Kehna Galat Galat:Part 1

 Kehna Galat Galat

Part 1: 

Introduction and some contextual discussion.

कहना ग़लत ग़लत तो छुपाना सही सही

Some time back on this blog we discussed a popular ghazal heard by many in the voice of Ghulam Ali. That was Hungama Hain kyon barpa by the poet Akbar Allahabadi( 1846-1921).

In that song there is reference to alcohol and intoxication. Allahabadi succinctly states: 

Us mai se nahi matlab 

Dil jis se ho begana 

Maksood hain us mai se

Dil hi mein jo kheenchti hain

He is not desirous( or referring to) that wine which makes a person intoxicated to the point where he becomes stuporous and forgetful of himself. He is referring to the divine love that draws the senses from outside pleasures and turns them to his pure being and leads to self realization.

Wine and intoxication are frequently used metaphorically in Sufi poetry in such context.

The following ghazal is another example where these metaphors are beautifully applied to discuss spiritual love. 

Poetry can be interpreted by anyone in whichever way they want or feel like. The interpretation relies on their mood and understanding at any given time. This can change for the same person from time to time. In ordinary secular life the meaning that can be derived from any poetry can often be diametrically opposite of what it conveys in a spiritual context. Therefore the same thing may not mean the same to two people whose outlook towards life is different from each other. 

On this blog I tend to write the meaning of popular poetry and songs that is occasionally not the same as it was picturized in a movie or the vision of its poet. When it comes to spiritual poetry like Marathi abhangas, Hindi bhajans or Sufi songs however my interpretations do not deviate much from the original intended interpretations. This blog may therefore appeal to some and appear rather funny and weird to others. In any case this is the only space I occupy and lay my unopposed claim to express my thoughts without having to care about what someone else thinks or feels about them. The thoughts either relate to my actual experiences or direct intuition or mirror the journey that shaped my opinions. With the passage of time, opinions have become softer and less important than convictions created by deeper understanding and experiences. These convictions also have become increasingly restricted to my limited person and less of impositions or expectations from anyone other than myself. 

I wrote a recent post titled “Befriending Teddy” where I shared an anecdote about a casual household conversation with my sister pertaining to our relationship with her dog. At the heart of that conversation was the issue that when two people interact, the one who has better understanding of things ought to extend benevolence rather than judgment towards the other. And one with the lesser understanding ought to humble himself to learn from the other. The positions keep changing moment to moment. The same person may be at the higher level in a certain situation and immediately in the lower level at a subsequent situation. The alertness and flexibility to recognize and adapt appropriately to ever changing circumstances is a skill to be acquired and used. A stiff attitude is of no use if one has to enjoy life from moment to moment and have meaningful relationships with others. This is the eternal dance, I’ve learnt to recognize and try to become a part of.

Also in another post recently, built upon a song from an old movie, jaao re jogi tum, I shared my understanding of the definition of gyaan or dnyan. The realization that the entire creation is constituted of a single indivisible entity or reality is what I understand as dnyan. It is a finite and absolute understanding with nothing less or more left to understand. 

Having said that, however, it becomes imperative to understand that everything other than the dnyan that comes under this definition, can neither be absolute, nor sustained, nor ever complete. It includes spiritual knowledge that spreads its wings into a journey of personal evolution and in a sporting way narrates a story that includes relationships and therefore stands on an apparent background of duality when there is none. I had recently( half jokingly) stated to a friend that there are only 3 experiences for human brain: Absolute Reality, Science Fiction and Fiction. Commonplace experiences in the normal waking state fall under science fiction. Science can support them but from point of reality they are pure fiction. And then there is what we commonly identify as fiction, like fairytales, Santa Claus, Mickey Mouse or Tarzan. For someone who finds it hard to believe me when I say this, I may appear as delusional. For those who have experienced it and know what I’m talking about will identify differently who is delusional. It really doesn’t matter. 

What matters is that everybody’s belief and thinking counts. Everybody is respected. Everybody receives kindness. Even those that behave cruelly. In fact those are the ones who need it the most. Because they have not experienced kindness and known how wonderful it can be. Yet it often isn’t easy to show kindness to them. 

That too is understandable. In this infinite manifest universe every individual is at a different level with evolution and understanding. Even though everyone is constituted of the same essential reality. Something like coal and diamonds both being primarily constituted of carbon atoms. The impurities within them distinguish one from the other. Their value changes in the world based on these impurities and the purpose they can serve.

It is only a select few that are crazy enough to value diamonds and coal in equal light. They have withdrawn enough from being in the role of a consumer of goods. They do not mingle with people with a calculation of who serves a purpose for them and who doesn’t. Metaphorically speaking, they see both coal and diamonds being constituted of carbon atoms and they love carbon atoms because that’s what they themselves are made of. So diamond is a brother to them as much as is coal! They don’t need to own either because they have in themselves what’s in the other two. But because they treat the two with love and respect, when need arises, the diamond may come to add shine or coal may volunteer to warm up their home without even needing to ask. Life doesn’t get complicated.

Complications arise when there are expectations. Or when mind is tired of everyone expecting something or other from it. 

The relationship of the mind with the spiritual Master is unique. Fundamentally there is no expectation from each other. Something like what was described above in the person who sees coal and diamond as his brothers that share the same basic constitution. The mind has happily surrendered itself to the Reality and in turn the Reality watches over the mind. Like the example above of the diamond offering its shine and coal offering its warmth without asking, the mind benefits from peace, clarity, bliss and security when it comes under the wings of Reality. These are unconditional benefits it enjoys simply by recognizing Reality for what it is. 

The ghazal I’m going to discuss in the series of next few posts is a playful banter between one such mind and the Spiritual Master or Divine Being. In the course of this exchange one can recognize some common mischiefs that mind tends to have. Like dishonesty, hypocrisy, infidelity, possessiveness and even jealousy.These mischiefs however do not escape from the eyes of Reality or Truth. So on the Day of Judgement everything lays bare on the table. 

The dialogue is not very easy to understand for everyone unless you are used to read through figurative language and interpret abstract concepts. Furthermore once successfully interpreted and understood in theory, unless it is found to be of personal application to undergo intrinsic reform, its appeal is unlikely to last too long. Simply put, it is more than just of entertainment value. You are in a wrong space if you are here for entertainment. The subsequent discussion may be too much of both drab and drag for you. If, however, you are ready to take a dip with the words and then take it further from there with your own reflection and contemplation, you are in for a great adventure like I found myself in. It has immense potential to take you on a long personal mystical journey leaving my words behind.

Kehna galat galat 

This is the ghazal. Listen to its magnificent rendition in qawwali style by the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and his troupe. The nuances in his singing are to be listened to attentively to appreciate their beauty. If you have that ear you will soon realize that once or twice is never enough for such masterpieces. You will find yourself listening to it over and over and over again till you become part of it. The meaning of individual lines will unfold in new ways as you go on listening to them. Although I’m silly and audacious to put down the meaning in words, you will realize when you indulge yourself fully into the song, why the mystical experience that it draws you into has no words to express, if you have to be utterly honest with yourself.

Kehna galat galat

Toh chhupana sahi sahi

कहना ग़लत ग़लत तो छुपाना सही सही