PDA

View Full Version : Hindu Poetry



saidevo
21 May 2008, 11:44 PM
===========================================================================
Sri Aurobindo
===========================================================================
Nirvana (1933-1934)

All is abolished but the mute Alone.
The mind from thought released, the heart from grief,
Grow inexistent now beyond belief;
There is no I, no Nature, known-unknown.
The city, a shadow picture without tone,
Floats, quivers unreal; forms without relief
Flow, a cinema's vacant shapes; like a reef
Foundering in shoreless gulfs the world is done.

Only the illimitable Permanent
Is here. A Peace stupendous, featureless, still.
Replaces all, - what once was I, in It
A silent unnamed emptiness content
Either to fade in the Unknowable
Or thrill with the luminous seas of the Infinite.

*********

God

Thou who pervadest all the worlds below,
Yet sitst above,
Master of all who work and rule and know,
Servant of Love!

Thou who disdainest not the worm to be
Nor even the clod,
Therefore we know by that humility
That thou art God.

*********

Life and Death

Life, death, - death, life; the words have led for ages
Our thought and consciousness and firmly seemed
Two opposites; but now long-hidden pages
Are opened, liberating truths undreamed.
Life only is, or death is life disguised, -
Life a short death until by Life we are surprised

*********
To Weep Because

To weep because a glorious sun has set
Which the next morn shall gild the east again;
To mourn that mighty strengths must yield to fate
Which by that force a double strength attain;
To shrink from pain without whose friendly strife
Joy could not be, to make a terror of death
Who smiling beckons us to farther life,
And is a bridge for the persistent breath;
Despair and anguish and the tragic grief
Of dry set eyes, or such disastrous tears
As rend the heart, though meant for its relief,
And all man's ghastly company of fears
Are born of folly that believes the span
Of life the limit of immortal man.

*********

Quotes from 'Savitri'

The human in him
Paced with the Divine.

*****

Our life
Is a holocaust
Of the Supreme.

*****

None can reach heaven
Who has not
Passed through hell.

*****

Our human state
Cradles the future god.

*****

In absolute silence
Sleeps an absolute Power.

*****

The life you lead
Conceals the light you are.

*****

One man's perfection
Still can save the world.

He who would save the world
Must share its pain.

I shall save earth,
If earth consents
To be saved.

*****

He Who Chooses The Infinite Has Been Chosen by the Infinite.

*****

All our earth starts from mud and ends in sky.

*****

The soul that can
Live alone with itself
Meets God.

*****

To know is best,
However hard to bear.

===========================================================================
Ramana Maharshi
===========================================================================
From Sat Darshan

As in a well of water deep,
Dive deep with Reason cleaving sharp.
With speech, mind and breath restrained,
Exploring thus mayest thou discover
The real source of ego-self.
The mind through calm in deep plunge enquiries.
That alone is real quest for the Self.

--(trans. Kapali Sastry)

*****

There Is Nothing new To Get

There is nothing new to get.
You have on the other hand,
to get rid of your ignorance,
which makes you think you are other than Bliss.
For whom is this ignorance?
It is to the ego.
Trace the source of the ego.
Then the ego is lost and Bliss remains over.
It is eternal You are That, here and now...
This is the master key for solving all doubts.
The doubts arise in the mind.
The mind is born of the ego.
The ego rises from the Self.
Search the source of the ego
and the Self is revealed.
That alone remains.
The universe is only expanded Self.
It is not different from the Self...

===========================================================================
Ramakrishna Paramahansa
===========================================================================
Quotes from Ramakrishna

"God is in all men, but all men are not in God; that is why we suffer."

"Do you know what I see? I see Him as all. Men and other creatures appear to me only as hollow forms, moving their heads and hands and feet, but within is the Lord Himself."

From The Gospel of Ramakrishna
Come on Mind - Ramprasad Sen

Come on, Mind, let’s go steal-
You and I together-
All Shiva owns- Mother’s feet,
If we can carry them off.

But if they catch us
In that watchful house,
That would be the end of the body.
They’d tie us up in Kailasa.

Don’t forget your guru’s advice
If we get in; we’ll wound Shiva
With an arrow of devotion,
Then grab those feet and run.

===========================================================================
Swami Vivekananda
===========================================================================
A Benediction

The mother's heart, the hero's will,
The sweetness of the southern breeze,
The sacred charm and strength that dwell
On Aryan altars, flaming, free;
All these be yours, and many more
No ancient soul could dream before--
Be thou to India's future son
The mistress, servant, friend in one.

Light

I look behind and after
And find that all is right,
In my deepest sorrows
There is a soul of light.

===========================================================================
Other Poets
===========================================================================
Cradle Song - Sarojini Naidu

From groves of spice,
O'er fields of rice,
Athwart the lotus-stream,
I bring for you,
Aglint with dew,
A little lovely dream.

Sweet, shut your eyes,
The wild fire-flies
Dance through the fairy neem;
From the poppy-bole
For you I stole
A little lovely dream.

Dear eyes, good night,
In golden light
The stars around you gleam;
On you I Press
With soft caress
A little lovely dream.

*****

Aspects of God - Sri Anandamayi Ma

"God is without form, without quality as well as with form and quality.
Watch and see with what endless variety of beautiful forms
He plays the play of his maya with Himself alone.
The lila of the all pervading One goes on and on in this way in infinite diversity.
He is without beginning and without end.
He is the whole and also the part.
The whole and part together make up real Perfection."

*****

O Lord, are you in the maya - (Kanakadasa 1509-1609)

O Lord, are you in the maya,
Or, the maya is in you.?
Are you in the body,
Or is the body in you?

Is the view in space,
Or the space is in the seen?
Or do both be in the eye?
Is the eye in buddhi,
Or the buddhi in the eye?
O! Hari! Do both exist in thee?

Is the sweetness in sugar,
Or sugar in sweetness?
Or are they together in the tongue?
Is the tongue in buddhi,
Or the buddhi in the tongue?
O Hari! Do both exist in thee?

Is the flower in fragrance,
Or the fragrance in the flower?
Together are they in the smell?
O Aadikeshava of Kaginele
Of incomparable prowess!
These are beyond my grasp!
Isn't all in thee?

*****

Look To this Day - Kalidasa (c.380-c.415)

Look to this day:
For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course
Lie all the verities and realities of your existence.
The bliss of growth,
The glory of action,
The splendour of achievement
Are but experiences of time.

