My aunt Ramakka who has been a constant source of inspiration and support for me has sent me a stanza of this poem. My ignorance and Illiteracy with the English has drawn me back from understanding the true essence to the greatest extent possible. Nevertheless I could remember the lines so perfectly "Let eyes grow dim and heart go faint".
Time has flown downstream in the form of days, months and years together and I have developed a better maturity on contrast with my prior years. I dont claim now that I am a flawless human being. Because the fact is that there are no thing that exists like "Flawless" in humans and thus we are called humans. If at all there are some so called flawless humans they are not termed as flawless humans but 'GOD'. However, even after being sufficiently matured enough to tackle many types of people with diverse mindsets around in the day to day life I come across, I often fail to handle certain situations. Situations that challenge me in every walk of my life. Being having a Never Never give up kind of attitude I feel molested, teased and frustrated if I cannot solve the Zigsaw. On one of the recent days when I was feeling so down for some lame reason which tamed me so badly. I lost myself in rediscovering those days of my life where I was a warrior and won many battles with the life. Suddenly during the self talk of mine, I reminded a poem which can be called as a flash of hope in the uttermost darkness.
Swami Vivekananda has been a Role Model for many people and his words are confidence pumping for each one on this planet. Here is the full version of the poem that have stamped my heart and left its mark on it. I remember certain words of the poem till now ;Which I think essentially means that it has been inspiring m right from the day one I read it. Hopefully this helps many other people like me who are searching for a hand, a star of hope to lead their way in the path of prosperity.
The wounded snake its hood unfurls,
The flame stirred up doth blaze,
The desert air resounds the calls
Of heart-struck lion's rage.
The cloud puts forth it deluge strength
When lightning cleaves its breast,
When the soul is stirred to its in most depth
Great ones unfold their best.
Let eyes grow dim and heart grow faint,
And friendship fail and love betray,
Let Fate its hundred horrors send,
And clotted darkness block the way.
All nature wear one angry frown,
To crush you out - still know, my soul,
You are Divine. March on and on,
Nor right nor left but to the goal.
Nor angel I, nor man, nor brute,
Nor body, mind, nor he nor she,
The books do stop in wonder mute
To tell my nature; I am He.
Before the sun, the moon, the earth,
Before the stars or comets free,
Before e'en time has had its birth,
I was, I am, and I will be.
The beauteous earth, the glorious sun,
The calm sweet moon, the spangled sky,
Causation's law do make them run;
They live in bonds, in bonds they die.
And mind its mantle dreamy net
Cast o'er them all and holds them fast.
In warp and woof of thought are set,
Earth, hells, and heavens, or worst or best.
Know these are but the outer crust -
All space and time, all effect, cause.
I am beyond all sense, all thoughts,
The witness of the universe.
Not two nor many, 'tis but one,
And thus in me all me's I have;
I cannot hate, I cannot shun
Myself from me, I can but love.
From dreams awake, from bonds be free,
Be not afraid. This mystery,
My shadow, cannot frighten me,
Know once for all that I am He.
The flame stirred up doth blaze,
The desert air resounds the calls
Of heart-struck lion's rage.
The cloud puts forth it deluge strength
When lightning cleaves its breast,
When the soul is stirred to its in most depth
Great ones unfold their best.
Let eyes grow dim and heart grow faint,
And friendship fail and love betray,
Let Fate its hundred horrors send,
And clotted darkness block the way.
All nature wear one angry frown,
To crush you out - still know, my soul,
You are Divine. March on and on,
Nor right nor left but to the goal.
Nor angel I, nor man, nor brute,
Nor body, mind, nor he nor she,
The books do stop in wonder mute
To tell my nature; I am He.
Before the sun, the moon, the earth,
Before the stars or comets free,
Before e'en time has had its birth,
I was, I am, and I will be.
The beauteous earth, the glorious sun,
The calm sweet moon, the spangled sky,
Causation's law do make them run;
They live in bonds, in bonds they die.
And mind its mantle dreamy net
Cast o'er them all and holds them fast.
In warp and woof of thought are set,
Earth, hells, and heavens, or worst or best.
Know these are but the outer crust -
All space and time, all effect, cause.
I am beyond all sense, all thoughts,
The witness of the universe.
Not two nor many, 'tis but one,
And thus in me all me's I have;
I cannot hate, I cannot shun
Myself from me, I can but love.
From dreams awake, from bonds be free,
Be not afraid. This mystery,
My shadow, cannot frighten me,
Know once for all that I am He.
- Swami Vivekananda
Cheers,
Sriki
