Kumbhakarna's Knot

Kumbhakarna

By Company School [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Mount Meru was much perturbed,

Indra sat sullen, all revelry curbed.

What could disturb the mighty deva so?

The answer only Indra did know.

He watched three brothers meditate by the fire,

Blessings of Brahma, they wished to acquire.

His sharp nose wrinkled with much spite,

Finally, his envy did take flight.

He rode the clouds, he struck the skies,

He couldn't let them have their prize.

He eyed the giant among the three,

A pious warrior of might was he.

This Lankan giant was so quick-witted,

Against him, even Indra dared not to be pitted.

The giant's mind was as sharp as his sword,

Ever loyal, he towered over his Lankan Lord.

Kumbhakarna's power had in time grown,

So much so that Indra feared for his throne.

Rain or thunder, neither could thwart the yagna,

And then Indra heard the celestial tunes of the veena.

He bowed before the Goddess as she played,

He begged her to come to his aid.

Saraswati merely smiled as her fingers danced,

Indra took leave, at the brothers he glanced.

They invoked Brahma with their mind and will,

One wish of each, He was prepared to fulfil.

And so the youngest, Vibhishana, did ask,

In Brahma's feet alone, he wished to bask

To receive Lord Vishnu, his holy sight,

Brahma nodded, much to Vibhishana's delight.

Kumbhakarna and Ravana exchanged a glance,

They grunted as they waited for their chance.

Saraswati too waited for her turn,

There was much that the rakshasas needed to learn.

Kumbhakarna who so desired Indraasana

Was taken aback when his tongue begged for Nidraasana!

He wished for destruction of Devas, Nirdevatvam,

But instead his tongue asked for sleep, Nidravatvam.

He gaped at Ravana with his twisted tongue,

The decisive notes of Saraswati's veena had been rung.

Ravana watched helplessly as Kumbhakarna fell,

He was horrified by Kumbhakarna's sleeping spell.

Brahma turned to Ravana for it was his turn,

Ravana wished for Kumbhakarna to return.

He asked for Kumbhakarna's boon to be undone,

And so the fate of Kumbhakarna was spun.

Brahma relieved him of the seat of sleep

But Kumbhakarna had sunk far too deep.

Too far consumed was he to ever be free,

The cursed one of the three.

Peace returned to Mount Meru once more,

Indra could faintly hear Kumbhakarna snore.

Relieved at last that he reigned supreme

While Kumbhakarna lay lost in a dream.

About the post: This post conveys the story behind Kumbhakarna's mysterious sleep. For those who may not know, Kumbhakarna is from a mythological rakshas (demon) race in the Ramayana, he sleeps for months at a stretch and has incredible power, being a giant warrior. He was the younger brother of Ravana, the mythical ruler of Lanka and the enemy of Lord Rama. He plays a significant role in the Ramayana. Like many others, he urges Ravana to return Sita to her husband, Lord Rama but he stands by his brother even when Ravana refuses to do so.

Deva- A celestial race in Hindu Mythology. Indra is the king of the Devas.
Brahma-The Hindu God of Creation.
Saraswati-Hindu Goddess of knowledge, music, wisdom and learning.
Veena-A stringed musical instrument. Goddess Saraswati is usually depicted with a veena.
Mount Meru-The Indian equivalent of Mount Olympus, the home of the Devas.

The Duet

"Website opening pic" by Atlantis7807 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Website_opening_pic.JPG#/media/File:Website_opening_pic.JPG

A chance encounter, an old friend she sees,

Memories come and go with a breeze.

She turns away, shaking her head,

An unfulfilled promise, a vow, long unsaid.

Her thoughts turn to her children

She purses her lips, shaking her head again.

She couldn't dream of making them wait,

She rushes forward, she couldn't be late.

Someone calls out her name,

A voice that only fans the flame.

She could no longer contain her woe,

She runs back, she should've never let go.

Words spun into action as she sang,

With a thump, her feet would bang.

The 'ghungroo', the floor and her feet,

Everything else had taken a backseat.

The trio rallied on for long.

Until something disturbed her song.

