In India the concept of ‘Darshan’ is central to worship. Darshan means vision. When greeting a celebrity a person says ‘I am honoured to have your Darshan’. Going to a temple, devotees in a crowd will raise themselves on their toes and crane to somehow manage to get a Darshan of the deity on the altar. Once that is achieved the devotee sighs with relief, his purpose of visiting the temple accomplished. A groom will tell his beloved bride on the nuptial night while lifting her veil ‘at last I have had your Darshan dear’, with a smile. In the Gita one saw in an earlier post how the hero Arjun pleads with the Avatar (divine incarnation) to let him have a Darshan of his true universal form, though once he sees it he is fearful and unsettled and asks Krishna to resume his earthly human one.
We all want to see a new city on a tour, a famous painting or sculpture at a museum and are then satisfied that we have done it and the visit is a success. Likewise we are curious about the mysteries of nature, biology and physics. We want to know with our mind’s eye about it. But often we may not fully comprehend the mystery and as it becomes less familiar we are awe-struck. When like in Arjun’s case it goes even beyond that, awe turns into fear and perplexity as the unknown, unfathomable and incomprehensible reality unfolds before us.
It has often struck me that we are perpetually asking for evidence of God, because we cannot see Him or because He doesn’t show himself despite our fervent prayers – No Darshan! So we keep looking around for evidence with our little minds trying to piece together whatever we can collect to strengthen our faith before we lose it.
Provoked by such thoughts I composed a poem which I am sharing with you. It has a touch of science fiction as well – the one looking for clues is an alien who arrives on earth and tries to figure out what kind of beings live on the planet. At the close of the poem the alien is really us looking for the evidence – but have we the courage to face It when we find It?
P U G – M A R K
From the pug-marks
In the forest –
Difficult to imagine
A tiger.
The caterpillar like prints
Across undulating dunes
Are actually a scorpion’s
Leading to its lair.
A settlement
With door knobs
And shoes, caps and rings
Piano keys and buttons
Steps and pillows
What is it that moves here?
A tailor bird’s nest
Leaves few clues.
What does the subtle separation
Of chromosomic factors
Into male and female,
Their perpetual union
To stir gene pools tell?
The way things come in twos
Eyes and ears, hands and feet
Lungs and kidneys
In pairs, what do they tell?
Flowers and thorns
Models of leaves
For every season, every clime.
Every shade of green,
Elements and compounds
Intricately structured complexities,
What do they tell?
This pug-mark
Who dares pursue,
Where does this trail lead,
This awesome double – helix
Fingerprint, this maze
Of neutrons and electrons,
What tell-tale hand
Has left its traces
Everywhere?
But if in the forest
You follow and seek, beware,
It is not just a pug – mark
That you will see,
When you face the tiger there.
I enjoyed the poem and the post that preceded it. Thank you for sharing, Eric
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Thanks – have you seen a tiger in the forest ? lol = Indrajit
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Darshan is a beautiful and touching concept. I have long been fascinated with the symbolism of seeing and blindness or not being allowed to look (Orpheus and Eurydice). You touch upon a lot of subtleties in your blog, thank you for doing that.
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its only as imortant as the viewer thanks
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Papa, loved the post on darshan. I listen to a devotional song every morning about a devotee whose eyes crave for darshan and whenever I hear it it stirs me! I am also happy that you are sharing your beautiful poetry on this blog! I get to re read and enjoy it all over again….thankyou:)))))))
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thanks mitsie – the blog is helping me create as i go love
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Om Shiva Shantih Om
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shivo hum
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Love the opening and closing stanzas !!! ( Tiger )
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beware! welcome
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Thanks for this darshan on Darshan.
Do I understand its more about looking than seeing? And not at all about dreaming or to have a view on something to achieve?
Or are these questions typical for my Western darshan on Darshan Indrajit?
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i notice i did not reply your query on the post
Darshan is first looking with the eye – later also absorbing details and capturing in the mind like a photo – later enjoying what you have seen and noted – it is a prayer and a communion – it is also an effort to ‘catch’ his eye (like you would a film star or president from a crowd where you are) so that having seen him you have succeeded in making him notice you too – all this is a darshan which the hindu devotee hopes to achieve in a temple – no it is not about dreaming or imagining – it is only about really seing.
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lovely poem hukum
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glad you are following
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