Aranyani
In Hinduism, Aranyani is a goddess of the forests and the animals that dwell within them.
Aranyani has the distinction of having one of the most descriptive hymns in the Rigveda dedicated to her, in which she is described as being elusive, fond of quiet glades in the jungle, and fearless of remote places. In the hymn, the supplicant entreats her to explain how she wanders so far from the fringe of civilization without becoming afraid or lonely. She wears anklets with bells, and though seldom seen, she can be heard by the tinkling of her anklets. She is also described as a dancer. Her ability to feed both man and animals though she 'tills no lands' is what the supplicant finds most marvellous. The hymn is repeated in Taittiriya Brahmana and interpreted by the commentator of that work.
Aranyani bears resemblance to later day forest deities like Bonobibi in Bengal, Vanadevata in Goa and Konkan, Vanadurga in parts of South India. Her worship has declined in modern-day Hinduism, and it is rare to find a temple dedicated to Aranyani.
Podcasts:
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by Erin Hay
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by Erin Hay
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by Erin Hay
Sissy Sing That Song
by: Erin Hay"Sissy Sing That Song"
An old upright piano never quite in tune
A hymn book from the Pentecostal church
Three generations gathered in Grandma's living room
Sister played and we all sang for all we's worth
Now gone are those days when Sissy played Grandma's piano
That piece of history has come and gone
I've forgotten most songs we sang together, all but one
The one that I remember was my Grandpa's favorite song.. He'd say
(Chorus # 1)
Sissy sing that song about when Jesus takes us home
When life's old weary road comes to an end
Sing about those streets of gold, where we never will grow old
Sissy want you sing that song again
Days turn into years but we never think of it
Til a phone rings in the middle of the night
Grandpa's taken sick and they're callin' in the kids
You wipe a million memories from your eyes
Then you drive all night cause Grandpa he's a fighter
And that old man's hangin' on to buy you time
When all his family's gathered round his bedside, then he smiles
Then he whispers Sissy, won't you sing that song of mine
(Chors # 2)
And we all sing along as Jesus came to take him home
As his ol weary road came to an end
We sang about those streets of gold where he never will grow old
We all sang it one last time for him ...... He'd say
(Repeat First Chorus)
Lonnie Ratliff / Pete Parrish
Copr. Okie Acres Music (BMI)
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