A Note on Steven’s “SUNDAY MORNING”

This poem was published in part in November 1915 issue of “Poetry” journal and later in full in “Harmonium” the first collection of Steven’s poems in 1923. Many of Steven’s poems deal with use of Nature, death, religion, art and philosophy to explore profound themes. This poem consists of eight fifteen-line stanzas written in loose blank verse of a power unmatched by any English poet since Wordsworth except Robert Browning. This poem is full of vivid imagery, Biblical allusions and challenging syntax.

 This poem deals with the ultimate question of the meaning of human existence. The poem begins with the scene of an old woman sitting comfortably over a late breakfast on a Sunday morning musing over crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The woman relaxes in her chair enjoying her morning. She felt like a green parrot. She dreams about Christ’s crucifixion which belonged to mute past times. She dreams of going back to Palestine crossing the silent waters of time. The ancient country where Christ dwelt represented death, tombs and bloodshed. The pleasant domestic feeling of the old woman dressed in peignoir relaxing in a chair on the carpet with the painted figure of a green cockatoo suggests the woman flouting the norms of her era by skipping church and preferring to stay at home enjoying her morning breakfast. This type of nonconformity to tradition or convention is seen in poems of Emily Dickinson and Romantic poets who preferred naturalism over religion. T.E. Hulme defines naturalism as the “spilt religion” which provides a secular spirituality as a backdrop to this poem. Stevens employs a sonorous and sensuous diction suggesting the dreamy mood, fantasy and vision of Romantics like Coleridge, Blake and Keats.

 

In the second stanza the woman questions the validity of the vague concept of religion without any concrete promise and palpable feelings. “Why should she give her bounty to the dead?”. Her bounty comprises herself—her mind, body and her heart. Why should she pledge these to dead gods and beliefs, to the kind of divinity which manifests itself briefly and ambiguously? She tries to find religion within her own self. The responses and experiences of herself to the warm sun, ripe fruit, green parrots and other scenes evoke a religious feeling within her.  “Divinity must live within herself” assimilating all the pleasures and pains if earthly experiences around her.

 

 The third stanza repeats the mythical existence of Jove who is the master but not understood. He moved among us until our blood interacted with heaven.  He descended from his superhuman level to experience like humans by commingling his blood with persons as seen in ancient tales of gods seducing humans. (Jove in the form of a swan seduced Leda, a Spartan queen. He fell in love with Europa, a princess and carried her disguised as a beautiful white bull). This commingling suggests the virginal birth of Jesus. The star represents the star of Bethlehem. The poet questions whether this will lead to humans deposing and discarding their gods and forming a friendly and harmonious relationship with Nature. By means of this relationship we can turn earth into a paradise. Then the sky seems no more a dividing barrier but a friendly gateway sharing our pleasure and pain, the inseparable parts of human existence. “The sky will be much friendlier now/Not this dividing and indifferent blue.” The death of numerous myths justify that they have lost their relevance and value. 

The fourth stanza presents a catalogue of intangible objects of tradition and fictions of immortality that have lost their relevance to earthly reality. M.H. Abrahams said that this passage resembled Wordsworth’s thoughts in “Recluse” who tried to salvage paradise doomed to be a fiction by locating it in “the common day.” The chimera, the prophets, the underworld, the melodious isle and the visionary south cannot be experienced as April’s green as image of world’s continuity. The flying swallows represent change and movement. The woman finds consummation of her feelings in watching earthly sights. The bird’s sweet questionings challenging the misty fields confirm the woman’s doubts about the death of Jesus and the birth of Jove in the cloudy sky. Her vivid apprehension of the world even in retrospect or prospect is more powerful than imaginary creation.

 In the fourth stanza the poet affirms that the woman’s personal memories and desires will retain their potency longer than any vision of paradise. “Like her remembrance of awakened birds/Or her desire for June and evening, tipped/By the consummation of the swallow’s wings.”

 The fifth stanza depicts the earthly sensuality just like Keats did in “The Eve of St. Agnes Eve”. The woman feels imperishable bliss in the world of temporary pleasures. She finds answer in death who offers us fulfilment. She is called “the mother of beauty” who motivates people to enjoy the present and their senses are sharpened with the knowledge of inevitable death. Our lives are wanderings in a wood and our achievements and our mistakes will be buried with our bodies. The words “strews, stray and littering” suggest the possibility of many oaths and randomness of life with a sense of mystery. The trembling willow leaves represent changing nature of worldly reality. The plums and pears just gathered from grass and picked from the trees show how every moment comes to fruition and pass into oblivion.  The image of maidens sitting and gazing on the grass and the boys piling plums and pears on the plate suggest the earthly experiences which pass into oblivion soon. Yet they derive satisfaction in these transient things though they know that they are not permanent. The famous line “Death is the mother of beauty” recalls Keats’ lines “Now much more than ever seems it rich to die” in “Ode to a Nightingale” and “A thing of beauty is a joy forever” in Keats’ “Endymion”. Like terminally ill Keats Stevens recognized that the foreknowledge of mortality and loss fosters our most intense sensations- the mingled pleasure and pain- we experience as beauty.

