BT Song 441
After reading Muktiveda from Luke 23, I wrote this song as a reflection of his act in which he has done injustice knowingly and wantonly just to please others. The following point by Bavinck will help us to understand this point from a scholarly point of view, which is worth reading as it is:
Ch 8. The Sentence of the Governor.
…During the Roman occupation (at the time Jesus was taken prisoner), the Sanhedrin had the authority to try cases; but in order to have the sentence verified, it needed the approval of a judge outside the Judaic judicial system – in this case, the Roman governor….Of course, the governor could have taken the easy way out and simply confirmed the Sanhedrin’s sentence. For some reason (which the Gospel narratives do not explain), however, Pilate, the Roman governor at the time, preferred to deal with the mater independently and started to investigate whether the death sentence was indeed justified. That is the simple reason that we hear about two judicial processes in rapid succession, one at the priestly court and the other at the court of the governor. (p.88)
The Legal Proceedings before the Governor
The legal wrangling before the court of the governor lasted for hours. Many difficulties arose, and time after time the proceedings took on new twists. In reconstructing how the different Gospels report the event, we can summarize it as follows. Early in the morning, the members of the Sanhedrin arrived at the court of the governor and accused Jesus of three serious crimes: (1) he taught the people heresies; (2) he told the people not to pay taxes to the emperor; (3) he claimed to be Christ, the king (Luke 23:2). All three accusations were of a political nature: they did not directly relate to religious wrongdoing, but they were couched in the kind of terms that Pilate could not dismiss.
Right from the start, however, it became clear that Pilate was not (p. 90) inclined the sentence of the Sanhedrin without further investigation. He decided to look into the matter more deeply. The first inquiry took place inside the gubernatorial palace. The main question there was whether Jesus had, indeed, claimed to be a king. At that session the Savior spoke the remarkable words to the effect that his kingdom was “not of this world” and that he had come “to testify to the truth” (John 18:36-37). Pilate got the impression from this that Jesus was an idealist, a utopian dreamer, and thus someone whom he could under no circumstances sentence as a politically dangerous criminal. He had Jesus brought outside, and he told the Jews who had congregated that he had found Jesus innocent. The Jews then shouted that Jesus had misled everybody – from Galilee to Judea. This outcry gave Pilate the excuse to send Jesus to Herod, because Herod was the tetrarch of Galilee. Since Jesus came from Galilee, he was under Herod’s jurisdiction. That concluded the first part of the judicial proceedings.
The proceedings resumed when Jesus was taken from Herod’s palace back to Pilate. At that point Pilate firmly resolved not to give in to the demand of the chief priests. He made up his mind and delivered his verdict: “Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty. So I shall have him flogged, and then I shall release him” (Luke 23:16). That was the first sentence.
This announcement, however, caused the multitude gathered in front of the palace to embark on a loud and persistent show of disapproval. Pilate, attempting to mollify the public anger to some degree, and seeking a way out of his predicament, pitted Jesus against Barabbas, a murderer. In his heart, Pilate was completely convinced that the crowd out there would have enough feeling for justice to choose the release of Jesus over that of an out – and – out criminal who had been involved in an insurrection. However, Pilate’s plan backfired: the crowd chose Barabbas over Jesus, and Pilate again faced the problem of what to do with Jesus. True to his first sentence, he commanded that Jesus be flogged. The soldiers who were ordered to do the flogging were given a free hand in carrying out this command: they took the liberty of portraying Jesus as a triumphant king, draping a purple mantle around him, putting a staff in his hands, and crowning him with thorns on his head. In this way he resembled a triumphant Christ, to whom all nations would someday be subject, the (p.91) Christus Triomphator (the triumphant king of Israel). When this despicable parody was over, Pilate thrust Jesus forward to show him to the unruly mob. With an undertone of pity in his voice, Pilate said, Ecce homo (“look at this man” [John 19:5]). If the governor had hoped that some of his own empathy would be imparted to the people out there, he was sadly mistaken. The mob was in an ugly mood, and their cry roared through the courtyard: “On the cross with him, crucify the villain!” The attempts of the weak governor were no match for the outpouring of furious rage by the rabble. It was now beyond him to further carry out the sentence he had once pronounced (partly fulfilled by the flogging) and to release Jesus. He again engaged in dialogue with the gathering in front of him, and with the chief priests, who were inciting the crowd. That resulted in a new accusation: “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God” (John 19:7).
