Shri Kalika Kapardini

You are above everybody

And you grace this Earth with your feet

Or maybe, the Earth is you yourself

And its soil has now begot me,

Raised me, loved me, fed me

And yet, no trace of you is here

In my shady mind,

Blinded with ignorance.

Once in a while, I dare to dream

About your long, flowing hair

Described as Shri Kalika Kapardini

Like the branches of trees or roots underneath

Or the matted veins in me or my eye;

I shut them to dream O Maa!

About your massive, knotted hair

Spreading far and wide

Entangling all into your maya-

You hold the Universe in your single strand!

And then, I open my eyes

To see the dark sky sprinkled with stars

I see a fraction of you-

As if your hair is wrapping me up

To make me dance to your tunes

And your jewels taking my breath away.

I am starstruck, my eyes open wide

But never wide open like yours, Maa!

You surely see it all!

Maa, with your two hands you nurture me

And with the other two, you will end my life and I will gladly

Place my body at your feet

But alas! There stays Shiva

And what audacity do I have

To be at your Divine feet?

Who am I? Where do I stand

Midst the grand roopam, Maa?

And even Raktabeeja had your darshan,

I am definitely a nobody, Maa!

I am neither Divinely good

Nor am I a celestial evil-

So, who am I?

I am a zilch, I can’t even exist

Without your grace, O Mother!

Your grace is my food, your grace is my breath

Your grace is my mind, and your grace is this work

Or else how would I look at your little picture

And remember the grand cosmos, Maa?

Maa, I am unable to place myself at your feet

So, I am waiting here in a slowly decaying body.

Come, O Maa! Take me away with yourself

For today and for eternity!

~ Suguna.