For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision;
And today well-lived, makes
Yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well therefore to this day;
Such is the salutation to the ever-new dawn!

*****

Arjuni
24 May 2011, 11:19 PM
I found this thread while searching for something else. What a lovely idea...

Both of these are by Sarojini Naidu.

The Flute-Player of Brindaban

Why didst thou play thy matchless flute
'Neath the Kadamba tree,
And wound my idly dreaming heart
With poignant melody,
So where thou goest I must go
My flute-player with thee?

Still must I like a homeless bird
To Indra's golden-flowering groves
Where streams immortal flow,
Or to sad Yama's silent Courts
Engulfed in lampless woe,
Where'er thy subtle flute I hear
Beloved I must go!

No peril of the deep or height
Shall daunt my winged foot;
No fear of time-unconquered space,
Or light untravelled route,
Impede my heart that pants to drain
The nectar of thy flute!

Wander, forsaking all
The earthly loves and worldly lures
That held my life in thrall,
And follow, follow, answering
Thy magical flute-call.

***
Kali the Mother

All Voices: O terrible and tender and divine!
O mystic mother of all sacrifice,
We deck the sombre altars of thy shrine
With sacred basil leaves and saffron rice;
All gifts of life and death we bring to thee,
Uma Haimavati!

Maidens: We bring thee buds and berries from the wood!

Brides: We bring the rapture of our bridal prayer!

Mothers: And we the sweet travail of motherhood!

Widows: And we the bitter vigils of despair!

All Voices: All gladness and all grief we bring to thee,
Ambika! Parvati!

Artisans: We bring the lowly tribute of our toil!

Peasants: We bring our new-born goats and budded wheat!

Victors: And we the swords and symbols of our spoil!

Vanquished: And we the shame and sorrow of defeat!

All Voices: All triumph and all tears we bring to thee,
Giri'ja! Shambhavi!

Scholars: We bring the secrets of our ancient arts.

Priests: We bring the treasures of our ageless creeds.

Poets: And we the subtle music of our hearts.

Patriots: And we the sleepless worship of our deeds.

All Voices: All glory and all grace we bring to thee,
Kali! Maheshwari!

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

NayaSurya
31 May 2011, 08:06 PM
===========================================================================
Cradle Song - Sarojini Naidu

From groves of spice,
O'er fields of rice,
Athwart the lotus-stream,
I bring for you,
Aglint with dew,
A little lovely dream.

Sweet, shut your eyes,
The wild fire-flies
Dance through the fairy neem;
From the poppy-bole
For you I stole
A little lovely dream.

Dear eyes, good night,
In golden light
The stars around you gleam;
On you I Press
With soft caress
A little lovely dream.

******


I have this poem, I think in a song from many years ago...and the first time I hear it...it made me cry so very hard and I did not even know what it was or where it come from. I search many years to find a translation and never could find so this is amazing to me that it was Hindu Poem.

So very beautiful, it makes my heart swell with such love.

Arjuni
31 May 2011, 08:30 PM
NayaSurya, that was so intensely sweet and heartfelt. Thank you so much for sharing it with me, with us. :)

In return, I post a few gems by the poet/scholar Madhav Julian, translated from Marathi into English.

Love's Anxieties
When in the evening, after the day’s toil, I hurry home, un-told fears rush upon my soul. The impatient soul is all ear to catch any sound of yours, my baby. As my hesitating step falls on the threshold, I hear your sportive voice as you play with your mother, and, at once, O darling, with joy I shout your name. And as you look up to offer me such sweetness from your eyes, I lift you up to press you to my heart and to kiss you.

When at home I am absorbed in work, a sudden cry from somewhere startles and drives me to you. And I look into the cradle to find you are in sound peaceful sleep. Lightly I place my hand on your head, and as lightly I kiss you but with a sad, sad tenderness.

The day is gloomy with clouds and rain; and yet, O child, your golden smiles brighten my home.

===
The Pool Yearning for Re-Union
Where, in the past, entwining the threads of Life we danced the dance of Love, now I stand alone, looking round for my Beloved. She is nowhere to be seen, What, has she forsaken me? Does Love that has once arisen ever set?

Only the shallow, dry bed in all its sandy horror meets my eye. When the Beloved is not with me, my progress comes to a standstill. My deep mysterious heart is brimful with love but to no purpose.

Someone comes and remarks scornfully, "Look! Dead are his feelings. He laughs not, chats not, sports not!" And when the stormy wind bent on mischief comes running to me, transient ripples pass over my face; but the heavy dullness of the soul cannot be broken.

There is no Light of Life in my home; and so I wear the sable. Only the moonlight appears to smile through the clouds though sadly. The stars gaze fixedly upon me and lose all enthusiasm for dancing.

Human beings and animals toiling in the scorching heat of the Sun, and out of breath, come to me in the evening. They rest themselves for a while and return home – home, and my heart pines away in silence.

When the drums of Indra resound in the heaven above and the terrible golden Beauty flashes out and laughingly plays among the clouds – the gods’ hearts gather in the surging flood of joy that bursts through the thousand eyes of Indra.

Then the peacock dances on the earth, and frogs the twice born begin their loud chant – then, dear one, will you madly rush to me to hold me in a fast embrace? The gods will then erect over us their triumphal arch.

Let us, as we chant the auspicious woodland song, fling ourselves over precipitous rocks; and wearing the ochre coloured garb of Renunciation, united in Love but cut off from all wordly considerations – let us meet our goal in that Home, in the sea of Beatitude – but alas! the summer month of Vaishakh is not yet over.

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

saidevo
31 May 2011, 09:01 PM
namaste NayaSurya.

That is a lovely poem with so much of motherly affection that is typical of you.

As for your being a non-native Hindu, but only a shadow of it, remember the proverb "Coming events cast their shadows before", so, in your next birth, if you want one, you must/would be the very substance of the shadow, guiding the less-Hindulike people around you, with your exemplary life.

In the Hindu pativratA--devoted wife, tradition, a wife prays that she be united with her husband in the next birth too. The Tamizh poet SubraHmaNya BhArati, who loved his devoted wife ChellammA so dearly, told her, "My prayer is that in the next birth, I should be born as you and you as I."


A poem in return for the precious poems, though I am not native Hindu and merely a shadow reflection of that higher birth...

