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Will His Mouth Smell of Camphor Or Lotus?

Discussion in 'Varalotti Rengasamy's Short & Serial Stories' started by varalotti, Aug 22, 2011.

  1. varalotti

    varalotti IL Hall of Fame

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    A popular Tamil Weekly carried my writer friend’s short story. I called him up to congratulate.

    Later in the day when there was an invitation for a conference call to praise the writer I eagerly joined in not minding the truck load of unfinished work lying on my desk.

    We poured our praises on him. He really deserved it for the story was different, and his style of writing very appealing. I could almost feel the writer blushing to the roots when we sang his praises.

    At the end of it all he told us in a tone of exasperation.

    “You know something? To write some of the stories I had to break my head for days on end. I had to lose sleep for many days. Those stories were not published.

    And even if published none of you thought of calling me. This week’s story.. I almost scribbled with my left hand. And you guys are praising me sky high. Give me another million lifetimes, I won’t understand this.”

    I have heard almost every creative artist making a similar complaint. I have felt it myself many times. Even here in IL.

    Some of the blogs written after days and days of hard labour went unrewarded and unrecognized. Some such blogs had been totally ignored by you.

    Some of the blogs were written in less than thirty minutes’ time. I still remember one blog, The Wedding Night, which I wrote virtually in no time.

    I did not even have the time to edit and polish it. And yet when it appeared ILites went crazy over it.

    One friend called from Bangalore and was on the phone for fifteen minutes praising every word of the blog. “Even now, Sridhar, I will say that it is the best piece ever written by you.”
    There were flowing fbs and rave reviews.

    On the other hand when I did a series on Kambar I had to struggle hard to look out for the apt verse and struggle harder to bring out its essence in English. And yet the series went abegging. I had to stop it half-way.

    Director K.Balachandar is also puzzled about this phenomenon. To produce some of his movies he had staked all his resources and had given his sweat and blood.

    Those movies would be either total flops or so-so movies. Frustrated by the outcome he would take his next movie with minimal resources and strain. And the movie would be a super-duper hit.

    Why go that far? On some days you would be sweating for four hours in the kitchen making some of the best delicacies for your family.

    There would not be even a passing reference about the taste and quality. On other days when you are in a hurry to go to office you would do something within minutes with whatever scanty materials available in the kitchen.

    And your dear husband and dearer children would go ga-ga over your cooking.

    There is surely something more than what meets the eye. At one stage I became so desperate to know the secret that started vehemently praying for an answer.

    And my Lord who knows nothing but Love did give an answer in the form of an astounding revelation.

    We are a set of egotistic people. Especially those of us who create something be it a painting, a story, a book, a blog or a dish, we think that we create with our own abilities.

    But the truth is that He is the only creator. And He creates through us. When you are not stressed with the idea of ‘turning out your best’ when you are perfectly at peace and don’t care a damn whether you create something exemplary or lousy, then you make your channels clear for His work to pass through.

    But when you bring in your ego, when you struggle hard to bring out your masterpiece well, then to that extent you are blocking His way.

    That affects the quality of the work.

    Aren’t we just a flute in the hands of that Lord, whose birthday is today?

    The best form of worship you can offer him is to let his air pass through you so that it comes out as divine music to enthrall the world.
    And this is the day to remember that He and He alone is the player.

    We are merely the ‘played.’ Let’s be ready for his hands, for his beautiful mouth, which alone can give life and meaning to this lifeless flute. And how will his mouth smell? Like camphor? Like lotus?

    கற்பூரம் நாறுமோ கமலப்பூ நாறுமோ
    திருப்பவழச் செவ்வாய்தான் தித்திருக்குமோ
    மருப்பொசித்த மாதவனின் வாய்ச்சுவையும் நாற்றமும்
    விருப்புற்று கேட்கின்றேன் சொல்லாழி வெண்சங்கே

    Oh White Conch! Will his mouth smell of camphor or lotus? Will it be sweet?. Tell me how will the mouth of Madhavan, who killed the demon by breaking his horn, smell and taste?

