THIS NIGHT OF SHIVA

 

                   L

                                            Lord Shiva appearing as a column of fire
                     

                           

Lord Shiva drinking the poison to save the creation

                               

Lord Bhairava subduing Brahma's pride

                               

Lord Shiva gifting Sudarshan Chakra to Vishnu

                            

1.        On this day all temples echo with Thy name

         Even before sunrise, in large numbers dense

           Devotees come and all rivers glow with flames

          Of lamps with clouds of fragrant incense

          All places echo with ringing bells and sounds

            Of “OM” from conchs spreading all around

            All people fast and stay awake as if to guard

  Themselves from ignorance and discord.

 

2       In all temples, priests chant hymns day and night

     Cow’s milk, water, curd, butter and honey sweet

Pour over Thee as you shine, a thrilling sight

Loud sounds of drums with rhythmic beat

Make our bosoms swell with devotion as we say

Thy sacred names closing our eyes, and pray

This night, the most memorable time, oh Lord!

We bow to Thee: God of gods! Blue-throated Lord!

 

3.    Most benevolent and generous Thou art

No costly jewels, perfumes and clothes you need

No elaborate rituals you wish not

Just a handful of water if we pour, you heed

With utmost speed our wishes You fulfill

A few Bilva leaves and wild blooms enough to fill

Your heart with joy; animals, too, salvation got

Bless us Lord! Forgive our lapses and faults.

 

4.   Lord Vishnu worshipped Thee with earnest heart

With lotus-flowers with devotion immense

He plucked his lotus-eye when one fell short,

Kept before Thy lotus-feet with love intense;

Moved by His Love, the mightiest discus you gave

To kill evil demons and all beings to save

You make your devotees win and happy Thou art

Accepting defeat at their hands with a genial heart.

 

5.    Even devils and demons Thy favor won

By severe penance their wishes to get

To cause trouble to virtuous souls and commotion

Misusing their hard-won powers and met

At last, with their end by their terrible acts

By Lord Vishnu who used His power and tact;

You are too easy to please though people state

Oh Lord of death! You know their ultimate fate.

 

6.    Thy existence none can comprehend

Oh, formless Para Brahman! Yet sure

For our sake, in queer form you pretend;

You made others wealthy, but you seem to be poor

With begging bowl and matted hair, you move free

Sporting tiger’s skin and serpents with glee

You ride on a bull white as Himalayan hills

Doth dancing with ghosts fill you with mystic thrill? 

 

7.     Meditating alone on hills, caves and forests dense

Oh Lord! For what purpose, beyond our reach;

You seem to exult in bliss and spiritual silence

Thy merciful grace all gods and sages beseech

All our earth-bound mortal wishes at once vanish

Before the fire of Thy third eye, Kama did perish.

Lord of plants, medicines, music and dance!

All gods your cosmic dance did entrance.

 

8.    When Brahma, the Creator filled with pride

Claimed Himself as the greatest God supreme;

As fiercest Bhairav you came and did scream

Shaking the universe with thunderous stride;

With Your sharpest nail nipped off his fifth head

Humbled his pride, Oh Mighty Master dread!

Evil, occult powers and ghosts flee away with fear

Lord of Time! Your devotees need not fear.

 

9.    To save the worlds you dared to come forward

When dark poison spouting diabolic fire

From milky ocean rose to destroy the worlds entire

Bewildered and helpless fled away all gods

At once you squeezed the blazing, darkest slime

Undaunted, You gulped with might sublime

And in your snow-white throat You did retain

Which turned blue at once God of mercy divine! 

 

10.  Purest invisible Para Brahman, Thou art

      For our sake you took the sacred Linga Form

      Unattainable though gods contend and lost;

      You appear as Vishnu with enchanting charm

      To protect the virtuous and punish the wicked ones;

      People misunderstand though both forms are one

      Would you think that cotton is different from cloth?

      Would you think that silk is different from moth?

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     19th March 2026               Somaseshu Gutala

 

  

   

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                     

                           

LET US NOT FEEL SHY

 

                             

                 

                             

               You have become too thin and dry

               But don’t feel shy; don’t ask me why?

               If you like the lady of Brentford, be stout

               No problem, no doubt;

               Even if I be fat like fat Falstaff

               Will you scoff and laugh?      

               Even if I too turned weak and old

               With bald head or grey hair will you scold?

               My gait may not be so steady and swift

               Heavy luggage I may not lift

               My hands may shake while I write

               My grip is not so strong and tight;

               Will you then blame me as old

               With wizened skin, wrinkled and cold?

               Like a shriveled rose you too turned thin

               Still your beauty shines within;

               The glint of your eyes

               Seems like the gentle moon-rise

               Unlike the blazing noon of youth

               Time changes all, an inevitable truth;

               We may have a few complaints and taints

               We are not high heaven-born Saints.

               Thank God we are healthy though not so strong

               Thank God that we have lived so long;

               We have not garnered so much wealth and fame

               We lived so simple, and none can blame;

               In this fast-paced restless rush of life

               Filled with rancor and strife

               We live in peace, so do not grumble

               Though we may sometimes stumble and tumble;

               Age may have robbed your charm

               Yet you remain so steady and calm;

               With mutual trust we stay

               Let us trust God and pray

               Who leads us all in proper ways.

                       ******************

    Note:  1.  The Fat woman of Brentford - A character mentioned in "Shakespeare's play "The Merry Wives of Windsor".

2. Fat Falstaff:  Sir John Falstaff is a large-bodied dissolute character in Shakespeare's play "Henry IV (Parts I and II) and "merry Wives of Windsor". he is portrayed as "a fat rogue" with a gluttonous appetite for food, wine and sensual living.  

