Friday, January 25, 2013

They reflect me

These songs! Oh, what a wonder!
Reflect me like a mirror
without as much a shimmer,
Oh my! More than a drop of tear!

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Drown in Inner Peace

"If you abide in the Heart, realising your true state, your peace will never cease.

Knowing that inner peace with which you have merged to be your own real nature, abide as that peace and, with determination, drown in it."
  
   --- Ramana Maharishi

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Yoga by music

Songs that blow me off my feet and place me in touch with the divine!










Saturday, January 12, 2013

Helplessness

I was having a conversation with a friend recently. We were talking about the feeling of utter helplessness that crucified many of us when we heard about the brutal rape and the subsequent death of this young girl in Delhi last December. We were discussing if it is at all possible to function in this world without that feeling. Even after I came home, the topic continued to play in my mind and here are some observations.

The feeling of helplessness that one goes through is not an atomic emotion. It is more the result of the interplay of many complex emotions within us. This amalgam of emotions shows up as helplessness in some, anger in some others and cynicism in a few others. I feel, if we can dissect this amalgam into more finer categories of emotions through self-knowledge, we may have a chance of facing up to such complex situations that life keeps throwing at us.


Lets take the case of helplessness and try to partition it into finer categories of emotions. For starters, definitely there is a lot of compassion / empathy towards the young girl. Next, there is a lot of frustration / anger / shame at the way our society is. In addition, they may also be there at ones own inadequacies. There is a also a lot of intense motivation to work in the society and move its overall character into more desirable shades. All these are indeed most wonderful emotions that one needs to carefully guard and nurture.

Then, on the other hand, there are a few not so desirable feelings. First there is a lot of fear born out of the thought (conscious in some, unconscious in some) - 'What if it were me or a near and dear one'? Second the issue of frustration at our society and the desire to change is affected by the fact it is 'my' society. It is questionable if either of these emotions will be of the same intensity if the same event had happened in a far away country. Then there is the surreptitiously built up thought of 'me' the individual whose life is somehow spectacularly significant. As everything is viewed through it, ones perception of reality is drastically affected. Lastly, there is also the not so mature masculine nature (that which wants to 'do' things in the world) which refuses to accept defeat.

One really effective way to deal with these negative components is to find, recognise and identify them correctly when they are the lead emotion in the mind. Though the overall feeling of helplessness is a mixture, at different times, different components are manifested more strongly than the rest. If we continuously introspect, then all the components can be identified easily and we can clearly know when which component is dominating. As we do this and develop ourselves through the practice of Yoga (am referring to all aspects and not just the external aspects), then the masculine nature will develop fully and will remain constantly as an efficient instrument at the hands of the divine. It will stop going behind ones own egoistic pursuits and instead develop oneself and be moved by something very deep from within. As this development happens, the notion of the 'me' being significant gradually diminishes. Instead the 'me' dissolves into the eternal and divine (if you may will so) process of evolution of form in a manner that is most suitable for the being. All the energy in the individual is directed into the process. Lastly, the fear of death / pain also recedes. They will be reduced to small amounts.

The being that has accomplished this indeed has the greatest chance of facing up to such a complex world skilfully. As the mind is freed up of negative qualities, the positive qualities grow and occupy the space vacated by the negative ones. The individual then works hard to make hir life count by fully manifesting ones potential and contributing to society. That the ugly manifestations we see outside are connected to the unconsciousness almost all of us harbour within is understood and earnest effort is taken to root it out from oneself. This may take time and may involve a few fortuitous circumstances. But, if one is diligent and sincere, such circumstances are bound to arrive soon. After such development, then gory events such as this will certain move the individual out of compassion but will never leave one paralysed. The individual can respond in meaningful ways.


PS: These thoughts are only on how an individual may respond and is not about how social / political response to such events should be. Whatever they are, they can be manifested better when there are more individuals around who consciously choose to work on themselves on these lines.

