Devi Mahathmyam and me –a bond of Sixty seven years

Devi Mahathmyam and me –a  bond of Sixty seven years

      Right  from child hood  I was  interested in Hindu prayers. The first  prayer  that  I learnt   with meaning was sri  Krishna Karrnamrutham, because my Father  was extremely fond of that  book.Ilater learnt to chant Vishnu  Sahasranamam and Lalitha Sahasra namam

  When I was  17 , I got  admission in  Annamalai university. My eldest uncle (Sri A.P.Naganathan was running a hotel in Vridhachalam,.It was one hour journey  from Chidambaram And I used to go almost  every month  to be with my Mama , mami , their one son and three  cute daughters.I became very close to them all.I do not how many times they left “Kai(will not speak) “  and how  many times made it Pazham

My mama was extremely religious,His father in law , one rama Sastri  of Palghat  taught him, how to chant Devi Mahathmyam.Daily   after lighting lamp, he used to chant  few chapters.Since I had also a book , I joined  him whenever I visited them.Seeing I was chanting well , Mama taught me the meaning of slokas and How  to chant that great book. Every navarathri , my Mama  would  do parayana of the entire book.Every Navarathri , I used to go  and join him.

When this Navarathri  I daily chanted  the complete  Book in the mornings and chant Lalitha Sahasranamam  in the evening .Every day , my eyes used to fill up  thinking about my very affectionate Mama and Mami and Sivan, Lalitha , Gita and Parvathi who used to make my life  a real heaven

I am sure  My Mama  would  be blessing his own Raja , Raja Thatha

The unalterable affection

The unalterable  affection

 

By

Mu.Mubarakh

 

Translated by

P.R.Ramachander

 

She who taught me,
who was stammering

To speak properly

 

She who taught  me

Who was stumbling while walking,

To walk majestically like a king

 

Knowing that I will not tolerate hunger,

She who feed me  the last morsel,

That she had kept for her

 

She who controlled  others,

Who jeered  at me that I am black,

By the great weapon of affection

 

She who did not use gold,

To dress herself up ,

But mortagaged it,

And used it for my studies

 

During festival days ,

When she used to buy new dress for me,

She who hid the hole  in her cloths and lived

 

She who considerered me as her  soul,

Though she had very many dear relations

 

She who used to get deeply upset,

When I get fever,

After  getting drenched in rain

 

She who lived thinking about me,

In whichever place I lived

 

Though time can change  ,

Each  and every thing ,

Some how it is not able,

To change  only mother’s affection

 

திக்கி திக்கி பேசிய என்னை

திக்காமல்

பேசக்கற்றுக்கொடுத்தவள்,

தட்டுத் தடுமாறிய படி

நடந்த

என்னை

கம்பீரமாய் நடக்க வைத்தவள்,

பசி தாங்கமாட்டேனென

தெரிந்தும்,

தனக்காய் மிச்சமிருந்த

கடைசி

உணவையும் பறிமாறியவள்,

கருப்பென

கேலி செய்தவர்களை

அன்பென்ற ஆயுதம் கொண்டு

அடக்கியவள்,

தங்கத்தை

அலங்காரத்திற்காய் பயன்படுத்தாமல்

என்

படிப்பிற்கான அடமானத்திற்காய்

பயன்படுத்தியவள்,

பண்டிகை நாட்களில்

புத்தாடை வாங்கும் போதெல்லாம்

தனது கிழிந்த ஆடையை

மறைத்து வாழ்ந்தவள்,

எத்தனையோ

உறவுகளிருந்தாலும்

உயிராய் கொண்டாடியவள்,

மழையில்

நான் நனைந்தால்

காய்ச்சல் வந்ததாய் துடிப்பவள்,

எந்த ஊரில் நான்

வாழ்ந்தாலும்

என் நினைவில் வாழ்பவள்,

காலம் எல்லாவற்றையும்

மாற்றிவிட்டாலும்

அம்மாவின்

அன்பை மட்டும் மாற்ற முடியாமல்

தோற்றுப் போகிறது!