NayaSurya
06 June 2011, 07:36 AM
Hari Om Namah Shivaya

Arjuni
09 June 2011, 01:31 AM
Thank you for you, dear NayaSurya, and for the beautiful words you write and share. In reading your poetry, I forget worries and just spend the time thinking of Śiva - simply, wonderfully Śiva.

Two poems to add to the thread tonight. The very long one in the next post is by an author not Hindu but Sufi, but it describes the love of God with such reverent, transcendent beauty as to make the very idea of religious path irrelevant; it was too gorgeous not to share.

And this one is from me.

Sahasraksha
Twilight soothes the fevered, sun-scorched sky;
your lilting song, so gentle, wings on lustrous air.

Into stillness wakes my wandering heart.
You show your grace, your soft, eternal gaze;
the wind forgets to breathe, so light you dance.

My lips can only trace your name, the flame
you kindled in a vast, unguarded glance.

In secret reverent delight, the day unveils itself to night.
A thousand starry eyes shine piercing mysteries;
This love, this life I lay before your glistening feet.

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

Arjuni
09 June 2011, 01:38 AM
Thy light has illuminated the dark chambers of my mind.
Thy love is rooted in the depth of my heart.
Thine own eyes are the light of my soul.
Thy power worketh behind my action.
Thy peace alone is my life's repose.
Thy will is behind my every impulse.
Thy voice is audible in the words I speak.
Thine own image is my countenance.
My body is but a cover over Thy soul.
My life is Thy very breath, my Beloved,
and my self is Thine own being.

Thou pourest wine into my empty cup wherever we meet,
on hills, on dales, on the tops of the high mountains,
in the thick forests and in the barren deserts,
on the shores of the roaring sea and on the banks of the gentle river.
And there ariseth in my heart the unearthly passion and the heavenly joy.

Thou hast won my heart a thousand times over.
Thou comest veiled under many and varied guises,
and in every guise Thou art unique.
Who is not attracted by the splendour
Thou hast so skilfully produced on the face of the earth?
In this beauty fair Thou shinest
adorned in myriad garbs.
Thine own is all the beauty and Thou shinest,
and yet art not Thyself attracted by it.
Thou on this stage of life actest as friend and foe,
and Thou alone seest the play performed so wonderfully.
I sought Thee so long, my Beloved,
and now I have found Thee at last, O Winner of my heart.
And in finding Thee I have lost myself.

Let me feel Thine arms around me, my Beloved,
while I am wandering away from home.
Let my heart become Thy lute;
hearing Thy song my soul cometh to life.
Let my virgin soul dance at Thy court, my Indra,
the passion it hath is for Thee alone.
O let me lean my head on Thy breast;
Thine arms enfolding me, my feet touch Paradise.

Wherever I look I see Thy beloved face, covered under many different veils.
The magic power of my ever-seeking eyes lifted the veil from Thy glowing countenance,
and Thy smile won my heart a thousand times over.
The lustre of Thy piercing glance hath lighted my darkened soul, and
lo! now I see the sun shine everywhere.

In the brightness of the day and in the darkness of the night
what didst Thou not teach me?
Thou hast taught me what is meant by wrong and what is called right.
Thou hast shown me the hideous face of life,
and Thou hast unveiled before me life's beautiful countenance.
Thou hast taught me wisdom out of utter darkness of ignorance.
Thou hast taught me to think after my thoughtless moments.
Thou playest with me, my beloved Lord and Master, hide and seek.
Thou closest mine eyes, and Thou dost open them.

When we are face to face, Beloved,
I do not know whether to call Thee me, or me Thee.
I see myself when Thou art not before me.
When I see Thee, my self is lost to view.
I consider it good fortune when Thou art alone with me,
but when I am not there at all, I think it the greatest blessing.

Thy whisper to the ears of my heart
moveth my soul to ecstasy.
The waves of joy that rise out of my heart
form a net in which Thy living word may swing.
My heart patiently awaiteth Thy word,
deaf to all that cometh from without.
O Thou, who art enshrined in my heart, speak again to me.
Thy voice exalteth my spirit.

When Thou art before me, my Beloved,
I rise upon wings and my burden becomes light.
But when my little self riseth before my eyes,
I drop to earth and all its weight falleth upon me.

My soul is moved to dance by the charm of Thy graceful movements
and my heart beateth the rhythm of Thy dancing steps.
The deep impression of Thy sweet countenance, O Winner of my heart,
covereth all visible things from my sight.
My heart repeateth a thousand times the melody Thou playest on the flute.
It setteth my soul in harmony with the whole universe.

I dare not think of raising mine eyes to behold Thy glorious vision.
I sit quietly by the lake of my heart watching in it Thine image reflected.

Thou givest me Thine own love, and Thou winnest my heart with the charm of Thy beauty.
When I approach Thee, my Beloved, Thou sayest to me, "Touch me not".

I cling to Thee with a child's faith, bearing Thy most lovely image in my heart.
I sought refuge in Thy bosom, Beloved, and I am safe, feeling Thine arms around me.

How shall I thank Thee, my King, for Thy bountiful gifts?
Every gift Thou givest me, my generous Lord, is invaluable.
A tongue of flame arose out of the twinkling spark in my heart by Thy gentle blowing.
Thou hast opened the ears of my heart, that I may hear Thy softest whisper.
Thou hast taught me Thine own tongue, and to read the characters written by Thy pen.

I call Thee my King, when I am conscious of my bubble-like self,
but when I am conscious of Thee, my Beloved, I call Thee me.

How shall I thank Thee for Thy mercy and compassion,
O King of my soul? What didst Thou not unto me?
When I was walking alone through the wilderness,
through the darkness of night,
Thou camest with Thy lighted torch
and didst illuminate my path.
Frozen with the coldness of the world's hardness of heart,
I sought refuge in Thee,
And Thou didst console me with Thine endless love.
I knocked at Thy gate at last,
when I had no answer from anywhere in the world,
And Thou didst readily answer the call of my broken heart.

I searched but I could not find Thee.
I called Thee aloud standing on the minaret,
I rang the temple bell with the rising and the setting of the sun,
I bathed in the Ganges in vain,
I came back from Ka'ba disappointed,
I looked for Thee on the earth,
I searched for Thee in the Heaven, my Beloved,
but at last I have found Thee,
hidden as a pearl in the shell of my heart.

