O, You great Shower!

O, you great shower!

What a striking figure!

stunning and startling

 cool and very chilly,

 joyful to watch and view,

carting the heart and mind

straight to your charisma;

your vigour sure is overt.

 O! My  dear Rain,

stop your funny game,

for now enough it is,

tired of you, we are;

 hurts us your verve,

violently lashing at the windows,

with pity zero in review and

swelling cold everywhere.

We understand your might,

no need to exhibit;

your flow of force

drowns beings around,

slides abodes and soil

in plentiful masses;

 not cute in rage are you,

don’t unload here your ire.

ഒരു നിശബ്ദാചാര്യ!

This poem illustrates a part of Annapoorna Devi’s life, the first wife of Pandit Ravishankar. She was a shimmering star in the horizon of instrumental music ‘Surbahar’ in particular. She handled it with inexplicable talent and skill and bagged appreciation abundant. Her life ended up in an apartment in Mumbai in October 2018. To save her nuptial life, she had to withdraw her appendages from public performance.  The fragrance of her inherent flair stretched far and wide through her highly legendary disciples to name a few Hariprasad Chaurasia, Nityanand Haldipur, Nikhil Banerjee and Ashish Khaan.

നാദത്തിൻ താളത്തിൻ തീർത്ഥം നുകർന്നൊരു

വാദ്യത്തിൻ മാന്ത്രികയന്നപൂർണ്ണ.

മനങ്ങളെ  മയക്കും  വാദ്യഗീതത്തിൽ

മാന്യയായ്  നേടി   കരഘോഷങ്ങൾ.

ഹൃദ്യമാം  പലവിധ  വാദ്യമേളങ്ങൾ

ഹൃത്തുക്കളെ മെല്ലെക്കീഴടക്കി.

സംഗീത  സമുദ്രത്തിലാറാടിയായമ്മ

മങ്ങാത്തൊരോർമയായ് മാറിയിന്ന്.

അവരുടെ  താതൻ അലാവുദീൻഖാൻ.

ഏവരേം വാദ്യത്താലാകർഷിച്ചു.

സരോദിൽ സിത്താറിൽ വേറെവാദ്യങ്ങളിൽ

അരുമയാം  മക്കൾക്കു   പാഠം  നൽകി.

റോഷനാരായെന്ന കനിഷ്ഠപുത്രിയ്ക്കും

ദോഷംവിനാ പാഠം നൽകി പിതാ.

സുർബഹാർ വാദ്യത്തിന്നാകാശഗംഗയിൽ.

സൂര്യസമാനം തിളങ്ങിയവൾ.

ഉസ്താദിൻ  പ്രീതിതൻ   പാത്രം  രവിശങ്കർ  

ഉസ്താദിൻ  ജാമാതാവായ്  ഭവിച്ചു.

രവിശങ്കർതൻ  വധു  രോഷനാരാഖാൻ 

ഭവിഷ്യേ  അന്നപൂർണ്ണാദേവിയായി.

പതിപത്നിയുഗ്മം സിത്താർനിപുണർ  

പൊതുവേദികളിൽ വന്താരകങ്ങൾ.

നല്കീ ദേവിയ്ക്കു സുർബഹാർ പാടവം

നൽപ്പോടെ ഖ്യാതികൾ നാനാലോകേ.

മാറ്റൊ  തൊള്ളായിരമ്പതിനാറ്  (916)

മാറ്റുരച്ചാലവർ കാന്തനുമേലെ.

അൽപ്പമസൂയ  കാർന്നോ  ശങ്കറെ.

അലിവു മങ്ങിയോ  ശാന്തിപോയോ?

ഉച്ചസ്ഥായിയിൽ  വാക്കും   വഴക്കും

അച്ചടക്കം വിട  ചൊല്ലാൻ വെമ്പി .

പുത്രനാം   ശുഭോയുമായൊരു  നാളിൽ

പിതാവിൻ    സന്നിധി  പൂകിദേവി.

ചെയ്തുപുനർചിന്ത  നായികാനായകർ

ചെയ്തികൾ രണ്ടാളും  മാപ്പിലാക്കി.

