BT Song 36
On 05-07-1991 at Sat-tal ashram when I was reading John 6:1-35, when I was meditating verse 26, I wrote the following song
05-07-1991-அன்று, சாத்தால் ஆசிரமத்தில் இருந்தபோது, அருளானந்தன் (யோவான்) எழுதிய நற்செய்தியில் 6:1-35-ல், 26-ம் வாசகத்தை ஆழ்ந்து சிந்தித்த போது எழுதிய பாடல்:
Gospel is inclusive. It never addresses one need at the cost of the other. God is concerned both for our physical and spiritual needs. Those who serve the Lord giving preference to physical needs are not wrong, provided they never use it as a means to an end. Similarly, those who are interested in saving the soul are not on a higher ground. Those who have compassion for the physical need of people should do it to show God’s compassion and concern without any hidden agenda. Similarly, those who are more concerned about the soul when required, should address the physical needs of the people without any ulterior motive. Any dichotomy between physical versus spiritual is anti-gospel in its nature.
Particularly Indian bhakti tradition never shy away seeking the physical needs of God. One can read several saints demanding God for their physical needs.
For example, Sundarar who is also known as ‘friend of god’ (Thambiran Thozhar) always ‘demanded’ not only the need for everyday life but even to lead a luxury life both for him and his wives:
Beloved lord both for me and (my wives) Paravai and Sangili, whom else I have other than you. You have to remove the shortage of your bhakta. I need pearls, jewels, silk cloths , flowers, Kasturi and other scented items.—[T. M. Baskarat Thondaiman, Venkatam Mudal Kumari Varai [from Venkadam to Kumari], Chennai, Nallarappadippagam, 2009, 6 vols. Vol. 3. p. 141. (my translation) Not only here but Sundarar asked so many times for gold, paddy, and other things from the Lord in different pilgrimage centres. (For more on this see ‘Demanding God’ in my blog).
36. அகக்கண் திறப்பாய்
ஏதுதான் காரணமோ ஐயா
மாந்தர் உன்னைத் தேடிவர
நாடுகின்றார் நாளும் உன்னை
நன்கறிவாய் நீ அவரை–ஏதுதான் காரணமோ….
தேகத்தின் தேவை ஒன்றே
மேதினியில் மேன்மை என
நாடி ஓடித் தேடி என்றும்
நலிகின்றார் வாழ்வதனில்–ஏதுதான் காரணமோ….
வருந்தியே சுமை சுமந்து
ஐயா, வாடிய போதினிலும்
அறிந்திடார் மெய்ப்பொருளை
மந்தமே அவர் நிலை–ஏதுதான் காரணமோ….
ஜீவ அப்பம் உண்டனெவே
சொல்லிய போதினிலே
ஏது விலை? என்ன எடை?
என்றுரைத்தே நாடுகின்றார்–ஏதுதான் காரணமோ….
அழிந்திடும் அப்பமோ நீ
அறிந்திலர் அடைந்தபின்னும்
அகக்கண் தான் திறப்பாய்
அறிந்திட உண்மையினை–ஏதுதான் காரணமோ….
36. Open the inner eye
What could be the reason O LORD?
For the people to seek after you?
They seek you each day
And you know them well
The need of the body
Is much more important
By thinking and seeking it
They become tired in this life
Even though they are suffering
After bearing all the burden of life
They don’t understand the truth
Inert is their true nature
There is true food for life
When they were told
What is its price and what is its measure
They ask and seek it
Are you perishing food?
They don’t understand even after receiving you
Therefore, open their inner eye
To know the truth
13. நாகைக் காரோணர்
பண்மயத்த மொழிப்பரவை சங்கிலிக்கும்
எனக்கும் பற்றாய பெருமானே!
மற்று யாரை உடையேன்?
உண்மயத்த உமக்கு அடியேன் குறைதீர்க்க
வேண்டும், ஒளிமுத்தம், பூணாரம்
ஒண்பட்டும் பூவும்
கண்மயத்த கத்தூரி, கமழ்ச் சாந்தும் வேண்டும்.(–சுந்தரர்.)