    Happy Gokulashtami!
     
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  2. vidchakra

    vidchakra Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear Sridhar sir,
    Happy Gokulastami to you also!

    I have experienced the same... SOmetimes I write with all my heart, and there would be hardly any readers or FBs...

    Thanks for enlightening me as to why it happens...

    A very apt blog for Gokulastami.. Thanks for sharing!
     
  3. Sriniketan

    Sriniketan IL Hall of Fame

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    Thank you for the wishes and wishing you the same Sridhar!
    This quotation clearly shows that, if we do our duty and expect nothing much in return, like total surrender, we would create masterpieces, without our knowledge.

    sriniketan
     
  4. SARASVADIVU

    SARASVADIVU Silver IL'ite

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    Dear Sir,

    An amazing and apt TRIBUTE to the Lord OF Love in your own inimitable style.
    Any blog of yours whether as you have said..written in no time..or after a lot of hard labour..has always given us something to ponder over; -and this one is only more doubly so!!

    May that Lord always stay with you in all that you do and give saab every conceivable kind of joy in his life..all the same let a day come when he pens down an ultimate manuscript that would be placed alongside 'The Gita', 'The Ramayana', 'The Mahabharatha' in the pooja-room of every household!
    Long live saab and do keep all of us in your serene prayers on this lovely day.
    Regards & love,
    Saras
     
  5. AkilaMani

    AkilaMani Local Champion Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    A soothing blog for me sir especially since i have not written anything in the past few months. Though i blame my work and lack of time thereof, but to be honest, I had not felt like it....

    my mind would sort through a lot of incidents to come out with blog post worth items and also apt titles and i would even plan on how to begin and end the post, but when it came to sitting down to write it, i just did not feel up to it and when i forced myself to write one, i did not like it at all. so did not post it. of course i felt frustrated. A writers block (if i can dare to call myself a write)

    So knowing that not to foce a write up and let it happen on its own is actually soothing.

    Thank you sir.

    Akila
     
  6. raji2678

    raji2678 Gold IL'ite

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    Uncle, I am really tempted to contradict what you have said, with idea like God helps those who help themselves, we must do our best first, only then God will help us..so on and so forth. But what you have said is very true. Happy Gokulashtami.
     
  7. shashiv

    shashiv Gold IL'ite

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    Dear Sirdhar Sir,

    Happy Gokulashtami wishes to you... What you are mentioned is totally true. Thanks for sharing.


    Shanti
     
  8. Lalitha Shivaguru

    Lalitha Shivaguru Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear Sridhar,

    A perfect blog for Gokulashtami.

    I still say the wedding night was like a tight slap on my face .... a masterpiece.. maybe you did finish that effortlessly but the import of the whole blog...till date I cannot come out of it. Hats off to Rumi and yourself.


    கற்பூரம் நாறுமோ கமலப்பூ நாறுமோ
    திருப்பவழச் செவ்வாய்தான் தித்திருக்குமோ
    மருப்பொசித்த மாதவனின் வாய்ச்சுவையும் நாற்றமும்
    விருப்புற்று கேட்கின்றேன் சொல்லாழி வெண்சங்கே

    These verses you have talked to us before too and If my memory is gud, is it not Andal who sang this?

    The analogy of we becoming the flute was thought to us by Swami Chinmayananda, He used to always refer the same that we should allow his air to pass through us and we are mere puppets in his hands.

    Reading these blogs.. I always feel we have a very LONG way to go... :-(
     
  9. rgsrinivasan

    rgsrinivasan IL Hall of Fame

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    Nice explanation Sridhar. Happy Janmashtami to you too. -rgs
     
  10. Anisu

    Anisu Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear sir,

    Its so true in everyone's case .......but we do not understand why it happens that way ...

    You have explained it very well.....

    Thanks sir
     

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