MY LOVELY COWHERD!

              

       1)    Thou, naughty cowherd on blue hills

               Blue as a cloud with lotus eyes

               Thy flute divine melodies spills

                Unseen mystic secrets profound;

      2)     With lithesome limbs thou playest with milkmaids

               Sharing cheese,cream and butter with thy mates;

               Dancing and sporting with hilarious stride

               As if God came to play with our destiny.

     3)      Beside the  flowing sylvan stream

              Even housewives by thy charms caught

              Stood round feeling unknown ecstasy

              Like orbs revolving round the radiant sun.

      4)    Thy pranks, jeers, quibbles and mischief

              Made them view Thee as a charming child

              No deep pondering thoughts but simple joy

              Like rising moon beyond our grasp.

     5)     Blue as vast endless universe

             Sweet as eternal throbbing charms

             Joyous as a merry pea-cock’s vibrant dance

             In Thee enjoyed all living beings.

    6)     People call Thee a flirting lover

            Courting maids who feel too much jealous

            Of one another vying for Thy kiss

            You gladden everyone with Thy gracious looks.

   7)      Oh, what a vast universal splendor

            With rapid moving spheres and shapes

             In such a small tiny mouth you showed

            As Thy mother stood dazed with awe and surprise!

   8)      A massive mountain, a lotus for thy touch

            A bulky serpent’s hood, a dancing altar

            A whirling demon, just a turning wheel

            A giant crane or steed, a toy for Thee.

   9)      I taunted you not like Thy lovers

            With fetters of warm interlocked embrace

            On Jamuna’s sand-dunes silver-white

            In lush jungles of Brindavan;

10)     My lovely Cowherd! Make me Thy flute

          Thy feather or a tender flower

          Or be a bird perching on a tree

          To hear Thy music under the shady bowers.

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

       1)  Oh, what a vast Universal splendor -- refers to Krishna's act of revealing the cosmic form in his mouth when his fostermother yashoda asked him to show his mouth suspecting that he ate mud from the ground.

       2) A massive mountain -- refers to Krishna's act of lifting the Goverdhan hill and bearing it on his little finger for seven days and seven nights when Lord Indra showered stones from the sky as he was not worshipped by the inhabitants of Gokul village. Krishna by this act checked the arrogant pride of Indra, the lord of heaven.

   
      3) A bulky serpent's hoods --- Lord Krishna saved the Kalindi Lake from being polluted by the poisonous serpent Kaliya by dancing on his hoods and driving him away from that place to seek refuge in Ramanaka dweepa .

      4) A whirling demon --- Krishna's uncle, Kamsa sent many demons to kill Krishna as he was told by a heavenly voice that he would meet his end in the hands of Krishna. So a demon called Trinavarta was sent by him who went in the form of a powerful whirlwind to lift krishna and dash him against the hillside.. But Krishna killed that demon by becoming heavier and by tightening his grip around the demon's throat.   

      5) A giant crane --- Kamsa the king of Madhura sent a demon called Bakasura in the form of a giant crane to kill Krishna. The giant crane swallowed the tiny child Krishna but was quickly forced to throw out the child as felt intense heat in his throat. Krishna grabbed Bakasura's beak and broke it in two and killed him.    

      6) A giant steed -- Kamsa sent a powerful demon called Keshi who took the form of a mad giant horse and tried to trample Krishna. Krishna caught hold of Keshi's legs and and tossed him in the air. When the giant horse tried to swallow him Krishna thrust his arm into Keshi's mouth and expanded it to enormous size; Keshi became breathless and died on the spot . 
          

      7) Brindavan --- Krishna as a child used to play and dance with his cowherd friends and milk maids in the jungle called Brindavan where he went with his friends to graze cattle. it is fifteen kilometers from the city of Madhura. The river Jamuna or Yamuna flows through Brindavan and Madhura.

