Peace Comes? — Abnish Singh Chauhan

Who does not long
to live in peace—
with peace in his heart
and harmony
in the world around him?

Does peace arise
from the barrel of a gun,
or from calculative diplomacy
driven by personal gain?

The Shanti Parva1
of the Mahabharata2 says—
peace has its own essence,
embraced by those,
willing to sacrifice
for its lasting presence.

Peace comes and stays—
where life is unburdened,
where love and compassion flourish,
where the air is pure,
and free from
the haze of conflict.

***




Footnotes:
1. The Shanti Parva: The twelfth of eighteen episodes of the Mahabharata.
2. The Mahabharata: A major Sanskrit epic that tells the story of the Kurukshetra War.