Lyrics of "tiru venkatadhisa jagadisa" with English Transliteration

శ్రీశైల వాసా ....శేషాద్రి వాసా....

గరుడాద్రి వాసా ..వెంకటాద్రీశా...

నారాయణాద్రీశ..వృషభాద్రి వాసా ...

వృషశైల వాసా...

సర్వ లోకేశా...ఆ ఆ ఆ ఆ

తిరువెం (వేం) కటాధీశ , జగదీశా...

కరుణ నేలగ రావే, కమలేశా..ఆ..ఆ..

తిరువెంకటాధీశ , జగదీశా...

కోటి గొంతులు నిన్ను గోవింద యని పిలువ

కోటి చేతులు నీకు కోరి జోతలు చేయ,

కోరికలు తీర్చేటి కొంగు బంగారమై 

కొండలేడింటిపై కొలువు దీరేవయ్య

పాతకమ్ముల దీర్చు పంచ ధారల నడుమ 

బహు పుణ్యప్రదమైన స్వామి హ్రద తీరాన 

ఆనంద నిలయాన అందాన కొలువున్న 

ఆనందరూప మామ్మాదరింపగ రావె 

శివ  రూపమీవంచు చెప్పుదురు కొందరు 

ఆదిశక్తి వటంచు అందురింకొందరు 

నారాయణుండంచు నమ్ముదురిం కొందరు

మూడు శక్తులుగూడ ముచ్చటౌ రూపమ్ము  

SreeSaila vaasaa ....Saeshaadri vaasaa.... garuDaadri vaasaa ..veMkaTaadreeSaa... naaraayaNaadreeSa..vRshabhaadri vaasaa ... vRshaSaila vaasaa... sarva lOkaeSaa...aa aa aa aa tiruveM (vaeM) kaTaadheeSa , jagadeeSaa... karuNa naelaga raavae, kamalaeSaa..aa..aa.. tiruveMkaTaadheeSa , jagadeeSaa... kOTi goMtulu ninnu gOviMda yani piluva kOTi chaetulu neeku kOri jOtalu chaeya, kOrikalu teerchaeTi koMgu baMgaaramai koMDalaeDiMTipai koluvu deeraevayya paatakammula deerchu paMcha dhaarala naDuma bahu puNyapradamaina svaami hrada teeraana aanaMda nilayaana aMdaana koluvunna aanaMdaroopa maammaadariMpaga raave Siva roopameevaMchu cheppuduru koMdaru aadiSakti vaTaMchu aMduriMkoMdaru naaraayaNuMDaMchu nammuduriM koMdaru mooDu SaktulugooDa muchchaTau roopammu

(shanumukha priya ragam)

[అధీశ = Lord, Great King, Emperor; జగదీశ = Lord of

the Universe;

jotalu = salutation with clasped hands, holding clasped hands overhead (?); hrada = deep waters, about waist deep, deep lake or part of a river.

There are a number of "classic" songs on Pedda Venkanna (as many of us fondly call the Lord of Seven Hills). These songs are known to many and as children we listened to these through a nearby loudspeaker during festive seasons. Such songs were also played before the evening first show (6:00 pm) in theaters. We do not know their authorship - these masterpieces are beyond the usual measures of money, authorship, and popularity. They stand on their own intrinsic merit. Great composers and vocalists like Ghantasala (ఘంటసాల) imparted life and soul to such songs.

Who can say the Lord would not listen and respond to such soul-stirring outpourings from Srirangaratnam, Susheela, M S Subbulakshmi, or Leela? Just a word of caution for the younger singers here: Foremost learn all the Telugu consonants and vowels; and then the double and triple consonants. Go to the Internet and learn to speak all the aspirated hard consonants (ex: dha, pha,). Do not commit errors in diction; do not say a soft consonant “da” as “dha” or vice versa. The Devi of Learning (Sarada) will get hurt every time we do such infractions – it does not matter whether we do it knowingly or unknowingly. That is the reason why we must listen to only great singers like Ghantasala and learn Telugu/Sanskrit only from really qualified scholars. Later I may look into the meaning of this song in greater details.] Copyright 2023 by the author 

The Indian Cucumber

Indian Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus)