பிள்ளாய் (O Child), பாவாய் (O Damsel), நங்காய் (O Lady), எழுந்திராய் (wake up)! மணிக்கதவம் தாள்திறவாய் (Open the bejeweled door)


Incredible poetry, beauty and bhakthi! May we all listen to this, enjoy it and wake up :)


புள்ளும் சிலம்பினகாண்; புள்ளரையன் கோயிலில்
வெள்ளை விளிசங்கின் பேரரவம் கேட்டிலையோ?
பிள்ளாய்! எழுந்திராய்
Did you not hear alternate twittering birds making loud noises,
Did you not hear the loud sound of white conch,
From the temple of the king of Garuda,
Oh, girls please wake up,


கீசுகீ சென்றெங்கும் ஆனைச்சாத் தன்கலந்து
பேசின பேச்சரவம் கேட்டிலையோ? பேய்ப்பெண்ணே!
காசும் பிறப்பும் கலகலப்பக் கைபேர்த்து
வாச நறுங்குழல் ஆய்ச்சியர் மத்தினால்
ஓசை படுத்தத் தயிரரவம் கேட்டிலையோ?
நாயகப் பெண்பிள்ளாய்! நாராயணன் மூர்த்தி
கேசவனைப் பாடவும்நீ கேட்டே கிடத்தியோ?
Did you not hear, Oh slow witted girl,
The twittering sound of black birds of the morn,
Which sounds like a talk between them,
Did you not hear the tingling sound,
When the big and small coin like pendants,
Rub against each other,
Did you not hear the sound of vigorous pull,
Of the curd churner being pulled,
By the flower bedecked cow herdesses,
Did you not hear the sound of twirling curd,
When churned using the mixer,
Oh, leader among girls, How can you sleep,
When they sing the names sweetly.
Of Narayana and Kesava,


கீழ்வானம் வெள்ளென்று, எருமை சிறுவீடு
மேய்வான் பரந்தனகாண்; மிக்குள்ள பிள்ளைகளும்
போவான் போகின்றாரைப் போகாமல் காத்துன்னைக்
கூவுவான் வந்து நின்றோம், கோதுகலமுடைய
பாவாய்! எழுந்திராய்
The eastern sky has become white,
The buffalo's are free to walk and graze,
The remaining lasses, have stopped from going,
All those who wanted to go,
And have come to call you,
Oh girl filled with happiness, Please wake up.


தூமணி மாடத்துச் சுற்றும் விளக்கெரிய,
தூமங் கமழத் துயிலணைமேல் கண்வளரும்
மாமான் மகளே! மணிக்கதவம் தாள்திறவாய்;
மாமீர்! அவளை எழுப்பீரோ? உம்மகள்தான்
ஊமையோ? அன்றிச் செவிடோ அனந்தலோ?
ஏமப் பெருந்துயில் மந்திரப் பட்டாளோ?
Oh my uncle’s daughter, who sleeps,
In the soft cotton bed,
In the pearl filled Villa,
Well lit from all sides,
And full of the smoke of incense,
Please open the ornamental door.
Oh aunt, why don’t you wake her up,
Is your daughter dumb or deaf, Or down right lazy,
Or she is in trance of deep pleasurable sleep,


நோற்றுச் சுவர்க்கம் புகுகின்ற அம்மனாய்!
மாற்றமும் தாராரோ வாசல் திறவாதார்?
நாற்றத் துழாய்முடி நாரா யணன்நம்மால்
போற்றப் பறைதரும் புண்ணியனால் பண்டொருநாள்
கூற்றத்தின் வாய்வீழ்ந்த கும்ப கரணனும்
தோற்றம் உனக்கே பெருந்துயில்தான் தந்தானோ?
Oh lady fine, who has entered the heaven,
Due to penance done in last birth,
Won’t you reply,please
Won’t you open the door,please
If we pray the God Narayana,
Having with him the scented garland,
Made of holy basil,
He would give us gifts, many,
He is the same who is holy in times ancient,
Sent Kumbhakarna to his death,
After beating him in the field of war.
Did that ogre give you his sleep,