The political accusations abandoned, everything now focused on the religious charge that Jesus had made himself equal to God, thus blaspheming God. Before the judgment seat of Pilate, the same accusation that was brought before the Sanhedrin could now be heard – the allegation that started the second judicial process. Pilate was forced to interrogate Jesus once again, now on the issue of blasphemy. Again he brought Jesus inside and again asked him all kinds of questions. But this inquiry, too, led to nothing. Pilate could only conclude that this rabbi from Nazareth, who evidently managed to generate such intense anger amongst the priesthood, could under no circumstances be considered a politically dangerous agitator and revolutionary who deserved the imperial penalty. Once again Pilate took Jesus outside, and once again his voice echoed across the court of the palace: “I find him not guilty”.
That does it! The chief priests were overcome by rage. They feared that their prey might yet escape them, and so now they used the ultimate threat as a way to get him into their clutches. “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar” (John 19:12). These last words contained a clear threat: If you dare to release this Jesus, we won’t hesitate to lodge a complaint with the emperor and accuse you of allowing people who proclaim themselves king to run free. Thus, at long last, the accusation had taken on its final form. Here, before Pilate’s tribunal, it all came down to the one cardinal indictment (p.92) that Jesus had proclaimed himself king. All other accusations were pushed aside, and the whole trial concentrated on the one accusation: he is a rebel who proclaims himself to be king and thus he breaks the unity of the Roman Empire. And it is on the basis that he breaks the unity of the Roman Empire. And it is on the basis of that accusation that Jesus was sentenced. Not that he called himself Son of God; not that he had led the people onto the wrong path; not that he had told the people not to pay taxes –bu simply that he had proclaimed himself king.
This is, in short, the gist of what happened during the court proceedings before Pilate’s tribunal. The trial saw a number of dramatic moments, moments full of intense outbursts and massive tension. There were words loaded with infinite wisdom. The charge was often changed, rearranged, and differently formulated. But the result was that Jesus was convicted because he had declared himself king.
A few elements dominate this entire drama. First, there was Pilate’s sense of justice: he knew the meaning of justice, and he stubbornly wanted to adhere to the code he knew. But he had no spine whatsoever. He started a dialogue with the mass of people when he should have adhered to the law he knew; when stern authority was necessary, he began to waver. He was totally unfit as a ruler – or a judge. We do not see in him a trace of true royalty: instead of taking the lead, he was led; instead of taking the initiative, he followed; instead of being a ruler of a nation, he was ruled by them. In spite of his official toga and the authority that went with his office, he was like a child at the mercy of the wiles of the mass. The ultimate cause of this weakness was his strong desire for self-preservation. He was afraid that, were he to carry out justice, it would cost him his position – perhaps his life. Above all, he wanted to maintain the status quo, and because of that desire, he forfeited his independence and became a slave of the masses.
The church pronounces her verdict on this weakling when she confesses, “Who suffered under Pontius Pilate.” The creed does not, “Who suffered through Pontius Pilate.” Pilate was not even a direct actor in this terrible drama because he was nothing but a teetering wall, a gate that was easily crashed, under which he was crushed by the murderous multitude.
In contrast to Pilate’s weakness was the strength of the chief priests’ wrath. Not a trace of hesitation there, nor any fear. They tried all angles and kept on concocting new accusations as they withdrew the old ones. (p.93) They connived, they begged, they demanded, they yelled, they threatened – but in all this they only had their eyes on the one goal that they pursued with all their might. And because they single-mindedly went after this one objective, they gained the upper hand. The sentence was pronounced, and the “King of the Jews” was convicted. That is how, from a purely human perspective, matters took their course in this judicial standoff. Out of all this twisting and turning there finally emerged the charge that Jesus had proclaimed himself king, which earned him the death penalty. “He opposes the emperor,” those of the Sanhedrin said. That is, he was breaking the unity of the empire.—pp. J. H. Bavinck, Between the Beginning and the End: A Radical Kingdom Vision, tr. By Bert Hielema, Grand Rapids, Michigan, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, (1946), 2014
BT Song 441 அநீதி இழைத்தான்
அவர்கள் போக்கிற்கு விட்டுவிட்டான்
ஆராய்ந்தும் தீர்ப்பைக் கோட்டை விட்டான்
எவ்வித குற்றமும் காணாத போதும்
பிறர் பேச்சை மட்டுமே கேட்டுவிட்டான்
மனிதர் போட்ட சத்தம் மட்டும்
மனதின் குரலை விஞ்சியதால்
சொந்தப் புத்தி இழந்து விட்டு
பிறர் சொற்படி தீர்ப்புச் செய்துவிட்டான்
நல்லவனைப் புறம் தள்ளிவிட்டு
பாதகம் செய்தோனை தப்ப விட்டு
பாவம் பதவியை தக்க வைக்க
பெரும் பாதகம் தன்னையே செய்துவிட்டான்
அவனைச் சொல்லிக் குற்றமில்லை
ஆண்டவன் சித்தமும் அதுவானதே
ஆயினும் தன் நீதி செய்யாததால்
அவப்பெயர் தன்னையே பெற்றுவிட்டான்
அவன் மட்டுமா அதனைச் செய்தான்
அடுத்தவர்க்காக தவறு செய்தான்
நாம்கூட நாளுமே அப்படித்தான்
பிறர் மெச்ச நம்நீதி மீறுகிறோம்
8-6-16, குருகுலம், மதியம் 2.00. லூக்கா 23:13-25
BT Song 441 He has done injustice
He allowed the crowd have the final say
Though he analysed properly, still failed to do justice
Though he cannot find any fault (in the Lord)
He listened to other’s words.