For me gardening is a hobby – an activity that keeps my fingers nimble and body free of aches. I try to grow plants with minimal inputs like some of the best (and brilliant) Indian farmers. On the Internet, particularly on YouTube there are many nice videos that explain about gardening, about growing anything except hair on the head. I learned gardening from my mother with a rusty kitchen spatula (the tool used to turn dosas) and watching countless amateur gardeners. Luckily I got good training from horticulture professors also. In these posts I try to put out useful information for the readers. In some instances I’ve kindled interest in a few friends too. I do not have the last word on any plant or gardening technique. We all learn by sharing our failures and knowledge with others. At most hobbyists try to share fun and joy around. That’s all.

Now let us come to this unique simple vegetable. We call it “Dosa-kaya (దోసకాయ)” in Telugu. There is another closely related variety of this spherical fruit (vegetable) in south India. That one is more like the American football in shape, sort of an ellipsoid but has the same yellowish color when fully ripened. Here, many years ago all the Indian vegetables used to be very precious and scarce. There used to be one Asian grocery store and all the Asian countries’ culinary spices and vegetables (Korean, Indian, etc.) were lumped into one little store or corner isle. There we would find some eggplants and one or two Indian vegetables – that too if we were lucky. Now much has changed and we have several grocery stores catering exclusively to Indian customers. So, now we have the luxury of getting betel leaves, dosakaya, and many other things from the subcontinent. 

I find growing this vine (creeper) much easier than the common American cucumber. Compared to the ubiquitous common cucumber, this Indian dosakaya is pest free and asks for very little extra care. Originally we got this plant through pure chance. I must have sprinkled a few seeds into the pot during winter. Due to the snow and severe chilly weather there is no outdoor gardening in winters here. We keep several indoor (container) plants for flowers (hibiscus, jasmine, crossandra, geranium, etc.), couple of herbs (marjoram), and some foliage plants. Ideally one should plant the seeds in tiny pots with peat moss (coconut peat, vermiculite) about four weeks before the spring. That way we get heads up and can have nice three months for this dosakaya vine to grow. Anyway, we got several seedlings growing nicely in the indoor plant. In the beginning we didn’t know anything. I could not identify the plant because we never had any contact with this strange vine. It went on growing by leaps and bounds.

So, one day I just transplanted the seedlings to a nice big pot with a bit of compost. I added a tomato steel cage to provide some support for the wandering vine. Suddenly we found ourselves with tiny yellow flowers and small round yellow colored fruits. In Telugu kids used to call this vegetable as “nakka dosakaya”. That is it is referred as “Fox Dosakaya”. This may be because the farmer collects all the green fruits and puts them into a big pit in the ground. They are covered with dry leaves for a bit of ripening process. Eventually the fruit gets yellow color and now it is ready for the market. The fox also lives and raises its family in a cave or underground burrow. Hence the name “nakka dosakaya (నక్క దోసకాయ)”!    

We mostly use this vegetable to make subji with dal or chutney. The reader can find lots of recipes on the Internet. Also in many Andhra marriages this dosakaya is served as a freshly made hot pickle. Normally people use the pickle for three or four days and usually it gets exhausted by then. Not like the other pickles like mango, gongura, lime, citron, red chilli, tamarind, or amla. But with the advent of fridge one can keep this dosakaya pickle also for months without any spoilage or dulling of taste. 

This humble vegetable has quite a few medicinal uses. It acts as diuretic and is beneficial for urinary troubles (burning, dripping). The fruit is helpful for treating piles and easing thirst. In some situations the patient is advised to limit the intake of fluids (especially heart patients). Fully ripened fruit may produce diarrhea, so one should be careful. Antidotes for dosakaya are: ginger, saunf, salt, honey, black pepper powder, wheat flour, and ganuga seeds decoction. Tender dosakaya works for nausea and it boosts energy. Seeds and seed powder are also useful for medicinal purposes. Earlier seeds were used for typhus fever. Copyright 2023 by the author

Lyrics of "dhirunaku vanadhi" Song

సాహిత్యము: భక్త రామదాసు  (1620 -1688)

