This is my first hindi poem dedicated to my favourite divine form, my Sai Baba...

 नमो नमो,  हे मेरे साईं राम ,

बनाओ मेरे सभी बिगड़े  काम 

शिर्डी का था एक छोटा सा गाँव ,

बनाया आपने उसको परम धाम 

जो भी आया दर पे ले कर पैगाम ,

दुख उसके हर लीने आपने तमाम 

 आपके हैं अनगिनत रूप और नाम,

उन सब को भजने का नहीं कोई दाम 

 भजे जो भी दिल से सुबह और शाम, 

बन जातें हैं  उसके सभी बिगड़े काम

कलयुग में मचा हुआ है कोहराम,

दिन दहाड़े होते रहते हैं  कत्लेआम 

पर साईं तुम्हारा हाथ जब लें  थाम,

दुश्मन का हो जाता है जीना हराम

साईं  बाबा तुम बिन तो मैं हूँ बेनाम,  

साईं नाम का अब मैं  पीना चाहूं जाम.

 साईं साईं जपना चाहूं मैं  सुबह शाम, 

साईं चरणों में मेरा कोटि कोटि प्रणाम    

 नमो  नमो,   हे  मेरे  साईं  राम ,  

बनाओ   मेरे  सभी  बिगड़े  काम 

JAI MAA DURGA

 This short poem conveys only a millionth of my feelings for this divine and gracious form who has been blessing me and countless others in endless ways…please continue to shower your love and grace on me and all others whom I know and care about…The pictures of Maa Durga posted here are from my temple at home…

  

Jai Maa Durga, welcome to my household this Navratri festival,

And make it pious and pure with your divine, pristine presence.

 My heart fills with sheer joy as I light the lamp for your arrival,

And my home fills with the aroma of flowers, fruits and incense.  

I feel so light on my feet, my heart and soul in a mode of revival,

And I readily enter a time zone of prayers, pledge and penance.

There is a special feel and freshness in the air these nine days,

Faith reinstates itself and devotion for the Goddess rebounds. 

Love to decorate the temple and the idols in a variety of ways,

And hear soulful hymns,soaking in the divine sights and sounds.

The ethereal lamp that lights up the house with its divine rays,
Needs a special mention here, as its beauty knows no bounds.

Temples all over are adorned with idols of this lovely Goddess,

Devotees queue up to get a glimpse of Maa in a fanatic frenzy.

In her traditional finery, the Goddess shines like a true empress,

Her doe eyes and endearing smile casts a spell on every devotee.

Her mercy and blessings for her devotees is seemingly endless,

She is surely the modern day’s most popular and sought after deity.

LORD GANESHA

  Navratris begin today with Gudi padwa, the Marathi New Year, and with that my most precious nine days...before I write a poem on Goddess Durga, I write for Lord Ganesha, the lord of auspicious beginnings...this one is for all Ganesha Devotees...

Lord Ganesha is definitely one of the most endearing  divine forms,
Worshipped the world over as Gajanana or the Elephant Faced God.

Having a magical, mystical and magnetic effect that truly transforms

All His devotees, pulling them towards Him through an invisible cord.

He is commonly known as Ganapati or Lord of all Lords, the Almighty,
And as Omkara, one with the form of Om, the very first ancient syllable,

He has a universal appeal and worldwide acceptance as a popular deity,

Known as Avighna or Vignaharta, remover of each and every obstacle.

He is every artist’s inspiration, rekindling his creativity and imagination,

So naturally He has been depicted in endless figures, forms and frames.

In Mumbai city He is worshipped with utmost loyalty and deep devotion 

Idolized in innumerable shapes and known by more than thousand names.

Muktidaya, Bestower of eternal bliss; Mangalmurti, all auspicious lord,

Nideeshwaram, the Giver of wealth and treasures, blessing one and all.

Siddhivinayaka, Bestower of success and Kripalu, the ever merciful Lord

Are just few of the names of this lovable God  that I can randomly recall.

I bow to you, the all omnipresent and omnipotent Lord of the Universe,

Shower your divine blessings on me, my family and all my friends please.

Oh  Buddhinath, the God of Wisdom, to you I dedicate this little verse,
After all, you are known as Kshipra, the one who is so easy to appease!

AN ODE TO WOMAN POWER

She is blessed with divine power, this being called woman,

She is a real blessing for all those whose lives she touches.

She is capable of showing much more resilience than a man,

She possesses the art of saving her folks from evil clutches.

She is ready to go to any length to take care of her kith and kin,

She smiles bravely and boldly through her suffering and pain.

 She strives hard to be with her family through thick and thin,

She makes sure your faith in her would never ever go in vain.

Nature has adorned her with qualities varied and unlimited,

 An epitome of patience, perseverance and purposefulness.

To her near and dear ones she is wholeheartedly committed,

And performs all her duties with happiness and willingness.

She can be docile and dormant when the situation commands,

 When provoked and challenged can take an aggressive form.

