सुमिरन कर ले मेरे मना…

आज, १४ सितम्बर, हिंदी दिवस के अवसर पर एक विशेष प्रस्तुति

चित्रकार: बिंदु पोपली 

संगीत जब उपासना की ओर ले जाए…कल सुबह के कुछ पल ऐसे ही थे…

एक दिव्य अनुभूति थी जब गुरु नानक के भक्ति-भाव से भरे शब्द पंडित जसराज के भावपूर्ण सुरों में और डॉ एल सुब्रमण्यम के मनमोहक वॉयलिन की तारों पर नाच रहे थे। इस प्रेमपूर्ण संगीत-उपासना में साथ दे रही थीं - कविता कृष्णमूर्ती। और इस संगम में डुबकी लगाने का आनंद-अनुभव शायद शब्दों में वर्णननीय नहीं है।

प्रातः-काल की उस बेला में इस प्रकार का अनुभव वास्तव में ही एक उपासना से कम नहीं है।

(मेरे पास यह संपूर्ण भजन एक साथ ही है, परन्तु इंटरनेट पर दो भागों में ही उपलब्ध है - इसका खेद है क्यूंकि इससे ध्यान भंग होने की संभावना रहती है। )

इसे अनुभव करने के बाद यदि आप आगे पढ़ना चाहें तो....

आज हिंदी दिवस के अवसर पर रह रह कर वही गुरु नानक की पंक्त्तियां याद आ रही हैं। शायद कल के उस अनुभव की छाप है। परन्तु अपने हिंदी न जानने वाले पाठकों के लिए मैं जब इन पंक्त्तियों का अंग्रेजी में अनुवाद करने का सोचती हूँ तो ऐसा लगता है मानो अनुवाद करने से इस भजन के आतंरिक सत्य को, सम्पूर्ण स्वरूप को मेरा प्रयास कभी पकड़ ही नहीं पायेगा। ऐसा प्रतीत होता है कि कुछ भाव ऐसे होते हैं जो केवल किसी एक भाषा में ही व्यक्त किए जा सकते हैं।

गुरु नानक के ये शब्द साधारण नहीं हैं। ये एक सच्चे भक्तिलीन हृदय की अभिव्यक्ति हैं जो संपूर्ण मानव-कल्याण के लिए हैं, परन्तु इसे और किसी भाषा में कह सकना इतना आसान नहीं है। कम-से-कम मेरे लिए तो नहीं। इसलिए नहीं की अंग्रेजी में उपयुक्त शब्द नहीं है इस बात को कहने के लिए। पर शब्दों का सही चयन सही भाव भी उत्पन कर सके - ऐसा सदैव आव्यशक भी तो नहीं।

एक और कारण भी है जो अनुवाद में कठिनाई प्रस्तुत करता है। वह है - सांस्कृतिक प्रसंग जिसमें इन पंक्तियों का गूढ़ भावार्थ समझा जा सकता है । क्या "मंदिर दीप बिना " के सही भाव को अंग्रेजी का वाक्यांश "temple without a lamp" वास्तव में अभिव्यक्त कर सकता है ? मंदिर और मंदिर में दीप जलाने के भाव के सांस्कृतिक प्रसंग एवं आतंरिक अर्थ को समझे बिना मात्र अनुवाद कर देने से हम कई बार एक कोमल और पवित्र भाव को, एक आध्यात्मिक कर्म को केवल एक साधारण भावना अथवा एक बाहरी कार्य बना देते हैं।

जब गुरु नानक मंदिर में दीप जलाने की बात करते हैं तो हमारी भारतीय संस्कृति के अनुसार वे हमें स्मरण करवा रहें हैं कि मंदिर केवल बाहर ही नहीं है, वास्तविक मंदिर तो मन के अंदर है। और वह मन-मंदिर हरि नाम के बिना सूना है। बहरी दीप जलाना तो केवल एक बाहरी कार्य है, उसका वास्तविक उद्देश्य तो मन-मंदिर को ज्योतिर्मय करना है।

इसी प्रकार "देह नैन बिन" के भाव को समझने के लिए यह प्रसंग समझना आवश्यक हो जाता है कि यहाँ पर केवल बाहरी नेत्रों या बाहरी दृष्टि की ही बात नहीं हो रही है। बिना आतंरिक दृष्टि के, बिना सूक्ष्म दृष्टि के यह मानव जन्म सूना है, अधूरा है -- यह गूढ़ सत्य हम तभी सराह सकते हैं जब हम भारतीय सांस्कृतिक प्रसंग में इस पंक्त्ति को आत्मसात करें। इन सब को मैं अनुवाद में कैसे लाऊँ ?

