Vaigai Flows Again

One Legend has it that if you keep your hand on the river bed, water flows through your hand, which translates in tamil as "Kai Vai" and when you read it in reverse it is "Vaikai". But, there many such stories to symbolize the river which has been struggling a lot for its survival. However, the stories have survived thousands of years. It is also believed that Vaigai branched off into two near Madurai and ran on either side of the city like a garland. One branch is the current river while the other known as Krittamala which is now a small canal near the Koodal Azhagar temple.

As a kid, I've seen Vaigai flowing majestically under the bridges and through the coconut and plantain groves. I even remember the days when most villagers in its bank used to start their day with a dip in the river. Going by the lines of Ilango in Silappathikaram, I used to believe that she is a perennial river. So over-powering was the urbanization, sand quarrying and inter-state politics that, she has remained a bed of sand all these years deceiving Ilango's lines. Even when there was rain or the annual festival, it would only be a glimpse of the thin streams meandering through the bed of sand.

Last week when I was in Madurai it was a surprise to see her flow freely under the bridges, through the groves, filling the canals and ponds, no matter what gets in the way. Instead of the old bed of sand with the sun beating down, she was flowing freely for a change. I also chanced to drive along her flow through Sholavandhaan, Thiruvedagam, Kuruvithurai... It was an awesome experience watching her flow. Wish it rains more!

Let it rain like how Bharathi would want.

திக்குகள் எட்டும் சிதறி,

திக்குகள் எட்டும் சிதறி சிதறி

பக்க மலைகள் உடைந்து வெள்ளம்,

பாயுது பாயுது பாயுது; பாயுது பாயுது பாயுது;

அண்டம் சாயுது சாயுது சாயுது - பைகொண்டு

தக்கை அடிக்குது காற்று; தக்கை அடிக்குது காற்று,

வெட்டி அடிக்குது மின்னல் - கடல்

வீரத் திரைகொண்டு விண்ணை இடிக்குது

கொட்டி இடிக்குது மேகம்; கொட்டி இடிக்குது மேகம்;

கூ கூவென்று விண்ணை குடையுது காற்று.

தாளம்கொட்டி கணைக்குது வானம்;

தாளம்கொட்டி கணைக்குது வானம்,

எட்டு திசையும் இடியால்

மழை எங்கனம் வந்ததடா தம்பி வீரா!

மழை எங்கனம் வந்ததடா தம்பி வீரா!

Forest Love

All the features make forests beautiful;
The lush green bushes and the succinct shoots;
The Luxuriant cover and the Dexterous leaves;
The diverse vegetation with its racy animals;
The meandering streams and the ornamental ponds;
The peeping sun and the veiling clouds;
The soothing moon and the whispering stars;
The source of life and the sign of fertility;
Let all this and more live to see you die,
For the generations to come shall forget,
How monstrous you were!

We the living

Elevating the stature of the sidewalk,

For it is our palace and the citadel.
Bestowing pride to the ruined walls,
For it is our wardrobe and the closet.
Adding value to abandoned plastics,
For it is our warehouse, though empty.

The sun lights our day;
The moon cools our nights;
It rains to cleanse our house;
It breezes to fan out heat;
The smoky exhaust we breath;
The muddy water we bathe in;

Privacy is not our concern,
For innocence, our only strength.
Nothing to deprive our pleasures,
For ignorance, our only knowledge.

Past and future, not for us;
Living is here and now;
We, the true sons and daughters
Of life and nature,
Living here and now!

Photograph Courtesy: The snap was taken by Sujathaa, my wife while we were waiting in a traffic signal near Central station in Chennai.

Holi Hai!

A memorable weekend, as we were invited to join Holi Celebrations yesterday. It was fun with colours being splashed all over the place and the kids playing with their water guns. None was spared and no one could dodge their bullets. Here are some interesting snaps shot yesterday.

A festival of colors,
Ends the cold weather;
Brings the spring in grandeur;
For our ecstasy and delight.

A festival of colors,
Kills the demons in us;
Begets the self that’s real;
For our spirit and soul.

She

However delicate and tender he kissed,

Aggressive he ended.

No matter with what softness he began,

He finished beastly.

Though she often seem to consume him;

And had more appetite than him;

Superior he pretends,

As she often forgets her worth.

But he doesn’t rejoice this illusion, for he knows;

There are worse things she can do to his soul

Than he can ever do to her whole!

Happy Womans Day!
Never forget your worth and
Rejoice in being a woman.

Happy New Year

Every year melts;
Every year manifests.
Every year bestows memory;
Every year begets hope.
Like the flowing river,
Like the blossoming flower,
Entering the unknown 2008,
And me, without a resolution.
On second thought,
Who cares?
Just Celebrate!

