Wanderer: The Philosophical and Metaphysical

Wanderer by Rajender Krishan
Paperback ISBN : 978-1-947403-15-4
Amazon ebook ASIN : B08T7VS8DZ
Available on Amazon USA | Amazon India

While reading the text of Rajender Krishan’s Wanderer, I was reminded of another great book of classical wisdom, The Wanderer by Kahlil Gibran. As I was half-way through Rajender’s Wanderer, I felt tempted to read that book after more than a decade. Both the books shine by contrast in their own way for the one has short prose pieces as allegories and parables and convey the essence of philosophical wisdom for everyday human life; the other is a book of short poems in which the poet is grappling with the urgent confrontations, dualities of mind and spirit, intellect and the soul, in the context of bodily needs and pleasures in daily human life and quest for the Supreme since ages dealt with by the seers and sages in all literatures, even in scriptures. Some pieces of Kahlil Gibran, I would specially mention before taking up Rajender’s poetic wisdom, “The Other Wanderer”, “The Quest”, “The Two Poems”, “The Full Moon”, “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”. In another piece of lasting sagacity, “The Dancer”, Kahlil Gibran says -

“The philosopher’s soul dwells in his head, the poet’s soul in his heart, the singer’s soul lingers about his throat, but the soul of the dancer abides in all her body.”

Here in his Wanderer, Rajender Krishan, the “anxious wanderer” is searching for the “eternal form” in the “formless” “oblivious to the transient spectacle” (View). In “Inexpressible”, the poet says-

“In this wonderful play
of cyclic life, should it ever matter
who finds whom, next?”

If Rajender is philosophical and metaphysical in these short pieces of profound pragmatic wisdom, he is at his best in sincerely attempting to resolve the irritating, and even tortuous, dualities and confrontations. Search for remembrances and reminiscences is significant - “You and I have to be cordial for cheers!” All dualities, the conflicts of conscience, remain painful; scriptures may imprint hard to conquer mind with sharp and insightful logic and ethics; even this dynamic leaves behind doubts, shaken faith, doldrums in the spirit and even submission! 

The meaning and purpose of life are actually and effectively traced in self-denial, self-discipline and self-restraint – ephemeral and the divine. Ever-active confrontation of human mind with morality, spirituality , logic and ethics to know what is right and wrong, good and bad and where to draw a line. This is the eternal obsession and dilemma with which sensitive human beings keep grappling all their life and experience no true happiness. Those who work for live and feed bodily pleasures remain unconcerned with this issue. Our consciousness of being right and doing right, doing all good and no evil troubles us more. Alexander Pope says -

“Honor and shame from no question rise,
Play well thy part, there all the honor lies.”

The American National Poet, mystic and transcendentalist, and a wanderer, says -

“I have said that the soul is not more than the body,
And I have said that the body is not more than the soul,
And nothing, not God, is greater to one than one’s self is…….”
- (Song of Myself by Walt Whitman)

The poet in Rajender Krishan experiences the transcendence to “articulate the infinite/ends up embracing duality/to give birth to poetry.” (Creativity)

The drama of life being eternally played on world’s stage with the entire creation as actors - a tribute to the rain of pleasures and “drowning agonizingly in the floods of sorrow”; it is an elusive drama, and its meaning is traced and understood in bravely fighting the battle. So, to be the performer, all seers agree and advise. (Insight). We are here to elevate the ephemeral and the mundane to avoid absurdity and feel the harmony in the “chaotic drama.” The scholars, the philosophers, the mystics, the sufis, the sages and the seers discuss the fundamentals that disgrace and degrade life and emphasize the suppression of these flaws, common and frequent in human character, and fulfill the purpose of life to be something in nothing, says the wandering mystic, the meditative mystic, to liberate ourselves for higher destiny and wander carefree.

