Fw: [Poetry Chaikhana] Ramana Maharshi - The Song of the Poppadum

October 7, 2008

Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana --

The Song of the Poppadum

By Ramana Maharshi(1879 - 1950)

English version by Ramanasramam

No need about the world to roamAnd suffer from depression;Make poppadum within the homeAccording to the lessonOf 'Thou art That', without compare,The Unique Word, unspoken'Tis not by speech it will declare.The silence is unbrokenOf Him who is the Adept-Sage,The great Apotheosis,With His eternal heritageThat 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 fieldOf five-fold sheaths, put intoThe roller-mill made out of stone,Which is the search for Wisdom,The 'Who am I?'. 'Tis thus aloneThe Self will gain its freedom.This must be crushed to finest dustAnd ground up into fragmentsAs being the non-self, so mustWe shatter our attachments.Make poppadum and after making fry,Eat, so your cravings you may satisfy. Mix the juice of square-stemmed vine,This associationWith Holy Men. With this combineWithin the preparationSome cummin-seed of mind-controlAnd pepper for restrainingThe wayward senses, with them rollThat salt which is remainingIndifferent to the world we see,With condiment of leaningsTowards a virtuous unity.These are their different meanings.Make poppadum and after making fry,Eat, so your cravings you may satisfy. The mixture into dough now blendAnd on the stone then place itOf mind, by tendencies hardened,And without ceasing baste itWith heavy strokes of the 'I-I'Delivered with the pestleOf introverted mind. SlowlyThe mind will cease to wrestle.Then roll out with the pin of peaceUpon the slab of Brahman.Continue effort without ceaseWith energetic élan.Make poppadum and after making fry,Eat, so your cravings you may satisfy. The poppadum or soul's now fitTo put into the fry-pan,The one infinite symbol itOf the great Silence, which canBe first prepared by putting inSome clarified fresh butterOf the Supreme. And now beginTo heat it till it sputter,On Wisdom's self-effulgent flameFry 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.

-- from The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi, Edited by Arthur Osborne

Amazon.com / Photo by Matt Seppings /

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Thought for the Day:

Even in our stumblings, in our rebellions and unconsciousness, there is a smoldering nugget of awareness that calls out for remembrance.

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Here's your Daily Music selection --

Autumn's Child featuring Mark Holland

Storytelling

Listen - Purchase

More Music Selections

Hi Gloria -I got so many responses from the commentary on fasting I sent out a few weeks ago at the beginning of Ramadan, that I thought this week we should consider the relationship of food and eating to spirituality. I wanted to start things off with this playful song of realization and food preparation by the great non-dualist sage, Ramana Maharshi.The story is told that the Maharshi's mother, who lived at her son's ashram, one day asked him to help in the preparation of poppadum, a spicy lentil-flour cracker. Instead, Ramana Maharshi composed this poem, comparing the preparation of the poppadum with the process of Self-Realization.I'll admit, this English translation is more than a bit forced in order to get its singsong rhyme, but I can imagine a kirtan hall filled with people laughing and joyously singing these words... all the while growing hungry supper. Maybe a few are even contemplating the consummation of awareness that food, attentively prepared and eaten, can be to us.Next time you go to your local Indian restaurant, order some poppadum. And contemplate what you are really consuming.Eat, so your cravings you may satisfy...IvanPS - Email Responses from IvanI always love to receive emails from you and comments on the blog asking me questions -- but my daily job has been so busy lately, along with other aspects of life, that I haven't been very good at responding. I read every email and comment, but I don't always have the time I'd like to write out an individual response. Perhaps that will change as the Poetry Chaikhana continues to expand and more people sign up for voluntary donations. But please continue to send your comments and questions. If I don't respond immediately, feel free to try again in a few weeks. (Or maybe I need cut out the technological middleman and just send telepathic responses from now on... ;-)

Share Your Thoughts on today's poem or my commentary...

New on the Poetry Chaikhana BlogIn addition to the daily poem, other recent blog posts include:

Stork Migrations and Reading a Poem - I just returned from a walk along the shore of a nearby lake. Eight majestic white wood storks were drifting along the surface, then, at some mutually agreed upon signal, they took off one after the other, reaching out for full wingspan, and rising up in an ascending, orderly line to the sky. Watching them, I thought, “Reading a poem is like this.” More - More - More

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Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers.

