ஆட்கொள்வாயே!
உன்பெலன் மட்டும் இல்லாவிட்டால்
ஓயாத இவ்வுலக வாழ்க்கையிலே!
உள்ளான மனதில் அமைதியே இல்லை
உருண்டோடும் இம்மனித வாழ்வினிலே
நாள்தோறும் என்னை நாடிவருகின்ற
நன்மை-தீமை எண்ணப் போனால்
எண்ண முடியுமோ அனைத்தையுமே
என்மனம் அவைநாடிச் செல்வதாலே!
கானல்நீரைத் தேடிய மானைப்போல்
கதறியே என்மனம் ஓடினாலும்
நீர்காணா மான்போல் ஆகிடாது
நிலையான அருளால் வாழ்கிறேனே
என்பெலன் தன்னை நம்பியேநானும்
எதுவரை ஓடிட முயன்ற போதும்
ஆட்கொள்ளும் உந்தன் அன்பினாலே
ஐயனே வாழ்ந்திட அருளைத் தாரும்!.
22-06-1996. பூனே (மஹாராஷ்டிரா)
English Translation
If I didn’t have your strength
In this turbulent world
There could be no peace in my heart
In this passing human life
Is it possible for me to count
The good and bad things
Which come seeking after me
As my heart is longing after them?
Even though my heart too
Chases like a deer after a mirage
Without founding any water
I live because of your unchanging grace.
However I try to run with my own strength
As much as possible
Oh Lord give your grace to live
Through your redeeming love.
22-06-1996. Pune, Maharashtra
Comments
When I was staying with one family, I arranged a meeting with a few other bhaktas for a business matter. But contrary to what I expected, there was too much artificiality in the talk and relationship. One new naïve bhakta was quite confused as his need in the practical matter was never addressed. Then I had to talk a lot with him separately to encourage him and also anchor his bhakti in the Lord rather than on the vain promises of others. As an young man, he wanted to start his own business and then he would live in his dream world. I had to advise him to be more practical 1and in that context I had to share some dvand (attraction and repulsion) in life. Later when I thought about it, I wrote this song.
Seeking happiness is not merely avoiding sorrows in life but trying to accept the duality that joy and sorrow are two sides of the same coin. As I shared before, in every enjoyment the subtle anxiety of losing it will be the pain and every sorrow every effort to remove it will create more longing for happiness. But no human can rise above the duality (dvand) to have a permanent stable mind (stitha prajnata). Confidence in the grace of God will anchor us in the Lord. And those who don’t anchor their bhakti in the Grace of God will chase both pleasure and pain and like a deer chasing a mirage they will remain dissatisfied in every area of life. This will become true for everyone—irrespective of their particular faith. A close observation of their life made me write this song.
26-7-14
1. Later taking my advice seriously he started his own business with his own meagre personal investment and come up successfully. But in the peak of his successful business he passed away. Though we should expect ‘great’ things from the Lord, yet in life, in every matter our approach should be more realistic. This is true even in relationship.