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The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa by Kisari Mohan Ganguli (Translator)

K >> Kisari Mohan Ganguli (Translator) >> The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa




"After this, the Kuru king Pandu, taking counsel with the great Rishis
commanded Kunti to observe an auspicious vow for one full year, while he
himself commenced, O Bharata, to stand upon one leg from morning to
evening, and practise other severe austerities with mind rapt in
meditation, for gratifying the lord of the celestials.

"It was after a long time that Indra (gratified with such devotion)
approached Pandu and, addressing him, said, 'I shall give thee, O king, a
son who will be celebrated all over the three worlds and who will promote
the welfare of Brahmanas, kine and all honest men. The son I shall give
thee will be the smiter of the wicked and the delight of friends and
relatives. Foremost of all men, he will be an irresistible slayer of all
foes.' Thus addressed by Vasava (the king of the celestials), the virtuous
king of the Kuru race, well-recollecting those words, said unto Kunti, 'O
fortunate one, thy vow hath become successful. The lord of the celestials
hath been gratified, and is willing to give thee a son such as thou
desirest, of superhuman achievements and great fame. He will be the
oppressor of all enemies and possessed of great wisdom. Endued with a
great soul, in splendour equal unto the Sun, invincible in battles, and of
great achievements, he will also be extremely handsome. O thou of fair
hips and sweet smiles, the lord of the celestials hath become gracious to
thee. Invoking him, bring thou forth a child who will be the very home of
all Kshatriya virtues.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'The celebrated Kunti, thus addressed by her lord,
invoked Sakra (the king of the gods) who thereupon came unto her and begat
him that was afterwards called Arjuna. And as soon as this child was born,
an incorporeal voice, loud and deep as that of the clouds and filling the
whole welkin, distinctly said, addressing Kunti in the hearing of every
creature dwelling in that asylum, 'This child of thine, O Kunti, will be
equal unto Kartavirya in energy and Siva in prowess. Invincible like Sakra
himself he will spread thy fame far and wide. As Vishnu (the youngest of
Aditi's sons) had enhanced Aditi's joy, so shall this child enhance thy
joy. Subjugating the Madras, the Kurus along with the Somakas, and the
people of Chedi, Kasi and Karusha, he will maintain the prosperity of the
Kurus. (Surfeited with libations at the sacrifice of king Swetaketu), Agni
will derive great gratification from the fat of all creatures dwelling in
the Khandava woods (to be burnt down) by the might of this one's arms.
This mighty hero, vanquishing all the monarchs of the earth, will with
his brothers perform three great sacrifices. In prowess, O Kunti, he will
be even as Jamadagnya or Vishnu. The foremost of all men endued with
prowess, he will achieve great fame. He will gratify in battle (by his
heroism) Sankara, the god of gods (Mahadeva), and will receive from him
the great weapon named Pasupata. This thy son of mighty arms will also
slay, at the command of Indra, those Daityas called the Nivatakavachas who
are the enemies of the gods. He will also acquire all kinds of celestial
weapons, and this bull among men will also retrieve the fortunes of his
race.'

