Art: The gateway to happiness

My children are at the age where I am introducing them to formal lessons in different art forms. My daughter started Bharatanatyam and also violin classes. I have to be very creative in getting them to the classes. Why do I going through all this trouble?

Painting from http://www.ivanguaderrama.com/wall-decor.html

I really don't expect my children to be professional dancers, artists or musicians. My only goal as a mother is to equip my children with tools that can help them throughout their lives. Art can calm the mind and soothe the soul. When life is all work in an endless routine, art will break the monotony and make you feel alive and excited about life. Art will unite you in harmony with the rhythms of the universe. Art is the simplest and most accessible gateway to happiness. By teaching my children the arts, I am giving them a small key to instant happiness.

Azhage Azhage from Saivam: Lyrics and meaning

I heard this song for the first time and fell in love with the melody, the voice of the young singer and its classical feel. My mother-in-law translated the lyrics and now I love it even more for the message it brings that When there is love in your heart everything is beautiful. The song wakes us up to the inherent natural beauty and strengths in everything around us and in our own selves.

Beauty is all around us, we have to open our hearts to see it

Meaning : 
There is beauty in anything and everything. In the light of love, all is beautiful. Is it only rain that is beautiful? The scorching sun has its beauty too. Is it only the flower that is beautiful? The falling leaf too has its own beauty. The sight of a smile is beautiful. The silence that follows the end of speech is also beautiful. A lie told for a good cause is beautiful. Truth, is indeed very beautiful. When a Cuckoo sings its melodious birdsong, is there a need for music notes? When  a peacock trots and dances, is there a need for rhythmic steps? For a river to reach the ocean, does it need a companion. For the waves in the ocean to form its sounds, is there a need for language or grammar. When you commune with natural beauty, the whole world is beautiful. If you forget all your worries, this whole life is beautiful. The tender heart is a swing that sways to the left and right. The heart can be lost in happiness or drowned in sorrow. There is no meaning in pondering about the past and there is nothing greater than looking at the present and counting our blessings. The fragrance wafting off a blooming flower is so beautiful. But even better is the fragrance of love that flows from our hearts) 

Lyrics: Azhage Azhage 
Sa Sa Sa Sa Ni Sa Ri Sa Pa
Ma Ma Tha Tha Thasa Ri Pa Pa
Sa Sa Sa Sa Ni Sa Ri Sa Pa
Ma Ma Tha Tha Thasa Ri Pa Pa
Ga Ma Tha Ni Sa
Ni Ri Sa
 Azhage azhage edhuvum azhage, anbin vizhiyil ellaam azhage
mazhai mattumaa azhagu, sudum veyil kooda oru azhagu
malar mattumaa azhagu, vizhum ilai kooda oru azhagu

Punnagai veesidum paarvaigal azhagu
Vaarthaigal theergayil mounangal azhagu
Nanmaikku sollidum poigalum azhagu
Unmai adhuthaan meiyaai azhagu

Ga Ma Tha Ni Sa
Ni Ri Sa
Ga Ma Tha Ni Sa
Ga Ri Sa 

kuyil isai adhu paadida, swara varisaigal thevayaa
mayil nadanangal aadida, jadhi oligalum thevayaa
nadhi nadandhu sendrida, vazhi thunaithaan thevayaa
kadal alai athu pesida, mozhi ilakanam thevayaa

iyarkkaiyodu inaindhaal, ulagam muzhudhum azhagu
kavalai yaavum marandhaal, indha vaazhkai muzhudhum azhagu
Ga Ma Tha Ni Sa
Ni Ri Sa

azhage azhage edhuvum azhage

Janu Thaka Dheem
Nirisa Nipa Gamarisa
Janu Thaka Dheem
Madhani Paga Madhanisa
Thajum Thajanu Thaka Dheem
Maga Nireesa Ni Madhanipa Thaka Thajam Thajunuthaka

idhayam oru oonjale, idam valam adhu aadidum
inbathil adhu tholaindhidum, thunbathil adhu moolgidum
nadandhadhai naam naalume, ninaipadhil porul illaye
nadapathai naam enninaal, adhiavida uyarvillaye

pookkum poovil veesum, vaasam enna azhagu
adhayum thaandi veesum, nam nesam romba azhagu

Ga Ma Tha Ni Sa
Ni Ri Sa
Ga Ma Tha Ni Sa
Ga Ri Sa

azhage azhage edhuvum azhage, anbin vizhiyil ellaam azhage
mazhai mattumaa azhagu, sudum veyil kooda oru azhagu
malar mattumaa azhagu, vizhum ilai kooda oru azhagu

punnagai veesidum paarvaigal azhagu
vaarthaigal theergayil mounangal azhagu
nanmaikku sollidum poigalum azhagu
unmai adhuthaan meiyaai azhagu
Ga Ma Tha Ni Sa
Ni Ri Sa
Ga Ma Tha Ni Sa
Ga Ri Sa

Life's Simple Pleasures

I have a lot of simple pleasures strewn throughout my day. Working part-time lets me enjoy a lot of little things. I enjoy a half hour at my daughter's school watching the kids, picking up my kids from school, an afternoon nature walk, bath-time with the kids, chatting with moms on a play-date, my evening tea, a nice oil bath, my dance class, some quiet time to myself when I work from home.

What is life without these little pleasures in a day? Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things - Robert Brault 

“Living well is an art that can be developed: a love of life and ability to take great pleasure from small offerings.”  - Maya Angelou

Yashoda In Every Mother

Ever so often I ponder on the amazing and subtle quality of raising a little boy.

