Wednesday, December 19, 2018

“ADI KAVI” (The first poet ) -- ‘Sudhansu’ JVKLN Sastry

  

SATYALOKA

Which great personage created
Vast series of worlds out of maya of ideas rich
Which self-governor  shaped
the wheels of time fired by talent
which fount of knowledge gave
Vedas all, a fruit of real creativity
Which kind-hearted man impressed
The group of rishis by meeting their desires

Such father of the world, the lord of Satyaloka
Giver of compassionate wellbeing of universe
The great Vani play riches taker
Sat in court Brahma, the savior of the suffering.


The beam of rays of infant moon is
A line of jewel on her crown beautiful
The beauty of hibiscus flower red is
Her beauty’s Sankranti splendor
Harmony of music and letters is
Light of her lotus-eyes eminent
The knowledge of Vedas, Shastras and Puranas is
Glow of her beauty delicate

Such    high  goddess, holder of lotuses in her hands
Purest of all, supreme voice of the feminine
The queen of Brahma, Omkara Bhadra Peethi
Shone with harp golden in her  hands.


While the hordes of angels followed in terror great
Rishis and rulers of corners  followed  in fear
The lord of angels arrived and stood  crestfallen
At the feet of the father of the world.

Reconciler of all, giver of worldly riches
Knower of creation , giver of all decisions
Looked graciously at the king of angles
With compassion utmost.

Salutes master of words
Salutes the one with lotus feet praised by worlds all
Salutes the  flower  of hearts of devotees
Give us protection the form grand!

Many rishis did tapas in the past
But not in the fiercest way
Never did we witness
Such terrible penance by a mortal.


Deluded the team of rulers of corner
Shaken the horde of angels
Dullness affected the team of horses of the Sun
Puzzled the elephant grand
Lost his lustre  the Moon, the friend of  the lotuses
Moved the cluster of stars
Troubled the earth with darkness thick
Suffered the series of the  worlds

To the great fire of Maharshi’s penance
Uprooted the system of the worlds all
To the hurricane of such fierce satva
Perturbed planets one and all.


One who sat on the lotus! You have to go
Make the rishi stop his tapas great
Through granting boons to his satisfaction
Should you prevent the disturbance of universe.

In humbleness the lord of the angels
Hurried and prayed to the creator
To stop the tapas of the rishi
And save these spheres, the Compassionate one!

On seeing Indra who lost his glow
Turning affectionate asked the
Lord of Vani
“Tell me the name of the sag of supreme.”

“Aren’t you aware grand father ?
Need I mention the name of such great rishi ?
Is there any whose name unknown to the creator?
Is this not for  teasing ?”

Listening in smile to Indra’s words
Spoke he ”Who’s that great rishi?’
Appeared to is eye divine
The best of rishis, the sage supreme.


Incarnation of peace- abode of virtues pleasant
Soul miraculous-famous  entirely
Temple of miracle great- shining like the Sun
The purifier of the world-  figure of truth and kindness
The form of dharmatapas
 Flourishing  with the holiest diksha.

With a face beaming with smile
Looked the Grandfather askance at
The lotus  face of his wife
“Indra ! be gone
Do I go and appear before the Maharshi
And make him  content with his  desire satisfied.”
Sent him  Brahma , the giver of  things auspicious.

Looking at Vani  touching the strings of the harp
Saw Brahma the   story of Maharshi
Appeared before his eyes divine
The story of the rishi – weird is maya.               




Visiting Sages Supreme


Most terrific afternoon
The sun is scorching
Reverberating the path of the forest
To the overwhelming waves of Tamasa.


Treading the forest path the souls great
Sages supreme of knowledge divine and visages bright
Yearning to visit the holy places
Might whose merit get  fruition on that day?


Jumped on the way of  those sages
A thief  most notorious with eyes fierce and moving
His roar shakes the forest entire
And a huge axe on his shoulder.

“Fetch your riches ,gold and silver
Keep them here, unwrap your bags
Would  I leave you sages
If you  stand silent  like pretenders?

“Why do you dart your eyes here and there?
Are you bereft of your sense?
Won’t I coax you to yield your riches
Is there any savior? Show your riches !”

Observing the thief roaring
One of the sages turned kind
And spoke, “ we don’t possess
Riches coveted by you!

What’s  the use of demanding ?
How can we have gold and silver?
The staff and kamandalam
Deerskins and saris of bark are our riches !

If you find them useful
You are free to take them
Lest Why should  you bother us?
Let our riches be with us!”


Laughed the thief at once
“ What kind of people are you?
Hoe can you remain as the paupers
Without a coin single or a jewel?

Would I trust your words
Do you truly have no money?
Search slowly .”
Listening to his words spoke the rishi with a thought new.

