I heard praises
Praises of another being
A being I had wanted to be
A being I have not yet achieved
And yet it brought
Tears to my eyes
To know and to feel
Someone out there
Feels the same way as me
I know not who she is
But an audience she enthralled
Respect at her core
A world she showed
That which we all wanted to see
Tradition put forward
A simple path
Through endless seas of knowledge
A woman like me
Simpler, but much better
I heard praises
That sounded like worship
I heard praises
Like she was blessed
It left me speechless
I felt I had wavered
From my path
Something similar
Something potent
Some now pretty far
I feel incomplete
I feel inadequate
I bow to her
The same lady
Who has already walked my path.
Visakha Hari's remarkable eloquence is matched only by her delightful singing.
Photo Courtesy: The Hindu Online
14 comments:
If drawing a crowd
Was one’s aim in life
Of a temporary human
Why not be a candle’s flame?
Though small it draws moths
And like our Sun
It too is ‘fire’
A source of light
To dispel darkness
But rendered temporary
Being dependent on ‘air’
And scared of ‘water’
Like humans on earth
During ‘pralaya’ or floods.
But, if free or unprotected
It kills the moths!
And for their longer life
Therefore be a battery torch!
Hari therefore had Sun in ‘space’
Far removed from ‘earth’
For life’s sake
Locked up within Hara’s head
With His third eye closed!
Why not be lke Hara then
The three-in-one Siddha
Attached ever with Hari
The Nadbindu
The source of all sounds!
Kavitha, As I have expressed earlier also, thoughts rising to my head – agreeing with the ‘wise’ ancients’ belief that those are recorded in the different Chakras within the form and are released progressively with time as per a grand design related with physical, mental, and spiritual growth of the individual and the Yuga concerned - I have come to believe that even the believable Gods in physical forms at any time other than the point of time represented by the end of Satyuga during the upward rise of material forms, were always helpless till perfection was reached in the form of unique and perfect Earth…
The believably unborn and immortal Formless Creator, represented by our immortal planet Earth in physical form, Shiva-Shakti, or Ardhanarishwar thereafter only has remained ‘perfect’ and since time immemorial it is reviewing the path taken by it from the perfect stage rached to the zero stage over one thousand cycles, which apparently takes it over 4 billion years to cover the entire space in over 4 billion years…while each individual remains perplexed on account of its temporary nature and related negligible life-span...
Kavita,"naad brahma" is a known concept.I have not heard the singer mentiond in your narration but it reminded me of MS Subbalaxmi.
An average human being therefore finds oneself to be like ‘a square peg in a round hole’, i.e., a mismatch at all times – more so in Kaliyuga.
This characteristic is reflected in the ‘inferiority complex’ every human suffers from due to lack of overall knowledge and lack of belief in the Formless Creator due to a variety of apparent reasons - besides ‘the hand of the unseen mysterious Supreme Being’. Such as, ‘slavery of time’, i.e., finding the available time insufficient even for fulfilling the variety of demands on everyone generated by the tough day-to-day life and top priority given to it by the apparent governing systems, naturally formed by 'imperfect beings' sometimes referred by the apparent ‘wise’ as the ‘one-eyed men among blind men’, be it a ‘Monarchy’ or a ‘Democracy’; imperfect functioning of the naturally provided physical senses and therefore obviously a requirement to find a ‘commercial-break-like-pause’ for utilizing the ‘scientific temperament’ of analysis of information collected through experience/ study personally by each and drawing straightforward (and not misleading) inferences therefrom, which could lead to the ‘essential Truth’, (which fortunately perhaps for us ‘Indians’ has already been done by our ancestors – Hari Ananata/ Hari katha Ananta, Satyam Shivam Sunderam and so on…
Anilji, maybe the following reactin to my newspaper mgiht help.
"Reference MTMV “Sunita Williams is as Indian As Santa Claus is” (Dec 28), the statement might, in fact, be true!
Mahabharat or ‘Great India’ has universal application and Mahadeva or ‘Great demi god’ had His original abode at Kashi, in the present day ‘India that is Bharat’, which originally was an island named Jambudweep, and the abode was ‘shifted to Mount Kailash (now in Tibet, China) when His family size expanded’ - symbolically conveying enlargement of our globe with the Himalayas in position and the apparent Moon (Parvati) placed on the 'forehead of Shiva the Globe', as the perfect model of the expanding universe as a result of the ‘Brahmanad’ or ‘Big Bang’ starting from a dot that lies at the centre of its core of molten magma/ iron!