The sixth stanza shows the static beauty of the paradise without change. The sterile unchanging heaven evokes the frozen scene in Keats’ famous poem “Ode on a Grecian urn.” There the ripe fruit never falls and there is no need for lutes since there is no place for melancholy in paradise. The poet has no fascination for such a place where rivers do not flow to join the sea. The woman’s needs can be answered only by the world’s temporal beauty and for her paradise is another version of our caring mother. The burning bosom refers to the beauty creating finality of death beyond any logic. “Death is the mother of beauty, mystical/Within whose burning bosom we devise/Our earthly mothers waiting sleeplessly.”

In the seventh stanza the woman experiences earthly paradise. The pagan form of worship participating in the joy of creation suggests the need for harmonious relationship with nature. The vanishing dew suggests the brief existence of our relationships. The collective chanting of men indicates their desire to be close to their god. To them sun is not a god. It is a sign of divinity. Paradise is their desire to be greeted in death by their earthly mothers. The sun as a symbol of divinity refers to the narrator’s attempt to go back to primordial condition.

In the last poem the woman comes out of her daydream and returns to the world of reality. The woman hears a voice that cries that the death of Jesus was like any other death and that his tomb is merely a grave, and not the threshold of another world. Dream gives way to reality. This earth is created out of the chaos and depends only on the sun’s appearance and disappearance. Our world is a solitary place without any superhuman or supernatural presence. Imagination alone imposes order on it. To feel free in this world we should have primitive faith in Nature and trust Her who protects us like her own children. The images of deer walking upon the mountains, the whistling quails, the sweet berries in wilderness indicate the friendliness of our environment and freedom of earthly reality. The ambiguous movements of flying pigeons suggest the unknowable and incomplete search for divinity. The woman‘s desire to go back to Palestine indicates that paradise, inner divinity and imperishable bliss depend upon the restoration of some primordial state.

These lines reveal the narrator’s sceptic view of resurrection and religious concept of heaven. The narrator prefers inner divinity and a friendlier sky without mythical gods. Though the real world seems chaotic with a sense of isolation, one feels free with so many sources of delight. The vision of dancing men celebrating their devotion to the sun represents humanity stripped of pretensions and illusions.   The lines “whence they came and whither they shall go/The dew upon their feet shall manifest” suggest a kind of redemption by way of reabsorption into Nature.  “Their chant shall be a chant of paradise/Out of their blood, returning to the sky.“

This poem shows the poet as a hedonist who believes in earthly religion. The sensuous images and graceful rhythm show his preference for worldly pleasures and pains rather than mysterious dreamy concept of paradise. Steven’s poems are questionings and enquiries. More than disbelief it is this irresolution that marks the poem as modern. The celebration of freedom and spontaneity are quintessentially American. This poem is partly metaphysical and partly romantic and explores the idea of the origin and end of the human belief. The belief in supernatural gods is breaking down. So humans have to re-invent fresh modes of belief based on reality. The Christian belief in fear and guilt, sacrifice and future rewards need to be balanced by sensual experience in the real, tangible world. Stevens felt that it was the job of poetry to fill this void left by the melt down of religious faith. Using the influence of French symbolists and French painters and the use of imagination the poet tried to shape a new reality to help replace the old supernatural beliefs.

This poem looks at the history of religious gods and the human relationship with them.  Mythical gods are beyond the human sphere and now gods are to be found within each individual human being. “Divinity must live within herself.” Steven explores the contrast between our beautiful perishing reality and static fantasy land we struggle to imagine. Keats in his “Ode on Grecian Urn” likewise contrasts the static cold pastoral and pagan celebration with dynamic flux of life. This poem bears out Stevens’ claim” the poem is simply an expression of paganism.” The literary critic Yvor Winters considered “Sunday Morning” as “the greatest poem of the twentieth century….. and one of the greatest contemplative poems in English.”  Helen Vendler summarized the poem as Stevens’s search for “a systematic truth that could replace the Christianity of his churchgoing boyhood.” Robert Buttel opines that both Stevens and Henri Matisse, the French painter tried “to transform a pagan joy of life into highly civilized terms.”

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

       28th January, 2021                                    Somaseshu Gutala

 

 

 

 

 

A Note On “Peter Quince At The Clavier"

    

 Like other symbolist poets Stevens also uses the image of music and musical terminology. The titles of many of his poems evoke a world beyond the world of facts, a world rich in legend and sensuous meanings. This poem is based on an anecdote from the apocryphal book of Daniel. Susanna (which means “lily” in Hebrew) was the beautiful and virtuous wife of Joakim in Babylon. Susanna fails to be seduced by court officials who spy upon her bathing in the garden. They accuse her as an adulteress and pass death sentence on her. She was about to be put to death. Just then a young man, Daniel, exposed the villainous nature of elders and saved Susanna. The elders were punished with death for their false accusations.

  In Shakespeare’s “A midsummer night’s dream”, Peter Quince, a carpenter with literary pretentions presents an interlude with his unskilled actors on the occasion of the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. In Steven’s poem Peter Quince is a serious thinker on the relationship between music and feeling. He is seen presenting a musical rendering of Susanna’s story on a clavier (a keyboard musical instrument). Stevens framed this poem just like sonata, a musical symphony with four parts; exposition, development, recapitulation and conclusion or coda. The four distinct parts with formal features and rhythms reveal the changes in mood, tempo and emphasis. This poem is suggestive of Keats’s famous lines “Beauty is truth, truth beauty, that is all/ Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.” 

