Krishna's Advice To Arjuna - Part Two
II
for Thodti trailing barefeet his dried coconut-stick broom on cracked macadam
in the gutter festering oozing fresh month-old drying turds urine remains of fed-up banana-leaves skins withered jasmine garlands drained motor-oil from scooter-taxis overfed flies lean stray kids fowl cows
all that was wonder from afar
magic mythic mystery the lingo of gods on earth
the brahmin vegetarian clattering-pans over order shouting eating-hotels
as though the heavens deigned to camp down on his doorstep
derailed on their celestial inter-galactic circuit
his mind if he cared to exercise one was of little use to him
nor were they to his ancestors
called upon only to clean the bottoms off those who
shat upon his forefathers for ages
his only use for his intelligence
is to know his place
minus the alphabet
minus arithmetic
minus the patinenkilkkanakku
minus the grandold Vedic mystic gods and rishis
minus the right to think for himself
only the dullard’s right to die daft dull damned
and be reborn in the womb of ignorance
So much for your Godly advice Charioteer Krishna
For don’t Gods only talk to Gods on Earth
Detach yourself first then
KILL
Do not feel for those you kill
For what lofty ideal the Mahabharatha
pitted mythically gambling polyandrous cousins
Is India today a magical-realist myth
or a cranking up Indo-Pak Armageddon
Sattva Rajas Tamas
Sattva Rajas Thodti
Notes
Sattva: pure intelligence and goodness
Rajas: impure mental energy and restless passion
Tamas: dullness and inertia
Blodok or belodok (also beluduh): Malay for large-eyed goby, found in tropical or
equatorial muddy flats
Gopuram: the tiered, sculptured towers over the main entrances to Hindu temples
Kannagi: heroine of the medieval Tamil epic Cilappatikaram
Kolusu: ornamental anklet chains with bells worn by Tamil women
Kunkumam: saffron ( yellow or red) powder serving as adornment marks of
auspiciousness on women’s faces
Patinenkilkkannakku: the traditionally collective name for eighteen Tamil classical
works
Tali: usually gold chains worn by married Tamil women round the neck or tumeric-
stained cords in lieu of
Thodti: a caste name for Night Soil Men
© T.Wignesan May 26/27, 1997 Revised June 2002 Paris From the sequence/collection: “Words for a Lost Sub-Continent”.
Copyright © T Wignesan | Year Posted 2012
Post Comments
Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.
Please
Login
to post a comment