പതിയാം പണ്ഡിറ്റ് രവിശങ്കർതന്നുടെ    

 എത്തീ സവിധത്തിൽ  വീണ്ടും ദേവി.

മനസ്സിലാക്കി  ദേവി  ഭർത്താവിനി൦ഗിതം

മനസ്സിനുള്ളിൽ   ഒരു   ശപഥഞ്ചെയ്തു .

'അരങ്ങുകൾ   കാണില്ലിനിമേലിലെന്നുടെ 

സുർബഹാർ   സിത്താർ  വാദനങ്ങൾ'.

അങ്ങിനെയിന്നൊരുനിശബ്‌ദാചാര്യ

തങ്ങിയവർ തൻറ്റെ വീട്ടിൽത്തന്നെ.

കഷ്ടമീത്തെളിവോലും  വാദ്യനക്ഷത്രം  

നഷ്ടമായ് സംഗീതവിശ്വത്തിന്.

‘ഗുരുമാ’ സമർഥരാം ശിഷ്യരിൽക്കൂടി 

വിരിയിച്ചു സംഗീത  സൂനങ്ങളെ. 

ചൗരസ്യ,ബാനർജി,ആശിഷ്ഖാനെന്നിവർ 

ചൊവ്വുള്ള  ശിഷ്യഗണങ്ങളായി.

രവിശങ്കറിൻ കീർത്തി  പാരാകെ  കേട്ടു

പവിത്രമാം ബന്ധത്തിൽ വിള്ളൽ വീണു.

തേടിപ്പോയി  പുതുമലർ രവിശങ്കർ  

മാടിവിളിച്ചാളെ  വേറെമഹിള.

പൊട്ടിപ്പോയ് പ്രണയത്തന്ത്രികൾ പിന്നെയും 

കൂട്ടാക്കിയില്ലവ   കൂടിച്ചേരാൻ.

ശ്രമിച്ചുദേവി മoഗല്യം കാക്കുവാൻ  

 ഭവിച്ചു മൗനിയായ് ബാഹ്യലോകേ.

ഉറപ്പില്ലാ   സംഗതി പരിപാലിയ്ക്കാനായ്

ഉറപ്പുള്ള പ്രതിഭകൾ കുഴിയിൽ മൂടി.

വെയ്‌ക്കേണ്ട  ആശകൾ പറക്കും പറവയിൽ

പൊയ്പ്പോകും പുതുതലം തേടിയത്.

About three Verdicts!

  

What I would like to unfurl here is my view of the three current verdicts of the Supreme Court of India- about homosexual nuptials, Adultery among couples and Sabarimala entry for women of all ages.

Gays’ and lesbians’ matrimony has been legalized by the highest court and the court has, I think, walked back from espousing opposite sexes’ union.  Nature has designed creatures in ways different as unisexual, bisexual and asexual with the main purpose of proliferation and to a certain extent ok, delight. The delight forms the ground-preparation by beings, for the propagation of their own kind. Since Man bears demarked lines of sexual organs as males and females, his reproductive mode should be the union between males and females only. But the man who has the reason, but does not make use, with utmost animosity and insolence has redesigned things in his own ways. He complies with his own perverted ways to satisfy the unwarranted desire.

 Homosexuality is one of such Arts that man has developed without analyzing its pros and cons. A homosexual relationship is totally against Nature’s law. Had God sought to shape man with both the sexual organs; this problem wouldn’t have cropped up. The homosexuals do not understand that in the long run, a sort of odium resulting in the inevitable severance  awaits the mates. And also the old age of homosexuals with no descendants will itself shut them in a cage of depression.

Adultery, which is absolutely an anti-social activity, has been decriminalized. This verdict helps only a handful of people, whereas the rest, the majority cannot at all digest this policy. It is a bomb that will explode in family-life spoiling its very texture and thereby that of the society.

Of course, those who favour it may do it covertly, no doubt. When it is legalized, women-activists may not hesitate to jump over the walls of ethics. The progeny are the main victims to suffer in that kind of families. They will be thrown into the dark of agony and more over some of the budding teens will be instigated by this style and they may experiment it in their later life. Think about the old parents of such couples; they can in no way accommodate in their minds this occurrence. The divine male-female attraction will vanish from some families and the end outcome is a hell of mayhems resulting in nothing but a divorce.