The first part shows the lustful and sensual attitude of the elders who were fascinated by Susanna’s body when she was bathing in a pool. The second part describes the pure aesthetic delight felt by Susanna while she was bathing and enjoying the cool touch of refreshing waters and the touch of dew on green leaves. She hears music in various sounds of Nature and senses a unity in everything around her. Only the last two lines hint at the cruel authority which tries to destroy her serene mood. (A cymbal crashed/ and roaring horns.”)

 In the third part in five tightly rhymed couplets the point of view of her weak-willed attendants who arrived too late to help her is shown. The last part shifts from brief and concise nature of Susanna’s story to deeply reflective and philosophical tone. The sixteen rhymed lines of this part show the tight and reasoned argument and logic of a sonnet.

Though beauty is momentary it is immortal in our minds. The narrator on seeing his beloved reflects on the beauty of Susanna whose beauty lives in his beloved and in Quince’s musical attempt to consecrate Susanna’s beauty by re-telling her story. The last six lines are said to be the most gorgeous in English language and place Stevens in the company of great poets like Sappho, Shakespeare and Keats. The poem develops the theme that music is feeling by combining poetic devices like alliteration, assonance and consonance. The phrase “pulse pizicatti of Hosanna” mimics the plucking of strings. (piozzicato means in Italian "to pluck the strings of a stringed instrument")

 Stevens uses carefully selected and arranged colours to frame the physical and temporal context of the two different segments of the poem. The blue-shadowed silk suggests the beauty of his beloved and his power of imagination. The green evening and the green water indicate the natural and pure charm of Susanna and her chaste heart. The phrase “red-eyed elders” suggest the lustful attitude of elders. Similarly, “the bawdy strings of those white elders” in contrast to green life suggest a condition deprived of colour and warmth. The phrase “clear viol of her memory” indicates a beauty removed from senses to immortal level. Thus, the colours are symbolic of characters’ attitudes and they set up a framework for plot development. 

 Music, according to the poet, is not sounds but acts on spirit producing feelings. So, the lovely feelings aroused in the poet on contemplation of his beloved’s beauty is like the heart-throbbing music. Here the poet refers to the beauty of Susanna bathing in green waters of the garden which aroused similar feelings in the red eyes of elders who secretly watched her. The chords of their bosoms were plucked by her bewitching beauty. Susanna too felt refreshed by touching the springs of fresh water and experienced calmness by the touch of dew on green leaves. As she walked upon the grass the winds accompanied her like timid maids to cover her body. She felt the hot breath on her hand and turned with awe. Her sense of panic is suggested by the sounds of crashing cymbals and roaring ng horns. The attendants entered soon with the sound of loud tambourines. The elders’ voices accusing Susanna swept like whispering sound of rain through willows. The attendants uplifted their flames and beheld the bare body of Susanna. They fled away with loud sound of tambourines. 

 Here the poet praises the concept of beauty concretely expressed or manifested through body. It always lives like the beauty of evening or a wave continuously flowing. The abstract beauty is vague like a momentary flash seen through a portal. A maiden’s beauty always remains in memory like the fragrance of the garden after the plants die. It lingers like the scent of flowers in bleak winter. The poet compares the death of lovely maidens to choral celebrations as their beauty lives immortalized in art. Death’s ironic scraping sound will not atop her beauty being praised by art, which is as holy as sacrament, a kind of purificatory rite. The elders with their villainy exposed had to listen to the harsh sound of death. Susanna’s beauty is immortalized by Peter Quince’s music which represents art. The whole poem is a musical architecture which organically serves to portray the thematic and emotional feelings. The style is very sensuous and lyrical with smooth flowing rhythm.

Thus, the poet in this poem shows the relationship between art and beauty. Art in this poem is represented by music played by Peter Quince. Beauty is represented by Susanna. Beauty and art are interdependent. “Beauty is momentary in mind—/The fitful tracing of a portal; /But in flesh it is immortal.” The vague notion of beauty in mind cannot be felt whereas the physical beauty is sensuous and can be experienced by senses and by heart. “The body dies; the body’s beauty lives” reiterates the permanence of physical beauty immortalized by art and fond memories in mind. Beauty is sanctified like the auroral celebration of a maiden’s choral and is made a sacrament (a sacred rite) by the magic touch of art and music. The poet uses religious terms to indicate the noble influence of chaste beauty and art. The poet believes that art and imagination can impose order on this chaotic world. In his view true harmony is achieved through a transformation of factual reality into poetic reality. Poetry for him is like a missal (a book of prayers) and is verily a substitute for religion in the modern world which has lost faith.

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

   18th January, 2021                                        Somaseshu Gutala

 

A Note On “ The Emperor of Ice Cream”

"The Emperor of ice cream” was published in Wallace Steven’s first collection of Poetry “Harmonium” in 1922. According to Paul Mariani, Steven’s biographer, this is one of the personal favourite poems of the poet.

