Ashoka, the great  
Mauryan  emperor   supposed to be   a  very
war thirsty, changed  drastically  his 
outlook 
On life, after being 
an eyewitness   at  the 
gruesome  realities of   warfront   and mass killings, Asoka 
Took an oath not to touch armaments   any more. The following is based on  one such experience. Also 
A  gentle  take on  “Combat Gnosticism”
                 
                   War   experience
                 
  So  much  of
blood, So much of  human warfare,
                   
I am  immersed in blood  bath, the corpses
                   are  now  sacrificial  ire. I could  
hear the  
                  
wail of the  widow, the  son’s angry 
pitch
                  
against  the  crude 
artillery , a mother 
                 
in front  of the dead ward,
wishing God 
                 could 
have  changed the  ordeal, reversed
                 
His  dictum. Many  patriotic   soldiers
                
Mangled   and  muted beyond 
identification.
               
It will  take  ages 
to  revamp  the 
scar
               
and  scene. Is  my  Booty  real? Is my 
              
 Victory  a 
wholesome   Gain? All   a  
mirage/
              
Fie upon  my  diadem, my  state, my region.
              
I take   a vow not  to indulge in   battle anymore,
              On
to  pilgrimage   and 
pray  the  word “ war”
              Be
erased in the pages of History.     

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