Ring : Rajasthani Poem by Sharda Krishna; English Translation by Rajni Chhabra

 RING

******

A celestial nymph

Matchless beauty Meneka

And consequence of

Circumstantial consummations of

Sage Vishwamitar

A staunch meditator of truth

Refuted Shakuntala

Brought up in Hermitage

Foster daughter of Father Kanv

Enchanting innocent youth   

She was unquestioned beauty.

In maze-filled roads of past

Narrow lanes and crossroads

On highways of Hastinapur

In confused mob of feminism

She is wandering 

In search of finding

 Exact definition of her dignity

In each and every street are

Echoing songs of revolution

Of torch-bearers

And she wants to know from mob about

Fathomless depth of water of Shuchi-pilgrimage

Effacement of ring with royal seal

And consequence of selfless love

How a ring 

Erased 

Memory and consciousness

Of the king

Which proficient goldsmith

Could have moulded gold

Matching my finger only

Stomach of Rohu fish

Would not have been pierced 

Without any purpose

She was destined 

To become an instrument

Of oblivion of the king

God knows why

She swallowed my very existence

And held it for years

In her abdomen

She, too, was killed ultimately

Like a character of some suspense story

But, prior to it

In  full gathering in court was

Shattered dignity of female

Was ridiculed with harsh words

Abomination by the king

Annoyance of Mother Goutami 

Contempt of foster-brothers of hermitage

Inner cores of heart of 

Daughter of Kanv

Pierced

Then she observed

Truth beguiled to lie

Bereaved faith 

And triumph of 

Forced fraud!

She did not find refuge in earth

Many Agni-pariksha  she might have to face

She will have to probe for herself

Response to these questions

Where Royals society is mum now

Where had been the ring

How it vanished

When did Rohu fish 

Come on surface of 

Shuchi pilgrimage?

Who was the fisher-man

That took the ring

To the royal court

Exactly after disdain of Shakuntala

By the King

And if it was a mutual lapse

Why the entire punishment 

Why the whole blemish is

One sided.

Agni pariksha, a trial by fire described in the Hindu Sanskrit epic Ramayana.