Amal-Kiran - Poet and Critic

A Poised Serenity

WHEN one looks at the stupendous output of this man, sometimes one wonders how can a human brain know so much, contain so much, hold so much and yet not burst at the seams.

If one wants to understand the secret of the prolific output of this literary giant K.D. Sethna, who is constantly emptying his brains of its treasures by pouring them out in his writings; who writes with equal ease on the Vedas and the Bible (the Pope may with difficulty find one amongst his cardinals who knows so much about Christianity); who can write a book about the Black Lady on William Shakespeare and who can with credit break lances with Kathleen Raine, the foremost authority of our times on William Blake; and who can write a book which makes an in-depth study of French poet Stephane Mallarmé; and another on the origin of Israel and also write two tomes on the supposed invasion of India by the Aryans; who with astounding mastery proves that the chronology of ancient India is wrong and should be pushed back hundreds of years; who, though a Parsi by birth, is a Hindu to the core; whose political editorials written in Mother India decades ago can become a textbook for Indian diplomats; who has written so exquisitely about Sri Aurobindo's poetry that there might never be another to equal him in this field; whose poetry, highly packed with overhead inspiration, drew high accolades from Sri Aurobindo, is so high as to leave gasping his worthy admirers; who has history and philosophy at his fingertips; from whose every pore oozes literature; who can discuss any subject under the sun and confound those holding contrary views; who can point out people's mistakes with such tact that the person concerned will be ready to eat out of his hands and will remain his ardent admirer forever; who keeps his cool when enraged foes or friends lose their calm and shout at him; who can madden his opponents by his uncanny ability to

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argue successfully any viewpoint he chooses to advocate; who has helped dozens of fledgling poets and authors (myself included) and who can help so constantly without grudging his time and energy even in his 90th year; who was never defeated by his crippling disability; who sits for more than an hour listening to the celestial music floating in the air around the Samadhi, - the secret of all this is to be found in the infinite Grace of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on one hand and on Amal's tremendous receptivity on the other, as well as in his favourite lines of Savitri:

A poised serenity of tranquil strength,

A wide unshaken look on Time's unrest

Faced all experience with unaltered peace.

May he complete his century.

The Warrior

(Written for Amal's birthday 25 November 1992)

Up or down

Though the going be tough,

Though the road be rough,

Never will he frown.

Surely the gods admire

This quenchless fire -

As heavy odds he would fight

Armed with a smile,

And always paint

With hues varied and bright

The twin canvases

Of literature and life,

Girdled with the Mother's Grace

And Sri Aurobindo's Light.

SHYAM KUMARI

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