As the voice of the crowd
Overcame his inner voice
Giving up his own mind
He gave the verdict according to others’ words
Rejecting the good one
And allowing the criminal to escape
In order to preserve his position
He has done the worst thing
But there is no point in blaming him
That too is the will of god
But as he failed to up hold his justice
He earned a bad name
Did he alone do this
Did he commit that mistake only for others
We too are like that
We too transgress in order to please others.
8-6-16, Gurukulam, 2.00. P.M. Lk. 23:13-25
BT Song 442
Though I ask many things from God, the reality is that actually I don’t know what actually my need is. How much I know, one thing that I need is His Grace. As I was thinking about this, I wrote this song.
442 தேவை அறிந்து தரவேண்டும்
அடியவன் மீது இரக்கம் கொண்டு
அருளைத் தர வேண்டு மென்று
இரு கரம் ஏந்திக் கொண்டு
ஏழை நானும் வந்து நின்றேன்
என் தேவை என்ன வென்று
எனக்கு நன்கு தெரியாதென்று
உணர்ந்த நீயும் கருணை கொண்டு
உவந்து அளிக்க வேண்டி வந்தேன்
உடலின் தேவை அநேகமுண்டு
உள்ளத் தேவையும் அதிகமுண்டு
உயிரின் தேவை ஒன்றே ஒன்று
உணர்ந்த பின்னே நாடி வந்தேன்
என்நிலை நீயும் அறிந்த பின்னே
என்ன சொல்வது இனி உனக்கு
அந்த ஒன்றை மட்டும் தந்துவிடு
வேறு என்ன சொல்ல உண்டு
உன் உறவு தினமும் வேண்டும்
உன்னுள் நிலைத்து வாழ வேண்டும்
உன் சித்தம் அறிய வேண்டும்
உவந்து அதைச் செய்ய வேண்டும்
உடல், உள்ளம், உயிரைக் கூட
உனதாக்கி வாழ வேண்டும்
உலகில் வாழும் நாட்கள் மட்டும்
இந்த ஒன்றை நீயும் தரவேண்டும்
10-6-16, குருகுலம், காலை, 6.00
BT Song 442 You should bestow knowing our need
I come before you
Folding both my hands
Seeking your grace
Have pity on this slave
As I do not know
What is my need?
As you know well about it
You should bestow it joyfully
The needs of the body are many
The needs of the mind is also many
But the need of the atman is only one
After knowing that I come unto you
What can I tell you?
Once you know my condition
Give that alone (according to my need)
What else can I say?
I need your relationship everyday
I should live abiding in you
I should know your will
And you should do all these happily (to me)
I should live
Making my body, mind and atman as yours
As long as live on this earth
You should bestow only this to me.
10-6-16, Gurukulam, 6.00 a.m.