கற்றுக் கறவைக் கணங்கள் பல கறந்து செற்றார் திறலழியச் சென்று செருச் செய்யும்
குற்றம் ஒன்றில்லாத கோவலர்த்தம் பொற்கொடியே புற்று அரவு அல்குல் புனமயிலே போதராய்
சுற்றத்து தோழிமார் எல்லாரும் வந்து நின் முற்றம் புகுந்து முகில் வண்ணன் பேர் பாட
சிற்றாதே பேசாதே செல்வ பெண்டாட்டி நீ எற்றுக்கு உறங்கும்
Oh daughter of the cattle baron,
Who milks herds of cows,
And wages war on enemies
And makes his enemies loose their strength,
Oh Golden tendril, Oh lass who has the mount of venus,
Like the hood of the snake, Wake up and come,
When your flock of friends,
Have come to your courtyard, And sing of Krishna,
Who has the colour of the cloud, Oh rich, rich lady,
How can you neither move nor talk, And lie in deep trance,


கனைத்து இளம் கற்றெருமை கன்றுக்கு இரங்கி
நினைத்து முலை வழியே நின்று பால் சோர
நனைத்து இல்லம் சேறாக்கும் நற் செல்வன் தங்காய்
பனித் தலை வீழ நின் வாசற் கடை பற்றிச்
சினத்தினால் தென் இலங்கைக் கோமானைச் செற்ற
மனத்துக்கு இனியானைப் பாடவும் நீ வாய் திறவாய்
இனித்தான் எழுந்திராய் ஈதென்ன பேர் உறக்கம்
Hey, sister of the rich one, who owned,
The mooing she buffalo with a calf,
Which took pity on the calf,
And gave out plenty,
Of milk to it through its udder,
And made his courtyard slushy with milk,
We are assembled in thine yard,
In the dripping fog, And sing about Him,
Who killed in anger the king of Southern Lanka,
And who is very dear one,
But open your mouth, you don’t..
At least wake up now,
Why this very deep slumber,


புள்ளின் வாய் கீண்டானைப் பொல்லா அரக்கனைக்
கிள்ளிக் களைந்தானைக் கீர்த்தி மை பாடிப் போய்ப்
பிள்ளைகள் எல்லாரும் பாவைக் களம்புக்கார்
வெள்ளி எழுந்து வியாழம் உறங்கிற்று
புள்ளும் சிலம்பின காண் போதரிக் கண்ணினாய்
குள்ளக் குளிரக் குடைந்து நீராடாதே
பள்ளிக் கிடத்தியோ. பாவாய்.
The lasses have reached,
The place of prayer for Pavai,
Singing the fame of our Lord.
Who killed the ogre who came like a stork.
And who cut off the heads of the bad ogre, One by one.
The venus has risen in the morn,
The Jupiter has vanished from the sky,
The birds are making lot of sound,
Of beautiful one with wide eyes red as a flower.
Without taking bath by dipping
again and again in ice cold water,
Would you prefer to sleep.


உங்கள் புழக்கடைத் தோட்டத்து வாவியுள்
செங்கழுனீர் வாய் நெகிழ்ந்து ஆம்பல் வாய் கூம்பின காண்
செங்கற் பொடிக் கூரை வெண்பல் தவத்தவர்
தங்கள் திருக்கோயில் சங்கிடுவான் போதன்றார்
எங்களை முன்னம் எழுப்புவான் வாய்பேசும்
நங்காய் எழுந்திராய்
In the pond in the backyard of your house.
The lily in the ponds have opened,
The night flowers have closed,
The white toothed sages,
Who wear clothes as red as,
The powder of brick, Are going to their temples.
To sound the conch.
You who promised to wake us up, Please wake up,


எல்லே. இளம் கிளியே இன்னம் உறங்குதியோ

“Hey, little bird, Are you still sleeping? ”


PS: Images from multiple sources
www.sundarasimham.org
http://gayasrikrishna.blogspot.in