The Purnima Triad

The Purnima Triad

a Hindi sonnet

Indu K Shukla

Bharat, crushed by ignorance- evil- crime and injustice, made decrepit by the unholy disease of caste divisions, as if her genius- her intelligence - and her consciousness rendered comatose, was stuck in permanent interment.

The bottomless dark arising from total extinguishing of distinction between good and evil, gobbled up the great heart of Bharat. Man, hacked into caste and class, became helpless, pitiable, puny, helpless, and detestable, his forehead trampled.

By showering light on Bharat and the world with the arrow of transcendental wisdom, you tore through the black night of meanness, regress, and infamy, destroying the fire of sin and removing the distress of the world.

Birth-Enlightenment-Nirvana, all on Purnima, are the triad of teerthas. By them Bharat became sacred and resplendent once more.


Teertha: pilgrimage, Sanskrit.

Written: 5 Apr. 2000. Translated by the poet: 7 July 2006.