I have read, " A candle looses nothing if it is used to light another one"

The Red Poem

First, let me apologize for being so callous about my next post. It's true that I was hectic, occupied and pre-occupied, but due diligence should have been given to the blog in spite of all these lame excuses. For me, the thought of a post bubbles-up only when I find time for own-self. The only time I had for myself in this past month turned to be the time I drive from home to office and back. In spite of the shimmering heat of Chennai aggravated by the annoying traffic, I was able to conceptualize a flurry of posts and their skeleton. However, when I plunged into the work, everything evaporated, only to be left with the guilt of not having materialized those bubbles into a beautiful post.

Many thanks to Priya, Dawn, Vishesh and Mystic for their concern. Inspired by them, I share a poem that I wrote last week, for a team of 200 that my wife was heading for her company's family day. As a part of the Maui Hikers team's publicity campaign, my wife asked a poem on Red, the colour of the team. The poem was required to have attributes of Power and Action and I got the crux from the good old "Gimme Red" Eveready Advertisement. This poem got crystallized while I was driving from home to office. I concluded that, it's worth sharing the poem, when I heard that many people liked it -:)

Gimme Red
Gimme Red
The sunset dusk
In crimson Red

Gimme Red
Gimme Red
The human blood
In scarlet Red

Live-in Red
Live-in Red
The caution saves
In Striking Red

Live-in Red
Live-in Red
Passion and Love
At heart is Red

Being Red
Being Red
Tulips and Roses
Beauty in Red

Being Red
Being Red
Strength and Courage
In flaming Red

Love you Red
Love you Red
Maui Hikers
House is Red

Love uncaused

I still love Kodai

Following the meandering

Curves of your crystal brooks;

Biking through the less-traveled
Nerves of your shimmering hamlets;

Hiking on your enthusing knolls,
Sniffing the earthly aroma;

Encountering the fierce stare
Of the majestic lone bison;

Bliss of the whisperings creeks
Gracing your evergreen shola;

Relishing the luscious comb
Brimming with glittering honey;

Brushing off the lush green tress
Dangling of your pine trees;

Sprinkling of the delicate
Fragrant petals of your flowers;

Sinking in the orchestrated
Serenades of the rattling beetles;

Lying in trance between the
Cushy bosoms of your prairie;

These cherished memoirs of the past
Remain dissolved in my dreams.

Though we have abandoned each other,
The way I miss you In my sleepless nights,
Is the only proof to reassure that,
I love you always and forever.

The Path

Where darkness is the darkest,
Where wilderness is the wildest,
Where forest is the densest,
Lone stands a calf in loss .

In the hope of finding its herd,
Wades through the mounting darkness,
Across the Uphill and down dale,
Forging a tortuous path.


Perchance, a dog spots the path,
Treads to where it leads,
Only to stop where it ends,
At the shattered bones of the calf.

Forges that path farther hill,
Hobbles through the curves and crooks,
Wrecked, Weary and wounded,
Crosses the forest intact.

A ram with his flock of sheep,
On seeing the path wide open,
Leads its flock across the hill,
Paving the pathway wide.

The man treads across the same path,
Turing right and left along,
Croucing down and burshing the obatscles,
Ever cursing the tedious path.

Though rational in blaming ways,
Never thought of an alternate way,
Turing right and left all day,
When straight in-line is the shortest.

The path passed through the years,
To a main street of a avenue;
To a highway of a town;
To a expressway of a city.

The traffic swallowed the path,
Fuming and fretting as always,
At the worst possible alignment,
Hopeless, man remained.

The forest laughed at the man,
Who blindly follows any path,
Never caring to reason himself,
To see if it suites him the best.


Note: Adopted from a parable I have read.

You and I

Soul in mine

In Dream; In love

Insomnia

I've had enough
Of sleepless nights,
Of the clinging past,
Of the uncertain tomorrow,
Of the demanding work,
Of the overwhelming remorse,
Of my unspoken grief,
Of the preception of defects,
Of my rebellious self,
Of my tired wisdom.
Come my Mother,
Breath of the universe -
Veil of Maya-
Reveal yourself-
Come and dress my wounds
And be my cure.

An encounter with God

Beloved Lord!

No prayers are heard.
Do you want me to conceive that you are deaf?
For I know, you understand only the language of silence;
In silence, I hear your voice.

No deeds are seen.
Do you want me to believe that you are blind?
For I know, you see only the light;
In light, I see your vision.

No warmth is felt.
Do you want me to conclude that you are a stone?
For I know, you feel only the fire;
In fire, I feel your warmth.

I breathe no long.
Do you want me to trust that you are just a void?
For I know, you breath only the life;
In life, I breathe your air.