“ Yes, we have  money the greatest in the world
You need to take diksha
And merit of  your life past
Must bear and ripen  a fruit!’

What! Do you have some money?
Why not tell me earlier?
Show that to me -
Would I be content with such an amount  tiny  ’


“Do we possess riches great
auspicious and a fruit of tapas

Do we possess riches great
truthful and eternally blissful

Do we possess riche great
Beneficial and admired by all
Do we possess riche great
Ever  charitable  and ever growing

Imparted by devotion, concentration and teacher
Worthy of worship by all
That is riches of knowledge
Giver of pleasures earthly and unearthly.”


Caused inner struggle the rishi’s words sweet
Showed the path ahead- generated interest anew
Glowed his eyes with light endless and saw memories past
Born in the mind the garland of ideas novel.





“ O, Maharshi! Strange is it
To find me heart mellowed
Spoke you about riches great
Hand them over to me with speed.”

Grasping the inner mind of the thief
Spoke the rishi with love
“Awakened! Good! But
Can you get money so easily?

How much violence might have you done !
How much burden of sin might have you carried!
Without grasping the mistake done knowingly
Can you get the money most precious?

How many hearts might have shattered under your axe!
How many heads might have rolled on the earth !
How many lives perished?
Need not you think and grasp the error?

Those who take  money stolen by you
Through such violence heinous
Those kith and kin won’t share your sin
You alone have to bear the burden.”

Looking at rishi speaking from top to bottom
Nodding his head in contemplation
Narrowing his eye brows and gazing at the sky
Spoke the thief with feeling gentle.

“Is it so, Maharshi? Never did I think
That my kith and kin who enjoy
Pleasures form money stolen
Won’t share the burden of my sin!

My mind is perturbed greatly
My soul is tortured by doubt
Would I go home speedily to remove my doubt
And return. Please, remain here !”

Saying those words the thief
With eyes filled with tears
Threw down his axe and
Fell at the  lotus-feet of the  Maharshi.

CLARIFICATION OF DOUBT

Gone home amidst the deep forest the thief in a great hurry
“Oh! Why does she come with empty hands in a rush
Looked at him strangely his wife and sons
With faces turned away , dejected  and despaired.

If gold is brought, tender words
Smiles and polite welcomes
Considering the nature of wife and posture of his sons
Spoke he to his wife.

“See! If I can earn no longer
And stay at home idle, what would you say?’
“ it’s your duty to take care of us
And it’s injustice gross to sit idle.”

“ Along with the riches of others
Would I fetch the sin like a hill
You who partake riches of others
Would you also share the fruit of my sins?”

“ Stop your words weird
In stead of riches
Why would we  your bear  sins and their means
Who would bear the burden of others’ acts?”

With his woman’s words vanished the darkness of ignorance
Which covered the street of husband’s mind
With  knowledge of truth and falsehood
Heedless of cries of kith and kin went  he  for  progress human.

Show mercy, Swami! I am a  soul evil
Children are sullied by selfishness and illusion
Grasped  that philosophy
And grant me a way out with compassion!

Vicious guy am I ! walked evil paths in the dark night
Did  many a evil deed with haughtiness of muscle and soul wicked
Turned penitent and  I pray you to open my eyes
Come rishis to make me do expiation! The  luminous divine!





Sages supreme! Under the canopy of my mind
New ideas a few have come to stay
Teachers Pure! In the sky of my heart
Shining are  stars anew.

“Give me humanity , Rishis!
Give me nectar of peace and diamonds among sages!”
Drowned his tears their lotus feet
And his head in the tears of the latter.

While pollution inner and outer gone
Entered the Tamasa river
And returned sage pure with Nishta
To get teaching of mantra from rishi divine.

Samskaras of past lives many
Emerged at once- The mansion
Of ideas beautiful and harmony
Filled with melodies of auspicious dawn.


Meditating ‘Nama Sivaya’
The Yogi imparted
Mantra divine to the pure

Cancels all sins the supreme boon
Meets all purushardhas, holder of soul power
Got rishi the nectar of Stchidanada
Miracle of  Taraka brahma.

Thus turning the sinner into the holiest
Gone the rishis at their pleasure
Grasping the pearl of mantra
Glowed the rishi new with light divine.


Giving the Boon

Past days and years
In calm meditation of  the saint
The wheel of time turned times many
The supreme sage won’t come out of his Samadhi !

Gone many years in your tapas-
How much unperturbed the sage supreme
The birds built their nests in his hair
Enveloped the anthills the Maharshi’s unique meditations!

Incarnation of peace- abode of virtues pleasant
Soul miraculous-famous  entirely
Temple of miracle great- shining like the Sun
The purifier of the world-  figure of truth and kindness
The form of dharmatapas
Flourishing  with the holiest diksha.