ధీరునకు వనధి గంభీరునకు దుష్ట సంహారునకు 

ఘనమణీ హారునకును 

హర కర్పూర నీహార హీరా పటీర తారాళి కీర్తి విస్తారునకును  

జయ మంగళం - సదా (నిత్య) శుభ మంగళం 

మంగళము రామునకు మహిత శుభ నామునకు 

మంగళము సీతా సమేతునకును  

మంగళము సుర మకుట మణి లలిత పాదునకు

మంగళము క్షీరాబ్ధి  మందిరునకు

ఆద్యునకు బ్రహ్మాది వేద్యునకు  దుర్మద భేద్యునకు భవరోగ వైద్యునకు 

సద్యః ఫల ప్రదునకాద్యంత రహితునకు విద్యా వివేక జన హృద్యునకును 

జయ మంగళం - నిత్య శుభ మంగళం 

జైత్రునకు సౌమిత్రి మిత్రునకు  భక్త వన చైత్రునకు నవ పద్మ నేత్రునకును 

మిత్ర వంశాబ్ధి సన్మిత్రునకు 

సుర వినుత  పాత్రునకు జగద వని సూత్రునకును 

జయ మంగళం - సదా శుభ మంగళం 

dheerunaku vanadhi gaMbheerunaku dushTa saMhaarunaku ghanamaNee haarunakunu hara karpoora neehaara heeraa paTeera taaraaLi keerti vistaarunakunu jaya maMgaLaM - sadaa (nitya) Subha maMgaLaM maMgaLamu raamunaku mahita Subha naamunaku maMgaLamu seetaa samaetunakunu maMgaLamu sura makuTa maNi lalita paadunaku maMgaLamu ksheeraabdhi maMdirunaku aadyunaku brahmaadi vaedyunaku durmada bhaedyunaku bhavarOga vaidyunaku sadya@h phala pradunakaadyaMta rahitunaku vidyaa vivaeka jana hRdyunakunu jaya maMgaLaM - nitya Subha maMgaLaM jaitrunaku saumitri mitrunaku bhakta vana chaitrunaku nava padma naetrunakunu mitra vaMSaabdhi sanmitrunaku sura vinuta paatrunaku jagada vani sootrunakunu jaya maMgaLaM - sadaa Subha maMgaLaM

 

(I gathered the lyrics from Gollapudi Book and Mrs. Vedavathi Prabhakar’s rendition.

Often I get annoyed for not knowing many 'Arati' songs. As part of the traditional puja, devotional songs are included in the end while offering the "camphor flame" to Lord Rama. Over the years it seems I neglected Sri Bhakta Ramadasu (Gopanna) and his extraordinary output of devotional songs (kirtanas). Dr. Balamurali spent his last days singing Ramadasu's compositions. How lucky he was and how fortunate to remember Rama's name!

In the Carnatic music tradition there are many composers besides the trinity (Tyagaraju, Dikshitar, and Syama Sastri). The saying "Art is long and Life is short" comes to mind. Thus, for our own convenience and bound by time constraints we tend to dwell on only a few songs. Or, mostly emphasize the songs taught by our teachers. But here is a gem - this composition riveted my attention for ten days. First to learn the tune properly and second to grasp each word (phrase) and its meaning. Smt. Vedavathi did an excellent job of rendition. She must be congratulated for bringing out this rare composition to the wider public. Copyright 2023 by the author) Vedavathi rendition

Furry Friend (A Rainy day Poem)