She is ever willing to extend herself to her family’s demands ,

Ever rising to the occasion, rising above the mundane and norm.

As easily as she slips into the role of a  perfect homemaker,

So does she  graciously grip and grasp her professional  front.

She definitely deserves the title ‘family’s mover and shaker’,

 Deftly balancing the dual role, bearing the burden and brunt.

When it comes to making a choice between self and others,

She thoughtfully and selflessly prefers  to take a back seat.

When it comes to making the right choice and leading others,

She exhibits the elegance and poise that no one else can beat.

Her profile and preferences may have changed with the times,

But her inner strength and passionate demeanour is timeless.

Her beauty and brains have evolved with the changing times,

Ever increasing her divine power and prowess, befitting a godess

HAPPY HOLI TO ONE AND ALL

Here comes the festival of Holi in all it’s splendor,

Bringing along with it, immense joy and pleasure.

It reminds us that it’s time to embrace each other, 

Filling our lives and that of others with love and colour.

Whosoever very first  initiated this colourful  festival,

Must have been inspired by the mother earth’s revival.

When winter fades and spring announces it’s arrival,

Bursting forth in a vibrant ‘blossom and bloom’ carnival.

Flowers of all colours and hues  bloom on branches upright,

Making every nook and corner of the earth so very bright.

To add to this spectrum, the birds and butterflies take flight,

Flitting from flower to flower, adding to the visual delight.

Set in this radiant background this festival brings glee,

Bringing people together in a colorful celebration spree.

Instilling  the desire to let go and with friends happily be,

Drowning worries, lifting moods, and setting spirits free.

The traditional Holi with it’s magic and masti is a lot of fun,

It’s enjoyable to spray colours and greet each and every one.

If only the new generation would stick to the true tradition,

There would be more fun and frolic and much less pollution.

Let us rejoice and revel in this festival and retain it’s essence,

And hand over to the next generation it’s true significance.

Let us revive and recreate the magic of colour and consonance,

 And to the spirit of the festival pay our tribute and obeisance

LIFE AND ITS LESSONS

 All the facets of life are made up of sugar and spice,

That is what makes it so well balanced and bountiful.

There also prevails in it, a constant element of surprise,

That is what makes life so interesting and beautiful!

Along with happy moments spent with our loved ones,

Misgivings and misunderstandings are also a crucial part.

Forgiving and forgetting and making up with your dear ones,

Brings you closer than ever before and cleanses your heart.

Laughter and tears too are two sides of the same coin of life,

Tears wash the excruciating pain and laughter dissolves grief.

A kind word brings hope in a hopeless situation full of strife,

And bitter words rob you of your peace of mind like a thief.

 Moments of faith and belief also alternate with lack of trust,

One moment you feel strong and the next moment defeated.

While weak moments help you muster strength and courage,

Strength can also tend to make you arrogant and conceited.

Birth is always celebrated whereas death is often condemned,

Both these prime life events seem to be each another’s quotient.   

Life seems so very real at times and at times only a mere illusion,

Both the feelings seem true at that particular time and moment.

In all its myriad sugary and spicy ways, life has a mystical charm,

It makes an excellent tutor, teaching us great lessons each day.

The good and bad sides of each facet during the journey of life,

Makes it so enticing and intriguing,helping us evolve all the way.

REALITY OR ILLUSION?

There is a very thin dividing line between reality and illusion,

One moment you feel the intensity of a feeling or emotion,

The next moment you end up in a state of sheer confusion,

And which is the real emotion, becomes the obvious question?

No doubt, one has to have firm faith, belief, love and devotion,

To develop, nurture and cherish each and every close relation.

Still inspite of doing your best, as per the need of the situation,

You tend to lose faith and seem to end up in sheer frustration!

Sometimes, even in a seemingly state of great peace and perfection,

You are left with an empty feeling, on going through introspection.

No matter how much you care for someone and pour your affection,

You may not build good relationships even after years of association.

That does not mean life is all bad and holds for you not much attraction,

It does have a fair share of many great moments of joy and jubilation.

Only, happiness is like a bubble that bursts soon after it’s formation,

Yet never ceases to hold for you an awesome feeling of fascination.

 A complete stranger could at times offer you comfort and consolation,

 And you could be together for long, yet may be leading a life of isolation.

A moment may feel like eternity and a lifetime just a figment of imagination,

That is precisely why I  often feel life seems less real and more of an illusion.

MOTHER NATURE

Days turn into nights and nights into days, with regular rotation and precision,

Bringing in fresh desires and dreams, recharging you with renewed vigour.

Pain and gain, sunshine and rain, shades of all kinds of passion and emotion,

Bringing in serenity and tranquility in our lives, mother nature is a true giver.

All the quivers and shivers experienced during the freezing winter days,

 Are soon forgotten with the fragrance and freshness of the Spring Season.

All the nicks and pricks that pained you during the scorching summer days.

Are easily forgiven with the relief and respite brought  by the Rainy Season.