 Coming to Sabarimala, a place of profound sanctity for Hindus in Kerala, has been, is and will be lying in the minds of millions of devotees. There are certain earmarked days for the pilgrimage to that sacred milieu, where Lord Ayyappa is the Deity, providing eternal bliss to those who visit Him. Every year people from all over India, especially from the south, seek solace from this holy idol. Even some people from other religions also make their visits to the vicinity of Lord Ayyappa. The Deity’s holy abode is at the pinnacle of one of eighteen holy hills, guarded by dense forest.

 Nature has abundantly supplied all kinds of beautifying articles to this terrain. So the Lord Ayyappa and the divine beauty of the land attract devotees amply to this place.

 Religion, we know, stands on the pillars, built of beliefs, may it be any Hinduism, Islam,Christianity or any. Rituals and customs are its nails to fix it properly on these pillars. One such belief is that Lord Ayyappa is a complete celibate that does not stand for the entry of females during their menstruating age. This belief travels from generations to generations and till date, it did not face any unseemly occurrence.

Now with the SC’s judgment allowing entry for all ages of women, things have toppled breaking the warps and wefts that weave societies’ calm. The SC could have arranged for a survey among the priests, devotees and others tied to the sites.

 Some so-called women-activists i.e. some anti-social females - I don’t use the word ladies - try to visit the temple. They are not in the stipulated age; they in the name of the challenge, definitely not out of devotion, have come forth to for the entry into the banned vicinity. This has disturbed the devotional emotions of the devotees. They chose the path of Gandhiji and started a peaceful agitation by chanting psalms in mass.

 The present government that supports the challenging people that are only a few, gave instructions to the police to provide protection for the latter’s entry. They have opened a Pandora's box or poked a beehive creating all the commotion around. What to say! It has turned out to be somewhat a law and order situation presently. Had the government given a review petition or requested the court for a period of implementation, things wouldn’t have become this grave. Now what we can do is to pray to the Almighty Lord Ayyappa to set the things in proper order and protect the hallowed area.

A Startling Art!

In the morning, Sun
Mixes colours on his own

pretty day-palatte. 

For  the choicest use,
He carries his day-palette.
Travels in the sky.

Readied the canvass,
The sky; ready is himself.
Bears a grin on face.

 On the canvass, in
Dazzling black and white, he paints.
A startling art.

For Carpe Diem

In the Inundation Days!

The time is 9:00pm. After accomplishing the supper-related usual chores, Neerada pulls a chair conveniently to her side on the loggia of her first floor. Leisurely she lies in an inclining way on that reclining chair. As her name (meaning cloud) indicates, she is fond of clouds, especially rains. She likes, no loves to sit in the sit-out and has a special affinity to observe relentless rains. She is very much thrilled now because the rain puts on demonstration all its talent, accompanied by the orchestration of a thunder. Her mind is full of delight at the ‘light and sound’ show, taking place on the stage so vast.  

Neerada, a middle-aged middle-class female was brought up in the remoteness of an under-developed village. But of course she had had the college education and that was the reason why she could obtain the partnership of Bharat, her dear better half. He was, for two years senior to her in an Arts and Science college in the town, near her village. He is an urban-brought up gentleman with an urbane outlook, and moderate too. Their meeting in the college was an accidental incident. One day, Neerada was emerging hurriedly out of her class, as if she was participating in a heat. A sudden action of running and turning back made her hit Bharat, who was walking along the common corridor. The outcome was further meetings and weaving a love-trap and eventually, she was locked up by him in the wedlock.

 Neerada, solely forgetting the surroundings, has got engrossed in the mesmerizing performance of Nature. Time is growing old and reaching ten by now. Suddenly Neerada notices that the water level is rising at a very fast pace. Her father-in-law, a widower, who is not in her thoughts presently, looms in her mind, all of a sudden. He is an arthritic patient, whose limbs show reluctance to move fast, far. Rapidly she reaches downstairs. Looking at the compound she understands one thing that the scope of escape is slim.