–வேங்கடம் முதல் குமரி வரை. தொ. மு. பாஸ்கரத் தொண்டைமான். சென்னை, நல்லறப் பதிப்பகம், 2009. ஆறு தொகுதிகள். ப. 141
BT song 37
How Much our sins suppress us and create depression in us, yet with the help of Grace of God we can overcome it and press forward. When I was thinking on this, I wrote this song
ஆன்மீக வாழ்வில் நாம் செய்த பல பாவங்கள் நம்மை எத்தனை அழுத்தினும் இறைவன் தரும் அருள்கொண்டு முன்னேற முடியும் என்பதை எண்ணிய போது எழுதிய பாடல்:
Somewhere I read that ‘mercy deals with what I have done and grace deals with what I am’. That is why we humans can show mercy and have compassion for others but we can never show grace to anyone. Grace is the undeserving kindness of God. And His mercy is His action to redeem us. As Grace deals with what I am, bhakti always focuses on the grace of God. According to my limited reading I found the word ‘Grace’ (arul in Tamil) more in Tamil bhakti songs than the word ‘mercy’. Above all the word ‘mercy’ is also seeking the help of God to overcome physical needs and pains. Whereas Grace is sought to overcome the inner struggle. But one important difference from Mukti Veda and Hinduism could be that our bhakti is a prerequisite to receive grace from God whereas in Mukti Veda it is an unconditional one from God which one could reject but can receive through any other means other than faith. Faith is the karma from our side to receive it. Though bhakti and faith could be the same, yet in Hinduism bhakti is not merely a response but a relationship which reciprocates God’s love. So, in a subtle way a non-bhakta cannot receive the grace of God. However, bhakti has various facets which will allow even one who hates god can also receive grace. This is known as ‘dveshya bhakti’. Whereas faith as karma helps us to receive and realize the Grace, it leads us to have the relationship with God which becomes bhakti.
37. ஏன் இரக்கம்?
ஏனையா இத்தனை இரக்கம்?
ஏழை என்மீது உனக்கும்
என்ன காரணம் கொண்டாய்
எனக்கும் புதுவாழ்வு தர?
கடைகெட்டப் பாவியே நான்
கண்டிலேன் ஒருவழிதான்
கரைப்பட்ட வாழ்வதுதான்
கண்டனர் மாந்தரும் தான்
நினைக்கவே நெஞ்சமும் கூசும்
நித்தமும் நான் செய்த பாவம்
நினைவினில் அலையாக மோத
மறந்தேனே புதுவாழ்வு காண
இதுவே ஓர் காரணமாகி
என்னுள் துன்பத்துள் மூழ்கி
தவித்துத் தடுமாறும் போது
தந்தாய் அருள் ஏழைமீது
நன்றிக் கடனாக நானும்
ஒன்றும் அளிக்காத போதும்
எஞ்சிய வாழ்நாள் முழுதும்
உன்புகழ் பாட அருளும்
17-11-1991. காட்மாண்டு (நேபாள்)
37. Why this much mercy?
Why this much mercy
On this poor one
What reason you found
To give me a new Life again?
I am the worst sinner
I didn’t find a way out of it
People have seen my
Life with much strain in it
My heart feels shy
When I think about all the sins which I have committed
As they come back again and again like a wave in my thought
I forgot to see a new life again
This became the main reason
For me to drown in sorrow and pain
And began to stumble and struggle
You gave lot of grace on this poor one
Though I cannot repay this
With any gratitude
Help me to sing your glory
In the rest of my life
17-11-1991. Kathmandu (Nepal)
17-6-14
மறுரூபமலையில், மலையப்பனுக்கு முக்தி நாதனுடன் தங்கிவிடுவது நல்லதாக முதலில் தோன்றியது. பிறகுதான் இறைவன் சித்தம் பற்றித் தேட ஆரம்பித்தான். அதைப்பற்றி தியானித்த போது எழுதிய பாடல்:
I have some problems with the dating of the following two songs. Still I remember the background clearly in my mind when I wrote the song at Keshave’s village. Whereas my diary entry shows it at Gonda UP. There could be some error in the dates. So, at present I keep the dates for April 1993 and not Feb. 1992.
The following song has its own background. Keshave lives in an interior village. To reach the village back in the 1990s, we had to walk nearly eleven kms. from the last bus stop. There was no electricity in his village back in 1992 and when we reach his village we will feel as if we reached the end of the world. On the other side of the village forest begins. So, when I reached his village for the second time in February 1992, I spent several days there as I liked interior places. There is a small river flowing near his village. Every day after my walk we used to sit and do our worship and discussion. But when I go for my walk, I prefer to go alone. So, I will go early to the river side to be ‘alone’. It is a beautiful place as the river is flowing some 80 feet below us. The evening sun set is beautiful and one can see green fields on the other side of the river and rarely some animals like foxes, rabbits will come to the river side. I used to go a bit early and sit on the river side to enjoy my solitude. Knowing my nature, Keshave won’t come with me and will join later before the sun sets for worship and prayer.