The title of the poem may appear quite strange and incongruous. Wallace Stevens like a ringmaster performs feats with unusual word combinations. The poem has two stanzas which depict two different aspects of our life. The poet sets up a contrast between earthly pleasures and death, between appearance and stark reality. The first part describes the earthly pleasures, routine pleasures and activities. An unseen character orders a muscular person who rolls cigars to whip ice cream and curds in kitchen cups. The roller of big cigars and ice cream cups represent earthly pleasures. The words “muscular” and “concupiscent” (lustful) suggest sensual aspects of life. The sentence “Let the wenches dawdle in such dress as they are used to wear” suggest the drab aspect and disillusionment of reality in spite of its sensual pleasures. The word “wenches” again suggests something cheap and sensual. The sentence “Let the boys bring flowers in the last month’s newspapers” again suggest the transient nature of earthly pleasures just like newspapers which have become useful only as wrapping covers. The ambiguous line “Let be be the finale of seem” refers to the end of appearances rather than things that are actually are.

 All our earthly activities are like scenes in a play. They are fleeting experiences without any solid existence. The image of “Ice cream” represents the dual aspect of our existence. It is very tasty and pleasant but at the same time it melts away gradually just like our lives. The coldness also suggests the finality of dissolution and death. “The only emperor is the emperor of the ice cream” suggests the almighty controlling power of Time which changes everything. The cold ice cream also suggests the impending death and dissolution. In this part of the poem the poet describes the festive celebration of death observed in some Canadian or red Indian American tribes at the time of a person’s death. 

The second part of the poem portrays the gloomy scene of a dead woman wrapped in a shroud. The shroud was previously embroidered with flowers by the dead woman The cupboard (“the dresser of deal lacking the three glass knobs”) with three knobs missing the  kitchen cups and the cheap dress worn by girls suggest the poor background of the dead woman. Her horny protruding feet indicate her hard life and stark reality which triumphs over illusory and gaudy appearances. “Let the lamp affix its beam” reiterates this fact that reality cannot be hidden and one should clearly see and accept one’s own destiny or real condition. The line “The only emperor is the emperor of ice cream” is reiterated to emphasize the controlling power of time. The mysterious person who gives orders to others reveals the dual aspect of dynamic life (embodied in the symbol of melting ice cream, flowers and burning cigars) and static death both of which are inseparable parts of our lives.

Stevens uses striking, original imagery with profound meaning and symbolic significance. The tone is quite impersonal and balanced without any passionate effusion. The style is quite simple with smooth, flowing rhythm. Though it is written in free verse the lines are quite balanced and musical as the poet used rhetorical devices like alliteration (concupiscent curds), assonance (Let be be finale of seem). The poet portrays the earthly joys of life though they are transient. The poet seems to give equal importance to earthly pleasures of life and ultimate reality as he believes that “A poem should stimulate the sense of living and be of being alive.”

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

  11th January, 2021                               Somaseshu Gutala

The Tale of Jambavanth

 

Krishna fighting with Jambavanth

Jambavanth giving his daughter Jambavati in Marriage to Krishna

Whole Ramayana in a single picture

Hanuman, Sugreeva and Jambavanth

Vanaras building bridge to cross the ocean

Nala (the architect) and Nil 

    How foolish and egoistic I was, now I feel

    What reckless boon I did entreat from supreme God?

    What use of bragging myself as a vassal

    Of Ram, Dharma incarnate in purest form?

    Though born by blessings of Brahma, the Creator great

    Though gifted with enormous strength and valor

    Though blessed with longest lease of life

    I fumbled in recognizing my dearest lord;

    My foolish wish revealed my pride and ignorance;

    Have I lost my deep penetrating vision?

    Have I lost my sharp strategic scheming mind?

    Have I lost my discrimination and wisdom profound?

    If not what arrogant vain wish I asked

    To fight with almighty God of all worlds

    The source and substratum of all existence?

    Our mortal strength leads us to alleys blind

    To sink ourselves in hellish chasms deep;

    The strongest of all Vanaras all thought

    Myself, Vali, Angad and Hanuman

    Along with Nala, son of architect divine

    Along with Nila, son of sacred fire;

    My long-lived existence allowed me chance

   Of witnessing Lord’s incarnations nine

   A blessed gift indeed by Vishnu given;

   A celestial wonder for me to see the Lord

   Manifesting Himself as gargantuan tortoise

   To bear the mighty Mandar mountain

   On his sturdy adamantine back

   As Devas and demons churned the milky sea

   Seeking Amrit to transcend almighty death;

   Too blessed I deem myself to go around

   Lord Trivikram so many times

   As he pressed Bali down to nether world

  To claim His share of land; ever-expanding his form

  Touching heaven and earth, the universe entire;

  Most blessed I deem myself to behold

  The most handsome and righteous form of Lord

  Whose charming visage cast a magic spell

  Even on gods, sages and hermits divine;

  To meet and confer with him, I sent

  My trustworthy friend, Hanuman wise

  Who instantly became Ram’s loyal vasal

  And mitigated the grief of Sugreeva

  By making them both beloved friends.

  To search for Ram’s missing dear spouse, I chose

  The valiant son of Vayu with mystic powers

  To cross the southern seas leaping from Mahindra’s hill

  Though capable, restrained by age, I withdrew;

  A rare unforgettable battle scene

  In Lanka between demons and our own army

  Even gods witnessed this war from skies

  The bravest encounter between Ram and Ravan

  To see the occult viles of evil demons

  At last defeated by mighty princes great;

  When Lakshman swooned in the battle field

  I sent the son of Kesari to fly aloft

  And bring life-giving Himalayan herb;

  I blew the wits of the demon king

  With my thundering blows and made him flee;

  All of us rejoiced in the glorious victory

  Of Ram and crushing downfall of demons;

  As leading chief of Vanara’s army

  Many accolades and praise I got from all

My Lord granted gifts and boons to all of us;

I did misuse my precious chance I got

Will anyone desire to fight with God

Who gave him breath of life, body and soul?