Thirsty, I remain.
Do you want me to imbibe that you are deserted?
For I know, you drink only consciousness;
In consciousness, I’m drunk.

My five senses make no sense;
The world I live cease to live;
Just fill me with what you are,
For me to, live in you.

Shivoham! Shivoham!

Added on 17-Feb-2007 - Shared more pcitues of Shiva, as the post received 2 comments stating the picture is good.

Imbued in Love

Finally, the V’day has arrived. Though trapped in the house because of the storming snow, the air was filled with Love, as every media that we would peep into was only broadcasting love, love and love only. For having imbued in love, I can only express gratitude by joinings hands with family and friends.That too, when I think of this day as our wedding anniversary, with Pranav celebrating his first Valentine's day, the joy is doubled.

As a proponent of Love :), I'm sure that, Love is the most appreciated and accursed word in the history of human existence due to it its varied nuances, projections and the impact it is capable of causing to anyone who possesses it or to anyone who is possessed by it. It is like the sun rays passing through a prism. If we are a prism, love adorns us with a rainbow. If we are opaque, it leaves us.

Love is Divine; Love is Bliss
Love is Eternal; Love is immortal
Love is Illogical; Love is Irrational
Love is Awareness; Love is Madness
Love is Knowledge; Love is Innocence
Love is Possession; Love is Freedom
Love is Music; Love is Silence
Love is flowering; Love is Joy

Love is the force that masters everything,
I’m totally mastered by Love.

By the passion of love for love,
I’ve grown as sweet as sugar.
By myself I’m bitter,
Through love I’m sweet.

When depressed darkened I’m
Love lightens my mind.
By myself I’m a rock,
Through Love I’m a gem

Life ensnared me with desire and disease
While, Love holds me in its palm.
By myself I’m pain.
Through Love, I’m pleasure.

When life flings me into the air,
Love hoist me to the sky.
By myself I’m a slave,
Through Love I’m the King.

Birth made me wander in illusion;
Love has shown me my being .
By myself I’m death,
Through Love, I’m life.

To Lord, with Love

Oh Lord,
Take my mind off my soul.
Liberate my poor soul.
Fill me with nothing and
release me from my dreams.
If I hurt anyone, even by chance,
let fire burn me from inside.


Oh Lord,Take away what I want.
Take away what I do.
Take away what I need.
Take away everything
that makes me vice.

O! Milky Snow

O! milky snow,
Grown thick and hard,
All night and day;
Like a gloomy cloy
Spread on earth!

O! milky snow,
The frozen lake is in
Quiescent melancholy;
Like the flea-bitten love
Deserted by lovers.

O! milky snow,
The shiny tender skin,
Dry with cracks turn itchy;
Like the drained river
Deprived of moist.

O! milky Snow,
I Pray, you say good-bye.
Let the world awaken;
Let the birds in chorus sing;
for the lake to open
Wide in love
To let the lotus glow.

Chopping Wood; Fetching Water

I love haikus, especially when remembered in my aloneness.

Sitting Alone

- Room mates vacationing the Thanks Giving long weekend

- Declined the offers to join them

- Declined couple of invitation from friends and relatives to visit their place

- Unusually favourable weather - replica of the summer of Kodiakanal

- Neither interested nor motivated even to take a walk

- Wondering on my reluctance to go around, in spite of being the most out-going person at home!

- Attempting to unwillingly finish the tasks willingly unfinished and ignored at work

- Peeping into Kamzpuff and Kavimusings when work becomes work

- Wading through a few pages of Passions of the Mind whenever laptop turns disgusting

- Van Gogh or Michaelangelo or Freud, Stone is amazing!

- Imbued in the divine creation of Ilayaraja when Freud is not at his best

- Occassional cooking of the aromatic sambar, learnt from my room mate Satish

- A double Jack Daniell's or Black Label on the rocks, when everything around sucks

- Finally, remembered the haiku .........

Chopping Wood; Fetching Water;

Before enlightenment.

Chopping Wood; Fetching Water;

After enlightenment.

My House is Red

After such a long gap, I was able to find the other Lost Poem " My House is Red through Lognathan (Logunix). I am hoping to return home soon and rhyme the entire poem to Pranav. Have another 2 months of waiting................Day and Night I'm missing him and it's been really hard to push each and very moment, though I am occupied with more than 16 hours of workday. Anyway, let me post the poem for everyone to cherish.

My House is Red

My house is red—a little house,
A happy child am I;
I laugh and play the livelong day,
1 hardly ever cry.

I have a tree, a green, green tree,
To shade me from the sun;.
And under it I often sit,
When all my work is done.

My little basket I will take,
And trip into the town;
When next I am there I’ll buy- some cake,
And spend my bright half-crown.