Monday, January 7, 2019

For A Brother (Eulogy)

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Poetic Eulogy

Perhaps
You’re inspired by our uncle
Or, was it the push from grandma?
Or, was it a grace from Sarada?
Or, an affectionate gaze from Kanaka Durga,
Whose feet are constantly worshipped by the
Flowing waters of Krishna River?
Literature, be it Telugu or Sanskrit
Came handily to you
For some, proficiency doesn’t
Come easily, without studious hard work
And extreme application
Yet, some are exceptionally fortunate
They memorize and absorb
With a single pass
Like you they effortlessly
Succeed in tests with flying colors

During childhood
You teased and played with me
Many times
You never scolded me
Not even once; due to
Your esteem to mother
Your unique library
And a brand new bicycle –
They both took me to the
Limits of new worlds
The former showed me the
Myriads of Telugu literature
Ancient mythologies,
And Yoga, its secrets
The latter dragged me to the
Sanctum of Mangalagiri Swamy,
Famous for the jaggery syrup!
Chess, Origami paper cranes,
The world affairs – I learnt ‘em all
From you
Your kinship and intellectual
Friendship is a rare gift!

First you did your high school
In the Nrusimha-pura, then
The Bi-lingual Pundit course
In Modekurru, followed by
Diploma in Pundit in Oriental Literature
Then in quick succession
Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts
You accomplished them with
Self-study, achieving high grades
Right from home
Those summer holidays
The evening hours spent with you
They are unforgettable
I used to read haltingly
Fumbling at times the Sanskrit
Original texts of “Mrichchhakatika”,
Kalidasa’s works (sitting in front of you)
Though I later grew professionally
Into a scientist
Perhaps it’s due to your association
I imbibed some talent in
Music and literature too!

Your sharp intellect,
Your language skills and acumen
Your courage, your resolute determination,
Your unbounded affection for cousins
Your steadfast adherence to tradition,
Devotion and application to religion
They’ll remain in our memory forever;
May your soul successfully pursue
Knowledge, wisdom, and may it find
Ample fulfillment with riches and reach
The peak of eternal happiness. Amen!
(Thus I) Submit to Krishna.

(Copyright 2019 by the author, translated from Telugu original. Earlier I've posted this with the Telugu verse at Sulekha. A loss is a loss at any time. Yet some memories and people are unique and special. Spread over several decades I had only intermittent contact with my brother, perhaps never got enough time to share life's burden or exchange feelings. However, as I reflect now it seems we both intuitively understood each other; even the silence between us spoke volumes. As the famed sensitive Telugu lyricist (Aatreya) said, "The living represent (hold) the departed's sweet memories (ఉన్నొళ్ళు పొయినోళ్ళ తీపి గురుతులు)." If this poem conveys even a fraction of such poignant remembrance, then this writer has succeeded!)




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