Ominscient Being. Letter O # a to z challenge

Omniscient Being you were born

Sometimes from human womb

Other times from thin air

*Ten times we know you came 

To set things right and perhaps

You have come again and again

How could we know, when we see

Feel and think through thick veils 

Of fake knowledge

Trappings of the mind

Writing down your tales 

We term them myths and Puraan*

However

It is joyous this perusal of your forms

Of joy, sorrow, heroics and victory of good over evil

Embedded 

In our cell memory of a time that is now

And a time that is long gone.

 

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashavatara
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puranas

 
I am writing poetry based on Indian mythology/history for the April 2016 A to Z challenge. Please read, comment and share freely and do come back :)

Narada's glory. Letter N of the # a to Z challenge

One who's name means disseminator of wisdom
Narada you are the wandering sage that spreads
The name of Narayan wherever your foot falls

Loka upon loka sees your effulgent presence arrive
You- the passer by, eternal witness, unbound, free-flowing
Watching and helping where you can

O Gandharva born as human
You stayed steadfast in your devotion
After death no more human

Blessed with the spiritual Narada form
Your intelligence and learning astounds
Numbing our minds with its sheer brilliance

 Humour and wit in plenty, you are
The first ever journalist, with
Temples at Chigateri and Korva

May we pass on your tales and never waver
Senses purified with telling and listening
Who knows but you may be our life saver.

 



 * Loka- world
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loka
* Two Narada temples exist in Karnataka at Chigateri and Korva

I am writing poetry based on Indian mythology/history for the April 2016 A to Z challenge. Please read, comment and share freely and do come back :)

Mandodari. Letter M for the # a to z challenge

 

Apsara Hema and Mayasura

Gave you birth, beauty most divine

You in turn had three stout lads

Meghnad, Atikaya, Akshayakumara

Once married off to Ravana of Lanka

On his forceful behest

Despite your father's angst

You agreed for you knew

Of Ravana's learning and his love

For Shiva but knew not that all of this

Was a sham for it did not help

The man lead a good life

You were chaste, epitome of 

Everything a woman was convinced she could be 

Had he followed your sage advice

Ravana could have been immortalised

But where dear reader may I ask

Is found wisdom combined 

With strength enough to take

Advice and put it to task

For sure, not where there is arrogance 

And pride combined, with power

Poor lady she tried all she could 

And never did convince her spouse

To return Mother Sita where she belonged

Who would have her own plights galore

Even after being rescued and Lanka thronged

By Sri Rama, Lakshmana and the Vaanar sena

Anyhow returning to our original heroine

She shed bitter tears when widowed and 

Issued many a curse and none benign

Finally as the written evidence goes

She married Vibhishana the just new king

Brother of Ravana, devotee

Of Sri Rama and lived a life of

Blessed tranquility.

 

*Vaanar Sena- Army of monkeys

*Apsara- Celestial nymph

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramayana

                                                      

I am writing poetry based on Indian mythology/history for the April 2016 A to Z challenge. Please read, comment and share freely and do come back :)

Lakshagraha, the lacquer palace. Letter L # a to z challenge

Dear reader here is a peek
Into the Mahabharata
Greatest epic poem ever written
Ten times combined size of Iliad and Odyssey

At par with the Bible and the Koran
Central to the civilization of Bharata
It gives us stories weaving
From one into the other

The essence Bhagavadgeeta
At its heart, the divine discourse
Of Sri Krishna in the battlefield
Which is life.

I digress, let me pull back...
Here we stand both you and I
At the gates of a palace red-hued
Made of lacquer

Shakuni, cunning Gandhara
Had Purochana build this
Seemingly grand structure
Built to burn at the drop of a spark

Trap of the worse kind
Gifted with sweet words
At the crowning of Yudhishtira
Meant to be quick burning grave

The Pandavas and Kunti forewarned
By Vidura- wise brother of Pandu and Dhritrashtra
Escaped through the tunnel
That fateful night 

Dug out and kept ready
In advance while the scheming
Bunch believed them dead
Strangely because there were bodies found

Of one woman and her spouse and sons
Purochana's family all
Who believed that he had poisoned
The Pandavas and slept drunkenly

While the Pandavas set fire to the palace
And walked sub-terraneously reaching
The shores of the welcoming Ganges 
Now dear reader let us stop

To think, how people that are right
And stick to the simple- proper path
Stay protected and are safe

End in winning their way to peace and light.

