Today is the best day to act

This week's poem is a sankeertana from Sri Annamacharya. Sri Annamacharya is easily one of the all time great masters. He is a great saint, philosopher, scholar, composer, poet, musician, musicologist and above all a true teacher of human values - all in One. He composed about 30,000 songs of which about 12,000 only are now available. In this song he just echoes the meaning of the slokam which we have seen in the previous post, the slokam from Adi Sankaracharya. For people who know Telugu, this song is self explanatory. For non Telugu brethren, I have given below the brief purport.

కడలుడిపి నీరాడగా తలచు వారలకు

కడలేని మనసునకు కడమ యెక్కడిదీ?

దాహామణగిన వెనుక తత్వమెరిగెదనన్న

దాహమేలణగు తా తత్వమేమెరుగూ!

దేహంబుగల అన్ని దినములకునూ పదార్ధ

మోహమేలుడుగూ తా ముదమేల కలుగూ !!

ముందరెరిగిన వెనుక మొదలూ మరచెదనన్న

ముందరేమెరుగూ తా మొదలేల మరచూ!

అందముగ తిరువేంకటాద్రీశు మన్ననల

కందువెరిగిన మేలు కలనైన లేదూ !!

Kadaludipi neeraadagaa thalachu vaaralaku

kadalaeni manasunaku kadama yekkadidhee?

dhaahaamaNagina venuka thathvamerigedhananna

dhaahamaelaNagu thaa thathvamaemerugoo!

dhaehaMbugala anni dhinamulakunoo padhaarDha

mOhamaelaNagu thaa mudhamaelaAO galugoo !!

muMdharerigina venuka modhaloo marachedhananna

muMdharaemerugoo thaa modhalaela marachoo!

aMdhamuga thiruvaeMkataadhreeshu mannanala

kaMdhuverigina maelu kalanaina laedhoo!

The Bhaava or Purport

Will there ever be an end for those who wait for the waves in the ocean to stop to take a dip? Will there ever be an end for the various modifications and turmoils created in our minds?

If we say, let us first quench our sensual thirsts and desires, then we can think of realizing our true poetntial, will there ever be a day by which all our worldly and bodily desires come to an end? Will we ever realize our true potential and focus on true ascent? How can there be no craving and clinging towards all the mundane things as long as we are body-centric? When will we experience the peace by pursuing these means?

If we say, let us know all about that Bliss Absolute now and experience it without any special effort, then we may probably consider relinquishing our craving and clinging; - how can in such a case we experience the Infinite Bliss? How can we shun the body-centric attachments?

(These various differences in the name and form of beings are man-made and these divide and further divide us infinitely and leave us alone and never allow us to understand that everyone is great as us, if not more. Once we cast off our Ego and the Body concept, then, what way we can claim our superiority or grieve for our inferiority?

Best wishes and bye till next week,

Love,

Sarma