32 sq. ft.
 |
| My Shrine |
This space of a room
On the second floor
With a wooden door
Opening to a terrace
And with a small glass window
An entry way
To a strip of the blue sky
Waits for me
Every dawn and dusk
I know
My deities dwell there
They are my family members
Cutest of them is my baby Gopala*
I bathe him
Feed him
Dress him
Daily
As incense sticks spill fragrance
I take my seat on the asana**cross legged
With eyes closed
The shrine showers silence to the mind
Stopping slithering thoughts
To rare hood
Their fading fangs
Make room
For the Name of God
The Name***calms
me down
I wait for the deity
To step on my lotus heart
This room is my refuge…….
 |
| My Gopala |
*Gopala is the baby form of Lord Krishna. Since it’s a baby it needs to be
taken care of just as a baby in the family
**asana is the mat for praying
***The Hindus practice Japa which is a spiritual discipline involving the
meditative repetition of a mantra or name of a divine power. Wikipedia.
Posted for dVerse Poetics - Room With or Without a View
Sumana, I really enjoyed the close up view of your special room - the shrine. I can see how this room would be a refuge and a place for comfort, a place to go when you needed to find peace. I am especially interested in Gopala & the special care you take of him.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very personal, and yet very informative, poem, Sumana! This made me wonder whether most Indian families have a shrine for the deities and whether the deities are the same or different in all households.
ReplyDeleteMost Indian Hindu families try to have at least a space for the deities if not a whole room as small as mine. They may follow monotheism, in that case they won't have any deities and stress on meditation or they may follow polytheism worshipping varied deities. Gopala is an exception, most households have him.
DeleteIt sounds wonderful to have a place like that to have your shrine and meditation... Such a pleasant place to be in....
ReplyDeleteThis is soo powerful! It gives a sense of peace sublime.
ReplyDeleteLots of love,
Sanaa
Oh this is beautiful, Sumana. What a precious refuge this room must be. I love the "strip of blue sky" you glimpse morning and evening. Love the baby Gopala, whom you tend so tenderly. A beautiful response to the prompt which teaches me something about depth of faith.
ReplyDeleteA very sacred room. Thank you for inviting us into your holy place!
ReplyDeleteI like this spiritual take on the prompt, very much.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful space you keep there for your daily sadhana, Sumana. Thank you for sharing. I recognize the photos of your revered teachers.
ReplyDeleteA lovely write. You describe (beautifully) a wonderful refuge ... so peaceful - sigh. Thank you for sharing this, Sumana.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to have that room of refuge for your lotus heart, like a prayer room Sumana ~ Love the picture too ~
ReplyDeletethis is so peaceful
ReplyDeleteA prayer room or closet comes to mind for me. A place to pray and meditate. Your poem feels as serene as your description of the room.
ReplyDeleteJai Shri Krishna!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful piece. The alliteration of the first 2 lines of your final stanza has a very meditative feel.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. In my past job, in charge of a Global MBA, I had the honor of travel to India three times. I always travelled alone. On one visit to Hyderabad, I had the privilege to viit a family and see their room where they meditated. I could feel the quiet, the calm. You've penned this so well -- no matter the country, the place to honor the deities is a sacred one.
ReplyDeleteThese are my favorites:
ReplyDelete"I know My deities dwell there"
"As incense sticks spill fragrance"
"The shrine showers silence to the mind"
"I wait for the deity To step on my lotus heart"
For me, a sacred space is so important--a place where we can go and honor our beliefs, pray for and commune with our loved one, each in our own way. You have expressed this so well, Sumana. A place of healing...
ReplyDeleteA really lovely poem.
ReplyDeleteMy comment disappeared, so I'll try again:
ReplyDeleteYour delightful poem reveals the reverence you have for your special place.
Your lotus heart and washing the baby Gopal shows so much devotion and the poem creates its own tranquil space like your room.
ReplyDeleteA room for praying - what a comforting place. :-)
ReplyDeleteLovely to have such a refuge!
ReplyDeleteSacred rooms sanctify
ReplyDeleteessence true as holy
symbols rise
symbols
aLL oF
purpose..
meaning..
prayer oF
real
to
hold..:)