Their car is lying in the car porch in a ready to move condition. Alas! Neerada contains courage little or no to drive their car.

 She has undergone the learning process and has obtained a license also. In the initial stage, the four-wheeler was lucky to have its steering wheel in Neerada’s hands, but she allowed it only in her husband’s presence. Of late she doesn’t trouble the license card and the card, expressing gratitude is very peacefully resting in her bag. Despite the suggestion from her hubby to have a practice in the mornings, she keeps herself far from the car when alone. And now her husband is not there because he has gone to his native city on account of some rent-settling matter of the house in his property. The offspring two are away on their studies.

The situation is turning intricate. She goes to her cell phone, not found, “Don’t know where I have kept it”. She is very particular to keep the phone in a particular spot, but somehow this time, it got slipped. No supply of electricity; morning onwards the supply was cut off sporadically and so the inverter charge is exhausted. She lifts her father-in-law’s phone and tries to contact the husband, ‘the line is busy, please try again’ dictum is the response. Spends she some time on that trial and the repetition of the same thing by the phone forces her to leave that plan.

When she sat for long in the loggia, didn’t notice the happenings went on. In the muted moonlight on the street, the scenes are not vivid also. Her panic gets to its peak, “What to do, oh, God! No idea,” looks she around; “it seems, in the neighbour’s dwellings nobody there. We are stranded, nobody around for help."

Gathering some audacity, she goes out to the street and walks a few metres to observe the things going on around. Unnerved inhabitants, humans and animals making all hullabaloos, run hither thither, carrying possible belongings. The water with no mercy has started masking everything-huts, mansions, vehicles, plants and so on. She falls in a state of mayhem. Their house stands at a higher level and hence water has not entered the house but covers their compound and the road.

   

With all sorts of scares in the psyche and visage her in-law’s shivering voice echoes, “Mole*,... how... will we go...? I can’t... do... anything”. I can’t drive also, you know.

She curses her laziness in driving the vehicle, not heeding attention to her spouse’s repeated suggestion. Though the flood is swelling up these days, Neerada does not expect as that much weighty it would turn. Now no other go other than to succumb to the inundation that is triumphant over man and Nature. Her visual organs are ready to rain and lips to scream, for these two souls cannot see their dear ones once more. But of no use, none are there in aid, all have vacated and moved to shelters.

In a fraction of a second a sudden illumination hit her mind, “If we are here, we will die, if I drive, then also we will meet our end. Why can’t I take the risk, when both are the same?”

She takes the key of the four-wheeler, keeps the door opened, enters the room, and helps her in-law to be into the car. The car wades with rapidity half-wheel deep, splashing the water, “Tomorrow’s newspapers will have the breaking news to gulp - A forty-two-year-old lady with her father-in-law got drowned in the torrents while trying to escape from the flood in their car”.

It really astounds her, as she herself doesn’t know how they have reached the rescue camp safe and sound. “Indeed, some invisible hands have driven us here,” she believes. Otherwise oh! In these inundation days.....!   

അമ്മയും മകനും!

(അന്നനട)

 

 

ഒരുനാൾ ലളിത  തനൂജനെത്തേടി 

 വിരവേ വരവായ് നദിക്കരയിലായ്. 

“മഴവരും നിങ്ങൾ, ഗൃഹങ്ങൾ  പൂകിടൂ,

പുഴക്കരക്കളി നിറുത്തൂ മക്കളേ!”

 

 പലപ്പൊഴായ് ധവൻ   തൊഴിലിനെന്നപോൽ

പുലിയൂരിൽപ്പോയീ, സ്ഥിരം വാസം ചെയ്തൂ.

ലളിതയ്ക്കു ദിനം  കഴിച്ചിടാൻ പാടായ്

എവിടെപ്പോയിടും  മകൻ വളരണ്ടേ?

 

ഒഴുക്കി കണ്ണീരും പ്രളയത്തിൻ സമം

മുഴുദിനേയവൾ നിനച്ചു നിന്നുപോയ്.

എഴുന്നുനിന്നതാം മനോപരിതാപം

മുഴുത്തുകേറുവാൻ മതം കൊടുത്തില്ലാ.