I would willingly die a thousand deaths,
if by dying I could attain Thy most lofty presence.
If it were a cup of poison Thy beloved hand offered,
I would prefer that poison to the bowl of nectar.
I value the dust under Thy feet, my Precious One,
most of all the treasures the earth holds.
If my head would touch the earth of Thy dwelling place,
I would proudly refuse Khusrow's crown.
I would gladly sacrifice all pleasures the earth can offer me,
if I could only retain Thy pain in my feeling heart.

One moment's life lived with Thee is worth more than a life of long years lived in Thine absence.

My life-long sorrow I forget, when Thou castest Thy glance upon me.
Time is not for me. One glimpse of Thy glorious vision maketh me eternal.

It is Thou who art my pride.
When I realize my limited self, I feel myself humblest of all living beings.

O Thou, the seed of my life's plant,
Thou wert hidden so long in my bud-like soul.
But now Thou hast come out, O my life's fruit,
after the blossoming of my heart.

Let me grow quietly in Thy garden as a speechless plant,
that some day my flowers and fruits may sing the legend of my silent past.

Thy music causeth my soul to dance.
In the murmur of the wind I hear Thy flute,
The waves of the sea keep the rhythm of my dancing steps.
Through the whole of nature I hear Thy music played, my Beloved,
My soul, while dancing, speaketh of its joy in song.

Thy smile has brought my dead heart to life again.
My life and death depend upon the closing and disclosing of Thy magic glance.

O give me one more cup, O Sakhi,
which I will value more than the whole life I have lived.
-Hazrat Inayat Khan

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

NayaSurya
09 June 2011, 06:46 AM
Beautiful, ty for posting for us to read!

In every heart, it seems the same Love can be found<3

NayaSurya
13 June 2011, 05:50 PM
Hari Om Namah Shivaya

NayaSurya
24 June 2011, 09:56 AM
Two birds, fast bound companions,

Clasp close the self-same tree.

Of these two, the one eats sweet fruit,

the other looks on without eating.

On the self-same tree a person, sunken,

Grieves for his impotence, deluded.

When he sees the other, the Lord, contented,

And his greatness, he becomes freed from sorrow.

RV. 1. 164. 20

smaranam
24 June 2011, 10:02 AM
Beautiful. Very nice. And all the poetries on this thread.

BG 10.40: O mighty conqueror of enemies, there is no end to My divine manifestations. What I have spoken to you is but a mere indication of My infinite opulences.
BG 10.41: Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.
BG 10.42: But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.

praNAm

Friend from the West
04 July 2011, 08:44 AM
Saidevo, namaste and greetings to you. I am way late in finding this. I hope you have started something here. Thank you Saidevo, NayaSurya and Indraneela for the thoughts and the poems. Whether original or from other poet they are from the heart of the sender and speak to me/us in a wonderful way.

sunyata07
05 July 2011, 01:35 PM
Namaste,

Wonderful thread, Saidevo. Thank you and NS, Indraneela for your beautiful poetry. I wish I could write as expressively as you both. But I do have something to share with you, although I can't call it my own. In my internet travels, I came across a lovely poem that just... put my heart to rest reading it. I couldn't exactly call it Hindu per se, but the compassion, equanimity and pure peace that it radiates reminds me of everything about Sanatana Dharma that I love.

What Is the Way Home - Kelly N. (2010)

What is the way Home
but the surrender of painful,
oppressive thoughts
deeming us less than beautiful,
less than lovely,
less than the wondrous
artists of joy we really are.

What is the way Home
but to accept the Truth,
veiled beneath a choppy shield of ice,
that deems us nothing less than
beautiful, wondrous creators
of Joy and Life.

What is the way Home
but to forgive ourselves
these painful thoughts
we chose to believe our own
and simply allow re-membrance,
the expression,
of who we truly are.

What is the way Home
but to lay down the sword and shield,
as the Light reveals they were only aimed
at our illusions of separation
from the Force of Life
we call Love and Joy.

What is the way Home
but to simply Be
the beauty, love, and wonder
surging from within ourselves,
like the flower from its bud
reaching for the Sun of Light
to guide its blossom into
the fullness of all we really are.

Arjuni
07 July 2011, 12:41 AM
Namasté,

I wish I could write as expressively as you both.

Ah, but none of us are poets, really. It's God doing the inspiring (and depending what you believe, the writing as well!). Anyone who writes anything is sort of a translator, that's all. One gathers up the rich store of material to be seen and heard everywhere, and translates one's inner listening and love into some sort of structure - though innately inferior for being crammed into syllables and metre.

Food for thought. :)

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

sunyata07
07 July 2011, 01:17 PM
Yes, quite insightful, Indraneela. Agh... don't talk to me of rhymes and metres - it's why I began switching to free verse. It actually gives me an excuse for my bad poetry! :D I find it lovely to think that though we are imperfect beings, still we can express such beauty through the truly great things, like God and love. Over and over again through the centuries you see great poetry being written in the names of these things.

Om namah Shivaya

NayaSurya
08 July 2011, 10:59 AM
Hari Om Namah Shivaya

Friend from the West
08 July 2011, 11:22 AM
Nayasurya,
I have been blessed with a day from workplace. My gracious wife has no problem with me disappearing for awhile to go running. She might actually appreciate the time alone. :) It is a rainy day here and with your poem in my heart and head, I am going to go run along a river path with plenty of the Divine's portions around me in deer, geese, birds, and hills.
Thank you so much for this.

***On a side note and it may be begging in a way, and I will shamelessly do this with a smile in my heart, but this thread simply ROCKS. I hope members keep sharing.***

NayaSurya
08 July 2011, 11:31 AM
Nayasurya,
I have been blessed with a day from workplace. My gracious wife has no problem with me disappearing for awhile to go running. She might actually appreciate the time alone. :) It is a rainy day here and with your poem in my heart and head, I am going to go run along a river path with plenty of the Divine's portions around me in deer, geese, birds, and hills.
Thank you so much for this.

Be safe, we had some thunderstorms with lightning here.

Friend from the West
08 July 2011, 05:04 PM
NayaSurya,
Namaste and thanks. I think time proves poem's sentiments to be true. I don't think agressive, perhaps barely assertive.:p Kinda funny at one time shared that independent spirit expressed in your poem. Went away in part over last years. Think it is coming back.
_______________________________________________
Weather turned sunny and humid half way through run. Hope your storms have abated.

