Karunashtake by Ramdas Swami
We present here two poems by Ramdas Swami, a seventeenth century master from Maharashtra, from his short collection called Karunashtake or Pleas for Mercy.
Ramdas Swami was not part of the Varkari Sampradaya that a number of famous Marathi poet-saints like Eknath and Tukaram belonged to. His influence, however, is very strong. Perhaps the best known story of him is how his search for God started. As was typical at that time, Ramdas had been betrothed at a young age. At the wedding ceremony, as he was being married, the first blessing-verse ended with the phrase “Saavadhaana”, which means “be vigilant”. The young Ramdas thought: “Saavadhaana” – “Be vigilant”? All he could think of was that the only thing worth being vigilant about was God. So he bolted from the wedding altar, taking to a monastic life. Later he became a Guru to the famous Maratha King, Shivaji and wrote extensively about sadhana, spiritual practice, as well as worldly life. One of his best known works is a small set of about 100 poems called “Manaachee Shloke”, which are admonishments to one’s mind about the art of living. Selections from Manaachi Shloke are regularly memorized by young Marathi students. Most collections of Manaachi Shloke are appended by the short work, Karunashtake, from which we present two of the early verses below.
Anudini anutaape…
I am burning, hurting, in the doings of my life.
Take away this confusion, O friend of the meek.
This fugitive mind of mine keeps spinning out of control.
Hurry, O hurry, I am beat. Rama where are you?
Bhajana rahita Raamaa ….
Spent my life
no singing your name;
hung on in vain,
annexing kin and fame.
Give me a break,
make me your own.
Free my mind;
let it hang with you;
not in vain.