Kehna galat galat: Part 3

 Kehna galat galat 

Part 3:

Even before actually getting to the main lyrics of this ghazal, the singer has recited some beautiful verses( sher as they are known in Urdu). Each of these carries a whole treasure of philosophy to ponder upon.

As a reminder, each verse can be interpreted from a romantic angle by some, but here we are going to look at it from a mystic’s perspective.

Kehna galat galat 

Toh chhupana sahi sahi

कहना ग़लत ग़लत तो छुपाना सही सही

Tanhai mein fariyad toh kar sakta hoon

Veerane ko abad toh kar sakta hoon

Jab chaahoon tumhein mil nahi sakta lekin

Jab chaahoon tumhe yaad toh kar sakta hoon

तन्हाई में फ़रियाद तो कर सकता हूँ
वीराने को आबाद तो कर सकता हूँ
जब चाहूँ तुम्हें मिल नहीं सकता लेकिन
जब चाहूँ तुम्हें याद तो कर सकता हूँ

Tanhai is loneliness. Fariyad is grievance or complaint. Veerana is desolation. Aabaad is state of flourishing.

The mind seeking God( spiritual master) frequently goes through phases of loneliness and a sense of being lost. Yet it is determined in its pursuit of just this one object of love more than anything else. So here it is seen talking to its invisible idol of worship and courtship, while simultaneously consoling itself, that in your absence, when I am feeling lost and lonely, I can express my discomfort. Something that I’m not able to do publicly, because either no one will understand or I will be ridiculed for it. The lonely moment that brings such a haunted feeling of desolation, I can turn it into a moment of celebration 

I may not be able to meet you whenever I long to be with you.Yet there is nothing that can stop me from thinking of you. 

This quiet willingness to suffer separation from someone you love intensely and take solace in the fact that they remain close to your heart by simple remembrance is a sign of unwavering love. The suffering is less important to such a mind than the privilege and joy of being able to love.

———————————————

Koi hanse toh tumhein gam lage, hansi na lage

Ki dillagi bhi tere dil ko dillagi na lage

Tu roz roya karein uth ke chand raaton mein

Khuda karein mere bagair tera jee na lage

कोई हँसे तो तुझे गम लगे, हँसी ना लगे
कि दिल्लगी भी तेरे दिल को दिल्लगी ना लगे
तू रोज़ रोया करे उठ के चाँद रातों में
खुदा करे तेरा मेरे बगैर जी ना लगे

This verse I feel inclined to interpret as being expressed by the Divine Master addressing one of his beloved devotees. How silly you are that you can’t take anything in the right manner! When someone laughs, you don’t see it as laughter. Instead you feel hurt. When you are being loved, you don’t recognize it as love. It is my secret wish that you stay awake on moonlit nights crying in loneliness. May you never find peace in the heart without me.

At first glance, this seems like an awful thing to wish or say to anyone.

But obviously God or the Divine Spirit can’t possibly wish ill on anyone, let alone on his beloved devotee. 

So what is it here that is intended?

The verse is prodding the mind to look at difficulties and suffering from a different angle. When you are mocked by others, don’t take it badly. Suffering is a way for God to show you love. If you found pleasures in the life around you, you will have no incentive to turn the attention inwards and find the inner kingdom of lasting peace and joy. Therefore take the cue and don’t be a fool to protest when problems keep you awake. They are simply props to help you remember God who holds you dear to his heart. In fact He is your heart. Once they have achieved their intended purpose, these problems will dissipate as quickly as they appeared. Their sole purpose is to divert your attention away from material things to a higher realm. Lasting fulfillment cannot come from the transient world that is bookended by mortality. Thus unless the mind begins to unequivocally start to seek Reality in its Absoluteness it is going to be disillusioned sooner or later.

Once this is understood, Khuda karein mere bagair tera jee na lage, shines a different light. It is not some narcissist trying to singularly command your attention but a well meaning guardian angel leading you on a path that is most beneficial for you. One that will confer the highest good for you.

———————————————

Achchi surat ko sanwarne ki zaroorat kya hain

Saadagi bhi qayamat ki adaa hoti hain

Tum jo aa jaate ho masjid mein adaa karne namaz 

Tumko maaloom hain, kitno ki kajaa hoti hain

अच्छी सूरत को सँवरने की जरूरत क्या हैं
सादगी में भी कयामत की अदा होती हैं
तुम जो आ जाते हो मस्जिद में अदा करने नमाज
तुम को मालूम है, कितनों की कजा होती है

This verse is a poignant reminder for me for the role my dear father played in my formative years. When you go a few steps into understanding how the Divine One orchestrates the enactment of life, you begin to see that all the characters that played a role in your life were none other than that Divine Being himself. It was a one man show all along. He played the role of my father, my mother, my teachers, friends, critics and anyone I can recognize. 

Definitely father had great influence on me. One of the things he was particular about was that we remain simple in the way we dress up. He did not like us wearing lipstick or excessively bright colored clothes. There was a certain image he tried to cultivate in our minds that a doctor should present herself when moving in society.

The verse in discussion is stressing the importance of preserving simplicity. सादगी में भी कयामत की अदा होती हैं 

In this context qayamat refers to overwhelming beauty. Simplicity in itself can be extremely beautiful. It doesn’t need extraneous details.