Arjuni
08 July 2011, 07:18 PM
Namasté, all,

Sunyata, that's the exact same way that I feel about free/blank verse: "Oh, hooray, I can write anything, arrange it in lines, and it's poetry!"

NayaSurya, I continue to read your work with such delight. So heartfelt and sweetly innocent. Love it.

I love this thread too. It inspired me to look back and find poetry bits from years ago. Two excerpts from 2004 that are rather amusing in retrospect, since I wasn't Hindu at the time.

---
Steady droplet sunlight,
a thousand names in a flicker.
These winking eyes reflecting aeons,
ancient moving closer to the nameless,
struggling for words to frame desire.
O King of Heaven,
who commanded us with gleaming gaze
to flare the ageless fire,
you who watch between the dancing shapes,
indulgent father smiling on your children....

---
Offering asana,
curving arms upraised,
eyelids opened
to embrace
heaven's sight.

Air summons
a rapturous prayer -
over dreams
of love and shadow -
holds us there.

Call beyond the door;
we've heard these words before.

Eyes closed
in delighted surrender,
watch in union
the shining steps
devotions engender.

Intake, release,
the song of divinity:
the quiver of the sea,
the river, the rain,
this our trinity.

Call beyond the door;
there is no voice, anymore.

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

Friend from the West
08 July 2011, 07:51 PM
Indraneela, I don't know, think you were Hindu then. :)

I think they are awesome. It is kind of like hearing your voice in foreign language class. One seems so silly in voice. Same with reading your own old writings. You nailed it beautifully in earlier thread regarding where source of poetry comes from.
Thanks and namaste,
Rich

NayaSurya
08 July 2011, 11:35 PM
That is so wonderful Indraneela. Words that echo such beauty.

brahman
09 July 2011, 06:22 AM
Excellent inputs, appreciate this effort dear members.



Here is a small poem called
Arivu- (Malayalam) - Sri Narayana Guru (1855–1928)
Translated By Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati as Knowledge.
------------------------
Type: Philosophy(Advaitha Vedanta)
------------------------

Knowledge
-----------------------
What is known here, when carefully considered,
Is not anything other than knowledge.
As knowledge in this (as the knower and the known) is one,
There is not anything anywhere apart from knowledge.

If there is no knowledge, then the known is not, even if such exists.
If that one knowledge is not existing,
What knowing of which knowledge
Is there that can be known for certain?

What is known to be unbounded knowledge,
That also shines as knowledge.
As the dream that arises from knowledge,
Becomes experiential knowledge, suchwise everything else.

If Knowledge is all-filling
Where will non-knowledge dwell?
Where does that knowledge exist which goes in search of knowledge
And knows knowledge where it is ?

If knowledge does not extinguish in knowledge,
Where does it descend (disappear) to?
Knowledge is not known; when known
Both (knowledge and knowing of knowledge )
become one.

Prior to knowledge “what?” if we should ask,
Other than knowledge nothing here is found.
The unknowing, what boundary could it have?
And as for knowledge, nothing here is seen.

Of knowledge we are aware; of its absence we have no awareness here.
In this, which is ascertained from which ?
Even when there is knowledge of non-knowledge,
That does not make non-knowledge specific.

Even from the time of the occurance of knowledge, “This” also exists.
As knowledge is the real, when can “This” disjunctly exist?
An item of knowledge has no separate existence apart from knowledge which is one,
So what is there other than knowledge?

There is a habitation for knowledge.
The known has no habitation distinct from that.
If so, when cogitated on
How can the knowledge enter the known?


On that occasion when knowledge is not functioning
The known too is totally consumed;
In functional knowledge what is there not known?
And as for knowledge, how could it arise at all?


What remains as knowledge of knowledge
And makes known here, we are that.
Considering thus, to which category does knowledge belong?
Ans how does it function and what is that is called the known?

What is Knowledge- you are that.
It is by investing your own knowledge that it becomes the known.
What is known here is of two classes :
One is conscious of knowing and the other is not conscious of the same.

Thuswise knowledge also proceeds
To fill the knower .
Thereafter one spark of this knowledge
Falls into one category of the known and splits into five.

Such a cognizer who knows that knowledge is,
Knows also that he is the knower of it,
Thus (based on subjective consciousness) knowledge is eight fold:
Knowledge is one, knower is another and six being objective knowledges.

Based on the known
This knowledge is seen as seven and one, making eight.
Knowledge, thus will become known separately.
And this is only true when unfurled.
Interpretation by Guru Yati (http://www.sreenarayanaguru.in/index.php?id=44)


love:)

Friend from the West
09 July 2011, 10:54 AM
brahman, with my limitations, reading the interpretation was most useful. Further, the site you shared seems very beneficial. Thanks for poem, interpretation, and the site.
Namaste and have a good day.

sunyata07
09 July 2011, 11:41 AM
(It was written when I was younger...so please forgive its more agressive style)



LOL. And I actually lol'd just now. You see, it's a bit of a coincidence. I wrote something similar a few years back in 2006 that also questioned the insanity of being restricted in one's art and poetry along the same vein as your poem, NayaSurya, but it was more aggro (much more). It was a combination of creative impotence and the stress of final exams. I'd share it here but it would mean censoring out about half of the poem. :o

I agree with you, FFTW, on looking back at past poetry. It does read like you're reading somebody else's work, sometimes. That's probably why it's so much easier to criticise. And as nice as this thread is, my only lament is that I run out of the ability to award rep points too quickly.

Om namah Shivaya

Friend from the West
09 July 2011, 07:42 PM
I think my friend would say you do not want to hear me sing or read my writings. With that said, and the implied permission from posters that rules are dead regarding poetry standardization here goes from a visit with my mom today.


Visit
Walk into apartment of mom, not knowing if it is the time of the Great Crossing Over.
Smell of urine hits me at same time hear weak voice that tells me not yet, stay calm, you still have more from me to discover.

Ups and downs as energy diminishes only to come back.
24/7 tubes in nose, one kidney, minor brain damage from a fall from a horse, severe arthritis, and still wants “independence.” I take it all in as in a dream, to be awakened, by one of her wisecracks.

Through the stains and filth, as I do simple chores to her delight, I cannot help but see the light of the Divine in her. As if there was any doubt, it still shines bright.

