Ecstasy of the Universe

OM talks to himself

He sat erect with a posture so difficult to maintain. He was experiencing little stress at his spine yet he did not want to move from that position. OM sat straight with a unique light in his eyes. His heart warmed as he looked ahead. Sounds of singers singing the bhajans were loud and clear. The temple was full of bright golden light. The pillars were big and wide enough with beautifully carved designs.

OM had been in the town since a considerably long time and had lot of knowledge about the place and it's history. The roof was hemispherical in shape with same designs carved there too. Though he was not learned on designs and carvings, he declared them to be beautiful. For a while OM felt that everything around him was only beauty and elegance. The sounds of those insects heard when the singers took a small break, the full moon which was surrounded by clouds and the scenery of a lake under the moonlight. The place was empty but he imagined the rasleela at that place.

He remembered Prabhu, his guru, with whom he might have spent a very little time, but was closely connected. At that little span of time, Prabhu and OM had a lot of talk between themselves and that way OM learned things from him. Even after his departure, OM was heard saying "He told me that he would not be for a long time. But he was sure that I had the grace of Krishna. My guru changed forms as experience to teach me more." For a long time, the rumour kept circling the whole town and that OM had turned insane after the death of his guru. The then fifteen year old boy, though a little annoyed because of the rumours, chose to rubbish them off and refused to ever say such a thing.

Forty and a five years had passed since then. The rumours eventually had slammed down after OM had slowly collected a group of students and as time passed, he learned from his elderly sages and little from his students too. Now he was called "Prabhu" as people had all had the same feeling; that OM had transformed himself into Prabhu, a great paramahamsa of the old times. He had seen people go and come. They would initially hesitate to sit in front of him. But when they did, OM wholeheartedly welcomed them. He always said, "When you shower drops of knowledge on others, you don't have to call each and everyone. And if at all they come by themselves, welcome them and share views with them. Nobody should be deprived of gaining knowledge."

OM's back rested on the pillars. The designs he had been admiring seemed to lightly press his back and he felt ticklish. After a little of being still, everything turned normal. OM's threw away the small jute bag he had bought and finally shifted his eyes from the big idol of Lord Krishna, made of marble. OM knew the image had settled in his mind long before, yet he continued to look at it. And now, he relaxed on the pillars and drew his head backwards gently. He closed his eyes and the white marble idol seemed looking at him. He saw himself alone in the temple with the Lord spreading his arms calling him. Man Mohan Kanha, vinati karoon din rain... the music filled OM's heart with intense joy and he was overwhelmed. The music and most importantly, the pitch, which as increased made the intensity of his bhakti rise. He opened his eyes and tears of joy escaped, rolling down his cheek and settling near his lips.

He smiled with a very ambivalent looking expression. His legs were folded and he kept his head resting on his shoulder. "Past" was only what he was thinking. A tall lady, he saw, coming towards him. Her every move was very lady-like. For OM, she represented a very strong female. Sometimes OM would unknowingly say, "My mother! I never have met such a strong female after her". OM remembered how he was earlier. A normal school going boy living in the city of Hyderabad, born to a very religious family and only thing known to him was studying. OM had not many friends then and had no freedom of speech. Sometimes OM would think that the place he lived at present was far better from that place. But he turned sober after getting separated from his family. He had been meeting them but after a few years, it all stopped. Brushing such thoughts away, OM remembered the dream he had had years ago, which had led him to this stage. He simply thought (though he knew it was of no use), that if he had not seen that dream. Would he be at this stage? Would he be the same paramahamsa or one amongst the young souls being so much into the material desires and blindfolded towards the real goal? 

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