"Kunti heard these extraordinary words, while lying in the room. And
hearing those words uttered so loudly, the ascetics dwelling on the
mountain of a hundred peaks, and the celestials with Indra sitting in
their cars, became exceedingly glad. The sounds of the (invisible) drum
filled the entire welkin. There were shouts of joy, and the whole region
was covered with flowers showered down by invisible agents. The various
tribes of celestials assembled together, began to offer their respectful
adorations to the son of Pritha. The sons of Kadru (Nagas), the son of
Vinata, the Gandharvas, the lords of the creation, and the seven great
Rishis, viz., Bharadwaja, Kasyapa, Gautama, Viswamitra, Jamadagni,
Vasishtha, and the illustrious Atri who illumined the world of old when
the Sun was lost, all came there. And Marichi, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha,
Kratu, Daksha the lord of creation, the Gandharvas, and Apsaras, came
there also. The various tribes of Apsaras, decked with celestial garlands
and every ornament, and attired in fine robes, came there and danced in
joy, chanting the praises of Vibhatsu (Arjuna). All around, the great
Rishis began to utter propitiatory formulas. And Tumvuru accompanied by
the Gandharvas began to sing in charming notes. And Bhimasena and Ugrasena,
Urnayus and Anagha, Gopati and Dhritarashtra and Suryavarchas the eighth,
Yugapa and Trinapa, Karshni, Nandi, and Chitraratha, Salisirah the
thirteenth, Parjanya the fourteenth, Kali the fifteenth, and Narada the
sixteenth in this list, Vrihatta, Vrihaka, Karala of great soul,
Brahmacharin, Vahuguna, Suvarna of great fame, Viswavasu, Bhumanyu,
Suchandra, Sam and the celebrated tribes of Haha and Huhu gifted with
wonderful melody of voice,--these celestial Gandharvas, O king, all went
there. Many illustrious Apsaras also of large eyes, decked with every
ornament came there to dance and sing. And Anuchana and Anavadya,
Gunamukhya and Gunavara, Adrika and Soma, Misrakesi and Alambusha, Marichi
and Suchika, Vidyutparna and Tilottama and Ambika, Lakshmana, Kshema Devi,
Rambha, Manorama, Asita, Suvahu, Supriya, Suvapuh, Pundarika, Sugandha,
Surasa, Pramathini, Kamya and Saradwati, all danced there together. And
Menaka, Sahajanya, Karnika, Punjikasthala, Ritusthala, Ghritachi, Viswachi,
Purvachiti, the celebrated Umlocha, Pramlocha the tenth and Urvasi the
eleventh,--these large-eyed dancing girls of heaven,--came there and sang
in chorus. And Dharti and Aryaman and Mitra and Varuna, Bhaga and Indra,
Vivaswat, Pushan, Tvastri and Parjanya or Vishnu, these twelve Adityas
came there to glorify Pandu's son. And, O king, Mrigavyadha, Sarpa, the
celebrated Niriti, Ajaikapada, Ahivradhna, Pinakin, Dahana, Iswara,
Kapalin, Sthanu and the illustrious Bhaga--these eleven Rudras,--also came
there. And the twin Aswins, the eight Vasus, the mighty Maruts, the
Viswedevas, and the Sadhyas, also came there. And Karkotaka, Vasuki,
Kachchhapa, Kunda and the great Naga Takshaka,--these mighty and wrathful
snakes possessed of high ascetic merit also came there. And Tarkshya,
Arishtanemi, Garuda, Asitadvaja,--these and many other Nagas, came there,
so also Aruna and Aruni of Vinata's race also came there. And only great
Rishis crowned with ascetic success and not others saw those celestials
and other beings seated in their cars or waiting on the mountain peaks.
Those best of Munis beholding that wonderful sight, became amazed, and
their love and affection for the children of Pandu was in consequence
enhanced.

"The celebrated Pandu, tempted by the desire of having more children
wished to speak again unto his wedded wife (for invoking some other god).
But Kunti addressed him, saying, 'The wise do not sanction a fourth
delivery even in a season of distress. The woman having intercourse with
four different men is called a Swairini (wanton), while she having
intercourse with five becometh a harlot. Therefore, O learned one, as thou
art well-acquainted with the scripture on this subject, why dost thou,
beguiled by desire of offspring, tell me so in seeming forgetfulness of
the ordinance?'"


SECTION CXXIV

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'After the birth of Kunti's sons and also of the
hundred sons of Dhritarashtra the daughter of the king of the Madras
privately addressed Pandu, saying, 'O slayer of foes, I have no complaint
even if thou beest unpropitious to me. I have, O sinless one, also no
complaint that though by birth I am superior to Kunti yet I am inferior to
her in station. I do not grieve, O thou of Kuru's race, that Gandhari hath
obtained a hundred sons. This, however, is my great grief that while Kunti
and I are equal, I should be childless, while it should so chance that
thou shouldst have offspring by Kunti alone. If the daughter of Kuntibhoja
should so provide that I should have offspring, she would then be really
doing me a great favour and benefiting thee likewise. She being my rival,
I feel a delicacy in soliciting any favour of her. If thou beest, O king,
propitiously disposed to me, then ask her to grant my desire.'