As she asks me Biblical questions, I ponder whether to tell her my true path. My decision is made; part of my dharma is to be a tool and not to be cruel. In her state, I will not choose the selfish way. This same presence that took care of me when I was young, I will not betray in anyway.

As I take my leave, I believe all is O.K.

Arjuni
10 July 2011, 07:54 PM
Namasté, all,

While never Hindu, my favourite poet W.B. Yeats - whom Tagore once deemed as "someone capable of comprehending the world through the un-trammelled power of his soul" - had this interesting verse to provide, on the forms of God, and how we experience God shaped by - or perhaps limited by - our own expectations and ideas.

The Indian Upon God

I passed along the water's edge below the humid trees,
My spirit rocked in evening light, the rushes round my knees,
My spirit rocked in sleep and sighs; and saw the moor-fowl pace
All dripping on a grassy slope, and saw them cease to chase
Each other round in circles, and heard the eldest speak:
Who holds the world between His bill and made us strong or weak
Is an undying moor-fowl, and He lives beyond the sky.
The rains are from His dripping wing, the moonbeams from His eye.
I passed a little further on and heard a lotus talk:
Who made the world and ruleth it, He hangeth on a stalk,
For I am in His image made, and all this tinkling tide
Is but a sliding drop of rain between His petals wide.
A little way within the gloom a roebuck raised his eyes
Brimful of starlight, and he said: The Stamper of the Skies,
He is a gentle roebuck; for how else, I pray, could He
Conceive a thing so sad and soft, a gentle thing like me?
I passed a little further on and heard a peacock say:
Who made the grass and made the worms and made my feathers gay,
He is a monstrous peacock, and He waveth all the night
His languid tail above us, lit with myriad spots of light.

-W.B. Yeats, published in Crossways, 1889.

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

NayaSurya
10 July 2011, 09:33 PM
What beautiful heartfelt words. (I love Yeats!) When I see the words of my poem I realize I spell everything as I hear it...and had "Foul" instead of Fowl.

Automatic writing has no spell checks.:p

So funny when that happens...just proves it comes from someplace out of my control.

Rich, as one who was there when my own parent died...after a 12 year battle with breast cancer...and also one who worked for many many years as a private nurse caring for terminal clients...you have my heart.

And your attitude is so goodly. There is truly so much to learn from these older ones...so much of who I have grown to be is a direct result of these wiser Portions.

Very beautiful.

Arjuni
11 July 2011, 01:03 AM
Namast&#233;,

Rich, I agree with NayaSurya when she writes that your attitude is so goodly. And no worries about form/structure; your poetry has a raw quality that is beautiful for its honesty, and would be weakened by trying to arrange it into perfect stanzas and rhymes.

NayaSurya, Yeats is magnificent. It was my great honour to have performed in one of his plays, last year when I produced it for the Fringe Festival here. The Shadowy Waters was called "unworkable" even at the time, but we wrenched a stage performance out of it, and the lines were just exquisite.

These two are Aengus and Edain. They are spirits, and whenever I am in love, it is not I that am in love but Aengus, who is always looking for Edain through somebody's eyes...They are going to be in the dream that you shall dream presently, but they will be great, and terrible...

I would grow jealous of the ivory roof,
And strike the golden pillars with my hands.
I would that there was nothing in the world
But my beloved - that night and day had perished,
And all that is and all that is to be...
I looked upon the moon,
Longing to knead and pull it into shape
That I might lay it on your head as a crown...

Back to Hindu things: does anyone else want to start a file of bad "Hindu" poetry sometimes? It seems in the late 1800s/early 1900s, when India was in vogue, there was produced this entire generation of horrific, wretched, slavish-to-rhyme-scheme Western pap. Oh, the agony of stumbling across some of these things sometimes...

So, rather than dwell upon that, here is some actually good poetry. Eighth-century if memory serves, written by Āṇṭāḷ, who loved Kṛṣṇa with deep and spirited passion, as lover and husband. A few excerpts:

Ocean-deep Lord of Rain, hold back nothing,
Plunge into the ocean, lift up its water,
Roar and soar high with a body dark like the Deluger,
Flash like the Wheel he holds,
he with a lotus navel
and shoulders of power and beauty,
Thunder like his Conch curling to the right,
And without delay
like a rain of arrows shot by his Bow,
Pour down on earth for its thriving
So we may bathe in Mārgali rejoicing,
Everyone, O my Goddess.

Coming in purity to the Owner of Māyā,
hero of everlasting Mathura in the north,
chief of the Yamuna pure and deep,
jewel lamp blazing in the cowherd caste,
child with a rope tied round his belly
bringing radiance to his mother's womb,
We scatter bright flowers and worship,
We exalt him with our words,
Ponder him with our minds,
And, they say, our past faults,
and even those yet to come,
Will become like cotton in a fire,
Everyone, O my Goddess.

===

He measured the world that day
and I desire him,
But in his slavery
he treats me cruelly,
I didn't know the way I would suffer
when the southern breeze
and the moon
cut me through,
If you want to go on living in this grove,
O kuyil,
Don't hurt me -
Go tell Nārāyaṇa to come today
Or I'll chase you right out of here...

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

Friend from the West
14 July 2011, 06:01 PM
Indraneela,
Namaste
Saw on other post your play. Wish best of experiences for you. Hey, I have a addition for your proposed Bad Hindu poetry file, "VISIT." Thanks for the compliment by the way.
Regarding Āṇṭāḷ, from your post and poem looked her up and fascinated. Could not find any poems on web. Do you have site or reference where one could find her poems.
Thanks.

Arjuni
14 July 2011, 09:38 PM
Namasté,

FFTW, thank you for the well-wishes. What is "VISIT"?? I'm always up for reading terrible poetry!

Try this link (http://books.google.ca/books?id=hayV4o50eUEC&pg=PA206&lpg=PA206&dq=antal+tantra&source=bl&ots=ZhPeAEBZmd&sig=J8y5ADDxKv5BJP3IHEF7wATmdr0&hl=en&ei=PaEfTs3bMbDksQL__5i_Aw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=antal%20tantra&f=false) for more of the lovely Āṇṭāḷ. Even better is this link (http://home.infionline.net/~ddisse/antal.html). :)

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

Friend from the West
14 July 2011, 09:43 PM
Namaste Indraneela,
The poem mentioned, "VISIT" was a poor attempt at humor regarding my poor poetry (but heartfelt) titled Visit for your first poem in your jokingly proposed folder.

