Arise, awake, and stop not till your goal is reached! -- Swami Vivekananda

I wake up every morning to M.S.Subbulakshmi's mellifluous voice chanting God's Own Wake Up Call - Suprabhatham.

Kowsalya supraja Rama poorva sandhya pravarthathe
Uthishta narasardoola karthavyam daivamahnikam

Sri Rama! Kausalya's endearing son! Wake up, dear;
You have to do Your day-to-day duties; Do wake up please.

Uthishtothishta Govinda uthishta garudadhwaja
Uthishta kamalakantha thrilokyam mangalam kuru

Sri Govinda! All the three worlds are under Your rule; they have to prosper. Wake up, my child.

As a child, I remember chanting this line over and over along with her, as this was the easiest to remember.

Sree Venkatachalapathe! thava suprabhatham

Hurry up! Lord Venkatesa, to bless them.

After the Suprabhatham, Thatha would meticulously play the Vishnu Sahasranamam (The thousand names of Lord Vishnu). Rajaji would start his speech on the A side of the cassette. I would groan, "Thatha not again!" But we would have to listen to it. Thatha would not allow anyone to fast forward it. Then M.S. would sing Bhaja Govindam.

The Vishnu Sahasranamam is about to start. I would look at the clock. 7 am. Time for Popeye The Sailor (pom! pom!) on Cartoon Network. Thatha and I would start arguing as to which is more important - meditating on Vishnu or listening to Popeye extol the virtues of spinach. Of course, at age ten, I had no dilemmas - Popeye won hands down.

This morning, there is neither Cartoon network nor Popeye. But M.S. is singing as usual, but from a CD. I realise that nothing can sound more divine than the vibrations of these sanskrit words that fall unconsciously into my ears. I bask in the sound of the Tambura.

Bhaswanudethi vikachani saroruhani
Sampoorayanthi ninadai: kakubho vihangha:
Sree vaishnavassathatha marthitha mangalasthe
Dhamasrayanthi thava Venkata! subrabhatham

The twitterings of birds on all sides proclaim the dawn of the day.
Devotees are gathered in numbers and they sing their vociferous adoration to You.

Padmeshamithra sathapathra kathalivargha
Harthum shriyam kuvalayasya nijanga Lakshmya
Bheree ninadamiva bibrathi theevranadam
Seshadri sekhara vibho! thava suprabhatham

The humming black bees seem to sing that they are far more attractive than the black 'Kuvali' flowers from which they draw honey.All the three of you namely, bees, flowers and Your Holy Self form a holy Trinity in colour and splendour.

Ah! The simple pleasure of waking up in the morning to face another day...