Kaivalya

Inspired by the painting called: "Shakuntala Patralekhana" by Raja Ravi Varma (image above), at the Shri Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery, Mysore in 2002, this is what I wrote with my pen on a PostCard of the same painting: Even the heart of a lion would think twice- to dare to snatch away the dreams from those eyes! How tender the words that drop from the pen held by your delicate hands would be; I wish I was the one addressed to in those words, even if it were in a language unknown to me!! -Siddartha Pamulaparty Jan 15, 2002

This is a poem I wrote after the Industrial Tour-2002. It speaks for itself of the great bonds we formed with our friends during the 5-6 days we were on the tour. The month of January, two thousand two, This marvelous it would be- I never knew; With the awake of new joy in our hearts that are young, Our lips are filled with a new cheer and have begun to sing. Those evanescent turmoils and those blisses forever, All kinds of emotions, in our memories, are together! The month of January, two thousand two, This splendid it would be- I never knew; Strangers became friends and friends became life, Those golden moments, for us, had all the world's time A part of our dreams have now become true, The rest of them, for our future, are in due!! Immortal are the bonds that we've woven with affection, We'll pray that our relations progress to more perfection. With the benediction from the Divine Abode above in the sky, Let us continue to be a family as the endless time passes by! -Sid...

Last Saturday (May 17), I drove out in a jiffy to the Walmart on the Algonquin Rd. I parked the car and rushed into the store. Went straight to the Audio CDs section. Browsed through the wrong corner in the Rock section. Suddenly realized the new releases could be on the other side. There I found it, the CD I wanted 4 days ago when it got released (May 13) but could not due to other obligations. Bryan Adams has released his new album after 4 years. And this one, called "11", like the last one "Room Service" has been recorded during the time of his concerts, backstage and in hotels. Usually as a big Bryan Adams fan, here are the top 3 best things I like about his songs: 3. acoustic and electric solo guitars (both BA and Keith Scott's) 2. vocals of BA...divine. 1. lyrics. Well, there is a specific pattern in the lyrics of all BA songs, they are so meaningful. I have always found the BA songs so close to heart, simple, easy, and in some way magical. When "Room...

శా. అమ్మా! మన్ను దినంగ నే శిశువునో యా కొంటినో వెఱ్రినో నమ్మంజూడకు వీరిమాటలు మదిన్ నన్నీవు కొట్టంగ వీ రిమ్మార్గమ్ము ఘటించి చెప్పెదరు కాదేనిన్ మదీయాస్యగం ధమ్మఘ్రా ణము సేసి నావచనముల్ దప్పైన దండింపవే. క. ఆలలితాంగి కనుంగొనె బాలునిముఖమందు జలధిపర్వతవనభూ గోళశిఖితరణిశశిదిక్పాలాదికరండమైన బ్రహ్మాండంబున్. మ. కలయో వైష్ణవమాయయో యితరసంకల్పార్ధమో సత్యమో తలపన్ నేరక యున్నదాననొ యశొదాదేవిఁగానో పర స్థలమో బాలకుఁడెంత యీతనిముఖస్థంబై యజాండంబు ప్ర జ్వలమై యుండుట కేమిహేతువొ మహాశ్చర్యంబు చింతింపఁగన్. The context here is another "leela" of the beloved Krishna, the most favorite of the 10 avatarams in the Bhagavatham, that He shows His foster mother Yashodha Devi, the entire Cosmic Universe within His mouth, thus providing her the "gyana" about the Universe!! Now, here are three different types of Telugu padyams by grammar and metre (chandassu) and how lovely they are!! In the first one, a "Shaardoola vikreeditham", young Krishna is speaking...

