[Reader-list] Padi Samyik - A Treatise

[Pawan Durani]

*Padi Samyik - **A Treatise***

*By MK Raina***

*"I feel the instinctive vibration of the earth and visualise my 'connect'
with the terra-firma', *said MF Hussain once, when asked, 'why does he walk
bare-footed? After reading Majboor Saheb's book *'Padi Samyik', *I feel he
has laid his *'padi' *(bare feet) firmly on the eons of Kashmir history in a
unique manner, demonstrating amply his 'innate vibrations' and his
'inalienable connect' with his mother-land, Kasheer. Medium of expression
may be different but, euphemistically speaking the inspiration is the same.

*'Padi Samyik'* (The foot prints of time) is a *'Kaveya' *written in nine
Sargas (chapters).

It starts with the turmoil in Kashmir and goes into imaginary world to trace
the early days of the man in Kashmir. The two characters which narrate the
whole 'longer' poem are Sangur (The top of a hill) and the Sangarmal (The
early Prakasha seen in wee hours of the day on the circular range of high
mountains surrounding the Valley.

The characters meet at a crystal clean vast spring. They begin to love each
other and make their home under a very big stone, which covers their house
hold. They get the experience of living from the nature, their hands and
brain. Once the *'Sangur' *goes to a forest for hunting, he is caught by
some alien Tribal people. They beat him up and keep him in custody for the
night. His beloved is frightened when her lover does not return till late.
She weeps and wails. In the morning *"Sangur" *is taken to the Sardar of the
tribe. He falls under his feat and requests him not to kill him, moreover he
has done no harm to them. He is released and runs to his beloved. She is
full of joy when she sees him alive.

After that comes the story of birth of Kashmir Valley -  Running of various
rivers, settlements in the hilly areas, Coming of various people to
Kashmirfrom Central
Asia and Aryans from the Ganges and Sindh Valleys.

There are about nine capitals of Kashmir which were constructed by various
kings. These are Puranadisthan (now Pandrenthan), Pravarpur, Shrinagri (Shri
is the first name of Vitasta), Awantipur, Nowshahar, Nagarnagar, Inderkoot,
and Parihaspur. These have been described briefly. The main historic places
have been pinpointed. Coming of various religions, philosophies and there
mixing has been poetically described.

Last chapters describe the beauty of various bountiful seasons of Kashmir,
especially the glow, breeze and abundance of self-grown flowers in spring.
Coming of visitors in summer season which too is pleasant and attractive.

All the famous fairs and some festivals during these seasons have also been
picturized. The Autumn is covered with golden colour, the fields are ripe,
the red colour and sweet juice seen in various fruits of Kashmir. The Valley
presents a look like a queen having decorated her body with various
ornaments.

The winter of Kashmir too has its own colour and charm. The life in
Kashmirduring winter has been pictured with words which give a poetic
colour to the
nicities and difficulties of this season.

In the end the poet says that in the words of keats "when the winter comes,
can spring be far behind.”

The versification of *'Padi Samyik' *is embellished with the vignettes of
similes, onomatopoeic, metaphors, alliterations and above all free-flowing
usage of 'personification', which not only 'elevates the thought-process,
but also lends grace and sublimity to the content. The sensitive poet has
used his wordplay in weaving the fabric of various patterns of Kashmir,
presenting a Kaleidoscopic picture of the Valley.

*thokmut, tshyonmut, sangrav rochhmut*

*akh lolu hota pev vatith ot*

*dalas manz balu thang vathimut chhi shranas*

*kulev volmut sabuz vardan chhu panas*

* *

*shod saph sarah akh son dyuthun*

*mudyah kamas tay prazunovun*



*bihith singasanas badnas valith tos*

*karan os razusi gatul sethah os*

As a chronicler Majboor Saheb has traced the history of Satisar (Kashmir)
from the 'Treaty between Nagas and Pishachas' in the prehistoric times, as
documented in the 'Neelmat Purana'. Then he menders us through the annals of
our history unfolding the noble and the wicked, the munificent and the
treacherous, the tolerant and the bigoted, the liberal and the illiberal
reign of the rulers of the host of dynasties which ruled Kashmir from time
to time. One could, perhaps, read Kalhan, Hassan or Bamzai to delve into the
chronicle records of Kashmir. But the peculiarity of Majboor Saheb's *'Padi
Samyik' *(history of Kashmir) is that he touches such topics, which
historians either skip or treat superficially; like rites, rituals,
vegetables (common then, forgotten now like sotsal, nunar, lisu, hak),
costumes and crops etc.

