Submission to the supreme being…

The morning dawned with this truly brilliant watercolour from my extremely creative and famous Orthopaedic Surgeon friend from Mumbai, Dr Rajesh Nawalkar. He is a wonderful and amazingly prolific painter. Always a pleasure and inspiration to get his sublime art in my inbox.

Today, Chaitra Shuddha Navami marks the day Shrivishnu took incarnation in a human form to help Humanity reset its moral compass and triumph over the tyranny of evil. Prabhu Shriram was born in the Suryavamsha, and in Ayodhya founded by The Prajapati Manu and his son Ikshvaku, the great grandson of Raghu, the grandson of Aja and the son of Dasharath. Shriram was born to Kausalya, the Queen of Ayodhya, at around midday on this date. The record of his lifetime is to all Indians a source of eternal inspiration and guidance, history and spiritual guide rolled into one. A religious text as well as a ready reckoner for a common man in daily life.

Rishi Valmiki, a contemporary of Prabhu Shriram is considered the first poet of the world. When he was passing by a river Tamasa, he was enchanted by the purity of the stream and decided to bathe in it. Just as he was to step in the water, a hunter shot an arrow, killing one of a pair of Cranes (“Kraunch”), the mate died instantly of grief and shock. Valmiki, shocked at the turn of events, became enraged and is said to have composed the first two lines of the Epic poem, as an admonition and curse for the hunter:

‘मा निषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः।
यत्क्रौञ्चमिथुनादेकमवधीः काममोहितम्॥’

mā niṣāda pratiṣṭhā tvamagamaḥ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ
yat krauñcamithunādekam avadhīḥ kāmamohitam

“You will find no rest for the long years of Eternity, For you killed an unsuspecting bird in love.”

Emerging spontaneously from Valmiki’s rage and grief, this is considered to be the first shloka in Sanskrit (& therefore World) literature. Valmiki later composed the entire Ramayana with the blessings of the God Brahma in the same meter that issued forth from him as this shloka. Thus this shloka is revered as the first shloka in Global literature. Valmiki is revered as the first poet or Adi Kavi and Ramayana, as the first kavya (poem): Adikavya.

Of the many versions of Ramayan authored by the many legends and venerable thinkers and authors, Tulsidas‘s Ramayan is arguably the most popular one after the Valmiki Ramayan.

Listen to the bhajan by Sant Tulsidas that was used so beautifully by the unmistakable genius Jaidev Verma in a movie made by Amol Palekar in the 80s, Ankahee. https://youtu.be/keYtUjqubc8

The composition is in Mishra Khamaj and wonderfully created by Jaidev. The unmistakable vocals are by Bharatratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, who I was fortunate enough to meet. Bhimsenji’s contributions in Hindustani Classical Music as well as the field of Devotional music are legendary and unique, the latter in multiple languages. Listening to him in any mode is a deeply engrossing and spiritual experience and I am frequently moved to tears doing that.

रघुवर तुमको मेरी लाज ।
सदा सदा मैं शरण तिहारी,
तुम हो गरीब निवाज़ ॥

पतित उद्धारण विरद तिहारो,
शरावानन सुनी आवाज ।
हूँ तो पतित पुरातन कहिए,
पार उतारो जहाज ॥

अघ खंडन दुःख भन्जन जन के,
यही तिहारो काज ।
तुलसीदास पर कृपा कीजे,
भक्ति दान देहु आज ॥

My humble respect to Adikavi Valmiki, Sant Tulsidas and Bharatratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi for their unparalleled contributions to the spiritual field. Credit also to Jaidev ji for this amazing, introspective composition. Stay blessed everyone, by His presence and eternal guidance and blessings.

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