My Little Memory And Tribute To Maya Angelou

" Here root yourselves beside me.

I am the tree planted by the river,

Which will not be moved,

I, the rock, I,  the river, I, the tree

I am yours—your passage has been paid.

Lift up your faces, you have a piercing need

For this bright morning downing for you.

Maya Angelou 

'On The Pulse Of Morning'

12. 3. 04

Maya Angelou’s above passage that I copied from some where is close to my heart. So is the Shloka from Taittriya Upanishad. The striking similarity though not so apparent still touches a cord somewhere together. So I decided to copy the verse from Taittriya Upanishad again. This way I can enjoy both together whenever I open my notebook. My note book is becoming a collection of many small things that come to my rescue whenever a crack appears in my whole being. Every now and then I feel the need to touch my soul, to go beyond my mundane activities, beyond the logic and reasoning of mind to create a calmness around me that is not dull or boring or vacant or lonely.

“ I am the stimulator of the tree of Universe.

My fame (glory) is high as the peaks of the mountain.

High and pure am I like the essence in the sun;

I am the power and the wealth, effulgent with intuition;

Intelligent, imperishable and undecaying am I-

This is the sacred recitation of Trishanku after he realized the truth.”

अहं वृक्षस्य रेिरव । कीर्तिः पृष्टं गिरोरिव ।

ऊर्ध्वपविञो वाजिनीव स्वर्मतमस्मि ।

दर्विणग्ं सवर्चसम् । सुमेधा अमर्तोक्षितः ।

इति ञिशड़्कोवेदानुवचनम् ।। "

Note:

This morning when I heard the news of Maya Angelou's passing away, all of a sudden I remembered the above page from my note book. It is from the time when I read English poetry and our Sanskrit scripture side by side. I still do! Just decided to share this page of my note book. Rest in peace Maya Angelou. You gave much peace to world.

Sanskrit Shloka and translation is from Swami Chinmayananda's Taittriya Upanishad.

Savita Tyagi
5. 28. 2014