Shivam

 

Shivam

Shivam is the stillness of the inner mind,

Shivam is the movement of the outer world.

Shivam expresses through the five elements:

as vast space that holds all things,

as air that dances as life,

as fire that hungers and shines,

as water that journeys,

as earth that steadies.

Shivam sings as the sentient pulse

in birds that stitch dawn with songs,

in frogs that bead the night with rhythm,

in creatures that wander by sun and by moon,

in humans crowned with imagined thrones.

Shivam rests as insentient rock

Shivam is pure existence, Sat.

Shivam shines as cosmic intelligence, Chit.

Shivam is absolute happiness, Ananda.

Shivam is the single undivided mass of awareness.

Immanent in all,

yet transcending all.

Shivam cannot be seen or grasped.

Shivam cannot be known by inference.

Shivam cannot be enveloped by thought.

Shivam cannot be communicated.

Shivam cannot be described.

Only when the movement of mind falls silent,

in the depth of inner stillness,

does Shivam reveal itself.

Shivam is the 'I',

The truth that manifests as 'aham',

The intelligence that writes, speaks and exists,

The happiness that is eternal,

Shivam is the all encompassing auspiciousness!

When Shivam is known,

the universe resolves into that knowing,

and that knowing shines

as its own self-luminous light.

Poem sprung during meditation at Ramana Satsang 

Inspired by the word Shivam in Mandukya Upnaiṣad Mantra 7

नान्तःप्रज्ञं न बहिष्प्रज्ञं नोभयतःप्रज्ञं न प्रज्ञानघनं

न प्रज्ञं नाप्रज्ञम् । अदृष्टमव्यवहार्यमग्राह्यमलक्षणं

अचिन्त्यमव्यपदेश्यमेकात्मप्रत्ययसारं प्रपञ्चोपशमं

शान्तं शिवम् अद्वैतं चतुर्थं मन्यन्ते स आत्मा स विज्ञेयः