Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol. 8

SHE is anointed with camphor and sandal

And He with ashes of the funeral pyre;

She wears true ear-rings

And He rings of swaying snakes;

I bow to Her, I bow to Him.

She is decorated with garlands of Mandara

And He with garlands of human skulls;

She is girt with heavenly robes

And He with the vacant spaces;

I bow to Her, I bow to Him.

Her anklets stir and jingle

And His, the serpent-hoods, gleam and swing;

Her limbs are decked with gold

And His with the heads of hissing vipers;

I bow to Her, I bow to Him.

Her eye is as the tremulous blue lotus

And His the red lotus blooming;

Her globes of vision are a triplet

And His too have the same number uneven;

I bow to Her, I bow to Him.

She is seated at ease on the back of Her devoted minion

And He in His deadly dance destroys the worlds;

She it was who created Kama, the god of love,

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And He destroyed him;

I bow to Her, I bow to Him.

Her half of the body is golden like champa flower,

His half is as white as camphor-dust;

Hers are the flowing tresses

And His the matted hair;

I bow to Her, I bow to Him.

Indeed, dark like clouds are Her massive hair

And His the twisted locks and a body smeared with ashes;

O, the Mother of the worlds! O, the Father!

I bow to Ishwari (Shiva) and I bow to Ishwara (Shiv).

Ever She embellishes the good,

Ever He embellishes the evil;

She is one with Ishwara (Shiv)

And He is one with Ishwari (Shiva);

I bow down to Ishwari (Shiva), I bow down to Ishwara (Shiv).

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