Holding her mother’s fingers
the little girl takes a stroll
in the garden.
carry two palmyra baskets,
one for the holy leaves,
the other for the flowers,
a morning duty mother
and child perform. A diligence
to honour their Puja.
Mother halts first near
the Vilva tree (Bael tree) plucks
the trifoliate leaves or tripatra.
The child questions.
the three in one concept.
mother sets out with explanations
the leaves represent
three “gunas” or qualities,
“sattva , rajas and tamas”
or the three syllables
that make up “AUM”
the primordial sound
which resonates Shiva’s
essence. The child turns
even more curious,
as the mother continues
saying they indicate
Mahadeva’s three eyes,
The leaves could denote “Trishul”.
Shiva’s emblematic weapon, mother
and child make their way back,
having experienced reverberance
and an early morning sun bath
not one of deliberation
Meenas Poems 