Furry Friend

Innocence or 

Carefree attitude

Some get it, some don’t

It’s not something you acquire

Or, learn gradually

When I stepped out

It was totally overcast

Drab, gloomy, soggy

You might say

It’s a rainy day – to put it simply

But as I ventured out

With a light umbrella

There I came across

A light brown jovial dog

Man’s best friend -

A Terrier perhaps

You got to see

Its sprightliness, playfulness

It stomped on the puddles

Rolled on the wet grass

Played to its heart’s content

On the muddy brown waters

The owner didn’t mind it either

There 

In the drizzle, halting rain

We three

Enjoyed the outdoors

I could see my 

Middle school days

Vividly on my mental screen

Then and there in the coastal

Village 

We had distinct seasons

Six to count

Summer means just hot 

Blistering scorching vertical 

Rays with cool jasmine aroma filled

Nights and mangoes

Rainy season with downpours

Puddles, tanks with croaking frogs

Brown slippery muddy streets

Once we had a rainy day holiday

The distant pupils couldn’t make it

Treading wearily thro’ the slippery

Muddy farms’ edges

So

Mother asked me to go and study

At the tuition master’s house

Just less than a block down the lane

I rushed out in the drizzle

Weaving through the little puddles

And then slipped on the viscous mud

And fell again not once, but thrice

Every time soiling the clothes

Mom got annoyed

Got a little angry

“No, you aren’t going anywhere

In this rain. Stay home with underwear.”

She had so many dirty clothes -

Washing ‘em during monsoon

Isn’t an easy chore

I was housebound with nobody

To play, no fun to spend time

Those were the days

In the village

No radio, no TV, no cell phones

No PDA’s, no iPhone either

Confined to two rooms

With my sister and mom

What a marvelous rainy day!

I miss those days

I miss my sister and mother

I also miss our

Pure white Pomeranian

That would never miss

A dusting in the roadside dirt

After a thorough shampoo bath in the canal

But I am glad for those

Sweet memories

Couldn’t have asked for better parents

Or siblings – they all loved me dearly   

Copyright 2023 by the author

Lyrics of "pibare rama rasam" Song

పిబరే రామరసమ్ 

పిబరే రామరసమ్ - రసనే 

దూరీకృత పాతక సంసర్గం 

పూరిత నానావిధ ఫలవర్గమ్ 

జనన మరణభయ శోకవిదూరం 

సకల శాస్త్ర నిగమాగమ సారమ్ 

పరిపాలిత సరసిజ గర్భాణ్డం

పరమ పవిత్రీకృత పాషణ్డం

శుద్ధ పరమ హంసాశ్రమ (హంస ఆశ్రమ) గీతం 

శుక శౌనక కౌశిక ముఖ పీతమ్ 

पिबरे राम रसम् 

पिबरे राम रसम् - रसने 

दूरीकृत पातक संसर्गम् 

पूरित नानाविध फलवर्गम् 

जनन मरणभय शोक विदूरं  

सकल शास्त्र निगमागम सारम् 

परिपालित सरसिज गर्भाण्डम् 

परम पवित्रीकृत पाषाण्डम् 

शुद्ध परम हंसाश्रम गीतं 

शुक शौनक कौशिक मुख पीतम् 

pibarae raamarasam^ pibarae raamarasam^ - rasanae dooreekRta paataka saMsargaM poorita naanaavidha phalavargam^ janana maraNabhaya SOkavidooraM sakala Saastra nigamaagama saaram^ paripaalita sarasija garbhaaNDaM parama pavitreekRta paashaNDaM Suddha parama haMsaaSrama (haMsa aaSrama) geetaM Suka Saunaka kauSika mukha peetam^

Dr. Balamuralikrishna's rendition

M. S. Subbulakshmi's voice

(How to explain and explore this devotional song? It is not easy to go into its depths. But its simple exhortation to utter Sri Rama's name continuously, incessantly, and without any apparent reason - is enough for any beginner.  We'll look into each phrase carefully later. Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra Swamy assured one thing - by invoking his guru's name in each song, he assured "timelessness" to all his compositions. We cannot say who is greater, is it the guru? Or, is the disciple greater than the guru? For us, both are very helpful in our arduous journey. Copyright 2023 by the author) 

కరోనా ఘాతము (Corona's Blow) - A Telugu Poem on Corona

కరోనా ఘాతము (కవన వీడ్కోలు)

