O Earth my mother O Wind my father…

O Earth, my mother! O Wind, my father! O Fire, my friend! O Water, my good relative! O sky, my brother! Here is my last salutation to you with clasped hands! Having cast away infatuation with its wonderful power, by means of an amplitude of pure knowledge resplendent with merits developed through my association with you all, I now merge in Supreme Brahman.

-Verse 100, Vairagya Shatak

In enjoyment there is the fear of disease…

In enjoyment, there is the fear of disease;
In social position, the fear of fall;
In wealth, the fear of hostile kings;
In honour, the fear of humiliation;
In strength, the fear of enemies;
In beauty, the fear of old age;
In scriptural erudition, the fear of opponents;
In virtue, the fear of seducers;
In the body, the fear of death.

All the things of the world pertaining to men are attended with fear.
Renunciation alone is fearless.

-Verse 31, Vairagya Shatak

Click to access VairagyaSatakam.pdf

Usha Vandanam : Salutation of the dawn

 

उषावंदनम्
Salutation of the dawn

अद्य भावय सुदिनम्!
Look to this Day!
जीवभूतः काल एषः । प्राणस्य प्राणः ।
For it is Life, the very Life of Life.
अस्मिन् स्वल्पकाले सत्यमये तव सतः सत्यं तिष्ठति
In its brief course lie all the
Verities and Realities of your Existence;
विकासानन्देन
The Bliss of Growth,
कर्मश्रिया
The Glory of Action,
सौन्दर्यशोभया ।
The Splendor of Beauty;
ह्यस्तु स्वप्नः ।
For Yesterday is but a Dream,
श्वस्तु आभासः ।
And Tomorrow is only a Vision;
कर्मकुशलतया आचरिते अद्य
But Today well lived makes every
गतदिनानि आनन्दस्वप्नमयानि भवन्ति ।
Yesterday a Dream of Happiness, and every
भाविदिनानि आशाप्रभया ज्वलन्ति ।
Tomorrow a Vision of Hope.
अतः सुदिनं अद्य सम्यक् भावय!
Look well therefore to this Day!
एषा उषाभिवन्दना!
Such is the Salutation of the Dawn.

Illusion

God and I in space alone
And nobody else in view.
“And where are the people, O Lord!” I said.
“The earth below and the sky o’erhead
And the dead whom once I knew?”

“That was a dream,” God smiled and said,
“A dream that seemed to be true,
There were no people, living or dead,
There was no earth and no sky o’erhead
There was only Myself–and you.”

“Why do I feel no fear,” I asked,
“Meeting you here in this way,
For I have sinned I know full well,
And there is heaven and there is hell,
And is this the judgment day?”

“Nay, those were dreams,” the great God said,
“Dreams that have ceased to be.
There are no such things as fear or sin,
There is no you–you have never been–
There is nothing at all but Me.”

-Edna Wheeler Wilcox