All that I prayed for,
The One I meditated on
From early childhood,
He is right in front of my eyes.
Since time immemorial,
The only goal of my life has been
To keep my wavering mind transfixed
At the benign feet of the Lord.
Despite being surrounded by mud and muck,
The pure Lotus blooms, untouched.
With His Divine Grace,
I-Vibhishana aspired to stay untouched
From materialistic desires and egoistic pursuits
Despite belonging to the family of Rakshasas.
The lotus flower and I desired the same destiny-
To serve the Lord despite every visible odd.
All that I prayed for,
The One I meditated on
From early childhood,
He is right in front of my eyes.
Transformed and Transcended I am
With the resplendent vision of Lord Rama.
All my psychical identities slowly strip off
Like years of dust accumulated on my body;
Attachments and ties evaporate into nothingness
I find the door to liberation in my Lord's eyes
My soul unites with the Super Soul
Personal Consciousness merges
With the Divine Consciousness.
From a mental and emotional man,
I- Vibhishana become a spiritual man
Illumined by the Divine Light,
I experience the boundless, undivided joy
One with the Cosmos, I feel
I am in the Sun, the Moon, the Cloud, and the Stars.
The Creator is in me; I am in the Creator
I get transcended to the spiritual realm.
All that I prayed for,
The One I meditated on
From early childhood,
He is right in front of my eyes.
Despite being warned by his allies and devotees,
My Lord chose me- a demon devotee
An ordinary lotus born amid mud and muck
Without looking at my birth and circumstances.
His instrument I became in the Cosmic Drama
I played my part with the utmost devotion
To ensure the victory of good over evil
In the Great Lanka war.
They said, "You will be called a Traitor
for betraying your own kith and kin."
I said, "I am ready to pay this small price.
I have experienced the merging of
My Soul with the Super Soul.
Once the river merges with the Ocean,
It loses its identity
The river becomes the Ocean."
©Purba Chakraborty
25.04.2020
Note: Vibhishana is the brother of Ravana in the Hindu epic, Ramayana. He was a great devotee of Lord Rama.
Vibhishana reminds us that inspite of being surrounded by the vices, one can remain untouched by its bad effects provided one surrenders to the Almighty and follows the path of virtues.
ReplyDeleteGood narration as usual.
Vibhisana preferred truth over family attachment. He is one of my favourite characters of Ramayana.
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteOH yes, Vibhisana is also one of my personal heroes, trusting truth over obligation, yet serving that also - in his own way. YAM xx
Vibhishana is another example of truth over anything else. Thanks for the lovely post, Purba. Thanks a lot :)
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Great to read. Thanks a lot Purba.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely loved the transcendent language you used here for Vibhishana's monologue.
ReplyDeleteAah! The battle between loyalty and righteousness...
ReplyDelete"Once the river merges with the Ocean, It loses its identity. The river becomes the Ocean"... this thought must have given him so much peace and direction!
Lovely expression, Purba!
This is so beautiful, Purba. I loved the way you drew parallels between a lotus and Vibhishana! "The lotus flower and I desired the same destiny-
ReplyDeleteTo serve the Lord despite every visible odd." And I love the closing lines! Wonderfully portrayed.
I have never read someone expressing Vibhishan’s heart this well Purba. I could feel him justified
ReplyDeleteThis was really deep. Thanks so much for sharing it. I really enjoyed this post.
ReplyDeleteI hope you and yours are staying safe and healthy during this difficult time.
J Lenni Dorner~ Co-host of the #AtoZchallenge, Debut Author Interviewer, Reference& Speculative Fiction Author
So deep! Every word was illuminating with it's own grace. How beautifully you have penned down the oneness with the universe. Beautiful! Deep and intense. Kudos to you dear.
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