లేదు 

ఇప్పుడు ఇనగంటి (ఇనకంటి) కుటుంబం లో 

మా సూరీడు 

ఎప్పుడూ నిండు మొగముతో, తెల్ల జుత్తుతో

పెన్సిల్ మీసముతో, తెల్ల చొక్కా పైజమా వేస్తే 

గుల్జార్ లా ఉండేవారు  

నవ్వుతూ మాట్లాడు కొనేవాళ్ళం

ఉద్వేగ భరిత వాదోపవాదాలు

జోకులు, అప్పుడప్పుడు నన్ను

ఆట పట్టించే వారు

అంతలోమర్చిపోయే వాళ్ళం 

ఇప్పటికి

కళ్ళలోజ్ఞాపకాలు సినిమా బొమ్మాల్లా

కదుల్తాయి -

శ్రీశైలములో కరివేన సత్రములో 

కలిసి భోంచేయడం

పెళ్ళికి ముందూ, పెళ్ళికి తర్వాత కూడా 

చాలా సార్లు నాగపూర్ స్టేషన్లో బండి ఎక్కించడమూ 

లేని రిజర్వేషన్లు, బెర్త్ సృష్టించడమూ మా ‘భైయా’ కే సాధ్యము 

ఎన్ని విషయాలు చర్చించుకునే వాళ్ళము -

ముళ్ల మొక్కలు దగ్గర్నుంచి, రాజకీయాలు, విజ్ఞానము 

ఆరోగ్య శాస్త్రము, సాహిత్యము 

ఎక్కడ దొరుకుతారు - అటువంటి అపురూప వ్యక్తి?

నాల్గు భాషలు క్షుణ్ణముగా ఎవరికి తెలుసు ఈనాడు?

ఎవరితో మాట్లాడ గలము ఇప్పుడు 

నాగపూర్ పోతుకూచి సుబ్రహ్మణ్య శాస్త్రి గారి గురించి

ఎవరికి అర్ధ మవుతాయి? ఈ నిగూఢ రహస్యాలు 

ప్రపంచంలోనే మహా ఉంటే పదిమంది ఉంటారు

మీ ఆత్మ

ఇప్పుడు ఎక్కడ ఉన్నా 

పరమ శాంతి సుఖాలతో సుందర ఉద్యానవనాల

ఫల పుష్ప రసాల పిక కపూత శ్రేణి భరిత లతా కుంజములలో

పచ్చపొలాల మధ్య నదీ ప్రవాహాల లాహరిలో సఖులతో 

ఆనంద డోలికలలో 

విహరించుగాక 

తదుపరి -

“అహం బ్రహ్మాస్మి” సిద్ధి కల్గు గాక!

Copyright 2020 by the author

English Translation of this poem was posted here at Corona's Blow

Basil

In Telugu we call it as ‘Rudra Jada’. Roughly it translates the epithet as Siva’s braid (tresses). Either it implies growing into a large bush quickly or the very aromatic flower stalks. In the village many of our friends’ homes are adorned with this cousin of our sacred Basil (the Tulasi). It is possible the plant has some repellent effects on mosquitoes and thus creates healthy ambience around the house periphery. Mosquitoes (particularly the vector of either malaria or equine encephalitis) and ticks pose great debilitating diseases for children as well as adults. 

Like the sacred Basil (Tulasi) this plant too can be grown with small cuttings or seeds. I keep some dried seeds (the flower clumps) tucked away safely in a dry place. But like many being a bit lazy I simply pick the seedlings from the local Farmers Market. Sweet Basil is a favorite plant here for many Europeans, specially the Italians. And every year the 3 inch long seedlings are sold for a dollar. We just transplant the seedlings into a large pot and it grows vigorously and puts on a few flowers. We cut the fresh aromatic leaves and store them in the fridge for months in a perforated plastic pouch. You can use them in some dishes as you like it; the leaves are delicate, so it is better to add to the culinary dish after the flame is switched off. That way you can retain the freshness of the leaves with its gentle aroma (flavor). We do not use it much in our cooking as we have plenty of coriander and curry leaf at our disposal. The coriander (cilantro) has become routinely available through out the year now. We have the curry leaf plant in a large container – and that takes care of the garnishing needs for sambar, upma, rasam, flavored buttermilk, and other curries, etc. So, we grow this sweet Basil for fun, for show, and for gifting to friends.

Now, some of the medicinal uses of this plant are as follows: In summer the seeds are useful for making tasty “sherbet”. The seeds when soaked in water get swollen and they develop a slippery soft (white) cover (sort of gelatinous coating). The fully swollen seeds with a bit of sugar form the base for a summer drink (sherbet). We can add a bit of finely grated ice and food colorant and there you get a refreshing drink for hot summer days. This low cost drink is good for children to relieve excessive dehydration and summer fatigue. In fact, in the village I used to buy this drink at the weekly Farmers Market (santa/sandai సంత ). That was the only treat I could afford after finishing all the shopping of vegetables for an entire week.

