Best Vishnu Poems
Ramayana, a Hindu epic,
written by saint Valmiki, in Sanskrit
one of the two largest ancient epics,
the first ever poem ever created
many many centuries ago.
It depicts story of Lord Rama
as a kind, fair, brave, soft spoken,
handsome prince, who had
the kind benevolence of gods.
Himself an avatar of lord Vishnu
he was bestowed with divine,
powerful weapons of gods
to be used to fight evil forces.
He won over his consort, Sita,
daughter of King Janak,
in a 'swayamvar', a competition.
Keeping the tradition of honouring
a given word or promise at all costs,
a tradition of his sun god lineage
he went to forest for fourteen years
obeying his father, King Dashrath
and forsake the throne of Ayodhya
for his younger brother Bharata,
as demanded by Queen Kaikayi,
the mother of Bharatha.
He went to forests
with Sita and younger brother Lakshman.
There, he often killed many demons
who had terrorised and killed saints worshipping
peacefully in their holy monasteries,
on latter's requests.
In the 14th year of his banishment,
along with younger brother Lakshman,
with help from his follower Hanuman,
and, King of monkeys, Sugreev,
he fought with King of Lanka, Ravana
a demon King, who had kidnapped Sita
and had wanted to marry her.
After this victory of right over wrong,
and freeing Sita and killing Ravana
he returned to his kingdom Ayodhya
and became the king himself theteafter.
Ramayana, steeped in morality,
depicts duties of relationships,
portraying characters, ideal in nature,
like ideal son, ideal father, ideal servant,
ideal brother, ideal husband and ideal king.
Ramayana has greatly influenced
Hindu poetry, life and culture, thereafter.
Presenting teachings of ancient Hindu sages
in narrative allegory, it intermixes
philosophical and ethical elements.
The characters of Rama, Sita, Lakshman,
Hanuman, Ravana are still revered and worshipped,
in some of the culturally conscious
South and East Asian nations even today.
Two great Hindu festivals,
Dussehra and Deepawali
are celebrated to mark the victory of good over evil,
in India and elsewhere
with fervor and gaiety, every year.
8.6.2020
In between
Between the cognitive and the dissonance
Between the lover and the loved
Cradled in the arms of Vishnu I am the infinite possibility
Between states of matter is where I hold my potential
I crave to be held but who’s hands are big enough to hold infinity
Perhaps it’s a matter of bravery rather than scale
The silence between the words, I am deafening
*Hare Krishna, I am your devotee
I know and feel the pains of others
Keep me doing well to others
And let not ego or pride enter my mind.
Hare Krishna, as your devotee
Never speak ill of others
Disdain greed and avarice
Respect women as I respect my mother.
Hare Krishna, as your devotee
I never indulge in lies
Lust and anger not my forte
For the salvage of my family.
Lead me from despair to hope
Fear to trust, from hate to love
From false to truth, war to peace
Peace, Peace, Peace.
*Hare Krishna, the incarnation of God Vishnu*
+++
October 8, 2014
Form: Free Verse
Religion: Hindu (Gujarati)
Second Place win
Contest: A Religious poem Non-Christian by Roy Jerden
The Ides of March, cruel fate’s Spring Cleaning Day,
when solid walls collapsed around his head:
The day his trusted friends left him for dead.
Once mighty kingdoms fall, dreams burn today.
Bull market's passed; today bears rule the fray.
Before the Reaper, the strongest bow their head.
What is Mount Everest's fate? A hill, eroded.
The world's crown runs as silt into the bay.
Soft Yin Chi hides its sharp teeth, bloody horns,
‘Ere Vishnu builds, Shiva must do his worst.
Before a sowing comes the field's demise.
And sunlight passes black before each morn.
In every blessing, this implicit curse,
as naught can grow if nothing ever dies.
3/15/16, revised 10/6/24
Italian/Petrarchean Sonnet
abbaabba cdecde
Once the name of *Lord Ram is rammed in your heart
Everything you’ve -fortune, freedom, fullness and fame
To act in the situations of pleasure, pain, loss and gain
And in every walk of life unfailingly you will get alert.
The Ram is a male of the sheep symbolizing sacrifice
Representing protection as he protected the herd
First to be sacrificed, known as Aries in Latin word
Taken from the Old Testament, a symbol for Christ.
Ram-random access memory- rammed in a computer
Used by programs to perform necessary tasks
And equally accessible are all the storage locations.
That allows information to store and access in any order.
To ram is to strike or butt, to drive through or against
Ram your mind into focus when in despair or doubt
To force, to cram, to drive with violence, to thrust
don’t ram this Ram in with foul smocks, socks and shirt.
Ram’s a proper noun, a common noun, verb and adjective
Symbolizing a person like Lord Ram in Hinduism or Christ
A Zodiac sign, with an attribute of a headstrong activist
Forcing an action, ramming foundation, rarely destructive.