Everything in nature shines in natural beauty. Trees, flowers, bees, birds, animals. They do not tend to borrow additional embellishments to enhance their appearance and draw extra attention.When humans go extra lengths to decorate themselves it is a sign that either they are fixated on their external appearance and dissatisfied with it, or they are seeking attention from others. In either case, this is going to be an obstacle in their inward development and to recognize their own beauty that extends deeper than the external appearance. 

A person of deeper knowledge about the nature of God has no need to offer worship in a mosque or temple like other people. Their light can actually prove to be a distraction for the people of lesser understanding who are in a place of worship to offer ritualistic prayers. Despite being aware of this unwarranted attention if such a person makes himself or herself very socially available he/she is soon likely to become corrupted by the attention. Hence a person who wants to devote themselves to true spiritual experience must lead a simple life and choose solitude over a display of outward devotion. 

————————————————————————

Yeh jo deewane se do char nazar aate hain

In mein kucch sahib-e-asraar nazar aate hain

Teri mehfil ka bharam rakhte hain

Sau jate hain

Varna yeh log toh bedaar nazar aate hain 

ये जो दीवाने से दो चार नज़र आते हैं
इन में कुछ साहिब-ए-असरार नज़र आते हैं
तेरी महफ़िल का भरम रखते हैं सो जाते हैं
वरना ये लोग तो बेदार नज़र आते हैं

A man of wisdom is able to recognize the few who are like him. The world finds them weird but he knows they carry mystical secrets within their hearts. 

These self realized souls have no more a reason to go to temples, churches or mosques to worship the Almighty. They see Him within themselves as well as in all creation. Yet sometimes they go to places where He is worshipped simply because they acknowledge HIS sovereignty and honor Him in a manner like other people do.

———————————————

Mere daaman mein toh kaanton ke siwa kucch bhi nahin

Aap phoolon ke kharidaar nazar aate hain

मेरे दामन में तो काँटों के सिवा कुछ भी नहीं
आप फूलों के खरीदार नज़र आते हैं

This verse reminds me of poignant lines from a Marathi poem by Bha Ra Tambe which is an ode to the setting sun( Mavaltya Dinkara). In that poem he says “ shitay tovari bhootay ashi mhan”. In English this translates to: As long as there is food on the table, people will gather around it.

The summary of this is that people flock where there is something for them. Nobody goes to a beggar to have a heart to heart talk. A rich man has many friends and followers. 

A true spiritual person hoards no material wealth. His home is barren and often his words are too direct to be palatable. So he may not be the kind of person who appeals to others. 

One way to interpret this verse is that this is addressed by a man of renunciation to a man of sensual nature saying what you are looking for you may not find with me.

Another interpretation is that as a man of spiritual aspirations gets closer to God he becomes increasingly aware of his own faults and is riddled with guilt and shame. He feels unworthy of receiving the grace of God.

———————————————————————-

Kal jinhe chchoo nahin sakti thi farishton ki nazar

Aaj woh raunak-e-bazar nazar aate hain  

कल जिन्हें छू नहीं सकती थी फ़रिश्तों की नज़र
आज वो रौनक़-ए-बाज़ार नज़र आते हैं

In contrast to a man of spiritual integrity, those who live with compromised values become a center of attraction for ordinary people.Their lifestyles become a thing of envy and a goal for many to achieve. Materialism sells. Spirituality has few buyers.

This verse laments when a person who once followed the highest values to the point where even angels looked up to him with awe and honor, gets corrupted and commercialized and sizzles in the marketplace of the world. It is not an honorable thing. It is a matter of disgrace. 

———————————————-

Hashr mein kaun meri gawahi dega , Sagar

Sub tumhare hi tarafdaar nazar aate hain 

हश्र में कौन गवाही मेरी देगा ‘साग़र’
सब तुम्हारे ही तरफ़-दार नज़र आते हैं

Hashr is Day of Judgement. The world may be attracted to your material success and aura while you live but it is not blind to your corrupted ways. The poet uses his pen name Sagar in this verse and acknowledges to God that he is not perfect. He has sinned all his life in many ways. When the Day of Judgement arrives, even those who appeared friendly during life will turn on him and side with God in issuing a harsh verdict. 

This is in a way a reminder to every person that ultimately you are responsible to live a life of merit. As you sow, so shall you reap. Friends and supporters are temporary and they stand by you as long as you have something to offer. They can’t be relied to rescue you from facing the consequences of your actions.

———————————————

Several years back when television was new in India and one would get to see old movies sitting at home I remember seeing a black and white movie starring a young handsome Feroze Khan. The movie was titled Unche Log. The title stuck in my head for some reason as a reminder of people who upheld truth and moral values. 

The verses shared above are pointers to understand what are unche log, people of higher ranks. And what is needed to be in their shoes. Those verses alert us to dangers that lurk and threaten to bring men from higher ranks to dust. They teach us to make wise choices at every turn. Right and wrong behavior is simply a convention based on what leads to final fulfillment and what leads to disillusion and disgrace. It is bad enough to not understand the difference between the two. But even worse to know the difference and still make wrong choices.