ಬದುಕು ರಂಗೋಲಿ (baduku rangoli)

Received this in the mail (Thank you):

i would have normally said it repesents a drawing on intricate designs on the floor by women in villages.However, it represents much more than that, it talks about intricatices of life and way one has to face trying circumstances in life :)
however, the missing piece is how symmetry in the muggu translates to complications in life. any ideas?

--source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHUzAY-tYvA&feature=related

I don't have any idea how the symmetry in muggu translates to complications in life. Maybe, it doesn't. Life probably has lesser dimensions than what we credit for. I really liked the idea that rangoli, a simple line drawing, could be a simile to life. Here's an attempt to capture the thought.

ಹಣೆಬರಹ ವಿಧಿಬರಹ ಸುಖ ದುಃಖ ರಾಗ ವಿರಹ
-ಗಳ್ ಬೆಸೆದ ರೇಖೆಗಳನ್ದದಿ ತೀಡಿ, ನಿಜ ಸೃಷ್ಟಿ ಮರ್ಮವನು
ತೆರನೆ ವರ್ಣದಿ ಮರೆಮಾಚಿ, ಹೊಸೆದ ಬದುಕು ರಂಗೋಲಿ
ಪೂರ್ಣತೆಯೇ ಮಂತ್ರವದನರಿಯೊ - junku(?)ತಿಂಮ

Translation:
Destiny/Fate, happiness, sorrow, love and hate (he wrote) as entwined lines, hid the true essence of reality in all its colours. (thus writ) life is this rangoli. Know that closure is its biggest secret.

So you think I can sing...

Ruthachinmaya (Rutha= Truth, Chinmaya=Manifestation of Knowledge) is a poem written by KuVemPu. The poet invokes Shakti to manifest in his conscience as the eternal embodiment of knowledge, her true form.
The poem has been taken from the anthology Agnihamsa.
There are several interesting motifs that appear in the poem. One of the most interesting bits is where he chides the deity that even though she has created and embodied the cosmos she has acquired a state of inaction.

Here's wishing all of you a "Kannada Rajyothsavada ShubhashayagaLu" via this song (http://www.zshare.net/audio/82234341b67e6bd1/ In case it is not clear, that's me singing):


Lessons learnt:
1. Never attempt singing again.

2. If I do, never post it publicly.

3. There are two aspects to singing, that I noticed: a) Maintaining a constant note b) High dynamic range.
While it is pretty easy to maintain a note (not really, but can be done in any decent audio editing program :) which is what I did ), modulating the amplitude is pretty difficult. I tried doing this using Audacity but the results appear contrived.

4. It's a bit easier to sing after downing a cup of coffee. For the sake of music, I should try other beverages and their effect on the song quality. ;)

Finally, in case you are offended by this attempt please listen to this excellent rendition of the same song by Raju Ananthaswamy.

Agar Man

(Hopefully, man sounds like the hindi word main)

Once a divan rang me
and a-raving said "Love,
My avian, grand!
Of dreams of ecstasy and 'Gad! Nirvana!'".
And I replied, "Ha! Leaking canard! ravel'd
(I ain't yo' Va**na, Darn!")
I ain't yo' "Aha Knave! Calendar-girl" ".

And then I thought, "Who am I? "
Clueless, and yet, pondered "why?"
Maybe the truth had come home calling,
Am I my own maker?
Perhaps a player in a grand vain

To answer the question, if I must,
a spark'd speck of Cosmic dust?

For those who thought "Really?/ Why, oh God, why?": I was "inspired" to write this post after reading the twitter posts of two of my icons...
@udupendra: If poets wrote poems whose titles were anagrams of their names - http://tinyurl.com/ygjv9ce Likeable Wilma, Hen Gonads, nice smug me.
@shenoyn: Duly Raping Dirk http://narendrashenoy.tumblr.com/ RT @udupendra: If poets wrote poems whose titles were anagrams of their names

My first Haiku

picture's worth thousand words
worth thousand pictures are two
a beautiful girl in summer and my haiku :)

and i'm happy :)

ನಗೆಯೊಳೇನಿದೆ ?

ಬಾನೊಡಲ ತಾರೆಗಳ

ಮಿಣುಕ ನೋಡಿ ಹುಟ್ಟಿ ಬರುವ

ನಗೆಯೊಳೇನಿದೆ

ಸಾಗರದ ಅಲೆಯಲೆಯ

ಬೆಡಗ ನೋಡಿ ಬೆಳೆದು ನಿಲುವ

ನಗೆಯೊಳೇನಿದೆ

~~

ಚಂದಿರನ ನೇಸರನ

ಮತ್ತೆ ಮತ್ತೆ ಬಾನಿಗೆಳೆವ

ಸಿಹಿನಗೆಯೊಳೇನಿದೆ

ಗಾಳಿಗೊಂದು ಗುಟ್ಟು ಹೇಳಿ

ದೂರತೀರಕೆಲ್ಲೋ ಕಳುಹಿ

ಗಾಳಿ-ಮರದ

ಸರಸ ವಿರಸ ನೋಡಿ ನಗುವ

ಮುಗುದ ಮೊಗದ ಮಗುವ

ನಗೆಯೊಳೇನಿದೆ

~~

ಬಾನಿಗೊ೦ದು ಬಿಲ್ಲ ಬರೆದು

ಭಾವ ಬಣ್ಣ ಧಾರೆ ಎರೆದು

ಮನವ ಮನವ ಮೀಟಿ ಹೊಸೆವ

ಮಧುರ ನಾದ ಸೂಸಿ ಕರೆವ

ಜಗದ ಭಾವ-ಭೇದ-ನೋವ

ಜಗಕು ಕೂಡ ಮರೆಸಿ ಬಿಡುವ

ಕೆಳೆಯನೆಳೆಯ ನಗೆಯೊಳೇನಿದೆ

ಇರಲಿ ಮನದಿ ನಿನ್ನ ನಗೆಯ ಬಿಂಬ ...