மு.முபாரக்

Thamaso ma Jyothir Gamaya-A Kolu

 Thamaso ma  Jyothir Gamaya-A Kolu

From darkness let us go to light

 

Kolu by 

Meera  Venkatesan

Humble effort  to understand

By her Appa-Raja Thatha

 

The doll exhibition (bommai kolu)  mainly  of gods,

Started  in the south  perhaps,

To remove darkness by light

And remove  ignorance  by  knowledge

 

An effort  has been by my  daughter Meera

To search for reasons why Gods,

Killed  Asuras and  to throw light,

On the need  for those  Asuras  to disappear,

She finds that  negative  emotions ,

Made them to do bad  things and Gods had  to take action

 

Gods did   set right  innate  quality of Humans,

Ignorance, anger  , pride , cruelty and possessiveness

Invincibility as well as  chararacters  acquired  by them

Like Deciet, blind loyalty, taking revenge and distraction.

By killing living beings called   Asuras,

Who preferred to move   about at night.

But  blind modern day asuras  invented by human beings,

Like   the cell phone and gluttony  of junk foods,

Possibly would make   the gods  in heaven  would be puzzled.

 

1.Ignorance

Lord  shiva  due to his  many sage  devotees,

Decided to do  a vigorous dance  for them only

At that  time there  was an immortal asura ,

Called Muyalaka  who was spreading ignorance to everyone,

Lord  Nataraja put him below   his feet  and danced on him for ever,

So that ignorance  cannot  be spread  by that asura

 

2.Anger

God  shiva  and  goddess parvathy ,

Did create  a great son called  Ganesa

At that  time  when there  was  a asura called Anala,

Who due  to his short temper killed  people like fire,

And Ganesa swallowed the fire (anala) and Dhurva grass cooled him

 

3.Pride

God dathathreya was  the trinity  of gods  rolled in to one

And he had a wife “anagha  Lakshmi”, who was three  goddesses  rolled in to one

At that time  there  was a head stong  and proud Asura  called Jampa(pride)

And no one  could defeat  him and the  devas  requested Anagha  Lakshmi to do it

She simply met Jampa and requested him to lift her  and keep her on his head,

And he did, and when the head strong man took wealth(Lakshmi) on his head , he was destroyed

 

4.Cruelty

As asura called soora padman got the boon ,

For living almost  forever and started  showing his cruelty

To every one and when he started  troubling Indra’s wife,

Her son in law , lord subrahmanya started  fighting with him,

And unable  to win that asura became a mango tree,

The lord cut it in two  and made one part as his vahana peacock,

And other part in to a cock , which he kept on his flag.

 

5.Possesivenes

   There was asura  called  Hayagreeva  who,

Wanted  all the Vedas  only himself, stole it,

And hid at the bottom of the ocean  and the great God,

Took the form of fish went down there and killed that Asura but ,

By the time the pralaya (Final deluge has  started ,

The God  in the fish form swam with Vedas and Manu

And put  them in a safe secure place till water  receded

 

6.Vengence

, The Mahishasura  was  killed  by Durga,

And his sister  Mahishi did thapas  and got a boon

That she can be killed  only  by son of Vishnu and Shiva,

When she  started  taking vengeance  on devas,

Lord Ayyappa the the son of  Lord Shiva and Vishnu killed her

 

7.Invincibibility

   Mahisha a Rakshasa  with a bison head

Did great penance  to God  and got a boon,

That no male   can kill him and he had,

Capacity  to change  his form in various ways,

And so he   thought  that all  worlds were his,

The devas prayed to  Goddess  Durga to kill him

And after a great fight she killed him

 

8.Deceit

There  was a great  pot bellied  sage ,

Called Agasthya  who was requested,

To go south by  Lord Shiva  and on the way

Were two cheating  asuras,Vatapi and ilwala.

The sage was hungry and ilwala,

Fed  him the cooked Vatapi,and thought

As usual  when he calls him Vatapi will come out

But agasthya ordered digestion of food  hehas taken and vatapi was digested

 

10..Blind Loyalty

The very huge  and very strong  Kumbhakarna ,

Was the  yonger  brother of Ravana and

He advised him to  give back  Sita to Rama and surrender.

Ravana did not hear it  and Khumbakarna  went to sleep

Ravana  started loosing the war and woke up kumbhakarma,

He went to fight knowing it was wrong and he fought

Due to his blind loyalty and he  lost his life

 

10.Distraction

Kamsa   wanted to kill baby  Krishna who was death for him

He sent  an asura called trinavarthha who had  the form of whirl wind

In the lap of Yasoda Krishna became  heavy and she left her down,

The whirl wind  Trinavartha  carried the baby  but as the baby grew in weight,

He had  to drop  him on the ground  and die

 

11 Blind Modernism

Even about 50 years  back most  of us, used to

Spent our  time on useful pursuits and when

WE wanted to speak to another  it was  by a visit,

And when we  wanted  to eat  good food , our mummy is to cook.

