Hold on to God to prevent falling in life

Hold on to God   to prevent  falling in life

By

P.R.Ramachander

(Based on Tamil   write up of சர்வம் சிவமயம , my face book friend)

Once when   saint Adhi Sankara  ,

Was going   through a  village ,

One rustic  and unlettered  farmer asked,

“They say  depend  on yourself  and not God?”

Adhi  Sankara   told   that  doubting rustic,

“Let us  cross  this small   stream together m

And I will answer   your question  after ,

Crossing it “ and he  nodded   yes.

There was a bridge  made of  piece  of a palm,

And both crossed  it  but   while crossing ,

They held    to  a bamboo stick   and they ,

Both  reached   to the other  shore safely.

Adhi Sankara  thanked   that  rustic  and he asked,

“Why thank me  for it is due to that  piece of palm”

Then smilingly  Adhi SAnkara asked, “Oh is it so,

But if it is  , why did we   hold  to that bamboo stick?”

The rustic laughed out loud  and said , “I thought you knew,

If  we do  not hold it  , we may   slip and fall  in the stream.”

Sankara  said, “That  is the answer  to your question,

To cross  this life , we tru to   depend  only  on ourselves.”

“But we  may slip and fall from it  just like the bridge,

And for that  purpose  we do catch hold   very tightly  ,

The  reassuring  lotus feet of God , just like  that Bamboo,

For   it is he   who guides us in our acts and prevents our falling.”

Shirdi Sai Baba

Shirdi Sai Baba

By

P.R.Ramachander

(Two days back   I had the good fortune of visiting   this temple  . Please have glimpses  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4QsBpE6qOQ  hindi commentary )

Sai  Baba of Shirdi  was a great saint  who is revered as an incarnation   of Dathathreya  and is considered as Saguna Brahma .Nothing is known about  his birthplace  , his parents or about his real given name   The name “Sai” meaning religious mendicant was given to him   by Mhalsapati (A priest of local Khandoba temple) when he arrived at Shirdi. The honorific name Baba   was added later. It seems he has told Mhasapathi who became his close friend,  that he was born to  Brahmin parents who has given him to a Fakir . At some other time he had told that  a Fakir’s wife had left him  with a Hindu family.. After coming to Shirdi  , when the  local urchin’s troubled him, he left Shirdi for some time. Nothing definite is kown where he went  but many people say that he went to meet several Gurus   and he himself has once told that  he fought in the army of Jhansi Rani  Lakshmi bai. In 1858 he returned to Shirdi .For few years  he lived under a neem tree ,Later he was persuaded to take up residence in a dilapidated mosque(which he called   as DWarakamayi)  He maintained  a sacred fire there   which is referred  to as Dhuni and he used to give ash from that stove((Udi ) to his visitors as Prasad , It is believed that  he also maintained a rose garden called Lendi .(lendi means a well)  Baug .It seems Baba used to visit the Baug daily and throw coins in the well and then take rest below the original neem tree, under which he maintained a  earthern lamp which was   always kept burning. Slowly many  people hearing about the miracles  he performed   came to meet him in Shirdi. Very many miracles   were  attached to him .He attained Samadhi  on 15^th October 1918 . Before he attained Samadhi   he   told his followers ““I shall be active and vigorous even from the tomb”” Shirdi Sai Baba temple was built by a millionaire devotee of Baba named Gopalrao Booty, a resident of Nagpur. He came into Baba’s divine fold just ten years before Baba’s Mahasamadhi. Originally, the wada(a huge house)  was constructed here with the intention of having a rest house and temple by  Muralidhar (Krishna) and Sri Booty  was instructed  in  his dream   to construct a temple  in place of Wada , so that Baba;s  devotees   can have his darsan there. He also told them , he would be spiritually  present in that  temple .Since this was   constructed  usingf stone it was  called  Dagadi wada.  Once it was completed  , on the Maha Samadhi day,  he instructed his followers to take him to the Dagadi Wada. A Samadhi was  later built there and over it  some articles which Baba  used were kept  on a throne .This was replaced by the present statue in the year 1954 on 7^th October  which was a Vijayadasami day.This staue was carved form an Italian marble piece   by a sculptor named  Balaji  Vasant Talim . It seems in his dream, Baba instructed Talim, that  he would not   carve any idol  in  future.