* W. J. Johnson has compared the importance of the Mahabharata in the context of world civilization to that of the Bible, the works of Shakespeare, the works of Homer, Greek drama, or the Qur'an
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabharata
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakshagraha

I am writing poetry based on Indian mythology/history for the April 2016 A to Z challenge. Please read, comment and share freely and do come back :)

Karna for K for the # a to Z challenge

                                        

Kunti gave you up to Mother Ganga 

And you little baby, flowed down her bosom

Safe and sound 

Found by Adhirath the charioteer

Who made you his own after 

Quite a struggle of his own

Radha became your mother

You grew up brilliantly strong

Son of the Sun God- Surya.

He had endowed you

With shining armour and ear rings

At birth

And followed you around 

Frolicking with you on every step- unknown.

Discarded royal, yet so loved

You could not contest at many a place

With other royals since no one knew

Of your own birth parents

Duryodhana gave you support

Made you Angaraaj

Fortunate was he

For he earned by that single action

A life long friend most loyal

Who fought the great war 

 

At his side same as the steadfast

Bheeshma, both of you with no

Axe to grind of your own and yet

You stood most firm

Heedless of your wife and mothers plea

Unshaken even by Sri Krishna's counsel

The revelation of your birth 

Shook you to your core but

Failed to move you from the side

Of the wrong-doer simply

Because it was not in you to

Betray your friend.

Till the end you stayed the 

Great giver, courageous and strong

First born of Kunti

Ready to bear any loss

For your own belief of what's right and wrong

Oldest Pandava, we will never forget thee.

              

जो रहिमन उत्तम प्रकृति- का कर सकत कुसंग

                                                    चंदन विष व्यापत नहीं लिपटे रहत भुजंग

A couplet (Doha) by Rahim (Abdurrahim Khankhana)

Meaning- Says Rahim, one who is of inherently noble nature, will remain unaffected even when he associates with bad people. Just as the sandalwood plant does not absorb poison when the snakes wind around it.

This seems to me to point directly to the hero of today's post :) Dear reader what do you think ?

I am writing poetry based on Indian mythology for the April 2016 A to Z challenge. Please read, comment and share freely and do come back :)

Jatayu. A poem in English and Devnagari- Hindi. Letter J # a to z challange

He stood blocking Ravana's path

Mountainous courage filled the bird

Sampaati's sibling

Friend of King Dashrath

Jatayu felt it his bounden task

To stop the Rakshasa from eloping

With Sita, the queen of Sri Rama's heart

He fought without a stop

Finally falling to the evil sword

Of the murderous man

The bird held on to his last breaths

To point out which way hath gone

The king of Lanka with the woman divine

An instrument of a theatre sublime

He departed to a far away Bliss-land

Touched with the Creator's own hand.

वीर  जटायु  की ललकार

दुष्ट तू क्यूँ देता  हुंकार

महा नारी पर अत्याचार

कुछ तू कर ले अपना विचार

देख  मैं तेरा काल खड़ा 

मुझे परास्त कर, ये मेरा वार चला 

 

खूब लड़ा वह रामभक्त 

रावण को कर पाया त्रस्त

गिद्धः था वह एक महान 

सम्पाती का अनुज सब जान 

चाहे छुड़ा न पाया माता  को रावण से 

प्राप्त हुआ श्री राम चरणों में मोक्ष उसे 

अंतकाल में दिया दिशा  ज्ञान

जिधर को थी  रावण की उड़ान

महान तू तेरा काज महान 

आज भी हम करते गुणगान

I am writing poetry based on Indian mythology/history for the April 2016 A to Z challenge. Please read, comment and share freely and do come back :)

Invincible Faith- Prahlad - Letter I

Contd from http://www.sunilavigauthor.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/hiranyakashipu-letter-h-for-a-to-z.html


Dear reader let us again
You and I, plunge into
The tale we left half
Of the mighty asura Hiranyakshipu.

Every being quaked under his threat
Acquiesing to his divinity
All except his gentle progeny
Prahlad 'the one who was Joy filled'

Pampering and the rod both futile
Prahlad stuck on to his love
Of his deity- Narayan
Seeds sowed when he was unborn

Bloomed into a large tree
Of faith unshakeable
Hiranyakashipu tried every way
Of un-lifing the steady boy

Snakes, venom, elephants
And the last and strongest try
Holika, the asura's sister
Sat on a pyre with Prahlad on her lap











Sure the tot would burn
Certain of being safe herself
From the boon she had earned
However things went askew
To the dismay of the mighty parent

Holika burned, while the little
Child sat with palms folded
And this is why now we
Dear reader celebrate the
Holika dahan and Holi


Hiranyakashipu ground his teeth
Demanding of his son
Proof of the existence
Of the one he deified
In a palace pillar

Smiting it asunder with a mace
His laughter rang out loud
To be stopped midway by an
Emerging figure, half-beast half-man
Striking fear in all hearts.



