In this series, we present, each month, a prayer kirtan composed by His Holiness Maharanyam Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji. These kirtans underline the importance of prayers and show us how to pray.
You Gave Me Much Unasked; Now Give me What I Ask For!
Devotees charm the Lord with their devotion. There is nothing sweeter than love for the Lord. And, when a Lord is pleased with His devotee, he goes to great lengths to please the devotee in return.
Take Sudama, the childhood friend of Krishna, what did he offer to the Lord? All he could afford was three handfuls of puffed rice. The Lord ate it happily. And what did He give in return? He showered wealth and prosperity on Sudama.
Similarly, he bestowed beauty to Kubja, the hunchback in Mathura, who offered him some sandalwood paste. And for the fruit-seller who gave him some fruits in exchange for some grains, did he not bless her with precious gems?
The Lord will bestow worldly pleasures and beyond, unasked. What then can be said of His boundless grace, if we ask Him for His grace with a sincere prayer? Won’t he immediately shower it on us?
It is this boundless grace that Sri Swamiji extolls in the kirtan “Ketkamalae pala nanmaigalai”, set in Reetigowlai raga and offers a prayer to the Lord for the knowledge of the Self, devotion, dispassion and eventually liberation. The lyrics and its meaning are presented here for you.
Ketkamale Pala Nanmaigalai
Ragam: Reetigowlai Language: Tamil
ketkAmale pala nanmaigaLai
aruL purindAye kaNNA
palamurai nAn kETTum aruLAdadu Eno
jnAna bhakti virakti tannai kaNNA
kAlam kaniya veNDum enDRu kAttirundAl
adarkuL kAlan vandu viTTAl nAn en seivEn
mum mUrtigaLin mudalvan nIye
mukti aLipadilum mudalvan nIye
muktargaLum tozhudiDum mukundA
mukti veNDi unai sharan aDaindEnE
Meaning
Unasked, innumerable acts of kindness,
You bestowed, O Krishna!
Yet, despite pleading many times, you refrain from bestowing
Knowledge, Devotion and Dispassion, O Krishna
Are you waiting for the opportune moment?
While you are waiting, what if my time (on Earth) is up? What will become of me?
You are the foremost among the Trinity,
You are unmatched when it comes to bestowing liberation
O Mukunda! The One worshipped even by liberated souls
Yearning for liberation, I surrender unto You
Sowmya Balasubramanian, Fremont CA
