A FULL Moon

What an Auspicious day? Aren’t all days auspicious ‘coz we are ALIVE?

Raksha Bandhan – 

For the first time, somebody wished me for Rakhi, for a brother, sister inside of me, and to me. So, thrilled, how a new dawn never ceases to amaze me, for it carries this tender scent of freshness coupled with excitement.

I wished back, this wish extending not just to a brother, a sister, but to all the brothers and sisters of this big beautiful world.

How these customs are carried out, legend has it – when Krishna killed one of evil kings, Sisupala, He hurt his finger. As Draupadi witnessed this, her heart melted, she tore a piece of fabric from her beautiful saree and tied it around Krishna’s finger to stop the bleeding. It is her “Raksha” towards a brother, which forms a “Bandhan” and we ritualistically follow this, and the beatitude is so much in the intention set while tying this holy thread. I love all* festivals (*well, almost all)

Balarama Happy Birthday-

As I am in immense consciousness, I know a few occasions nowadays. Being born as Lakshmana and Rama, in the previous lifetime, the younger brother Lakshamana, requested Rama that he would allow him to incarnate as a respectful elder brother in the next lifetime, as he was mighty tired of being tossed around in the current one. So of course compassionate Rama obliged then Balarama was born on the full moon of divine Shravana month. Krishna followed, 8 days (1 year and 8 days?) later on Ashtami day, what joy and what celebration.

I learnt that the elder brother is known as an all accommodating potency, an extension of the supreme personality Himself. So many stories of Krishna playing his leelas, while his brother committed to protect the younger one, always looking after him, cleaning up the mess. A splendid episode of Rukmini and Krishna - even amidst tight security guarded by a huge army of Vidarbha kingdom, Krishna, with his impeccable timing, crashes the party oh-so-majestically, sweeps Rukmini off her feet into his arms leaving all spectators spellbound in awe. While Rukmini is mesmerized, stares into the iris of her lover's eye, the celestial chariot rides the new bride... into the rainbowed horizon of a paradise. All that Krishna had to do was to "come get her" everything else was taken care.

Krishna participating in "come get me" moment of Rukmini           

PS:

Festivals, celebrations, occasions, I just want to rejoice each day and each night - I went for my shatapawali, the night one. Full moon was beaming so bright and I immediately tap into that soul-feeling of being whole. He brings to me an unspeakable bliss, as I bathe all night under the moon-shine. Moon light piercing thru the windows, thru the bamboo curtains, right onto my skin, into my being. Sometimes words fail to convey the exactitude of the emotions, some feelings literally have to be felt to feel it.

Someday, some night, would sleep in the back-yard, 

or camp somewhere atop of those sacred snowy white mountains, 

basking in that stillness, 

gaze at a gazillion stars of the milky way,

Then I will be aware of this insomniac surrendering to the euphoric outward gaze

and an intoxicated ecstasy from an intimate inward gaze.