All but the little boy quaked
Belief and knowing writ large on face
Narasimha this was dear reader
An avatar that came to vanquish evil
In answer to the universal plea

He fulfilled all conditions
Of Brahma's boon and so
The asura was decimated
By one that was not man
Nor by a weapon- by claws.

Not in the night or day
It was dusk
Not in nor out- on the threshold
Not on earth or space
On the thighs of the Lord

The asura met his end
While the raging Lord
Could be calmed down by no one
Apart from the gentle prayers
Of his little devotee

Prahlad- filled with devotion
Intermingled with sorrow
For the loss of a father, though not benign
Lived on to be great and good
One of the most powerful Asura Kings to ever reign.

                                                 
I am writing poetry based on Indian mythology/history for the April 2016 A to Z challenge. Please read, comment and share freely and do come back :)

Hiranyakashipu, Letter H for the # a to z challenge

Jai - Vijay, keepers of Vishnu's gates

Doomed to be born as asuras

Irony of ironies.

                                                   

Born to Diti and Rishi Kashyap

And yet their lives were doomed

Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksh

Born only to be liberated

By the Divine

Thus this drama unfolds....

Hiranyaksh slayed by Vishnu

Fired up Hiranyakashipu

With vengeful thoughts

Brahma as is his wont

Allowed him a

Seemingly impenetrable Boon

Shiva adding on

Pleased with austerity

Endowing him every power

The Gods foreseeing 

The misery about to be

Unleashed on all three worlds

Sped to his palace

While he was away

Attempting to kill his spouse

Kayadhu, Narada intervened

Took the pregnant woman

In his care

At his ashram she stayed

Listening to his chants

Of Narayan Narayan

And every holy vibe

Went through her being

To little Prahlad

Hiranyakashipu,s son

Huddled in the womb

Was filled before birth

With devotion 

For Him who his father 

Hated with all his might

What a sorry plight is this dear reader

What will the father do?

Will the son hold on

Or give in to fear and sway?

Himalayas shook to the roots

With the strength and prowess

Of the mighty Hiranyakashipu

He wielded the rod

And imagined he was

In reality God.

Contd here
http://sunilavigauthor.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/invincible-faith-prahlad-letter-i.html

Dear reader keep a sharp eye on the blog here for this tale is to be contd in Invincible faith-Prahlad for letter I of the challenge.

I am writing poetry based on Indian mythology/history for the April 2016 A to Z challenge. Please read, comment and share freely and do come back :)

Ganga the redeemer- Alphabet G # a to z challenge

          

  Part - 1

  Mother

The many named one

Ganga, Bhagirathi, Thripataga

Sri Vishnu as Vamana

Pierced some other world 

With his toe

And you seeped through that hole

First washing over His feet

  Thus becoming ever venerated

     To settle in Swarga

          Swirling in your own waters

Until sent down to Earth by Brahma

On Bhagirath's plea

To free his ancestors

Accursed sons of Sagara

You came with 

A thundering majesty

Deciding to wash off  Martyaloka altogether

But wait

You were locked as you dropped

In the tresses of the Ascetic of Kailasa

And had to calm your flow

You had no other go

Before you redeemed those souls

And flowed down to Patala

You left behind a steady stream

Of blessings for us mortals.

Part - 2

Married to King Santanu
In beauteous mortal form
All of it pre-planned
To free the Vasus

On the condition that
You be not questioned
Love-lorn Shantanu agreed
But could not bear

The sight of you drowning
Son after son
And lost you when he
Stopped you at the eighth





 
 True to word you left,
Baby Devavrat in your arms
And brought him back when older
One who became the Pitaamaha
Of the mighty Kuru clan

One known for the toughest pledge
The one and only-Bhishma
Finally freed on the bed of arrows
In the Mahabharata war

You flowed pristine and shimmering
Blessing and redeeming
All your children through the ages
The masses still thronging
Half-heeding of the Sages

Mother you need our care today
We dare not turn our backs
For what sort of an offspring would that be
That smote thy loving hand.

* If interested check this out.
http://www.gangarights.org/what-you-can-do/learn/ganga-endangered/

I am writing poetry based on Indian mythology/history for the April 2016 A to Z challenge. Please read, comment and share freely and do come back :)

Fullara Devi-Sati and Shiva. Alphabet F for the # a to z challenge

Where do I begin 

This tale of love 

Dear readers

                                                                                    

                                                   

There dwelt Adi-Yogi Shiva

In unity with Shakti

Mother of the Mighty Three

In a time beyond time.

