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20
Sixty-three

Of Shiva’s devotees
Singers of the powers of Shiva
The worth of all statements
All are pronouncements!

Sixty-three
Are the flowers on Shiva’s crest
The moon’s little crescent
Which throws brilliance!

The one which burns out the wrongs
Little shiny glows
Throwing up nectar
The little bells on His feet!

The mischievous, deceitful ways
Of heroes gone by
Are the shades of the deceitful
Are those of Sivanayanaars!

On the skies of PeriapuraaNaas
Stars glow bright
They are opened up by Sailklilars
Are highways to Siva’s heavenly firmaments!

21
Precincts of Siva always Protection

The heights of snow, domain always of His attendants
Sound of dhamaru, is always adored by angels
The carrier Nandi along with Bhringa
The precincts of Siva are protection!
The company of Gauri and Gajanan
Son Kumara ever delightful, auspicious
The union of first parents’ celestial, fragrant
Ever remembered, worshipped!
With Pushpadanta and the music of ghanta
Followers ever surrounding
The friendship with Kubera, company of Maruts
The joy of closeness to Shiva is my desire!
The freshness of the trident
The poison breathed out by the serpent
The movements of His hands and feet
His blessing I pray for every moment!

22
Note: Here the poet mentions the areas of Telugu land.

Siva! Siva! Siva! Siva!

Here, every foot is Siva!
Velanad, Palanad, Veginad, Siva!
Pakanad Kasanannad, Siva!
Mulikinad Siva! Renaati Siva!
Kammanati Siva! Prolanati Siva!
Sankata, Mantinanati Siva!
Telengana Siva! Prakkinaati Siva!
Morasa, Janturnati Karnaati Siva!
Of those old times of our forefathers
Appeared in crores of places, the ever-worshipped Siva!
Of those times and age and of these times
In all times in our minds Siva!
At birth in waters to wash, Siva!
When learning the alphabet, first Siva!
At wedding on the dais Gauri’s Lord Siva!
In the burning ghat supervising Siva!
Before birth, Siva! After demise, Siva!
Siva! Siva! Siva! Siva!
Ever foot, every foot, Siva, Siva!!!

23
Wherever it is, it is to be Worshipped

Wherever, wherever
The goal and destination, the end,
This much for all, YOU!
Wonder of wonders, Y O U!
Over the linga, nectar Y O U are!
In places of Your movement
In movable and immovable
Wherever the night walkers’ worship
There are all the nine rasas!!! Lingams of water and stone
On the earth and in waters of Ganga
Everywhere maharishis worship
All humans sing Your praise and glory
Keeping water, bathing You in worship!
In all lands, in all times, in all states of mind!
For people like us with words sweet of praise
Your qualities for everything in crores – our end!

24 Fragrance of Dhoopsticks
A sister and brother
Came happily
They are about
Not knowing about the ways of the world
With fragrance of sweet innocence
Makers and sellers of dhoop sticks
Evenings for play
For parents going up and shop stairs
Selling dhoop sticks
Responsibility far above eligibility
Going along with skill
Sweet adjustment
Not to cross limitations of culture
For the little cooked rice
We are watching with wonder!
Triumbaka! Pray I
Sweet smelling ever strengthening
Dhoop sticks we offer
Take them, Umadevi - Siva’s half!
The one who burns sorrow
Giver, welfare giving
Destroyer of Evil
Comfort and wealth, All happiness
Qualities of proper order, dharma!
Pray, listen to my prayer, Siva!
Small steps they put
Consider their go-arounds!
Mercifully bless them!

25 Shambu Relation

Oxen and ploughs, huts for animals
Backyards, water on carriers, pounding corn
Life of hard work - forefathers spent lives
Reason for peaceful lives
Shambho! Your worship
Merciful wearing the crescent on the crown
All our effort – Your worship
Dedicated to You!

A babe at breast, one in the womb
Widows at homes, floating relatives
This is our life
Saambashiva! We are dedicated to You! Shambho!

