FROWNING ATAHUALLPA (My Inca Love)

"Sitting all alone, looking at the throne of the one I used to love
Sitting all alone, looking at the stone of my lovely Inca love

The huntress stands, with peacock hands she'd take me to where she lie
She sighs so deep, it rocks the river of her stomach sky

The oval moon, it tans the faun who holds grapes for my love
Sitting all alone, sitting in the throne of my lovely inca love

Hare Krishna

I come from a time where the burning of trees was a crime,
I lived by a sea where to be was a thing of true joy,
My people were fair and had sky in their hair,
But now they're content to wear stars on their brows."
                                  Marc Bolan - My people were fair and had sky in their hair,
                                                              But now they're content to wear stars on their brows

Atahuallpa, King of the Incas was killed by Francisco Pizarro in 1533. Pizarro strangled the Inca King and cut his head off on purpose knowing that the King and his people believed he had to reach heaven, as a whole, to be able to meet with the Gods. Thus the Spanish invader cut the head and hid it so well as to bring fear among the people. For a very long time the Vatican refused to reveal where the King's head was actually hidden. It was finally found in Quipayan. His body wasn't too far in a Peruvian museum. Witnesses have said that when they joined the head to the body, a sparkling light left the body and raised to the sky. It was said he was a sad King because his love had died.

"Sitting all alone, looking at the throne of the one I used to love
Sitting all alone, looking at the stone of my lovely Inca love
The huntress stands, with peacock hands she'd take me to where she lie
She sighs so deep, it rocks the river of her stomach sky

The oval moon, it tans the faun who holds grapes for my love
Sitting all alone, sitting in the throne of my lovely Inca love

Love is powerful and real love is eternal. We've seen in another song, A DAYE LAYE that « Every dawn of our lives a heart is forged and linked with lore to one so similar »: this is the perfect example of two souls who were meant to meet again and again. This is a bond that goes beyond mundane explanations.
Moreover, such a love is rooted in knowledge of one's true origins. Lovers cannot but « dream » of a perfect world where they would be able to live their life to the fullest, knowing that this planet Earth isn't vast enough to contain their aspirations and hopes. In this particular song, Marc Bolan tells us about King Atahuallpa who has lost his beloved. One may experience solitude, but the solitude of he whose eternal lover has left this plane can only be compared to the spiritual quest of the sages hankering to meet God face to face...

This is probably the reason why Marc Bolan chooses to follow these lines with the Maha Mantra Hare Krishna. The word mantra comes from the Sanskrit words « mana », the mind, and « tra », to control. And « maha » means the great mantra. The mantra Hare Krishna is so powerful that the Vedic Scriptures say it can bring liberation to whoever chant these lines, even unconsciously. This very mantra used to be a secret and sacred mantra transmitted from spiritual master to disciple only and it was forbidden to chant it in public. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who came to Bengal in the late 15th Century organized huge sankirtan parties ( community chanting) to allow every living entities to hear and benefit from this sacred mantra. When confronted to the so-called gurus cursing him, Chaitanya and his followers would reply: « If I must be cursed because I have given this sacred mantra to every living entities so they can attain liberation, then let it be so! I happily accept the punishment. »  As for the mantra itself: Hare refers to the energy of God; Krishna is one of God's name meaning the « All-Attractive » and Rama is God's pleasure potency. « Dear Lord, You the All-Attractive, allow me to be your servant and relish your ever expanding love.»

Then Marc introduces some of the most beautiful lyrics of this album:

"I come from a time where the burning of trees was a crime,
I lived by a sea where to be was a thing of true joy,
My people were fair and had sky in their hair,
But now they're content to wear stars on their brows."

This verse is so close to the description of the spiritual abode that it makes a fitting conclusion to the story of King Atahuallpa who has lost his beloved, hankering to once again be re-united with her. It is also the feeling of the soul who has been endlessly wandering in this material universe, hankering to finally go back home, back to the spiritual sky, its true origin.