Basuri

जय श्रीकृष्ण !!

As per the widespread knowledge, The Basuri-making artisan/ craftsman cuts and procures the raw bamboo on some specific days of the month, according to Hindu Panchanga.

The artisan has observed that when the bamboo is cut on Panchami, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami, or Dashami, the bamboo invariably gets infested and has to be thrashed. The philosophical reasoning explained for this is something like this. Panchami, Saptami…..and Dashami are tithis in a Vedic calendar representing the days in a month. So if we read these words in Marathi, we see that all these words end in “Mi,” which means “I, myself, ego.” Symbolically, the terms loaded with so much ego and arrogance lead to self-destruction and, in turn, to failed work. It’s impressive to see this explanation by the artisan of the Basuri.

We also know that Basuri is the favorite instrument of Shree Krishna Bhagawan, as we have never seen Shree Krishna Bhagawan without his beloved flute. So, once, all the gopikas who are very jealous of the Basuri as it is always so close to Bhgawan gang up against the Murali. The Gopis question the closeness of Basuri with Krisha and ask her. What’s so special about you that we do not have? We always are around Krishna and always praise him. You are so simple and not even beautiful. But Krishna always prefers to have you near him, and that too so close to his lips. What magic did you perform that Krishna loves you so much?

Basuri smiled, and she replied, ‘You all become like me, then automatically Krishna will be pleased, and he will accept and allow you closer to him.

The confused Gopis asked the Basuri to elaborate. For which the Basuri said. You become like me. I am simple and straight; I possess no twists and turns, nor do I have any knots. I am entirely hollow inside. All my ego and arrogance have vanished, and I am just a hollow stick. The six apertures that you see are there as I have given up the six negative qualities, namely Kaam(Desire), Kordh(Anger), Lobh(Greed), Moh (Attachment), Mad (arrogance), and Matsar( Envy) through these apertures. I don’t have a voice of my own. I can talk only when my beloved blows air. The quality of my voice entirely depends on the person operating me. Hearing this, the Gopikas were speechless.

A person who is egoless and is not arrogant leads a happy, peaceful, and fruitful life. Such a human grows spiritually and abandons all worldly pleasures. He Immerses completely in devotion, becomes one with Krishna, and experiences true Bliss.

Another symbolic explanation is that the six apertures represent the six yogic chakras:

• The root chakra, or Muladhara
• The sacral chakra, or Svadhisthana
• The solar plexus chakra, or Manipura
• The heart chakra, or Anahata
• The throat chakra, or Vishuddha, and 
• The third eye chakra, or Ajna

The first hole above the six represents the (sahasrachakra) or the thousand-petaled lotus.

When Shree Krishna Bhagawwan plays his flute, he activates the internally oriented actions (prana karmas) that block the six chakras, thereby activating, stabilizing, and reorienting our out-of-sync, disturbed chakras, which leads to our purification and spiritual growth. It is through the practice of prana karma that the Paramatma is visualized and reached.

Read this little piece on a Whatsapp forward. Felt like sharing it with you all. But it’s more for myself. A way of knowing, understanding, and documenting the stories of our Shree Krishna Bhagwan in my own humble endeavor to follow our great Vedic practice of Shravana means hearing — Hearing the stories of Bhagwan, and “Manana” means contemplating. The third is “Nididhyasana,” which means living and breathing the truth, as explained by Bhagwan. 

Om Shree Krishnarapnamatu 🙏

P.S. I was searching for an appropriate picture to share with this write-up. So did this quick sketch on the tab—my first trial with the digital canvas.