Yashoda's deep affection for her son Lord Krishna is regarded as the epitome of motherly love. Hindu mythological is replete with stories of Lord Krishna's playful antics and how he tormented his adoring mother. I know now that these stories are not about the Gods at all. These stories are being replayed everyday, everywhere in the lives of every mother and her son.

 

With my son Mukund, Krishna Leela is played out for us day after day after day. The endless pranks from dawn to dusk. The utter naughtiness, eyes lit with wonder and a mischievous smile. The constant chatter, laughter and non-stop running around. Relentlessly harassing his sister, scheming ways to lure her out of her books and art work. These incessant pranks are exasperating and enchanting at the same time!

At night when all is quiet, Krishna always found himself wrapped securely in his mother’s arms as she sang to him and rocked him to sleep. So it is with my son. What bliss it is to see the innocent sleeping child recharging for another day.  I think ... just as Yashoda did ..O Mukund, It is Your immeasurable mercy that You are playing happily in my home. It is my extraordinary fate that my arms hold Your cloud-like beautiful body. 

Mukund and me

The Dead Languages of Machines

Years of my childhood was spent learning the languages of machines ..like Basic, Cobol, Fortran, C, C++, Java. Many of them are long dead and the rest will die too eventually. They got me a job that pays my bills but do nothing to soothe my heart.

How I wish those years were also spent learning the languages of our people. These languages are ever alive, changing yet constant. I could use them everyday until the last days of my life.

If I knew Urdu, I would drown in the rich world of shayaris. I would learn Bengali just to dive deep into Tagore's world. Thankfully I know Kannada well enough to enjoy Kuvempu. I understand Tamil barely enough to understand Thirukural. The little Malayalam I know lets me sing tender lullaby's to my kids.

Atleast I know a few languages to be able to taste the tip of the iceberg. If the tip is so sweet, can you fathom what the depths are like? I feel for my children who will never understand the dimensions and depths of feelings that our native languages evoke. Most of it will just be Lost in Translation!

Indians: Why all this singing and dancing?

Indians are known around the world for our Bollywood movies, dancing and singing. We are very emotional people and live life with our hearts wide open. For every stage in our lives, for every event in our lives our people have penned inspiring poems, songs and stories that stir us out of monotony and drudgery. From the vast and deep ocean of beautiful literature, poems and songs, I bring but a few grains of sand.

Panchhi nadiyan pawan ke jhoken : (A song for lovers separated by country borders)
Panchhi nadiyan pawan ke jhoken, koi sarhad naa inhe roke, sarhaden insaano ke liye hain, socho, tumne aur maine kya paaya insaan hok. Jo hum dono panchhi hote, tairte hum is neele gagan mein pankh pasaare, saari dharti apni hoti, apne hote saare nazaare. Khuli fizaaon mein udte, apne dilon mein hum saara pyaar samaake
Birds, rivers, gusts of wind, no border inhibits them. Borders are for people, think about it, what have you and I gained by being born as humans? If we were both birds, we would soar in this blue sky...spreading our wings. The entire earth would be ours. Ours would be all sights. In the open air we would fly...taking all the love in our hearts.

Kisi Ke Muskurahaton: ( A song on what Life is all about )

Kisi ki muskurahato pe ho nisar, Kisi ka dard mil sake toh le udhar, Kisi ke waste ho tere dil me pyar, Jeena issika nam hai. Mite o pyar ke liye woh zindagi, Jale bahar ke liye woh zindagi. Kisi ko ho naa ho hame toh aitbar,  Jeena isika nam hai.
To offer yourself so someone can smile, To share someone’s grief. To have love in your heart for someone. This is what life is all about! To perish for love ..that is Life! To crave for spring .. that is Life! This we believe, whether others do or not. This is what Life is all about!
 
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara: (A poem to live every moment fully ) 
Dilon mein tum apni, Betaabiyan leke chal rahe ho Toh zinda ho tum, Nazar mein khwabon ki Bijliyan leke chal rahe ho Toh zinda ho tu. Hawa ke jhokon ke jaise, Aazad rehno sikho. Tum ek dariya ke jaise, Lehron mein behna sikho. Har ek lamhe se tum milo Khole apni bhaayein. Har ek pal ek naya samha Dekhen yeh nigahaein. Jo apni aankhon mein Hairaniyan leke chal rahe ho. Toh zinda ho tum Dilon mein tum apni Betaabiyan leke chal rahe ho. Toh zinda ho tum
If you carry restlessness in your heart then you are alive. If you carry dreams in your eyes then you are alive. Learn to live like the free waves of the wind. Learn to flow like the sea does as waves. Receive every moment in life with open arms. Every moment is a new beginning seen with your eyes. If you carry surprise in your eyes then you are alive. If you carry restlessness in your heart then you are alive

When these words are set to beautiful rhythm, how can we not sing or dance?? 

Our eyes drains us of energy ... really!

Every day, we are flooded with images from the media, friends and family. These images affect us in a way that we are completely oblivious of. It was only when I chanced on this blog post that I really understood how. Every image that we see triggers a train of thoughts. The more images we are exposed to, the more our mind churns on these images resulting in an endless stream of thoughts. The never ending thoughts drains us of energy leaving us tired without having done a thing.

Each image we see consumes a bit of us. We must protect ourselves from these images be it from informational media or social media. The onus is on us! This will protect our mind keeping it calm and leaving us with a tremendous source of energy.