    Millions  of pilgrims from all over the world visit   this Samadhi and also have a darshan of Dwaraka Mayi   where he lived, which is also within the temple complex , I had earlier translated  Baba’s teaching  as follows  :-

Eleven  Sayings   of Shirdi  Sai Baba

Translated by

P.R.Ramachander

1.Jo Shirdi Aayega  ,

AApad  door   baagaayegaa

Dangers  would be driven out   to the one  who comes to Shirdi

2.Chade Samadhi ki  seedi par ,

Pair  thale  dukh ki  peedi par

If you climb up  one step    of The  Samadhi there,

You climb up  one more step   to solve  your sorrows

3.Thyag Sareer chala Javunga,

Bhakth  hethu  Dhouda aavunga

I would leave the  body and go away,

But for the sake of a devotee  I would come  back running

4,Man mein Rakhnaa   drud Viswas,

Kare  Samaadhi par aas

Keep solid  faith in your mind ,

And  keep hope   on the Samadhi

5.Mujhe sadaa jeevith hee jaano,

Anubhav  karo   sathya pahchano

Know   that I am always   alive,

And experience it and  know the truth

6.Mere saran aa Khali jaaye  ,

Ho Koi tho    mujhe bhatavo

Come  to me and surrender, and going away empty handed,

If any is there  , please   tell me.

7.Jaisa  Bhav rahaa  jis man kaa  ,

Vaisa roop hua   mere  man kaa

Very much like the  sentiment you had in your mind,

Like that  you would be  known by my mind

8.Bhaar  thumhara  muj par hogaa,

Vachan na mera  jootaa  hogaa

If you leave    your burden on me  ,

My words  would never become a lie.

9.Aa sahayathaa lo  bharpoor,

JO maanga   vah nahi hai dur

Come take  my help to the full,

Whatever you asked is not very far off

10.Muj mein  leen vacan  man kaayaa ,

Uska   rin   na kabhi chukaayaa

If the prayers   with great  faith  were  told  to me,

The debt   for that  would  never be cleared.

11.Dhany dhanya  va bhakth anany,

Meri saran  thaj  jise  na anya

Blessed , blessed  is that devotee  ,

Who has  surrendered to me and not others

   Ever since I came to know of this great soul   who was a saint nonpareil , I was thirsting   to visit that  place  .I could do this on 20-2-2018   and I was simply  stunned and mesmerised by the temple and got imbibed in the spiritual aura   that was present there  .  

Love Poem(story)

Love  Poem(story)

By

Saanu Puthiran

Translated and rewritten by

P.R.Ramachander

(My face book friend SAanu puthiran is a great tamil poet   and a c very great devotee  of Maha Periyava, Rarely he writes  poems  on any other  subject  .i was  very much attracted  by his poem(story)  on love  and am presenting it in english. No soul of a poem can be translated  but only an attempt can be made.0

They wanted   me  to, Write a  poem on love

Due  to my interest in love , I am   starting to write  ,

A poem about  love   as  i  understood it

It seems  living without love , Is equivalent   to death .

And  also   the one  who does  not write  about love  is no  poet at all

It seems that  love  that does not , part the lovers  even after their  death  ,

Is the   greatest   ever love,  for  even if the lovers die,

It seems    the love will not die and  would always live

 I am writing   about a love story that continued   even after  death,

With   very great  love and with   sorrow  about  the death.

It seems   two butterflies  which used   flap their wings fell in love

And the love bells which  tried  to herald  about  their love wanted

To find out  who among them loved the other  more and

It pointed   out   a well grown   lotus flower   in a pond ,

Which  was greatly praised   by  its foaming   waves

Those two darlings   who loved each other  took a decision,

That  whosoever  sits on that flower first, next day morning.

Has definitely more love than the    other   darling .

A very sweet morning  arose   very sweetly next day,

The horizon started   becoming red  ,

The sun’s rays filled up the  lap  of the lady called    earth.

The  male insect   was eagerly   waiting to sit first   on that  lotus flower,

And was waiting  the flower  to open as soon as  the light of the sun  fell on it ,

Like   the lily which dancing  opened  its petals   when  it saw  the face  of the moon.

And the arms   of the ray  of  the infant sun   which  slowly rose  to show its face ,

Up from the  mountain top slowly  rubbed it  to the top of the stem of the flowers 

The male insect   which came  near  the flower  , flapping its wings,

Much before the lotus flower opened continued  to wait     for saw ,

The pretty lotus  opening  its petals and the sun with its rays   slowly,

Moved over   the water  and rubbing   the tender stem of the lotus flower

When it touched  the tip of the bud suddenly  the  lotus flower opened   all  its petals.

