Dr Bhawani Shankar Nial’s poems affirm a powerful inner awakening that rises beyond hunger, ambition, or worldly desire, revealing a fire that is not born of need or greed but of a deeper consciousness that questions the structures of power, the illusions of comfort, and the fragile boundaries between fortune and misfortune. His imagery moves with certainty through deserts and green landscapes, royal palaces and famine struck valleys, not as temptations but as symbols of the human mind’s restless search for meaning. The fire he invokes becomes an affirmative force that dissolves material pursuits and exposes the impermanence of empires, wealth, and dreams, while also consuming love, hatred, and the flow of time itself, leaving behind a purified vision of the inner and outer worlds. In another poem he affirms the living energy of words, which can nurture creativity, alter climates of thought, challenge unjust authority, or bring devastation like a natural calamity, yet he also recognises that words can perish when deprived of care, connection, and the breath of human engagement. His reflections on the earth within the eye of a beloved affirm the difficulty of freeing oneself from memories that hold forests, waterfalls, skies, and the entire geography of emotion, even as one carries away the scars of conflict, the triumphs of love, and the quiet discipline of survival. Across these works, Dr Nial’s voice remains steady and affirmative, insisting that poetry is a space where inner fire, living words, and the landscapes of memory converge to reveal the truth of human experience.
FIRE
Dr Bhawani Shankar Nial
Translated by
Bankim Mund
It was not the fire
Of hunger
That hardly aware
Of how the day
Follows the night.
It was not the fire
Of greed for power
That breaks
Or restores the laws
Time and again;
That outlaws
The rules, regulations
Even the
legislature
And Parliament.
It was not my fire
Of allurements
That lures me
Sometimes something,
Even enticing me
In my oblivion towards
Desert,verdancy
Royal palace
And valley of famine.
It was not the fire
Beneath the belly
But something
That hardly differentiates
Time, day, month, space
Fortune, misfortune;
May be a conflagration
That can annhilate
All the materialistic pursuits :
Palace, empire
The rich, the poor
And their
ceaseless dream;
May be the inferno
That devours
Love, hatred
Even time:
The past, present
And future.
The fire… fire:
Ignnites
The inner world
And
The outer world.
Fire.. Fire… Fire
Sriradha
Kalahandi
Odisha, India
+++
WORDS ARE DESTINED TO DIE
by Dr. Bhawani Shankar Nial
Transcreated by : Dr.Tapan Kumar Rath
India
Sometimes it happens
like this
that the words that
crops-up in the garden
of my daughter ladels out
greenery in literature,
or
brings a bitter cold
in the environment
or
brings a change against
the undemocratic decision
of the Government
or
brings famine and
destroys all the possessions
of centuries.
It’s quite natural that
words may bring changes
in seasons
but
sometimes the words too
commit suicide and die
when they do not
get oxygen like human beings
when their own people
do not have any bonding
more or less.
Original Odia – “Sabda ku bi Maribaku Pade”
EYE’S EARTH AND I
by Dr. Bhawani Shankar Nial
Transcreated by : Dr.Tapan Kumar Rath
India
It was not so easy
to free oneself
from the earth in her eye
where there sunk
the great water falls,
the deep woods,
the cliffs and islands
blue skies, concealed
lakes and dews
on the morning grass.
Of course
it was not so easy
to leave the familiar
foes and friends,
Gods and demons
and even the aliens.
Though I’m able to
escape from her eye
and the earth in it
I left there
the horrible experiences
of the wars,
the successful stories
of love and
the art of living
with a meagre income.
I’m also away from
the silence that
leads me to salvation.
Original Odia – “Akshira Prithvi”
18th Mahuri Patrika Annual Function
Sonpur, Odisha — 4 January 2026
In today’s interconnected world, multicultural literature plays a vital role in nurturing global harmony. By encouraging empathy, questioning injustice, and presenting stories that highlight our shared human experience, contemporary writing becomes a unifying force that transcends borders, languages, and identities. It inspires meaningful dialogue and strengthens understanding across cultures in an increasingly diverse global society.
Literature also safeguards and transmits essential moral values—integrity, compassion, dignity, and respect for human rights. Through narratives that explore ethical dilemmas and human struggles, it shapes individual conscience and reinforces a collective sense of global responsibility.
Universal themes—love, conflict, fear, resilience—allow readers from different nations and traditions to connect deeply with one another. International literary exchanges, translations, and multicultural book festivals help dissolve barriers, spotlighting the similarities that bind humanity together.
For nearly two decades, Mahuri Patrika of Kalahandi, Odisha, working steadfastly in the Odiya language, has embodied this spirit of multicultural engagement. Like many regional and indigenous publications around the world, it strengthens global unity by preserving linguistic heritage, promoting cultural diversity, and fostering mutual respect. Such presses counter the pressures of linguistic uniformity and instead serve as vibrant bridges linking communities, traditions, and worldviews.