Devil of small pox tormenting
Famines devastating, people hungry
Weeping facing tribulations
Reason for living for survival – You Shambho!
Travelling on carts, sleeping on mats
Tradition compelling, hard living
Food and fasting as per the almanac
Life went on – reason – Shambho!

Bathing for Kartik, observing pious four-months
Nine-month celebrations, holy baths,
Observation of untouchability owing to deaths
Feasts of aashad, festivals
All went on only by Your grace! Shambho!

Chutney in grind-stone, tamarind water
Rice on a leaf-plate, betel-leaf and white-wash bit
Guest is a god visitor, Lord Vishnu,
People of old times lived liked that!
Your grace! Shambho!
Attacks of Turks in thick darkness
In narrow laned huts, hard ground
Difficult ploughing, with little help
Searching for some forth coming help, always, Shambho!

26
What is outside, Bhava!

What is outside, Bhava!
The brother of several desires
The flood of many wants
In the ground well of passions
Mud neckdeep!

What is inside,Shiva!
Sultry, without breathing space
Unbearable madness
Unabased heat insolvable counts!

Living with these
Passing through burning ghats
Eating hastily
Searching for lesser darkness!

Hot winds of hopes

Like burning plant flowering again
Stopping life-breath
Ending, dying!
Leaving with out solution
Getting into ashes!

Doing deeds unbecoming and mean
Carbuncles growing
Suffering pain of all sorts
Getting singed hopelessly!

All those who don’t see You
In utter darkness burning blind
Those who went back young
Becoming ash!
Those with living unble see You
Those who bought and those who sell
With no direction mix in mud
All useless sights!
Peace is from You alone!
Isn’t life’s tale all just a dream
Deliverance is sumission
Otherwise Death’s kicks on the back!

27
What is the trick, Shiva!

Did you clear dues like this, Shiva?
Not by a fight,nor by ulcers!
When I fell at Your feet, put myself in Your hands
When thnking of You, knowing the truth
Everyday wondering, gone away all worries
Every time sweet new poems!
You give difficlties bu never grief
You aim at hardware but never allow me to grieve
You never reveal the secret, but, never open it
Not leaving me at the shore, never desert me!
Give me family, never allow it to sink!
Give me fortune, wouldn’t allow intoxication
Give me offspring, wouldn’t allow extreme attraction
Give victory but would not let me die!

28
Dhoorjati

Jeeva for a trice like a goosebery in the palm
With the Lord of Sreekaalahasti you became
Dhorjati!
His poetic hundred, shataka is the tresure house
Kalpataru of sweet fruits!

29
Archer

Conscience is the battle field
Deeds arrows
Perfect thought the bow
Time the bow string!
Archer - Rudra
One must have memory
At Your feet one must worship
With devotion deep!

30
The Uncivilised Hara

Hurrah, Huzza to the uncivilised Hara
Hurrah, Huzza to the civilised Hara, the destroyer of evil
To the naked one, to the welfare giver
To the one without clothes, Shambho, Hurrah, Huzza!
 
Residence not vykuntha heaven,
Not the incomparable satya loka!
Only the snow mount for the son-in-law in father-in-law’s home
 
Dim moonshine on the crown
Snow mount to lie down
Your mount is the bellowing ox
 
For the celestial one taking share of nectar
Goddess Lakshmi, Kalpataru and cow all only others
Your portion only poison to taste, uncivilised!

31
Consort of Mahaa Maya
 
The one who has the crescent moon on the crown
So-in-law of silver mountain, golden three-eyed
Protecting us all, the consort of Mahaa Maya!
Trusted You, swearing by my mom, what do I lack!
Hiding under the eyelids furious fire
Showing the poisonous serpent as an ornament
The light of the burning ghat having the crescent on Your crown
Protecting us, Oh! Lord! Making destruction musical play
The bustle and hustle from the dararuk making us tremble
Having Yama, the death god’s mount to whiten Your ox
With bones, skulls, flesh as heaps on the snow hills
Protecting us, Oh! Making all those as the ice mountain!
 
