Saason ki mala pe

 Saason ki mala

Earlier I had written about the genre of Qawwali when I wrote a post on Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s rendition of Tumhe Dillagi Bhool jani padegi.

Qawwali is the Sufi tradition of spiritual hymns that once upon a time had strict rules for presentation. These are generally addressed or sung as a praise to the divine power or prophet.

When you study Sufi poetry you realize the similarities it shares with Advait philosophy and bhakti culture. 

The following qawwali is another beautiful presentation from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. When it was first presented the description given was merely “ traditional” without name of a poet. Because of the theme of Radha and Krishna it was widely believed to be a bhajan from the 16th century poet saint Meerabai. But later the credits were given to lyricist Tufail Hoshiarpuri. Irrespective of the controversy, the lyrics are beautiful in their meaning and when you close your eyes and listen they transport you into deep meditative space. It has to be simply experienced.

Saason ki mala pe

Simroo mein Pi ka naam

Saans is urdu/ Hindi term for breath. On the garland of my breaths, I remember the name of my beloved. Radha is the devotee in love with the divine spirit in the form of Krishna( Shyam). 

Breath is a symbol of her existence. With every breath the the divine lover is in her thoughts. Which is a sign that her entire existence is immersed in the love of her Lord.

Ab kismat ke haath hain

Is bandhan ki laaj

Maine toh mann likh diya

Saawariya ke naam…

Having surrendered her heart to the dark complexioned lover( Krishna) she no longer cares about the outcome of this relationship. 

Jab se Radha Shyam ke

Nain huye hain char

Shyam banay hain Radhika

Radha bun gayi Shyam…..

Once their eyes locked, Krishna transformed into Radha and Radha into Krishna. 

Apanay mann ki mein jaanu 

Aur Pi ke mann ki Ram

I know my own mind and I know the mind of my beloved Krishna.

What is implied here is that she is totally aware of her own thoughts and since she has consciously turned her aspirations and feelings towards the divine center she is able to connect also with this divine existence. Everything outside of this holds no significance for her.

This indirectly tells us that her mind is committed to mind its own business and in turn carry on that business in the spirit of love and service to the higher self. 

Saason ki mala pe

Simroo mein Pi ka naam

Yahi meri bandagi hain

Yahi meri puja

Aur main..

Saason ki mala pe

Simroo mein Pi ka naam

Living moment to moment with the thought of the divine is her way of worship. Rituals are unnecessary for her. 

Ik ka saajan mandir mein

Ik ka preetam masjid mein

Par main…

Saason ki mala pe

Simroo mein Pi ka naam

Someone sees their beloved in a temple, another person’s sweetheart is in the masjid. But for Radha, he is not in such places. He lives in her mind and in her breath. She doesn’t have to go elsewhere to seek him.

Hum aur nahin kachchu kaam ke

Matware Pi ke naam pe…

She declares that apart from being smitten by the remembrance of the divine lover she sees no other purpose in life. 

Prem ke rang mein aisi doobi 

Bun gaya ek hi roop

Prem ki mala japtay japtay

Aap bani mein Shyam

I was immersed so deeply in the colors of love that my identity dissolved into that of my lover. Constant loving remembrance of him transformed me into him.

Saason ki mala pe

Simroo mein Pi ka naam

Preetam ka kuchch dosh nahi hain

Woh toh hain nirdosh 

Apnay aap se kartay baatein

Ho gayi mein badnaam

My beloved is an image of perfection. No fault touches him. It is me who is to be blamed for incurring ridicule because I went about talking to myself like a lunatic.

Saason ki mala pe

Simroo mein Pi ka naam

Jeevan ka shringar hain Preetam

Maang pe hain sindoor 

Preetam ki nazaron se girkar

Jeena hain kis kaam

My beloved is the source of beauty in my life. It is because of him that I display my fortune. The vermilion in the parting of hair on the scalp of women in India is a symbol of her wedded status. This line expresses her gratitude to the divine for all the good she has been blessed with in her life.

What good would life be if one was to stoop in the eyes of the divine? 

Here she acknowledges that it matters greatly to her to live life with the highest standards defined by divinity. Any compromise of those moral and ethical principles would be a disgrace and make living worthless.

Humans live by their own rules. Yet universally there are accepted standards associated with the divine principle. Truthfulness ( lack of deceit), compassion, fairness, non covetousness, non maleficence, humility are some of them. As a human mind evolves and becomes more pure, it comes in close proximity with awareness and the slightest compromise of these eternal qualities causes much distress to the mind. It learns to disregard worldly temptations for hoarding wealth, power, fame and such things over staying true to the basic virtues. 

Ultimately you don’t have to be answerable to the world. The day of judgement is between you and your divine creator. 

For someone who acknowledges the divine presence watching you with every breath, judgement is not something you wait for at the end of life. A deviation from righteousness pricks right there in the moment when you make the error. Alexander Pope famously said “ to err is human, to forgive is divine “. For an individual who lives with transparency, even a minute error in behavior nags for a long time. Forgiveness from divine under such circumstances is experienced when the lesson is learned fully and the mind vows not to ever repeat the same mistake again. And if a third person is involved in the process, you show the humility to ask for forgiveness from that person too. 

Saason ki mala pe

Simroo mein Pi ka naam

In summary the song speaks about living a conscientious life in the spirit of love, service and humility. 

In the song, we see the mirrored concepts from Hindu philosophy of devotee becoming an image of God by constantly maintaining the thought of God. What or who you think of, so you will become. Keep the highest goals and that’s where your life will take you. Stay aware for influence of people you meet. Compare with the standards you set for yourself and quickly navigate yourself out of influences that are contrary to those standards. Greater the delay, higher the price you will pay. 

It is important to note a finer detail here. Keeping your eye on the divine self as the benchmark is advisable. But, as you do that with diligence,you don’t have to show down people that don’t abide by the same standards. You must learn to maintain love and respect towards them in your heart even as you maintain the distance. There is this fine line to remain mindful of. Never deny help to anyone. Keep the contact limited to what’s necessary. Then retreat to your solitude and contemplation. Let the world label you as a mad person if they have to because you hang out with yourself. You don’t owe anyone any explanation every single time. Keep your thoughts free at all times to be directed towards your divine goal.

Saason ki mala pe

Simroo mein Pi ka naam!