శ్రీ కృష్ణుడు గోవర్ధన పర్వతమును ఎత్తుట: క. కిరియై ధర యెత్తినహరి కరి సరసిజముకుళ మెత్తుగతి( ద్రిభువనశం కరకరు ( డై గోవర్ధన గిరి యెత్తెం జక్కనొక్కకేలన్ లీలన్. వెనకటికి వరాహావతరంలో ధరిత్రి ని ఎత్తి పట్టుకున్న ఆ హరి, ఒక ఏనుగు తామరపువ్వు ను ఎత్తినంత సునాయాసముగా, ముల్లోకాలకు పరమేశ్వరుడై, ఆ గోవర్ధన పర్వతమును చక్కగా ఒక్క చేతీతో లేవనేత్తినాడు !! This is a poem from Pothana's Bhagavatham again: In this, the context is Lord Krishna, lifting the Govardhana Mountain, during a big storm in the town. He protects all the people and cattle in the village by creating an umbrella with a huge mountain!! The meaning of this is: "The Lord Hari (one of the names of Krishna), who in His previous avatara as the Hog, (Varahavatara, 3rd in the Dasavatara's), carried the Earth, (presently also), with an equal ease of an Elephant lifting up a lotus bud, in the form of the Master and Lord of the three worlds, lifted up the Govardhana Mountain, easily and skillfully with a single hand! " Lovely poem....

I recently got the movie I wanted to see for a long time now: "Dead Poets Society". The movie stars Robin Williams as the English teacher John Keating in a high school, of which he was also a student once. While the essence of the movie is "Carpe Diem!!" a Latin phrase for "Sieze the day", and as the teacher Keating further says.."Make your lives extra-ordinary", the movie gives you more than that. Message to young, do only that what you LOVE the most. Message on the pedagogy, FREEDOM (as in THINKING for one's self) is more important than DISCIPLINE (as in being dogmatic) while educating the "growing minds". Message to the parents, don't DEMAND your children to DREAM your DREAMS. But don't you worry, it is not that a serious movie, there's a lot of fun there too. I bet you'll remember your high-school or college days too!! The other characters of the students are also very interesting and all the actors have done ver...

శా. కారే రాజులు రాజ్యముల్ గలుగవే గర్వోన్నతిం బొందరే వారేరీ సిరి మూటగట్టుకొని పోవంజాలిరే భూమిపైఁ బేరైనం గలదే శిబిప్రముఖులుం బ్రీతిన్ యశఃకాములై యీరే కోర్కులు వారలన్ మఱచిరే యిక్కాలమున్ భార్గవా! shA. kArE rAjulu rAjyamul galugavE garvOnnathiM boMdharE vArEree siri mootagattukoni pOvaMjAlirE bhoomipaiAO bErainM galadhE shibipramukhuluM breethin yashaHkAmulai yeerE kOrkulu vAralan maRachirE yikkAlamun bhArgavA! Context: This is a poem in the “ashtama skandam” of the Pothana’s Bhagavatham, where in the story of the Maha Vishnu in His “Vamana” avatara is told. Vamana goes to the great demon king Bali and asks him for three feet of space, as Bali is doing a great penance and is giving alms/charity to those who seek. Then, the intelligent guru of Bali, Shukracharya, warns Bali not to promise anything to this young Brahmin Vamana, as “He is none other than the great Vishnu, and He will destroy you if you give Him whatever He asks”. In reply, Bali, who is known for his great charitable nature, say...

Harihi Om!! In the 10th Chapter of Bhagavad Gita, Krishna speaks to Arjuna about how He, as various forms in various beings or objects is spread everywhere and is the origin of every being living or non-living. As I understand, the nature of Vishnu, being all-pervasive and the basic essence of everything, is being explained with extensive examples in this chapter. (I refer to the copy of SriBhagavadgita, (Sanskrit/Telugu) published by Gita Press, Gorakhpur for most of the meaning of the Sanskrit slokas in Telugu) This seems to be in line with my notes I wrote based on my understanding of Chapter 7 on this blog. ( http://freedomformind.blogspot.com/2007/12/notes-from-bhagavad-gita-chapter-7.html ) The 10th Chapter is also termed the “Vibuthiyoga”. Vibuthi may mean the “superhuman powers or faculties”. Sometimes in context of the Vibuthi powers, according to the yogic literature, are eight fold powers: Anima (ability to become small “minute”), Mahima (ability to grow huge, like the Vira...

