The 10th C. CE Hindu poet-saint Devara Dasimayya was devoted to Siva, who was the supposed founder of the holy city of of Benares, or Varanasi as it is now known. One of the names for Siva is ‘Rama’s master’ or ‘Ramanatha.’ For more about Dasimayya, see this post.
To the utterly at-one with Siva
there’s no dawn,
no new moon,
no noonday,
nor equinoxes,
nor sunsets,
nor full moons;
his front yard
is the true Benares,
O Ramanatha.
Translation A. K. Ramanujan
This extraordinary poem has stayed with me for a number of days now, deeply calming some flighty aspect of my being. A quote found me this week, which speaks what I could not say:
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” -Leonardo da Vinci, painter, engineer, musician, and scientist (15 Apr 1452-1519)
Thank you, dear brother – I am happy that the poem reaches so deeply into your heart. And you share the quote from Leonardo very close to his birthday, which seems auspicious.