Mother’s Quiet Flutter
༗ It often amazes me how a poet manages to take a peek into the recesses of human heart! This is what struck me when I listened to Pt Jasraj’s soulful rendition of a verse by the great poet Surdas. For those who have not dived into Hindi literature, I’d add that Surdas has written devotional poetry vividly descibing Lord Krisna’s childhood.
༗ Get the gist of the song first.
🪈🧞♀️Maa Yashoda is resting in her bed musing about her little son, who has gone to graze the cows for the first time. The child is small, yet big enough to go out to do what he ought to do. A cow herd boy must learn his job. He will soon be sharing this responsibility. The mother is anxious that little one has left home and is out on work, how will he manage, what challenges might he face. She is thrilled as her little one emerges from the cocoon. She is beaming with pride at the little steps her son takes. She offers prayers and gratitude to Gods for blessing her with such a wonderful child.
I wonder once again how well the poet knows what lies deep in the heart of a mother! The verse is about Maa Yashoda and her son Krisna.
༗ The poet is relevant when the poetry is universal, not confined to time and place. Instead of Maa Yahoda and her son, it could be any mother/parent, any other child, even changed times, but the emotions and their complexity remain unchanged.
༗ Try putting it in the current context. Children going out for grazing cows is uncommon. But it signify the child transitioning into the next stage, which could mean the first day in the play group, an adolescent appearing for a crucial board exam or a young lad setting out for the hostel life. So the myriad of emotions that the poet describes so beautifully and tenderly are still relatable.
Enjoy The song that inspired these thoughts.
What’s your take? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 💬
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