Taramala
Fourteenth bead of the Taramala
O Batuka, the most compassionate,
Fierce in form, yet gentle within,
Like the jackfruit; rough on the outside,
But sweet and tender at heart.
O Batuka, auspicious Kavi,
You plant a seed of thought within me,
Hiding behind the pen, you wink,
Granting me false credits.
Can a pen or ink,
Or the sheet ever claim credit?
I am merely your instrument, Baba
May false ego never touch my soul.
O Baba, you are the
Only relationship I yearn for,
Beyond human perception,
Mama dehi karavalambam.
The deep roots of my desire
Arise from your Karunya, my Baba.
Being compassionate to this fool,
Guiding and fueling, you are my all.
You take the form I long for
A friend, a father, a strict taskmaster;
O Batuka, my dearest friend,
You are my only treasure, my Baba.
~Tāradāsa
12.08.2024
This is the fourteenth bead of the Taramala. Taramala is a collection of poems dedicated to the divine Mother Tara and Batuka Bhairava, where each poem represents a bead in a mala dedicated to Maa Tara. These poems are dedicated to the lotus feet of the master who introduced the Nama-Amrutham of Maa Tara to me.
Sri Pavankumar, who writes under the pen name of Tāradāsa, is a member of Kamakhya Bhairava Upasaka Foundation. He is an ardent devotee of Ma Tara and Bhairava. The following lines shared by him exemplify his bhakti towards his Ishta-
‘Bhagawati’s guard,
Her name my shield and my strength,
I obey her call.’
