M O K S H A; Poems of Liberation

M O K S H A - meaning liberation in Sanskrit - is a collection of English language re-imaginations and translations of original poems in Telugu, Hindi and Bhojpuri by the renowned Indian musician, composer, choreographer, musicologist and poet Pt. Vijay Raghav Rao.

The collection highlights a poet’s impulse to use the power of his art for freeing his society from ages-old limitations wrought by oppression, systemic bias, conflict and upheaval. Embracing unvarnished values ensconced in love of family, empathy for fellow beings, socially meaningful artistic expression and a profound realization of one’s own frailty, the poet says, paves a path to fulfillment. Engaged thus, honing his skills through observation and introspection, he is also on his way to liberating himself intellectually.

Written over a span of fifty years traversing the Indian nation through social, political and economic tumult, M O K S H A is a microcosmic view of a people, their spiritual underpinning, authentic values, beliefs and ways of life, even as it is a unique work of poetry. Universally relevant themes of living, relationships, love, devotion, joy, bondage, grief and freedom provide context for perspective.

When interpreted through a contemporary lens, M O K S H A: Poems of Liberation is a concise treatise on eternally relevant constructs intrinsic to the happiness of the human species.