                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

               28th April, 2019                                           Somaseshu Gutala

HYMN TO HAYAGREEVA

Hayagreeva temple in Tiruvahindapuram

Yoga Hayagreeva

                       

    1)     God of knowledge, wisdom and sacred speech

             Beyond this world’s deceptive illusion’s reach

             Destroyer of tamasic ignorance dense!

             Ocean of illimitable mercy immense

              Retriever of Vedas by Brahma lost

              Greatest teacher of wisdom vast;

              Protector of Dharma, Lord of highest state

              Hail Hayagreeva, Parabrahman incarnate!

    2)       Shining with splendor of crystal mount

              With light of million moons beyond our count

               Appear Thou spreading cool spiritual rays

               To drive away darkness with boundless grace

               All gods reside within Thee, no other one

               All powers gathered in one and only Brahman;

               Lord Brahma and Rudra by thy will reside

               All gods obey Thee as their master and guide.

    3)        In Thy right hand the crystal rosary shines

               Symbol of spotless spiritual wisdom divine

               That lifts devotees from depths of ignorance

               And slaking their thirst with springs of bliss immense;

               Greatest preceptor of all gods and saint !

               Thy teaching gesture removes our deep-rooted taint

               Thy blessing hand gives us immortal life;

                Free us from deceiving doubts and worldly strife.

      4)        Greatest teacher of teachers divine !

                Even Vedas held in Thy palm cannot define

                Thy nature; Ev’n four-headed Brahma sought

                Thy help when creative powers he lost;

                 Assuming horse-headed form in a furious way

                 When sacred scriptures demons took away;

                  Killed those Asuras and restored the holy books

                   Blessing the lotus-born Lord with kind looks.

      5)        The Vedic hymns like jingling anklets sound

                 Thy left hand shines with ruby shine of corals bound;

                 Thy diamond-studded discus drives away evil things

                 Thy sacred conch with mystic Pranav rings;

                 Thy crystal beads, a chain of moons from milky seas;

                 Thy blessed name destroys our earthly maladies.  

                           

                 Thy mercy makes one speak with fluent grace

                 With depth of meaning in rhythmic noble lays.

        6)      Embodiment of Vedas and mystic lore!

                 Thy Udgheetha sound rings Pranava’s lore;

                  As Lord of sacrifices you do grant

                 The fruits of strength to gods who chant

                 Thy name incessantly to get Thy grace;

                 To fight against the demons and defeat;

                 Thy form, like full moon rise with crystal glow

                 Fills our bosoms with joy; Thy mercy bestow.

       7)       Thou, first incarnation before creation’s start

                  Brahma’s consort, the snow-white goddess got

                  Knowledge by thy grace in multiple arts;

                  Blessed by Thee, great poets and sages wrought

                  Immortal works with spontaneous flow;

                  Sage Brihaspati and Sage Vyasa know

                  The mystic power of Thy sacred name

                   That gives power of speech, wisdom and fame.

        8)        Thy high-pitched Hala Hala ringing sound

                    Produced Vedic echoes with meaning profound

                    Driving away nescience with dazzling light

                    Dissolving dark clouds thundering bright;

                    Benign Lakshmi with lotus-glow by Thy side

                    Showering mercy near Thee doth abide;

                    With Thy blessings the saint of Krishna’s shrine

                     Composed great hymns and salvation did attain.

          9)       By Thy magnanimous mercy, oh Lord!

                     Sage Vedanta Desika became a bard;

                     Golden-colored glittering Garuda taught

                     Thy powerful Mantra with devotion fraught;

                      When the sage meditated on the Aushadi Hill

                      Your great presence he had with blissful thrill;

                      And got Thy Icon direct from Thy hands

                      And gift of poesy to compose lyrics grand.

         10)        The holy names of mighty Mother you taught

                       With proper ways of worship and meanings fraught;

                       To sage Agasthya who felt himself blessed indeed;

                       To liberate mankind from grief and sinful deeds;

                       Without Thy benedictions none can realize

                        Unveil our illusions and make us wise;

                        Hail Hayagreeva, Supreme Godhead great!

