Sarvātmakā Sarveshwarā - English interpretation

'Sarvātmakā Sarveshwarā' was written by noted Marathi poet V. V. Shirwadkar alias Kusumāgraj. This poem is a prayer which urges the supreme being for the enlightenment and upliftment of one's self and it is rendered by Kach, the son of Bruhaspati, on behalf of Devayāni in the play "Yayāti āNi Devayāni" (1966). The play is based on a famous tale from Mahābhārata. This prayer is a fallout of an incident as portrayed in the climax of the play; when Yayātee, having lost his youth and vitality due to a curse by Devayāni, is lying weak and pale on the ground. Kach urges Devayāni to reconcile her anger and in turn makes her agree to forgive Yayāti and to give him back his youth. Kach prays:

सर्वात्मका सर्वेश्वरा
गंगाधरा शिवसुंदरा
जे जे जगी जगते तया
माझे म्हणा, करूणा करा ||

आदित्य या तिमिरात व्हा
ऋग्वेद या हृदयात व्हा
सृजनत्व द्या, द्या आर्यता
अनुदारिता, दुरिताहरा ||

The prayer is an invocation and in the play it is rendered as the sanjeevani mantra. I have tried to interpret the poem in English prosaic form as it is the best I could arrive at. I am aware that it is difficult to call the lines typed below as verses. Never the less I have made every effort to be as conforming as possible to the original meaning of 'Sarvātmakā'.



Oh, you the one, who is infinitely wise
One, whom each mortal being worships
One, who bears holy Ganga upon his head
Oh my magnificent and divine Shiva, I pray to you.

I am a small element living in this universe
This universe is your kingdom and you are the ruler
You are the one who owns all its living creatures
I pray to you to look at them, have mercy at them
They may be doing good, they may be doing bad
Own them, and their ignorance, and save them.

Today the darkness has surrounded this universe
Oh Shiva, how can you see such sorrow and the plight?
I pray to you to be the Sun to show me the light
Enlighten me by teaching the principles and values of life
By the way of reinstating them in my heart
Give me the ability to do good and see good
Give me the courage, the strength and the power
And in turn make me a virtuous living being.

Oh, you the one who has conquered the evil
And the irrationals and the selfish and the cruel
Oh, you the one who has always sided with the good over the bad
I pray to you.

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शब्द: वि. वा. शिरवाडकर (कवी कुसुमाग्रज)
संगीत व स्वर: पं. जितेंद्र अभिषेकी
राग: भैरवी
नाटक: ययाति आणि देवयानी (१९६६)

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Celebration of Life - 'nahi punyachi mojani'

There are many ways in which the existence of the human being, or of any other creature for that matter, can be described. Each one of these ways has some uniqueness in its description. Well known Marathi poet B. B. Borkar described this existence as a sublime physical entity where upon a duty to undergo the cycle of life is entrusted by The Creator, Brahma as per the Hindu philosophy and beliefs. As per this philosophy, each of the creatures has a certain brahma-tatva inside him. The brahma-tatva can be best defined as the elemental extract of The Creator himself. This idea is not much different than the amber eyes inherited by the son from his father or the blonde hair inherited by the daughter from her mother. This brahma-tatva leads us to follow a certain destiny as per the philosophy. Poet Borkar has presented this philosophy in a metaphorical manner in the Marathi poem, ‘náhi puNnyáchi mojaNie’. The metaphors he has presented are simple but the message that his poem conveys is in sound conformation with the Hindu philosophy. In this article, I have made an effort to interpret the poem to the best of my ability and to present the same poem in English even though it is next to impossible for me to match the precision and economy of Poet Borkar. If the English version conveys the message even partly, I will consider it as a great achievement for my limited literary ability.


Celebration of Life

We don’t count any good deed
To no guilt we need to pay heed
Like the sacred waters of Ganga
Caressing the bed of rocks with a great speed.

We don’t involve us, nor do we indulge
No fear of disappointment, nor any grudge
Like the pollens traveling from flower to flower
Riding on the wind created by His power.

We’ve no form, no name, but the trance
Like the sky and its vast expanse
Incense stick to the blue fragrance
Filling His space with its pleasing advance.

We see us as the flowers offered to Him
Flowers celebrating their life at His feet
With a leap into the sacred water
Then in the womb of the Mother Earth, they enter
Till His next call, they will get sooner or later.

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Original Marathi Poem

नाही पुण्याची मोजणी
नाही पापाची बोचणी
जिणे गंगौघाचे पाणी

कशाचा न लागभाग
कशाचा न पाठलाग
आम्ही हो फुलांचे पराग

आम्हा नाही नाम-रूप
आम्ही आकाश स्वरूप
जसा निळा निळा धूप

पुजेतल्या पानाफुला
मृत्यू सर्वांग सोहळा
धन्य निर्माल्याची कळा

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गीत : बा. भ. बोरकर
संगीत : पं. जितेंद्र अभिषेकी

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Musical rendering of the poem by Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki