Given the Ramdas Navami, it was inevitble that i would unmistakably and ardently remember Aai's devotion to and respect for him. Papa, too, liked and worshipped him. Aai studied his treatises as part of a proper, formal course. In the early 1990's, without fail, she used to go to Sajjangad for a week-long camp. Her description of Shivtharghal used to be full of her wonderstruck admiration. For more than half a decade, she was an instructor of and examiner for the Sant Ramdas Study Course.
Beyond all the ugly controversies with all the attendant politicisation, i find Sant Ramdas to be a great philosopher and a wonderful poet. Often many people think that he asserted the practicality of the daily lived life. I do not think so at all. He is a deep philosopher.
He is a great poet as well. Marathi, comparatively a hard, a rather harsh-on-ears kind of language, unlike Bengali or French, becomes musical in his hands. His writings have an innate lyrical and rhythmical quality to them. Alliteration, assonance, consonance are his best tools.
Still greater is his content. He captures most subtly and lyrically the "night of the soul" feel. Want proof? Read his "Karunashtak". They capture the depression of the devotee in a deeply realistic and yet intensely poetic way. One of these days, very soon, i am going to publish these in English translation. Thus would be proved his greatness as a thinker and a poet beyond doubt!
Pratima@ Hope that my version of 'Says Ramdasa' would be as famous 'Kahe Kabira"!
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