Daily Poetry — July 22, 2026

कितनी नावों में कितनी बार

Composed by सच्चिदानंद हीरानंद वात्स्यायन 'अज्ञेय'

Original Hindi

कितनी नावों में कितनी बार। दूर-दूर की यात्राएँ कीं। असंख्य देश-प्रदेश मैं घूम आया कितने सागर, कितनी नदियाँ पार कीं। पर मैं अजनबी ही रहा नहीं पाया कहीं कोई घर हर बार यही लगा, जैसे अब नया कुछ नहीं होगा।

English Translation

In how many boats, how many times. I undertook distant journeys. Visited countless lands and regions, Crossed how many oceans, how many rivers. But I remained a stranger, Found no home anywhere. Each time it felt as if Nothing new would happen now.

AI Generated

AI Echo (Hindi)

यही नियति है या इच्छा मेरी, भटकाव में ही बसी है चेतना गहरी। हर पग पर खोजता रहा किनारा, पर मिला नहीं कोई स्थायी सहारा। या शायद, गंतव्य नहीं, पथ ही सत्य है, यह अनंत डगर, यही मेरा कृत्य है। अनजानी राहों में खोया मन, ढूँढे स्वयं को हर पल हर क्षण।

AI Generated

AI Echo (English)

Is this my fate, or my desire, In wandering, my deep consciousness resides. At every step, I searched for a shore, But found no lasting support. Or perhaps, not the destination, but the path is the truth, This endless road, this is my deed. My mind lost in unknown paths, Searches for itself every moment, every instant.

Literary & Historical Context

"कितनी नावों में कितनी बार" (In How Many Boats, How Many Times) is one of Sachchidananda Hirananda Vatsyayan 'Agyeya''s most celebrated works, earning him the prestigious Jnanpith Award in 1978. Agyeya was a pioneer of the 'Prayogvad' (Experimentalism) movement in Hindi literature and a prominent figure in modern Hindi poetry. This excerpt encapsulates the essence of his existential quest, depicting a protagonist engaged in incessant physical journeys across lands and waters, yet remaining an 'ajnabi' (stranger). It reflects a profound sense of alienation and a search for belonging that remains unfulfilled, hinting at the paradox where continuous external movement leads to an internal stasis or a realization that the 'new' ceases to exist in the same old pattern of searching. The poem delves into themes of identity, displacement, the human condition of endless striving, and the elusive nature of 'home' or ultimate solace, making it a profound meditation on modern existence.