32
What a Shiva, What a Shiva! Brother

What a Shiva, What a Shiva!
Rapping over the head with knuckles burns acts, is Shiva!
Cleansing fresh the cooking vessels, with heat
Is this one with moon on crescent!
 
Unless the butter of devotion to Eshwar gets in
Would not be understood, Shiva’s order
Unless the basava, the ox blears up
Does not stop our wrong doing mind!
 
Mere worships are useless papers
What holds on is in the conscience
Death beaten is the high birth
Embrace Shiva, called Hara!
 
Slaying away relation is infamous
Like the fruit one should get fruition and drop!

33
One beast looking at another

A beast looking at another grew jealous
A beast looking at another though it useless
Lord of Animals! Forgetting the passage of Your rope
Always looking at others
The animal is getting looking annoyed!
       Beast
The cart ox seeing the on at the round is jealous
The dog inside the one outside hates the other
Seeing the fish in the pond the little fish!
       Beast
The eye which falls tomorrow seeing the one falling now
Weeps shedding tears going out in a stream
The body which goes into earth tomorrow,
Today arranges wood in the graveyard today
       Beast
Becoming curry in the plate of Death
Becoming pickle and ghee in it
Living ones becoming curry and eatables
Would soon be digested in the world
       Beast

36
Without Shiva’s Command …

Without Shiva’s command even an ant bite
If there is no command the bite does not hurt
It doesn’t occur that Shiva is the one who causes that
It would not be seen that it is Shiva’s doing.
 
What if it bites, there is only a little pain
For the dull manas it is a little prick
Inside and out, in sight
Today and tomorrow, another day after
All embracing is He, the living on the silver mountain
Father who lights up hearts even of kids
 
To remember this
Situations arise
The messages of winter
The month Kartik bridegroom!
 
35
Incite me to contemplate … You

You on the side ultimate
Me in some form
Incite me to contemplate
Hara, ever thinking of the crescent crown!
 
Either at dawn
Or at dusk, or night haunted by spirits
Your thoughts are butter
Let me reach You with Your support!
 
Whatever may be the mahurat
In Kartika or any time
Your form in my mind
Print the radiance of the sky!
 
Wakeful or in deep sleep
The haste of bodily organs is such
Rudra! Everything is Your symbol
With safety, Oh! The form of conscience!
 
36
Are You in the Background, Shiva!

Background – You! Shiva!
Outwardly happy dances
Noise of damaruk
Only mine is the hurry-burry!
 
Making bones, flesh
Movement of blood, are all Yours, Shiva!
Movements in the frame, body, mine, Shiva!
Making the mind and thinking – Yours! Shiva!
The working of the heart, falling in slumber
Jumping like a frog – are mine! Shiva!
Charity – bestowing boons in a jiffy
Not saying anything is Yours, Shiva!
Forgetting the promise made – is me!
My nature it is, dancing like a monkey.
It is my nature then
Is it not known to You, Shiva!
Tales of Mother’s place,
Does not my uncle know!
 
37
Who else is He, if not Shiva!

If not Shiva, who else is He!!!
Butter soft, plentifully kind and generous!
Sweet mind and sweet smelling!
Extremely praise worthy – is He not Bhava!!!
 
All things done – are not they His doing!
Giving wealth or missing the mark
Acting or bringing down the curtain
Master and giver, is He not the Lord!
 
Is not He the only to be prayed for!
When dangers occur or come near
Giving us His hand and taking ashore
Is not the Giver Sankara alone!
The most auspicious one, isn’t He alone!
Lord is Heg and emperor
For all and for fearlessness
The most loving one, isn’t He Bhava!

38
For all and everything, Y O U!!!

How is it if for all I look at You?
How can I honour all allegations?
Words insincere growing up like creepers!
Worries growing like banyan roots!
Our quarrels are trees growing all around
Looking foolishly like animals
 
Waiting to swallow is life of a dog
It’s to make all with doubts and fears
It is childish to praise and get praised!
Going forward without turning back is comfort!
 
Witness it is to the three-eyed
Contemplating on Shiva all the time
Is fruit giving
This creation is the way for that!