                        Shower Thy blessings, we humbly prostrate.

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

   Books referred: “Samyuktha Harshitha “ 6th February, 2015 issue

                             ‘Sri Hayagreeva Sthotram ‘by Sri Vedanta Desika

Ref : 

   1) Tamasic --- ignorance and idleness

   2) Asuras --- demons

   3) udgheetha --- mystic sound echoing Vedas     

   4)  pranava ---- mystic sound “OM” the source of all creation

                                      Also called ‘Sabda Brahman.”  

   5) Brihaspathi ----  Teacher and preceptor to gods       

   6)  Sage Vyasa --- Great teacher of Vedas and author of Puranas                       

   7) hala hala --- the mystic sound from which Vedas originated

   8) The saint of Krishna’s shrine , Vadiraja Theertha (1480-1600), who renovated the temple complex and established the paryaya system of worship in Udipi.

He  was the author of more than sixty famous books such as Upanyasaratnamala, and Tirthaprabhanda etc. He translated Madhva’a works into Kannada and contributed much to Haridasa movement. As an ardent devotee of Lord Hayagreeva he spent his life at Sodhe mutt (110 kms from Hubbali) till he entered Samadhi alive in 1600 A.D.

         9)  Vedanta Desika – (1268-1370)--- A great Vaishnavite poet, devotee and philosopher who composed more than one hundred books in Tamil, Sanskrit and Prakrit. When he was meditating on Aushadagiri hill near Tiruvahindrapuram, he had the darshan of Garuda (Vishnu’s mount) who initiated him into Hayagreeva mantra. He spent his life mostly in Sri Rangam. His famous poem ‘Hayagreeva Stotram’’ in thirty two stanzas describes the glory of Hayagreeva .

      10) Sage Agasthya  --- A famous Vedic Rishi who was  taught Lalitha Sahasranama (thousand names of Lalita, the universal Mother) by Lord Hayagreeva. This is mentioned in Brahmanda purana. The temple at Thirumeyachur near Kumbhakonam is said to be where Agastya was taught this Sahasranama. The Hayagreeva Upanishad belonging to Adharvana Veda describes the benefits of chanting the Hayagreeva mantras.

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


             15th April, 2019                                                      Somaseshu Gutala

                                       

A Brief Note on Lord Hayagreeva

Lord Hayagreeva giving  back  Vedas to Brahma

Saint Vadiraja Theertha offering Naivedyam to Hayagreeva

 Lord Hayagreeva, one of the incarnations of Vishnu, is revered as the Lord of spiritual wisdom, intelligence and power of speech. He is also called as Hayavadana and Aswamukha.The worship of Hayagreeva or Hayagriva is seen in many countries like Nepal,Tibet,Bhutan and Japan with different names.In Buddhist texts Hayagreeva is considered as one of the incarnations of Bodhisattwa and is shown as  a fierce looking god “Krodha Vighnanataka”.

Hayagreeva is the manifestation of the supreme Brahman  and sacred sound Pranava. The ringing sound emerging from his throat called “Hala Hala” or “Udgheetha” echoes the sounds of sacred Vedas and drives away ignorance and dark evil forces. Vishnu appeared with the head of a horse to slay the demons, Madhu and Kaitabha, who took away the Vedas from Brahma and spread panic in the whole universe. When Brahma prayed to Vishnu to save Him, Lord Vishnu took this form and killed the demons and restored Vedas to Brahma to start creation.

 Lord Hayagreeva is crystal-white in complexion seated on a white lotus along with Lakshmi. He holds a crystal rosary and a book in his left hand and shows a teaching gesture (Vyakhya Mudra)with his right hand. He holds a discus and a white conch in his upper pair of hands. The incarnation of Hayagreeva happened on the full moon day in the month of Shravan (July-August).

