The Flower of my Dreams

He who holds the universe by its seams,

Descended at dawn in my dreams!

Majestic and radiant, the Perpetuator stood mighty and tall,

With the radiance of a million suns, He did enthrall!

Like a glimmer of a wave in a dark ocean,

Sporting a serene smile that my spirit emboldened!

The slayer of demons, the upholder of civilisations:

Slayed my inhibitions, and upended every ounce of imagination!

Akin to a beautiful black mountain ,

The handsome chest of He who has Lakshmi smitten!

Over His handsome torso, like a tornado pulled in,

Was Adorned a lone garland with little flowers pink.

Overflowing with mercy, His eyes my meagre heart enamoured,

In my shaking hands were thrusted, His very flowers!

Even in silence, a million messages seemed to be spoken,

Gushing with gratitude, as all distances seemed to be broken!

Misgivings

Dear Lord:
So many misgivings this heart possesses,
So many shameful attempts at staying away;
So many trajectories the unfaithful mind traverses-
But how long away from its Lord will it stay?

You are the Giver who bestows
The Lord who protects
The Ruler unto whom this slave is surrendered:
Please, oh please! Don't let my mind wander asunder!!

Who but You to anchor, the
Heart sailing in uncertain waters?
Who else is there whose support i can seek?
Save me from myself-this, of You, i beseech!!

Let there not be a time when am not lost in Your lovely eyes,
May Your smile send me into a dizzy high!
Let this slave always be Yours:
 Lost in thougths of the eternal charmer!!

How i miss You!

How i miss that time
When only for You i had time!
How i miss the cozy closeness
Which demolished all definitions of distance!

How i miss Your serene smile-
Where else will this heart that joy find?
Oh! How You let me pine
For, now miles away from You i am by Your design!

You stole my heart so wonderfully (O Krishna!)
Oh Lord who lifted the Govardhana hill so effortlessly-
Why then do You not rule it in entirety-and
Instead, let this slave wilt in anxiety?

O Lord of my heart! My Madhava, of You i beseech
That lessons of love You continue to teach!
Even if You find this heart ever slacking-
Please hold me tight in Your embrace binding!

My Father-Daughter Song

What is "magic"?

The word is a trick in itself.

Is it an exhibition of the impossible by using little props?

Or, is it that which leaves your heart yearning for more?

Can it be defined by the little tricks the street magician performs to earn his bread?

Or, is it everything that is inexplicably wonderful?

Magic is, in my humble opinion, what we cannot explain.

It is what our five senses fail to comprehend.

And, it is only when our senses fail that we look deep inside our hearts.

Sorry for the long lecture. I am never good at them.

Anyways, since you were kind and patient enough to read my little philosophy, i am going to cut the intro short and jump to the matter.

Parents are atop the list of those whom we take for granted.

When we are kids, they spray baby cereal on their prized shirts to feed us.

When we are adoloscents, they listen patiently to all our tantrums.

i am not aware of what happens next, (as both my physical and mental capabilities are that of a barely-so-adult), but the most important thing is they dedicate their lives unto you.

So, how much ever you  fight with them, whatever be your differences, you are still bound by a invisible, intangible (magical?) bond.

My father always sings for me.

He has sung for me ever since God brought me to Earth, and he continues to do so.

And, in Radio Dad, the Listener's Choice from my side has been this Tamil song called "Kanne Kalaimaane" from the movie "Moondraam Pirai".

It is this beautiful melody, which always brings a yawn on my mouth.

How much ever i try, i can never disprove my dad that this song is my own magical sleeping pill.

i am snoring before the song is over!

It's a beautiful love song, the second stanza of which  i have roughly translated:

(Context of the actual song: the protagonist falls in love with a mentally retarded girl. He falls hook, line and sinker for her, and cannot help it himself.)

kannae kalaimaanae kanni mayilenak
kandaen unai naanae

In these lines, the protagonist praises his beloved. "Kanne" means eyes, but also it is a sweet form of calling one's beloved. "Kalaimaane" is a kind of deer and "Mayil: refers to a peacock.

andhip pagal unai naan paarkkiraen
I see you day and night
aandavanai idhaiththaan kaetkiraen
I ask of God nothing else!
raariraaroa oaraariroa
raariraaroa oaraariroa


(kannae)

------------

kaadhal kondaen
My heart began to love you
kanavinai valarththaen
It flourished incessantly in my dreams!
kanmani unai naan karuththinnil niraiththaen
O The Apple of My Eyes! i filled my thoughts with You!
unakkae uyiraanaen
My life is now yours!
ennaalum enai nee maravaadhae
Please, never ever forget me!
neeyillaamal edhu nimmadhi
Without you, there is no peace!
needhaanae en sannidhi
You are my sannidhi! (sannidhi refers to the holy sanctum sanctorum)

While most songs that i hear DO get dedicated to my Lord Krishna, this particular song never occured in that list.

