Establishing Jan 22 as a National Ceremonial Day and Poems of Sarojini Naidu

 

Day 2 of Fast: January 21 2024

Establishing January 22 as a national ceremonial day, Messages of Support & Poems of Sarojini Naidu 

A very clever trick indeed

It has been quite a depressing day. All the time one hears news of more and more states declaring school closures, closure of government and public offices, the declaration of half-days. I saw that even AIIMS – the All India Medical Institute was being closed.

It is quite clear that the attempt is to establish the 22^nd of January as a national day which will have to be observed and respected as a holiday going forward no matter what Government is in power. Because once you have invested the emotions and sentiments, the bhakti of people in a certain place or event, then it gets very difficult to turn around from that. A very clever trick indeed.

We are in a dark time. But I thought that…..I have been trying to look for something to read with you. But everything just seems so empty and disappointing in the context of what is going to happen tomorrow.

So I thought that I will just read out to you….some people have sent in messages. Some people have said that they have already been fasting; it is an idea that came to them. Others have said that they will go on fast.

Our collective energies will find a way.

 

Prayers - Messages of Support

So I am going to read some of the prayers that people have sent. One goes like this – “Om Asato Ma Sadgamaya, Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya, Mrityurmaamrita gamaya. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi.”

This means, “O Lord, from the world of unreality, take me to the world of reality. From darkness let me go to light, from mortality let me go to immortality. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.”

Another, a lady sent me a very nice prayer  – she said that she too would fast for the next few days. The prayer that she sent me was: “May the One who is the Protector, the Beloved of us all, that One who is without, is neither male nor female, neither of this religion nor that, may that perfection of Truth and Beauty and Goodness keep you safe.”

Some Poems of Sarojini Naidu

In times of darkness sometimes what we need is to read something that will make us happy and give us pleasure. I am going to read to you a poem that used to be very famous of Sarojini Naidu’s. People have forgotten her poetry. Very charming little verses.

“The Palanquin Bearers”

Lightly, O lightly we bear her along

She sways like a flower in the wind of our song

She skims like a bird on the foam of a stream

She floats like a laugh from the lips of a dream

 

Gaily, O gaily we glide and we sing

We bear her along like a pearl on a string

Softly, O softly we bear her along

She hangs like a star in the dew of our song

She springs like a beam on the brow of the tide

She falls like a tear from the eyes of a bride

 

Lightly, O lightly we glide and we sing

We bear her along like a pearl on a string

 

“Song of a Dream”

Once in the dream of a night I stood

‘Lone in the light of a magical wood

Soul-deep in visions that poppy-like sprang

And spirits of truth were the birds that sang

And spirits of love were the stars that glowed

And spirits of peace were the streams that flowed

In that magical wood in the Land of Sleep.

   

‘Lone in the light of that magical grove

I felt the stars of the spirits of love

Gather and gleam round my delicate youth

And I heard the song of the spirits of truth

To quench my longing I bent me low

By the streams of the spirits of peace that flow

By the magical wood in the Land of Sleep

 

“The Indian Gypsy”

In tattered robes that hoard a glittering trace

Of bygone colours ‘broidered to the knee

Behold her, daughter of a wandering race

Tameless, with the bold falcon’s agile grace

And the lithe tiger’s sinuous majesty.

 

With frugal skill her simple wants she tends

She folds her tawny heifers and her sheep

On lonely meadows when the daylight ends

‘Ere the quick night upon her flock descends

Like a black panther

From the caves of sleep.

 

Time’s river winds in foaming centuries

Its changing, swift, irrevocable course

To far-off and incalculable seas

She is twin-born, with primal mysteries

And drinks of life at time’s forgotten source

 

There are any more poems in the video.