Mmgl Part 019-001 - Prison Turned Charity House Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

(Udayakumaran requested Sambapathi
to show Manimegalai. There one
statue explained the futility in his
attempts. He then left that place.
In disguise as Kayachandigai
she continued to do her charity
role. She went once to the prison
house and gave food. The jailors
told the king about this. The king
ordered them to bring her to him.
He asked her what he could for her.
On her appeal, he ordered to turn
the prison house into a charity house.)

DEITY STATUE ADVISED

With his mind, body and soul
And his heart as a whole,
The prince prayed Sambapathi.
He vowed to take Manimegalai.

A nearby statue heard his prayer.
It told, "Oh prince, such a favor
How dare you ask our goddess?
It exposes your tongue's weakness."

WONDERED AND CHANGED

The prince's mind got disturbed
On the statue's words what he heard.
"Don't keep your thoughts on her.
She isn't for you, forget her."

To the prince it was a wonder,
How she served the hunger
With food from a small bowl
That never seemed to fail.

"How a statue could talk
And about her speak? "
He realized her greatness,
Side by side his weakness.

WENT WITH A DEEP SIGH

It was time for the sunset
The world was in its wait
To receive the darkness
In its nocturnal eagerness.

Like a run away elephant,
When mad it was in its heat,
The prince came out
With his body hot.

As usual, the lads of the town,
With their love birds were seen,
But the poor prince went alone.
His love in pieces it was torn.

IN DISGUISE AS KAYACHANDIGAI

In the temple of Sambapathi
She couldn't stay as Manimegalai
For fear of the prince behind her,
Also it was any time risky for her.

Kayachandigai was known
To everyone in the town,
So, to disguise in her shape
It was Manimegalai's only hope.

She served in that new role
Food to all the needy people,
And thus her holy mission
It continued to function.

WANDERED ALL AROUIND

"It's my duty as an ascetic
To one place not to stick,
But I shall go out to meet
Needy ones in every street."

So, with the bowl in her hand
In Pugar Town she went round.
Thus she drove away the hunger
Wherever housed they were.

WENT TO THE PRISON HOUSE

In the prison house she entered.
There her role became centered.
The prisoners were satisfied,
With the nice food she served.

WONDERED AND HURRIED

"How one bowl too small
That served the prisoners all"
To wonder the jailers began,
And to the king they ran.

KING WAS IN THE GARDEN

Mavali was a demon king once.
He was a villain against peace,
But was the most charitable person,
Who gave whatever asked to anyone.

Lord Thirumal, who was tall,
He came as a man too small.
His three foot steps of land,
He begged from Mavali's hand.

Mavali agreed to give readily.
The Lord measured hurriedly,
Kept in the Heaven his one step,
And on the land his second step.

Where to keep the third step?
He kept it on Mavali's head up.
He then pressed the demon
Far below the ground down.

Mavali's descendant was the queen.
With the king she was in the garden.
The king was enjoying every scene
That was before him to be seen.

HE SAW FLOWERS

In the tree branches dragon-flies
They sounded their flutes.
In the flower garden the bees
They sounded their veenas.

The colorful peacock danced free.
To the cuckoo's tunes from the tree,
And the king was happy to see
All these creatures care-free.

FOLK DANCE, IS THIS?

With the swan pairs in the pond
The pairs of peacocks were fond
Of dancing in the flower garden.
He enjoyed this lovely scene.

Their dance was like folk one
That was played by Lord Krishnan
And His brother Balaraman
In their lovely flower garden.

SHE FED PARROTS

He saw a few peacocks
Happily eating mangoes,
And gave also to parrots
A part of these fruits.

It was like a maiden
Feeding her children
With all her affection,
In a flower garden.

LOVER'S SWING

A male monkey on one side
With its two pairs it played
And the lover's swing it pushed
Where the pairs sat blushed.