Lekhanath Paudyal
She plays the lute of the tender soul,
Plucking thousands of sweet sounds
With the gentle nails of the mind,
As she sits upon the heart’s opened lotus:
May I never forget, for the whole of my life,
The goddess Saraswati
She wears a crystal necklace
Of clear and lovely shapes, a
It refines the practical arts of this world,
And my heart ever fills with her waves of light:
May I never forget, through the whole of my life,
The goddess Saraswati.
She keeps the great book of remembrance,
Recording all things seen, heard, and felt,
All are entered in their fullness,
And nothing is omitted:
May I never forget, through the whole of my life,
The goddess Saraswati.
She rides the quick and magical swan[5] Which dives and plays in our hearts’ deep lake,
And she brings to life the world’s games and their glory:
May I never forget, through the whole of my life,
The goddess Saraswati.
“When you come to comprehend
The world-pervading sweetness
Of this my art of living,
Your fear and ignorance must surely end.”
With this she gestures reassurance
May I never forget, through the whole of my life,
The goddess Saraswati.
(from Adhunik Nepali Kavita 1971, published by Nepal Academy)