 

പരാജയപ്പെടാൻ മനംമടിച്ചപ്പോൾ,

തിരഞ്ഞെടുത്തവൾ തുണിതുന്നുംപണി.

ശിഥിലമാം സ്വപ്നം സ്വരുക്കൂട്ടീടുവാൻ

മഥിച്ചുമാരോഗ്യം  മനഞ്ഞു നൽവസ്ത്രം.

 

ഒരാളുമില്ലൊരു സഹായമേകുവാൻ

വരുംവരാഴികയറിഞ്ഞൂ കുട്ടനും.

ചെറുപ്രായത്തിലും മുതിർന്നപ്രായമായ്

പ്രസുവിനോ നല്കീ മമതയാംസുമം.

 

അതിഥിയായ് ജ്വരം  പുണർന്നു കുട്ടനേ,

അതിതാപം മൂലം  വലഞ്ഞു രണ്ടാളും.

“ചികിത്സചെയ്തിടാൻ വരില്ലയാരുമേ,

പകൽവരാനിനീം   വിളംബമുണ്ടല്ലോ.”

 

കുടം കണക്കിനു  ജലംതൂകുമ്പോലെ,

കുടുകുടാച്ചാടി  പെരുമാരീജലം.

കടൽ ,വള്ളം, മണ്ണും ഗൃഹവും വൃക്ഷവും 

കുടിൽ,നരൻ,മൃഗം  സകലതു,മൊന്നായ്.

 

പ്രളയതാണ്ഡവം ധരിത്രിയേ ക്രൂരം

പ്രഹേളികയാക്കീ, തുടർന്നുതാഡനം.

ചരങ്ങളനേകമചരങ്ങളായീ,

ചെറുത്തുനിൽക്കുവാൻ വഴിയൊട്ടുമില്ല.

 

നിറഞ്ഞുമാനവർ  അഭയത്തമ്പിലായ്‌

കുറവിനേ പുല്കീ വസിച്ചെല്ലാവരും.

നിരന്തരമൂറീ മധുസമം സ്നേഹം,

കുറഞ്ഞില്ലാ തെല്ലും  സഹായം തമ്മിലായ്.

 

വലിപ്പം, ചെറുപ്പം, മതങ്ങൾ, ജാതികൾ,

വയസ്സും  ബാല്യവും, അശക്തി, ശക്തിയും

 ഒളിച്ചെങ്ങോപോയി,ഒരുമദൃശ്യമായ്,

തെളിഞ്ഞു ചുറ്റിലുമൊളിതൂകും സ്നേഹം.

 

കടുത്തതാപത്താൽ വലഞ്ഞെന്നാൽ  കുട്ടൻ,

കഠിനമാം നോവായ് ശിരസ്സിനുള്ളിലായ്.

പ്രകൃതി കൃത്യമായ്  പകവീട്ടീടുന്നൂ,

നികടത്തിലെങ്ങും  കവചമില്ലൊന്നും.

 

“ത്വരിതമ്മാതാവേ!  ചലിക്കൂ  ദൂരേക്കായ്,

ജ്വരം തളർത്തുന്നൂ,  എനിക്കുപറ്റില്ലാ.”

“ജനയിത്രിയാം ഞാൻ  തനൂജാ! പോകില്ലാ 

നിനക്കുമേലെയായ്  ഹൃദിയൊന്നുമില്ലാ."

 

കുറച്ചു തൻരോഷം പ്രവാഹമൽപ്പാൽപ്പം,

കുറഞ്ഞുവാരിയും ദിനം ചിരിച്ചെത്തീ.

 മകനുമമ്മയും   ജഡങ്ങളായ് കഷ്ടം!

 അകത്തുകിടന്നു  പുണർന്നുതമ്മിലായ്.

 

യമരാജാവിനേ തടുക്കുവാനാമോ?

നമുക്കുള്ളപ്രിയർ ശ്രമിച്ചിതെങ്കിലും.

വിരാമത്തിൻ നേരം വരുംവരെയല്ലേ,

വിരാജിക്കുംബന്ധം  തണലാകുന്നതും?

 

 

ധവൻ         =ഭർത്താവ് 

അല്ല്            = രാത്രി

വിരാജിക്കുക= ശോഭിക്കുക

Drowned and Drowned Everything They Owned!

