(rendered into English by Dr. Sista Shanta)
(continued from the previous issue)
Song: 44
“How far is the journey Mother!” is the 44th song penned on 27-12-1962 and 28-12-1962.
‘How far is this Journey Mother?
Is it as far as the eye can see?
Is it as long as the Creation takes place?’
This is the burden of the song.
I used to work in the ILTD., Vinukonda. Everyday I used to travel on bicycle covering four to five villages, inspecting the tobacco crop. One day I was going along the narrow walking path. To reach Vinukonda I would have to cover another ten miles. It was evening. The Sun had not get set. Accidentally the front wheel of the bicycle got stuck in a muddy ditch. Till the axle the wheel went into the mud. I got off the cycle slowly dislodged the cycle and went walking along for some distance.
I questioned myself “How far should I travel, seeking my livelihood?” The journey is not merely referring to that very day’s travel but it is the journey in this life. If there is going to be a series of births there will be many stops or halts. To reach the abode of the Satguru, who is the only one eternal, the pure, the stead fast, beyond and without three gunas, to attain Kaivalya on liberation, how long and how far should I struggle and undertake this strenuous journey!” was my question.
Let me be. What is this creation? How long will it continue? How far is the journey? Time and distance both are the same. You can measure time in terms of distance. For example you take the light year – that is the time taken for the light to travel in one year i.e 6X10 12 miles. Distance can be measured in terms of time. For example the time one takes to travel from Pedanandipadu to Guntur i.e., one hour.
This is how I started contemplating. I wanted to compose a song with reference to Mother. Mother! the length of time as the creation takes place – is it as far as your eye can view? Mother’s vision is indeed very powerful and infinite. Does creation too take place till eternity without a break?
Creation does not refer only to the earth. There are infinite number of planets and galaxies. They are in the space. What is their total distance? Do time and I have to travel that long?
Mother! you have created the entire universe consisting of the animate and inanimate creation. You are Vishalakshi (name) (meaning a Godess with wide eyes). Sitting on the small cot in Jillellamudi you observe / scrutinise every activity, every shift, maneuver / drift. Mother is my journey as long or as far as your vision extends?
Since you have created, you destroy everything too. As long as your activities of creation, sustenance and destruction continue do I have to travel that long and that distance?
‘On the earth and in the sky
The view that is visualised
Envisioned without batting an eye lid
Is it far as the otherside of the bank?’
This is the first stanza.
The Telugu word “mannu” refers to the earth and the word ‘minnu’ stands for the sky. “Mannu lona” is on the earth and “Minnu lona” in the sky. The sky or the space that is the prop / support for the very existence of the indivisible, eternal creation the extraordinary variance of the creator’s diversity strangeness. The sky stands for the divine form, one who can simultaneously see both on the earth and in the sky, without batting an eye lid sees myriad things in their eternity. Mother! there is no shore / limit to this vision or view. Neither the ocean nor the sky has a shore or embarkment. But if one thinks there is a bank / boundary one does not know what is on the otherside of the bank. But you know, because you can see. Mother! What is the distance from here to the other side of the shore? Do I have to travel that long and that distance?
“Oh Universal witness of the origin and existence
The entire animate and inanimate creation
Is the distance beyond the ken of Knowledge
of the womb of time?”
This is the second stanza.
Here the journey does not refer to travelling either by bicycle or bus. It is the distance between birth and death, the difference. The individual Jeeva / Soul has to undertake many journeys, many stopovers before it reaches its final destination.
We shed this body and leave. If we believe in rebirth we have to take the proper support of something. Rebirth is such a support otherwise there is no rebirth for the individual. If Venkayya after death takes birth as Satyavathi there is definitely a support for Venkayya. There are 84 lakhs of genera in the creation. For all these souls there should be a specific form only when there is a form there is this sight and view. The life span of all these creatures together will be many millions of years (Arbudalu – one Arbudam is ten million years). No one knows about the depth, size and distance of time (kalagarbham). Mother! do I have to travel that distance? In reality there is no special / specific form for a jeeva/ soul. Nor is there any journey.
A second aspect / point of view. Who is that who looks after the process of creation, sustenance and dissolution? Everything is merging into time. What ever is last is kept / held in the concept of time. What a long history! Everyone is a historian and none is a non-entity. Mosquito, ant bed bug, lizard…. all lead a meaningful life (from the point of view of the supreme). What is the total length of time of all these put together? God knows! Mother! do I have to travel that long?
‘Where there is inconvenience, you made it convenient
(Where it is not possible you made it possible)
Where it cannot be done you made it happen
The Mother who rules the entire world
Is her heart so immersely deep!
Do I have to trave that long?”
Earlier i explained the incident which prompted me to write this song. I gained my trust in Mother after testing her in many ways. I know it is a crime to test Mother. “Mother! Tonight I shall be in Kommuru. You must come to see me at this specific hour in this particular place”. I used to stipulate such conditions to Mother. She used to agree. She would come at the specific time hit me on my arm and disappear. The next time I visited Jillellamudi she said “I could not make it dear. I could not come as father-in-law called me. I went to him in a hurry.” I firmly believe that Mother is the prime cause of entire creation. She said she would come but she could not make it. i.e., I did not see her actually. But she did come. The sound, the touch, and the fragrance. These three she blessed me with. That is Mother’s “where there is inconvenience, you made it convenient” with this principle Mother is taking care of ruling the entire creation.
‘Mother does not find anything convenient to do but she makes it possible
She is not able to do anything –
But she can do everything
She does not know anything –
But she come to know everything’
We cannot understand Mother (Mother’s ways). What is the depth of her heart who rules the entire universe?
Is it that far! Mother – my Journey! (This is my musing)
Here I would like to point out a very significant idea. I am part of the creation and a limb in Mother’s body. My vision is Mother’s Vision, the moves / drift in the creation. This is my point of view.
(to be continued)