Wanderer by Rajender Krishan
Paperback ISBN : 978-1-947403-15-4 Amazon ebook ASIN : B08T7VS8DZ
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In “Solitude” while contemplating on “Amma’s Gospel” Rajender Krishan has started wandering in the mundane world in search of spiritual Knowledge by becoming a ‘Mystic Wanderer’.

Much before the glacier burst in India’s Uttarakhand and the very recent eruption of Mount Etna, in the City of New York, there appears an emotional outburst of powerful feelings in the ever-active mind of Rajender Krishan. The gush of feelings has taken the form of a book aptly christened as “Wanderer”.

Basically Rajender Krishan, seems to be a ‘Mystic Wanderer’ with profound inquisitiveness. Prolific emotions, sometimes, make him a philosopher. As a philosopher he readily steps in to the robes of a preacher, a teacher and a social reformer.

As a philosopher he says, “Life is a play/ the world a stage/ and we all actors” (Insight, page 53). He further says: “Get not attached/ to the character/ when curtain draws/ erase the actor”(Ibid) This being the situation we have to listen to the directions given by the Director who also happens to be the script writer. If we fail to listen it will be considered as “showing disrespect to the Creator” (Mother , page 37). Like a person who has attained perfection by understanding the ways of the supreme Power he says, ‘Meditative Mystic/ wants to remember/ by unlearning what was learnt (Cipher. Page69). Finally, he says, life ‘is a known journey/ with no beginning or end’ (Fulfilment, page75). So the soul’s ‘wandering continues’ (Fragrance, p.85) till it becomes ‘closer to unknown’ (Reverence, page 89). The philosopher concludes that in our life we should have positive outlook and contentment: The question /is no longer relevant / about why, how, where /if one feel gratified / of having lived life / positive and content (When, page237). The philosopher perfectly deals with I, Thine and Mine (Elementary, page 103).

As a disciplined preacher Rajender Krishan tells people to have right attitude: “Unfavourable spell may be, /yet it is not crass/ remember steadily/ that ‘this too shall pass’ (Attitude, page 121). This positive approach makes us to bear even the unbearable. Swamy Chinmayananda during his Geeta Lectures often used to say that it is not the aptitude but only attitude decides your altitude in life. Rajender Krishan goes a step further and adds ‘responsive fortitude’ (Cue, page 125) to it.

Like a well trained teacher he prepares everyone to face the challenges of life. In an emphatic way he narrates, ‘First and foremost /fear not the conflicts, /rather learn, how to face them/ by observing the oscillations/ patiently, for the real aptitude/ to become apparent’ (Approach, page 133). He further teaches, ‘No matter what today asks/ perform with confidence/ Achievement will occur’ (Management, page 155). Again, in his poem ‘Optimist’ he gives a message to the people: ‘Perform all activities/ personal and vocational/ by executing, / whatever is required / To be done, earnestly.’ (page 205)

In his poem ‘Schooling’ he becomes an introvert and elaborately speaks about the lessons life has taught him. He thanks life- she-thus: “She gracefully prepares me/ to be ready for latitude/ in singularity of her solitude. (page 96). In his poem ‘Routines’  he explains prayers thus: Prayers are answered / only if you know / why to pray / how to pray. Only a seasoned poet can write like this. His Pain (149) poem also proves this.

His  well-crafted short four-line poems -  Cipher, Viewpoint, Greed, Ponder (Instead of The glass is half-full it is printed as The glass is hall full, page137), Blind Love, Balance, Ants, Disaster and Masks are like Thumries of  Hindustani Music. As the saying goes in Hindi : Dekhana me Chota lage par Ghav kare Gambhir.

I am much impressed by poem Ants. He says, ‘An ant in the pants; / shoe with a grain of sand / naturally disrupts / the pace of progression (page215). There is a popular poet in Telugu by name Vemana. He is considered as the Kabir Das of Telugu. In one of his short four line poem says a small pebble in the shoe, an insect in ear, a dust particle in the eye and a nagging wife make life miserable.

The Mystic Wanderer who almost dominates the first 60 to 70 pages disappears in the book. He gives place to poems about marriage, Covid 19 etc. His elegy ‘Coby’ (Page193) is worth reading one. It is one of the best elegies I have read.

In a nutshell ‘Wanderer’ is a good read. Hope and trust Rajender Krishan is prepping his fourth Volume of poems. Will the fourth volume have the title Path Finder?


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