Ramkali-VII
(Yogis)

I

1

The glorious yogis in this world,<
some 'Fire' bring, some 'Light'-
Who kindle themselves to 'ignite',
"I cannot live without them"!

2

I on a festal bed did sleep,
then from a sigh woke I,
Those who aroused me with a sigh
"I cannot live without them"-

3

The music of renouncing ones
great 'wealth' for me is this
They have no need of words; nor speech
their way and fashion is
Ah, those that have 'become', I wis,
"I cannot live without them"-

4

O nothing with themselves they take,
with 'Self' they parted company-
And those in whom such traits I see,
"I cannot live without them"!

II

5

With hunger yogis pack their bags
preparing for a revelry...
By tempting foods, they are not moved,
and out they pour so lustily
The 'thirst' to drink; their minds they flog
until like beaten flax they be...
So through long wastes they wade, to see
at last fertility and life!

6

Food has no charm for yogis, since
it left them with a bitter taste;
From human beings they beg not;
their call for help is in the waste;
They choose poverty, and embraced
sorrow with reverence sincere!

7

No bowls they carry, nor to ask
from houses they do care;
God-loving, oh so far away
from human-doors they fare
No law they need, within they bear
a court of justice pure!

8

They sleep at sunset, and again
at midnight rise, God-lovers these-
Their faces only wash with dust...
When dawn approaches then one sees
them lie by road-side ill at ease;
that they are 'Yogis', ne'er they tell.

9

These God-lovers, they do unfold
humility within their eyes-
They have no fathers, mothers, castes,
no pedigrees, no ties untold;
God is their One relationship
that they within their pure souls hold;
Of all the treasures mainfold
a lion-cloth all their savings is.

10

And when their lion-cloth they have bound
ablutions more they do not need...
They too had heard the holy call,
Before Islam that did sound
All ties they severed, and they found
at last the guide they wished to meet.

11

The selfless ones you know by this,
that no desire they do bear;
Their sign the non-dependence is,
and freedom from relationship.

12

Whose heads bent on their knees must be,
their beings integrated are;
Their hearts like compass do return
to the Divine perpetually- divested are by 'Reality';
From sin's account-giving all free,
are those whose state 'Direction' is!

III

13

This night they will with you remain,
tomorrow they will wend their way;
A longing for the patient ones
in every of your veins retain;
For, only fate will bring again
this kind of yogis to your door.

14

They will abide with you today,
tomorrow they will disappear-
On yogis feast, and so enrich
your soul, before they go away...
Oh seek their feet, or else you may
pine vainly after they are gone.

15

Before they leave your homely door,
with them a heart-to-heart talk have;
And sacrifice yourself on them
ten times during the day, or more-
As soon they leave for Hingalore,
then only fate can bring them back!

16

God-seeker's voice today I miss,
the courtyard now is desolute;
The sight of empty places here,
Kills me, so tortuous it is-
Who to the soul gave life and bliss,
the selfless ones, departed are!

17

Today the yogis disappeared,
remembering them, I wept whole night;
Those whom I searched and so revered,
are vanished never to return...

18

As men are hunting after food,
would they journey's direction ask;
E'en creeping , they in holy mood
the track would find, and all woe.

19

And as for bread some chase, were they
in self-same manner seek for God
They'd drag themselves to find the way,
and their sorrows then would end!

20

What feast is for the vulgar, know
sweet hunger that for yogis is;
They love to keep the fast and go
ne'er near where feasts they see.

21

The yogis that are favouring still
delicious morsels, garments fine;
To get near God they never will
but far away from Him they dwell.

22 as always wet they are...
They wake and weep and so they keep
sleep at a distance far!

23

Alas! correctly you don't hear
with ears appended to your head-
The 'Message' you should hear instead
with ears that are within you placed.

24

In asinine ears do not trust,
dispose of them without delay;
Purchase such ears with which you mayIV

25

Purpose that made them yogis,
so long that's not attained,
So long renouncers' life constrained
To tears and longing is.

26

They never laugh, nor do they feast-
With no man do converse-
In depths profound they do immerse
'These' are the mystery!

27

Where there's no height, no heaven,
And of the earth no trace;
Where moon doth never rise, nor sun
Doth ever show his face;
There yogis see their limits,
And see their resting place-
Their clues reach far, till now their gaze
Found in negation Reality!
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"The strongest man in this world is the one who stands most alone"