940. Mother, I Am Ashamed And Embarrassed! 280308 Poem by Raman Savithiri

Amma,

The smallest one-celled creatures to broadest banyan,
The tiniest amoebas to largest whale are Your children.
I too being minute part of vast varieties of Your creation,
Should be a person to possess brotherhood with everyone!

But, I am ashamed and turn into embarrassed –

When I need to quench my hunger and thirst,
While many starve to death in famine burst!
When I walk head upright with costly dress
While many are seen in rag and in distress!

I am ashamed and turn into embarrassed –

When I send my kid of my blood to school dignified,
While countless are not having any chance signified!
When I feed my children with splendid food everyday
While several are living on dustbins and leftover hay!

I am ashamed and turn into embarrassed –

When I delight in fine arts like music and dance,
While countless are wedged to be blind and deaf!
When I study and preach Veda and high philosophy,
While several toil till end and in want of philanthropy!

I am ashamed and turn into embarrassed –

When I see dead birds because of plastic, in pacific,
While still ruthlessly I continue to use fatal plastic!
When I know global warming is caused by pollution,
While I stop not being after cars, fridges, air condition…!

I am ashamed and turn into embarrassed –

When atomic and nuclear bombs are outcome of technology,
While I earn my livelihood by teaching the same methodology!
When mankind forgot the meaning of sublime brotherhood,
While I still continue to be the part of harebrained mankind! 280308
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There are many situations when I felt very guilty. A few are below to explain the poem.

1) Few years back I had been to Quilon in Kerela to have Amritanandamayi’s Darshan. There were around 5000 people waiting. I got my token and I was about see Her after around 400 members.

That time I noticed another lady was suffering from fever, too waiting. She had a little daughter also with her. Her token number was around 2000. She did not ask me directly my token. But her condition was miserable. I got up from my place and went to the volunteer who was in charge of allowing us to the line towards Amma. I explained that that lady was suffering, and requested to let her in the line as soon as possible. But that volunteer was very strict. She did not allow that suffering lady.

What I must have done? I must have given my token to her. But my desire to see Amma was so strong, that I neglected my intuition to help her in that way. I left her to her own suffering and went to Amma when my turn came. Normally when I go for darshan Amma would ask me to sit near Her for sometime. That time she did not. I knew the reason. Till today I feel very shame on my selfishness.

2) I got married before my closest friend got married. I knew my friend did not feel happy due to her binding economical situations. Whenever I spent time with my good husband, I used tell him, “See, I feel for my friend, when she is not bestowed this joyful married life I am not entirely happy to be with you.” That was something like, that I alone relished some dish when she was hungry. She got married next year to my relief.


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This poem is to correct myself, not to command God. In this so advanced technological world, there are chances many to share things and live happily. There would be no situation to let any one go hungry. Nature produces for all. We spend millions of dollars to war and war related items. We spend millions of dollars to get a stone from a distanced planet. But why do we leave our own mankind to hunger and thirst? In this era of transport and communication could not we feed all mouths daily by distributing the products evenly to one and all?