By Dharmana Chandramouli
Story Introduction:
Poetry has been an integral part of Indian culture for centuries and has undergone various transformations with time. I chose the most celebrated themes in the history of poetry to pen this work - nature and devotion. In this particular story, I used a unique style of mixing two languages - one is a regional language, and another is a widely spoken language. I used the English language as a thread to narrate the storyline and in between the poems/songs in the Telugu language to add sweetness. This part of my dream work - is "Sri Krishna Srujanaradhana (Worship of Sri Krishna with Creativity)".
I adopted this two-language model for two reasons – one is to enhance the interest in poetry in regional languages and second is to make it accessible to a large circle of audiences who are majorly English-speaking. This work includes 5 Telugu poems/songs composed in lines with classical ragas.
I didn’t get much time to compile this work. I got only one full day to finish this. Toiling hard with hook or crook, I completed by the last minute. I wish you would rate the creativity and presentation of the content over grammatical errors. I didn’t get much to review. I hope you all appreciate my effort.
I am eagerly waiting for your response.
Chandramouli Dharmana,
9490848306.
The Journey of a Bumble Bee (మిళింద పయనము)
(Part – 1)
Prayers:
కమలాలయ కోమలాంగి కమలహృదయ నిత్యవాస
విమలలీల గోపలోల సాధుహృదయ సత్యవేశ
కలిమలం కరిగిపోద కరుణించగా ఓ తిరుమలేశా
కలకాలం నా కలంబలం నిన్ను పులకించ నా ఆశ
The one who always dwells in the lotus heart of Goddess Lakshmi, who got tender limbs and sits on a lotus flower. Your activities are pure & spotless and give immense pleasure to the cowherd people of Vraja. You always dwell in the hearts of saints as the form of absolute truth. O lord of Tirumala, let the contamination of Kali-yuga drain away from my heart with your divine grace. Let whatever comes out of the strength of my pen (writings) give you great joy. This is my only desire.
The Lotus Pond:
A scenic lotus pond nestled in the middle of lush groves, surrounded by discontinuous hills and pasturing fields. The birds of different groups flutter around, singing a sweet melody as they soar through the sky. The surface of this tiny water body dotted with white and pink lotus blossoms, their petals swaying in the gentle breeze. Bumble bees in hundreds hover around the pond, pollinating the fragrant flowers and collecting nectar from nectaries. The air filled with the sweet scent of the lotus blossoms and the noises of the trickling water and the humming of bees. As the sun rises over the eastern horizon, the rays glisten off the crystal-clear water, casting a golden hue on the surface, apprising everyone to begin their daily chores.
Nourished by early morning sun rays, a freshly bloomed pink-hued lotus bent down to see her beauty in the reflection of clear waters. Captivated by her beauty, she said to herself - "I look absolutely stunning. My presence added aura to this entire pond. I can't wait to witness the other lotuses steep in jealousy as the swarms of bees rush towards me".
Hearing this, a white lotus which is a few feet away, giggled. Annoyed with the sarcastic laugh, the pink lotus turned around and challenged – “prove me wrong, O colourless sack”. “Beauty is not all about colour buddy. Any day, I choose a peacock’s feather or parrot’s beak over you. O juvenile, you yet to see the world” – replied the white lotus. Fishes, Frogs, Crabs, Turtles, Butterflies, Bees and other inhabitants of the pond surrounded them to witness the interesting debate. Unable to bear the belittling comments by pigment-less kin, the pink one yelled – “O jealous one, forget about other things, you must accept that I am more beautiful than you”. The white lotus boldly denied and the small argument turned into a harsh brawl.
Sun’s Mediation and Advice:
When they started to sail towards each other by loosening their coiled stalks, suddenly, they heard a voice from above. The sun, also known as the nourisher and friend of lotuses, decided to mediate. With parental affection, the sun requested them to stop this silly fight. He said they both are beautiful creations of mother nature and are like children to him.
Not satisfied with his neutral stand, pink lotus spoke to the sun as follows - "O, brilliantly shining Lord, you are epitome of selflessness and the source of heat and light to the entire universe. From time immemorial, sitting at top, you have seen many things growing, transforming and disintegrating. Without hiding anything, please tell everyone assembled here who is more beautiful among us".
Taking himself back, the sun suggested finding another qualified judge to do this job. He opinioned bee could be the right one because he visits all varieties of lotuses throughout the day. Both lotuses nodded their heads in unison, expressing their consent. Then came forward, a giant bee in distinctive black and yellow stripes and informed them that he would like to take up the task but with a condition – “these both lotuses must supply me with enough nectar every alternative day”. After receiving confirmation from both the flowers, the bee peeked at the sun and asked him to tell where he could find the most beautiful lotuses. He expressed his desire to experience their beauty and taste the nectar to pass the final judgement with the best standards.
Thinking for a while, the sun deeply immersed in remembering the transcendental beauty of Bhagavan Sri Krishna. He closed his eyes and started meditating on the beautiful limbs of the supreme Lord, the lotus feet to lotus eyes. To everyone's amazement, Sun’s sober voice transformed into a soothing melody as he started to sing in the praise of Krishna's eternal beauty.
Meaning:
O, husband of goddess Lakshmi, the possessor of the most attractive form
Your transcendental beauty captivates millions of cupids
O Lord from who navel lotus sprouts, is anyone existing to compete with You?
At the banks of River Yamuna, standing in a threefold bending posture
Our butter-thief, melodiously playing His flute
If you happen to see that fascinating beauty
At once, you will lose the fondness for all worldly pleasures.
The Journey Commences:
The excitement of the bumble bee multifold after he directly heard the description of Krishna from the Sun. Plants, flowers, birds and insects in the pond are discussing the great fortune bestowed to the bee, who will soon have the vision of Krishna.