और सबसे महत्वपूर्ण बात तो यह है -- जब एक प्रबुद्ध संत-पीर, एक ऋषि जिसने अपने एवं समस्त ब्रह्माण्ड के आत्म-दर्शन किये हों और इस जगत के सत्य-स्वरूप को पहचाना हो, जब वह हरि-स्मरण की बात करता है तो उस उपदेश की व्याख्या आप एक साधारण वाक्यांश - "Remember the Lord" से कदापि नहीं कर सकते हैं। प्रभु और प्रभु-लीला का स्मरण तो अन्य कई लोग भी करते हैं, पर गुरु नानक शायद हमें उस स्मरण की ओर ले जाना चाहते हैं जो वास्तवतिक रूप में हमें हरि-दर्शन के लिए, एक अंतर-ज्योति से साक्षात्कार के लिए तैयार कर सकता है। इस भाव को अनुवादित कैसे किया जाये ?

इन सब सीमाओं को भली-भांति अपने समक्ष रखते हुए मैं अनुवाद करने का प्रयत्न नहीं कर रही हूँ। इच्छुक पाठक इस लिंक पर एक अनुवादित प्रयास पढ़ सकते हैं। अथवा भाव को बिना शब्दों के ही अनुभव करने के लिए भजन को सुन कर हरी-स्मरण में डूबने का प्रयास कर सकते हैं। जैसा जिसको साजे....


सुमिरन कर ले मेरे मना तेरी बीती जाती उमर हरी नाम बिना रे ||

कूप नीर बिन धेनु क्षीर बिन धरती मेघ बिना |

जैसे तरुवर फल बिन हीना तैसे प्राणी हरी नाम बिना रे ||

देह नैन बिन रैन चन्द्र बिन मंदिर दीप बिना |

जैसे पंडित वेद विहीना तैसे प्राणी हरी नाम बिना रे ||

काम क्रोध मद लोभ निवारो छाड़ दे अब संत जना |

कह नानक तू सुन भगवंता या जग में नहीं कोई अपना ||


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To see previous post in the series, "All Music is Only the Sound of His Laughter" click here.
To see all posts in the series click here.

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Linking with ABC Wednesday, I: I is for Indian Languages

Two Lazy Mornings and A Way to Be More Conscious

A new post in the series - "All Music is Only the Sound of His Laughter"

Photo by Narayan Dravid

On a lazy morning last week I felt this deep urge to listen to some music of the legendary Ustad Amir Khan. After quickly going through a small list, I zeroed in on two pieces -- one Rāg Malkauns and one Rāg Bairagi. 

I don't know why, at least I am not yet fully aware of the real reason why I felt this deep need to hear this music. But I kept listening to these two pieces one after the other, for almost the whole day from late morning till about 5pm in the evening. For some part of that day I got occupied with a few minor tasks -- eating lunch, answering a few phone calls and a couple of doorbells (and the music was playing in the background). But other than that I did nothing except immerse myself in the music.

However, there was only one specific instance during the day when I felt very, very quiet after listening to the music. Perhaps it was because only during that particular instance I was consciously allowing the music to become a part of me, part of my inner space. Perhaps it was because only during that particular instance I truly became conscious of the act of listening, listening that silences you. 

Why am I reflecting on this experience today? 

Because in going through some of my computer files today I came across a piece of writing from several years ago. A piece of writing in which I had tried to explore the essential difference between "self-reflection" and "becoming conscious." And somehow re-reading that piece today reminded me of the experience from last week. The experience of consciously listening to the divine music of Ustad Amir Khan. And the experience of reflecting on that experience today.

The two things came together, as if to help me re-learn a lesson that everything can be learned again. 

So what was that piece of writing from a lazy morning several years ago? I paste it below.

