Maitreyi got up from sleep suddenly with trepidation in her heart. She felt weary, as if she had lived through an aeon. It was as if a messenger had come knocking at her door announcing the end of an era. She did not know what to mak of this premonition. She had no desire left for any new vistas life could possibly have in siore for her. Could there be something beyond the joys and sorows of this earth? Eternal sleep perhaps! Or a new dawn, beyond hopes and despair!
She sat up in bed, her eyes wide open, facing the east. The sky was gradually showing streaks of light which spread across its expanse. but there was still time for the perfect sunrise. She went out, washed herself and returned to face the new day.
She found the door of her cottage thrown wide open, indicating the presence of someone who had probably entered in while she was away. As she stepped in cautiously, she found herself face to face with Yajnyawalkya!
The word escaped from he mouth; unknown to he, she uttered his name. He heard it in the silence of the dawn. Without a word, he moved forward and held her close to his heart. She could feel his heart pounding close to her. There was no other sound her ears could receive in that silence. It was the end of all joys and sorrows, but it was not sleep. Her soul was awake as never before. She would never want to fall asleep hereafter.
He could feel her breath in ecstasy, escaping and returning to proclaim the eternity of that moment. The rest of the world was absent. There was no world outside the two of them and nothing of the world could enter inside them. For an interminable moment they absorbed each other; it was nothing else but the feel of each other's presence in their breath and the sound of each other's heart beats heard in the depth of the silence.
When she disengaged herself from his clasp to look at him, she was overwhelmed by his presence. Her vision failed her and she swooned in his arms. When she came around, he was supporting and fanning her to bring her back to consciousness. She was stable enough now to look at him. He knew , she would not speak. He stroked her head and ran his fingers through her hair.
"I know, you did not want to see me, " he said fearfully.
She closed her eyes, as if to take him in completely. "I have no need to look at you now," she said.
There was silence all around as she said this.
He watched her frail body as she held herself away from him, reluctant to be shielded and supported by him. She was shivering from the memory of the days gone by. He looked out of the window. There was mist in the sky, which seemed to prolong the night. After a few moments there was a moonbeam streaming in from the window, which made him realize, it was not mist, but a cloud which had covered the full moon, and had now floated away. The moonlight fell on her and revealed her countenance. She looked like a swan that had dipped its wings to alight on the banks of water after a long and tedious flight. The sky looked on ironically, asking the cloud, "When will you rain?"
She was sitting at a distance from him, clutching the end of her garment. She let go of it when she felt his eyes studying her quietly. She stirred uneasily. Her eyes were dimly lit with desire. He wanted to soak her in; her silent renunciation of everything that belonged to her was painful. It hurt him. The words of a prayer learnt in childhood, echoed back in his mind as he watched her.
'All this that we see,
Needs to be inhabited by Him.
Whatever lives in the living beings,
Indeed belongs to Him.
Take therefore, only that
Which He reserves for you
After He has had His share of it.'
What did he have in reserve for her now? Was he God to feed her on what remained after the fire had consumed the life out of the offering?
To be contd.
She sat up in bed, her eyes wide open, facing the east. The sky was gradually showing streaks of light which spread across its expanse. but there was still time for the perfect sunrise. She went out, washed herself and returned to face the new day.
She found the door of her cottage thrown wide open, indicating the presence of someone who had probably entered in while she was away. As she stepped in cautiously, she found herself face to face with Yajnyawalkya!
The word escaped from he mouth; unknown to he, she uttered his name. He heard it in the silence of the dawn. Without a word, he moved forward and held her close to his heart. She could feel his heart pounding close to her. There was no other sound her ears could receive in that silence. It was the end of all joys and sorrows, but it was not sleep. Her soul was awake as never before. She would never want to fall asleep hereafter.
He could feel her breath in ecstasy, escaping and returning to proclaim the eternity of that moment. The rest of the world was absent. There was no world outside the two of them and nothing of the world could enter inside them. For an interminable moment they absorbed each other; it was nothing else but the feel of each other's presence in their breath and the sound of each other's heart beats heard in the depth of the silence.
When she disengaged herself from his clasp to look at him, she was overwhelmed by his presence. Her vision failed her and she swooned in his arms. When she came around, he was supporting and fanning her to bring her back to consciousness. She was stable enough now to look at him. He knew , she would not speak. He stroked her head and ran his fingers through her hair.
"I know, you did not want to see me, " he said fearfully.
She closed her eyes, as if to take him in completely. "I have no need to look at you now," she said.
There was silence all around as she said this.
He watched her frail body as she held herself away from him, reluctant to be shielded and supported by him. She was shivering from the memory of the days gone by. He looked out of the window. There was mist in the sky, which seemed to prolong the night. After a few moments there was a moonbeam streaming in from the window, which made him realize, it was not mist, but a cloud which had covered the full moon, and had now floated away. The moonlight fell on her and revealed her countenance. She looked like a swan that had dipped its wings to alight on the banks of water after a long and tedious flight. The sky looked on ironically, asking the cloud, "When will you rain?"
She was sitting at a distance from him, clutching the end of her garment. She let go of it when she felt his eyes studying her quietly. She stirred uneasily. Her eyes were dimly lit with desire. He wanted to soak her in; her silent renunciation of everything that belonged to her was painful. It hurt him. The words of a prayer learnt in childhood, echoed back in his mind as he watched her.
'All this that we see,
Needs to be inhabited by Him.
Whatever lives in the living beings,
Indeed belongs to Him.
Take therefore, only that
Which He reserves for you
After He has had His share of it.'
What did he have in reserve for her now? Was he God to feed her on what remained after the fire had consumed the life out of the offering?
To be contd.
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