****************
*Lord Ram , the incarnation of one of the Lords, Vishnu of Trinity in Hinduism,
Born as a person in India.
====================================================
Third Place win in:
Contest: What’s in a Name sponsored by Linda-Marie, the sweetheart of PS
Dr. Ram Mehta (male)
Not long ago yet an epoch away
I lurched upright
Morpheus interrupted by
Mid night soul fuel running on
Vapors
Long since evaporated in the
Still born heat of an
Asian summer
Wanting.
Only to realize
Where is love if
Anger wells
Magnanimous
And me
Fortune's fool compared to
Hmong refugees hidden
Jungle deep in
Northern Laos as
Armed soldiers hunt them
Like Pennsylvania deer
Caught in the headlights of the
Machine?
And here I am
Incarnated
In whole
Lucky lot of six billion
Or more
Stars lined up
Vishnu smiling
While the not-so-distant memory
Of lost friends
Mingles
With thoughts on
Carpe diem and a
Modest man
Sari wrapped
Spinning Thoreau
Still firing shots of peace across the bow of
Humanity.
Jeff Troyer March 2008
I should have been a Beat Poet
I should have been a Beat Poet
Like Ginsberg or Ferlinghetti
They were good but not that great
Oh, maybe I'm being petty.
I could have driven across the States
Like Cassady and Kerouac
But couldn’t bear weeks on end
Jammed in battered Cadillac
Living on beer and cigarettes
Sleeping under a hedge,
I really prefer a comfy bed
And I need my meat and veg.
I don’t smoke much or really drink
A lot of alcohol
And drugs, well I am worried
That they would take their toll.
So, although the idea of dropping out
Is one with real appeal,
Is all that existential angst
Essential to the deal?
I have a beard so that’s a start
And a denim shirt or two
A pair of worn out 501s
In that stylish, vintage blue.
But is it really necessary
To embrace the seamier side?
Couldn’t one write poetry
Having had an easier ride?
I’ve seen the films and read the books
Surely that’s enough
Research for a verse or two
It shouldn’t be that tough
I could have been a Bahai,
I listen to “Thought for the Day”
Or a Catholic, Jew or Vishnu,
Well what I’m trying to say
Is, that faith is now a lifestyle choice
Like a car or mobile phone;
A tribal badge to identify
You’re a yuppie, punk, or sloane
For as we strut Life's High Street
Consumed by rampant consumerism,
Is it a socialist lack of pies
Signifying nothing, a mere spoonerism,
Or a repressive Capitalist Plot;
A new opiate of the masses
To avoid the inevitable truth
That we're wading through molasses?
Now I didn’t have to blow my brain
With mind expanding drugs,
Or travel to a sink estate
And live among the thugs
To pose these twenty-first-century woes
Or postulate their cause;
I managed sitting home in comfort
It flowed without a pause.
But really I’m just kidding
This is pseudo psycho-babble
No more intellectual
Than a game of junior scrabble
So no, I couldn’t be a Beat Poet
Like Ginsberg or Ferlinghetti.
Even the very thought of it
Makes me feel all hot and sweaty.
I’ll stick to writing doggerel
From the comfort of my home
And you never know one day
It may form an amusing tome.
I am Garuda, a vahana of Lord Vishnu
A crown on my head show you my divine
As I soaring high in the air
Vedas chanted out of my red wings
I am Garuda, son of Kasyapa and Vinata
An embodiment of wisdom, one form with many epithets
Mortals knew me as Chirada, Gaganeshvara, Kamayusha
They also named me Kashyapi, Khageshvara, or Vishnuratha
I am Garuda, representations of sacred and holy
My massive golden body can block out the sun
And with my presence I made any creature hesitate
Even the serpent, source of all sins, abide me
I am Garuda, the face of wisdom and courage
I have fought alongside with Krishna, Satyabhama and Hari
My luminous white face and strong beak shrunken the evil
For I am Garuda, the king of all birds.
I am Garuda
I live in the faith of believers.
~ Indonesia, 06/10/2013 07.01 Am
For Shadow Hamilton "Mythological Animals or Birds" Contest
Incineration of Love God Madan ( Cupid )
Three of Many
Originally written in Hindi by my late father Dr. Amar Nath Kapoor
1899 to 1994
English version by Ravindra K Kapoor.
Prelude to this epic.
According to Indian mythology Madan the Love God or Cupid was asked to divert the attention of Lord Shiva*, the supreme God of Hindus, who was lost in deep meditation, so that Lord Shiva may be requested to help the Gods from the attacks of the demon supreme immortal Tarakasur. However, when Madan disturbed Him in meditation Shiva became too furious and opened His third eye. Madan the Cupid God got burnt by the fire of the anger of his third eye. This epic reveals many interesting incidents about this story later in this series…..