In Hindi and Urdu the plant is known as Sabja and the seeds are known as Sabja seeds. It is also known as Viswa Tulasi. The plant’s medicinal value is as follows: It cools the body, resolves early urinary difficulties (due to heat, dripping), and helps with headaches and earaches. The plant is also beneficial for neutralizing scorpion poison. Recently sweet Basil has been studied (NIH paper) for memory retention. For elders, memory and cognitive function abilities are very important. So, munch on some sweet Basil and gorge on green leafy vegetables like cabbage (and its cousins like broccoli and Brussels sprouts). 

Lyrics of "Omkara karini" Song

lavangi             aadi

Omkaaraa kaariNii mada

hamkaara vaariNii avatumaam

huumkaara maatra Satru damanii

hriimkaara ruupiNii rudraaNi

muraLii sudhaa laharii vihaarii

puraripu prEmita tripura sundarii

karuNaarasa bharita lalita lavangi

varadaa abhayadaa sakala Subhaangi

లవంగి             ఆది

ఓంకారా కారిణీ మద

హంకార వారిణీ అవతుమాం

హూంకార మాత్ర శత్రు దమనీ

హ్రీంకార రూపిణీ రుద్రాణి

మురళీ సుధా లహరీ విహారీ

పురరిపు ప్రేమిత త్రిపుర సుందరీ

కరుణారస భరిత లలిత లవంగి

వరదా అభయదా సకల శుభాంగి

लवंगी   आदि 

ओंकारा कारिणी मद 

हंकार वारिणी अवतुमां 

हूम्कार मात्र शतृ दमनी 

ह्रींकार रूपिणि रुद्राणि 

मुरळी सुधा लहरी विहारी 

पुररिपु प्रेमित त्रिपुर सुन्दरी 

करुणारस भरित ललित लवंगी 

वरदा अभयदा सकल सुभाङ्गी  

I heard this song in a CD, perhaps obtained at Rochester Rajeswari Temple. Dr. Balamuralikrishna composed several unique ragas, this is one of his favorite compositions. I think so. The lyrics are full of profound meaning. They let us meditate on the qualities of Sri Mata (Devi). If I may, in the recent history both Dr. Balamurali and Sri GNB had a special blessing of the divine Mother. Their compositions are a true testimony to the divine grace. Copyright of this song naturally belongs to Dr. Balamuralikrishna's Trust. Carnatic music students should always remember/acknowledge the original composer while learning any song. For a change I give the audio link of Dr. Pantula Rama, Pantula Rama's rendition

Love's Reflection

Love's Reflection

As children we never enquired about our parents’ bachelor life, their romances, glittering youth, or their friends. Back then we were too engrossed in our own studies; or spending evening hours late into the night immersed in outdoor activities on the tiled front porch. With a bit of leisure mother would open up gently and talk about their parents’ (our grandparents’) affection. Once she coyly commented about father’s youthful handsome appearance prior to their marriage; those were the days before they got engaged. We belonged to a different era, before TV, modern color camera, iPhone, and online streaming. Most of our cohorts were naïve in many things. They either pursued endless studies for Civil and bank jobs, opted for local jobs in agriculture, or small businesses. Yet we too had our share of romances and non-traditional marriages. Life moved on slowly at the pace of an antique steam engine and we just waited for our own turn to plunge into love or companionship. Perhaps the larger life eventually evens out everything; nobody is a total loser and nobody is an outright winner in this complex mundane world. Some may gain on riches; some may find affection, friends, peace, or health. But nobody has a claim on everything totally (except a few yogis!). Neither the royalty nor the wandering mendicant in the public square. 

Here, the NPR radio is archiving people’s lives and tender moments with oral recordings and interviews. The program “Story Corps” tries to bring the young and old together and bridge the generational gap. Much of the emotional trauma of the present day youth could be due to excessive insularity and lack of people-to-people interaction in sunny outside environs.

