Ya Janmavar Ya Jaganyavar shatada Prem Karave

 

 ‘या जन्मावर, या जगण्यावर, शतदा प्रेम करावे ’ ya janmavar ya janmavar shatada prem karave

Mangesh Padgaonkar is a name that shines bright amongst the literary geniuses of Marathi culture. His poetry was steeped in sensitivity and sensibility of extraordinary proportions. A positive outlook that often seems so difficult to embrace springs effortlessly from his words and touches the heart. This poem is a perfect illustration of his uniquely inspiring approach to life and living.

Listen to this song in the voice of Mr. Arun Date. Music composed by Mr. Yashwant Dev.

या जन्मावर, या जगण्यावर, शतदा प्रेम करावे

One must shower love upon life and living, over and over again, or a hundred times.

चंचल वारा या जल धारा, भिजली काळी माती

The restless wind, the pouring rain, the wet black soil 

हिरवे हिरवे प्राण तशी ही रुजून आली पाती

The delicate new foliage creating greenery everywhere appears like a fresh breath of air

फुले लाजरी बघून कुणाचे, हळवे ओठ स्मरावे

The shy flowers remind of someone’s quivering lips

रंगांचा उघडूनिया पंखा, सांज कुणीही केली

Who has spread open a fan of colors to create this evening?

काळोखाच्या दारावरती, नक्षत्रांच्या वेली

Or hung creepers of starry constellations on the doorway of the darkness?

सहा ऋतूंचे सहा सोहळे, येथे भान हरावे

One can lose oneself watching the individual celebrations of each of six seasons. 

बाळाच्या चिमण्या ओठांतून, हाक बोबडी येते

A blabbering call comes through the tiny lips of a little baby

वेलीवरती प्रेम प्रियेचे, जन्म फुलांनी घेते

A beloved’s love manifests as blossoms on a climbing vine.

नदीच्या काठी सजणा साठी, गाणे गात झुरावे

Someone in love could keep waiting for their beloved along the banks of a river with a wistful song on their lips. 

या ओठांनी चुंबून घेईन, हजारदा ही माती

I can kiss the soil a thousand times with my lips

अनंत मरणे झेलून घ्यावी, इथल्या जगण्या साठी

And accept infinite deaths in exchange of living life over and over again here( on earth)

इथल्या पिंपळ पानावरती, अवघे विश्र्व तरावे.

The entire universe stays afloat on a single leaf of the peepal tree here.

Here the poet is seeing beauty in everyday things. We see the same things and take them for granted. Or even if we momentarily take notice of a beautiful evening or colorful spring flowers we soon forget about these and return to carrying the burdens of the world on our minds. Instead if these things of beauty serve as a reason for our existence we will start looking for them at every turn, and fall in love with life itself. Indeed life is the biggest gift we have from our creator. And when we realize this we begin to appreciate preciousness of every tiny thing that is spread across this life. Whether it is the people who care for us, or the talents we are endowed with, or simple acts of kindness or the ever unfolding marvels of nature!! Once the strings of our hearts are tuned to this melody of the universe we can read a sublime message from even the harshest storms. Those rough times are God’s version of tough love that seeks to make us stronger and better, kinder and more resilient, poised to understand the pain of others and willing to part with our personal comforts.

Footnote:

Compare the lyrics of this song with those of “ tyaa fulanchya gandh koshi” by post Suryakant Khandekar. There the poet marvels if God is to be searched in the fragrance of flowers, light of the stars, lightning in the sky, smile of a child, amongst other things. 

Saree is a Ajrakh print on mul cotton.