HYMN TO JYOTI

Jyoti - Tamas
incestuous pair
all space envelop:
light and darkness.

Jyoti, the formless first
the self-emanating effulgence
wombs in primal time, the Sun,
the source of light and life.


The Sun's first born, Agni
weaves the texture of life,
the warp and woof of creation,
binds the Earth and Heaven.


White milk of celestial cows
dusky, black or crimson
appear in the morning sun
golden hued, resplendent.



Swan-constellations, blue-backed
silhoutted against the black sky
glitter like gold
lit by a million suns.

On night sky's black carpet
Stars play checkers
bursting crackers
in all-enveloping gloom.


Savitur, Varun, Mitra
pave the way
to luminous dawn
in heart of space.

Black bull stokes
reeling dark clouds
making them burst
into hails of light.

In struggling to liberate Itself
from embrace of Tamas
Jyoti unrolls the scroll of time
and brings the universe to life.



O Jyoti, the all-powerful, all-prevading One
descend down on our earth to annul
darkness of Tamas in our being
tear asunder our veil of illusion.