A 'ghungroo' rolled loose and pierced her heel,

She winced as she began to kneel.

The knots had suddenly come undone.

For every time she had spun,

They went loose till they let her go,

Like she'd let them, ages ago.

About the post: This post features a woman and her passion for Kathak. I have touched upon it briefly in the next couple of lines. Very recently, while I was day dreaming, I heard a faint chime of 'ghungroo' from somewhere in the building. It went away as soon as it came but in my mind, I could still hear it and I couldn't let it go. From there sprung a story about a woman who gave up her friend, her 'ghungroo', her passion for dance as other things drew her attention. Years later, she finds her 'ghungroo' and that is what I have described in the poem.

Kathak is a classical dance form of India that often depicts stories or 'katha'. The prominent feature of this dance is the stomping of heels on the floor in a certain rhythm and tempo or to match it with instrumental music or only lyrics used for conveying a story or message, along with hand gestures (mudra) and facial expressions. It is performed wearing a set of 'ghungroo', as can be seen in the photo above. These 'ghungroos' jingle and produce a chime matching the force of one's feet and movements. Kathak and its instruments are incredibly complex to summarize in brief and hence, you should look it up if you want greater detail. As with any classical dance, it has a rich and vibrant history.

Arcane Rhapsodies-The Witch's Well

"John William Waterhouse - Magic Circle" by John William Waterhouse - Tate Britain. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_William_Waterhouse_-_Magic_Circle.JPG#/media/File:John_William_Waterhouse_-_Magic_Circle.JPG

She bit his hands until she was gagged,

He struck her, towards the forest she was dragged.

The moon was witness to the woman’s plight,

On the eve of that Walpurgis Night.

He unsheathed his sword, his eyes were cold,

She mumbled her last words, the future she foretold.

“I shall meet you again, reward you I must.

A soirée awaits, it begins, only just.”

His mighty sword dealt the fatal blow

That’s how the witch fell ages ago.

The valiant soldier wiped his bloodied blade,

The price of heresy, the woman had paid.

He said a solemn prayer by the sacred well,

One and all would remember the day she fell.

He removed her rings, her beautiful locket,

He shoved her into the well, the jewellery in his pocket.

With a glint of greed and a dash of pride,

Off he went, to his newfound fame he applied.

The Walpurgis Night descended soon,

Witches from across the land began to commune.

They revelled freely upon the Brocken heights,

They chanted their spells and finished their rites.

As the night began to draw to a close,

By the sacred well, a young witch froze.

They all gathered around the sacred well,

“Daughters of magic, we must invoke a sacred spell.

Our sister is taken much before her time,

The murderer must be punished for this crime.”

One by one, they said an ancient prayer,

Each plucked out one strand of hair,

Each wished aloud for their sister fair.

Each gave her part of their souls’ share.

That Walpurgis Night, the slain witch did rise,

Amidst her sisters’ mystical cries.

The arcane verses of the spell made her undead,

“Farewell till we meet again.”, they said.

The witches dispersed as daylight raced with them,

The undead witch cast a spell for a hem.

It stitched her wounds, it sewed her back,

But no spell or stitch could dispel the black.

About the post: This is an excerpt from my book, "Arcane Rhapsodies", the poem being "The Witch's Well". Will the witch exact her revenge? Hope you enjoyed this read.

You can find more about the book here:

Arcane Rhapsodies on Goodreads

Arcane Rhapsodies on Amazon.in

Arcane Rhapsodies on Authorspress website

Adieu

I was never one to say goodbye.

This time though, I surely did try.

Her breath I sensed,

My soul was cleansed.

Tugging at long repressed memories.

My skin was prickled by a pleasant breeze.

Something didn't seem right, I thought.

Something weighed me down like an invisible knot.

Little did I know how it would end.

The secret, with the sands, would blend.

Finally, the circle was complete.

The sand no longer tickled my feet.

About the post: Alright, you read my poem, now you should try reading it backwards, last line to the top. There is a subtle difference when the poem is read top to bottom and when it is read bottom to top. Hope you enjoyed it, I was just playing around with words. You are free to interpret it as you wish.