What can I hurt now
by Devara DasimayyaEnglish version by A. K. Ramanujan
Original Language Kannada
The five elements
have become one.
The sun and the moon,
O Rider of the Bull,
aren't they really
your body?
I stand,
look on,
you're filled
with the worlds.
What can I hurt now
after this, Ramanatha?
 | -- from Speaking of Siva, by A K Ramanujan |
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The five elements mentioned in the beginning line are earth, water, fire, air, and ether. When they alchemically "become one" all aspects of the body and mind have become one and the individual as microcosm has become unified with God as the macrocosm.
The final lines have a double meaning. The more surface meaning is saying that after enlightenment, after recognizing how everything is filled with God, he is no longer willing to harm or kill anything. To do so would be to harm an aspect of God.
On a more esoteric level, he is saying that, since nothing has existence other than as a reflection of God, he is saying that nothing can be hurt by him. In fact, you can read it as saying that nothing exists in order to be hurt.
What can I hurt now
after this, Ramanatha?
Recommended Books: Devara Dasimayya
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| Speaking of Siva | ||||
