Navkiran and O Charam are two books of a poetry collection by Seemaant Sohal that have been published under the aegis of Rajasthan Sahitya Akademi, Udaipur. The author was given the Sumnesh Joshi award for his book Navkiran. He (along with Mayamriga and Pramod Kumar Sharma) has edited the short stories and poetry collection book ‘Sahitya Prasav’. Rajasthan Sahitya Akademi’s book of collection of poetry of poets from Rajasthan, ‘Ret Par Nange Paanv’, contains Seemaant Sohal’s poetry. He has also done Punjabi to Hindi translation work.
The poems in Sohal’s new book, Rabaab are inspired by the enlightening words of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Collectively, the poems encompass and encapsulate the philosophical teachings of the first Sikh Guru, and his thoughts on life and spirituality. I have strived to keep my verses true in their spirit to the words of Baani and Japu Ji Saheb.
In an interview about Rabaab, Seemant Sohal talks about the inspiration behind the poems and several other topics. Read the full interview below.
Q1. What is your book about?
Ans. The poems in Rabaab are inspired by the enlightening words of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Collectively, the poems encompass and encapsulate the philosophical teachings of the first Sikh Guru, and his thoughts on life and spirituality. I have strived to keep my verses true in their spirit to the words of Baani and Japu Ji Saheb.
Q2. What inspired you to write this book?
Ans. During a car journey, my mind wandered towards the writing and philosophy of Amish. On that trail of thought, I started thinking about my readings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and his illuminating doctrines on life and the spiritual process. It was then that I decided to pen down my interpretation of his teachings in my own verse.
Q3. What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
Ans. Gurbani refers to the hymns in Sikh Texts. In Rabaab, I have tried to enunciate the teachings of the Gurbani in simple verses. My hope from this book is that it gives the readers a better outlook on the teachings in these hymns, helping them better understand, appreciate and adopt them.
Q4. Is writing your full-time career? Or would you like it to be?
Ans. Writing is not a full-time career for me, yet. But, I would love to pursue it as my main profession.
Q5. What was your dream job when you were younger?
Ans. As a child, I dreamed about securing a stable job, much like the other kids my age. Later, I found great joy in reading short stories and poetry. I still remember one of my favourites was the Bure Phanse series. After I started reading, I started leaning towards writing gradually.
Q6. Do you like reading? Who is your favourite author?
Ans. I still enjoy reading as much as I did as a child. My favourite Punjabi author is Surjit Patar. The Hindi authors I like the most include Naresh Saxena, Rajesh Joshi and Krishan Kalpik.
Q7. What is the significance of the title?
Ans. Rabaab is string instrument that Guru Nanak Dev Ji gifted to his cherished friend, Bhai Mardana. Bhai Mardana played the instrument when the Guru sang his hymns, adding to their beauty, which is precisely what my book aims to do.
Q8. What famous author do you wish would be your mentor?
Ans. I don’t believe writing to be a thing one can learn. You can only take inspiration from the maestros, but it is not a textbook subject that can be taught and learned. If I ever get the chance, I would be honoured to seek inspiration from the master Hindi poets- Naresh Saxena, Rajesh Joshi and Krishan Kalpik.
Q9. What does success mean to you?
Ans. Success, to me, means a peaceful life with mental and physical relaxation. I believe a person is truly successful only when he is kind, generous and giving.
Q10. What is your opinion on the relationship of the present youth with spiritual knowledge?
Ans. I believe that every person must know where they come from, socially and spiritually. The knowledge of religious texts teaches a lot more than just stories, it teaches us the way of life. I think that a society that abandons its spiritual roots would inch close to chaos, and the people would be far from good.
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