The Earth and its Resilience

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RamanathanSiva
Posts: 127
Joined: 28 Aug 2020, 23:11

The Earth and its Resilience

#1 Post by RamanathanSiva » 15 Sep 2020, 13:28

What Consecrating a Temple Means

When Uncle Mohan, little father came with his family
to the mud lanes of Mondipatti, we were glad
to have him with us, because he is the answer
to the ‘Tell me How, When and Whys.’

The Housing Colony needed a temple, st with 68000 species was planted
peacocks crossed the road, birds fitted in artificial lakes
and all that it needed was a place of worship.

Do you know why they fill the pagodas with millets
and nine grains? one of the millets is also a shock absorber.
In times of famine and drought, seed grains in the pagodas.
Knowing buildings have to be protected, temple architects
brought down copper sheets one inch long, from the pagodas
to the earth, as lightning catchers, as thunder-breakers.
They also had open space for each storey
to allow the wind to work its way through,
and not knock down the building. Consecration
meant thorough painting had to be done
and repairs attended to. All the Deities
have to be re-energised, immersed in grains and water,
for one mandala each, and if any new Deity had to be installed,
the sculpted figure or figurine had to be laid down,
features marked except the eyes, and on that auspicious day
the sculptor chiselled the eyes and them ,in the sanctum sanctorum,
In the presence of the chief Sthabathi.
Water from 108 pots was poured over these pagodas
and the fumes of medicinal plants purified the air
eagles circled the sky and the rains came, at least a shower.

The grains and millets stored in the pagoda are seed-worthy
only for twelve years, so also our Deities lose their Shakthi.

The ancient kings thought of the people and the earth
in case of drought or a famine, or extreme poverty,

They who came from the clan of Paari,
who is said to have left his golden chariot
for a creeper to entwine, so the emperor
walked back home to his palace,
so the saying goes, why worry
if we have the rains and we have a king like Paari?
Siva Ramanathan


























Another attempt

Who would have thought that the consecration,
at the crown of the temple had a weight of reasons?

They filled the pagodas with millets and nine grains,
one of the millets was also a shock absorber;

knowing that buildings had to be protected,
they brought down copper sheets one inch long

from the pagodas to the earth, as lightning catchers
as thunder-breakers, and also had open space for each storey

to allow the wind to work its way through, and not knock down
the building. Thorough painting had to be done and repairs attended to.

All the Deities have to be re-energised, immersed in grains and water,
for one mandala each, and if a new Deity had to be installed,

the sculpted figure or figurine had to be laid down, features marked
except the eyes, and on that auspicious day the sculptor chiselled the eyes

in the sanctum sanctorum, in the presence of the chief sthabathi
and eagles circle the sky and the rains come, a least a shower.

The grains and millets stored in the pagoda are seed-worthy
only for twelve years, so also our Deities lose their shakthi.

The ancient kings thought of the people and the earth
in case of drought or a famine, or extreme poverty,

They who came from the clan of Paari, who is said to have left
his golden chariot for a creeper to entwine, so the emperor

walked back home to his palace, so the saying goes, why worry,
if we have the rains and we have a king like Paari.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Again, and again
poets call out his name
“Paari! Paari!”
of how one left his chariot.

To nourish this earth,
we have clouds
which pour down the rain
—and we have Paari!

We shower the pagodas
with holy water
and refill the Kalasam
with new seeds
once in twelve years.

I think of ancient kings
who lived for our people
and stored provisions,


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Again, and again poets call out his name

“Paari! Paari!” Words fail to praise this man.
To nourish this earth, we have clouds which pour down the rain
and we have Paari!


We are told to renovate our temples
once in twelve years, repainting and reinstalling.

These rituals are followed to the last written word
the deity removed, kept in grains, energized. One Mandala.

The pagodas are showered with holy water, nine grains
are filled in the Kalasam , ceremoniously with faith.

Our ancient kings lived for the people, this their bank
seeds of nine pulses stored in case of drought or famine.

Why the twelve years? Agriculturally correct, life of seeds
only that much. Reason enough for the pagodas to get refilled.

The Cholas built the world’s oldest dam, harvest was heaped.
Then even the kings lived for the earth and one left his chariot

to a wayside creeper as a prop, and walked through the forest
So much for the earth and its resilience.

RamanathanSiva
Posts: 127
Joined: 28 Aug 2020, 23:11

Re: The Earth and its Rescilence

#2 Post by RamanathanSiva » 17 Sep 2020, 07:39

Michael and Bob,
Ramanathan Siva is Siva Ramanathan.
Thanks

BobBradshaw
Posts: 2683
Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03

Re: The Earth and its Rescilence

#3 Post by BobBradshaw » 18 Sep 2020, 06:58

It’s interesting to read a poem of another culture, another belief system. But I also wanted more, an emotional connection with the narrator. A sense of comfort from faith or tradition, a sense of wonder...the awe of time passed and passing...but I am left with a history lesson. This poem might be better told from a first person perspective... work in a teenager and a grandparent maybe.

The title has an obvious misspelling. Also, this line is flat...
Agriculturally correct, life of seeds
only that much.

I am looking forward to seeing how you approach this story in a revision.

RamanathanSiva
Posts: 127
Joined: 28 Aug 2020, 23:11

Re: The Earth and its Resilience

#4 Post by RamanathanSiva » 21 Sep 2020, 19:43

Bob

I have taken your suggestions, and will start writing out from a personal angle.

Siva

BobBradshaw
Posts: 2683
Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03

Re: The Earth and its Resilience

#5 Post by BobBradshaw » 22 Sep 2020, 01:07

I like the simple, clear language in this revision. Should “one” in S1 be “he”? I think so. For the last stanza I think a slight lead in would help...maybe something along the lines of “when the bland earth again greens”? Think about it...

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