ಭಕುತನೆಂದರೆ ಹೇಗಿರಬೇಕು / How should a devotee be?

ಭಕುತನೆಂದರೆ ಹೇಗಿರಬೇಕು

 

ಭಕುತನೆಂದರೆ ಹೇಗಿರಬೇಕು

ವಿಭೂತಿಯ ಬಳಿದಿರಬೇಕೆ

ಕರ್ಪೂರವ ಹಚ್ಚಿ ತೋರಬೇಕೆ

ಎಣ್ಣೆಯ ಸುರಿದು ದೀಪ ಹಚ್ಚಬೇಕೆ

ಕೀರ್ತನೆಯ ಹಾಡಬೇಕೆ

ಘಂಟೆಯ ಬಾರಿಸಬೇಕೆ

ಧೂಪವ ಉರಿಸಬೇಕೆ

ತೀರ್ಥವ ಹಂಚಬೇಕೆ

ನೈವೇದ್ಯವನು ಉಣಿಸಬೇಕೆ

ನೂರೆಂಟು ಪ್ರದಕ್ಷಿಣೆ ಸುತ್ತಬೇಕೆ

ಭಕುತನೆಂದರೆ ಹೇಗಿರಬೇಕು

ಹೇಳೆಯಾ ತಾಯಿ ವಜ್ರಗರಿಕಾಂಬಿಕೆಯೆ

 

ಭಕುತನೆಂದರೆ ಭಕುತಿಯಿಂದಿರಬೇಕು

ವಿಭೂತಿಯಂತಿರಬೇಕು

ಕರ್ಪೂರದಂತಿರಬೇಕು

ದೀಪದ ಜ್ಯೋತಿಯಂತಿರಬೇಕು

ಕೀರ್ತನೆಯಂತಿರಬೇಕು

ಘಂಟೆಯಂತೆ ಮೊಳಗಬೇಕು

ಧೂಪದಂತುರಿಯಬೇಕು

ತೀರ್ಥದಂತಿರಬೇಕು

ನೈವೇದ್ಯದಂತಿರಬೇಕು

ಸುತ್ತಿದ ಭ್ರಮೆಯ ಬಿಡಬೇಕು

ಭಕುತನೆಂದರೆ ಹೇಗಿರಬೇಕು

ಹೇಳು ತಾಯಿ ವಜ್ರಗರಿಕಾಂಬಿಕೆಯೆ

 

-------ರಾಮಾಂಜನೇಯ

ಇಂಗ್ಲೀಷ್ ಭಾಷಾಂತರದ ಕೆಳಗೆ ಟಿಪ್ಪಣಿಯನ್ನು ಕೊಟ್ಟಿದೆ.
 

How should a devotee be?

 

How should a devotee be?

Should he smear holy ash?

Should he burn camphor?

Should he light lamps of oil?

Should he sing songs of devotion?

Should he ring the bell?

Should he light frankinscence?

Should he distribute holy water?

Or feed naivedyam to people?

Maybe circumambulate 108 times?

How should a devotee be?

Tell me, Mother Vajragarikambika

 

A devotee should

Be with devotion filled

Be like vibhooti (holy ash)

Be like camphor

Be like a divine flame

Be like a devotional song

Ring like a bell

Be like frankinscence

Be like teertham

Be like naivedyam

Be free of the illusion that wraps him around

How should a devotee be?

Tell me, Mother Vajragarikambika

 

---------Ram Sharaph

 

The characteristics of an ideal devotee are listed in this poem by Mother Vajragarikambika.  She says, that a devotee should be the very manifestation of devotion.  He should be like vibhooti.  Vibhooti is considered very pure, and purifies everything that it touches.  But how is vibhooti obtained?  Wood burns in a fire, reduces to ash and becomes vibhooti.  In the same manner, a devotee should burn his ego, and the six undesirable qualities (desire, anger, covetousness, attachment, pride, jealousy) in the fires of true knowledge and purify himeslf.  A devotee should be like camphor, which when burnt, does not leave a trace of anything.  That means that a devotee should realise that he is pure atman, not the gross body, not the senses, not the intellect.  When this realisation is reached, he is nothing but pure atman, and atman is nothing but paramatman.  A devotee should be like a divine flame, spreading light, the light of true knowledge all around.  A devotee should be like a devotional song, always chanting the Mother’s name.  A devotee should be like the temple bell, doing his duty consistently, assiduously, without a break.  A devotee should be like frankinscence, that burns but spreads fragrance all around.  A devotee should be like teertham.  Teertham is basically the water with which the idols of the gods are washed (abhishekam water).  Abhishekam water purifies; in the same way, the devotee should purify everyone he comes in contact with.  A devotee should be like naivedyam.  What is the significance of naivedyam?  When we receive naivedyam in the temple, we receive and partake it with a sense of gratitude and joy.  We do not grumble that it is less in quantity, that it is not our favourite dish etc.,  Whatever we get, we feel joyful.  In the same way, whatever the Mother gives us, in our lives, be it favourable or unfavourable, we should receive it as her naivedyam, without feeling happy or sad.  In fact, we should also receive the result of our actions (duty or karma) as if it is naivedyam.  This, Mother Vajragarikambika says, is how a devotee should be.