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I find myself pondering upon the essential difference between two word-phrases we often hear these days, what with the ever-growing popularity of a-religious spirituality – the ideas of “self-reflection” and the idea of “becoming conscious.” 

Checking in the dictionary, I find the following meanings for “self-reflection” – self-examination; careful reflection on your own thoughts, beliefs, behavior, and circumstances (Encarta). 

“Reflection” – careful thought, especially the process of reconsidering previous actions, events, or decisions. 

And “to be conscious” means – awake and responsive to stimuli; aware of something and attaching importance to it; considered and deliberate, or done with critical awareness; concerned with or relating to a part of the mind that is capable of thinking, choosing, or perceiving; the part of the human mind that is aware of the feelings, thoughts, and surroundings. 

It seems that when we reflect on our thoughts, beliefs, behavior, etc. we do so most of the time using the same very parts of our mind that generate these thoughts, feelings, perceptions. But to be conscious might involve self-reflection PLUS moving to a way of knowing ourselves – our thoughts, feelings, responses, movements and their causes etc. – that doesn’t necessarily rely on mind or at least not only on the ordinary mental data-driven ways of knowing. 

Self-reflection may not necessarily help us move out of the realm of our thoughts, beliefs, mental opinions etc. because by such an exercise we may be exclusively focusing our attention only to such mental movements within us, and that too after the thought or feeling has arisen within us or after the circumstance or event has taken place. 

But the idea of becoming conscious may involve becoming aware of and “awake” (this is a key difference perhaps) to the various movements within us and being in the know of where in us these movements may be generated, how they may be generated, and perhaps then what may be done to take control of and master these movements. The emphasis here is to be awake to the movement and its origins while it is happening. 

Perhaps by practicing self-reflection one does begin to get some practice in becoming conscious, but that may not always be the case. 

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Today after reading this old piece of writing I went back to the music of Ustad Amir Khan. And after silently listening to Rāg Bairagi, I was inspired to write this.

What generally helps many of us become more conscious is when we are able to quiet down some of the incessant and extraneous noises that fill up our inner spaces. Because only in that quietude we may gradually become more aware of and awakened to the various pulls and pushes of the different parts of our being (our mental-emotinal-physical parts). 

Music has the ability to help us quieten down, but only if we know how to listen to music. 

 "...the best way of listening is this. It is to be like a still mirror and very concentrated, very silent. In fact, we see people who truly love music... I have seen musicians listening to music, musicians, composers or players who truly love music, I have seen them listening to music... they sit completely still, you know, they are like that, they do not move at all. Everything, everything is like that. And if one can stop thinking, then it is very good, then one profits fully... it is one of the methods of inner opening and one of the most powerful." (The Mother)

And now for the interested reader, here is one of the pieces of music that I refer to in this post. Listen to it, quietly. Very, very quietly. 

Ustad Amir Khan 

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To read the previous post in the series, click here.
To read all the posts in the series, click here.

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Linking this with Blog-a-rhythm Word Wednesday #7, word prompt: Essential

Voice of the God...प्रभु अपने मुख से गायी...

A new post in the series - All Music is Only the Sound of His Laughter

Hanuman is the Colour, by Ashwin Mamidi

भक्ति में लीन एक भक्त को अपने प्रभु, अपने इष्ट देव की आराधना करते हुए तो शायद सभी ने सुना और देखा होगा। पर यह तो केवल संत तुलसीदास का असीम प्रभु-प्रेम है जिसके वरदान में उन्होंने अपने भगवान श्री राम को अपने परम प्रिय भक्त की आराधना करते हुए देखा और सुना।   

जब प्रभु राम अपने छोटे भाई भरत को बताते हैं कि वो अपने भक्त हनुमान से कभी उऋण नहीं हो सकते तो शायद ही कोई प्रेम भरा ह्रदय हो जो अछूता रह सके। जब पंडित जसराज अपनी भाव-पूर्ण आवाज़ में संत तुलसीदास के इस भजन को गाते हैं तो शायद ही कोई नेत्र हों जो प्रेम से भीग न जाएँ। 

ऐसी आराधना प्रभु की अपने एक भक्त के लिए, ऐसा प्रेम ईश्वर का अपने एक प्रेमी के लिए, इसकी कल्पना केवल एक ही सभ्यता में की जा सकती है जो उस भूमि से उपजी हो जहाँ देवता भी जन्म लेने के लिए तपस्या करते हैं। 

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Everyone has seen and heard of the devotees and the faithful praising and glorifying the Lord.