However, ‘India’ apparently now is a land that is shrinking, more so in the recent past, during ‘Kaliyuga’, preparing to, perhaps, end in the original stage waiting for the unending Globe or immortal Ardhanarishwar Shiva to eventually reach its original perfect stage, Jambudweep, covered entirely by clouds/ water/ ice that symbolically represent the universal space in physical form’, till the glacial age is over - to start the cycle of birth and death again! Thus all of us perhaps are ‘Indians’, for it is a matter of belief - only till temporary forms last on earth!"
Starting believably from Brahmanad by Formless Nadbindu, or point source of loud sound - represented symbolically by OM - and its further multiplications is believed to have resulted in different physical forms within the infinite void of the universe. And, according to varying capacitites of the different forms - as per a grand design - it believably resulted not only in the variety of forms, but also variety of sounds apparently emanating from each and every temporary form in ‘Nature’, till they last…
It is well known that sound energy has a direct helpful or harmful effect on the minds of humans…The ancient ‘wise’ reached what came to be known as Classical Music, which apparently has a longer lasting effect on plant life and on animal minds also, compared to the modern day ‘pop’ or popular music, which indicates relatively inferior quality of ‘average modern man' in the use of sound energy. The ancient ‘scientists’ or Yogis, much before them, appear to have used sound energy for various purposes, as ‘Mantras’, because they appear to have realized the variety of physical forms to have been created from sound energy...
As we have seen earlier elsewhere too in details, I think their relatively higher apparent capacity was use of sound energy to either help their own people through Hari-Katha-like discourses and even through tele-therapy or distant treatment by ‘highly elevated souls’ using one’s physical 2D form (a photograph perhaps) of any individual needing treatment. Or, harm their enemies directly through use of, say, sounds reportedly produced through conch shells in the battle fields depending on the strength of the breath of the warrior concerned, and also the varying quality of their conch shells, as recorded in epic of Mahabharata, say...
Thus, human breath, or ‘air’ one inhales, and apparent physical capacity and strength of one’s lungs was realized by Yogis as the two important factors that help regulate life of man on earth.
It appears that the Yogis studied the breathing patterns of a number of animals on earth vis-à-vis their life spans. They observed that the tortoise on an average lived one hundred years and his breaths were limited to only four times per minute, i.e., time taken for inhalation of air and its expiration was roughly 15 seconds.
With the ancient Yogis’ realization of time moving backwards, looking for the ‘Truth’, perhaps therefore, tortoise being the oldest life form that started living on land and was equally at home in water - although fish was the oldest but it cannot survive out of water – it was believably considered the second incarnation of Vishnu as a reflection of perfection achieved by the Formless Creator by holding the earth on tortoise's hard back when it was sinking after pralaya and rendering it immortality!
And, the above-said formed the basis of ‘pranayam’ or controlled breathing in Yoga with four breaths per minutes recommended for humans too. Singing is thus an indirect form of ‘pranayam’, besides being helpful in finding spare time for direct/ indirect meditation.
Even in the present, ‘pranayam’ has reportedly been found beneficial, and Yoga, a technique originally developed in the once advanced east - and knowledge likely to have been disseminated all over the world, like spread of Buddhism in relatively recent times – it is once again being revived here via west because east or west, it's a fact that the general health of humans has been deteriorating over time – much more rapidly over the last few decades itself. Although, man has seen many life forms apparently becoming obsolete because of human activities, now fear is being expressed about likely obsolescence of human race itself!
However, as it is perhaps 'natural', there always are two groups, one in favour of waking up to the truth and the other opposing it, with the result that average man anyway remains a mute spectator only and 'an after the event wise'! Perhaps this is what was termed as 'Maya'!
Kavitha, In the editorial part of my newpaper, there appeared an article where the author says, “…Who wants to read pages of claptrap by some Johnny-got-empowered with detailed expositions on subjects like his favourite fruits…etc…here one doesn’t need to convince a TV producer or editor that what you have to say is worth being broadcast…” I give below my reaction in your blog too for information.
Devil's Advocate (Dec 29), Blog Blah, perhaps confirms the general feeling today that 'Editor' is the self assigned "boss", whose 'goons' are given the thought that he alone can decide what one should do or read! That's why perhaps 'Blogs' came up to remind the 'Devils' that there is someone else, mysterious and mischievous, who decides for all humans - mere puppets for Him, like the relationship between the 'brain-washed goons' and their 'boss'! "God created man in His Own image"!
Kavitha, Another reaction is given below for information while wishing all a Happy New Year!
For a pleasant change, in Truth Imitates Fiction – Good Sci-fi tends to anticipate reality - Dr Jayant Narlikar has cited human capacity of some present day individuals even to see the 'future', though a bit hazily, for it could even be 'past' - like viewing an old film - as realized by the ancients who called God as Bhootnath or the 'Lord of the past' and man as His image as 'bhoot' or ghost.
Call it the ‘western influence’ or mischievousness nature of the Creator that he still didn’t accept that the ancients probably had a relatively better ‘scientific temperament’ to come straight to the unavoidable truth - to realize ‘life on earth’/ universe to be fictional or illusory or a leela or drama directed, acted, projected and reviewed by the Formless Supreme Being - as the ‘Absolute Truth’ realized by the ‘wise’ ancients.
Kavitha, One of the apparently millions of bloggers expressed the following, which I read and also commented with my Hindu background - also given below, for I believe I am one of the innumerable ‘seekers’ of ‘Truth’!
“…There is just one thing that is very impressive to me: how come a president of a nation which is very proud of its democracy, very proud of its fair laws, very proud of its very high education rate could get very satisfy with the execution of someone? More, how come a very powerful nation has death sentence in 21st century? Unbelievable!!!”
In the ancient land that is called 'India', it is popular that there once was a 'truth-loving' family, 'Suryavanshi' or that which copied Sun's rule over its planetary system, which is in existence for billions of years with its influence range spread over a large area illuminated or 'darkness-of-ignorance’ completely dispelled!
It is popular that Lord Rama was one such king in the chain who killed 'demon king Ravana of Lanka' and in his place enthroned his truth loving brother Vibhishana.
Thus the present story of the world also perhaps reflects similar Rama-like desire in Bush to correct the world order - but with a twist in the tale due perhaps to 'Time' being wrong ('good' time passes away faster than 'bad' time!) - in the words of the 'wise' ancients, the fag-end of an era of confusion and chaos!
It is interesting to note that for advice on day-to-day functions Lord Rama had sage Vishwamitra (who had once failed to send king Trishanku to ‘Heaven’, perhaps planet Mars, ‘ruled by Indra the king of the Devatas’, by using ‘material’ means in terms of "large quantities of gold". And, therefore, Trishanku was obliged to go around the earth in his spaceship, or perhaps a space station, as its artificial satellite!) He took care of the illusory part of life - just as the present day ‘scientists’ keep on coming up with ‘truths’ that most of the time keep on changing with time over longer duration, which the ancient ‘wise’ however considered as untruths, for truth believably isn't related with time.
Sage Vashistha acted as his ‘spiritual’ advisor in so far as the ‘Truth’ was concerned so that he wasn’t carried away by innumerable ‘untruths’ one apparently pop up during one’s stay on earth, i.e., Shiva of the “Satyam Shivam Sunderam” fame (and hence need to ‘read between the lines’)!
Rama believably was a devotee of Shiva, like Ravana also reportedly was. The only difference between the two was that Sita the model of Moon in Tretayuga was Rama’s wedded wife, like its model in Satyuga, Parvati, was the consort of Shiva! And, therefore, although he 'kidnapped her for some time' he 'couldn't retain her for all times to come' thanks to Hanuman the 'Sankatmochan' or trouble shooter coming to her rescue (like a student who just crams up the written material without in-depth studies that are essential to master a subject, or like the believable large chunk of knowledge locked up at the 'mooladhar')!
And hence the highest pedestal offered to Parvati by ‘Hindus’, as supreme knowledge - in conjunction with son Ganesha the Vighnaharta or trouble shooter in Satyuga attached to 'Mooladhar' as the essence of Mars, which generally remains untapped by an average man as part of the grand design related with time in terms of Yuga, 'needing Kundalini to be awakened' to make it rise to the head!
