I crushed my fitness goal yesterday and gave myself a well-deserved pat on the back. But today? Not so much—missed my goal. 😔 But this post isn’t about fitness; it’s about a lovely little distraction I enjoyed during my tea break.

While watering the plants on my terrace, I spotted a beautifully bloomed rose and couldn’t help but admire it. That’s when a thought struck me. In Sanskrit poetry, the lotus is often referred to as the Sun’s beloved, blossoming when the Sun rises and closing as it sets. But roses also bloom under the Sun’s rays, so why not extend the same poetic love to them?

Inspired, I decided to try my hand at composing a verse in Arya metre—my favorite! After a long hiatus, I came up with the verse below. It might not be my best work, but hey, it’s a start! So, cut me some slack on this one!

सुन्दरतायां तव वा
वर्णे वा नैव हीनता कापि।
अथ कस्मात् कारणतो
मरीचिकान्ताब्जमिति कीर्तिः॥

“With your beauty and hue beyond reproach, why is all the fame reserved for the lotus as the Sun’s beloved?”