The World Is Not Vain Poem by Aniruddha Pathak

Vain is this world, vacuous as deployed—
The scriptures say for long years in this land,
But man feels, world is of no virtue void,
He's happy to come, play the given hand.

This world, wilting though on the wings of woes,
Where things ever change the same to remain,
Like a perennial river ever flows,
Haply we come and go though world is vain.

Old things do when pass, new wind therein blows,
Where life like seasons come only to change,
Where Time only relentless motion knows,
It's strange still no one ever finds it strange.

Life, though like Nature scarce herself repeats,
Man struggles still, unknown new heights to reach,
Creating a rainbow of newer feats,
Life returns to carry on with old itch.

Daily does rise the same westward bound sun
A new dawn from the darkling night's when due,
Sun is the same but is not sunrise new?
A new dawn dawns in newly hued heaven.

And spring comes and goes every single year,
Bringing in new season in same old name,
Bedecked as if in a custom-built gear;
Things forever change remaining still same.

Take a twain of mango trees in full grace,
Every leaf has a mango-leaf imprint,
Every leaf giving the same mango hint,
And yet, no two leaves come with self same face.

And life renews, dies and is born again
In new garment, the soul with new mandate,
With a new mission to be, new refrain,
Yet naught has changed, life still dies of same bait.

To many still, this world makes immense sense,
Many seem lost in life's dreamland so dense
Searching, seeking with inadequate lens,
Few, very few divine life's core essence!

The key me seem is to enjoy the search,
Whatso, whereso happens to be life's perch;
Nay, the world is not vain,
Pleasure there's if there's pain.
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1. The vidya school of Indic thought feels that samsaara is asaara, world is vain, and hence should be shunned. But samsarati iti samsaarah, or what moves on, what changes, is samsaara. World moves, changes, and still like a river remains the same. In very impermanence world shows its lasting creative permanence.

This piece has a different take. Most of this world is not for advanced spiritualists. Liberation is a far goal. And avidya is the way to reach vidya. This world is a karmic land.
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Reflections | 01.07.06 |