But only a bhakta-poet like Sant Tulsidas can ‘see’ and sing of his Lord Rama praising his lover-bhakta, his supreme devotee.

When Sri Rama tells his younger brother Bharata that he can never ever repay his debt to Hanuman, which heart can stay untouched? When Pandit Jasraj outpours his love and devotion for the Lord through his rendition of this most beautiful Tulsi bhajan, which eyes can stay dry?

Such intense love of the Lord for his devotee, such glorification of the devotee by the Divine, this is only conceivable in this civilization, this land where the gods also long to be born.

"Others boast of their love for God. My boast is that I did not love God; it was He who loved me and sought me out and forced me to belong to Him." (Sri Aurobindo)

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To see another post on this blog in the glory of Lord Hanuman, click here.

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To see previous post in the series - "All Music is Only the Sound of His Laughter", click here.

To see other posts in the series, click here.

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Linking this with ABC Wednesday, V: V is for Voice

The Voice that Quietens

A new post in the series - "All Music is Only the Sound of His Laughter"

Sometimes all you want to do is stay. Quietly.

Stay with the memories. Of that face, that smile, that voice, that presence. Because in that staying is where you find the presence alive and living.

Memories make you relive the moments, again and again. Reliving brings pain, the mind says. Yet, the heart wants what it wants.

Hush, you mind.

The heart doesn't want pain. The heart seeks healing. But it also wants to go back. Quietly. To that moment when the presence was there in physical form. In the form that you knew as yours.

You know that the form is transitory, it always was. The real thing within takes a new form when the old form is tired and weak and ready to leave.

But all that, the heart doesn't want to hear. Not in this moment when all it wants is for the voices to quieten. So it can hear. That one voice.

The heart wants only to hear that voice. Once again.

That voice with which you grew up, the voice that comforted you, the voice that corrected you, the voice that helped you see right and wrong, or right and right, the voice that helped you discover your own voice.

The heart wants that voice.

The mind says - you have that voice. With you. Saved. Listen.
The heart says - I know. I know that voice. Without listening. I hear it. It is.

The voice stays.

And so you stay. Quietly. With the voice. Because in the voice she lives.

In the voice is the healing. Quietly.

Lyricist: Gulzar, Composer: R.D.Burman, Singers: Lata Mangeshkar and Bhupinder

Photo credit: Suhas Mehra

Spiritual significance of the flower:Vital Protection

Surrender to the Divine is the best vital protection

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To see all the posts in the series - "All music is only....", click here.
To see the previous post in the series, click here.

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Linking this with ABC Wednesday, Q: Q is for Quiet

Filmy Musings: Amar Prem (Immortal Love)

A new post in the series - "All Music is Only the Sound of His Laughter"

"तुम्हारा नाम पुष्पा  है? मीरा होना चाहिए था"
(Your name is Pushpa? It should have been Meera.)

Remember this line from the classic Hindi movie Amar Prem? In a way, this one simple line from one scene of the film captured much of the essence of the film, by reminding the audience of the purity of Meera's love, love that is selfless and simply exists for the sake of loving and becoming one with the beloved.

The 1972 film directed by Shakti Samanta spoke of an immortal love, of a love beyond the conventions and rules of society, of a love that is not meant to be imprisoned by the hypocrisy of the so-called moralists and guardians of social order. It spoke of a love that doesn't need to shout from the rooftops to be accepted but is quietly convinced of its truth and therefore its purity.

The forms of the love portrayed in this film are several -- between a man and a woman who are not related to each other in any socially accepted way, between a mother and a child who is not really her child, between a father and a son who is not really his son, between a child and a mother who is not really his mother, between a sister and a brother who is not really her brother. Basically, it is love that brings these strangers together and ties them in bonds that are stronger than any blood tie or any other socially accepted relation. The love portrayed through these different characters in this film is pure, soft and selfless, and expressive of deep caring and self-giving.