That too with whom even gods fear to fight

With most merciful, forgiving ocean of grace?

Was I ignorant of Ram’s miraculous deeds?

Whose lotus feet absolved the curse

And turned a stone into a virtuous wife;

Whose single dart slayed the demoness fierce;

Whose single dart burnt Subahu soon;

 Shrewd Mareecha trembled with cowardly fear

 When he was hurled like a feather across the ocean

 By power of Ram’s piercing darts;

 Yielding to his nephew’s crooked plans

 Disguised as a golden deer he tried to distract

 The princes to help his evil demon king

 In abducting chaste virtuous Ram’s consort;

 And chose to die afraid of Ravan’s wrath;

 Had I not heard how Ram slayed Subahu’s son

 Makarakasha who with vengeful ire hurled

 Shiva’s spike to avenge his father’s death?

 Had I not heard how Ram lifted Rudra’s bow

 Just like a toy and broke it with ease?

 Had I not heard how Ram transformed a blade

 Of forest grass into a mighty weapon

 To punish Indra’s son who came to harass

 Sita at Chitrakut with swollen pride?  

 Had I not heard how Ram did fight alone

 To wipe out fourteen thousand demons in a trice

 Like forest fire reducing everything to ashes?

 Had I not seen how Ram did fell seven sturdy palms

 With one single dart with swift ligtning force?

  Had I not seen how he threw the weighty skeleton

  Of the bull-demon with a single touch of his foot?

  Had I not seen how Ocean-god shook with fear

  When Ram lifted his bow to dry the entire sea;

  So many thousands of years I did wait

  Meditating in my dismal cave

  To see my Lord and fulfill my crazy wish;

  Blinded by passion and overweening pride

  My Lord in Krishna I had not seen;

  To defend my daughter and retain this precious gem

  I snatched from lion’s mouth I madly fought

  Throwing boulders and thundering blows with my Lord

  So many days with prodigious strength

  As he with a mischievous smile warded off my blows

  And with mighty fists felled me down and with his mace

  Struck me almost dead-tired and weak;

  And now his power and prowess enfeebled me

  Exhausting all my strength and laid me down;

  I feel almost sinking on the threshold of death

  Who but Ram can face my gigantic power

  And crush me with his almighty fighting skills?

  I surrender now to my Lord with joyful tears;

  His loving touch soothed me and quelled my fears;

  To make amends for my grievous faults

  I fall before his forgiving lotus feet

  And give the precious gem I seized from the lion

  Along with my dear daughter and ask his pardon

  Surrendering all my egoistic pride;

  Blessed I feel myself to see my Lord again;

  And now I feel to retire in peace to Brahma’s world

  And pray to Ram till I attain salvation and peace.

 

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

    6th January, 2021                             Somaseshu Gutala

 

Note:  Jambavanth belonged to the clan Riksha race (wild bears) and was born with Brahma’s boon. He was a knowledgeable person and knew about administration, war strategies, medicines and Dharma. He was the main advisor to Sugreeva, the Vanara king.  He was gifted with a long lease of life and so he was blessed enough to witness the nine incarnations of Lord Vishnu. He had the strength of ten million lions. He was the head of the Vanara army. He was main motivator who encouraged Hanuman to cross the ocean and go in search of Sita. He sent Hanuman to negotiate with Ram when he saw him near Rishyamuka mountain. He fought bravely with Ravan who lost his consciousness and was rescued by his charioteer. He described the qualities and appearance of the Himalayan herb, Sanjeevani, when Hanuman went to bring it to revive Lakshman in the battle field. After the war was won, Ram asked Jambavanth to ask for any boon. Jambavanth expressed his desire to fight with Ram. Lord Ram assured him that his desire would be fulfilled after many years by the end of Dwapar Yuga. So Jambavanth went and lived in a cave and spent his time in meditating on Lord Ram. When Krishna came to the forest searching for the precious gem, Syamnatak jewel, he saw a girl wearing that gem as an ornament. The girl cried on seeing Krishna enter the cave. Jambavanth became very furious and fought with Krishna for twenty- eight days and later became very much exhausted and weak. Then he realized that the person who defeated him was none other than Lord Ram who came to fulfill his desire to fight with him. He realized his mistake and asked Krishna to pardon him. Krishna manifested Himself as Rama to make Jambavanth happy. Jambavanth prostrated before him and surrendered the precious jewel and requested Krishna to accept his daughter also as his spouse. Later he left for Brahma Loka to spend time in doing penance till he got salvation.    

References :

 Demoness fierce—Tadaka, a terrific demoness along with her sons, Subahu and Mareecha used to harass and attack rishis performing yajnas in the forest. Rama on behest of sage Viswamitra killed her when she came desecrate Viswamitra’s Yagna and tried to devour him and Lakshmana in the forest. Subahu was killed by Rama with Agneyaastra and Mareecha was hurled by Rama’s arrow (Pavanaastra) one hundred leagues away into the ocean. Mareecha compelled by Ravana later transformed himself into a golden deer to divert Rama from Ashram so that Ravana could abduct Sita in the guise of a hermit. Rama killed the golden deer. Even then Mareecha shouted mimicking the voice of Rama to distract Lakshmana’s attention and leave Sita alone in the hermitage. 