I once had seen a wondrous place in Paradise, not on this rough earth. There were mountains wide and valleys green over which blew the splendid winds. There were streams of waters, short and long,that shined like silver under the blazing sun. There were deers and rabbits and peacocks which jumped and hopped and danced in joy. There were fields of corn and cotton stretching into infinite lands. There were golden sands along the shores and the golden beaches. There were miles and miles of coral reefs on the edges of the wild blue seas. There were herds of cows with healthy mammary glands, grazing on green grasses. There were galloping horses, so strong and valorous like the Mermidons. I once had been into deep woods, deeper than the dark blackholes There were millions of species of flora and fauna surrounding me Even those thought to be extinct for long, in front of my eyes, I could see There were handsome men and beautiful women, with their charming offsprings Living along the springs a...

I was just reading through the Chapter 7 of Bhagavad Gita , on Gyana Vigyana Yoga (published by Gita Press, Gorakhpur in Telugu). These are a few notes and observations I made based on my attempts to understand it. In slokas 4 and 5, Lord Krishna describes Arjuna about various natures and attributes of Himself. "My nature is of the eight forms: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Sky, Mind (manas), Intellect (buddhi), Ego (ahankAra). This eight-formed nature of Mine is called "aparA" or "jadA". Besides this, I have another nature, encompassing and pervading the entire Universe, called "parA" or "chethanA", which is My personification in living form. " Continuing in sloka 6: "O Arjuna! All living beings of the this world, are evolved from these natures of Mine. I am the cause for the birth of this Universe and its annihilation. That is to say, I am the origin and primary cause of the existence of the entire Universe." I found it very inte...

it's a shame i didn't know you earlier it's your name that my heart beats for, can't you hear? i sing to myself, i tell to myself as it were, lost in your thoughts.....lost in your thoughts...... now i see, how it was meant to be now i feel, it's better gotta be real this time goes on like the wily wind carries me into that eternity-- where the stars still shine in the day, where the nights are sure bright by the bay; and i stay alone to myself talking of love to myself, as it were, lost in your thoughts.....lost in your thoughts...... glad that it went so easily there was no room for being sorry; thankfulness, for this kind bliss parting ways without a gentle kiss: it could have been even more worse words would have sounded like a curse. a dream within myself, filled with a memory of myself... as it were, lost in your thoughts.........lost in your thoughts....... lost in your thoughts, i am still alive lost in your thoughts, i have survived lost in your thoughts, i...

Some day the clouds will condense Some day it will definitely rain Some day your heart will surrender Some day you’ll know my pain -Siddartha Pamulaparty (2002)

-Siddartha Pamulaparty Nov 13 2007.

Context: The medieval Telugu poets had this tradition of starting their poetic works with an “indicator poem” in which the author prays to his favorite God and also try to indicate the subject of the book, an ancient kind of “Preface”. They considered having this poem in the beginning is auspicious and the completion of the book will not have any interruptions. So, Pothana in continuation of the tradition, wrote this as the preface for the epic Bhagavatam. He prays to the beloved deity Krishna in this poem. Meaning: “I shall contemplate on attaining the Kaivalya Pada, the ultimate abode free from bondage (Vaikunta). I offer my prayers to the Protector and Harnesser of the World, the Enthusiast of the art of Devotion, the One who controls and mitigates the anger garnered by the evil, the One who with whose playful pastime had caused the creation of many Universes, which He holds in His abdomen and protects like a clay pot that holds the water and keeps it pure, the sweet blessed child ...

This is another poem from the epic of “Gajendramoksham”. When I was a kid, I couldn’t get the emotions behind this poem, but later on when I started thinking on my own, my eyes filled with tears whenever I read or heard this padyam. Of course I admit I am very emotional but I believe this poem will cause everyone a tinge of sorrow in their hearts at the plight of the elephant king and at the same filled with utmost devotion to the Ultimate Liberator, Sri Maha Vishnu. Context: The whole story of Gajendra Moksham is how the Elephant King gets “ moksham ”, the Telugu/Sanskrit word, the closest equivalent in English I can think of is absolute Liberation . The scene starts with the Elephant King leading his herd and moving across the thick forest towards the river for quenching their thirst. It is described very graciously that, as the herd moved, the Elephant King glowed with pride, and all the animals in the jungle get scared, as if the Earth shook during Pralaya, destruction of Universe...

