8 Mar 2012, Amritapuri

I had a great Holi.  Even though we said that we should not celebrate Holi on our campus since we did not want students throwing color on each other in the classrooms. Nevertheless I  got my share of holi- when the Chancellor of the university doused me with color as I hid behind Her chair 🙂

I had gone near Amma in order for her to bless two research proposals that were written by the Electrical Engineering Department. I saw our Vice Chancellor near Amma’s chair so I walked up and squeezed myself near him and told him I have proposals for Amma to bless.  But Amma was busy talking to someone  and I was standing behind Amma’s chair.

Just as I thought the darshan was about to end, I saw an ashramite and his wife come to Amma with a plate full of coloured water, the pichkari (a water gun), and a bucket of water!!!!

Amma mixed the colors, and as we watched silently  in suspense she slowly filled the pichkari with the colored water. Everyone knew what would come next…slowly a roar went up as they were waiting for Amma to squirt the  water on them. Where would she squirt first? To her left? To her right?  Well, she took the pichkari, and full of mischief,  pointed it slowly at people as they waited for Her to squirt. She would point the pichkari at someone, and when the person would wince, waiting for the downpour of coloured water, she would move the pichkari away. Twice she did that- and suddenly started squirting  the water. She put colored powder on those sitting just next to the chair and squirted water on all sides.

Since I was right behind her chair I thought she won’t throw and color backwards. I had bent down under her chair but then just as I got up again –  BOOM! She picked up some colored powder and threw it backwards, straight on my face! I was coated  fully with that pink powder coming straight from Amma. I guess She literally made me more colourful!

After that Amma sang Ayi He Holi and Vraj Me Aisa. I went in the front to see her face clearly. She was swaying in bliss and singing.

The song goes:

Kanha Ek gopi anek
kis ke sang vo rachayenge ras?…

Shyam ke ye leela ko dekh
Vo hai Kade har Gopi ke pas.

Krishna is one but gopis are many. With whom will He dance the rasa dance?  But oh look at  his leela-  he is there next to each gopi!

As Amma sang “Kanha ek Gopi anek,” she was smiling at pointing to all of us in front of her “Gopi anek”… many gopis in front. .  and Kanha Ek.. she showed “One” with her hands.. and every time she sang “Gopi anek” she pointed to all the devotees in front of her.

And if these hundreds in front of her were the Gopis, what did they do? While singing the response, they all pointed out to Amma and said ‘ Kanha ek’ – meaning Krishna is one.

It was beautiful to watch her smile, singing “Gopi anek” and pointing to all of us and we pointing to Amma saying “Kanha anek.” It was sooo sweet.

I came back drenched with water, face full of color, and in bliss. The full moon was above and my mind went to Vraj, where the blue boy with his flute played holi with the gopis under the full moon near the glistening Yamuna. And the mind came back to the stage where this dance was enacted again.

Yes.  Vraj is now in Amritapuri.

– bala

ps: Of course, I forgot all about those proposals  that I had taken to her to bless.