As I looked out beyond the stage, there was a row of tall skyscrapers that stood dazzling against the starry night sky. And as the mridanga beats reached a crescendo, we danced our hearts out in the chilly night air. So I'm thinking, how strange it is to be dancing to the holy names in front of skyscrapers instead of beautiful forms of the deities that I'm generally used to dancing in front of.....
That train of thought followed to thinking actually how fortunate I am to be part of a sankirtan yatra where the holy name is our deity and the devotees carry it everwhere with them. No really....we went to a park on a picnic for New Years. We decided to play Antakshari (a game usually with two teams, with each team singing a song starting with the letter that the other team's song ended with). Our antakshari was of course very ingeniously played with bhajans and shlokas! Yes shlokas....and the way all these devotees just spit out(or rather sang out) shlokas was amazing.....
Speaking of the holy name, I just remembered Dravida prabhu during the Mayapur festival used to give these amazing poetic translations of verses. This one was my favorite about the holy name...
radheti-nama nava-sundara-sidhu-mugdham
krsneti-nama madhuradbhuta-gadha-dugdham
sarva-ksanam surabhi-raga-himena-ramyam
krtva tadaiva piba me rasane ksud-arte
krtva tadaiva piba me rasane ksud-arte
"An excellent fresh nectar drink with endless subtle tastes,
such is the name of Radha by whom all three worlds are graced.
Condensed milk that is wonderfully delicious, thick and sweet
Such is the name of Krishna in whom all attractions meet.
Now mix these drinks, o thirsty tongue, and add the fragrant ice of love.
A prize the wise will try to buy at any price
And then, at every moment, drink these beverages most fine
and make my heart supremely blissful, peaceful, and divine "
such is the name of Radha by whom all three worlds are graced.
Condensed milk that is wonderfully delicious, thick and sweet
Such is the name of Krishna in whom all attractions meet.
Now mix these drinks, o thirsty tongue, and add the fragrant ice of love.
A prize the wise will try to buy at any price
And then, at every moment, drink these beverages most fine
and make my heart supremely blissful, peaceful, and divine "
- Stavavalli, Raghunath Das Goswami
Yupp.....I can definitely get heady on this condensed milk, especially if souls like H.H BB Govinda Maharaj give it!
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2 comments:
wow..i mean yum! this post was lovely..i somehow guessed u wud write about that day. there was something magical about maharaj's kirtan..i will never forget that evening!! and im listening to this kirtan cd of maharaj which is very similar to that day's kirtan..and everytime i listen to it, i cant help but remember how we all danced that day..
I know right...it was so magical. The whole of next day, I was constantly singing and humming that tune! A person even looked at me strange as I got out of the elevator singing it...lol!
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