There was confusion in the eyes of the seven year old Surangi as they dipped mango leaves into the sandal-turmeric paste to anoint her. She did not know what marriage meant, she was just told that she would move into a new home in a village far away...
It was more than a week since Diwali and the children were back in school. Feeling refreshed after the break Surangi looked forward to her lessons. During the holidays Madhav had begun teaching Surangi and Waman the English alphabet. Surangi accepted his challenge to master basic English before the subject was introduced in school, especially after Madhav tempted her with English story books for children. The pictures on those printed pages gave her a whole new perspective making her aware of the very different world that existed beyond their village. She could not wait to see and learn more about that unfamiliar cultures, a child's natural curiosity triggered by Madhav's translation of the narrative.
The October heat began to dissipate as autumn came upon the little corner of the Konkan coast offering some respite from the high humidity of the seaside location. The air would grow cooler in a few weeks and warm clothing was being aired in anticipation. The vagaries of the weather left Surangi unruffled. Like other children she too was excited about celebrating Tulsi Vivaha, the enactment of the wedding of Krishna with Vrinda, represented by the sacred basil plant. Every Hindu home had a traditional Vrindavan in the courtyard where the revered tulsi plant was watered daily and worshipped by the family. The Oak family Vrindavan had been spruced up and painted for the occasion.
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The chosen day for the Tulsi Vivaha arrived. Traditionally the ceremony was performed on the Goraj Muhurta at sunset when cowherds brought home the cows that were grazing in the pasture. The children spent the day in school. Surangi forgot everything about the festivities during her poetry class. Although Madhav did his best to coach her in Math and Science she felt a natural pull toward literature, particularly poetry. She found lyrical verses enchanting and strived to look for deeper meaning within the summary.
That morning during poetry class the teacher introduced a short Abhanga, a devotional verse. This one was composed by the 13th-century Marathi philosopher and poet Saint Dnyaneshwar. The poet was a childhood prodigy who, along with his three siblings had to endure a difficult childhood. He composed many works at a tender age, particularly the "Dnyaneshwari" and "Amrutanubhav" which were commentaries on the sacred Hindu text Bhagwad Gita. These served as milestones in early Marathi literature. Dnyaneshwar's spiritual Guru was his elder brother Nivrutti Nath who encouraged him and the other siblings to adopt asceticism. Surangi listened enraptured as the teacher unraveled the underlying philosophy in the subtle yet sublime lines.