"Hearing her, Pandu replied, 'O Madri, I do revolve this matter often in
my own mind, but I have hitherto hesitated to tell thee anything, not
knowing how thou wouldst receive it. Now that I know what your wishes are,
I shall certainly strive after that end. I think that, asked by me, Kunti
will not refuse.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'After this, Pandu addressed Kunti in private,
saying, 'O Kunti, grant me some more offspring for the expansion of my
race and for the benefit of the world. O blessed one, provide thou that I
myself, my ancestors, and thine also, may always have the funeral cake
offered to us. O, do what is beneficial to me, and grant me and the world
what, indeed, is the best of benefits. O, do what, indeed, may be
difficult for thee, moved by the desire of achieving undying fame. Behold,
Indra, even though he hath obtained the sovereignty of the celestials,
doth yet, for fame alone, perform sacrifices. O handsome one, Brahmanas,
well-acquainted with the Vedas, and having achieved high ascetic merit, do
yet, for fame alone, approach their spiritual masters with reverence. So
also all royal sages and Brahmanas possessed of ascetic wealth have
achieved, for fame only, the most difficult of ascetic feat. Therefore, O
blameless one, rescue this Madri as by a raft (by granting her the means
of obtaining offspring), and achieve thou imperishable fame by making her
a mother of children.'

"Thus addressed by her lord, Kunti readily yielded, and said unto Madri,
'Think thou, without loss of time, of some celestial, and thou shall
certainly obtain from him a child like unto him.' Reflecting for a few
moments. Madri thought of the twin Aswins, who coming unto her with speed
begat upon her two sons that were twins named Nakula and Sahadeva,
unrivalled on earth for personal beauty. And as soon as they were born, an
incorporeal voice said, 'In energy and beauty these twins shall transcend
even the twin Aswins themselves.' Indeed possessed of great energy and
beauty, they illumined the whole region.

"O king, after all the children were born the Rishis dwelling on the
mountain of a hundred peaks uttering blessings on them and affectionately
performing the first rites of birth, bestowed appellations on them. The
eldest of Kunti's children was called Yudhishthira, the second Bhimasena,
and the third Arjuna, and of Madri's sons, the first-born of the twins was
called Nakula and the next Sahadeva. And those foremost sons born at an
interval of one year after one another, looked like an embodied period of
five years. And king Pandu, beholding his children of celestial beauty and
of super-abundant energy, great strength and prowess, and of largeness of
soul, rejoiced exceedingly. And the children became great favourites of
the Rishis, as also of their wives, dwelling on the mountain of a hundred
peaks.

"Some time after, Pandu again requested Kunti on behalf of Madri.
Addressed, O king, by her lord in private, Kunti replied, 'Having given
her the formula of invocation only once, she hath, O king, managed to
obtain two sons. Have I not been thus deceived by her, I fear, O king,
that she will soon surpass me in the number of her children. This, indeed,
is the way of all wicked women. Fool that I was, I did not know that by
invoking the twin gods I could obtain at one birth twin children. I
beseech thee, O king, do not command me any further. Let this be the boon
granted (by thee) to me.'

"Thus, O king, were born unto Pandu five sons who were begotten by
celestials and were endued with great strength, and who all lived to
achieve great fame and expand the Kuru race. Each bearing every auspicious
mark on his person, handsome like Soma, proud as the lion, well-skilled in
the use of the bow, and of leonine tread, breast, heart, eyes, neck and
prowess, those foremost of men, resembling the celestials themselves in
might, began to grow up. And beholding them and their virtues growing with
years, the great Rishis dwelling on that snowcapped sacred mountain were
filled with wonder. And the five Pandavas and the hundred sons of
Dhritarashtra--that propagator of the Kuru race--grew up rapidly like a
cluster of lotuses in a lake.'"


