as a young child, i loved partaking of चरणामृत during satya-narayan puja….my mother made it with unboiled raw milk and added some तुलसी leaves and some other flavourings to it.

of late, i have been singing, ‘गुरु के चरण धोये धोये पीवा’…….co-relating it with चरणामृत, i asked my T-eacher, “is चरणामृत literal or metaphorical? he simply stated in one word, ‘literal.’

and i stayed with it…….’only love can make someone literally drink the washings of a guru’s feet.’

and my moment came – unexpectedly – in jammu – just a couple of days after the above संवाद.

as i watched an ardent devotee partake of the अमृत, i chimed, ‘i would like to do it too.’ and did – as V indulgently smiled at me.

guru ke charan dhoye dhoye peenwan is literal now……the image appears as i sing…..

-Chitra Jha