Thanks so much for the links. I will save to favorites and check out tomorrow.

Peace.
FFTW.

Arjuni
14 July 2011, 10:16 PM
Namast&#233;,

It didn't occur to me you were talking about your own work because the title, being centered above the left-justified poem, didn't register! It just goes to show how observant I am...

Edited the rest because a moment of tired snark shouldn't remain.

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

Friend from the West
14 July 2011, 10:30 PM
I do not know what ryhmes with thesaurus but this poet had a vocabulary. Doesn't resonate with me but do not want to dog the brother or sister. Again. reference my poem:) . Get your point though.
FFTW

Arjuni
14 July 2011, 10:42 PM
Namasté,

Eh, you're absolutely right in that, and thanks for the reminder to be better than I feel at the moment. There are times when weariness and irritability overcomes sense and goodness, though it's not an excuse for needless snark.

Have a link (http://kksongs.org/songs/n/naradamuni.html) to a favourite song instead, whose lyrics are poetry and whose translation is sublime.

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

Friend from the West
15 July 2011, 04:58 AM
Thank you and namaste Indraneela,
To start work day this has made my soul smile.
FFTW

Arjuni
16 July 2011, 01:12 AM
Namasté,

I'm quite glad that you were pleased...

A quick note: Coincidentally, it seems that Āṇṭāḷ's poetry was mentioned not a moment too soon. Her yearly festival of Adi Puram falls on August 2, and information about her (as well as her 108 names) may be found here (http://www.hindu-blog.com/2011/07/sri-andal-ashtothram-in-pdf-download-in.html). I did not know that she is worshipped as an incarnation of Devi Lakṣmī!

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

Friend from the West
16 July 2011, 11:12 AM
Namaste,
Indraneela, I was able to explore yesterday what you had shared and read some snippets of her poetry. Not for the first time with Sanatana Dharma regretted a little not being able to read and understand orignal language. Kind of like Sanskrit and scriptures. Blessed by translations though, so the eternal path could be open to all. I will continue to hunt for her work. In a few weeks will be in big city so may have luck.
With what you shared today, yes very interesting. Additionally, the Temple whose site this came from is perhaps only four hours away from me.
Enjoy and thanks.
FFTW

NayaSurya
20 July 2011, 08:18 AM
Hari Om Namah Shivaya

Friend from the West
20 July 2011, 04:32 PM
NayaSurya,
Namaste, you are a good poet as well as mommy. I did "like it too" Very much.
Thanks

NayaSurya
27 July 2011, 11:26 PM
Hugs to you Beloved<3

sunyata07
29 July 2011, 02:57 PM
There really shouldn't be a rep quota for any one member, Naya, else I'd have awarded you some more for that nice poem. Your words are always so full of love and insight.

Om namah Shivaya

sunyata07
04 August 2011, 02:17 PM
Consider this next item an extreme form of free verse. More like stream-of-consciousness poetry. Again, I sadly cannot claim ownership (it's actually notes by Krishna Das on one of his albums), although these sentiments probably echo in the heart of most members here. Simple, but sincere words.

Surround me with your loving arms... hold me in your heart.
Let me know that I am loved
and that I can love.
Show me that no matter where I go
That I come and go in You.
I am never out of your loving presence.
That you are the smile behind the smile,
the touch behind the touch
The kiss behind the kiss...
You are the constant presence that I forget until I remember
and when I remember my Self, I remember You.
I sing your Name. What else can I think of? You ARE Love.
And I AM You.

If you've ever heard the Mother Song on one of his other albums, it could pass as a poem:

Wander wild and homeless
All roads lead to you.
Riding wind and laughing at the moon.
Don't know who or what I am
In your arms the while.
Face of babe before it knows to smile.
My heart wrapped in your blanket sky.
We're here but there's no trace.
Everywhere I turn you kiss my face

Om namah Shivaya

Friend from the West
04 August 2011, 07:56 PM
Namaste all,
Sunyata, turned into forum tonight and some contentious. Perhaps to alls benefit. Long day and blessed to have work but must work some more. Turn to these two that you share and refreshed once again with such a reminder that your post offered.
Till tomorrow.
FFTW

Friend from the West
07 August 2011, 02:23 PM
I am relatively new here and one word that has been introduced to me, I think I have a love affair with.

With hands up so high.

Namast&#233;


They say grace over Karma. Ask the American Indian and millions of others how it feels to have this grace in their face.
Karma has its place as part of the divine’s true grace. This other that is spoken of…..is nothing but a disgrace.
They need a savior…..but what about their behavior? Original sin ain’t ever been.
Having said all of this, in the end, arguments against, what does it win?



A quiet, peaceful, loving whisper, "Saytyameva Jayate."
Namast&#233; and no longer “they.”
Namast&#233; and me becomes we.


Recognize the Self in all and no more strife, only life.
Meditate to rid one’s self of all hate, and
re-realize the Self and from the heart, relate.


Feel the true peace for release, and
feel the true Love and rise above.


With realization of the truth, so many lights shining bright.
Re-recognize the Divine to all’s delight.


Namast&#233;, Namast&#233; and reconnect with the Supreme.
A single word uttered, and the world beams.


Namast&#233; and emotions don’t change like the weather.
Namast&#233;, no maya, no separation, only together.


Namast&#233; and self-control, giving, compassion are the lights that shine.
Namast&#233;, LOVE recognized, it is the Divine!

Arjuni
12 August 2011, 07:23 PM
Namasté,

The poems here are beautiful, everyone. Thank you especially to both NayaSurya and FftW for sharing personal work - it can feel difficult to put oneself "out there" like that. You're both lovely writers, and I always look forward to new posts.

A poem for Raksha Bandhan, which I wanted to post before forgetting to do so!

Beloved I offer to you
In tender allegiance anew
A bracelet of floss, let me twist
And violet, to girdle your wrist.

Accept this bright gage from my hand
Let your heart its sweet speech understand
The ancient high symbol and end
In wrought on each gold-threaded strand,
The fealty of friend unto friend.

A garland how frail of design,
Our spirits to clasp and entwine
In devotion unstained and unbroken,
How slender a circle and sign
Of secret deep pledges unspoken!

