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The Divine Lullaby

The story of Queen Madālasā's Lullaby holds a special place due to its deep meaning in explaining life's core truths in the form of a lullaby.


The story of Queen Madālasā is in Chapters 25-30 of the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa. The Mārkaṇḍeya is one of the eighteen ‘great Purāṇas’ (Mahāpurāṇas) relating to Brahmā, said to have been narrated by the Riṛṣi Mārkaṇḍeya.

In this mythological tale, Queen Madālasā’s newborn child was named by the King. Upon hearing the name given by the King, the baby started to cry out loud. Madālasā sings this beautiful lullaby to pacify the child.


The Divine Lullaby


Translation

Why are you crying?
You are pure
The name you have acquired is not yours, merely a mind-created fiction applied to you
The body is not you, nor are you of it
The Lord of the universe doesn't cry either!
This sound is an illusion attributed to you
The qualities imagined as yours are inherent in all the senses
The insignificant elements within the man acquire the condition of growth through the addition of food, water and drink
It is not a growth or diminution of You
Within the body shell
You remain constant
Do not become confounded by this body which has been fastened upon you
Father, Son, Mother, Wife, Mine, Not Mine
Do not assign much significance to what is only an aggregation of elements
The deluded man thinks pains alleviate pain
The deluded man thinks enjoyment of pleasures gives happiness
The intelligent man whose mind is free from confusion knows pleasures and sorrows to be alike
The carriage goes upon the earth, the body is seated in the carriage
The Self resides within the body
The deluded Jiva thinks "I am this body"
The Self has no attachement to His carriage
Foolish is such ignorance!