Saraswati Puja 2023 : Part 2

 

The mention of Saraswati brings to mind Bahinabai. This poetess from rural Maharashtra never had the opportunity to attend formal school. But her innate extraordinary wisdom was far beyond that of any college educated person or scholar. When she was asked where she learns everything, her spontaneous answer was that Mother Saraswati inspires my mind and gives me the vision to see what most people cant. 

She is the perfect example of how a person can be connected with the universe around despite not being able to read or write. To know the spiritual truth one doesn’t need a college degree. Just needs the awareness and sensitivity to feel the surroundings, both living and non living, and must have the utmost humility to tread upon the earth and carry out day to day work.

माझी माय सरसोती माले शिकवते बोली 
लेक बहिनाच्या मनी किती गुपित पेरली !!

My mother Saraswati teaches me to speak

She is the one who sows so many deep mysteries ( pearls of wisdom) in the mind of her dear daughter Bahina.

Here she defers the credit for her poetry and it’s inherent wisdom to the divine inspiration. Her humility and reverence for the higher power shines through this. 

माझ्यासाठी पांडुरंगा तुझ गीता --भागवत 
पावसात समावत आणि मातीमधी उगवत !!

Dear Panduranga( Krishna), the great teachings of yours contained in the texts of Bhagwad Gita and Bhaagwat, for me I find them assimilated in the rain you shower from the skies and the crop that rises from the soil.

She was a farm worker who was forced to become the bread winner for her family after the untimely demise of her husband. But she took upon herself this responsibility with courage and determination. The entire essence of karma yoga which is centered in the teachings of the Gita and Bhaagwat she has so eloquently summarized in these two simple lines! 

In the Bhagwad Gita Shri Krishna has stated that for any action to go forward , whether good or bad, successful or not, it requires an actor, his various actions, a suitable place, the right tools,  optimal conditions and divine help. One who thinks every achievement was solely because of his own efforts is an arrogant and ignorant fool who knows nothing.( chapter 18 verses 13-18).

In these lines she has given the credit to the rain and the earth for sustaining life.

 It also provides us an insight to her idea of devotion to God. To be able to admire the day to day miracles in nature like the showering of rain and subsequent growth of crops from the soil and to derive the teachings of the holy texts from them is her god gifted strength.

Bread earned through honest living and done with a sense of service to God is the fruit of well understood and applied karma yoga. If this is not the essence of the Gita then what is ? Her life, lived with a sense of equanimity in the face of adversity, perfect contentment and attitude of surrender to God is one of the best examples of a karma yogi.

And can you imagine all this without reading from the great texts? She was nothing short of a wonder herself!

आरे देवाचं दर्सन झालं झालं आपसुक 
हिरीदात सुर्याबापा दाये अरूपाच रूप !!

The Lord appeared before me spontaneously when

the Sun, who she refers to as a father, enlightened my heart and showed me the Formless Lord! 

The Sun is worshipped as the source of light for us on the earth. Plants and animals all need sunlight to thrive. She acknowledges the role of the Sun as a giver and protector of Life, thus appropriately giving him the status of a father. Her spiritual inclination draws inspiration from the sun to see not only the world outside in a different light but also the divinity within. 

तुझ्या पायाची चाहूल लागे पानापानांमधी 
देवा तुझ येनजान वारा सांगे कानामधी !!

Oh God, the slightest rustle in the leaves gives me a whiff of your footsteps.

I know about your whereabouts from the wind that whispers into my ears.

There is an alertness in her senses to sound and movement around her. And unlike an ordinary mind she connects these subtleties with the divine presence.

फुलामधी समावला धरत्रीचा परमय 
माझ्या नाकाले इचारा नथनीले त्याचं काय !!

The fragrance of the earth is packed into the flowers. Ask my nose about it for it is well versed with it, unlike my nose ring which has no clue !

Material things( metaphorically represented by the nose ring) are of just ornamental value. They lack the fine abilities possessed by our senses. A wise person remains fully aware and his senses enable to stay connected with the world around himself or herself. Such a person finds material things inferior. He is able to experience the finer things in life through the awakened senses.

किती रंगवशी रंग रंग भरले डोयात 
माझ्यासाठी शिरिरंग रंग खेये आभायात !!

She addresses God directly saying you are a master artist with endless colors in the palette. She has filled her eyes with all of his colors and sees him play with these in the sky regularly. 

Subtle meaning behind this is that He pervades all of creation and she can see Him everywhere. Multitude of colors also refers to the infinite diversity of form and features seen in creation. Her mind marvels at this infinitude. His play is visible to her in everything and perhaps one of the best examples to cite are the vividly changing colors in the sky from day to day, hour to hour.

How beautifully she has woven the thread connecting  the elements in nature ( water, air, sky, earth) to her own existence as well as to divine presence! This poem breathes life in the most exquisite way.

Her poetry is a testimonial to the deep sensitivities she carried in her entire being.  She was a living example of universal philosophy flowing in her blood and manifest in her attitude and action.

She calls Saraswati her mother. But I keep feeling she was herself the incarnation of Saraswati  !! 

We are really fortunate that Bahinabai lived on this land and left behind this wealth for us to see through her eyes and feel through her soul. 

Interestingly one finds some similarities between tribal people and Bahinabai, in terms of connections with Mother Nature. Most tribes I have met, including the Native Americans, have traditions that respect the Earth and the elements. They are able to connect with the Gods through them. Smallest of things from nature become parts of their lives, and are reflected in their tools, their medicines and even arts.

I first came in contact with the Gond tribal community during a trip to a tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh a couple of years back. It was an interesting conversation that shed light on their unique way of looking at things. For them the entire creation is an enactment of divinity. There are no real villains here. They revere even Ravan with the belief that he accepted to play the unpleasant part of the character to highlight the greatness of Ram and provide the necessary challenge to bring out Ram’s strengths. 

The Gond people have for generations taken inspiration from their surroundings for their paintings. Using locally available natural resources they create dyes and in their unique style paint on the walls of their huts and clothing. Trees , animals, birds, fish, flowers and scenes from village life are common themes in their vividly colored paintings. If Bahinabai were to see these she would undoubtedly see the hand of Krishna in these paintings.

My saree is a sample of Gond art.  A simple cotton weave with a thin mango yellow selvedge was transformed into something exotic by the talented artist. The cows grazing upon the tender grass under trees, with the flowers and the birds around them resonate with the scene from a beautiful day in Spring like Vasant Panchami. The sky was in a mood to play along. 

Maajhyaasaathhi paandurnga tujhn gita-bhaagawat
Paawasaat samaawatn, maatimadhi ugawatn

Are dewaachn darsan jhaaln jhaaln apasuk 
Hiridaat suryaabaapa daaye arupaachn rup 

Tujhya paayaachi chaahul laage paanaapaanaamndhi 
Dewa tujhn yenn jaann, waara saange kaanaamadhi