The male insect   which was waiting  as if  for a nectar  saw  the flower,

And the next moment   was completly   shaken for   there inside the  lotus flower ,

The female  insect lay   dead because   to prove  its love was better  ,

It had sat  inside   the flower  in the   previous evening  itself and died,

When  the flower closed and seeing her dead, the male insect  also fell dead

It seems   even if lovers  die   their love never dies , and    the two eyes  ,

Which are  reading   these  words are  a witness  to this   fact that  their love  was still alive,

But the love   which had woken up between those  two , wanted,

That either  they or  it should live   proving   the  fact  that a  real sweet heart,

Would give her life  to protect you  but a cheating   heart   would not.

Had the love  lived along with lovers  it   would have been better ,

Than the love living  and lovers  dying  as it would  have succeded,

And that  love would have been honoured   as well as respected,

Long live love   and let  lovers   also live  along   with that love.

காதல் க(வி)தை ஒன்று
எழுதக் கேட்டனர்...

காதல் பற்றினால்
காதலைப் பற்றிய
க(வி)தையை
எழுதத் துவங்குகிறேன்...
உணர்ந்தறுந்தபடியாக!

காதலில்லாது வாழ்தல்
சாதலுக்குச் சமமாம்…

காதலை எழுதாதவன்
கவிஞன் ஆகமாட்டானாம்…

சாதலிலும் கலையாத
காதலே
சாலச்சிறந்த காதலாம்…

காதலர் செத்து மடிந்தாலும்
காதல் மட்டும் சாகாதாம்…

செத்தும் மிளிர்ந்த
காதல் கதையொன்றைக்
கவிதையாய்
காதலோடு எழுதுகிறேன்…

சிறக்கச் சிறகடிக்கும்
இரு பட்டாம்பூச்சிகள்
காதல் வயப்பட்டதாம்!

யாருக்கு
மற்றவர் மீது
காதல் அதிகம் என
கட்டியம் கூறிட
எத்தணித்ததாம்
காதல் கிண்கிணிகள்!

.

திரை போற்றும்
தடாகம் ஒன்றில்
திளைத்து வளர்ந்த
தாமரையைக் காட்டி… 

“நாளை காலை
யார் இதன் மீது
முதலில் அமர்வரோ
அவருக்கே
அதீத காதல் உண்டு” என
தீர்மானம் கொண்டன
காதல் கொண்ட
கண்மணிகள் இரண்டும்!

இனியதோர் காலை
இனிக்கப் பிறந்ததுவாம்.
கீழ்வானம் சிவக்கத் தொடங்கியது…
நிலப் பெண்ணாள் மடியில்
நிரம்பினவாம்
கதிரொளிகள்!

நிலவின் முகம் கண்டு
அல்லிப்பெண்
இதழ் விரித்தாடியது போலே
கதிரவனின் கரம் பட்டதும்
மலரத் துடித்த
தாமரையின் மேல்
முதலில் வந்து அமர
ஆவலோடு காத்திருந்ததாம்
ஆண் பூச்சி.

மலை முகட்டின் மேல்
மெல்ல மெல்ல
தன் முகம் காட்டி வந்த
இளங்காலைக் கதிரோனின்
கதிர்கரங்கள்
சிறுகச் சிறுக…
நீர் நிலையில்
கோலாகலமாக நின்றிருந்த
மலராளின் மெல்லடி நோக்கி
நகர்ந்து வந்ததாம்.

தாமரையாள்
மலர்வதற்கு முன்பாகவே
“படபட” வென
சிறகடித்துக் கொண்டு
அருகே வந்த ஆண் பூச்சி
கனிமலராள்
தன் இதழ்விரிக்கக்
காத்திருந்ததாம்.

நீரில் மேற்பரப்பாய்
மெல்ல நகர்ந்து வந்த
கதிரொளியோன்
கனிமலர்த் தாமரையாளின்
தண்டுகளில் ஊறி
உராய்ந்து
மெல்ல மெல்ல
மேலேறி
மொட்டுக்களின் உச்சியைத் தொடுகையில்
“சட்”டென மலர்ந்தனவாம்
தாமரையாள் இதழ்களெலாம்.

அமுதமாய்
அருகே வந்துக் காத்திருந்து
கண்ணுற்ற
ஆண் பூச்சி
அடுத்த நொடியில்
அதிர்ந்துப் போனதாம்… 

ஆங்கே
தாமரைக்குள்ளேயே
பெண்பூச்சி
செத்துக் கிடந்ததாம்.