I was a transfer student in high school. Suddenly I got shifted from the well-run Zilla Parishad village school to municipal high school with some piled on new subjects. I lost all my former friends, carefully cultivated for over six years. But I had no time to pick new friends – the town was new and the course work was too heavy to concentrate on anything else. We had to sit for the board (School Final) exams in less than twenty months. Just one set of terminal exams to determine our fate. For the group subjects (math, science, and social studies) we had to cover all the topics spread over the final three years. I used to get up around 4:30 a.m. and sit for a recap of the previous day’s lessons. A preppy L. R. Eswari Telugu song would wake me up and alert my senses in the wee hours – the music would blare from the neighboring café. The hapless meagerly paid boarding servants had to start the boiler and wood fire for the morning coffee, idli, and dosa menus. After a quick shower and breakfast I had to walk three quarters of a mile to attend the Morning Prayer (and Pledge) in the school grounds at 9:00 a.m. sharp. The dhoti-clad head master gave strict instructions to the (bell-ringing) peon – lock the front gate after 9:10 a.m., promptly. No exceptions for anyone!

Despite my timidity and reserved character I quickly developed friendship with two friends with bicycles. With a short recess we had to go home for piping hot midday lunch, hurriedly pick up the books for the afternoon session, and run back to the school. Many times my friends offered help; they would ask me to sit on the back (the carrier/pillion) and carry me through the crowded main street, crossing the canal via a narrow old bridge next to the bullock cart, and drop me at our house. Some times I would sit in the front on the horizontal bar (Top Tube) with my hands loosely grabbing the handle bar. Such rides though enjoyable and efficient in transporting – they always frightened me due to the super speed. I could have easily slipped from the rear pillion and fell on the wayside. But my friends were very caring and attentive to my apprehension, fear on my scared face.  

One day a post card landed on the headmaster’s (Sri G K Sastry) desk in the front office. It was addressed to one final year (11th std.) girl student. We, the top three final year students were in the close purview of our teachers. Three of us were known to all the teachers as toppers. My opponent (GPR) in the adjoining section stood always first and I came a pitiable second. The girl in the story was always trailing us, steadily holding on to the third rank in the board (school) finals. Thus during one of those steamy hot summer days my friend succumbed to the love bug. All the girl students were placed in a separate “C” section and we boys in the remaining two sections were cruelly deprived of their company. Of course we would see each other in the grounds, hallway, and during the usual entrance and exit times. This girl (the addressee) was the daughter of our local Railway Station Master. As I try to remember now our school could boast quite a few pretty faces; except for a fleeting glance hardly I had time to spend on such distracting matters then.

Now, this post card had a simple innocent message: “Dear Varalakshmi, I love you intensely. Do you love me too?” The message was in Telugu script but it was encrypted. None of us could read it including most of the teaching faculty - except one Science Teacher! He quickly grabbed a mirror from the laboratory and looked at the post card in the mirror. Lo! The whole thing revealed nicely. Till today I do not know what happened after that. Everything was kept under the wraps. I came to know about it much later through tertiary (hearsay) sources. I used to see our special girl student during our daily commute to the nearby College - our pre-University days. But it was only for a year and then the Railway Master got transferred, so I recall. Thereafter I completely lost touch with our female high school classmates.

We all used to merrily commute to Narsapur daily in the RTC bus and steam engine powered crawling passenger shuttle train. I still remember the giggling, the hush- hush whispers, and the clumsy long lab notebooks clutching youth walking wearily between the College and home. Those days would never return. I was in touch with my friend (the daring) Naidu till sophomore in degree. Then we parted ways, he into medicine and me into sciences. Always I used to get tea or coffee and spicy snacks at his house. Often we would go to the terrace and exchange our progress in studies and life.

An interesting puzzle solved by our science teacher. Five thousand years back Rukmini sent a love letter to Krishna, resulting in a successful runaway elopement and marriage. Here in this case, my friend’s attempt - not bad in the larger scheme of things. Had it worked out it would have been the first love marriage in our small town, rather in our close circle of school alums! Copyright 2023 by the author

Spirituality, Food, and the Body

Spirituality, Food, and the Body (Sri Ramakrishna's Advice)

388. Q: “When Brahman is present everywhere and exists with everyone, what is the objection to eating food from others?”

A: I think you are a Brahmin boy that is why you are asking such a question. Suppose you lit a matchstick and cover (smother) it with a pile of sticks. What happens?

