Poems Of Beloved Papa Swami Ramdas

O Lord, how glorious is Thy potent name! It speaks of Thy might and extols Thy fame. O Lord, how kind, merciful and just! Carest for all who place in Thee full trust. O Lord, how grand majestic is Thy form! In wind and rain Thou livest in storm. — Swami Ramdas How I understand it: With the use of the catchy rhyme scheme of couplets — AA, BB, CC — in this poem, Beloved Papa has explained the attributes of the Divine. Beloved Papa never tired of extolling the power and glory of the Divine Name, he said: “Just as staff is to one who walks up a steep hill, just as a fence is to a tender plant, just as milk is to a hungry babe, so is the Divine Name given by the Guru to the devotee.  It sustains, nourishes, strengthens and in every way envelops the devotee like an amour. The power of the Name is simply inexpressible. It is sweeter than the sweetest. To taste it is to taste immortality. It is the giver of endless joy and peace. Death has no terror for him who has th...

My heart is the temple of purity, In it is the throne of Infinite Power. On this throne stands the Divine Child of Love — In the innocence of His smiles, His eyes beam with the light of His grace. Sweet music hovers on His lips and joy thrills His limbs. They move — Hands aloft, he dances in rhythms of ecstasy. He circles round and round. Mingling joy, beauty, light and love Into one mass of Divine perfection. His eyes wink — a splendour goes out — And worlds come into being. He winks again — a splendour is drawn in, And worlds go into non-being. — Swami Ramdas How I understand it: In this poem, Beloved Papa explains how the Undifferentiated Purushottama — who is at once the static (Pursha), the dynamic (Prakriti) and the Transcendent Truth — manifests as Prakriti with names and forms on the static Substratum or the Purusha, and then, in due course, withdraws the manifestation to the Undifferentiated state; and also how the names and forms of Prakriti ...

O Ram, I take refuge in Thee, Thou art my love, my life, my lead, I am in Thee, Thou art in me, Thou art my father, mother, indeed. Thou art the Life that pervades all. In Thee all things and lives reside, Thou art the Life in great and small, In Thee my friend and brother abide. Thy lotus feet my constant thought, Thy light Divine my only dream, To serve Thee is my pleasing lot, Thou art my wealth, name and fame. O Ram, how charming is that sound, O lips, utter Ram Ram O mind, meditate Ram Ram, Forget thyself in Him — in Him. — Swami Ramdas How I understand it: Beloved Papa Swami Ramdas has used the alternate rhyme scheme of ‘ABAB ABAB…” in the first two paragraphs of the poem. The first three paragraphs are addressed to Ram — the Divine within, and the last paragraph is addressed to his mind. Beloved Papa begins the poem by praying to Ram — God — and stating that he takes refuge at HIS holy feet. Total surrender has been the touchs...

The river starts from her ancient source, Through crags, rocks, sands and dales, She struggles on — She rises and falls; sings and dances; Now rushes and roars; now silently flows; She feeds the thirsty roots; she lays waste the fertile plains. She runs on and on — helping life to grow And destroying life in its growth. At last finds the haven of rest and peace, In the still depths of the ocean. — Swami Ramdas How I understand it: Beloved Papa Swami Ramdas has metaphorized life with a river in this poem. The course of life is much like that of a river that starts from its source. Our life too, starts from the Source of all sources — God. It goes through its ups and downs represented through the crags, rocks, sands and dales; and also, through joys and sorrows that make us rise and fall, sing and dance along the way. At times life moves slowly at a leisurely pace and at times goes by very fast, just like the river that silently flows or rushes and roars th...

Soar on the wings of faith and aspiration To the seat of the Beloved. Be garbed in the robes of purity and peace And seek His presence. Sweetly sing the name of the King of kings. And draw Him to thy heart. Apply the collyrium of love to the eyes And behold Him everywhere. — Swami Ramdas How I understand it: In this poem, the aspirant is urged to soar up from the down-pulling tendencies with the aid of the wings — faith and aspiration — to the seat of the Beloved within. Faith and aspiration are the key elements that can aid the ascent of the aspirant to the Realm Eternal. Therefore, Beloved Papa Swami Ramdas has symbolised them as wings. It is in a still mind alone that the Truth is revealed. The mind can attain stillness only when it is pure and equipoised. Therefore, Purity and peace are the attire for seeking the presence of the Beloved within. Time and again we have been told by Beloved Papa about the glory of singing the Divine Name, he states: “Cha...