Poetry on mind - part 1



चित्तस्य च जलस्यापि प्रकृतिरस्त्यधोगतिः ।

स्थापयितुं समुन्नेतुं यत्नो महानपेक्ष्यते ।। 1 ।।

The nature of both mind and water is to go down (flow downward). Huge effort is needed to make them stationed at one place or take them to a higher level.

चित्ते सहस्रकुल्ये मे वहत्याशाम्बु नित्यदा ।

पोषकं बन्धजीवस्य तत्तपाशु प्रभो हरे ।। 2 ।।

Life is supported by water. Bonded life is supported by the water called desire which constantly flows in the thousand channelled river called mind. Hari! My Lord! Please dry up the river bed! I cannot by myself dry it up or cut its supply!

छायायुद्धेन चित्ते मे वाचा परैर्नरैस्सह ।

श्रान्तो हा हन्त वर्तेहं नित्यं कार्यान्तरं विना ।। 3 ।।

Shadow boxing - we all do daily - engaging others mentally arguing, defending and offending. Alas! Without any other work I get tired of this verbal shadow boxing in my mind constantly with others!

आरोपयसि मूर्खत्वम् अहंकारेण वै यदा ।

तत्तदैव स्वयं यासि कथमेतत् पुनर्मनः ।। 4 ।।

Hey mind! Whenever you attribute stupidity on others because of pride or ego, the very moment you yourself attain that! how is it you do it again and again? (without realising) I don't know about others - many times I have taken a contrary stand (which turned out to be wrong eventually) thinking those that suggested an opposite stand to be stupid. Finally, realising myself to be so🙁

आपद्यन्ते बहिश्शब्दैः तीरमर्थास्तु केचन ।

कल्लोलास्सागराद्बुद्धेः चित्तेन तेन वायुना ।। 5 ।।

Mind is like software (adds, processses data) and intellect is like hardware (stored data). Here I am saying because of wind, waves come out of the ocean with sound and some hidden objects reach the shore. In the same way because of mind, thoughts come forth like from the intellect through words by which some meanings reach others (through poetry is indicated by the verbal form आपद्यन्ते)!

नीताः केचन कुत्रचित् केचिदन्तर्हिताश्च वै ।

सफलाः केचनैवार्थाः मेघा इव मनस्यहो ।। 6 ।।

Only some ideas go on to become fruitful ie become poems, some are led elsewhere and some just vanish in the mind, just like clouds. Only some clouds rain, others are carried away by the wind and some others just vanish.

मनसश्च जलस्यापि स्वाभाविका ह्यधोगतिः ।

गौरवतेजसा नूनं लभ्यते तु परा गतिः ।। 7 ।।

The mind and water share a common property - they have a natural tendency to go downwards! How to take them up? The meaning of first half is stated above the sloka. The second half states they can obtain an upward movement through guru and heat respectively. The usage of the words guru (teacher, excessive) and tejas (brilliance, heat) may be enjoyed.

This one is on desire! Desire is compared to a perennial river which flows from a mountain, reaches the sea, yet keeps on flowing with fresh waters!

पञ्चानना नदी ह्याशा मनःप्रवाहिनी सना ।

वासनानगजा नित्या लब्धार्थसागराऽपि सा ।। 8 ।।

Desire is indeed a river with five mouths (the sense organs) led by the mind always(सना). It flows from a mountain (नग) called Vasana (past mental impressions) eternally even after attaining the Sea (of desired objects)!

What happens when my body (in a steady seated position) is dominated by tamas? It falls asleep - the head slips! What happens when the mind (always in an unsteady state) is dominated by tamas (ignorance)? What is inside the head (buddhi) slips!

मस्तकं मे च्युतं हंत स्थिते देहे तु निश्चले ।।

चले तमसि चित्ते वै मस्तिष्कमस्थिरे सदा।। 9 ।।

My head slips when the body is (seated) in an inactive state in tamas (sleep). Alas! My buddhi slips when my mind is active unsteadily in tamas (ignorance).

Wind is indeed powerful as it can move most of the objects. So things are at its mercy. But even that wind is at the mercy of our mind. How? Prana is a form of wind. It follows the mind. Doesn't it? If the mind is still, prana is relaxed, if the mind is agitated, prana is also! State of mind and rate of breath are related!

चालयसीह वायो त्वं सकलं बलवान् किल ।

चालयति शरीरे त्वां बलीयः किन्तु मे मनः ।। 10 ।।
Hey wind! you are strong indeed as you move all (things). But my mind is stronger (than you) as it moves you in my body! I mean, in my body, you are controlled by my mind! 

Comments

  1. Govinda RajanOctober 6, 2017 at 5:12 AM

    It is your high ideals, beautiful language, alluring poetry that flow boundlessly. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

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