As we have seen earlier also, the mythological stories, viz. Shiva Puran, Ramleela, Krishnaleela, and so on, thus cryptically communicate human life - to humans as the apparent reflections of the Formless Creator Itself at different times as spectators - as an unending drama representing the different stages of evolution from zero to infinity over four long duration of apparent time, called Yugas, but from perfect state, which was reached by the Creator in no time, back to His original imperfect stage, i.e., in the reverse order, again and again like a recorded film.
The stories indicate relationship between the apparent cosmos and different human forms and behaviours, over different eras, as is apparently being observed by the only immortal being after it had acquired perfection - through its own innumerable ‘temporary eyes’ – for adding mystery and suspense in the otherwise boring drama. For, otherwise the truth, i.e., the believably illusory perfect model of the Formless Creator earth, represented symbolically by Shiva in human form, would have appeared uninteresting to the one and only real spectator in the apparent infinite universe!
Of course, it might perhaps have been so designed as to serve its purpose of reaching its probable origin too while keeping it entertained all the while and hence being called eternal bliss. And only a few characters reportedly have, from time to time, entered its mind as was also expressed by Stephen Hawking too!
Anilji, It is said about 'outward vision', "Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder". Perhaps one could add to it, to also account for 'internal vision', for reaching the 'overall vision', "And, faith lies in the mind of the seeker"!
Based on universal experience by man over time, it is said. "Faith can move mountains". An experienced man was earlier said to have consumed water at various locations, or "Ghat ghat ka pani piya!"
Although realized as a model of our earth, or Lord Shiva, who alone believably is perfect and therefore capable of consuming even the deadliest poison, anyway, man is a mortal - who at present at least is unable to live beyond a few years after one hundred years despite all out efforts.
The major component of Coca Cola, by the way, is water. And, it is said, “One man’s meat is another man’s poison.” Therefore it appears to me very difficult to generalize and say what is good or what is bad for an average man. In the recent times it is being said that two pegs of alcohol a day are good for heart! But, the ancient Hindus advised only those who have the welfare of others in mind, and are not purely selfish, they only should consume alcoholic drinks. And, anyway there is a saying, “Too much of anything is bad.”
Thus, in view of the above, what is perhaps required is to know one’s own capacity in different fields while attempting to attain overall knowledge, which alone believably isn’t harmful even if one attains God or supreme knowledge that anyway believably resides within everone! As per the ‘wise’ ancients, that’s supposed to be the purpose of man on earth!
A layman might call it a coincidence, but for me it is a part of the 'grand design' that Kavitha posted the item on Visakha Hari’s Hari Katha together with her photo. I also checked on the Internet the reporting by Shri G. Swaminathan in detail, and the essence, “The audience even braved the rain and listened to Visakha Hari's narration of `Tyagaraja Ramayanam’…” I also saw the photo by R. Shivaji Rao included therein.
While watching cricket telecast from South Africa and surfing channels during the breaks, last evening, I came across the same person in blue sari, (my favourite colour!), presenting the katha, telecast on Jaya TV!
Perhaps I got to hear her rendition only for about half an hour and I enjoyed the presentation.
Some ‘Vimanonym’ type person might ask how I could have enjoyed it when I don’t know more than a few words of South Indian languages, such as Tamil, Telugu etc. For their sake, as I had earlier also elsewhere said, ‘happiness is a state of mind’ and ‘face is the index of mind’. And, therefore one could derive the infectious pleasure just by watching the expressions of joy/ peace during such renditions on the faces – of the presenter and the audience glued to their seats and 'doing nothing’ and still enjoying the environment built up around them!
It is not the story per se they enjoy. After all, the story is known to every mature Hindu, perhaps...
And, anyway, any verbal expression, in any language, can be experienced as combination of three octaves of eight notes each only or apparently 21 pure notes of different frequencies!
Maybe one could also give the example of one deriving pleasure watching the expression of satisfaction on the face of a hungry beggar (or even a guest or a child) when someone offers one good hot food/ milk!
The same environment could also be generated just by a look at the peaceful face of, say, Gautam the Buddha’s or any other such idol also...and so on.
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