The giver of  boons all,  the ruler of Satyaloka
Emerged before the Sage at once
To meet Indra’s desire and wellbeing of the world
To stop the great tapas of the rishi .


Keeping the anthill to side
Touched Brahma the rishi ;
Under  the nectarine touch of the Creator
Opened  his eyes the sage supreme.


“Up, the sage supreme! Awaken from the anthill-
You  are  Valmiki from  today onwards
Shining in the light of infinite miracle
As a new  inspiration of poetic talent  of  tapas   transcendental
You as me –as a  form of  message glowing  of  universal  welfare !

Praise be to your resolution firm
I arrived to bless you, Valmiki!
Given you knowledge supreme
To Earn the laurels of the world with history perfect !

Thus vanished the Lotus-born
Leaving the Sage after granting boons
Adorning the ashram on the shore of tamasa river.



MA NISHADAMU

To  the shore of river Tamasa
Went Valmiki on that day
Like the heart of a good man
The stream was flowing full and pure.

The shore of the river on that  morning serene
gorgeous   shapes of waves of Tamasa
The tirtha  looked pleasing and  peaceful
The winds were pleasant and slow.

Those creepers allied to trees
The species of  animals  rapt in movement
The profusion of clusters of fruits and flowers
Amazed  radiating  beauty of nature.

Listening and enjoying to the full
The sounds melodious of the birds
Moving in that deep forest
Forgetting time and morning ablutions.

Forgotten Valmiki in joy extreme
On seeing a  bird couple
Ecstatic in each other’s company
On the branch of a tree  nearby.

Meanwhile a nasty hunter
Aimed an arrow at the couple
And hit one of the birds
Fell a bird Krauncha drenched in blood.

On seeing the male bird fallen on the earth
The female wept in great misery
On noticing the agony of the bird
The sage’s heart  turned sad.

When the Rishi raised his head
Fell in his eye the evil hunter
The sage’s  sorrow turned into anger
A curse issued out of his anger.






“In the couple playing in union
You killed one, oh, sinner!
Notoriety is yours and your life is short.”
Proved the sage’s words  true and swift.

The  sage’s sorrow  turned into wrath
The wrath turned  into curse and caused  hunter’s death.


Most compassionate Valmiki’s
Sorrow became Sloka in sudden
Thus it came out of his mouth
Thus was born the first sloka.

The beginning of literature worldly
The first sloka was born like that
As the  mystery  of first kavya
The first song was born like that.

The Sanskrit voice symmetrical
Issued thus spontaneously
The great sage   reached ashrama
emerged   the meaning of sloka into his soul.

“Slaying the evil soul wrought by lust
Attained glory Sri Rama Chandra! “
Thus appeared a new meaning of sloka
Remembered the tale  told by Narada.

The moon of Raghu dynasty ,
The taker of Sita after breaking Shiva’s arrow
Saw the sage Rama as ‘Bala ‘ (child)
Saw Valmiki kalyan Rama.


Stood before the sage
The hero “Ayodhya” Rama
Going to forest  accompanied by his brother
and Sita to fulfill his father’s desire.





Stood   before the sage Sri Rama
who  destroyed  the demons to  rescue  rishis
comforted the brother  Bharata
searched the  “Aranya ‘ (forest).

Stood   before the sage Sri Rama
Who reached the shore of Pampa lake
Crowned Sugriva the king of  “Kishkinda”
Sent Hanuman and others in search of Sita.

Saw the Wise on the shores of the sea
Most beautiful Rama’s brightness
The great shape of idea of nature and man
Miracle bound “Sundara” Mantra.


Stood before Valmiki “Pattabhi” Rama
Who killed Ravana , took Sita to Ayodhya
Cajoled Bharata.
***
Reverberated repeatedly  in Rishi’s heart
Miraculous ‘Ma Nishadam”
He felt most amazing experience
As if it gave some message.

Appeared Brahma before
Rishi in contemplation.

“Happy am I  at your words tasty
Impressed by your perspective kind
You lit the “light of truth” to usher in Sankranti
Shaped  Universal sloka  in your heart.

Man of life momentous!
You became Adi Kavi
By blessing great of mine
Write the  epic tale of Rama
The man of pure fame
The giver of  four Pususharthas
And the most handsome form in universe.

That epic would live forever
Purges the sins, famous in universe
Your sentences would be true
Oh, Valmiki!
Your merits would multiply
From nectarine steam of  story of Rama.

The koel of Valmiki sings
Ramayana of sweetness
It  perches  pleasantly on the branch
Of Sanskrit poetry and sings  ‘Rama’.


Put   Maharshi his head
At the feet of lord of Vani
The lotus-born Brahma of compassion full
Blessed the Rishi and turned invisible.









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