ಹೊಳೆವ ಸ್ಫಟಿಕ ಕನಕ ಮಹಾಮಣಿಮಾಲೆಗೂ
ಮೇಲು ಅವ ಬೆಳಗುವ ಕಿಗ್ಮರುಚಿ
ಆದರೂ ಮುಚ್ಚಂಜೆಯಲಿ ಉರಿವ ಪಣತೆ
ಪುಟ್ಟದಾದರೂ ಅವನಿಗೆ ಉತ್ತರಾಧಿಕಾರಿ...

ಕವಲುದಾರಿಗಳ ಒಂಟಿ ಪಯಣಿಗರಿಗೆ
ನೆನಪುಗಳ ಮಾಯಾವಿ ಚಿತ್ತದಿ ಕಾಡುವಂದು
ಕಂಪ ಸೂಸುತ ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಬರುತಿರಲೆಂದು
ಇರಲಿ ಮನದಿ ನಿನ್ನ ನಗೆಯ ಬಿಂಬ ...

ಕರಗುವ ಮೇಣದ ಪಿಸುಮಾತುಗಳು

ಬೆಳಕು ನಂದದಿರಲೆಂದು

ಕೈ ಅಡ್ಡ ಹಿಡಿದಾಗ

ಧಗೆಯಲಿ ಬೆಂದ ಮೃದು ಮೇಣ

ಬಿಳಿಯ ಹೊಗೆಯಲಿ

ನಿಟ್ಟುಸಿರಿಟ್ಟಿತು...

~~~

~~~

ಜಗವ ತಿರುಗಿ ಬಳಿದು ಬಂದ ಗಾಳಿಯಲೆಯು

ಬಿಗುವ ಮರೆತು ಮಾತನಾಡೆ

ನಗುತ ಜಗವ ಕಂಡ ಬಗೆಯಲರಳಿ ,

ಹಗಲು ಬರಲು ಮೇಣ ಮೌನದಲ್ಲಿ ಲೀನವಾಯಿತು.

ನಿರ್ಜನ ರಸ್ತೆ ಮತ್ತು ಸೋಡಿಯಮ್ ದೀಪ

ಆಗಸದ ತುಂಬೆಲ್ಲ
ತುಂಬಿರುವ ಚುಕ್ಕಿಗಳ
ಎಣಿಸಿ ನೋಡುವರಿಹರು
ಜಲಧಿಯೊಡಲಲಿ ಹರಿವರಿವ
ನೀರ ಕಣಗಳ ಮೀನ ಕಣ್ಗಳ
ಆಳಕಿಳಿಯದೆ
ಅಳೆದು ನೋಡುವರು
~
ಬಾನಹಬ್ಬಕೆ ರಂಗು ಬಳಿದು
ಬಳಿಯೆ ಬೆಳಕ ಬೀರುತ ನಿಂದ
ರವಿಯ ಕಿರಣಗಳ
ಕಣ್ಮುಚ್ಚಿ ನೋಡುತಲೆ
ದೇವನವನಾರೆನ್ದು
ತಿಳಿಯದಲೆ ಕೇಳುವರು
~
ಚನ್ದಿರನು ಚೆಲ್ಲಿರುವ
ಕಣ್ಣುಗಳ ತುಂಬಿರುವ
ಬೆಳದಿಂಗಳನು ಸವಿಯಲು
ಸಮಯವೆಲ್ಲಿ?
~
ಭಾವಗಳು ನಲುಗಿರಲು
ಬೆಳಕು ಇಂಗಿದೆಯೆಂದು
ಹೃದಯದಾ ಬಾಗಿಲನು ತೆರೆದು
ಬೆಚ್ಚನುಸಿರಿನ ಕನ್ದೀಲಿನಲಿ
ಚೆಂಬೆಳಕ ಸೂಸ ಹೊರಟರೆ
ಕಂಡದ್ದು
ನಿರ್ಜನ ರಸ್ತೆ
ಮತ್ತು
ಸೋಡಿಯಮ್ ದೀಪ

The Catamaran

Amidst the virgin lake,

where ev'ry soul its birth betakes,

his journeys begin ,

towards death and his kin.

He sails and sails in his punt so torn,

determined, for his heart's stilborn.

nature's verse and verdant woods,

soothing waves or serpents' hoods

though in hearts thro' the world can reign,

illusions perhaps; imagined gain.

Nor torrents nor gales,

can pull him back and break his might,

to deprive him of determined sight.

And his ventures continue and remain,

sailor the same yet souls refrain.

Then,still the lake is left unseen,

hidden with secrets is life serene,

and stays incomplete but we do dream,

of days and nights and the sights unseen.

~.~

In solitude does truth beckon,

and unveil

the shimmer of illusions: of home and Sin

Guided by life, one does plow

Who's to judge and who's to know?