Kehna galat galat:Part 4

 Kehna galat galat 

Part 4:

This is where the actual ghazal begins. 

As mentioned earlier, it is a playful banter between the two partners who love each other. One is the earnest devotee, other is the perfect spiritual master. 

Qasid payam-e-khat ko dena, bahut na tool

Bas mukhtasar yeh kehna ke aankhen taras gayi hain

Kehna galat galat toh chhupana sahi sahi

Qasid kaha jo usne batana sahi sahi

क़ासिद पयाम-ए-खत को देना बहुत न तूल
बस मुख़्तसर ये कहना के आँखें तरस गईं

कहना गलत-गलत तो छुपाना सही-सही
क़ासिद कहा जो उसने बताना सही-सही

Qasid is messenger. The messenger can be understood as the prophet or spiritual teacher. 

These opening lines can be interpreted in more than one way.

If we presume that the Almighty is talking to the prophet perhaps he is instructing to deliver the divine truth in a summary version rather than elaboration. That would allow the devotee to spend time introspecting about it and uncovering the deeper meanings by himself. And also to speak in rather deceptive language, hiding the real meaning again for the same reason that only the most sincere of followers will take time to understand the deeper truth in it. God is eager to meet his true devotees and wants them to be aware of this.

But God wants the prophet to remain honest with Him and bring back truthful news about his devotees. 

Let’s see if the same lines were presumed to be uttered by the devotee.

The mystic( spiritual aspirant or true serious devotee) talking to this intermediary who is presupposed to be in direct contact with God, asks the messenger to talk to his God (beloved) on his behalf. But he is unsure about God’s reaction towards him. He feels nervous giving a full account of how miserable he is without God. He does not want that awkwardness to reach God’s ears. So he is instructing the messenger that use measured words. Just convey that I am eager to see God without going into a ramble and unnecessary detail. 

Kehna galat galat

In a bid to protect me from disclosing my awkwardness and shortcomings don’t give all the details about how I feel and how I’m doing. Try to beat around the bush, and talk in rather vague terms instead of divulging the bare truth.

 toh chhupana sahi sahi

Be rather clever in hiding certain details in words. 

But be mindful that you are on my side and working in my best interest.

Qasid kaha jo usne batana sahi sahi

Thereby, whatever you see and hear in God’s presence I want you to deliver to me with the finest details. I am eager to know how God sees me, did he show concern and reciprocate my love, or did he show scorn. What did he have to say about me or convey to me. I want to know everything. Don’t hide anything from me.

The courtship between a sincere devotee and his/her deity is indeed awkward in the early phases. Although God being pure awareness can read the devotee’s mind precisely, the devotee remains unsure and anxious about what is the right thing and what is wrong when approaching God. He fears rejection. He fears failure in love.  He goes through phases of inadequacy, guilt and shame. These emotions make him less than confident to face God openly.

On one hand he wants to hide behind a self created barrier. On the other hand he is curious to see God in His full glory and learn everything he stands to learn from God. 

Qasid kaha jo usne batana sahi sahi 

The real intent in this is that the aspirant is desirous of understanding the word of God correctly. Despite his self doubt and intellectual limitations he puts his trust into the prophet or teacher that through him he can interpret what God intends to teach him.

On a lighter note, a less serious yet religious person may be frequently deviating from righteous behavior and hoping that the prophet may protect him from the wrath of God. That he would show mercy and put a cover on his sins. Let God not become aware of my shenanigans. Put in a good word for me with him.Kehna galat galat toh chhupana sahi sahi!

Yeh subah subah chehre ki rangat udi huyi

Kal raat tum kahan the batana sahi sahi

ये सुबह-सुबह चेहरे की, रंगत उड़ी हुई
कल रात तुम कहाँ थे बताना सही-सही

God being pure awareness does not miss even the slightest flicker in the mind or expression of the devotee. He knows when the attention of the devotee was distracted and diverted to objects other than the divine center. Being constantly in the divine presence is synonymous with being in the present moment. That in turn is synonymous with spiritual daylight. Lost in thought and not being available for the present moment is synonymous with spiritual night. A devotee who has enough insight into his own wandering thoughts, experiences guilt and shame for that digression. And it shows on the face. 

God is in this situation playfully taking the devotee to task. Early in the morning why is your face appearing so pale? Where had you been all night? What are you trying to hide? Tell me truthfully. 

Maine puccha ke kal shab kahan the

Pehle sharmaye phir hanske bolay 

Baat aisi tum kyon pucchte ho

Jo batane ke qabil nahin hain

मैंने पूछा के कल शब् कहाँ थे
पहले शरमाये फिर हँस के बोले
बात क्यों ऐसी तुम पूछते हो
जो बताने के काबिल नहीं है

This sher (verse) is purportedly mouthed by the Master who is seeking accountability. Where were you last night? 

The devotee is embarrassed by such direct questioning. He has become quite adept at circumventing hard truths and  such probing questions. He laughs and replies that you are asking me something that is not appropriate to be told openly.

 Baat aisi tum kyon pucchte ho

Jo batane ke qabil nahin hain

Most of our actions directed by selfish desires are such that when brought to light they are not something that make us look good or feel proud. We rather see them concealed to guard our own reputation and dignity.

