Love and Loss

Sugata Saurahba is an epic Nepal poem written by Chittadhar featuring the life of the Buddha. The poem focuses on the theme of love and loss through the life of Buddha. There is Gautama the crown prince who is so much loved by his parents respected adored by his people that he is not allowed to go outside the palace and when he does and things are taken from the path he is leading so he does not get to see them. The same theme is also depicted through the lives of the other characters in the poem especially those he relates to and meets a long the way on his rides outside palace.

The poem begins by portraying the theme of love as young girls are dancing in the palace and there is so much joy as they celebrate the life of the prince. This hence indicates just how much love is beautiful and brings happiness when it is being acknowledged. The dancing girls also experience love towards one another as they bond over their dance while the theme of loss is first depicted when Gautama and his chariot driver Chandaka meet a very old man who is wrinkled and weak. He therefore realizes that life has an ending as people grow old and die. He hence feels a major loss knowing that life is not eternal.

Loss is also portrayed through the prince meeting a sick old man suffering from an illness slowly draining him and lastly when the prince meets people I a funeral carried the body of the deceased for cremation. This therefore brings about the fact that there can never youthfulness that turns to old age, riches without poverty, life without sickness nor can there be a life span that is unlimited. This therefore depicts life as a temporal and unfair path that can never be full of pure happiness but has to have problems a long the way.

Love is however brought back as a beautiful experience through the birth of the princess's son. This portrays life is a blessing and gives hope to everyone. It also relays the message that despite life being unfair because people die, new babies are born and bring about hope and meaning in life here being. The birth of new babies is therefore celebrated as babies are considered as new innocent lives that can be molded to better people. They are also the future heirs of their parents' territories and therefore bring them out as very important blessing that should be well nurtured.

In conclusuion, the poem shows that there is both love and loss in life. Life is full of unfair circumstances like old age, poverty and death. It should therefore be lived fully when someone can before they are old and weak nearing their death. The poem also shows love as victorious over loss as with the growing old and death of older people new babies are born and these are the future and hope of their parents and the world.

Works Cited

Sugata Saurahba poem by Chittadhar "The life of the Buddha."

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