  According to Matsya purana Hayagreeva Avatar is the first incarnation of Vishnu before creation. Even divinities and saints like Saraswathi, Brahma, Vyasa and Brihaspati worshipped Hayagreeva to receive proficiency in knowledge and arts. In Brahmanda Purana sage Agastya prayed to Hayagreeva and received the thousand names of Lailthambika which is famous as Lalitha Sahasram. In Vamana Purana it was written that Prahlada worshipped Hayagreeva at Asvatheertha near Kanauj. According to Naradiya Samhita Lord Hayagrreva dwells in northern direction.

Sri Vadiraja Theertha (1480-1600), a fervent devotee of Hayagreeva, used to cook a sweet dish called Hayagreeva maddi made of cooked Bengal gram, jaggery, fresh grated coconut and dry fruits, and keep it on his head chanting Hayagreeva mantra. A white horse used to appear and consume that sweet dish standing on its hind legs. He stayed in Sodhe Mutt in Sirsi taluk till he attained Jeeva Samadhi there. Another great Vaishnavite poet-philosopher, Sri Vedatna Desika (1268-1370), while meditating on the Aushadagiri Hill at Tiruvahindipuram  was given Hayagreeva mantra by Garuda, (Vishnu’s mount). Sri Vedanta Desika composed more than one hundred famous books. Sri Hayagreeva Sthothram is one among his famous works.

 In many Vishnu temples a shrine for Hayagreeva is seen. The main temples for Hayagreeva are seen in Parakala Mutt (Mysore), Tiruvahindipuram near Cuddalore in Tamilnadu, and in Nanganallur in Chennai and in Mani Kuta hazo near Guwahati. The shrines for Hayagreeva are seen in Sri Ranganatha temple (Sri Rangam), in Vaikunta Perumal Temple (Kanchi), in northern lane (uttara Mada veedhi) in Tirumala, Lakshmi  Hayagreeva temples are also seen in Pondicherry (Sri Rama Krishna Nagar), Madurai(near Koodal Alagar Perumal Kovil), Tirunelveli, Yoga Hayagreeva in Chettypuniyam village in Chengalpattu, Visakhapatnam(Thotlakonda), Nellore (Jonnavada), Machilipatnam and in Beechupalli (Telangana State).

  “Gnaanaanandamayam devam nirmala sphatikakritim

    Aadhaaram sarva vidyanaam Hayagreevam Upaasmahe.—Pancharatna Agama.

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

The Tale of Mr. Gupta, the Master Planner

                 
                                             ( I )

                                                      

         Well-known for doing any work with perfection

       Still Gupta felt no sense of satisfaction;

       Like fabled demi-god in Yama’s domain

       He is par excellence in weighing loss and gain;

       He clinched many a deal with convincing speech

       Squeezing to maximum like a blood-sucking leech;

       He earned much wealth as clever consultant

       Yet still he has no sense of contentment;

       Like a staunch Spartan he lived in his cell

       With barest requirements he did dwell;

        No furniture except half-broken things too old

        He treated them with care as precious gold;

        He himself sat on a threadbare torn mat

        He asked his friends too to come and squat;

        A block of wood served him, as a table nice

        On old brown crumpled sheets he often writes;

        His friends he never tried to entertain

        Parties and dinner he treated as vain;

        About his body comforts he did never care

        His feelings and thoughts he did never share;

        He never sat idle or wasted a moment

        Full day engaged with several assignments

        In world of figures absorbed he racked his brain

        In counting skills he found his goal and gain;

        Showing health grounds, sugar or sweet he never ate

       “Don’t eat too much”, to friends he used to state;

        His stingy manners irked his middle-aged wife

        Yet she put up with him to sustain her life;

                              ( I I )

        Blessed with a daughter he became more shrewd

        How to earn more income he used to brood;

        He trained his daughter in accounting art

        In world of figures did she find her heart;

        He did not let her go outside his room

        In calculating skills he himself did groom;

        Right from childhood within mathematical maze

        She grew up like a bird confined in a cage;

        Poorly nourished, such strain she could not face

        Suddenly fell sick and lay down for days;

