ODE TO INDIC CULTURE

O ancient land, where arts and thoughts have amply flourished for ages!

You are blessed with Nature’s beauty, with many poets and sages.

You have touched the lives of millions who respect and love you, all.

Some of your glories and stories I now propose to recall.

You have enriched the world’s culture: we know that this is true.

You have been touched and enriched by contacts with others too.

In the pages that are to follow I would like to bring to mind

People, places, and visions that in Indic culture we find.

Whether one knows these facts or not, if one reads these pages through

One will be reminded or informed of them, perhaps entertained too.

For, in every pair of lines here are some simple rhythmic rhymes

That may be pleasant to read aloud to other people sometimes.

I INVOCATION

I start by paying homage, first to Lord Gaṇesha

For he is we esteem as the First of all Īsha.

He blesses all new projects, aids them in their execution.

Protects them from  hurdles, guides them to full completion.

More Divinities there are, Whom I sure  shouldn’t forget.

I’ll invoke them One by One, Their blessings also to get.

Start with Creator Brahmā who made this grand Universe.

With Him is Sarasvati, Goddess of Music and Verse.

Then I invoke Lord Vishṇu, Sustainer life on Earth,

His Consort Mahā Lakshmi Who bestows on us all wealth..

Now I invoke Lord Shiva Who makes eons to dissolve,

Causes the physical world through time-cycles revolve.

His consort is Pure Energy: the One we call Pārvatī.

She is the cosmic  power that we also call Shakti.

This vision in our culture is what we call as Trimūrti,

Each of these three  pairs is seen as  part of a Trinity.

ODE TO INDIC CULTURE