In my spare moments, I turn to painting. Upon the blank and empty, I draw and paint, and thus, aim to create solely what is sacred to me: the forms that inspire, beings to whom I am devoted, presences I yearn for, and those with whom I want and feel a nearness.
I compose poetry in Sanskrit, Hindi, hybrid Hindi–Sanskrit, and various Hindi dialects, writing under my pen name Pratijña. Predominantly, I consciously imitate the poetic style of ancient sages, Bhakti saints, and poet-philosophers from ancient to medieval India, with the central theme of outpouring devotion as a means to express, control, and transform emotions. Sometimes, I also compose cryptic, short, and concise poetry, giving language to my philosophical insights, observed wisdom, and experiences. My favourite poetic meters are Anuṣṭup and Mattagajendra (mad-elephant).
My philosophy of poetry, or perhaps the poetry of philosophy, can be summarized via notion of the four kinds of poetry, as I explain below:
अहं काव्यात्परङ्गन्तुं,
प्राप्तुं हि काव्यमेव च।
काव्यसेतुं विनिर्मामि,
समस्तकाव्यसागरे।।
I, seeking to go beyond poetry,
and indeed in order to attain poetry itself,
build a bridge of poetry
upon the ocean of (all that is) poetry.
I enjoy and take delight in chanting and reciting ancient Sanskrit hymns, stotras, sūtras, dhāraṇīs, and mantras. I upload some of them on my YouTube channel, transforming my vocal recitations into devotional music with the help of AI tools and music studios.