SECTION CXXV

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, "Beholding his five handsome sons growing up before
him in that great forest on the charming mountain slope, Pandu felt the
last might of his arms revive once more. One day in the season of spring
which maddens every creature the king accompanied by his wife (Madri),
began to rove in the woods where every tree had put forth new blossoms. He
beheld all around Palasas and Tilakas and Mangoes and Champakas and
Parihadrakas and Karnikaras, Asokas and Kesaras and Atimuktas and
Kuruvakas with swarms of maddened bees sweetly humming about. And there
were flowers of blossoming Parijatas with the Kokilas pouring forth their
melodies from under every twig echoing with the sweet hums of the black
bees. And he beheld also various other kinds of trees bent down with the
weight of their flowers and fruits. And there were also many fine pools of
water overgrown with hundreds of fragrant lotuses. Beholding all these,
Pandu felt the soft influence of desire. Roving like a celestial with a
light heart amidst such scenery, Pandu was alone with his wife Madri in
semi-transparent attire. And beholding the youthful Madri thus attired,
the king's desire flamed up like a forest-fire. And ill-able to suppress
his desire thus kindled at the sight of his wife of eyes like lotus-petals,
he was completely overpowered. The king then seized her against her will,
but Madri trembling in fear resisted him to the best of her might.
Consumed by desire, he forgot everything about his misfortune. And, O thou
of Kuru's race unrestrained by the fear of (the Rishi's) curse and
impelled by fate, the monarch, overpowered by passion, forcibly sought the
embraces of Madri, as if he wished to put an end to his own life. His
reason, thus beguiled by the great Destroyer himself by intoxicating his
senses, was itself lost with his life. And the Kuru king Pandu, of
virtuous soul, thus succumbed to the inevitable influence of Time, while
united in intercourse with his wife.

"Then Madri, clasping the body of her senseless lord, began to weep aloud.
And Kunti with her sons and the twins of Madri, hearing those cries of
grief, came to the spot where the king lay in that state. Then, O king,
Madri addressing Kunti in a piteous voice, said, 'Come hither alone, O
Kunti, and let the children stay there.' Hearing these words, Kunti, the
children stay, ran with speed, exclaiming, 'Woe to me!' And beholding both
Pandu and Madri lying prostrate on the ground she went in grief and
affliction, saying, 'Of passions under complete control, this hero, O
Madri, had all along been watched by me with care. How did he then
forgetting the Rishi's curse, approach thee with enkindled desire? O Madri,
this foremost of men should have been protected by thee. Why didst thou
tempt him into solitude? Always melancholy at the thought of the Rishi's
curse, how came he to be merry with thee in solitude? O princess of
Valhika, more fortunate than myself, thou art really to be envied, for
thou hast seen the face of our lord suffused with gladness and joy.'

"Madri then replied, saying, 'Revered sister, with tears in my eyes, I
resisted the king, but he could not control himself, bent on, as it were
making the Rishi's curse true.'

"Kunti then said, 'I am the older of his wedded wives; the chief religious
merit must be mine. Therefore, O Madri, prevent me not from achieving that
which must be achieved. I must follow our lord to the region of the dead.
Rise up, O Madri, and yield me his body. Rear thou these children.' Madri
replied, saying, 'I do clasp our lord yet, and have not allowed him to
depart; therefore, I shall follow him. My appetite hath not been appeased.
Thou art my older sister, O let me have thy sanction. This foremost one of
the Bharata princes had approached me, desiring to have intercourse. His
appetite unsatiated, shall I not follow him in the region of Yama to
gratify him? O revered one, if I survive thee, it is certain I shall not
be able to rear thy children as if they were mine. Will not sin touch me
on that account? But, thou O Kunti, shall be able to bring my sons up as
if they were thine. The king, in seeking me wishfully, hath gone to the
region of spirits; therefore, my body should be burnt with his. O revered
sister, withhold not thy sanction to this which is agreeable to me. Thou
wilt certainly bring up the children carefully. That indeed, would be very
agreeable to me. I have no other direction to give!'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said this, the daughter of the king of
Madras, the wedded wife of Pandu, ascended the funeral pyre of her lord,
that bull among men.'"