BT Song 443
As I got up by 4.00 am I could not sleep any further. So by 4.30 I got up from my bed and decided to make a cup of tea and sat for my meditation and prayer. When I went to the dining hall, I saw the two curds which I prepared, one for a meal and another to make ‘srikand’. Then I thought let me put them in the fridge, otherwise they will become very savory. Then I remembered that I need to make ‘paneer’ also. But I have only one bag which I need to make shrikhand also. Then I said, ‘let me make paneer and clean the bag to keep ready to make srikand’. As I was heating the milk to make paneer, I decided to work simultaneously to prepare for breakfast. So, all these activities took nearly 45 minutes and then after finishing the first round of work, I went back for my meditation and prayer. After writing the previous poem (442), again I read it one more time to see the correction. That time I said to myself, ‘what is the use of these meditation and prayer. Simultaneously I was thinking about the breakfast, lunch, things I need to buy for the meeting, cleaning the dhyana mandapam, other programmes, cooking separately for amma etc. etc. Where is the time to listen to God’s voice’? Then I wrote this song portraying the reality of such life here in the ashram, particularly when I come here to make arrangements for program—which exhausts me both physically and mentally, not to mention spiritually too.
BT Song 443 உன் குரல் கேட்கணும்
உன் சத்தத்தை நானும் கேட்கவில்லை
சற்றேனும் அமைதி கொள்ளவில்லை
சித்தத்தைத் தன்போக்கில் விட்டதாலே
உன் சித்தத்தை அறிய முடியவில்லை
ஒன்றா இரண்டா எதைக் கூற
ஓராயிரம் ஓலங்கள் தாக்கி மோத
அவைகள் போடும் இரைச்சலிலே
ஐயனே உன் குரல் கேட்க வில்லை
கண்களை மூடியே அமர்ந்தாலும்
வாய்மூடி மெளனியாய் வாழ்ந்தாலும்
கை கொண்டு காதையே மூடினாலும்
கொஞ்சமும் உன் குரல் கேட்கவில்லை
உன் வேதம் படித்தும் பார்த்து விட்டேன்
உன்னுடன் பேசியே ஓய்ந்து விட்டேன்
உன் பக்தர் சொல்லையும் கேட்டுவிட்டேன்
அவை ஒன்றுமே எனக்கு உதவவில்லை
இதற்கு மேலே என்ன செய்ய
எனக்கும் ஒன்றும் புரியவில்லை
உன்னை விட்டால் எனக்குமோ
உலகில் வேறு கதியும் இல்லை
உன்பாடு இனி நான் என்ன செய்ய
இதற்கு மேலும் என்ன சொல்ல
ஒரு முறை உன் குரல் கேட்க வேண்டும்
ஓலங்கள் அதற்கு ஓய வேண்டும்
வாய் திறந்து நீ பேச வேண்டாம்
வசனம் கொண்டுமே சொல்ல வேண்டாம்
உள்ளான என் உணர்வில் மட்டும்
ஒரு முறை மீண்டும் கூற வேண்டும்
10-6-16, குருகுலம், காலை, 6.10
BT Song 443 I should listen your voice
I never listen to your voice
And I never had inner peace within me
As I allowed mind to wander as it wishes
I can never understand your Will
Which one can I say, as one or two?
As thousands of voices dash against me
And in their uproar
O Lord I cannot listen to your voice
Though I sit closing my eyes
And keep quiet by not talking
And try to close my ears with my hands (or ear plug)
I cannot listen to your voice even meagrely
I have read your Veda
And become worn out by talking with you
And I listened to the advice of your other bhaktas
But none of them actually helped me
What else can I do beyond this?
I don’t know about it
Apart from you
I don’t have any other hope on this earth
It is now your problem
What can I do anymore?
I should listen to your voice one more time
And for that all these noises should come to an end
You need not to say audible to me anything
And you need not even talk to me through your words
But in my inner being
One more time you should talk.
10-6-16, Gurukulam, 6.10 am.
BT Song 444
I became tired both in my body and mind today. I want to take some rest. But I am not sure what kind of rest that I need? As long as we live, we cannot escape from activities—both in body and mind. So just replacing one with another is not the solution for my problem. I am longing for an ‘action-less action’ which is difficult to comprehend or express. As I was doing some work on the computer, suddenly this thought again came in my mind and stopped working when I wrote this song.