Sure there are some sequences and characters in the film that remind the audience that such love is rare and that majority of minds are imprisoned in the narrow and conventional views of what is socially acceptable and what is not. The plot however gradually moves in such a way that the hearts that are relatively more open to the deeper truth of things begin to see what love really is and should be, and find a way to accept love as simply love beyond any definition of society and society-approved morality.

The best part is that the film doesn't do any of this in any preachy, lecturing sort of way. It does this through a simple story told simply but beautifully.

With its soft and feel-good acting, a gently paced and unpretentious narration, beautiful music, heart-touching poetry and tender writing this film will always remain one of the all-time favourites of mine.

Image: The Kiss, Artist: Freydoon Rassouli

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To see previous post in the series, click here.
To see all posts in the series, click here.

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Linking this with ABC Wednesday, L: L is for Love

Of Homesickness, Hemant Kumar & Geeta Dutt

A new post in the series "All Music is Only the Sound of His Laughter"

There is something about spending a few weeks in your hometown, not really doing much but just being in the home where you came of age, where you lived for about 18 years and which was always your go-to place even after you moved away.

Don't get me wrong. I am not being melodramatic or overly romantic about this experience of being back in one's childhood home. Like most adults of my age I have my own inner and outer struggles to deal with when it comes to matters related to family, home, and family home. Homesickness and longing for my present home is definitely one of those struggles. Because of some difficult circumstances during the last year and a half I have had to spend a lot of time (A LOT!) in my childhood home, either taking care of some tough situations or simply being around when things were beyond me. Such experiences bring up their own set of challenges. Some easier to deal with, some not.

But there is one interesting thing I have discovered during the last year and a half. For some reason, being in this space called childhood home makes me especially long for old Hindi film songs. Especially those songs that I haven't listened to in a long time. Weird? Maybe. But perhaps not so weird, because after all it was in this very space that I discovered my fondness for old Hindi film songs. It was this space where I developed an appreciation for those melodious compositions and those heart-stirring lyrics. All that and more, thanks to some wonderful conversations with my father.

Being in this space reminds me of those lovely weekday evenings and those lazy Sunday afternoons, listening to oldies on the radio. For many of those songs my father would share some interesting tidbits -- who was the composer, which was the first song composed by that composer, which lyricist was the favourite of which composer, which singer had refused to sing for which composer, etc. He would remember such trivia for so many songs. As a child I used to marvel at his memory.

I still do, actually. He is very good at memorizing and recalling on demand many details on which I would rather not spend any time or any part of my mental energy - bank account numbers, PAN card numbers, passport numbers, voter registration numbers, all those numbers that are part of modern living. And he doesn't remember such details only for himself, but also for all his children (perhaps, even his grandchildren I believe, though I need to check with him on this last point.)

But I was speaking of music. Old Hindi film music. Obviously, my taste in Hindi film music is to a large extent influenced by the kind of music my father admired. Though it doesn't mean that we have exactly identical tastes. In fact, there are many, many songs that he enjoys but I don't care about. However, we certainly agree on two things - Hemant Kumar and Geeta Dutt. We both enjoy pretty much every song these two talented singers ever sang in their lifetimes.

Maybe that's the reason whenever I am back in my childhood home and feeling homesick for my current home which is about 2300 kms away, I find myself falling in love once again with some of the old favourite songs in the melodious voices of Hemant Kumar and Geeta Dutt. In a strange way, listening again and again to some of those old songs actually works as a cure for the feeling of homesickness. Perhaps listening to those songs somehow puts me back in touch with that forgotten feeling of "being at home" which I used to always experience in this childhood home of mine, many, many, many years ago. Perhaps listening to those songs brings me home in a way.

The song that did this two days ago was this one:

Singers: Hemant Kumar, Geeta Dutt, Composer: Mukul Roy, Lyricist: Shailendra 

Film: Detective (1958)

And if you want to know which Hemant Kumar song did the same trick yesterday, click here.

Photo: A little corner of my home, one particular morning

*****
To check out the previous post in the series "All Music is...", click here.
To check out all the posts in this series, click here.

His Excellency, Stop - No Eating Here!

A new post in the series - "All Music is Only the Sound of His Laughter"

Wondering about the title of this post: "His Excellency, Stop - No Eating Here!"?

