Saileelamrutha

Om Jai Sai Ram! This world is verily like a pit infested with poisonous snakes. Circumstances in life are like deadly reptiles which evoke a plethora of negative emotions in us. One is forever dying a slow death in this pit expecting happiness from it. All it gives is pain followed by more pain. Heart ache and pain are rife. However, when the Sadguru appears above us and covers the dark pit with his effulgent radience, we realize that the snakes are an illusion. We mistake the ropes for snakes and we suffer endlessly. The Sadguru can make us forget this illusory snake pit and lead us to the garden of blissful paradise which is our original home. Often us devotees are drowned in a quagmire of problems which overwhelm us at every turn. If we turn to the Sadguru and happily clasp his lotus feet isntead of trying to be cleaver, the problems vanish like darkness before light. The storm which seemed life threatening goes away at the Sadguru's command to give way to life giving sun shi...

When the huge armies of Jarasansha, Poundraka and Shalva stood Marvelling at the beauty of Mother Rukmini near the temple of the mother of the universe You appeared like a lion snatching it's prey from cowardly jackals You quelled Rukmi's arrogance and put him in his place You satisfied the innermost prayer of Mother Rukmini And made her your consort at your hallowed city of Dwaraka The worldly life is like swimming in an ocean of fire Happiness here seems unattainable and elusive People you love the most tend to hurt you with their words and deeds Why oh why did I ever fall in love oh slayer of Mura A thousand serrated arrows of unrequited wishes pierce my soul Speaking my mind against this injustice only results in pain more foul Give me the strength to detach from these wordly attachments And let my tongue sing your gloried and hear your divine sport Happiness lies only at your feet and nowhere else This was realised by Rantideva, Amb...

The King of kings came in the guise of a fakir And threw open the coffers of his treasure to the faithful With patience the apostle of love earned this wealth And like a philanthropist started distributing the wealth The self made billionaire among billionaires went about Looking for a spiritual son to continue the good work Then came a young gentleman dressed impeccably dressed He became the rightful heir to the wealth of the universe The care taker of the universe said, come take this wealth Not recognizing the treasure's worth I walked towards the cunning merchants After haggling with the merchants long and hard I bought the wares that I did not need I ran after the counterfeit money that was required To do transactions with the merchants of the world Forgetting the real treasure trove hidden near the neem tree I ran after ephemeral treasure which excites the sense organs I gave myself away without prudence to the people of the world I got o...

My Sadguru came home yesterday I was pining for the him day by day I tread a thorny path bereft of any shoes Every person I meet seems to have a forked tongue Insults hurled one after the other hurt My body like a million serrated arrows Your lover does not get respected amidst the merchants of the world Always the lover is trod upon By the cruel beings of the world Not a single shoulder to lean on No one to turn to in these depressing times I pined for the arrival of the Sadguru Whose acceptance alone matters in this world You came to my house blessing one and all Tears of pain were replaced by those of happiness As I clung to the treasure trove of the Sadguru's feet I realized that nothing else really matters in the world The dreary mountain of expectations of happiness from the world vanished To make room for the spotless brilliance of the Sadguru's grace

As I walked into the office, pondering over what would make me feel better. That made me realize that I was not feeling good. I was feeling blue. Why I wondered? I changed the question a little. What is it that has made me feel bad. I realized that there was something that I wanted badly. Something that I would have really enjoyed had it happened. It has not happened yet. And unfortunately, every day I am somehow reminded of that fact. Today somehow I wanted to bring a closure to the issue. How do I do it I wondered. I then saw the calendar lying on my desk. There was a saying of Lord Sainath before today's date. It was "Poverty is better than Kingship. The lord is always with the poor". I had always understood this statement to allude to Sainath's fakiri (medicant lifestyle) . Haven't poets sung time and again looking at Baba's magnificent form "You wear the garb of a fakir but in reality you are the emperor of emperors. You are the almighty God who...

The lover treads a lonely track Seeking the beloved on a thorny path Blow after blow from serrated arrows to the heart The mendicants at the infirmary of the lovelorn are clueless Unrequited remains most of the wishes of the lover Wounds and abrasions seem to be without reason This mad quest of the lover few understand and fewer speak about A taboo it is considered in this world full of businessmen How much more pain can the lover bear No one, not even the beloved understands The murshid asks me to quit anger and stop fretting over painful memories My fakir soothed my aching heart and wiped the hot tears streaking down my chin Now at least realize what is real and what is unreal, Said he Remove this wall of difference between you and me!

I sat still near the fakir Until I was driven to find a beloved "Is it prudent to bet my life's happiness on another?" Thinking thus I spent many a lonely days journeying the world Until the beloved came to my arms and pleased me I lost all judgement and prudence and fell hopelessly in love Every day I walked on shards of glass to reach the beloved's embrace Pain welled in the heart at regular intervals with hot tears streaming And sometimes the walk was weary and drab Without a shoulder to lean on or to weep As my bleeding and battered feet walked on I saw your neem tree in a soft clearing The fakir said "Live like a lotus in water" "Remember my name and cease this capricious journey" "Seek the beloved within and live happily" "This outer journey is the most crooked ever"! "Some call him Allah, Others Ram" "But remember his name and remain calm" As I wept at the fakir's lotus feet and fell asleep I re...

I left my bolster to make a name in the world I  left the shade of the neem tree to walk in the hot sun Barefoot I walked in the burning sand of the desert of desires Until I reached your city known for it's immense wealth Leaving the cool shelter of the neem tree I went Out looking to build a nest in an arid desert Full of conniving merchants and mirages of all sorts Disappointed several times, in seeking shelter I walked on Until I finally found the beloved in a palatial mansion I emptied the wine cup in my heart to fill her intoxicating love I cleaned and built a palace of pure love for her to stay in And invited her to leave her mansion and stay in my palace forever She then coaxed me to leave the palace and live in her mansion Much to my consternation I rebelled like one forced to give up drink After staying a few days in the mansion, I found that The beloved kicked me out to suffer the burning longing of separation With insults and abuses hurled one...

I lost all prudence and decency The moment I entered your temple Drunk and intoxicated in love I forgot to clothe myself in the cold winter nights   Lost forever in your contemplation The kids in the street jeer and leer at this crazy fakir And yet I sit outside the temple gates waiting for them to open And for you to cast your loving glance on me "You will do that, won't you?" I cry myself hoarse  Asking the beloved for a reply time and again Against the rustling sounds of the eastern wind  I hear the hurried footsteps of the fakir coming towards me  Wear the clothes of discrimination urges the fakir Providing me the tattered kafni which provides immense warmth "Cease looking outside!" Said the fakir "Seek the beloved deep inside , and forge an everlasting alliance of infinite love" I went to the lake seeking the inner reflection To find the loving deep blue eyes of the fakir staring right  back at me

Without prudence I took the plunge The moment I beheld your beautiful form Without thinking I ran straight Into the burning bush of love Without fear I jumped off the cliff Taking the leap of faith towards you However, the moment your presence is away from me I feel the pangs of separation every moment What madness is this that has besieged me I feel breathless without your divine presence I look towards the sun, the moon and the stars For a sign from my beloved expressing desire to meet me I wait for that moment at dusk when heaven meets the earth in a warm embrace Did not Rumi feel the pain of a Knife plunging through his heart When Shams of Tabrez walked away from Konya unannounced I run around not knowing where to find you and In the midst of the forest I meet the Fakir Impeccable features of a God in the guise of a mendicant Deep eyes which are the very two eyes of Motherly affection The fakir asked me to stop running around and look within "...