Song of Papadam ... shri Ramana Maharishi

[Guest guest]

The Song of the Poppadum

No need about the world to roam

And suffer from depression;

Make poppadum within the home<

According to the lesson

Of 'THOU ART THAT', without compare,

The Unique Word, unspoken,

'Tis not by speech it will

declare.

The silence is unbroken

Of Him who is the Adept-Sage,

The great Apotheosis,

With His eternal heritage

That Being-Wisdom-Bliss is.

Make poppadum and after making

fry,Eat, so your cravings you may satisfy.

The grain which is the black gram's yield,

The so-called self or ego,

Grown in the body's fertile field

Of five-fold sheaths,

put into The roller-mill made out of stone,

Which is the search for Wisdom,

The 'Who am I?'.

'Tis thus alone

The Self will gain its freedom.

This must be crushed to finest dust<

And ground up into fragments

As being the non-self, so must We shatter our attachments.

Make poppadum .

Mix in the juice of square-stemmed vine,

This associationWith Holy Men.

With this combine

Within the prepartion Some of the cummin-seed of mind-control

And pepper of restraining The wayward senses,

with them rollThat salt which is remaining

Indifferent to the world we see,

With condiment of leanings

Towards a virtuous unity.

These are their different meanings.

Make Poppadum . . .

The mixture into dough now blend

And on the stone then place it

Of mind, by tendencies hardened,

And without ceasing baste it

With heavy strokes of the 'I-I'

Delivered with the pestle

Of introverted mind.

Slowly the mind will cease to wrestle.

The roll out with the pin of peace

Upon the slab of Brahman.

Continue effort without cease

With energetic elan.

Make poppadum . . .

The poppadum or soul's now fit

To put into the fry-pan,

The one infinite symbol it

Of the great Silence, which can

Be first prepared by putting in

Some clarified fresh butter

Of the Supreme. And now begin

To heat it till it splutter,

On Wisdom's self-effulgent flame

Fry poppadum, 'I', as That.

Enjoying all alone the same;

Which bliss we ever aim at.

Make poppadum of self and after eat;

Of Perfect Peace then you will be replete.

 

Ramana Maharishi

 

(courtesy-indian paganism)

 

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Urad Dal Papadam with Pepper

 

1 kilo urad dal flour

100 grams salt

50 grams ground black or white pepper

1/2 tsp hing

500 grams water

 

Mix the Hing and pepper with the Urad Dal flour. Lightly roast the

salt. Boil 500 grams water with the salt. Let it cool to room

temperature. Pour this water, a little at a time, in the Urad Dal

Flour mixture and make a very stiff (hard) dough. (Dough maker may

be used.) Put his dough in a big Mortar and Pestle (told you, it

is not easy!). Pound the Pestle on the dough in the Mortar until

it has elastic like consistency. Test it by rolling out a small

piece. Divide the dough into 6 parts. Roll them out on a board and

cut it into 1 inch pieces. Then put all the pieces in a bowl and

cover the bowl. Taking one piece at a time, roll them out on an

aluminium rolling board. Put them in direct sunlight to dry. Once

they are dry and crispy, store them in an air tight container. To

serve them, Zap them in a microwave, or fry them in oil or roast

them on a low flame!

 

Making pappadams from scratch is not easy ! you can buy them

readymade from indian stores...

 

Serve them hot as an appetizer

 

if papadams are so difficult to make , how much more dofficult will

self-realization be?

 

love and enjoy the papadam of self-realization! !