Talking about the costumes, one knows that women of Kashmir have all along
been presented wearing the Muslim costume. Here is some one, who has
potrayed sartorially elegant costume of Panditani:

zananan ari taranga sheri asan

*kalas kalposh, anzul zuj shuban*

*saraph chale timan putsah avezan*

* *

*pheran nalas khoran pulhar lagan*

*hatis hanzrah, hale lungyah zabar jan*

*bilay achh asu tihunzay zun zotan*

How can one forget savouring *'makayi vachi' *with *'dungoji'?*

*pinglah, sholah, makayah mith katsah*

*vachen mechhar tu pal pal dun gujah*

Post-exodus many a poet have given vent to the poignancy they suffered in
the *'tandav' *of militancy, but Majboor Saheb's anguish at the 'demonic
dance' unleashed by the militants has lacerated his sensitive soul that
every verse of the first *'Sarag'  *of his book *'Padi Samyik' *is 'sigh and
cry'. The poet's deep pain is unplugged at the turn of the events which has
ravaged his beloved *'Kasheer', *with fire and sword.

Enveloped by the fear-psychosis, Majboor recounts how people, nearly
paralysed, turned mute spectators on seeing spectre of destruction all
around. He seems particularly appalled at the apathetic attitude of
neighbours, who till yestreday were his concomitants and swore by each
other. Dismayed and shaken, he could not bear the emotional distress of mass
exodus of his community members who were compelled to abandon their homes
and hearths and seek refuge in alien and inhospitable land. He sighed:

*garuch vath sopnu mayaye chhi garan*

*panun olah vopar jayan chhi tsharan*

Being peace-loving by nature, Majboor Saheb has given more space to the
tolerant Brahminical thought and influence of benevolent Muslim preceptors
who arrived in Kashmir in early 14th Century, which gave birth to much
envied synergy now called 'Kashmiriyat':

*reshav sophev  revayath thav kayim*

*rutsar prath kansi kanchhun rud lazim*

Even after the perdition that shook Kashmir, the optimistic streak of
Majboor Saheb looks solicitously for peace and harmony to return to his *'resh
var' *and he makes 'Biblical' wish 'follow peace with all men' and entreats
people thus:

*kariv kanh pay yinu gatshi ha yi resh var*

*me nazran dag azabas lusmuts kar*

Majboor Saheb is thoroughly disgusted with post independence dispensation of
governance. He thought, with independence all the wounds inficted upon us by
the various regimes would be healed by our own democratically elected
government, but alas!

*khabar asi as gayi azad sari *

*gulami hund balan von dad sari*

*ama tarze hakumath kyazi pronuy*

*andur kin tshots nebur kyah nundubonuy*

Denoucing, the games played by the politicians, as a scourge of the society,
the poet laments:

*agar zar chhuy tu teli mushkil gatshi hal*

*pakan kakaz hava bar zore botal*

*chhu asan val sund prath kanh gulamah*

*chhe ma khali athav neran kamah*

Cursing even now prevalent corruption in all the walks of life, the poet
sighs:

*siyasatuken dukanan phand bazi*

*chhi hathiyaran hevan az kam sari*

*dyutukh naru tu mulkas chhuy lagan nar*

*phakath votuk tsovapari chhu bapar*

Majboor Saheb feels that he is really helpless (*majboor) *to live in an
alien land, for he misses the snow-capped mountains, rustle of the chinars,
the sheen of turquoise lakes, the fragrance of *'bradmushk *and *'yamburzal'
*the mouth-watering viands of his Kasheer and above all his social
intercourse with his friends of yore. What a regret to live with!

*'Padi Samyik' *is a book for all times and for ages - for the
contemporaneous to evoke their nostalgia and for the posterity to know their
roots.

* * **The author is a well-known writer, based in Mumbai. He contributes
regularly to Milchar, the publication of Kashmiri Pandit Association,
Mumbai. He has also authored an anthology of short stories - Kenh Non Kenh
Son.*
**
Source: Kashmir Sentinel