T3 || বাণী অর্চনা || বিশেষ সংখ্যায় Madhu Sriwastav

Veena Vadini

Saraswati Puja holds many memories
though I can’t recall my first
five siblings, my grandma and my diligent mother
the whole house would be active and alive
getting the deity from the market place
wearing yellow sarees even as kids
waiting hungrily for the puja to be over
to devour the prasad and the kuul…
the forbidden fruit…
not to be eaten till offered to the Muse
student life passed to marital blues
in a school the tradition went on
now shouldering responsibilities
then into college
a larger playground
with more hands to take over
I focussed more on my personal space
today at a ripe age
Devi and her Puja
make me think
of our tradition
the need to invoke the Devi each year
today on the eve of Vasant Panchami
my prayers are for knowledge
that stays
creativity that weaves magic in the air
vitiated by the bombarding’s of
internet hail stones
among rains
In this age of information explosion
we need the blessings of the Devi all the more
to keep us grounded
lest we be blown
by the winds of insignificance
O Devi bless with discretion
O Devi bless with purity
O Devi bless with truth
in my heart
that I may tread light on this life path
with the music of your Veena in my heart
conscious of my life choices
learning unlearning relearning
from one and all!