Khara was half- brother of Ravan and was the ruler of Dandakaranya kingdom with Janasthan as the capital. Khara and Dhushana along with fourteen thousand powerful demons attacked Rama in Janasthan when Lakshman mutilated Ravana’s sister who came to tempt Ram and Lakshman. Dhushana, Khara’s brother and the commander of the army was killed by Rama. Another demon Trishiras was also killed by him. Rama killed Khara with Indrastra and the other remaining demons single handed within a span of 72 minutes. 

The precious jewel – Satrajit, a Yadava king worshipped the Sun God with devotion. Pleased with his prayers the sun god offered him a precious jewel called Syamantaka jewel which used to produce (eight bauruas)170 pounds of gold every day. Krishna once visited him and suggested that Satrajit should give that jewel to Ugrasena, the supreme leader of Yadavas. Satrajit refused Krishna’s suggestion and later gave it to his brother Prasen who wore it and went out for hunting. A lion mistook the jewel for a piece of red flesh and attacked Prasen and killed him. When Jambavanth saw the red jewel carried by the lion, he fought and killed the lion and took it away.  Meanwhile Satrajit suspected that Krishna might have killed his brother and stolen the jewel. To free himself from this accusation, Krishna went in search of the jewel and found the corpse of Prasen and the lion in the forest. Following the tracks of a bear he entered Jambavanth’s cave and saw a girl playing with the jewel. Hearing the cries of the girl, Jambavanth came and fought with Krishna with various weapons for twenty- eight days. Jambavanth lost all his strength and was weakened by the powerful blows of Krishna. Then he remembered the boon he had asked from Rama and realized that Krishna was none other than Rama with whom he wished to fight. He felt repentant and later surrendered the jewel and also gave his daughter in marriage to Krishna with devotion and joy. 

Nala –son of Vishwakarma who helped Rama in Building a bridge across the ocean covering a distance of ten yojanas (80miles 0r 130 kms) called Ram Setu. In the battle he killed a giant called Tapana.

Nila – son of Agni who killed demons like Nikhumbha, Prahastha and Mahodara. He was a chieftain in the army Rama. In some versions Nala and Nila are described as the builders of the bridge across the ocean.

Makaraksha – Khara’s son who attacked Rama to avenge his father’s death. He hurled the powerful spike given to him by Shiva. Rama cut off the hands of Makaraksha with a crescent shaped arrow and invoked Agneyastra to kill him.

Indra’s son – Kakasura, Indra’s son, assuming the form of a crow pecked at Sita’s bosom while Rama was sleeping on her lap at Chitrakut. Rama woke up and saw the blood- stained bosom of Sita. He plucked a blade of grass and converted it into a powerful dart and threw it at the wicked crow. Kakasura fled through three worlds to seek protection in vain. At last, he fell at the feet of Rama begging pardon. The crow lost eyesight in one eye as a punishment for his offence.

                        ######################################

 

 

 

  

 

  

  

  

TO Dear N.S.

                    

                                         

    

    In spite of growing years, in you I find

    No change in attitude and mind;

    Ever active and dynamic you seem

    Ever humane, helpful and happy I deem

    Unchanging like bright solar rays

    Bringing warmth and illuminating days;    

    Right from boyhood you toiled hard and kept pace

    With changing times and learnt new methods  and ways;

    In your thirst for learning new skills is seen

   Your flexible approach and insight keen;

   Your service testifies brilliant record

   Of solving many issues without discord;

   In every task you played an active part

   Your friendly words, courage and hope impart;

   For justice and fair cause, you always fought

  And helped your retired colleagues a lot;  

   Ever ready to help others in every crisis

   You never lagged behind, but tried to solve with ease.  

   A happy, healthy life to you always

   May God give you, with humble heart I pray.

         

  2nd January, 2020                                Somaseshu Gutala

THE TALE OF SUDAMA

 

           I felt too happy to see my dearest mate

           Ruling Dwaraka like the lord of heavenly gods

           His royal splendor and pomp I never imagined

           Who once did move with me like a rustic lad

           Who would believe that I, a poor begging Brahmin

           Had the fortune of making friends with him?

           Those happy bygone times I never forget

           When I had moved with Krishna in the forest retreat

           Of sage Sandeepan great to learn the Vedic lore;

           He never displayed his royal pride and power

           He moved with ease regaling all inmates

           Playing on his flute enchanting melodies;

           None thought about his mysterious powers

           Neither did he flaunt or brag glorious feats;

           But ever remained a playful friendly companion to all;

          While we struggled with precise tones of Vedic hymns 

          He mastered effortlessly whatever he heard

          As if he knew already all by heart;

          We gaped with wonder at his erudition and wisdom vast

          Whatever he did no trace of strain or stress was seen

          Everything he did in a sportive way performing best

          In his ever- cheerful countenance, I found

         A mystic attraction with fascinating eyes

         His dusky complexion beamed like sapphire

         His lovely figure in all joy and love inspire

        Surely something divine in him concealed

        Though simple and innocent he did act and speak

        Though some ill-speak of him as a juggling lad;

       Can a small child suck out the life of a demoness

       Who tried to kill him with her poisoned milk?

        Can a small child break the gigantic flying wheel?

