Surrender

Pic Credit: Google Images

The Mansarovar lake, calm and silvery,

Spread till the edges of the daunting Himalayan peaks.

There! And what is there in the center? A small ripple,

It grows bigger and bigger but the lake stays undisturbed.

For such is her vastness and such is her equanimity.

The ripple shudders, a small laceration breaks the surface,

And slowly you emerge from beneath the cool waters, poised and pristine.

The whites clung to your ethereal body, pearls of water drop from your serpent like black hair,

And as radiant as the Sun is your face.

Is it divine call or are you creature of habit like all mortals?

You do not know!

You simply walk out in a quiet trance,

Leaving behind trails of water and bits of your history you do not need anymore.

The call you heard of silence which promises you joy,

While the world behind you toll in everyday turmoil.

Dhurva beneath your heel is soft as the white floss of the clouds,

Dew on the neighboring flowers and coral tree afar.

Perched, that bird tweets as the creepers grow on the mountain walls,

That Mount Kailash will be white with snow, you always believed,

Instead, you find a garden of devotion which gently tells that Spring never leaves.

You walk as the trance continues,

The flowers dance and the squirrels accompany you.

That soft sound of falling water has brought your walk to a sudden halt,

A little far is the rivulet running down that mountain wall.

Laden with the fragrance of ancient flowers,

It flows through Heavens before its earthly fall.

Is it a ritual or an instinct or a craving of a devotional heart?

You do not know!

But you pick up an ancient pot to fill it with the rivulet’s water.

You put the pot in the nook of your curvaceous waist,

Walk attentively so as not to give the brimming pot a start.

It has been a few miles and things seem to change,

The quiet is ever so beautiful, the trees enchanting and the parrots are talking to you.

Tender entwining vines furl and unfurl at your touch,

And beyond are the luscious trees forming an archway.

At the behest of your heart you walk under that archway,

The pot still brimming as you wonder at the mist forming un your way.

You can see nothing but white mist,

Scare? But it is not what you feel.

Deep faith propels you,

And for the first time in a long time you know what you feel.

At the end of the archway the mist thins, a silhouette appears.

You run as it pulls you,

You run not worrying about the brimming pot,

You just run!

Sitting on the rock is the divine himself,

Crescent moon adorned on the forehead, the serpent King around his neck.

The blue venom resting in his throat,

Rudraksh armlets and wide chest, clad in tiger skin he smiles.

You look on enchanted,

The untamed passion in his eyes, the enthralling smile,

The calm that emanates from him,

And the cosmos he built and he destroyed.

The formless, the limitless, the divine awaits you,

And the joy you came looking for is now growing in you.

A tiny spec in your creation, I am, oh Lord,

Allow me to show my love, oh Shiva!

Say you with the eagerness of a lost soul.

He smiles and your joy knows no bounds,

The closer you go the lighter you feel.

Is this how it should feel, you wonder…

Over his shoulders you pour from the brimming pot,

He sits patiently smiling and his love for you grows every moment.

Handful of Vibhuti you smear on his hand and feet,

The next moment you fear for you did a terrible mistake.

Where is the garland and where are the flowers, you think…

He smiles, he knows for you are a part of him.

Your eyes are shone of tears,

As you see the garland and flowers appear.

He smiles as he knows,

The devotion you feel, the faith you placed in him

And the love that flows in you.

You garland him and flowers you offer,

You bow and put your head at his feet.

The emotion that transcends cannot be spoken in words,

The tears that stream incessantly are of joy and not fear.

You say,

Oh Shiva, help me as I seek shelter,

Ignorance and pride are all I have known.

Greed and sloth, hatred and envy are all I have sown,

Show me the path to rise above,

And have a heart that knows only love.

And I am at your feet as I surrender.