Ambadi in the time of Rice and Bhakri

One of the things that has happened since cable television , is that many stories that we heard from our grandmothers in our childhood, are now being shown as daily mythological soaps, where personalities are greatly emphasized.  In one such that i occasionally watch,  it has confirmed my opinion of Narad Muni, a sage, who specializes in triggering crises by disastrous information flow, and mindless information management ,  to say the least.

When Shruti Nargundkar, my friend from Melbourne, did  this recipe post about Gongura/Ambadi Pachadi,  Narad Muni suddenly came to mind.    With great respect to his learning and position as the guru of the gods, it occurs to me, that there is a bit of a proletarian touch  to Narad Muni, given his widely ranging travels, activities and participation,  much like the Gongura/Ambadi/Red Veined Sorrel leaves , which have great popularity across the country and elsewhere as comfort food for the ordinary man....   

स्वर्गात जर कधी अंबाडीची भाजी झाली तर त्याला वेगळेच नाव देतील … अंबाडी नाही, गोंगुरा नाही , पण नारद भाजी …. देशभर अनावरोधित वावर , कधी पठारावर, कधी डोंगरावर कधी सनातनी दाक्षिणात्य रागीट लाल बुंद देठे , कधी महालक्ष्मीच्या सानिध्यात शांतताप्रिय हिरवीगार देठे , सुरवातीला सुरवातीला निष्पाप अक्खी पाने, आणि अचानक किशोरवयात वेगवेगळे मेपल वाले आकार …। वरून दिसायला निरुपद्रवी, सर्वांना धरून, एकत्र गठ्या गठ्यात राहणारे , साधे वाटणारे , पण आतून आंबट लबाड , जरुरी प्रमाणे प्रसंग बघून रंग बदलणारे, कधी लस्णाला वाटत आपल्याशी बोलतायत, तेव्हा ज्वलंत लाल मिरच्याना कळ लावत असतात, तेलात वावर, आणि काळ वेळ बघून विविध डाळीन्शी युती. कान्देरावना वाटत, त्यांच आपल्याशिवाय अडलंय , तेव्हा मोहरी मेथी अप्सराङ्कडे बघून तेलात पडतं घेणारे नारद , आणि वातावरण यथेच्च गरम आणि एकजीव झाल्यावर सर्वांमध्ये ढवळा ढवळ करणारे नारद , स्वर्गीय भाताकडे , आणि वाट पाहणार्या भाकरीकडे , अतयंत निष्पापपणे नझर टाकतात आणि म्हणतात , "अरे संसार संसार , अंबाडी भाजी चुलीवर , नारायण, नारायण म्हणे, आता छान लागे भाकर…. "

If greens could be named after celestial personages, Ambadi/Gongura poshly known as red veined Sorrel , would qualify as Narad Muni. Unrestricted access across plains, plateaus and mountains, raging red stems in the orthodox South, a bit more accommodating green stems, intimidated by the power of Goddess Mahalakshmi in her lands, an innocent misleading roundness to life leafs, transforming into shapely maple like attitudes at puberty.. It's about safety in numbers, with an innocent face, a scheming, mischievous plan souring inside, an appearance changing to suit the heat. A smitten Garlic thinks its about her, while He is actually instigating the fiery red mirchis; He pretends to mix willingly with the elderly daals, as the onions think he is lost without them. And the all pervading, instigating Narad, finally succumbs to the charm of the cracklingly smart Mustardy Fenugreeky Apsaras, and falls straight into the oil. The tense stirring finale, the coming together, a unity of sorts, unbeliveable for a celestial Naradiya Green and when the excitement has died down, he takes a deep steamy breath, climbs onto the ladle, glances at the heavenly rice and bhakri hot in anticipation and says , "Narayan, Narayan , Life is all about the charms of Ambadi in the time of Rice and Bhakri ...."