Kerala witnessed rather underwent an inundation, the most destructive, the most devastating, the most upsetting and the most distressing-  the superlatives of all the pessimistic adjectives are apposite here. Kerala is a beautiful princess who bags admiration a lot from abroad, as her structure is adorned with a lush green land full of green pastures, chilly hills and silvery rivers. Umbrella-like coconuts, swaying plants, undulating fields, smiling blooms are also her cosmetics and costumes for her performance in the beauty contest. The wind, carrying deodorants supplied by scented blossoms, takes slow and fast dancing steps. His soft steps fall in accordance with the tunes being hummed by bees and birds.  Sahyadri(the Western Ghats) stands as the sentry picketing the east and north and Arabian sea and Indian ocean enter into a union to guard her in south and west And her beauty catches always the sight of tourists from far and wide.  

Alas!  In this August, Nature envied and tried to mutilate her by the unremitting rains, outpouring all the water in stock, giving shape to floods and torrents resulting in landslides of a large mass. The floods and landslides together smothered her. Alas! Many an inhabitant got drowned and thereby its inhales and exhales came to an end. The torrents claimed human lives abundant, flowed animals aplenty, uprooted plants and trees numberless and ruined dwellings in myriads. Shrieks and screams and yells and yelps filled the atmosphere. As a whole a sort of sadness-sodden interjections resonated everywhere and such a condition persisted at least for a fortnight. Every night those days’ people went to bed fearing the nightmare of attack from the monstrous flood.

Numerous people irrespective of their age, sex or position fell as prey into the hands of flood and therefore they chose to move to rescue camps. Each and every person was tantamount to all others, since the snobbishness of have’s, high positions, forward castes, fair looks, physical health etc vanished solely from the camp areas.  People with dotages were also inmates of the camp. Physically challenged ones, accident victims, tiny kids, pregnant females and even healthy youths were not spared.  Rivers were overflowing and cadavers of man, animals, birds and even vegetations were swept away by the water current. 

As per official record, more than four hundred fifty people bade adieu to their breath and many more that have not loomed in the record. A good number of people had to part with their luxuriant lives in cozy comforts. Within a day people’s belongings including palatial mansions with their pretty interiors, expensive vehicles etc sank in water or were masked by landslides. The torrents have pauperized a large number of people destroying their hard-earned properties.

 The area, a kilometer away from our home, was invaded by water followed by a critical devastation. Upon His grace, we were left untouched, even though we had kept the most essential items packed to leave for the aboriginal place.

Such a catastrophe made people fall in under the flag of help and philanthropy. Here the victims could eye and experience the pinnacles of clemency from their saviors.   Youths and middle-aged men, forgetting their safety, leapt out of their comfort to aid the sufferers with transportation, clothes and food items. Virtues and goodness had developed wings to fly to the prey of flood. They were carrying people away to a safe area on their shoulders and in boats. Even vast wares became buoyant articles to keep the beings afloat from drowning. Some people laid their own live body in the water to be steps for aged people to get into the boats.  The fisherfolk undid all their water vehicles and used them to sail and navigate a large number of affected lives to rescue shelters. They deserve a big salute more than all others.

 The Defense Forces were always on the alert to render any sort of hand to the needy. Their airlifting craft helped those, who got stranded on terraces including ailing ones and even an expectant lady in an advanced stage. She gave birth to a healthy child within an hour of her escape.  Women were second to none in utilizing their ‘self’ for rendering aids. They gathered food, clothes and cash from good-willed minds.  Aids from all corners rushed to the rescue camps. Sympathetic people with empathetic mind lavishly had contributed to the redress activity for the flood victims. Still, a few people had totally lost their hope, as their life’s savings were fully stolen by the torrents. They sought not to live further and thence marched to the suicide spot.

 A unity in diversity was felt all over. Prayerful eyes were lifted to the God and God reciprocated by taking incarnations through altruistic souls to compensate the Nature’s misdeed.  Kudos to all of them. This has turned out to be an unforgettable eye-opening event that might have taught lessons several to the proud and impertinent.

 

              (Google picture)