The Asura  android phone makes us talk  all 24 hours

And Asura  junk food, makes  us eat unhealthy food

I do not know which God will come to destroy them?

 

கேளடா ...மானிடவா ...எம்மில் கீழோர்..மேலோர் இல்லை Kelada Manidavaa , yemmil keezhor, melor illai

கேளடா ...மானிடவா ...எம்மில் கீழோர்..மேலோர் இல்லை

Kelada  Manidavaa , yemmil keezhor, melor  illai

 

By

Mahakavi  Bharathiyar

 

Translated by

P.R.Ramachander

 

(Hear the great song  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSVPq95J--I&ab_channel=%E0%AE%A8%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%AF%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%87..  )

Mahakavi Bharathiyar staunchly believed that there is no distinction between melOr and KeezhOr (high class people and low-class people). That idea is well  brought out in this great poem of Mahakavi  Bharathiyar.Here he says that there is no low and high among people and we should do all we can to grow  wisdom of women? What revoloutionary thoughts, long long ago.

 

கேளடா ...மானிடவா ...எம்மில் கீழோர்..மேலோர் இல்லை

கேளடா ...மானிடவா ...எம்மில் கீழோர்..மேலோர் இல்லை

 

Kelada  Manidavaa , yemmil keezhor, melor  illai

Kelada  Manidavaa , yemmil keezhor, melor  illai

 

Hear  ,Oh human beings, amons us  there is no lower  or higher ones

Hear  ,Oh human beings, amons us  there is no lower  or higher ones

 

ஏழைகள் யாருமில்லை ...செல்வம் ..ஏறியோர் என்றும் இல்லை ...

வாழ்வுகள் தாழ்வுமில்லை...என்றும் ..மாண்புடன் வாழ்வோமடா ...

கேளடா ...மானிடவா ...எம்மில் கீழோர்..மேலோர் இல்லை

கேளடா ...மானிடவா ...எம்மில் கீழோர்..மேலோர் இல்லை

 

Yezhaikal  yarumillai, chelvam   yeriyor   yendrum illai

Vaazhvukal Thazhvumillaai…Manbudan vaazhvomada

Kelada  Manidavaa , yemmil keezhor, melor  illai

Kelada  Manidavaa , yemmil keezhor, melor  illai

 

There  are  no poor people, there  are no people with great  wealth

No great life , nothing  low, we will  live   with respect

Hear  ,Oh human beings, amons us  there is no lower  or higher ones

Hear  ,Oh human beings, amons us  there is no lower  or higher ones

 

வெள்ளை நிறத்தொரு பூனை..எங்கள் வீட்டில் வளருது கண்டீர் ...

பிள்ளைகள் பெற்றதப் பூனை - அவை பேருக் கொருநிற மாகும்

சாம்பல் நிறமொரு குட்டி - கருஞ் சாந்து நிறமொரு குட்டி

பாம்பு நிறமொரு குட்டி - வெள்ளைப் பாலின் நிறமொரு குட்டி

எந்த நிறமிருந் தாலும் - அவை யாவும் ஒரேதர மன்றோ?

இந்த நிறம்சிறி தென்றும் - இஃது ஏற்றமென் றுஞ்சொல்ல லாமோ?

 

Vellai  nirathoru  poonai , yengal  veettil  valaruthu  kandeer

Pillaikal  petrathapponai, avai  perukku  oru niramaakum

Sambal nirmoru kutti-karum chanthu  niramoru  kutti

Pambu  niramoru  kutti, vellai paalin niramoru  kutti

Yentha niramirunthaalum, avai  yaavum  ore tharamandro?

Indha  niram  chirithendrum, ikthu yetram  yendrom  chollalaamo?

 

Please know that one  white  cat  grew in our house,

That cat  gave  birth to kids-they were  each  of different colour

One kitten was colour  of ash, another that  of colour  of black paste

One kitten was colour of the snake, another of the  colour  of white milk

Whatever colour they may be, where they not  of the same type?

Can we this colour is low and  this colour  is  great?