Sun opened his eyes, turned towards the bee and said - “You are the most fortunate among us. Without further delay, start your journey to find the most beautiful lotuses and drink their nectar. On your way, always chant the names of Krishna loudly, which will timely guide you towards him. Come back to us and describe that you have seen and give the judgement to these flowers as you promised”.
Bee humbly requested the Sun the names of Krishna to chant throughout the journey. Hearing this, a cow, which is grazing nearby, joyfully screamed - "Govinda, who gives pleasure to cows". A tortoise relaxing on a stone added another name - "Mandara-Dhara, one who lifted Mandara mountain". Sun included few names associated with Bhagavan Ramachandra, who has taken birth in the solar dynasty. After collecting all the proposed names, the bee penned a beautiful song arranging them poetically and decided to sing it loud as he marches forward on his mission.
Here is his song:
Meaning:
O husband of goddess Lakshmi; one who adorned with sandalwood; born into the moon dynasty; in the forests of Vrindavana, he is handsome Govinda, who gives pleasure to cows and senses.
He captivates minds by playing the flute; He lifted Govardhana Mountain; He held the earth from drowning; whose belly is tied with ropes; he is worshipped by devatas; the master of the entire creation.
The form of the universe; the bestower of auspiciousness; He married to the daughter of Janaka; beckon light of the among the kings of the solar dynasty; expert wielder of bow & arrow.
Gives pleasure & shelter to goddess Lakshmi; carries conch, club and mace; eradicates the burden of the Earth; rests on snake bed; had no limits.
Collecting the blessings from everyone, following the stream of River Yamuna, the bee flew towards the Govardhana Mountain. Within minutes he disappeared from the sight of the lotuses, who started all this.
Conversation with Surabhi:
After travelling for hours, the bee finally entered the vicinity of Govardhana, and a drizzle started to fall as the sun slowly rise over the hill. The clouds cling to the peaks, creating a blanket of fog that swirls around the hilltops. The dampness of the air is a refreshing respite from the summer heat. As he looks up, he can see the mist slowly rolling down the slopes, creating a beautiful and peaceful scene.
The external scenic beauty didn't serve the bee any peace because he had yet to find Krishna. Not knowing what to do, he started praying to Krishna in a completely helpless state to appear in front of him. He offered his prayers in the form of a beautiful song.
Meaning:
O all-pervading supreme, why are you not visible to me?
How much should I search? Why play this hide & seek with me?
Why are you not showering compassion on this insignificant soul?
The soul continues to experience this anxiety until it reaches you.
Great devotees like Gajendra, Prahalad and Bali
Are you expecting a similar surrender from me? Won’t listen to my pleas?
O Hari, the ocean of compassion, show your grace upon me and remove the curtains.
I am begging, again and again, kindly appear and show your transcendental form.
Gazing through the surroundings to find a way forward, the bee noticed a cow feeding milk to her calf while constantly singing the names of Krishna - Govinda and Gopala. Finding her to be the right one to inquire further about Krishna, the bee approached the cow, singing out loudly his unique rendition of Krishna's names. He uncovered hope in a hopeless situation and honoured it as a reciprocation of Krishna for his prayer song.
Pleased with melodious singing, the cow recognised the bee as a special guest and offered her respects. Cow introduced her as Surabhi and informed bee that she had seen Krishna many times on Govardhana hill and the banks of River Yamuna. Bee appealed to the cow to help him find Krishna, the leader of cowherds, whose feet resemble a beautiful lotus. Hearing the back story of the bee, the cow smiled and said there is only one way to see Krishna. As the bee waited for Surabhi's reply, the cow took a few steps forward, went into deep silence. Tears flowed from her eyes while singing a beautiful song that revealed the secret of finding Krishna.
Meaning:
Eagerness is the only wealth needed to develop devotion & affection
This eagerness is the strength to develop detachment from sense objects
This eagerness is the only pathway to reach Krishna.
The eagerness of the swarm of honey bees to suck the nectar
The eagerness of lotus petals for the early morning sun rays
The eagerness of my contaminated heart for the sense enjoyment
May I put all these eagerness together and dovetail it to reach Krishna
After instructing about consciousness needed to see Krishna, Surabhi told the bee to stay at a particular grove till midnight. When he finds some Gopis arrived at the spot, he needs to follow them. The sky filled with orange and red hues as the Sun sets. Surabhi assured the bee of the darshan of Krishna and left for her home. Remembering his unusual yet blessed journey, he thanked the Sun in his heart for all the encouragement and empowerment he received at the beginning of the day.
Midnight in the forest is calm and peaceful. The trees are illuminated by a gentle moonlight, and the sounds of night creatures echo through the air. Sitting gently on a Champaka flower, the bee is anticipating for the call of the Gopis.
Entering Rasa Mandala:
From a far distance, the bee heard the singing of a small group of Gopis, and with great joy, the bee got up from its place and looked around with eyes moistened with tears. As the singing gets louder and louder and the Gopis approach closer and closer, the bee couldn't control its emotions. The moment he has been waiting for since morning is here, and in the next few minutes, he might get to see the beautiful enchanting form of Krishna. He joined Gopis' singing, repeating after them loudly.
They sang a beautiful song as follows:
Meaning:
Handsome Krishna and just beside him is pretty Radha
Everyone, please come to witness this sweetest pair
They got two bodies but their life (soul) is one
They performed countless pastimes together
They don’t see any external merits high or low
If one interested and eager, there is no other qualification needed
They like full moon among the starts
They are shining amidst other cowherd girls
Even once, if you get to see this divine couple
You receive all the fortune of the universe at once
Following the footsteps of Gopis and singing behind them, the bee entered an amazing secluded place.
The Journey Continues….
(The next part soon)
By Dharmana Chandramouli
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