தன் அன்பை உணர்த்திட
முதல் நாள் மாலையே
வந்தமர்ந்து கொண்ட
அந்த பட்டாம்பூச்சி
தாமரை மூடிக் கொண்டதால்
மூச்சுத் திணறி
மாண்டு போனதாயிற்றே!

அன்னவள்
ஆங்கே
அசைவின்றிக் கிடப்பதைக் கண்ட
காதலுற்ற ஆண் பூச்சி
அன்பின் மிகுதியாலே
அதுவரையில்
அடித்துச் சிறந்த
இறக்கைகள் இரண்டும்
அயர்ந்துத் தொங்க
இறந்து விழுந்ததாம்.

காதலர்கள் செத்தாலும் கூட
காதல் சாவதில்லை தாம்! 

.

இன்றும்
இவ்வெழுத்துக்களிலே
அந்தக் காதல்
வாழ்ந்து கொண்டிருப்பதற்கு
இதனைக் காணுறும்
சோடிக் கண்களெல்லாம்
சாட்சி! 

உயிர்த்த இந்தக் காதல்
உணர்வுகளினூடே
ஒன்றை மட்டும்
இருக்கச் செய்துவிட்டதே…!

உண்மைக் காதலியாயின்
உன்னைக் காக்கத்
தன்னுயிர் கொடுப்பாள் – ஆனால்
காதல்விட்டுக் காதல் மாறும்
கயவக் காதலியோ
தன்னைக் காக்க
உன்னுயிர்ப் பரிப்பாள்!

எது எப்படியோ…!!!
காதலர்கள் இறந்து
காதல் சிறப்பதைக் காட்டிலும்
அவர்கள் வாழ்ந்து சிறந்தால்
காதலுக்கு மரியாதை
தான்!

காதல்
எவர் மனமும் காயாதபடியாக
வாழ்ந்து சிறக்குமேயானால்
காதலுக்கு மரியாதை
மிக மிக அதிகம் தான்!

காதல் வாழ்க!
காதலர்களும் வாழ்ந்து
காதல் வாழ்வாங்கு வாழ்க!

- விரல் நுணி வாசம்.

No good words then and no food now

No good words then  and no food  now

By

P.R.Ramachander

(After  reading a tamil  poem on this   subject.Thanks  author of poem)

When  you   brought  hot degree  coffee ,

I used to shout   at you , “How many times,

I need to tell  you , less sugar, please....”

When you prepare  your master piece ,

The great Sambar with great expertise,

I used to shout “More salt please...”

When you   gave me soft   idlis , with ,

Steam   coming out of it  with Chutney,

I used to shout “So hard , can you not make it harder”

When You used   to offer  me crispy  and tastey,

Dosas with the taste  of heaven  come down,

I used to shout”You know, I have to break to eat  it”

But    darling   after  you have  gone   away from me,

Without   any anger  whatsoever, There  is no one,

Who cares   whether  I  am hungry or not

Darling mine, I would soon   come to heaven,

And never   shout   at you  any more  ,

Even if    you offer me salt less stone and mud.

Kumarapuram Seshadri ayyar

Do you know   about  this Palghat  Brahmin  who  is respectfully   remembered  by the city  of Bangalore

Compiled  by

P.R.Ramachander

Kumarapuram Seshadri ayyar (1845 -1901)   was the son of   anathakrishna iyer   and his venkatalakshmi    and was   from Kumarapuram  village  . His father was working   in Calicut   as a lawer ,But unfortunately his father died  before he was one year old .His  step brother   who was only 20 at that time looked after  him .Seshadri Ayyar after  very great struggle studied in Cocjhin, Calicut   and then completed his BA  from Presidency college  , Madras.He was working in Calicut port    as a clerk and was identified  for his brilliance and sincerity  by the dewan of mysore   who appointed him  as a judicial  secretary  in  Mysore kingdom.After  serving in various  divisions of the government   and after  completing his BL  in 1883 ,m he  was appointed as the second Dewan of Mysore and for 18 years  he worked in that  post,. His period was considered as  a golden period  in theadministration of  Mysore  .He was the man responsible for

-Intitiating  sivana samudram project   which generated power   for KOlar  Gold fields

- rebuilding   Bangalore   after  the plague  by degongesting   the roads

- Staring  construction of new localities Malleswaram and Basavangudi 

-Initiating water   works at  Hessarghata lake for water   supply  to Bangalore city

