma Gandhi. I, too, was married at a young age while my wife was in her teens.
Mohandas soon Assumed the role of An authoritative husband! As Kasturba was illiterate He was anxious to educate her. But his “lustful love left no time” For any kind of serious study. A rare confession, indeed! child marriage, arranged marriages in india, stll in the 20th centuary... indian customs, religious thinking, societal thinking, so much is in this poem which makes one to think a lot. thank you. tony
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/20/2024 9:08:26 PM # 1.0.0.1119
The boy and girl Ignorant, Naive, Take the seven steps playfully, Unaware of the significance Of the nuptial knot 'Unwittingly hurled into the Ocean of life! '...... but his lustful love......... a rare confession..... Ghandhiji was true to himself, his soul, his conscience and his God............such a great poem dear Gita