        Can a small child slay the wild demon-horse

        That gaped his jaws to devour and kick him down?

        Can a small child burst open the monstrous python’s guts

        And free his captured cowherd friends and cattle alive?

        Can a small child kill a charging bull with menacing horns

        With threatening red eyes to gore all kids? 

        Can a small child break open the monstrous stork

        Rushing with wide open beak spitting fire?

        Can a small child swallow the raging forest fire

       To save his cattle and mates shouting for help?        

        Can a small child unfold the cosmic wonders

        Within his mouth while his mother stood dazed with surprise?

        Can a small child uplift the lofty mountain on his finger

         Just like a ball and stand steadfast for seven days

         For his people to seek refuge with their kids and cows

         And subjugate Indra’s vain wounded pride?

         Can a small child dance with tiny feet on poisonous hoods

         Of a mighty serpent and drive him out of the village pond

        To save his people and cattle from its poisonous breath?

        Can a small child assume the forms of all his friends and cattle

        For one full year and gladden the hearts of parents

        At Gokul when Lord Brahma kidnapped all creatures

        And hid them in a cave to show off his divine

        Supremacy, but felt humbled by the tiny tot?

        How Krishna dived into the river at once

        And brought back to life our teacher’s son

        Drowned long ago from struck by cruel fate!

        Dire death himself humbly cringed before him

        And gave back the child alive as in a dream;

       The most precious gift who can give but he

       Who can transcend both life and death? 

       Surely my friend God in human form I trust

       Blessed are Gopis who shared with him all they possess

       And tasted bliss supreme in his presence;

       Blessed is Brindavan where Krishna danced with them;

      With every maid manifesting in various forms;

      Blessed are the waters of Yamuna where Krishna swam;

      Blessed are the birds, cattle, hills and trees

      That felt the touch of Krishna’s lotus feet;

      No wonder to know that Nanda’s dearest friend

      Rolled with mad ecstasy shedding tears of joy

      On foot-prints of Krishna on Yamuna’s sands;

      And yet my friend tricks me to treat him

      Like a human being with playful innocent looks;

      How foolish I was when I went with my friend to get

      Tall kusha grass for our preceptor great

     When I bluffed saying my teeth chattered in wintry night

     While munching peas in stealth to quench my hunger

     Letting my friend alone to starve with hunger!

     I hang my head in shame for lying even to God;

     He with whom I did chat in casual ways

     Ignorant of his form resplendent and divine

      Now shines like radiant sun of Yadav clan

     Lord of Dwaraka, the richest island in western seas

     Honoured by all, including gods, sages and saints;

     While I, a Brahmin poor with a family large

     Wander from door to door to earn my daily bread

     To feed my kids burning with hunger

     Though I care for my household gods and daily rituals

     Offering ablutions to sun and sacred fire;

     Never can I forget Krishna’s beautiful form

     He shines like a moving cloud crowned with rainbow tints

     Beaming with gems and dressed in yellow silken robes;

     Arousing in every heart pure devotion and joy

     Pure spiritual bliss and love incarnate

     His form ever resides within my bosom

     Never thought of visiting his royal palace

    Though oft compelled by my spouse to seek his help

    At least to save my starving children;

    Besides who would believe a beggar like me

   With shabby beard and torn dress

   A friend of Krishna whom three worlds obey

   The guards would mock at me as a man insane

   Laughing at my entreaties vain;

  Abject sense of shame and fear darkened my brow

  As I approached with fluttering heart the royal gate

  No worthy gift I had but a knot of stale beaten rice;

  As if by grace of God, my friend himself came out

  Seeing my face-- with arms outstretched smiling with joy

  Hugged this poor Brahmin’s emaciated form;

  He led me warmly clasping through royal corridors

  Decked with paintings and marble sculptures carved

  To the royal chamber where his spouses dwelt;

  My mind felt dizzy with unbelievable delight 

  He offered his best throne for me to sit at ease

  As he with his chief royal queen washed my feet

  With sandal-scented water spouting through silver vase

  And honoured me with garlands and silken upper cloth

  Offered me syrups to quench my thirst and weariness;

 As his spouses waved cool breeze with pea-cock feathered fans;

 Dumbfounded did I stare as if I had a dream too far

 Above my status; while Krishna recounted his student days

 Fondly recounting the happy times we spent;

Of witty incidents and pranks we played

No change did I perceive in him and his talk;

The royal status and power did not vitiate

 His noble nature and simple, friendly manners ;

With jovial looks he asked me what gift I had brought

As I did shrink with shame as to what to reveal

He searched and searched till he did see

And untied the knot of my upper cloth

As I stood shuddering with fear and utter shame;

He hugged me for my poor gift and thanked me a lot

Munching with great relish a handful of beaten rice

While his queens stared with wonder and confounded looks;

His selfless, pure love immersed me in bliss

Krishna’s overwhelming love more precious than heaven

I did forget my task for which I came

Nothing I wished, nothing I required

Absorbed in Krishna’s thoughts forgot myself

Thanking him profuse, his palace reluctant I left;

Unwilling to miss his gracious form benign;

Like a soul leaving the gates of paradise;

And sinking back to gloomy abyss mired in poverty;

But, lo! My humble hut nowhere I saw

And there a golden mansion fit for princes to dwell

I mused whether I lost my way or reached wrong abode

My spouse and children dressed in cosy silken robes

Hailed me as I stood confused with wonder

Shocked and dazed I stood motionless and mute;

No words I found to thank my kindest lord

Who showered heavenly affluence unsought

On me a worthless begging Brahmin poor;

Nothing more I desire, Lord of three worlds!