-Commissioning the glass  house  ar lalbaugh

     After   his death ,his  residence  Kumara Kripa was  converted  in to the state  guest house   and  the grateful  state  of Karnataka  named one of the  cities  new extensions as  SEshadripuram  and named  the state  central library  after  him and  erected  a statue  of him in  cubbon park  front of the library building,. There is also a  SEshadri road  

The love story of our traditional marriage

The  love story  of our traditional marriage

By

P.R.Ramachander

(Based i on the post by my friend Vasu Iyengar . Thanks to him)

After  three  times   of serving  sweets and savouries,

I  nodded   yes the  fourth   groom who came to see me,

And at last   my marriage   was fixed  with a person,

Whom I   did not  know   at all, ofcourse  with my “Yes”

Suddenly   my life   changed a lot in my home,

My mother  who used   to be very critical  ,

Of each and every act of mine   , started ,

Showering tonnes and tonnes   of love.

Suddenly my younger sister    who was  ,

Having “Tom and Jerry “ relationship,

Became    extremely   close to me ,

And my father  suddenly started  buying all that I want.

With shopping   with my friends and   chatting and texting ,

With my   would be husband  without  limits , my life passed   sweetly,

My mother  and father   started   talking    with me freely,

Which included    even adult  cinema   material.

Suddenly  I came to understand  problems of my home,

And suddenly I felt    as if i    am stranger  in my own house,

My sister    slep daily   hugging   me tightly   while sleeping,

And some days  I became    wet with her   tears.

Even a day before the marriage  relations   started coming  ,

And every one seems to have lot of advices   for me  ,

Though  I too was   eager   to   become some one else’s  property,

I   did notice that    the faces  of both my parents looked  faded.

Early morning  , I had to get up   and was   handed  over,

To experts from beauty parlour  who troubled  me a lot,

And after that when I saw myself in the mirror, I looked strange,

And I burst in to tears  and my mother  hugged me and told me  not to crty.

Even before I could retort to mother  , the photographers   were busy with me.

And later when  smell of my pet dishes were  wafting everywhere , my parents,

Told me  that I should not  take   food till   my marriage    got over, and when,

I was being taken  to marriage stage  , I was very greatly  nervous.

When I sat  by the side  of my groom, he  was   shivering  in shyness ,

And my sister   and  my friends   smiled  in a very peculiar way,

Due to huge smoke  in the stage my eyes  were itching  but for fear

Of the kajal sprading  I had to keep quiet and my groom necame my husband.

I was terribly hungry but there  was unending   relatives and friends  ,

To shake my hand, wish me  and tease me  and at that time my back itched,

And when i was  struggling  my husband wanted  me to meet all his relations,

And after   all my hunger became  a paiful saga they took me to take food.

The meals   was a terriblke affair   , with all my near  and dear  deserting me,

And I being surrounded by rank strangers    every where  that I could see  ,

The time for departure came   and my fathed acted   as if he is very busy  ,

Avoided seeing me   and my mother   was stifling  her upcoming sobs  .

And when my mother in law , called  me I hugged my mother tightly

Never wanting to leave her  and I  was made to go   with tears making my face black.

And when me and He    were  alone in the car , I felt as if  I am breath less,

And I requested him to  switch off the AC and  open     the windows,

He nodded his head, and with care  and love  caught my hand  and pressed it softly ,

And then I closed  my eyes   and leaned on his shoulders   , remembering  the good old days .

Unarmed murder by the lord of love

Unarmed  murder  by the lord of love

By

P.R.Ramachander

(Based  on a tamil    post of Ms  Bala  Sivakumar  .Thanks  to her)

Every one says   that in  this incarnation ,

You   did not  come  carrying   any weapon.

They are   saying   since  you did not  ,

Yourself interfere  in any one’s   affairs,

Where is the  need   for  any weapon to t you,

To kill   those   Rakshasas  who came  in search of you,

When it is so , why do you  need a wepon to kill me,.

Is not your glance , which looks at me  but apppers  ,

To  be not seeing me at all sufficient    for that?

Is not the smile  that you do not know ,

Suffecient    to burn  me alive?

Is not your   sword like looks  at me,

After  you laugh at  some one else,

Suffecient   to imprison me    forever  ?

The   perfume of sandal    and musk that   you wear,

Is sufficient to tear  my heart , even if  you silently pass by?

The flute that    you keep tucked on your hips  .

Is more than sufficient to make me benumbed.

The   music that you produce   from  that flute,

Is   sufficient   to make my mind   break in to pieces.

But they say   that  you have not  come  with  any weapon.

Oh Lord  , Is any more    weapons  necessary    for you?