Ecstasy of the Universe

Ecstasy

The evening was pleasant. It was not often that the sky turned completely orange. The roads, the trees and everything around seemed to have an orangish effect to them. Dogs roamed outside OM's house sniffing the ground, searching for food. Few children from the other end of the road pounced on them. The dog wagged its tail and licked them, forgetting about food. OM, who stood beside them, stood their smiling. He did not join them even though he felt to. He was neatly dressed and combed. How could he allow dog's hair and dirt on him? His ears could figure out his mother's voice from inside. She screamed at them to hurry up. Soon, his sister and mother came out of the house. "Come, beta. Let's move".

The temple was big enough. OM loved to come to this temple with his mother. There was a big red carpet from the entrance where walking straight came the main temple. Both the sides of the carpet had fountains and children near it playing with fishes and drinking water. A big healthy looking dog sat near the gate. There was a small shiv-ling near the main temple around which ladies would gather. They held big containers of milk stuck to their waist. OM's feet was naked and it felt ticklish touching the smooth carpet. Few children looked greedily at the plate of Laddoos their mothers held for Lord Ganesha. They knew it would later be distributed to them, but they were desperate.

A lady who seemed not more than thirty sat on the steps. The younger girl who sat beside her, waved her hand to OM's sister. "Hi!" she screamed and pounced on her. It was his sister's classmate with her mother beside. They both walked away near the fountains and OM's mother indulged herself with the elder lady. They too seemed to know each other since childhood. Meeting after a long time was refreshing. They both walked away talking about old times. OM was left out. Following what his mother had said, he marched towards the temple alone.

The interior was bright. The floor was carpeted with a very smooth and soft cloth. The designs it had was the same which was up above, at the ceilings. People sat anywhere in the carpet. Some were in their own silence and some sat trying to control their children not to run away. OM's eyes looked at Krishna-Radha. It was made of white marble, he assumed. Eyes were shiny brown and the way the dresses were carved had impressed OM. There were many of them everywhere with a big black Lord Hanumana on the other side. Pag ghunghroo Bandh Meera nache re... The music had filled his heart with love. He was overwhelmed with the song and sat near to the singing group listening to them. Looking at OM listening to their songs, they sang more loudly and happily; with wide smiles beaming on their faces.

The music stopped and the group went behind the temple. OM searched outside for his mother and his sister. Not one being visible, he chose to stay in the temple till they call him. He sat straight looking at the idol or would look outside. People slowly walked outside and OM was still inside. Tension increased and OM developed thoughts of them leaving him in the temple alone, which freaked him out. There was a man who distributed teertham to everyone. Men surrounded him listening to something he says. OM, not knowing what to do, went near him and sat. He heard whatever he said. The old man's deep husky voice said, "Good evening, beta. I see you every weekend coming here?"
"Yes" said he with much hesitation, realising the attention shifted to him. He smiled and welcomed him by asking general knowledge about him.
"Children, today I am narrating the story of a great paramahamsa and his Love for Lord Krishna." The group smiled and OM gave a sign of being all ears to him. He went on, "Once their was a great paramahamsa, meaning a man who has attained liberation from life and death cycle. He lived at his ashram with all of his devotees. He had a very different story. Unlike me or few other sages, he was devoted to Lord Krishna as a lover."
"Pandit ji, I am sorry I didn't get it. What do you mean by as a 'lover'?" a man retorted.
"Ram" he said in an annoyed tone, "Why are you forgetting whatever I said? Remember yesterday I was talking about moods of devotion- friend, lover, servant and mother?"

He shifted the topic back to the story, "So, this paramahamsa saw Narayana as his lover. Through dreams and other means, he developed devotion for Lord Krishna. He fell in love with the black lord. Since that day, his life had changed. He read the holy Gita and also learnt a lot through experience. Once he said that he saw his deity who seemed calling him with love. He screamed "Rama" with much intensity and his students came him to wake him up from the dream. He sweated, his breath was heavy but his heart was warm. When asked later, he would simply say, 'It was ecstasy and nothing else'"
"What does 'ecstasy' mean?" OM asked who had broken his silence.
"Ecstasy means a state where you are extremely happy and overjoyed. In this paramahamsa's story, he was ecstatic due to bhakti." said he with a smile, "The paramahamsa too had experience this."

OM's mother and sister came in the temple shouting his name loud. As they saw him, the walked up to him and smiled at the sage. "He is your son, Aruna? I didn't know."
"Yes, pandit ji."
"He was sitting here for a long time and then joined me."
She smiled and turned to OM, "Come on. We will leave. It has turned dark outside."

Though OM wanted to sit there and listen more, he chose to leave. They bid farewell and moved out. OM had been thinking all the time about what he had said. He was stunned to hear that something which happened to him was something positive. Now he felt as if he was developing the attitude of a lover towards his deity. Or probably he started realising that Krsna was his love? He secretly smiled but also thought about what would happen next. Will his life to change? The same way what happened with the paramahamsa?  

******

My heart warms with your name,

My eyes closed and the song on,

Sweating and calling your name aloud,

Such is ecstasy, in your bhakti....