 

சாதி பிரிவுகள் சொல்லி - அதில் தாழ்வென்றும் மேலென்றும் கொள்வார்

நீதி பிரிவுகள் செய்வார் - அங்கு நித்தமும் சண்டைகள் செய்வார்.

சாதி கொடுமைகள் வேண்டாம், - அன்பு தன்னிற் செழித்திடும் வையம்;

சாதி கொடுமைகள் வேண்டாம், - அன்பு தன்னிற் செழித்திடும் வையம்;

ஆதர வுற்றிங்கு வாழ்வோம்; - தொழில் ஆயிரம் மாண்புறச் செய்வோம்.

 

Jathi  pirivukal cholli, athil thaazhvendrum , melendrum  kolvar

Neethi pirivukal  cheiva, angu  nithamum  chandaikal  cheivaar

Jathi  kodumaikal vendaam, anbu  thannil  chezhithidum  Vayyam

Jathi kodumaikal vendaam, anbu  thannil chezhithidum vayyam

Aadaravuvutringu  vaazhvom-thozhil  aayiram maanpura  cheivom

 

Telling  differences of caste , they will say  low  and high in that

They will make differences in law-And there  they  will keep fighting there

Let there not be cruelty  of castes, let this world grow up in love

Let there not be cruelty  of castes, let this world grow up in love

We will live here  giving respect, we will  do thousand jobs  in a great way

 

கேளடா ...மானிடவா...எம்மில் கீழோர்..மேலோர் இல்லை

கேளடா ...மானிடவா...எம்மில் கீழோர்..மேலோர் இல்லை

 

Kelada  Manidavaa , yemmil keezhor, melor  illai

Kelada  Manidavaa , yemmil keezhor, melor  illai

 

Hear  ,Oh human beings, amons us  there is no lower  or higher ones

Hear  ,Oh human beings, amons us  there is no lower  or higher ones

 

பெண்ணுக்கு ஞானத்தை வைத்தான் - புவி பேணி வளர்த்திடு மீசன்;

பெண்ணுக்கு ஞானத்தை வைத்தான் - புவி பேணி வளர்த்திடு மீசன்;

மண்ணுக்குள்ளே சில மூடர் -நல்ல மாத ரறிவை கெடுத்தார்

மண்ணுக்குள்ளே சில மூடர் -நல்ல மாத ரறிவை கெடுத்தார்

 

Pennukku  jnanathai  vaithaan, bhuvi  peni valarthidum  eesan

Pennukku  jnanathai  vaithaan, bhuvi  peni valarthidum  eesan

Mannukkulle  chila  moodar-nalla maathar  arivai  keduthaar

Mannukkulle  chila  moodar-nalla maathar  arivai  keduthaar

 

The God who  looks after  the  growth of this world, made  the women  with wisdom

The God who  looks after  the  growth of this world, made  the women  with wisdom

But  some   fools  in this earth,spoiled the knowledge of these good women

But  some   fools  in this earth,spoiled the knowledge of these good women

 

கண்க ளிரண்டினி லொன்றைக் - குத்திக் காட்சி கெடுத்திட லாமோ?

கண்க ளிரண்டினி லொன்றைக் - குத்திக் காட்சி கெடுத்திட லாமோ?

பெண்க ளறிவை வளர்த்தால் - வையம் பேதைமை யற்றிடும் காணீர்.

 

Kankal  irandil  ondrai –kuthi  kakshi  keduthilidaamo?

Kankal  irandil  ondrai –kuthi  kakshi  keduthilidaamo?

Penkal  arivai  valathaal-vayyam  pethaimai yatridum  Kaaneer

 

Piercing  one of our eyes, should we spoil  our sight?

Piercing  one of our eyes, should we spoil  our sight?

If we help to grow  wisom of women , the world  will loose  its foolishness , please see

 

கேளடா ...மானிடாவா...எம்மில் கீழோர்..மேலோர் இல்லை

கேளடா ...மானிடாவா...எம்மில் கீழோர்..மேலோர் இல்லை

 

Kelada  Manidavaa , yemmil keezhor, melor  illai

Kelada  Manidavaa , yemmil keezhor, melor  illai

 

Hear  ,Oh human beings, amons us  there is no lower  or higher ones

Hear  ,Oh human beings, amons us  there is no lower  or higher ones

 

 

My Meera,

My  Meera,

 

By

Her Appa

 

Fifty  years back  one  day, I got a daughter,

And  though we  named  her  Abhirami  ,

We decided  to call  her our  dear “meera”