Encouraged by my pal Pradeep's comment, here I go attempting a couple of more translations of Pothana's poems. These poems were being sung to us at our home, my father especially I remember taught us to recite these padyams. Very fortunate of being born in my family, I am, in deed!! From the story of Prahlada in the Bhagavatam, this is yet another beautiful piece of work from Pothana. Context: Hiranyakashipa is a powerful Demon King who is a staunch enemy of Vishnu. His son Prahlada is the quite opposite of him and since his childhood is a great devotee of Vishnu. In this scene, Hiranyakashipa overcome with rage asks Prahlada “Where can I find Hari (Vishnu)?”. This poem is the answer of Prahlada to his father’s inquiry. My Translation: He (Vishnu) is inside the deep abyss, He is in the omnipresent atmosphere, over the sky, in the core of the Earth. He is also present in the fire, He is in days and nights. He is in the embodiments of the life-giving Sun, the pleasing Moon. He i...

I bought a couple of books before I started my journey to US. One of them is Mediocre But Arrogant by Abhijit Bhaduri. I read it completely in a couple of days. The book is about a guy Abbey who joins a B-school and the way his life transforms in the years he spends in the school is the essense of the book. The best thing I liked about it is the style of narration. Everytime I read a work of fiction, I tend to imagine myself in the shoes of one of the central characters. And more so if it is a first person narration. Earlier books like "And now Miguel" by Krumgold, which I read when I was very young cast a deep impression on me and somehow I love the first person narration. Very few books give me a feeling that the author is narrating "my imaginary story" with "me" narrating the story. MBA is one such book and I would have lost count of the number of instances in the story when I actually felt it is me narrating it in the form of Abbey. What all I am sayin...

This is a humble attempt to transliterate an excerpt from the Gyana Siddhantam, a treatise on The Theory of Knowledge, my grandfather Sri Pamulaparthi Sadasiva Rao had written (published by Visalandhra Publications). The Gyana Siddhantam was in turn a translation of Francis M. Cornford's "Plato's Theory of Knowledge: The Theaetetus and The Sophist". I must admit that the following translation is not to compare the literary and philosophical scholarship of either Mr. Cornford or my grandfather but a devout dedication to my beloved grandfather. The principle (theory) of knowledge (Epistemology) should describe the transformation of human thought (intellect). It becomes obvious to scrutinize the human thought process through ages, the fundamental basis of these thoughts and the process of relating (reflecting) these thoughts onto the actual facts. Tatva Philosophy is the specialized branch of epistemology that deals with the thoughts, contemplations and the definition o...

Today, I went to the Hindu Temple of Lake County Illinois, for a little peace of mind. The statue of Rama had attracted me a lot. The smile on His face was amazing. Anyways, I am a great admirer of Pothana of Bammera, who translated the Veda Vyasa's Srimadh Bhagavatam into Telugu. His poetry is endowed with great gift of using the metaphors (alankaras). I do not think any of the Adi Kavi's of Telugu can match the poetic exuberance of Pothana. Here is an interesting note from Pothana's life I heard so many times from various sources. He wrote the whole Bhagavatam with a great devotion. While writing the famous "Gajendramoksham" portion of the God's Story, there was a scene in which the author, Pothana had to describe the interior of Vaikunta, the paradise of Vishnu. Pothana suffered an immense pain, as he could not find the right words to describe the abode of the great Vishnu. In modern times, you could say he faced a writer's block. He could not visualize...

"Walden" was first published in 1854, a 2000 copies print by Ticknor and Fields. It mostly comprises of Thoreau's life in the woods between July 4, 1845 to September 6, 1857. It is considered by some wise men as one of the most influential works in American literature. To me, "Walden" is a paradise of wisdom, an epitome of Truth in the simplest verses. Well, then let us sojourn again into the wilderness. ECONOMY In most books, the I, or first person is omitted; in this it will be retained; that, in respect to egotism, is the main difference. (This shows his characteristic of the importance of self, and the individualistic spirit of being). In the rest of the chapter Thoreau details out the financial account details of all the experiments that failed and that finally succeeded, and of course the wonderful philosophy about life. In front of the Thoreau's cabin replica at the Walden Pond Conservative in concord is an excerpt from this chapter. The below is a p...