Fascinating book of prose and poems

Keeping in tune with his name, Mahathi has strummed impressive poetical strains and notes culminating into a priceless anthology of poems. They deal with a mortal's vision of the mythical and the mystical worlds and his constant struggle and endeavor for self realisation. At times he presents the reader with rhetorical questions needling him to seek the appropriate answers. While at other times he seamlessly lays them down through symbolic representation, metaphorically or by using extensive similes. Whether he himself is the muse, Nature, or using an abstract, the poet keeps the reader constantly engaged. It's a medley of Sonne ballads, lyrics and narratives with apt metric forms.

The first section of his collection titled as 'The Prayer' commences with a vivid description of Lord Sri Rama and his Consort Sita. Terming Lord Rama as the face of perseverance, the poet has effectively brought out the one permanent factor in The Universe, viz, The Divine. He narrates his experience of how he was able to recognise and accept 'The one', after undergoing a transition from an inner cacophony to an inexplicable serenity and steadiness of the mind and soul.

The smooth flow of his thoughts about The Ganges justifies as to why he has titled his work as 'the ganges'. The biographical account of The Holy River never leaves the reader with a dull moment. The visual and auditory imagery used bind the reader to travel along with the river right from her source and become a part of her journey of trials and tribulations. Her flirtatious moves with Lord Shiva, Her anguish when she reaches the earth, her bewilderment amidst new environs, mirror the human psyche despite her being a cosmic entity. All emotions are set to an incredibly perfect poetic rhythm.

The poet through the skilful use of sensory language presents Bhagirath to the readers. Extolling his virtues is a little bird. The reader is treated with a dramatic effect when the poet chooses to describe the appearance of Brahma. The kaleidoscopic events that precede Lord Shiva's Darshan and the actual appearance leave the reader in awe. The rhythm and the imagery are as forceful as The Lord's form. This can be experienced through these lines. "That king relieved of years of weariness beheld that duet of song and dance". It also represents the poet's craft of evoking great emotions.

The technique of juxtaposing effectively brings out the conflicts that go in a human mind, eg. Bhagirath's regret 'for bringing the carefree dame to this world of living and dead'; the subtle sardonic sense is spelt in these lines 'a world of paradox this planet weird'. The lines thereafter describe the evils that plague the earth. The poem titled Janhavi speaks of the inescapable Karmic effects, however, offering a sense of reassurance at the same time. How well the poet has managed to weave philosophy, Vedic truths and human virtues in this section speaks of his knowledge and his literary expertise.

'Sadhana' the last segment reflects every true seeker's quest of "Who am I", wherein myth and fallacy have no place. Be it through 'The Sonnet', 'The Miracle', 'Don't Wait', or through 'Grandeur', the poet cleverly urges one to distinguish between the sensual vs. the spiritual, the transient vs. the intransient. He brings out his own experience in the form of 'Tabula Rasa'. 'For whom', draws a comparison between the simplicity of Nature vs the vanity of human nature. 'The Bird' revolves around the trepidation and uncertainty of stepping into the unknown and the ecstasy felt upon the final release.

'The Scents' a metaphoric, 'God Farm' an abstract, and poems 'Layers', 'Prelude', 'Blind men', ' Meditating', 'Nothingness', to name a few ,intonate the poet's Eureka moments. Poems like 'Regained' and 'Song' are short yet speak volumes. An element of suspense underlines the poem, 'That someone'.

Taking the reader into the alleys of Upanishads are poems, 'It's not me', 'Quick sands', 'Pranava' 'Zero in Zero'. 'Rachis' is exceptionally figurative and conveys a depth of meaning. That Nature is an all time muse, and also the best teacher is reiterated by the poet through the poem 'The Rainbow Phenomenon'.'A Rose desire' is a meaningful personification. The title 'Chocolate' at first appears not to be in sync with the general flow of thoughts, but the reader is in for a sweet surprise! 'Some More Questions', 'Salvation' end on notes of inner peace after a prolonged turbulence. 'One' talks of the final merging of the mortal with the immortal. It leaves one with a nectarine kind of bliss.

Sri Mahathi Garu's poetic creation is worth every word, technique and style. The ease with which he used different dimensions and angles to answer one persistent human question is truly amazing. Not once did he run short of language nor style, thereby eliminating ennui or repetition.

One can easily pick his choice of the inward journey and walk away with a fructifying intellectual, emotional and spiritual experience through the plethora of poems offered by the poet.

Ganga Bhavani wife of an Army Officer chose teaching as a profession and poetry is her passion. The muse for her writings is her travels capturing the nature, customs & traditions and intricacies of human relationships. Her creative interests span into painting, clay art figurines and off late venturing into short story writing for her grandchildren. Some of her recent works articulate how the society at large has been tossed around and coming to terms with the current pandemic.