Q: The small fire (of matchstick) will be extinguished quickly.

A: What happens if you throw moist banana plant trunks into a raging hot bonfire?

Q: The banana stems and leaves will turn into ash in a moment.

A: Similarly, when your adhyatmika (related to atma, soul) power is feeble (little) if you accept food from all sundry people without discrimination (hygiene, purity) then your spiritual energy may get suppressed (or extinguished). That is the danger involved in such acts. But if your (spiritual) energy is very powerful, then it does not matter which food you eat. There is no harm (i.e., when you are strong and evolved further in the right adhyatmika path).

389. Once I used to follow the tradition of Islam, after getting initiation from a Moslem guru. I followed their habits of food and chanting. In those days I could not go to the Kali temple. Neither could I chant any sacred Hindu god’s (devata’s) name.

390. Do not eat food offered during the times of wake (funeral). Such meals destroy bhakti and faith. Also do not eat at the home of a priest who earns his livelihood by attending to the last rites and funerals. 

391. “Can we not eat whatever is available?”

A: It depends on our adhyatmika-state (~ evolved spiritual state). In the jnana path, there is no harm; when the jnani eats, (s)he offers the food to the (kundalini) fire as oblation. But the situation of a bhakta is different. The devotee must eat only pious (fresh) food that can be (has been) offered to the Lord (Eswara) without any limitation. Non-vegetarian food is not appropriate for the devotee. Yet, if some one lives on porcine meat (ex: Kannappa of Sri Kalahasthi, Andhra Pradesh*) while devoutly attached to God – then that individual must be counted as a blessed (fortunate) one! Another man even after consuming only properly prepared sacred food, if his mind is caught up with woman and gold (money) matters – then consider that individual to be the most unfortunate one. 

392. Whoever does not long for the “Brahman”, for him even the sattvik food would only be as harmful as beef. Whoever yearns for the “Brahman”, for him even the beef becomes as proper as “ambrosia”.

393. During the day eat till you’re satiated. But consume less during nighttime.

394. For the “bhakta”, only food that does not generate heat or excitement is appropriate. Love for the body means simply “protecting the body”.

395. Q: How to overcome the love for the body?

A: Human body is built with perishable elements of nature. These are: flesh, tissue, bones, and blood. Thus it is just a heap of “distasteful things”, and nothing else. By constantly discriminating (delineating) thus (on the gross body), over indulgence of the body is lessened.

396. Once the bird flies away, the significance of the cage is lost. Nobody cares about the case (enclosure) anymore. Similarly, nobody wants the body once “the bird of life” has flown away! Nobody wants the corpse.

397. When this body is insignificant, worthless, and impermanent why do the saints and bhaktas protect such a body? If a box has nothing then no one will care about the empty shell. If a box contains valuable jewels, gold, and other precious things then everybody will safeguard the “safe”.

(Excerpts translated from the Telugu work: “Sri Ramakrishna Bodhamrutamu” by Sri Chirantanaanda Swami. * Added by the translator) Copyright 2023 by the author

Empty Nest (Poem)

Empty Nest

At this time of year

Often I would stroll around

The Swan Pond -

Our only little attraction

In this village

An expecting white swan

Gently hatching half a dozen

Large ivory ellipsoids

Except for one or two

Often 

Most would turn into 

Little grayish ducklings

Today

The well-made hay nest

Is there

So is the quiet Cygnus couple

Yet

There are no eggs

Totally empty

No signs of broken egg shells either

A few feet farther 

Away from the abandoned nest

The mother is looking vacantly

With almost seven, eight billion people

Plus countless species of 

Flora and fauna

I’ve taken for granted 

Life

I thought life, was there

Ere millennia

Is, everywhere now

Surely would be in future

So I thought,  so I reckoned 

Yet

Little did I appreciate

How hard for life to be born

Or how improbable creation is! Copyright 2023 by the author