Our Legacy Poem by ramesh rai

Our Legacy
♡
Our identity cannot be erased—
Just understand this much;
Test us as often as you please,
Try us however you may.

Even Alexander came,
Came and eventually left;
Leave he had to, in the end—
He departed empty-handed.

Many other marauders came too,
Testing their might each time;
Yet our identity remains unvanquished—
They only left in disgrace.

This is the land of Rama and Krishna,
This is the land of Buddha and Mahavira,
This is the land of Guru Nanak Dev Ji,
This is the land of Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj

This is the land of Maharana Pratap,
This is the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
This is the very land
That Akbar and Tipu embraced.
This is the land
Where every single speck of dust is revered.
This is the land
Where the hymns of the Vedas were penned.

Taxila and Nalanda spread
The light of knowledge to the early world;
Chanakya and Chandragupta shattered
The false pride of martial arrogance;
Then came Emperor Ashoka,
An ambassador of peace for the world and humanity.

We are devotees of truth and non-violence;
Do not mistake this for weakness.
If you can,
Embrace this path yourself

We shall not break, nor shall we bend,
Nor scatter, no matter how fierce the storms may be;
With a single voice, we shall all
Sing the song of Mother India.

You know only how to tear apart,
We know how to bring together;
You belong to the aftermath of life,
We stand with life itself.

You are the destroyers of culture,
We are the devoted guardians of culture;
You endlessly chant of religion,
We are the protectors of faith.

We sing only those songs
That convey the message of humanity,
Teach the lesson of *Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam* (the world is one family) ,
And impart the wisdom of 'live and let live.'

We are worshippers of that Essence
Which pervades every single atom,
Which grants fragrance to the flowers
And bestows greenery upon the trees and plants.

Our legacy is steadfast,
Like the mighty Himalayas standing tall;
No matter how much force is exerted against us,
We remain the guardians of humanity.

All rights reserved
@ Ramesh Rai
06/03/2019