Let me dedicate my life to Thee

Musing on thy lotus feet and holy name

My whole body thrills to think of thy sweetest form.

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

   20th December, 2020                                   Somaseshu Gutala

Note:

Lord Sri Krishna and Sudama studied in Sage Sandeepan’s ashram near Avanti.  It is said that Krishna and Bal Ram stayed here for 64 days to learn 64 vidyas . As a boy Krishna faced many dangers from his uncle Kamsa, Madura’s ruler. He sent many demons and tried to kill him. Krishna killed many demons like Putana, Shakatasura, Aghasura, Keshi and Bakasura etc. Even he subjugated the arrogance of Lord Indra by saving his people from the wrath of Indra by lifting a hill called Goverdhan. He taught a moral lesson to Brahma who prided himself as the creator of the universe by assuming the forms of cattle and gopas when Brahma kidnapped all cattle and gopas and hid them in a cave for one whole year.

 When all his schemes failed, Kamsa sent his counsellor, Akrura to invite Krishna and Balaram to a sacrifice (Dhanur Yagam) conducted by him. After killing Kamsa and installing Kamsa’a father Ugrasena as the king of Madhura, Krishna set free his parents, Devaki and Vasudeva from the prison. Later as per tradition he went to Sandeepan’s Ashram with his brother to learn Vedas and other shastras. After completing his studies, he shifted from Madhura to Dwaraka to save his people from the Magadha ruler Jarasandh who invaded Yadava kingdom seventeen times. There he ruled Yadava clan along with his brother, with the fabulous city of Dwaraka as capital which was constructed by Vishwakarma in a short span of only two days. Sudama well-known as Kuchela for his shabby appearance and torn clothes, led a life of poverty burdened with a large family. His wife, Susheela, a good housewife urged Sudama to go and meet his boyhood friend, Krishna and beg him for help to feed his starving family. Sudama, after many entreaties, reluctantly left for Dwaraka doubting whether Krishna would recognize him who was so poor that he could not carry a worthy gift for his friend. But to his utter astonishment and surprise he was well-received with royal honours and was showered with warmest affection and respect. Though poor, Sudama was rewarded for his intense devotion and selfless dedication to God.

 The episode of Sudama reveals the selfless devotion and Sakhya Bhakti (treating God as one’s closest friend) and asking for no favours from God. In return this story also reveals Krishna’s noblest example of a friend who treated him with utmost respect and affection without considering his status and position. Though Sudama had not asked him for any help, he generously gave him royal luxuries and immense wealth.  God’s boundless mercy and compassion are seen in this episode. This episode is the best example of an ideal friendship unparalleled and unprecedented and nowhere found in any age and place.  

 

    1.  Sudama--- Classmate of Krishna at the Gurukul of Sandeepan.

    2.  Kamsa --   King and uncle of Madhura of Vrishni clan.

    3. Putana—a demoness sent by Kamsa to breastfeed Krishna with poisoned milk. Krishna sucked out her life and killed her. Putana represnts enormous human ignorance which was purified by the touch of God.     

 4. Wheel-demon – Shakatasura, a demon who hid behind the cart to kill Krishna. He lifted child high into the air, Krishna increased his weight and and broke the back of the flying demon. He represents the burden of past and present evil tendencies and attachments accumulated by human being. 

 5.    Bull-demon – Kamsa sent Arishtasura  as a bull to kill Krishna. Krishna caught the bull by horns and killed the wild demon by swirling him in the air and dashing            him to the ground. He represents disregard for religion and cheating mind.

  6.  Keshi, the horse-demon – Sent by Kamsa, Keshi opened his mouth and tried to attack Krishna. Krishna caught his two legs and threw him to a great distance.When he opened his mouth Krishna thrust his arm into Keshi’s mouth and Keshi was choked to death. Keshi represents false pride and egoism.

7. Aghasura – elder brother of Putana and Bakasura. Aghasura assumed the form of an eight mile - long serpent. The gopas entered the mouth of the serpent mistaking it to be a cave. Krishna entered into Aghasura’s stomach and enlarged his size to such an extent that Aghasura struggled for breath and his body burst open resulting in death.  Aghasura represents cruelty and violence.

8. Bakasura – A demon sent by Kamsa. Assuming the form of a big stork he swallowed  Krishna. But forced by the intense heat he disgorged Krishna. The Lord grabbed Bakasura’s beak and split it into two killing him on the spot. Bakasura represents deceipt and wickedness.

9. Kaliya – A giant serpent who occupied the waters of the Kalindi river by force and turned the pond into a dangerous place by its poisonous breath. To protect gopas, Krishna jumped into the river and danced on its hoods till the giant serpent felt repentant and was willing to leave the pond along with its family to stay in Ramanaka Dweepa. The multi-hooded Kaliya represents numerous desires and egoistic pride.

10. Nanda’s friend – refers to Akrura, son of Swaphalka of Vrishni clan and was the chief counsellor of Kamsa. He was an uncle of Krishna and was sent by Kamsa to invite Krishna and Bala Ram to Madhura.  He is one of the noble devotees of Krishna.

                          ######################################