This message was conveyed by none other than the great Santoor Maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma at a special concert held in Pondicherry in March 2014. And this message was conveyed to none other than the Lieutenant-Governor of Pondicherry who had just a few minutes ago officially launched a book: "Shiv Kumar Sharma: The Man and His Music." Well, Panditji didn't exactly say those words, but you will know soon what he said. Let me start at the beginning.

This is how it happened. 

The special concert was organized by a group of music-lovers in collaboration with the Department of Tourism, Pondicherry to celebrate the centenary of coming of the Mother to Pondicherry. [The Mother, spiritual collaborator of Sri Aurobindo, first came to India hundred years ago, reaching Pondicherry on 29th March, 1914]. The concert was held at the JIPMER auditorium, and special guests included the Honourable Lt. Governor of Pondicherry and several other high officials from Department of Tourism, Pondicherry.

After the initial ceremonies of lighting the lamp, honouring the special guests and the artists, and the book launch were over, and just before the concert was about to begin, an almost-unbelievable thing happened. This was a through and through Indian classical music concert. No light music programme, no fusion, no popular music, mind you. So naturally a certain dignity and a certain decorum was expected from the audiences. 

The musicians were all on the stage, ready to begin. Panditji was introducing his fellow performers and giving a brief introduction about Indian classical music when all of a sudden entered from a side entrance to the hall a neatly dressed young man with a large tray of eatables and tea. These were meant to be served to the 'dignitaries,' the VVIPs sitting in the front row of the auditorium. After all, it was part of the much-touted Indian hospitality, you see! The organizers must have felt compelled to serve some snacks and tea to the 'esteemed' guests from the Government. Of course, what they didn't realize was that they had no idea of what Indian hospitality really is. 

Indian hospitality is first and foremost about recognizing what is the proper way to do things. And it is about recognizing what is the absolutely wrong way to do things. Serving or eating food and drinks at an Indian classical music concert was absolutely the wrong thing to do. But I am not saying this. The legend himself, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma said so, and rightly said so. In plain words. This programme was not just any musical programme. It was, like any Indian classical music performance, an outer expression of an inner sadhana of the musicians for whom music is not entertainment but a means to connect with the Divine. Divine in them and Divine in everything. Panditji expressed his strong displeasure (but in a polite way) at this misguided and wrong gesture made by the organizers and explained to the audience why it was so. 

He spoke for a few minutes about the sacredness of all music, but especially the Indian classical music which has been acknowledged from times immemorial as a means to grow in spiritual sadhana, and used in that way both by musicians as well as the serious listeners. He said that while it is a common practice to eat and drink when enjoying popular music performances, and noted that this has become the worldwide trend now with music clubs everywhere, in Indian classical music concerts such a thing is completely intolerable. 

The musicians invoke the Divine Presence through their music, the stage is their temple, the audience are the gods for whom they perform, the audience on their part try to become one with the music and go inward...in all this sacred work going on where is the room for any interference like that of snacking? Panditji explained further. He said that Indian classical music is no ordinary music, it has come from the depths of the souls of seekers, the heights of the spiritual ecstasy realized by the rishis. And for him and many other Indian musicians, music has always been first and foremost about an inner seeking, a spiritual quest, a means to get in touch with that touch of divinity within. 

Obviously while this beautiful explanation was being given by the Maestro, the server slipped away quietly with his tray though he was for a couple of minutes confused about what to do, how to retreat. But I am sure this was an embarrassing moment both for the organizers as well as the VVIPs who would have probably picked up their plates had Panditji not spoken up. I do hope however that more than an embarrassing moment, this was taken as a real learning moment both by the 'esteemed' guests and their 'hosts'. 

Panditji got a huge applause for saying all that he did. For the wonderful lesson he gave everyone on the Indian classical music and the sacredness of the whole experience - of performing and listening, for the musician and the audience. 

As mesmerizing and deeply meditative as the whole music performance was at this concert, this little bit of extra added so much to the whole experience. It really did. 

"The role of music lies in helping the consciousness uplift itself towards the spiritual heights." 

~ The Mother

It is perhaps most appropriate to end this post with this....

Photo credits: 1: Suhas Mehra, 2: Painting by Pieter Weltevrede

For the previous post in this series, click here.

For all the posts in this series, click here.