(Hindi Name) Madan Dahan
Passion had not attained,
Control over human life,
Serene Love then prevailing,
Was the ideal worship.
Gold had not blackened,
Mind and heart of humans,
Service of all was then,
Lives most glorious action.
Work of Brahma* the creator,
Was at the verge of completion,
Vishnu* the preserver of Universe,
Had created livelihoods for all.
Ravindra
Kanpur India 23rd April 2012
Protected under the copywrite provisions of Poetry Soup
Clarifications:
*Brahma- According to the Puranas, Brahma is self-born in the lotus flower. Another legend says that Brahma was born in water. A seed that later became the golden egg. From this golden egg.. The remaining materials of this golden egg expanded into the Brahman?a or Universe.
* Vishnu -Vishnu is the supreme God of Hinduism. It describes Vishnu as the All-Pervading essence of all beings, the master of—and beyond—the past, present and future, one who supports, sustains and governs the Universe and originates and develops all elements within. Vishnu governs the aspect of preservation and sustenance of the universe, so he is called "Preserver of the universe".
English version of the Radha’s Love Song 1/2 Prelude on page 2
Those swinging trees and birds flying in the sky,
Those green creepers and the lovely Gokul* hills,
Amid which, we used to play and get lost,
In listening and feeling your enchanting flutes and charms, O Krishna*,
The bank of Yamuna* and your playing of flutes,
They all looks deserted without your magical tunes. 01
Everything of Gokul* have become tired, in waiting for you O, Krishna*,
Although ages have passed, only my eyes are still not tired,
While waiting for a glimpse of your enchanting looks,
Please come and show me at least your face, O, Mohan*,
Now even the water streams, running from our eyes too,
Are at the edge of getting dried, while showering the tears,
In waiting for you for such a long time, O Mohan. 02
The lamp of hope only, is still burning, O Krishna
Ever since you left, all other supports have vanished in the air,
Still if you cannot come to Gokul*,
Just do not come,
But please do not send anyone to console my suffering heart,
By giving me false assurances and
The teachings of sacrifice and patience, O Krishna. 03
Please do not send anyone, to make me understand,
That you cannot return to Gokul,
Leaving the affairs of your Kingdom, O Krishna,
These efforts would only break the barrier of my patience,
Bursting those feelings, which have accumulated
In the reservoir of my love since ages,
And do not break my false hopes that you would come one day
As it the last and the only Hope of my life and living,
O Mohan, my most beloved sakha* and love, O Krishna. 04
Ravindra
Kanpur India 29th June 2011
Explainations:
*Radha- Radha is the incarnation of Lakshmi (goddess of wealth and prosperity as per Hindu
religion), the consort of Lord Vishnu, the most beautiful of the Gopi girls, and lover of
Lord Krishna.
*Krishna- is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship
of the Bhagavad Gita. He is an Avatar of Vishnu and considered in some monotheistic
traditions as the Supreme Being. Krishna is identified as a historical individual who
participated in the events of the Mahabharata.
*Gukul- a place where Krishna was brought-up by his foster mother Yashoda.
*Mohan- Mohan is the other name of Krishna
PRELUDE OF THIS SONG IS ON PAGE 2
You are a colour photograph,
(my Leica); my love, my final
romance:you are the birds and
and the smell of lotus.
Why are you so beautiful, I ask
the wind in your windmill’s hair?
The seals which dart and play
on your bosom:only Vishnu can
answer this royal battle( from the
cave between your thighs)
MOTHER
O Sakti, the spouse of Siva, O Isvari, Durgey, Mata Parvati, the creation
Bows to you, “Know me to be” Sakti, wife of Siva, with devotion.
You carry men across the sea of pain, samsara, as the liberator;
I, as your son take my mother’s name in tongue, ever and ever;
Parvati my mother, Mahadeva my father, Nandi my sibling,
Brahma, Vishnu, Maheswara, Sun, Ganapati, in your names I sing
I listen to you, Mother, in my heart where you reside as “Om”,
The primal sound, Nada, ripples of Big Bang, in your divine kingdom.
How can I untie the cords of Maya, the illusion? Ma, you show me the way
Destroy the three-fold fire, and, on the demon in me you hold sway
Give me O Mother the nectar of your milk, fire burns the innards
O Mother allow me nirvana, in this life, and make me happy as birds.
