Begging a boon

Even the great Vishnu Himself
wasted away years lost in sorrow and falsehood,
when born as a King.

Therefore,

I pray to you, O charming Kapali
who roams the graveyards
filling your broken begging bowl with endless joy,

Bless me with emptiness.

Gopala's last lullaby in Vrindavan

Sleep my little boy, sleep my blessed rain cloud.
Sleep my night's soothing song, sleep my lovely dark calf.

Tomorrow the demons shall come for you
and spirit you away from my grasp.
The flute shall fall from your hand
and no more song shall you sing.

Tomorrow the wraiths shall ensnare you
and you shall go their corrupt way.
No longer will you lie with your charming tongue
about how monkeys stole the butter or
about how a peacock with its glorious plumes
distracted you on the way to a rendezvous.
Lie you shall for kingdoms and princes,
for land, gold, power and victory with
cunning words that are wicked arrows
laced with honeyed venom.

Tomorrow you shall walk away,
no longer a cowherd's son,
no longer a cowherd.
Tomorrow you shall walk a king,
whose sleepless nights are lost
longing for a woman's touch,
a simple meal and the dust under your feet.

Tomorrow my child, you shall lose your song.
But tonight sleep in peace.

Because
tomorrow you shall forsake me.
But when you are forlorn and bereft of hope
I shall not forsake you.
The hunter will give you
my last kiss of peace.

Mahadeva

We bow to you, O ancient of Gods.

You stand erect,
your head reaching the clouds
your feet never seen.
We bow to you, you who are endless.

You stand in penance,
in perpetual silence
unmindful of rain and shine.
We bow to you, whose penance is forever.

Your head is awash in the Ganges of the skies.
Your form is home to serpents
that entwine you in eternal delight.
We bow to you, whose beauty is forever.

The vilest of venom
you draw unto you
and yield forth the nectar of life.
We bow to you, whose grace is endless.

To you we give water in prayer,
You who were born as the first seed in cosmic darkness
and awoke into eternal penance.
To you we give water in prayer,
O solemn Tree who is Siva indeed.

Curse us not with your silent anger.
Forsake us not by denying the rain of your nectar.
Bless us O God of Gods with your blissful shade.
Bless us O God of Gods with your ambrosial fruits.

We bow to you, O ancient of Gods.

Image Courtesy: http://www.deviantart.com/art/Tree-of-shiva-meditation-art-work-by-shiva3-283935913

Cattle grazing

To you I pray,
the God who sits in the eye of the Sun.
You send forth your glorious cattle
laden with divine nectar of rain
To graze on the azure fields of the skies.
The Sun is your shepherd
Ether, the music from his flute.
And when you send forth your cattle, it becomes dawn.

To you I pray,
I who sit in the eye of my Soul.
I send forth my numerous cattle
laden with subtle nectar of emotion.
My Soul is my shepherd
Breath, the music from its flute.
And when I send forth my cattle, it becomes my life.

To you I pray,
protect you my cattle.
Guide you my thoughts, even as you guide your shepherd, the Sun.

To you I pray,
milk you my cattle.
Draw and drink their words, even as you drink the nectar of your cattle, the Rain.

To you I pray,
slaughter you my cattle.
Sacrifice them at the altar of death, even as you sacrifice your cattle, at the altar of Night.

Gayatri Japam

With my left eye
I look below,
that realm of time which we name as past
and worship Her by the name Memory.

With my right eye
I look ahead,
that realm of time which we name as present
and worship Her by the name Cognizance.

With my third eye
I look above,
that realm of time which we name as future
and worship Her by the name Imagination.

With the three eyes open
I look at the many universes
that realm of time for which we have no names
and worship Her by the name Sakthi.

With the three eyes closed
I look in the cave
that realm where time does not exist
or only time exists
and worship Her by the name

I.

தமிழில் - http://kaalaikkathir.blogspot.in/2013/08/blog-post_20.html

The Tree God

Hush my friend tread thee soft.
Nary a noise not sound thou make.
For here he stands with head aloft,
this august tree aware, awake.

This he learnt in his earthy womb -
Silence silence and silence again.
And silence in his heart did bloom.
And silence in his heart did reign.

Now he stands in a penance grave.
Feet austere secrets pry.
Glorious hands the sky they crave.
Terrene heart with soul so high.

He stands and stands and stands forever
in rain and sun and cold and heat.
Stands he thus and flinches never,
while life moves on and times repeat

And while he stands cometh the rain.
Cometh the sun and sweet nectar.
And while he stands cometh again,
all of life to his altar.

And yet he yields forever and more,
his deathless fruit and soothing shade.
Love him you, perchance abhor,
grace in him is never unmade

A thousand words of your empty mind
do not to his wisdom compare.
Lift your eyes O mortal blind
gaze on him and thence despair.

A God he is in penance deep
beyond thine reach thy mind's ken.
He is the universe awake and asleep
beyond thy truth, thy peace, thy zen.