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Hey Music Lover...

A new post, in this new year (well Indian New Year anyway), and my decision to resurrect The Num Num from its apathy. It is therefore apt to begin with something that is not important to all, not that interesting to everyone, but has something of a little birdhouse in my soul - isn't that afterall what blogs are turning into?

I brought in this new year at my local temple with a fortuitous rendition of what is known as a general hymn to all those within a certain religion. The details aren't important, but the fact that after 30 odd years of hearing this, i finally decided to try and figure out just what it meant [surely I should have done this earlier -ed].

I could translate a fair few verses here and there, and the gravity of it was quite compelling, but its only now that I see what two other internet translations have to say. It reassures me a little (not much) that this is being sung, rather than anything else. The context is important I guess, since I see it as a tribute to the great unknown - I mean, who can really know what should be sung and to whom?

Anyway, here is translation 1, from a bloke somewhere.

Glory to the Lord Of The Universe
Who Removes In A Moment
The Troubles Of Devotees
And The Sufferings Of The Poor

One Who Meditates On You is blessed
Sorrow Is Removed From Mind And Heart
Happiness And Wealth Come To The Home
Pain Is Wiped Away From The Body

You Are My Mother And Father
In Whom Else Can I Take Refuge
No Other Than You Do I Accept
Of Whom I Accept Everything

You Are The Complete Being, The Supreme Self
You Are The Knower Of All Hearts
You Are Brahma, The Infinite Lord
You Are The Lord Of All

You Are An Ocean Of Compassion
You Are The Sustainer, I Am Thy Servant
Oh Master, Grant Me Your Grace, O Lord

You Are Invisible, Ever Present
The Protector Of All Life Force
Who Else Would Be The Channel
Through Whom The Compassion Flows

You Are The Friend of the Meek
And You Relieve Their Sorrow
You Are My Savior. Raise Your Hands In Blessing
I Am Lying At Your Door

Wipe Out Worldly Faults
Take Away Our Sins, O Lord
Increase Our Faith And Devotions
In Order That We May Serve The Saints

My heart, soul and wealth are nothing but your manifestation.
How trivial am I, to be offering what is already all yours!
Glory be to thy Name


And a Second Version, from another bloke who seems more akin to my view of things, and has more background on sources and so forth. I've just distilled the translation here:

(Om)
the Sovereign of the Universe
With thy Grace
the evils of the worshipper vanish instantaneously (1)

Anyone who Contemplates on thy name is rewarded
Mind's misery gets eliminated
Bliss and prosperity ascends
Body's ailments are cured. (2)

Thou art my mother and my father
To who else should I surrender
Except You there is none else
That I may aspire for. (3)

Thou art the complete One
The all-pervading
Residing Beyond the cosmic limits
Thou art the Sovereign of all. (4)

Thou art the compassionate Ocean
Thou the sole provider
I am ignorant and trapped by senses
I am the servant and thou the Master
Please liberate me. (5)

Thou art the unmoving
The Lord of all vital force
What means shall I adopt to meet you
Reveal to me, I earnestly pray. (6)

Friend of the meek, Annihilator of evils
Thou art my Master
Grant thy grace and take me into your fold
I pray knocking your temple door. (7)

Annihilate my sensory traps
Forgive me of my sins
Grant the boon of faith and worship
and desire to serve thy creation. (8)

Body, mind and material wealth
All this belongs to you
My offerings to you are already yours
There is nothing mine. (9)


The fact that people sing these 9 verses at almost any fire-offering, is quite interesting. To be honest I don't know whether this was intended to be religious-based or thought-provoking, but it certainly puts a smile on my face.

A point about the translations though, I'm sure they aren't entirely accurate, as I know that one verse has variations of its statements on two lines, and yet neither of these pick up on that. But still, its just a way of getting back into the blogosphere init?
--
tnn

Comments:

  1. Anonymous Anonymous says @ 7:09 pm
    welcome back mait
  2. Blogger swisslet says @ 10:02 pm
    nice to have you back mate. Your musings have been much missed round these parts.

    ST
  3. Blogger Aravis says @ 7:31 pm
    That is really beautiful, tnn. There's peace and grace in these lines and I found myself wishing I could hear it sung, not in English but as it was meant to be. Thank-you for sharing this.

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