The poet in Wanderer convinces the reader that life has to be a song of liberation to be hummed blissfully failing which it all will come to naught as a wavered discourse on death. He says -

“In the rat race, when
each one is trying to
outdo everyone else,
wanting to be the best.
The wandering mystic
continues to bask
in the pristine glory
of his unique self.” - (Matchless)

Thus, leave the footprints on the sands of time and the ever-dancing waves on the sea of life! The meditating mystic preaches humble gratitude and total submission to His Will as a mystic warrior staying disciplined and virtuous to gather pearls of wisdom and the bliss of the beauty of life discarding the venom of hatred and jealousy for the essence of love. Here begins the venerated self with the fragrances of love, piety and enlightenment after crushing and burying the falsehood, hypocrisy, crookedness as -

“Times are uncertain,
Life unpredictable
… … …
… … …
The new journey
must begin unsullied,
without any luggage,
to explore the unknown.” - (Wanderer)

In this context, “Schooling” is the best lesson of faith, wisdom, hope, harmony, vibrant and dynamic forward movement on the paths of life to fresh glory. Teacher-student interaction is unending and ever-ceaseless beyond, consciously or unconsciously- all goes unawares then! Here it leads to the fine discovery of Thine and Mine, explaining the cause and effect, Karma yoga, the reward or award of what we give or do, what we cultivate here and there and everywhere. All false presumptions must be shed in all honesty to seek and reach beyond! Cheats and frauds, exploitative tendencies to loot and plunder shall dim the light and obstruct the vision and lead astray into the blind alleys- so where to reach and when to reach the destination? Self-control and self-denial to destroy illusions, deceit, greed, odious thoughts and designs, shall carve a smooth course to emancipation- our submissively declared goal to sustain Life’s “existential diversity”. Not mere wishes but His Grace alone showers this blessing. The Wanderer stops not, nowhere; the mystic wanderer has honestly realized that sufferings and pains and miseries endured with an ungrudging sense of submission and reconciliation shall quicken the pace of dynamic growth and advancement. Prayers are certainly answered - is the unflinching faith of the wanderer. Fulfillment of the dreams and passions of life is assured  in continuous pursuit. Here again, the poet remembers Amma’s gospel and stands reassured that this is the essence of scriptures. These are the beautiful “realms of a blossoming poesy” so artistically, simply, spontaneously, cryptically and rhythmically created in these short pieces by the Wanderer!

The wanderer moves on into the New Era of 2020, New Normal created, imposed and forced by the proponents of pandemic upsetting and devastating the global pattern of political, economic and social life causing severe damage to the deteriorating physical and psychological human behavior. The poet’s serious and genuine concern is obvious in his indictment and denunciation of the way New Era is being understood, handled and guided by the idiots, stupid, wiseacres, fools and sycophants. He has the dare to say -

“The leadership globally
appears gullible and foolish
trying to rule whimsically
without having capability
or knowledge of governance
surrounded by another
set of fools, who play
sycophant to such rulers
and lavish praises on their idiocies.” - (New Era)

This is “the infective environment and /devastation caused by the pandemic” resulting in global economic ruin by the prophets of depopulating the world -

“where stupidities are tolerated
And absurdities are appreciated.” - (Venal)

Amidst this is being practiced the pharmaceutical chaos and loot causing serious disturbances in human behavior like dementia, violent anger, mania, hallucination etc. The poet declares with an unanswerable question -

“Was the wanderer ever tied
with instructions this way?
Bondage free then and even now
he treads carefree all the way.” - (Carefree)

Perhaps, the wanderer suggests that there is a clear revolt against the autocratic impositions of the governance at all levels. This is “the majestic darkness of Life” and the wanderer has to wait patiently for “that ultimate moment.”

Here is an ageless wanderer with the ageless quest for the ageless wisdom to liberate human mind of its ageless dilemma and confrontations and illumine and brighten the course life for a New Destiny in human history!

Hopefully, this book of Rajender Krishan is well-received by the poetry lovers and general readers everywhere!

Best of reading!

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