Sunrises and sunsets fill up the sky and earth with brilliant and radiant hues,

Calming your senses and slowing down your life full of hurries and scurries.

Blossoms and blooms  all around us, viridescence and fluorescence infuse ,

Pleasing your aesthetic senses and pushing aside all your worries and querries.

Simply sitting and staring at the sparkling waves  on the riverside and sea side,

Makes you connect and communicate with the universe and your inner being.

Driving down a twisting and turning road with rows of tall trees on either side,

Makes you just love  mother nature with it’s pure and  pristine beauty and being.

POWER OF POSITIVE THOUGHTS

Positive thoughts have a magical impact on your mind and mood,

They drive away your blues and strengthen your aptitude and attitude.

One moment you may be drowning in a wave of distress and despair,

Fretting and fuming about life’s endless trials ,seemingly so unjust and unfair.

The next moment you could be floating on clouds of hope and happiness ,

Dreaming your dreams and bursting with endless cheer and cheerfulness,

If you have the courage to wipe out all thoughts, petty and pessimistic,

And replace them with those that are  purely objective  and optimistic.

Once you have mastered this art of thought  transition and transformation,

Do not restrict it to yourself alone, start indulging in revival and revolution,

Try and touch the lives of all others around you, maybe friends and foes,

With positive thoughts, helping them smile through their highs and lows.

The power of positive thoughts is above all methods of dealing and healing,  

Within no time it elevates your mood and sends your spirits shooting and soaring

.

So next time you are drowning in thoughts of mere negation and negativity ,

Use the power of positive thoughts  in full measure to propagate passion and positivity.

FRIENDS TO SHARE AND CARE

There are times in your life, both good and bad,

That with your friends you may have often shared.

Times when you felt very gloomy and terribly sad,

And without a friend you would have surely gone mad.

Or a special time, when you were exceptionally glad,

And you wished that by your side a friend you had.

Remember the last time you had good news to share?

And  your close friends made it a point to be there.

You called and they breezed in like a breath of fresh air,

They came in to share your joy and show that they care.

That is when you honestly became consciously aware,

How your joys had escalated with them being there.

And last when you felt really low and devoid of all happiness,

Seemingly drowning in a whirlpool of sorrow and sadness.

The angels called friends came to your rescue in all readiness,

Wiping your tears and listening to your woes in all earnestness.

They shared your grief, helping you cope with hopelessness,

Making  you laugh and filling your heart with pure gladness.

So if it is sheer joy , with someone you wished to share,

It  is always your friends who have been loyally there.

Or sudden grief and pain that was driving you to despair,

It is your friends who always lend their support and care.

Good times, bad times, be it any time, any place, anywhere,

Friends  are the ones, forever there for you to share and care.

LIVE IN THE MOMENT

This minute you are in it, the next minute it is gone,

Make the most of the moment till it is very much on.

Most often we are planning for moments far ahead,

 Let us start living in the moment that we have instead.

The fact is that this moment is not going to ever return,

And even though we all know it, we never seem to learn.

It is only when we lose it and figure out what has been lost,

Do we realize that it is not going to be back at any cost.

The worst part is that we lose moment after moment,

Yet continue to plan for the future to our heart’s content.

Remember, this moment you have right now in your hand,

Is very much a part of the one you had all along planned.

When it is time to sit up and work on your action plan,

You’re busy regretting the past or making another future plan.

 To live in the moment and live it well, is the key to happiness,

It makes up for lost moments and ensures future wellness

.

It leaves no room for any regret ,remorse or repentance,

And instills in you virtues like tolerance and acceptance.

The world becomes a better place to be in and revel,

So just learn to live in thiss moment and live it really well.

THE LITTLE ANGEL

There was this little angel that tiptoed into my life

And made my life more meaningful and worthwhile.

I hugged her and cuddled her and held on to her tight,

And whatever she would do, would make me smile.

Watching her blossom and bloom as time passed by

Made me forget  my deepest  worries and woes.

Guarding and grooming her,tending to all her needs

Kept me busy day and night and literally on my toes.

I waited  eagerly for her to grow up and be my buddy

To be able to share all my stories and secrets with her.

I dreamt of her shaping up well and shining  ever so bright,

She lived upto my expectations ,making me so proud of her.

She soon grew up to be a better version of me,

And to the envy of many was so full of talent.

Her thoughts, her deeds and  all her aspirations

Seemed an echo of mine and my dreams lying latent.

Suddenly one fine day ,without any prior warning,

She distanced herself from me and left me alone.

And I was left wailing and weeping,worrying and wondering ,

With many a questions,  whose answers were not known.

I want to tell her that I wish to hold her in my arms

And wipe away her worries and  her worst  fears.

I want to tell her that I truly love her ever so much,

And consider her among my dearest of dears.

Please come and open your heart  like the good old days,

Let us resolve our differences and talk  to each other awhile

For you are still that angel that had tiptoed into my life,

Making my life much more meaningful and worthwhile.