It's always been my Dad's song.

But, today, as my dad sung for me in his soothing voice, the words in the second stanza dedicated themselves to His feet.

So, to conclude, what IS magical in this world is "LOVE".

How, we are bound to each other by that Universal Affection.

How, our relationship with Parthasarathy is also defined by that very word.

What is indeed magical is how the Ruler of the Universe sways to little expressions of Love!

O Krishna!!!! Will You??

O! Those toes that are the source of the Ganga river,
Thinking of this my heart does flutter:
May i on them place a little kiss, O Lord ?

O! Those feet worshipped by all:
Their might which brought Kalinga's pride before a fall:
Will You let me paint on them the henna colour?

O! Those legs that ran behind cattle,
That can, our sense of speed, rattle:
May i massage them, my Lord?

O! Your thighs like pillars strong,
When hugging them, true happiness i found:
Can i get lost in that very moment, dear Lord?

O Your nails so immaculate, with which
You saved Your devotees, as Narasimha incarnate:
May i serve You by trimming them, dear Lord?

O! Those fingers of your slender and long:
They may be tired after playing the flute song:
May i press away their fatigue, my Lord?

O! Those hands, forever giving-
Granting, blessing, and to surrender unto You guiding:
Would i be fortunate enough to caress them, my Lord?

O!Those arms of Yours, chiselled and sculpted:
That bear the Chakra, and the conch Panchajanya:
Will you, with them, once more hold me close, dear lover?

O! Thy manly and raised shoulders:
Bid me cross all the wayside boulders-
That i might press them gently, with oily fingers.

O! Your oh-so-handsome torso:
Oh! Words wouldn't express my thoughts: nay-
Bid me (please) fan those drops of sweat away!

O! You serene, radiant face:
That forever in thy devotees' memory stays-
Would You let me apply a cleansing facial paste?

i am unto Your feet surrendered,
Forgive me, really, if this be rashly absurd:
But may i press Your beautiful forehead, my Lord?

Oh! Your curly locks of hair:
You make me unabashedly stare:
But o Keshava! Can i run my hands through Your beautiful hair?

O Thy Lips! Reddish and moist:
Their nectar i crave the most,
But will You arch them, if i fed a sweet, dear Lover?

O! Your beautiful, beautiful eyes:
All the senses, with one glance, You deride?
Forever let me serve You: the rest You decide.

Krishna in my Dreams!

The Lord of the worlds, tall and majestic:
Beckoning me with a smile so simplistic:
And, as i stood dumbfound-His eyes smiling:
He stretched His beautiful hands so loving!

He smiled: i melted;
He ordered: i followed;
He beckoned: i ventured;
He embraced: i smiled!

His sculpted hands around me,
His beautiful fingers on me:
My Lover's lotus eyes on this poor girl:
His beautiful smile fulfilling my dreams!

i felt my Lord's legs as pillars strong:
i rested my face on my Lover to whom i belong!
i looked up to see His beautiful face-
Complete with that dear smile and that moustache!

Then, i saw next to Him, His ruler:
Unto Her, then completed my surrender!
She then placed on my hair
Her hands beautiful and fair!

Smiling, as though i were mad,
Then, i touched His lotus feet!
But oh! now am in this world back-
Lost in those few moments that did fleet!

O dear Lover! The one i love:
i thought it was i who loved:
But oh! by Your one gesture-
You have unto me amazement bestowed!!

(This particular post is specially dedicated to my dearest Lord Parthasarathy!!!)

Thirupaavai

Hi Everyone!
This is a break from my usual post format, but i felt i had to share this with the people who happen to read my blog.
This is a playlist of Thirupaavai by Shri Aandal with English meanings included.
If you can't click the link, pls copy-paste it:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=2ECB33DBDAD86E69

It is indeed a treat for anyone devoted to the Lord.
For the unacquainted, these 30 songs were sung by Aandal, when she kept the fast that the Gopis did to attain Krishna. In the end, she did too, as the Lord married her in her dreams, and the great periyazhwar, her father, dressed her up in bridal finery and took her to Shri Ranganathar, where she finally united with her Lord.

The songs embody true love and devotion, and it is even more a treat if you understand Tamil, because the pun and word-play in each of the songs is exotically wonderful!
'Kothai' was called Aandal, or the 'One Who Ruled Over the Lord Himself'.
She is the incarnation of Shri Bhumadevi. In the process of calling to Krishna for herself, she also engaged her friends, and actually, the whole world, and urged them to surrender unto His beautiful feet.

Aandal Thiruvadigale Sharanam!!