(rendered into English by Dr. Sista Shanta)
(Continued from the Previous Issue)
‘Mother who is the Supreme
Please accept camphor lit Light’ (Karpoora Harati)
This song was composed on 27-2-1958 at the request of Gangaraju Venkateswarlu Garu. I consider it as my greatest fortune, as this song has been sung since then, till today by thousands of people, innumerable times.
In the song ” What type of worship do I offer” I asked ” Do I offer my heart like the camphor lit light?” (Neerajanam)
When camphor is lit it will shine and glow like light and ultimately evaporate completely. It merges into infinity. This “Ananda Karpoora Neerajanam” offering means complete and absolute self-surrender.
“Caught in a whirlwind
Totally exhausted
I take refuge
In your peaceful lap
I am like an inert object
Take me to the shore of safety
My homage to you’ This is the burden of the song.
Mother we are like the drifting dry leaves in a whirlwind, we are exhausted. We have become numb (Jada) like inert objects (I feel this inertness is both physical and mental, due to ignorance (Ajnana), physical passivity and mental lassitude). Take us / accept us into your lap, an abode of peace and give us relief from fatigue Oh! Mother!
‘Our life is like a rudderless boat journeying listlessly in a meaningless way, with no proper route to follow and no goal to reach. Oh! Mother! Please take it to the shore’. This is the first verse.
‘Your method is non-discriminative,
It enlightens me about the vedas
The essence of the vedas,
Is the time of fate you draw on my forehead’ –
This is the second verse.
Mother! You do not discriminate between different categories of people unfairly on the grounds of race, sex, age, between the haves and have not, on the basis of caste, creed and money.
Those who worship you and those who don’t, both liberate you and take them to the right destination. You give them sadgati. This love and affection that is all pervading is the essence of the vedas. The benediction of the vedas is – “Sarve Janah Sukhino Bhavantu” – meaning let all the people be happy, safe and healthy.
The vow that you have taken to discharge your duty as a Mother changes our destiny and gives the explanation of the why and the wherefore. We are not orphans. We are the pampered children of the Universal Mother. You are our Mother, Father, Guru, God. Scriptures and everything. That is my humble supplication.
(to be continued).