ഒരു തുടക്കക്കാരന്റെ പരിഭ്രമത്തോടെ....

I had, since opening this blog account a few months ago, been pondering over how to start, when to start and where to start - the thought, or in a way a doubt, that lingers in the inner minds of anyone who starts with a fresh page..

Almost every time I have made up my mind to have a start, however imperfect it may be, the one face that comes to my mind is of Mahakavi G's. Do not know why so - but I'd go by my innate feel. It was in 1972 that I saw and heard Mahakavi first. That was at the Girls' High school auditorium in Ernakulam, where I had been as a participant of a "leadership training" camp organised by Malayala Manorama. Unforgettable experience the 4 day camp had been, in every sense of the term. Apart from having had a chance to see Mahakavi, I could see hear persons of eminence such as M P Manmadhan, P A Said Mohammed, M K Sanu et al.. From the world of politics, there were personalities such as A C George, A C Jose, Moideenkutty Haji (who was the then speaker of Kerala assembly) et al...Among the organisers were M/s T P M Ibrahim Khan (who is now a leading advocate in the High Court of Kerala), James Kurian (who is now a leading advocate in Kottayam), Sasidharam Kandathil (I think he is with Veekshanam newspaper) and the like..

More about that later...but coming back to Mahakavi, I will never ever forget the speech that he made keeping the audience literally spell bound. It was like a water fall - elegantly graceful, silken-smooth, uninterrupted, captivating, getting straight into our heart..I can never forget the grace on his face, the elegance in his rendition...and even the milken-white hair of his !!!

Let me start my blog with an attempted translation of a few lines from Mahakavi's Sagarageetham.

ശ്രാ‍ന്തമംബരം നിദാഘോഷ്മള സ്വപ്നാക്രാന്തം
താന്തമാരബ്ധക്ലേശ രോമന്ധം മമസ്വാന്തം
ദ്രുപ്ത സാഗരാ ഭവദ്രൂപ ദര്‍ശനാല്‍
അര്‍ധസുപ്തമെന്നാത്മാവന്തര്‍ ലോചനം തുറക്കുന്നു
നീയപാരതയുടെ നീല ഗംഭീരോദാരച്ഛായ
നിന്നാശ്ലേഷത്താല്‍ എന്‍ മനം ജൃംഭിക്കുന്നു
ക്ഷുദ്രമാം എന്‍ കര്‍ണ്ണത്താല്‍ കേള്‍ക്കുവാ‍നാകാത്തോരു
ഭദ്ര നിത്യത യുടെ മോഹന ഗാനാലാപാല്‍
ഉദ്രസം ഫണോല്ലോല കല്ലോല ജാലം പൊക്കി
രൌദ്ര ഭംഗിയില്‍ ആടി നിന്നിടും ഭുജംഗമേ
വാനം തന്‍ വിശാലമാം ശ്യാമ വക്ഷസ്സില്‍ക്കൊത്തേ-
റ്റാനന്ദ മൂര്‍ച്ഛാധീനമങ്ങനെ നില കൊള്‍വൂ

തത്തുകെന്നാത്മാവിങ്കല്‍ കൊത്തുമെന്‍ ഹൃദന്തത്തിൽ
ഉത്തുംഗ ഫണാഗ്രത്തില്‍ എന്നെയും വഹിച്ചാ‍ലും

Tired and tranquillised - the sky remains, anguished by the scorching clime of the boiling summer dreams..

My mind remains weary and tiresome, impinged by the ruminations of the agonies commenced..

Oh the mighty ocean agitating in arrogance.. the mere sight of thine opens up the half asleep inner eye of my being..

You are the mighty vastness of the infinite, majestically reflected in the blue ..

My mind swells up and permeates into the vastness, on your embrace...

Oh the mighty serpent - your hood, the roaring waves that are,
spread and raised in wild abandon.. and dancing in wildly aggressive splendour ...
rendering sweet melodies of the holy permanence - inaudible to my non-discernible diminutive ears..

And the sky remains thus - overwhelmed in ecstasy, bitten on the dark vastness of its chest...

Oh serpent – dance on my soul...
Bite on my heart...
Carry me aloft, atop your raised hood…

മഹാകവേ നിത്യം നമസ്തേ....