All was well.

She separated from her Lord

To help create the Brahmannda

 

Her work done 

The one way she could return

Was tedious to say the least

She had to be born of Daksha

The son of Brahma,

Making her at the same time

Her own

Great grandmother and grandchild

After many a hurdle 

Shakti, now Sati

United with her ascetic Hero

In marriage.

 

There the story does not end,

For Daksha the vengeful

Carried in him the venom

Of senseless hatred

Finally causing Sati to 

Fling herself into his Yajna fire

Rather than bear insult

To her spouse

Tandava shook Heaven and Earth

Shiva's agony unbounded

unleashed a mighty rage

 

He carried the corpse of Sati

His beloved - while he danced

The universe unable to bear 

The weight of it all.

Every being as one pleaded with Vishnu

Who tried to calm and appease

One who tore like a hurricane 

All over the land of mortals

In the end 

Nature took things in her hands

Dropping the Divine feminine

All over in bits

Her lips at Fullara

Now worshipped as Fullara devi

Fifty-one Shaktipeethas 

Marking the Goddess parts

And

Bhairava your Lord

Finally ensconced 

To be forever with you. 

 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fullara

 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakti_Peetha

I am writing poetry based on Indian mythology/history for the April 2016 A to Z challenge. Please read, comment and share freely and do come back :)

Ekalavya's parting plea- alphabet E for the # A to Z challenge

Gurudev- Pranipaat,

Had you asked me for my life
I would have given it up
Had you asked me for my arms I would give them up
All you asked for was a thumb

I the son of the NishaadRaj
King of the outcastes
HiranyaDhanush
Nothing was too much to give

You cited my lowly caste
 Refusing to teach
I had to be an archer
That was my lifelong dream

I could not escape my destiny
And so I learned
Looking at your image
Deep within the jungles

That dog whose barking irked
My sadhana I silenced
With a mouth-plug of arrows
Little did I know

You were near
Or I would have rushed to welcome you.

Arjuna my brother in archery
Made insecure
You had to keep your promise
To him

He had to be the greatest Archer
I have no complaint
 But my heart is wrenched
I know people will speak

Finally I got my due
And parted ways with life
At the hands of the blue-hued one
What better way to go

Before I go, though
I write this and hope you will hold me dear
In some corner of your heart.
I hope to come back and be your student once more

Eklavya.
ए क ल व् य

                                             
* Later, Ekalavya worked as an archer of King  When Jarasandha planned to besiege Mathura , he was aided by Eklavya who was a skillful archer. Eklavya also helped Jarasandha and Shishupal  by chasing Rukmini  while she eloped with Sri Krishna ( This was not uncommon at the time where a woman had the rights to chose her husband and she could go to any extent to protect this right). After Jarasandha's demise, Ekalavya sought to avenge him by campaigning to destroy Kuntibhoj and every Yadav in Dwarka. During the attack, he is slain by Sri Krishna Bhagwan.

I am writing poetry based on Indian mythology/history for the April 2016 #A to Z challenge. Please read, comment and share freely and do come back :)

Dadheechi or Dadhyanga for alphabet D of the # a to z challenge

Blessed by Shiva

Diamond hard boned

The man- Rishi Dadheechi

Each boon, each curse knitted together

In cosmic design

Deigned to bring out one

Support another

The asura Vritra- invincible till defeated

Stole all water from the Universe

Aiming at the vanquishment

Of humans and Devas alike

Indra- thrown out of his celestial kingdom as usual

Approached Vishnu

Vishnu the Sustainer explained

The need for weaponry made from bones

Of the Sage

The Devas approached Dadheechi

To explain their need

Dadheechi softened by the cumulative plight

Even faced by the man who had cut

Off his head earlier- Indra

Ashwini Kumars use of the Madhu vidya

Bringing back his Prana

Son of Maharshi Atharva and Chitta

The diamond boned immortal one

Who Dwelt in Naimisharanya

Withdrew within himself and let the life-force

Back whence it came

Once he partook of the blessings of all sacred rivers

Right where he sat

His flesh peeled off

Thunderbolt carved out

The might Vajrayudha-his spine

Other bones smaller weapons

Vritra was dissolved

All evil dispersed

From the austere bones

Of one most compassionate

Immortal Dadhyanga.

  * Dadheech Brahmans are said to be descendants of Maharshi Dadheechi.
* His father wrote the Atharva Veda