SECTION CXXVI

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'The godlike Rishis, wise in counsels, beholding the
death of Pandu, consulted with one another, and said, 'The virtuous and
renowned king Pandu, abandoning both sovereignty and kingdom came hither
for practising ascetic austerities and resigned himself to the ascetics
dwelling on this mountain. He hath hence ascended to heaven, leaving his
wife and infant sons as a trust in our hands. Our duty now is to repair to
his kingdom with these his offspring, and his wife.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then those godlike Rishis of magnanimous hearts,
and crowned with ascetic success, summoning one another, resolved to go to
Hastinapura with Pandu's children ahead, desiring to place them in the
hands of Bhishma and Dhritarashtra. The ascetics set out that very moment,
taking with them those children and Kunti and the two dead bodies. And
though unused to toil all her life, the affectionate Kunti now regarded as
very short the really long journey she had to perform. Having arrived at
Kurujangala within a short time, the illustrious Kunti presented herself
at the principal gate. The ascetics then charged the porters to inform the
king of their arrival. The men carried the message in a trice to the court.
And the citizens of Hastinapura, hearing of the arrival of thousands of
Charanas and Munis, were filled with wonder. And it was soon after sunrise
that they began to come out in numbers with their wives and children to
behold those ascetics. Seated in all kinds of cars and conveyances by
thousands, vast numbers of Kshatriyas with their wives, and Brahmanas with
theirs came out. And the concourse of Vaisyas and Sudras too was as large
on the occasion. The vast assemblage was very peaceful, for every heart
then was inclined to piety. And there also came out Bhishma, the son of
Santanu, and Somadatta or Valhika and the royal sage (Dhritarashtra)
endued with the vision of knowledge and Vidura himself and the venerable
Satyavati and the illustrious princess of Kosala and Gandhari accompanied
by the other ladies of the royal household. And the hundred sons of
Dhritarashtra, decked with various ornaments, also came out.

"The Kauravas, then, accompanied by their priest, saluted the Rishis by
lowering their heads, and took their seats before them. The citizens also
saluting the ascetics and bowing down unto them with touching the ground,
took their seats there. Then Bhishma, setting that vast concourse
perfectly still, duly worshipped, O king, those ascetics by offering them
water to wash their feet with and the customary Arghya. And having done
this, he spoke unto them about the sovereignty and the kingdom. Then the
oldest of the ascetics with matted locks on head and loins covered with
animal skin, stood up, and with the concurrence of the other Rishis, spoke
as follows, 'You all know that that possessor of the sovereignty of the
Kurus who was called king Pandu, had, after abandoning the pleasures of
the world, repaired hence to dwell on the mountain of a hundred peaks. He
adopted the Brahmacharya mode of life, but for some inscrutable purpose
the gods have in view, this his eldest son, Yudhishthira, was born there,
begotten by Dharma himself. Then that illustrious king obtained from Vayu
this other son--the foremost of all mighty men--called Bhima. This other
son, begotten upon Kunti by Indra, is Dhananjaya whose achievements will
humble all bowmen in the world. Look here again at these tigers among men,
mighty in the use of the bow, the twin children begotten upon Madri by the
twin Aswins. Leading in righteousness the life of a Vanaprastha in the
woods, illustrious Pandu hath thus revived the almost extinct line of his
grandfather. The birth, growth, and Vedic studies of these children of
Pandu, will, no doubt, give you great pleasure. Steadily adhering to the
path of the virtuous and the wise, and leaving behind him these children,
Pandu departed hence seventeen days ago. His wife Madri, beholding him
placed in the funeral pyre and about to be consumed, herself ascended the
same pyre, and sacrificing her life thus, hath gone with her lord to the
region reserved for chaste wives. Accomplish now whatever rites should be
performed for their benefit. These are (the unburnt portions of) their
bodies. Here also are their children--these oppressors of foes--with their
mother. Let these be now received with due honours. After the completion
of the first rites in honour of the dead, let the virtuous Pandu, who had
all along been the supporter of the dignity of the Kurus, have the first
annual Sraddha (sapindakarana) performed with a view to installing him
formally among the Pitris.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'The ascetics with Guhyakas, having said this
unto the Kurus, instantly disappeared in the very sight of the people. And
beholding the Rishis and the Siddhas thus vanish in their sight like
vapoury forms appearing and disappearing in the skies, the citizens filled
with wonder returned to their homes.'"