BT Song 444 அதனால் சொல்கிறேன்
களைத்துப் போனோர்க்கும்
இளைத்துப் போனோர்க்கும்
கை கொடுத்துக் காக்கும்
கருணை தெய்வம் நீ
காண மறுப்போர்க்கும்
கண்டு களிப்போர்க்கும்
கருணை மழை பெய்யும்
கண்கண்ட தெய்வம் நீ
அறிய மறுப்போர்க்கும்
அறிந்தும் மறுப்போர்க்கும்
அருளினை அளித்திடும்
அன்பின் எல்லை நீ
வருந்தியே சுமப்போர்க்கும்
வாடி தவிப்போர்க்கும்
விரும்பித் தோள் தந்து
சுமக்கும் இறைவன் நீ
தனித்து வாழ்வோருக்கும்
துணையின்றித் தவிப்போர்க்கும்
தயவுடன் உடன் வந்து
தாங்கிடும் துணைவன் நீ
துதிக்கத் தெரிந்தாலும்
தொழுதிட மறந்தாலும்
துன்பங்கள் துடைத்திட்டுத்
துயர் போக்கும் தூயோன் நீ
சொல்லத் தெரிந்தாலும்
சொல்லவே மறந்தாலும்
சொல்லாமலே வந்து
செய்வாய் நன்மை நீ
அறிந்தே வருகிறேன்
அதனால் சொல்கிறேன்
அடைக்கலம் தந்ததைச்
சொல்லித் துதிக்கின்றேன்
14-06-16, மத்திகிரி, இரவு, 9.19
BT Song 444 Therefore I am telling
You are the one
Who takes care of those?
Who becomes tired?
Of both body and mind
You are the divine one
Who poured the rain of grace?
To those who refuse to see you
And those who rejoice in you
You are the end of love
Who bestows grace?
To those who refuse to know you
And those who rejected you after knowing
You are the God
Who carries the burden?
Of those who carry
Their burden with much pain
You are the companion
Who come alone on this earth and
Who live alone and
Struggle without any companion
You are the Holy one
Who wipes out the pain of those
Who knows to worship you
Or forget to worship you
You will come silently
And do good to those
Who knows how to share (their needs?)
Or to those who forget to share to you
Therefore, I come knowing you
And say this
As you gave refuge to me
And I praise you by telling it
14-06-16, Mathigiri, 9.19 pm.
BT Song 445
As I was listening to one beautiful Tamil devotional song with wonderful music, my spirit lifted to worship the Lord. While I was listening to that song, I began to write this song and finished it within five minutes as my worship to Him.
BT Song 445 ஈடுண்டோ
இணையற்ற கருணைக்கு
ஈடேதும் இங்குண்டோ
எல்லோர்க்கும் அருள்தரும்
தெய்வம் போல் இனியுண்டோ
கருணக் கடலானாய்
காக்கும் அருளானாய்
பக்தர்க்கு துணையானாய்
பாவிக்கு மீட்பானாய்
சிந்தைக்குப் பொருளானாய்
செயலுக்கு உருவானாய்
நம்பியே வருவோர்க்கு
நலமெல்லாம் நீ தந்தாய்
அன்பிற்கு வழியானாய்
பண்பிற்கு மொழியானாய்
பாதமே பணிவோர்க்கு
பதமே நீ தந்தாய்
எளியோர்க்கு எளியனாய்
எல்லோர்க்கும் ஈசனாய்
உலகோர்க்கு மீட்பனாய்
உன்னையே நீ தந்தாய்
அருளை அளிக்கின்றாய்
அன்பைப் பொழிகின்றாய்
கருணையின் வடிவாகிக்
காத்து வருகின்றாய்
என்னுள்ளே நீ வந்து
என்னையே ஆட்கொண்டு
என்றும் உன்னுடன்
இருக்கும் நிலை தந்தாய்
எந்த மொழி கொண்டு
இன்னும் சொல்லிட
ஏதும் வேண்டாமே
பாதம் பணிந்திட
15-6-16, மத்திகிரி, காலை 7.20
BT Song 445 Uncomparable
Is there any comparison
For your unparallel compassion
Is there any other god
Who bestows grace to all?
You become the ocean of grace
And you become the mercy which protects us
You become the compassion to the bhaktas
And you become the redeemer to the sinner
You become the object of my meditation
And you become the shape for all my activities
And you bestowed all blessings
Who comes unto you with trust?
You become the path for love
And you become the language of dignity
And you bestowed mukti
To those who worshipped your feet
Becoming simple to the simple
And become Lord for all
And becoming the redeemer to the world
You gave yourself for that
You give grace
And you pour love
And embodying yourself as compassion
You take care of us
Coming and dwelling in me
And over lording me
You bestowed that status
To abide with you always
What else can I say?
Using many words
Nothing is required
To bow at your feet
15-6-16, Mathigiri,7.20 am.
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