FREEDOM

O mind, swim in the ocean of Love,
Spreading below, around, above;
O mind, bask in the flood of Light
That dispels the darkness of the night;
O mind, bathe in the fountain of Bliss,
True delight wilt thou never miss.
Let Truth be thy shield,
Let Light be thy guide,
Let Love be thy weapon,
Let Bliss be thy aim,
Perfect freedom then attain.
— Swami Ramdas

How I understand it:

This poem by Beloved Papa Swami Ramdas is addressed to the mind. Most of it is written in the iambic pentameter; following the rhythm scheme of AA, BB, CC…

Herein the mind is asked to swim in the ocean of Love which is spreading all round and is all-pervasive. The importance of Divine Love is greatly stressed in Beloved Papa’s philosophy.

“Divine Love is the highest attainment.” said Beloved Papa, “All spiritual practices should end in this sweet consummation. Love is the end of the quest. See that you are absorbed in God who is Love and become an image of Him. Let all our emotions be of love.”

He explained the meaning of Divine Love by stating: “Love of God means love of all beings because God is all and all is in God. He is all-in-all. Love is consciousness of unity as hatred is of diversity. Go beyond all narrow limitations. Rise, soar high and hold the world in one embrace of Love. Your dwelling place is the whole universe which is your body. Live in it as Love!”

The flood of Divine Light of the Lord dispels the darkness of nescience (ignorance) and blesses us with the knowledge of our oneness with everyone and everything. Therefore, the mind is asked to bask in the comfort of the Divine Light.

The mind that bathes in the cascades of Divine Bliss becomes saturated with Ananda (Bliss), or rather becomes Bliss itself. Thus is the mind advised.

 The mind is then informed that Absolute Truth is its ever-protecting shield; Light Divine — the knowledge of the ONENESS with everyone and everything — is the guide along the path to liberation; Divine Love — the love and reverence we develop for everyone and everything because of the awareness of our Oneness — makes us exude LOVE, which is truly the most potent weapon; Bliss — which we are ever seeking, whether we are aware or unaware of it, be the goal; and perfect freedom or liberation should thus be attained. 

Prem Sudha:

Pujya Mataji Krishnabai, the foremost disciple of Beloved Papa, had some of his poems translated into Marathi. These were them made into Bhajans, which are regularly sung in Anandashram.

The translation of this poem in Marathi is as follow:

मुक्ति
प्रेमसागरी पोहत राही
खाली वर, जो सभोंवतीं हि। मन्मना
प्रकाश-पुरीं घे रश्मी ते
जे राजनीचें तम उजळीते । मन्मना
स्नान करी चिन्मय कारंजी
दिव्यानंदी नित्य विराजी । मन्मना

सत्य मना हो तव संरक्षक
प्रकाश तैसा त्वत्पथदर्शक
प्रीतीचें तू शस्त्र करी धर
चिन्मयतेचें ध्येय तुझे वर
पूर्ण मुक्तिचा लाभ तुला हा । मन्मना

The mp3 of the Bhajan is also attached herewith.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

LORD

Image
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...
Read more

TRUTH SUBLIME

Image
In the mysterious silence of the soul The Void is full — of a calm repose — a joy of peace. There thoughts are still and words are dumb, It is neither yea nor nay, Worlds like shadows flit and pass through it. In it light and darkness lose distinction, Sounds waft over it — like distant echoes of its own being, A Truth sublime in which is blended strangely Eternal motion and eternal rest. — Swami Ramdas   How I understand it: In this poem, Beloved Papa has described the Truth as the point where the so-called opposites meet, co-exist and losing distinction, reaching the state of equilibrium — Samatwam. The Truth or Void is also as Beloved Papa elsewhere put it: “All-containing but still eluding the grasp of thought.” It is the point where there is calmness and peace even in the exuberance of joy, where yea and nay, light and darkness, motion and rest co-exist, but lose all distinction. In this vast infinity of the Void, worlds come into existence, stay for a while and pass...
Read more

ACTION IN INACTION

Image
Instrument in quiescent — sonorous are the strings, Thought is silent — vibrant is the soul. Stillness and action equalise Then is the highest Yoga. Stillness itself is discord. When both coexist — together revealed, Then rings symphony eternal,  Mingling rapture of delight  With true ethereal peace. — Swami Ramdas How I understand it: In this brilliant poem, Beloved Papa has used the parallel of a stringed instrument to bring home the true understanding of how action exists in inaction. Action is the dynamic aspect and inaction is the static aspect of the Reality. The body of the instrument is like the inactive Substratum on which resound the strings of manifestation with all its actions. Therefore, when the thought is silent, the vibrance of the soul is revealed. Just as the body of the instrument when combined with the stings produces sonorous symphonies, similarly, when the actions are done with the awareness that God is the real Doer, the highest for...
Read more