Monday 26 February, 2007

Intoxicating Laughter

Mananthavadi is a beautiful place. The ashram is on top of a hill in the town. From the top you see a range of mountains around. We are staying in the Amrita Vidyalayam here. Amma is just two rooms down the veranda.

Today Amma sang kannunir kondu nin padam kazhukam. It was intoxicating. There was not a single line after which Amma did not laugh. I was always attracted to bhajans not because of the tunes or the lines, but because of Amma’s bhava and her laughter. The sounds of Amma’s laughter—soaked in divine bliss—is utterly intoxicating…it takes you beyond this world. Every bhajan Amma sang was good, but this one was excellent—you know what I mean, right?

…. Devi please don’t leave me… I will hold on to your feet washing them with my tears...

Another bhajan was a new Malayalam one. It describes the pain of separation of
Radha. Krishna left Vrindavan. Akrura has taken him to Madhura in a chariot. The wheel of the chariot has created another path for the river Yamuna in Radha’s heart. She is asking ‘Krishna, do you know the source of this flow?’
Then Radha consoles herself that she is not different from Krishna, like the lyrics and the music of the bamboo flute. (The song was composed by Swami Turiyamritananda.)

Forget about the devotion… when can we have at least the bhava of Radha?

26 February 2007 Mananthavady