She  was  the last  grand  child  to my in laws

 

She   grew  up  in to  a little  treasure of affection,

And  I considered  her  as  my  sweet  little mother,

AS she  had  the  independence   to correct  me,

Shout at  me and  knew  all that  I want  and  was one  who gave  them  to me

 

She  used to easily  recognize  when I  was sad,

And  used to   wipe  away  my tears

And  tease , shout  , smile  and laugh

Till I  lost my  sorrow and start  smiling

 

It   was  with great reluctance  that  she left us,

But  her huband  , who is an epitome of virtues

Felt  that  more  than  all who  he could earn

What  was  more important  is to look after his  parents

 

She  came  back  with   satisfaction  , that  she could ,

Look   after   both of  us  and   enjoyed pumping  affection,

In to us and  when I saw  that  to look  after  us,

She  needed   to travel a  lot, I came to place where she lived

 

She  gave  us  two  epitomes  of sweetness ,

For  us    to play , tell stories  and cook for them

If both  of us oldies  are  normal to day ,

It  is  because of meera and her Maithree  and Goldie

 

She  saw  us  still  getting  older  and felt,

That  she  should  live  still closer  to us

So that  she could  pour  tonnes  of affection                                

And look   after  us  as well as possible

 

So  both  of  us are not moving  to an old age home,

But   to the  “sneha  sadana  “  that meera  wants us to live

So  that  her  dear  and  very  dear  parents,

Would  be under  her  great  care

 

When the  ocean of  nectar of affection  Meera

Is  hitting  half  a centaury  of her  life,

All  that this  old  old  father  can say  to her is.

“Oh my meera, My affections to you is till my last  breath.   

 

 

Man does not deserve freedom

Man does not deserve  freedom

 

Translated  by

P.R.Ramachander

 

Matha Sikshathi  Kaumare,

Bharya  Sikshathi youvane

Puthri sikshathi  vardhakye

Na Purusha  swathanthryam  Arhathi

 

Mother punishes  during boyhood,

Wife  punishes  during youth

Daughter  punishes   during old age,

Man does not deserve  freedom

Pretty bags from waste blouse pieces

Pretty bags from waste  blouse pieces

Most of the ladies get blouse pieces  when they visit other homes, which they rarely use .They  also get attached  blouse pieces with most of  the saris they buy which again most of them may not use.

My wife made use of them by  stitching bags  which she proposes to give to the visitors to our Kolu(this year we have a joint kolu  with our daughter  Mrs Meera Venkatesan, as we have shifted  to the down stairs of  her house)

I hope you agree with me that  it is great method of Blose pieces  that is not used.

 

Time passed , but how , We never knew

Time passed , but how , We never knew

By

P.R,Ramachander

 

(Based entirely on a Hindi poem “samai chala, Kaise Chala, Patha nahi chala” Do not know the author Thanks to him)

 

In this mad rush of life,

WE never knew ,

When We became old

 

The children who used to climb up our shouldersm

We never knew,

When they reached up to our shoulders

 

Our life started in a humble rented house ,

We never knew ,

When We moved in to our own home

 

We used to furiously pedal the cycle ,

We never knew ,

When We started driving our own car

 

We Were a burden to our parents once ,

We never knew,

When our parents became our burden

 

We used to sleep on our seat at noon once ,

We never knew ,

When We started not able to get sleep at night even

 

We used to have dense black hair once,

We never knew ,

When it started becoming white and very thin

 

We used to struggle hard for woking ,

We never knew ,

When We retired and did not have anything to do

 

We used to earn and save money for sake of our children,

We never knew ,

When they have gone away and started earning for us.

 

We used to be so happy to be with a huge familyin a small house

We never knew,

When We became only two in a big house

An appeal by fish in sea

An appeal by fish in sea

 

Translated  by

P.R.Ramachander

 

The fish which was brought by river to sea

gave an appeal

     “This  Sea water  is very saltish”

The sea read  the appeal

 And forwarded   to the sky

 

The sky send it to cloud

The cloud  send it to rain

The rain send it to stream

The stream  send it to river

The river send  it to  the sea

 

Not knowing what  to do,

The sea  filed  it as  pending appeal

 

By that  the time

That fish

Learnt to live  in sea

 

This is how we all  have  learnt to live

 

Wherever  we are put  !!!!!