We already planned to start a small ashram on the river side and we chose the place also. So, when I went to the river side and sat alone, I began to visualize the ashram where I can live in solitude. Of course, we have decided to have a few cottages to accommodate visitors. As I travelled a lot since 1973 except for a few months, I became very tired of travelling. So, I was longing to have my own ashram where I can stay alone and enjoy my life with the Lord. Then for more than one hour my mind was visualizing the future ashram and I was floating in the air. Suddenly a flash came in my mind and I remembered what Peter was asking the Lord on the mount of Transfiguration. It looked good for him to stay there permanently with the Lord. Then I began to think about my desire to be there living in my own small ashram not travelling much, I wrote the following song:
I cannot escape from this dwand (struggle) within me even now. One longing in my life is to have a life of a recluse. I see two contradicting nature within me. I am a talkative person. At the same time, I prefer to live ‘alone’ keeping quiet and silence at the maximum. I never miss people much in my life but I always miss my ‘solitude’. I am an extrovert by nature. But I prefer to be an introvert. Particularly when I get the opportunity to be in interior places with less people, I never like to leave that place quickly.
In Hindu tradition more one goes near to god or in spirituality/sadhana, more they would keep or should keep away from people. But according to Mukti Veda, the more we move closer to God, the more He will push us among people. Our bhakti is to serve others and not our personal property. We need solitude and personal time with the Lord as part of our sadhana. But this is to prepare us to serve others rather than shun away from our responsibilities. So, till the end of my life, I have to keep my need as well as God’s will for me to serve others in a balance. At least one is not possible without giving importance to others. However, the only consolation that I have is that even God can use my solitude life for His glory provided I think more about my availability than my ability.
18-6-14
38. உன் சித்தம் செய்ய வேண்டும்
சித்தம் ஒன்றே செய்ய வேண்டும்
எத்தனை கற்றாலும் ஏதருள் பெற்றாலும்–உன் சித்தமொன்றே…
என் ஆவல் என் தேவை என்றே நான் வாழாமல்
எப்போதும் உன் வார்த்தை சிரமேற்கொண்டு–உன் சித்தமொன்றே…
வாழ்ந்திடும் வாழ்வில் உன் நாமம் ஒன்றையே
நானிலத்தோர் இங்கு நன்கறிந்து போற்ற–உன் சித்தமொன்றே…
தேவை பலக்கொண்டோர் வாழும் இத்தேசமதின்
நிலை அறிந்தே நித்தமும் உளமுருகி–உன் சித்தமொன்றே…
மறுரூப மலையின் மகிமை யில் மதிமயங்கி
மண்டபம் கட்டியே உன்னுடன் வாழாமல்–உன் சித்தமொன்றே…
நலம் எனக்கது என்றே நானும் எண்ணாமல்
உளமாற உன் பணி ஒன்றையே செய்திட–உன் சித்தமொன்றே…
12-02-1992. கெகரஹா (ரீவா, ம.பி). அல்லது கோண்டா, உ. பி .
38. I had to do your Will
Your will should be accomplished
Whatever I learn and whichever grace that I receive—your will should be accomplished
I should not live keeping my longing and my desire
But always keeping your Word as my priority—your will….
The people of this world to glorify your name alone
In their life while they live—your will….
Having compassion for the condition of the people of this country
Who live with so many needs in their life—your will….
Deluded by the greatness of the mount of transfiguration
Not building a temple there to live with you—your will….
Not thinking about which is good for me alone
To do your seva with whole heartedly—your will
12-02-1992. Gonda or April 1993 Kekaraha (Rewa, M.P.)
BT Song 39
நம் மனநிறைவிற்காகச் சேவை செய்யாமல், பிறரின் தேவைக்காகவே செய்யவேண்டும் என்று எண்ணியபோது எழுதிய பாடல்:
39. அகம் அழிந்திட வேண்டும்
அகமது அழிந்திடவேண்டும் ஐயா
ஆன்மீகவாழ்விலும் வளம்பெற வேண்டும்
இகமதில் வாழ்ந்திடும் வாழ்வில் என்றும்
“சுய”மதை நீக்கிடவேண்டும் ஐயா–அகமது அழிந்திட….
“நான்” என்னும் எண்ணம் நாளும் ஓங்குதே
சுயநலம் பெரிதாய் என்றும் வளருதே
செய்திடும் செயலெல்லாம் என்நலம் கருதியே
ஜெயமெனக் கருள்வாய் இக்குணமீதிலே–அகமது அழிந்திட….