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February 10, 2010

- Poetry Chaikhana

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Wednesday, February 10, 2010 11:38 AM

[Poetry Chaikhana] Ramana Maharshi - The Song of the Poppadum

Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana --

The Song of the Poppadum

By Ramana Maharshi(1879 - 1950)

English version by Ramanasramam

No need about the world to roamAnd suffer from depression;Make poppadum within the homeAccording to the lessonOf 'Thou art That', without compare,The Unique Word, unspoken'Tis not by speech it will declare.The silence is unbrokenOf Him who is the Adept-Sage,The great Apotheosis,With His eternal heritageThat 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 fieldOf five-fold sheaths, put intoThe roller-mill made out of stone,Which is the search for Wisdom,The 'Who am I?'. 'Tis thus aloneThe Self will gain its freedom.This must be crushed to finest dustAnd ground up into fragmentsAs being the non-self, so mustWe shatter our attachments.Make poppadum and after making fry,Eat, so your cravings you may satisfy. Mix the juice of square-stemmed vine,This associationWith Holy Men. With this combineWithin the preparationSome cummin-seed of mind-controlAnd pepper for restrainingThe wayward senses, with them rollThat salt which is remainingIndifferent to the world we see,With condiment of leaningsTowards a virtuous unity.These are their different meanings.Make poppadum and after making fry,Eat, so your cravings you may satisfy. The mixture into dough now blendAnd on the stone then place itOf mind, by tendencies hardened,And without ceasing baste itWith heavy strokes of the 'I-I'Delivered with the pestleOf introverted mind. SlowlyThe mind will cease to wrestle.Then roll out with the pin of peaceUpon the slab of Brahman.Continue effort without ceaseWith energetic élan.Make poppadum and after making fry,Eat, so your cravings you may satisfy. The poppadum or soul's now fitTo put into the fry-pan,The one infinite symbol itOf the great Silence, which canBe first prepared by putting inSome clarified fresh butterOf the Supreme. And now beginTo heat it till it sputter,On Wisdom's self-effulgent flameFry 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.

-- from The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi, Edited by Arthur Osborne

Amazon.com / Photo by Matt Seppings /

============

Thought for the Day:

The true Poetrestsin the wordless space.

============

Here's your Daily Music selection --

Eliyahu Sills

Songs of Qadim

Listen - Purchase

More Music Selections

Hi Gloria -A playful song of realization and food preparation by the great non-dualist sage, Ramana Maharshi.The story is told that the Maharshi's mother, who lived at her son's ashram, one day asked him to help in the preparation of poppadum, a spicy lentil-flour cracker. Instead, Ramana Maharshi composed this poem, comparing the preparation of the poppadum with the process of Self-Realization.I'll admit, this English translation is more than a bit forced in order to get its singsong rhyme, but I can imagine a kirtan hall filled with people laughing and joyously singing these words... all the while growing hungry for supper. Maybe a few are even contemplating the consummation of awareness that food, attentively prepared and eaten, can be to us.Next time you go to your local Indian restaurant, order some poppadum. And contemplate what you are really consuming.Eat, so your cravings you may satisfy...Well, I'm hungry now...Ivan

Share Your Thoughts on today's poem or my commentary...

New on the Poetry Chaikhana BlogIn addition to the daily poem, other recent blog posts include:

The Celestial Drink 5: The Wine of the Sufis - While sacred wine imagery occurs all over the world, the theme is perhaps most fully developed by the great Sufi poets... More The Celestial Drink 4: Fermentation - Comments (2) When the still water is lit up by that initiating fire or fermentation, the heavenly night sky is reflected upon its calm face... More The Celestial Drink 3: The Wine Press - Comments (4) Through the action of the wine press, we ourselves have become the sacrificial offering. The juice of that troublesome ego has become the sanctifying element. More

Support the Poetry Chaikhana

Donations to the Poetry Chaikhana in any amount are always welcome. Thank you!

Click here

You can also support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you!

Click here

A small amount each month makes a big difference. Become a voluntary Subscriber for just $2/mo.

Click here

Help the Poetry Chaikhana reach more people. Become a Supporter for just $10/mo.

www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com

Poetry ChaikhanaP.O. Box 2320Boulder, CO 80306

Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers.

============

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