--Sarojini Naidu

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

Friend from the West
12 August 2011, 11:15 PM
Namaste,
C. Smith, thank you in so many ways for your posting regarding Raksha Bandhan. I was not aware of this until your caring posting.
Indraneela, thanks for taking time for posting poem. The power of Love in the simple and slender. The validation (lack of better thought) of reason for worshipping to reflectons of the Divine. Thanks again for this poem.
When you post what a gift cause get to look up poet previously unfamiliar with. Read only one other so far, "The Souls Prayer." The poem and than the last stanza is just so ..... something.

http://www.poetry-archive.com/n/the_souls_prayer.html

Peace to you Indraneela and others here at HDF.

FFTW.
P.S. Regarding compliment. I will not denigrate Divine who helps us write by knocking my writings or insult you Indraneela, but NayaSurya's writings rock my world.

Arjuni
20 September 2011, 11:32 PM
Namasté, all,

It's rained today, all day and most of the night. This one from me.

===
the shaded earth sweetens.
dust drinks in your splendour.

you fall, and so conquer.
the heart sighs surrender.

the wind breathes your praises.
the rain speaks, remember.

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

sunyata07
30 September 2011, 12:33 PM
Namaste,

It's raining right now where I live and I just had to remark on the beauty of your poem, Indraneela. Lovely piece of work.

Om namah Shivaya

Arjuni
23 October 2011, 04:44 AM
Namasté,

Another rainy day here, and more beautiful things to read. :)

Ecstasy
Cover mine eyes, O my Love!
Mine eyes that are weary of bliss
As of light that is poignant and strong
O silence my lips with a kiss,
My lips that are weary of song!

Shelter my soul, O my Love!
My soul is bent low with the pain
And the burden of love, like the grace
Of a flower that is smitten with rain:
O shelter my soul from thy face!
--Sarojini Naidu

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

Mana
23 October 2011, 01:12 PM
Namaste Indraneela,

It is so nice to be reminded of the beauty of this world; when one has tired eyes it can make so much difference to see love.
Thank you for sharing.

praNAma

mana

Arjuni
09 December 2011, 07:46 PM
Namasté, all,

This was an interesting exercise in verse that I stumbled across on deviantART: a verse to Kṛṣṇa, in a modified Norse metre. I thought it lovely in both idea and execution.

The Flute-Playing Lord

"My brother the cowherd walks with me | 'neath a rugged rainless sky.
Brother, help – I am blind, | for the light is little here –
'Lo, Gopal, let the wind's song, | so wood-caught, lead your feet,
and feel the evening heart | laid under the rolling earth.'

When I am older still, | then I will say to you:
Listen to a flute play, | its song running in the trees,
Listen to a lad talk | of his brother the cowherd.
Listen to the boy's ballad: | our Murali, playing:

Hark: o golden one! o | dark-blue one, o refuge…"

By user Viglio on site deviantART, homepage here (http://vigilo.deviantart.com/).

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

Friend from the West
09 December 2011, 07:59 PM
Namaste all and welcome back Indraneela,

Beautiful! Thanks for this.

Om Shanti

FFTW

Arjuni
10 December 2011, 11:22 AM
Namasté...and thanks for the welcome back...

I stumbled upon this last night and find it to be, even in translation, some of the most vibrant and amazing poetry I've ever read:

Classical Telugu Poetry, an Anthology:
http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=kt096nc4c5 (http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=kt096nc4c5)

(To include appropriate warning for other readers, a few of the poems do deal with "adult" situations and subjects.)

A quick excerpt:

"Sustaining always on his thousand hoods
the dense burden of the earth,
the forests and oceans and rooted mountains
and rushing rivers and lakes, the Snake
called Infinite softly bears the unbearable body
of the god who sleeps on water.
Won't he make an end to whatever
was badly done, and be kind to me?"

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

Friend from the West
10 December 2011, 10:14 PM
Hari OM!

Namaste and hello everyone and Indraneela,

Last night in reading some of what you share and what Saidevo wrote in school, and what you both write regarding poetry, realize I do not have this understanding to describe poetry as you do, but will try in my own crude way.

In reading half of what you shared with last night, find it both makes me smile and to find it most interesting. It is for me most unique. Thanks for this and I will look forward to finishing remainder in the morning.

Om Shanti

FFTW

Arjuni
04 February 2012, 01:20 PM
Namasté, verse-lovers,

It's been too long, yes?

"You have nothing to worry about.
Be free from worries,
And remain immersed in love for the Beloved.
He shall take you across the ocean of the world,
If you seek support of his boat sailing in this ocean.
No amulet, charm, yogic practice
or other holy repetition is of any avail.
Only he provides the technique which destroys sins,
and removes vices from the heart.
By seeing and reflecting within your heart,
says Dariya,
You will be freed from all ills
Just by kindling the wick of Nam
with the Satguru's lamp."
--Sant Dariya Sahib

(And another, longer verse is here (http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Brides_of_Indra), for those who enjoy dramatic imagery; the poem is not exactly Hindu, but is a favourite of mine nonetheless!)

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

Arjuni
11 March 2012, 01:09 PM
Namasté,

Both of these are from Devara Dasimayya, 10th century.
Translated from the Kannada by A.K. Ramanujan.

===
"Whatever It was

that made this earth
the base,
the world its life,
the wind its pillar,
arranged the lotus and the moon,
and covered it all with folds
of sky

with Itself inside,

to that Mystery
indifferent to differences,

to It I pray,
O Ramanatha."

===
"The five elements
have become one.

The sun and the moon,
O Rider of the Bull,
aren't they really
your body?

I stand,
look on,
you're filled
with the worlds.

What can I hurt now
after this, Ramanatha?"

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

Arjuni
07 April 2012, 11:03 PM
Namast&#233;,

This is a writing of Akka Mahadevi, 12th c., translated by Vinaya Chaitanya. (Channamallikarjuna is a name of Śiva.)

Like treasure hidden by the earth,
Like the taste hidden by the fruit,
Like gold hidden by the stone,
Like oil hidden by the sesame seed,
Like fire hidden by the word,
Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender,
Hides as the being behind becoming;
No one knows him.

When I did not know myself
Where were you, tell me?
Like the color in gold,
You were in me.
Though you were in me
I saw you as different.
O Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender.

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.