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     8th March 2026                        Somaseshu Gutala

  

    

 

     

 

        

       

        

       

TO MY PILLOW

 

                                                   

                                               

1            Whenever I sink into pensive state

Whenever my spirits are down and dry

Whenever I worry about future and sigh

You come to my recue, my close bedmate!

I rest my head on your soft lap

I feel relaxed and take a nap.

 

2            You have been my lifelong friend; you remain

As my refuge; all my secrets you know

All my pleasures and blistering woes

All my feelings of pleasure and pain;

You never seemed bored; my confidante sole!

You offer your bosom to comfort and console.

 

3            Nestling upon thy soft bosom I flew

Into enchanting world of golden dreams

Fairylands with arbors and flowers with dew

Placid pools sparkling with golden beams;

You fired my fancy with poetic thrill

With apt figures and speech and sound to fill.

 

4            Cradled on thy breast I slept like a child

You gave you friendly touch wherever I am

You made me feel relaxed cool and calm

You soothed my mind whenever I raged wild

Within me you infused fresh hopes new

You never shared my secrets you knew.

5            Others may sometimes turn indifferent and cold

They may distance themselves when out of sight

Yet you let me down never day or night;

Ever forgiving and friendly you never scold

Unchanging ever whether I am young or old.

          *************************

 27th February 2026           Somaseshu Gutala

 

 

 

 

 

THE ATHEIST

 

                          

                 

                                            

1       He clearly says “In God’s existence I do not trust

About obscure things my time I do not waste

Why should I? nor I believe in mysterious fate;      

Make others safe and happy before I turn to dust

Like distant stars God is beyond my grasp

Why should I argue with others and gasp?

All creatures live and ultimately pass

Away; none can stop this; none can surpass

This process; so, let me live and make best

Use of my life; no use to fume and fret.” 

 

2     Instead of bothering about gods unseen

Our neighbors and other creatures I care

So many struggle for necessities bare

So many beasts struggle for fodder green

Let me be practical and my help extend

On superfluous things why should I spend

Though we can’t alleviate their troubles entire

Let me contribute my mite though not all they desire.

Let me be humane enough and show concern

Of course, life’s journey is full of twists and turns.” 

 

3       “Let me be down-to-earth; not aspiring for stars

Or planets or fictitious heaven and hell

Let me care for this earth where we dwell

Let me not pollute this precious sphere and mar

Her bounteous gifts, her indwellers, birds and beasts

Respect Nature but show some concern at least

In making others happy true joy we relish

Have some civic sense and not be selfish

Not destroy and disturb her beauty supreme

We can’t re-create Nature though trivial it seems.

 

4       Let me be humane enough to show concern

For others and help them as far as I can

Not selfish and destructive but live like a man;

Though life’s course is full of twists and turns

In the name of superstitions let me not torture

Our fellow creatures but with love let me nurture;

Nature’s selfless and liberal love we find everywhere

Can’t we be thankful and nourish Her with care?

What you find in worshipping idols and stones

I find in selfless service of living beings alone." 

 

5       “Let me nourish this earth with much care and prime

Let me protect all creatures and not waste

And we suffer utmost before it is too late

Her gifts, an unpardonable and inhuman crime;

Let me be of some use as far as I can

Not be selfish and destructive, but live like a man

With so-called scholars I would not like to debate

Though not bring Nature back to Her pristine state.

To fulfill our needs on society so much we depend

A little concern and care to it can’t we extend?”

 

6          “They who claim themselves as devotees great

Try to appease gods with gifts and gold

Prayers and sacrifices they perform and hold

To get their wishes fulfilled they satiate

With rituals and rites as if they make a deal

For their own sake and not for public weal

They measure their devotion with worldly things

For the struggling poor, relief they do not to bring

About people's worries, they never show compassion

   Without selfless love what is devotion?”

 

      7   “Though they state that everything in creation

Evolves from omniscient God, they care not

About suffering beings and never thought

About society and human relations;

They lavishly spend their gods to please

Hoping that by God’s grace their sins will decrease;

They rush to miracle-men with faith profound

On pilgrimage to temples and they move around.

I say “Don’t get stuck up in the past and get lost

Help others rather than gods beyond your thought.” 

 

8        Whatever creed you follow be human at least

Your acts and words should not hurt people around

Instead of heaven think about people on the ground

Rash, thoughtless actions show your inner beast

Waste not your time in empty talk, play your part;

With a sympathetic and generous heart

Once your life is gone a rare chance is lost

You can’t get back your life at any cost.

Your helpful, humane actions ever remain

 As sweet memories, though you won't come again.” 

 

9             Let me be humane enough to show concern

For others and help them as far as I can

Not selfish and destructive but live like a man;

Though life’s course is full of twists and turns

In the name of superstitions let me not torture

Our fellow creatures but with love let me nurture;

Nature’s selfless and liberal love we find everywhere

Can’t we be thankful and nourish Her with care?

What you find in worshipping idols and stones

I find in selfless service of living beings alone.” 

            ************************

21st February, 2026               Somaseshu Gutala

Note: Please note that I am not an Atheist or favouring that idealogy.  But speaking in plain terms, he is not a hedonoist indulging in sensual pleasures, but a humanist at heart showing concern for people's problems and a Nature-lover interested in caring for Nature and all living beings. He is above narrow sectarian views of caste, creed and religion. Though limited in vision, the Atheist shows genuine concern for Nature and living beings which is great. In stead of mouthing platitudes and sitting idle, he adopts a practical approach and tries to do something to help people and protect Nature.

 “Hands that serve are holier than lips that pray.” (Mother Teresa).

 “The best portion of a good man’s life is his little

nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.”

 (William Wordsworth)