SECTION CXXVII

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Dhritarashtra then said, 'O Vidura, celebrate
the funeral ceremonies of that lion among kings viz., Pandu, and of Madri
also, in right royal style. For the good of their souls, distribute cattle,
cloths, gems and diverse kinds of wealth, every one receiving as much as
he asketh for. Make arrangements also for Kunti's performing the last
rites of Madri in such a style as pleaseth her. And let Madri's body be so
carefully wrapped up that neither the Sun nor Vayu (god of wind) may
behold it. Lament not for the sinless Pandu. He was a worthy king and hath
left behind him five heroic sons equal unto the celestials themselves.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then Vidura, O Bharata, saying, 'So be it,' in
consultation with Bhishma, fixed upon a sacred spot for the funeral rites
of Pandu. The family priests went out of the city without loss of time,
carrying with them the blazing sacred fire fed with clarified butter and
rendered fragrant therewith. Then friends, relatives, and adherents,
wrapping it up in cloth, decked the body of the monarch with the flowers
of the season and sprinkled various excellent perfumes over it. And they
also decked the hearse itself with garlands and rich hangings. Then
placing the covered body of the king with that of his queen on that
excellent bier decked out so brightly, they caused it to be carried on
human shoulders. With the white umbrella (of state) held over the hearse
with waving yak-tails and sounds of various musical instruments, the whole
scene looked bright and grand. Hundreds of people began to distribute gems
among the crowd on the occasion of the funeral rites of the king. At
length some beautiful robes, and white umbrellas and larger yak-tails,
were brought for the great ceremony. The priests clad in white walked in
the van of the procession pouring libations of clarified butter on the
sacred fire blazing in an ornamental vessel. And Brahmanas, and Kshatriyas,
and Vaisyas, and Sudras by thousands followed the deceased king, loudly
wailing in these accents, 'O prince, where dost thou go, leaving us behind,
and making us forlorn and wretched for ever?' And Bhishma, and Vidura, and
the Pandavas, also all wept aloud. At last they came to a romantic wood on
the banks of the Ganga. There they laid down the hearse on which the
truthful and lion-hearted prince and his spouse lay. Then they brought
water in many golden vessels, washed the prince's body besmeared before
with several kinds of fragrant paste, and again smeared it over with
sandal paste. They then dressed it in a white dress made of indigenous
fabrics. And with the new suit on, the king seemed as if he was living and
only sleeping on a costly bed.

"When the other funeral ceremonies also were finished in consonance with
the directions of the priests, the Kauravas set fire to the dead bodies of
the king and the queen, bringing lotuses, sandal-paste, and other fragrant
substances to the pyre.

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Turkey is restoring the citizenship of its most famous 20th century poet Nazim Hikmet over 50 years after it branded him a traitor.

Hikmet, a communist who died in exile in Moscow in 1963, was imprisoned in Turkey for more than a decade. He was stripped of his Turkish nationality in 1951 because of his communist views, but despite a ban on his poetry which remained in place until 1965, has remained one of Turkey's best-loved poets. His work, much of which was written in prison, including his masterpiece Human Landscapes, has been translated into more than 50 languages.

"This is very good news," said Richard McKane, Hikmet's English translator. "The restoration of his Turkish citizenship is long overdue: the people of Turkey and his readers are owed that."

Immortalised by Pablo Neruda, with whom he shared the Soviet Union's International Peace Prize in 1950, with the lines "Thanks for what you were and for the fire / which your song left forever burning", Hikmet was also supported by Jean-Paul Sartre and Pablo Picasso. Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk, when given the editorship for a day of Turkish newspaper Radikal two years ago, used the example of Hikmet in his cover story to criticise the lack of freedom of expression in Turkey. In 2000, 500,000 Turks petitioned the government to restore Hikmet's citizenship rights and repatriate his remains.

Deputy prime minister Cemil Cicek told the Associated Press that it was time for the government to change its mind about Hikmet. "The crimes which forced the government to strip him of his citizenship at that time are no longer considered a crime," the BBC quoted him as saying.

Hikmet, whose remains are currently in Russia, had said that he wished to be buried in Turkey in his 1953 poem Testament, translated by Ruth Christie. "Friends if it's not my lot to see the day / of independence... / if I die before that day / - and it seems I will - / bury me in a village graveyard in Anatolia / and if it's fitting / and a plane tree grows at my head, / then there's no need for a gravestone or anything else."

Cicek said that Hikmet's family would now decide whether to ship his remains back to his homeland.

Hikmet introduced free verse to Turkey in the 1930s, with his themes ranging from war to love. Despite his imprisonment he retained a deep passion for Turkey. "I love my country", he wrote in one of his poems. "I swung in its lofty trees, I lay in its prisons. Nothing relieves my depression like the songs and tobacco of my country."

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