“நல்லோன்” என்றென்னை நாலுபேர் எண்ண
ஆடிய ஆட்டத்திற்கு அளவேதான் என்ன?
சொல்லொன்று செயலொன்று என்றே வாழும்
சிறுமை தன்னை நீக்கிட வாரும்–அகமது அழிந்திட….
“துறந்தே உன் சுயமதை நீயும்தானே
சுமந்தே எந்தன் சிலுவை தனையே
ஏகிடு என்பின்னே” என்றே உரைத்த
ஐயனே உன்னடி நானும் பின் செல்ல–அகமது அழிந்திட….
19-02-1992. கோண்டா உ. பி அல்லது
கெகரஹா (ரீவா, ம.பி)
39. Self should perish
‘Self’ should perish O Lord
I should progress in my spiritual life
I should remove my ‘ego’
When I live this life on earth
‘Myness’ is growing every day
Selfishness is growing manifold
Everything that I do is keeping only my interest
Give me victory over this nature
What kind of drama that I have played
For others to think me as a good person
But remove my mean mindedness as
I live a life of contradiction from my action with my word
To follow you, who said:
‘By taking up your cross
By renouncing your ego follow me’
My ego should be perished.
19-02-1992. Gonda U. P. Or Kekaraha, M. P.
BT Song 40
On 10-12-1992 after morning devotion I wrote the following song in Tamil Pan Isai.
10-12-1992 அன்று காலை தியானத்திற்கு பின் தமிழ்ப் பண் இசையில் எழுதிய பாடல்:
Most of my poems were written for other reasons but very few are written just to worship the Lord. When I sit to worship the Lord, most of the time it will turn in time for meditation or prayer as so many thoughts will overcome the spirit of worship. In the early days of my bhakti, I heard about a formula known as ‘acts’ ‘a’ for accession or assent, ‘c’ for confession, ‘t’ for thanks giving and ‘s’ for supplication. Several times I saw this format was followed as much as possible. Specific instructions will be given only for ‘thanks giving’ no ‘confession’ or ‘supplication’ in time of thanksgiving and not thanks giving in supplication etc. Though such a discipline could help a new bhaktas properly trained in her sadhana, yet I found it more artificial. However, in any corporate worship some kind of order is required than to give a free hand for all. But for me worship should come naturally and spontaneously which will elevate our spirit to experience the glory of God helping us to rise above our mundane needs. Though this song also includes some supplication yet it was written with a spirit of worshiping the Lord. We often sing this song in our mandali here.
40. தீந்தமிழ்ப் பண்
தீங்குழல் யாழொடும் தேந்தமிழ்ப் பண்ணொடும்
தேவனின் கிருபையால் திருவடி அண்டினோம்
நாதனே நாயகா நண்பனே அன்பனே
நாடினோம் திருவடி நாளும் உன் அருள்வேண்டி
காலையும் மாலையும் கண்ணயர் வேளையும்
காத்திடும் கனிவுடன் கண்மணிபோல் எம்மை
ஆருளர் நீயன்றி அடியவர் மீதிறங்க?
அண்டினோம் திருவடி அனுதினம் அருள்வேண்டி?
உள்ளும்புறமும் ஒவ்வொரு செயலிலும்
உன்னருள் நாமத்தை உணர்வுடன் தியானிக்க
செய்திடும் செயலெல்லாம் செவ்வையாய்ச் செய்திட
சேவடி அண்டினோம் ஸ்வாமி உன்னருள் வேண்டி
வீண்சிந்தை வெறும்வார்த்தை வேண்டாத உறவுகள்
வேதனைத் தந்திடும் வீணான செய்கைகள்
யாவையும் நீக்கியே நாளும் உன்புகழ்பாட
நாதனே அண்டினோம் நல்லருள் புரிவாயே
40. Tamil song like Honey
With melodious flute and honey like Tamil song
We come unto the Holy Feet by the Grace of the Lord
O Lord, O the Leader, O my friend and beloved One
We sought your Holy feet seeking your grace each day.
Every morning, evening and during sleeping hours
Protect us gently like the apple of the eye
Who else is there to show mercy to your devotees
We sought the Holy feet seeking your grace each day.
Both in and out and in every work we do
In order to meditate your graceful Name
(and) to do every work perfectly
we sought your Holy feet seeking your grace O Lord
by removing vain words, unwanted relationship and
those unfruitful works which give pain and sorrow
and to praise you every day;
O Lord, we seek you and give your grace to us.
20-6-14
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