Isvari= Goddess
Durgey= Addressing the mother, Durga, killer of darkness
Sakti= Manifested power, in the root of evolution
Samsara= This mortal living, cycle of rebirth
Parvati= Another name of Durga( daughter of the mountain), spouse of Siva
Mahadeva= The supreme God, Siva
Nandi= The bull, gatekeeper of Siva and Parvati
Brahma, Vishnu, Maheswara(Brahma creates the world, Visnu sustains it and Siva destroys it) The Trinity
Ganapati= Lord Ganesha, the Elephant God, Bija-the seed in subtle form
three-fold fire=three ( traya) kinds of evils
Nirvana= the cessation of rebirth
© RAJAT KANTI CHAKRABARTY
19 October, 2014
Villanelle: The Dilemma of the Non-Violent – 21
Would Hindus see in Paris kill Siva’s* will
Who’s show is this: Puppeteer or puppet’s
Kali-Yuga* dragging hind legs to standstill
Callow kids spray lead to warn not infidel
For what glory of own faith’s idle pets
Would Hindus see in Paris kill Siva’s will
What kills: finger on trigger or divine will
ISIS hand or lead Kalashnikov jets
Kali-Yuga dragging hind legs to standstill
Piecemeal World War III Papal wisdom mill
Did not racial hatred collide with tenets
Would Hindus see in Paris kill Siva’s will
Some people seek to dress world in their frill
Are Crusaders fratricidal Semites
Kali-Yuga dragging hind legs to standstill
Andromeda clash through Milky Way spill
Lest ISIS pound Kali-Yuga with jets
Would Hindus see in Paris kill Siva’s will
Kali-Yuga dragging hind legs to standstill
• Siva: Hindu Trinity of the Godhead Brahman
composed of Brahma (Creator), Vishnu (Preserver)
And Siva (Destroyer)
• Kali-Yuga: According to Hindus, the “Iron Age” (the last phase of human existence), having commenced with the Mahabharatha (the Great War on February 18, 3102 B.C.E.)
will come to an end in less than 430000 years. – time enough to shoot the Milky Way to pulp.
© T. Wignesan – Paris, 2015
We have no time to stand ,look and observe
How the Trinity runs the affairs of the Universe
Hinduism accepts both male and female
Aspects of nature and worship the Supreme.
If we have the Holy Father, why not Holy Mother
In Hinduism man and woman are viewed
As the two wings of the same bird
A man is incomplete without a woman
As a bird cannot fly only on one wing.
Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh with one head
And are aligned – Shiva, the transcendent God
Vishnu, the cosmic lord, Brahma, the cosmic mind.
Like Christian Trinity-the Father, Son and Holy Ghost
Brahma is the Lord of creation and birth
Vishnu is the Lord of sustenance or preserver
And Mahesh is the Lord of Death or destruction.
Constitute the Trinity of Hinduism as much as
Christian trinity the Father, son & Holy Ghost.
*I am inspired by Wordsworth for the title of my poem
================================
Male Trinity assisted by female Trinity respectively
Sarswati - is the Goddess of speech and knowledge
Lakshmi - is the Goddess of wealth
Parvati - is the mother Goddess
==========================================
Sex, Death, and Regeneration, our Transformation
We cannot change the world, and we can't change another
We can only change ourselves and illuminate our endeavor
To see good or bad, as simply, the outcome of possibility
To know that our perceptions are only, 'our' perceptions entirely
Our purpose is to learn, grow, & evolve into oneness of individuality
Towards the inner, and greater conscience...and to love in simplicity...
True love would last forever, or so, I was led to believe
As left alone, unspoken, and surely deceived
Is this humanities way, my silenced thoughts conceived
Or is this another wish, my karmic soul persist, rendering grieved
Peace, love, & unity... the father, son, & the holy
'the ghostly trinity'...
Brahma, Vishnu, & Shiva, ancient mythology
'without great war, there cannot be great peace'
The suffering and the past, evolving spiritual release
Just some thoughts, as that's flickering through
As my mind wonders, proverbial quotes as they do
Um, the symbolistic trinity in the Veda, also the Trishul of Shiva...
Tattooed on my hand, a fulfillment of my favor
Sometimes I wonder if, and other times I don't know
Life's bright, yet dark. unknowingly we grow
The sweet, if we've never tasted bitter
The good if we've never had the lesser
Then there are moments of 'just is'... A trinity of kind
Frawley's law, that's ultimately refined
'can't have your cake, and also, eat it too...'
Yet the inner fool, always wanting to...
Truth, vision, and the abundance of our soul
Learned, tormented, and negligence grow old
The fire, our feelings, and the winter, passion as cold
Forgotten as inhibited, within conformity being told.
We endeavor for fulfillment, as within, our desired world,
The ultimate lesson, our satisfaction unfold
A transient nature, as lasting values lie cold
As fulfilling yourself, and in drawing wisdom learnt
The desires gained, our soul left empty, emotions burnt
Preoccupying for self-aggrandisement, as eventually
Our ends in setbacks, and our infelicity.
S
F
B
Mindless our nature, lost is our contempory