        Her father busy with work did not much care

        A severe hemorrhage she had and could not bear;

        In dying moments she was taken at once

        But on the way she died; her loss immense

        Shocked her father into repentance;

        All his plans collapsed; stern as a stone he remained

        Grief-stricken, from his duty he refrained;

        His clients noticed his state and spoke a lot

        To pull him out of grief; but he was caught

        Within his guilt and felt himself at fault

        Destiny’s plans beyond our reach he thought;

        Mere figures can’t predict man’s future plans

        Time-ordained patterns man can never scan;

        At last helped by friends and Time’s healing balm

        He realized his goal, became composed and calm;

        He dedicated his time to serve with love

        No more a master-planner, Gupta now;

        In every orphan’s eyes he saw his dearest daughter

        He got relief and joy in their merry laughter;

        He served orphans and treated them as his own kin

        In liberal help and support he felt free from sin.

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

        1st April, 2019                   Somaseshu Gutala

          

         

  Note : Fabled demi-god-- Chitragupta, who records all the sins and merits of the living beings.                    

   

            Yama --- God of death and justice.

 

       

      

  

                

THE TALE OF SHANKAR, THE SERVANT

                                                                                                                                                  

                          

                  

                 As an honest servant he earned good name

                 No scope for others his services to blame;

                 How to impress his masters he did know;
                 
                 He greets everyone with a respectful bow; 

                 Though not so strong he was too sharp and shrewd

                 His speech was soft and pleasing without being rude;

                 A lean figure with a sacred mark on his brow

                 With everyone he talked in a gentle voice low;

                 His polite manners, humble speech and style

                 Gave no suspicion to realize his guiles;

                 His prompt service  impressed his master much

                 A decent job he got and need not search;

                 Shankar profusely thanked his master too

                 Who was too strict to take rewards, he knew;

                 He gave his master’s children a pack of sweets

                 Tasty tit-bits in well-decked parcels neat;

                 He sang folk-songs and fairy tales he told with wit

                 With curious eyes the kids around him used to sit;

                 A few years passed and his master retired

                 A large family he had and so he required

                 Some source of means to sustain himself and his home;

                 He looked for a job and many places did he roam

                 He found no work that suits his age and skills

                 He met his friends and pursued his efforts still;

                Shankar prompted his master to purchase

                 A fertile strip of land and give him that on lease

                And promised his master a considerable gain

                Sitting at home without much toil and strain;

               The master felt his servant’s advice as right

                He put all his savings with trust and delight

                Shankar made much profits from his master’s farm

                For a few years he made his master happy and calm;

                By giving true accounts of profits he got

                An upright servant sent by God his master thought;

                 As time went on, Shankar’s ambition grew and grew

                 His master’s blind belief and trust in him he knew;

                 Citing some problems by and by he reduced the gains;

                 Much trust still in Shankar, his master did retain;

                  Shankar visited his master’s home every year

                  To show his gratitude with accounts clear;

                  Expressing regrets for dwindling income

                  Still promising prospects in years to come;

                  He regaled the kids with his gifts and sweets

                  He ever squatted on floor but never on a seat;

                  His humble manners made all trust his words and heart

                  An honest person he was, they always thought;

                  Years passed as Shankar grabbed gains more and more

                  Burdening his master with debts galore;

                  Far away from his farm his master did not know

                  His servant’s cunning hypocritical show;

                  Unable to pursue this failing enterprise

                  At last, he listened to his servant’s advice;

                  The rich fertile land did he sell with grief

                  To stop making more debts and get relief;

                   Shankar procured this farm at a throw-away price

                   Looting his lord he built a mansion nice;

                   He stopped his visits to his master’s door

                   Who lost his savings and became too poor;

                   The credulous master heard not others’ advice

                   Became a poor victim to his servant’s lies;

                   Shankar became a landlord with a rich estate

                   His master found himself in a fallen state.

                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                27th march, 2019                                Somaseshu Gutala
                      

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