You never discriminate, and whatever you accept, you completely incinerate

Every auspicious event is marked by your presence

Everyone circumambulates around you in reverence

Like all sentient beings, you seem to have a life of your own

Just like the fabric of life, which is intricately woven

You remain still in the absence of wind

When you rage, there is nothing that isn’t singed

In the aftermath, there is no life left, barring a few

This is the beginning of mother nature’s coming anew

Your glow provides warmth to the withered heart

When the smoldering embers die, is when one gets to the saddest part

No offering to the Divine is complete without you

The leaping flames signify that the Gods have accepted it without further ado

You are the constant companion of the sages

This has been a practice since the ages

They look upon you as a part of their existence

As you are the one that provides sustenance

The fire within the ascetic burns bright,

Bringing ancient wisdom to light

When the pyre is lit with fire,

You help douse all the desires

From a single lit lamp to the blazing Sun

You truly are the magnificent one.

Photo Credit Max Kukurudziak on Unsplash