THANKS TO Sri N Srivastava.
.Mere mortals celebrate their own birthdays amidst a limited circle only but the birthdays of gods become festivals celebrated by whole communities across continents. Lord Krishna's birthday is called Janmashtami and celebrated with great fervour by his devotees.
In Mumbai, every locality vies with every other locality in organising these celebrations which include the Dahi Handi, which is a clay pot filled with curds and cash prizes suspended high in the air. Teams of young men train together for months to form a human pyramid and grab the pot of goodies.
It came to be a pot of curds because Krishna, as a naughty child, used to climb over the shoulders of his playmates to reach into the pots filled with fresh butter suspended from the ceiling. The teams that play Dahi Handi would chant and sway rhythmically while forming the human pyramid punctuated with Govinda Govinda, one of the many names of Mahavishnu who took birth as Krishna.
Krishna is also called the Maayaavi or the illusionist, who could make things seem different. At face value, this poem could be taken as one of those rhythmic chants by the Dahi Handi players. But then, the wise never take anything at face value but seek out the implied meaning.
Here is the poem titled #Govinda penned by Poet Puthiyamaadhavi Sankaran reproduced with her prior permission together with an English translation by moi:
#கோவிந்தா
எங்கள் மேய்ச்சல் நிலம்
எங்கள் கறவை மாடுகள்
எங்கள் தயிர்ப்பானை
புல்லாங்குழலின் இசையில்
ஆடைகளை மறந்தது போல
திருடர்களையும்..!
திருடர்கள் திருடியதைச்
சொந்தம் கொண்டாடுகிறார்கள்.
கோவிந்தா கோவிந்தா..
பாற்கடலின் அலைகள் ஆர்ப்பரிக்கின்றன.
கோவிந்தா கோவிந்தா..
உன் கோவிந்தாக்களைத்
தோள்களில் சுமக்கும்
எங்கள் தோள்களுக்கு
இன்னும் எட்டவில்லை
நீ திருடிய தயிர்ப்பானை.
கோவிந்தா கோவிந்தா..
#புதியமாதவி_சங்கரன்
#GOVINDA
Our pasture,
our cows,
our curd pot!
Like clothes were forgotten
in the music of the flute,
the looters too..!
The looters claim
the loot as their own.
Govinda! Govinda!
The waves
of the Milky Ocean
roar
Govinda! Govinda!
Our shoulders
that bear
your Govindas
have not
yet got
to the curd pot
that you looted.
Govinda! Govinda!
~Sri 1915 :: 06042020 :: Noida
.Mere mortals celebrate their own birthdays amidst a limited circle only but the birthdays of gods become festivals celebrated by whole communities across continents. Lord Krishna's birthday is called Janmashtami and celebrated with great fervour by his devotees.
In Mumbai, every locality vies with every other locality in organising these celebrations which include the Dahi Handi, which is a clay pot filled with curds and cash prizes suspended high in the air. Teams of young men train together for months to form a human pyramid and grab the pot of goodies.
It came to be a pot of curds because Krishna, as a naughty child, used to climb over the shoulders of his playmates to reach into the pots filled with fresh butter suspended from the ceiling. The teams that play Dahi Handi would chant and sway rhythmically while forming the human pyramid punctuated with Govinda Govinda, one of the many names of Mahavishnu who took birth as Krishna.
Krishna is also called the Maayaavi or the illusionist, who could make things seem different. At face value, this poem could be taken as one of those rhythmic chants by the Dahi Handi players. But then, the wise never take anything at face value but seek out the implied meaning.
Here is the poem titled #Govinda penned by Poet Puthiyamaadhavi Sankaran reproduced with her prior permission together with an English translation by moi:
#கோவிந்தா
எங்கள் மேய்ச்சல் நிலம்
எங்கள் கறவை மாடுகள்
எங்கள் தயிர்ப்பானை
புல்லாங்குழலின் இசையில்
ஆடைகளை மறந்தது போல
திருடர்களையும்..!
திருடர்கள் திருடியதைச்
சொந்தம் கொண்டாடுகிறார்கள்.
கோவிந்தா கோவிந்தா..
பாற்கடலின் அலைகள் ஆர்ப்பரிக்கின்றன.
கோவிந்தா கோவிந்தா..
உன் கோவிந்தாக்களைத்
தோள்களில் சுமக்கும்
எங்கள் தோள்களுக்கு
இன்னும் எட்டவில்லை
நீ திருடிய தயிர்ப்பானை.
கோவிந்தா கோவிந்தா..
#புதியமாதவி_சங்கரன்
#GOVINDA
Our pasture,
our cows,
our curd pot!
Like clothes were forgotten
in the music of the flute,
the looters too..!
The looters claim
the loot as their own.
Govinda! Govinda!
The waves
of the Milky Ocean
roar
Govinda! Govinda!
Our shoulders
that bear
your Govindas
have not
yet got
to the curd pot
that you looted.
Govinda! Govinda!
~Sri 1915 :: 06042020 :: Noida
அனைத்தும் கோவிந்தா கோவிந்தா...
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