Sweta Mayura Ashtakam

 

Introduction:- A white peacock presented by the Maharani of Baroda, became the darling of Bhagavan. He had a cage just beside His couch and was watched by it day and night. It would get up on Bhagavan’s book-rack and gently peck at the books with his beak. He would daily visit the work of temple-construction that was then going on in the Ashram and would also enter the dining-hall and walk between the rows of people seated at meals, and so he earned from Bhagavan the title Assistant Sarvadhikari! Bhagavan said that some people believed that the white peacock was the reincarnation of Madhavaswami; and ever afterwards Bhagavan used to address him as ‘Madhava’. On June 20, 1947, G.V.Subburamayya composed eight Telugu verses on the white peacock in Mayura Vrittam (peacock-metre) and presented them to Bhagavan in the Jubilee pandal. Bhagavan appeared greatly pleased with them and, handing them to Lalita Venkataraman, suggested that she might sing them with her vina. Within half an hour she brought her vina and got ready to sing. Just then the white peacock was absent. Bhagavan said, “But the hero must be present to hear his praises sung! Where are you, Madhava? come.” Lo! at once the white peacock jumped down from the roof of the pandal; and while Lalita sang, he spread out his tail feather and danced as Bhagavan sat and watched him with beaming eyes. When the singing concluded, the peacock walked to the vina and pecked at its strings with his beak. Thereupon Bhagavan told the singer, “Madhava wants you to repeat the song.” So she sang once more and the peacock danced again. It was a sight for the gods to see.

Verse 1:- White Peacock, speak quick, art thou Ayyaswami who, saying ‘I will never leave you whatever might happen,’ to serve his own Guru, assumed this shape on earth!

Verse 2:- (Or) say O White Peacock, art thou Madhavan, so sweet-natured, who, while enjoying the bliss of serving the feet of Sri Ramana, was snatched away by dull Fate, and has returned thus to Sri Ramana on this earth!

Verse 3:- Without any diffidence or hesitancy for being new, thou cheerfully exercisest supervision everywhere in the Ashram. Thou also seekest to set books aright. Say, O White Peacock, how hast thou acquired this devotion!

Verse 4:- Seeing thy lustre, thy beauty, thy graceful gait, thy tremulous gestures, thy gleam and glitter, O White Peacock, our eyes thrill as though Heaven had descended upon earth to dance….

Verse 5:- Bhagavan incessantly gives thee His look overflowing with Grace, love, and great compassion; and He always talks of thee with exceeding zeal. Thou art verily Goddess Lakshmi of Sri Ramanashram,

O Peacock!...

Verse 6:- To run as fast to hear the vina-music and dance, so finely and wonderfully, to get imprinted thus in the pure mind of Sri Ramana of Arunachala, thou mayst be the Goddess Saraswati incarnate, O Peacock!...

Verse 7:-  Perhaps the radiance of Satvaguna (purity and light) has thus manifested in shape. Perhaps the Vedic utterance, That Thou art, Bhagavan’s exclusive possession complete perfection, art thou alone, O White Peacock!...

Verse 8:- Where is this Arunachala! Where is that Baroda! Having been born there, to have thus joined Maharshi here, art thou the Peacock of God Skanda, O thou of moon-like body? Hail to thee, O beloved Son of Bhagavan!”