On 17-02-1996 in the evening as usual I went for my evening walk. I was staying with Shashikant Dube in his village at Mahari (Rewa, M.P). After half an hour walk at the out skirt of the village there runs a cannel with full of water. On both sides there are plenty of mango and other tress, surrounded by wheat fields. As it was winter time, the sun set was beautiful. The place where I went regularly is a quite calm place from where we can see not only the sun set but its reflection on the water. On that day, when the sun was setting with golden red color, I saw several birds flying and making a gentle noise. The gentle cold, sun set, birds and their voice accompanied by the calm surrounding created some kind trance within me. At that time I wrote this song. This is one of my favorite songs, which we still sing in our puja in the ashram gatherings.
17-02-1996 அன்று மாலை, வழக்கப்படி மஹரியில் (ரீவா. ம.பி) நதிக்கரையோரம்
உலவச்சென்றபோது இருந்த அமைதி என்னை மிகவும் கவர்ந்தது. பறவைகளின் இனிய
ஓசை, மென்மையான குளிர், சிவப்பாய் மறையும் சூரியன் எனக்கு மிகவும்
ஆனந்தத்தைக் கொடுத்தது. அந்நேரம் இறைவனைப் போற்றி எழுதிய பாடல்:
வேறென்ன வேண்டும்?
அமைதியான இந்த மாலையிலே–என்
ஐயனுடன் அமர்ந்த வேளையிலே
இனிமையான இசை சூழ்ந்திருக்க
என்னை மறந்துமே நானிருக்க–அமைதியான….
மெல்லிய குரலால் புள்ளினம் யாவும்
புனிதனைப் போற்றியே புகழ்ந்திருக்க
ஆர்ப்பரித் தெழுந்த என்மனமும்
ஐயனைப் போற்றிப் பணிந்திருக்க–அமைதியான….
வேறென்ன இன்பம் வேண்டி நிற்பேன்
இங்கு மாறுபடும் இந்த உலகினிலே
அருகினில் அமர்ந்தே அவன் பாதம்
வருடியே சேவை செய்வதல்லால்–அமைதியான….
English Translation
In this calm evening
When I sit with my Lord
As melodious music surrounds me
I forget myself
Birds with their gentle voice
Praise the Lord
My heart too raises up
To worship Him
What other pleasure will I seek
In this contradicting world?
Other than sitting at His feet
To gently massage His feet?
Comments
I like the last stanza in which I said that by sitting at His feet and gently messaging and doing the seva. This is a common picture in bhakti tradition. Though ‘padasevanam’ could also mean that sitting at the feet to listen and learn, yet doing seva to guru or deity by pressing the feet gently while He takes rest is part of bhakti tradition. Even one of the consorts of Vishnu in most of the painting and sculptures is depicted massaging the feet of Vishnu while He is reclining on His snake bed. There are several stories where the disciples have done this seva to their guru. The muktivedic picture about Martha sitting at the feet of the Lord and listening to Him and the woman pouring oil; kissing it and wiping it with her hair illustrates the shared culture of Asian tradition in one form or the other. That is why ‘padasevanam’ (doing seva at the feet of the Lord) comes the last but one and just before ‘atma nivedanam’ (offering oneself completely by surrendering) in the list of nine forms of bhakti.