Kal raat tum kahan the batana sahi sahi

कल रात तुम कहाँ थे बताना सही-सही

Tell me your whereabouts from last night! 

But when we come face to face with God it is impossible to keep these hidden. Because God is the consciousness within us.

Yeh udi udi si rangat, yeh khulay khulay se gesu 

Teri subah keh rahi hain teri shaam ka fasana 

ये उड़ी-उड़ी सी रंगत ये खुले-खुले से गेसू
तेरी सुबह कह रही है तेरी शाम का फ़साना

When the devotee fails to give an honest answer God says: I can gather the truth simply by observing you. Your pale face and disheveled hair has not escaped my attention. Your morning is giving away your shenanigans from the night before. You don’t have to tell me in words if you choose not to. 

Kal raat tum kahan the batana sahi sahi कल रात तुम कहाँ थे बताना सही-सही

Tell me truthfully where you had been last night?

The pressure of flawless behavior can get overwhelming for even the best spiritual follower from time to time. 

Although taken to task frequently over defections, the devotee is given a chance to slowly make amends in his ways. God knows when, how and why to ease the tension. 

Na hum samjhe na tum aaye kahin se

Paseena poncchiye apni jabeen se

न हम समझे न तुम आये कहीं से
पसीना पोंछिये अपनी जबीं से

Thus God forgives and makes bygones be bygones. He lightheartedly tries to put the devotee at ease. Forget about it, He says. Neither did I gather anything nor did you wander and return from anywhere. Wipe that sweat off your forehead and just relax. 

( Left unsaid here is that, although you made a mistake and I caught you doing something that you shouldn’t have done, I hope you learned from that mistake. You are expected to be more careful going forward.)

This entire section talks about human tendency to, from time to time, sway from honest dedicated living and the accountability he owes towards pure conscience. It shines a light also on the tendency for the mind to become evasive when made to answer for those errant thoughts or behaviors. And why allowing grace after such incidents becomes necessary to make progress and learn from past mistakes rather than allow them to cripple you.

Kal raat tum kahan the batana sahi sahi कल रात तुम कहाँ थे बताना सही-सही

Tell me what you were up to last night when I didn’t see you around.

Although not taken up directly here in this ghazal, it is pertinent to go further and talk about the human mind’s tendency to indulge in materialistic pleasures, desires and possessions and the resultant vices such as greed, anger and envy that arise from these digressions. 

What can be a permanent remedy to prevent this mind from wandering away in a wrong direction?

We find the answer to this question in succinct form in Muktabai’s advice to Dnyaneshwar. 

मन मारूनी उन्मन करा

Man maaruni unman kara.

Turn the mind into a no-mind!

What is that? How is it to be done?

How do you kill the mind?

By understanding the mind. Understanding what the mind is really comprised of. 

Now this is not at all an easy task and not everyone is ready for this. It requires a high degree of purity (sattva) because the exercise involves the ability to observe thoughts and workings of the mind. It also requires a clear and sharp intellect that is equipped with exceptional ability to reason. Dnyaaneshwar had these qualifications. It is possible for anyone to gain those qualifications if they are determined and willing to make efforts.

The first barrier is not being able to believe that mind can be muted ever. And the reason for this is because the consciousness is so identified with the mind. Negating the importance and role of the mind is synonymous with negating one’s own existence. 

The few that believe in the words of a qualified spiritual teacher or trusted saints are able to start slowly and learn to observe their minds. With regular practice they begin to understand the basis of the philosophy that thoughts are free standing and temporary entities that are separate from the constant consciousness that assumes the role of an observer. They begin to distinguish and separate between an entity or thought that calls itself “me” and others what are categorized as “my thoughts”.

Further practice teaches them that the me thought can exist without the additional constant train of thoughts that arises in it’s field of perception.

Yet further down, not only do they gather the confidence that their existence is not dependent on the thoughts that appear and disappear in their mind but that they can even influence the thoughts in many ways. They can slow down the flow of thoughts with practice, recognize and disregard and at some point simply abandon each and every one of them willfully. 

Once they become adept in this practice they begin to experience longer segments of being in a state of pure consciousness devoid of the influence of thoughts. 

The mind of such an individual that has no sway anymore on his existence or movement is what is a no-mind.

This would puzzle people and they would ask “ without a mind how would a person go about their life?”

A valid question it is. 

The answer is that in their case the mind that operated from the seat of the single person is muted. But their physical body and thought processes subsequently become aligned with the universal mind. Their actions, speech and reasoning fall in line with what is the calling in any present moment. Their personal desires for individual gratification no longer exist and therefore are no longer the driving forces behind their actions. 

In the course of this evolutionary change at some point they realize what is absolute reality( existence-consciousness) and what is relative reality( changing physical and mental milieu). The illusion becomes more and more evident to them. And it becomes obvious that neither their mind nor the universe they had believed to be so real earlier have a reality of their own. Or any continuity of existence. The perceived movement and continuity of thought and form is an illusion.

Once a man recognizes a mirage he cannot be fooled to go seek water there to quench his thirst!!

It is in the segment from total ignorance to the firm knowledge about the mirage is where the mind can wander away and needs to be brought back by a guiding force or light. 

The ghazal discussed thus far is telling us the role of that guiding light to keep the mind in check. To make it realize what is lasting absolute truth and what is illusory.