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Thursday, February 25, 2010

futile entreaties

रे रे चातक सावधानमनससा मित्र क्षणं श्रूयता-
मम्बोदा बहवो भवन्ति गगने सर्वे अपि  नैतादृशाः।
केचित् वृष्टिभिरार्द्रयन्ति वसुधां गर्जन्ति केचित् वृथा
यं यं पश्यसि तस्य तस्यपुरतो मा ब्रूहि दीनं वचः।।
rey rey chathaka saavadhaanamanasaa mithtrs, kshanam srooryatham
ambodhaa bhahavao bhavanthi gaganey sarve apir naaithaadrusaah
kechith vrishthibhirardrayanthi vasudhdaam garjanth kechi vrudhaa
yam yam pasyasi tasya tasya purathio maa broohi deenam vachah
രേ രേ ചാതക സാവധാനമനസാ മിത്ര ക്ഷണം ശ്രൂയതാ-
മംബോദാഃ ബഹവോ ഭവന്തി ഗഗനേ സര്‍വ്വേ അപി നൈതാദൃശാഃ
കേചിത് വൃഷ്ടിഭിരാര്‍ദ്രയന്തി വസുധാം ഗര്‍ജ്ജന്തി കേചിത് വൃഥാ
യംയം പശ്യസി തസ്യ തസ്യ പുരതോ മാബ്രൂഹി ദീനംവചഃ
bharthru hari

Oh my dear friend chataka bird,  for a moment, please listen to my words with careful attention.   There are many types of clouds appearing in the sky and all are not alike. Some clouds fill the earth with bountiful rains but some just remain in their place making futile roars.  So please do not approach everyone you see and  unravel your tale of woe

The chathaka is a mythological bird and it is believed that its throat is cut and hence can drink water through its upturned open beaks, from the raindrops   that fall direct on earth straight from the cloud in the  sky during rain.
 So  whenever it sights a cloud in the sky it starts making a pitiable cry as if begging for water from the cloud.
 The poet advises the bird not to cry for drops of water to every cloud.  Clouds are many and are dissimilar in character. 
Some really pour as rain on the earth  making it fertile but some other clouds  just remain there in high skies and make
 roaring announcements by way of thunder but   never pouring rain to  help the bird.

The poet's advice is also directed to people who, in their misery, try to approach every person of note with their tales of woe in the hope of redressal of their grievances. Some really good people respond positively and would give  some help also. But others (like the grievance redressal forums  in government offices or the loud mouthed politicians) just make reassuring  promises that would never be kept. 

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