Kehna galat galat:Part 5
Kehna galat galat
Part 5:
The playfulness continues between the two.
Dil leke mera haath mein kehte hain mujhse woh
Kya loge iske daam batana sahi sahi
दिल लेके मेरा हाँथ में कहते हैं मुझसे वो
क्या लोगे इसके दाम बताना सही-सही
One must be prepared for blunt talk with God. The mystic is saying here I gave my heart to God and holding it in His hands he looked at me and asked “what is your price for this?”
God wants to be clear about the transaction from the outset. It is ok to give me your heart but I need to know what you expect in return. He is quite used to humans never doing anything for free. They expect things in return for every favor. So He seems to know in every case: what is the price you expect for your service and devotion?
Those who give the heart without expecting anything in return are the ones that become dearest to God. They love for the sake of loving. God is not a means to an end for them. This is what Sri Krishna refers in the Bhagwad Gita as Ananya Bhakti. Unwavering devotion.
Not everyone, however, approaches God with the same attitude. Most have some intermediate goals, definite objectives or hidden agendas to accomplish and God is simply the facilitator to reach those goals. God is not the goal for them. Then there are some who themselves don’t know what they want from God, or what’s hiding in their own minds. Some hidden part of the mind remains kept tucked away from the infinite consciousness.
Although in this verse God is asking upfront about the give and take, in Reality, God doesn’t need to ask anyone for the answer to this question. He knows too well where each one stands and with what intention one is coming to Him.
I came across a very powerful statement recently: when a blind man gains eyesight for the very first time, the first thing he throws away is the stick that helped him get around until then!
Sadly, the mind does not always tend to remember the savior who conferred life and its precious experiences, comforts and pleasures upon him. Man keeps wandering selfishly in the pursuit of newer greener pastures, and shamelessly approaching the benefactor when he encounters obstacles in the path.
Not all are ready to accept the Absolute or Spirit as a real thing. Amongst the rest who accept in theory that the spirit is real, not all are ready to forego the temporary world of pleasures in lieu of spiritual bliss. Not all are ready to even believe that spiritual bliss is a real thing. So when they briefly interact with the spirit their feet are firmly planted in matter and in this material reality. There is no way they can be convinced that matter is an illusion. Spirituality is not for them. They have nothing to do with deep experience of spirituality.
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From this point forward the song cleverly uses wine and wine related topics to convey spiritual wisdom related to a devotee’s relationship with God.
Aankhein milaao gair se toh hum ko jaam-e-may
Saqi tumhein qasam hain pilana sahi sahi
आंखें मिलाओ गैर से तो हमको जाम-ए-मय
साकी तुम्हें कसम है पिलाना सही-सही
Gair refers to another person( someone other than me). Saqi is the bartender. In this situation it is used figuratively to describe God who pours the intoxicating elixir of love and wisdom into a devotee’s heart or alternatively, pleasures into the lives of those who seek them.
Jealousy is a strict no-no in spirituality. The only context it is permissible when it is implied jokingly without a trace of real jealousy as in the above verse.
In the Bhaagvatam there is an episode narrated where Krishna is playing Raas with several gopis(milk maids) who are all his ardent devotees. He miraculously multiplies himself in a way that each Gopi sees him dancing with herself. The moment she looks at another Gopi and sees Krishna dancing with her as well, and feels a sense of jealousy, Krishna disappears from her presence. She must keep her focus on Krishna and their dance together. Another person’s dance and relationship with Krishna is not her business.
In the above verse a faithful devotee who knows that the Divine Spirit caters to several devotees at any given time is playfully teasing and reminding of His obligation to not be distracted when attending to this devotee. He is nudging Him to remain fully attentive and deliver the goods(divine love and wisdom) as promised. Watch over me, prevent me from digressing from my path. It’s a prayer to be guided on the path at all times notwithstanding how many others God must watch over simultaneously.
Also, consider how a physician will not prescribe the same medication to every patient because each patient is different and has a different set of symptoms, different diagnosis and different prognosis. Thus the physician is at all times required to be alert and informed of what he is giving to every patient. The same logic applies to spiritual guidance. God does not pour the same “wine” into each cup. What he pours and how much he pours is determined with utmost care and thought.
अहो आपण जैसे व्हावे
देवे तैसेची करावे
Here the devotee is playfully teasing God that hope you are being attentive and giving me the right stuff that I am here for. Do not mix me up with someone else. You know what I prefer and you also know what is best for me. So give me what you think I should get. And along with that give me the ability to do justice to what I’m given by your grace.
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Nasha pilakar girana toh sab ko aata hain
Maza toh tab hain ki girton ko thaam le saqi
नशा पिला कर गिराना तो सब को आता है
मज़ा तो तब है कि गिरतों को थाम ले साकी
Here the poet( devotee) is saying that ordinary bartenders only take responsibility to serve wine to their customers. If the customer drinks to the point of getting intoxicated and crashes, the bartender sees no personal responsibility to help him get on his feet and taken to safety.
He then draws a contrast with the extraordinary act of empathy shown by a rare bartender who keeps a close eye on every client’s wellbeing and promptly rushes to lift those that seem to be going off balance or falling off the wagon.
What this figurative verse is highlighting is the fact that any human being is potentially vulnerable to making mistakes and slipping off the virtuous path. A true master or man of wisdom does not judge men for their mistakes. He watches over them, gives them a chance to get up and steady themselves again and walk with dignity. Along with divine love is guidance, support, compassion and forgiveness.
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Nasha iman hota hain, surahi deen hoti hain
Jawani ki ibadat kis qadr rangeen hoti hain
नशा ईमान होता है, सुराही दीन होती है
जवानी की इबादत किस क़दर रंगीन होती है
Nasha means intoxication. Intoxication is a state where a substance or object of love becomes so influential and captivating that nothing else appears more alluring or worth indulging in than that thing. The poet says this is synonymous with Faith. Faith is nothing but a state of intoxication. You forget everything else in lieu of what you fall head over heels in love with and start believing without questioning.
Surahi is the pot from which wine is poured into the cup. It is the practical channel that conducts contents from the reservoir of the wine for direct use by the consumer. The poet uses the metaphor of a surahi for religion. It may also represent the spiritual preceptor or guide.
This is a very pertinent concept to understand religion and take it in better light than it often tends to be seen. If in the context of spiritual practice, divine wisdom or divine love is the wine, and men and women seeking it are the consumers, religion is simply a convenient and commonplace tool like a pitcher to serve it.
However just like wine can be accessed by directly putting one’s mouth to a tap on the wine barrel or from a ladle, or from a leaky hole in the barrel or holding a cup underneath an overflowing barrel, an occasional seeker can bypass ritualistic religion and get directly to the goodies. Religion, in short, is helpful but not indispensable. It can be optional. There is a poignant verse in the Bhagwad Gita chapter 2 where Krishna tells Arjun that for a man of wisdom the Vedas serve no purpose.
यावानर्थ उदपाने सर्वत: सम्प्लुतोदके ।
तावान्सर्वेषु वेदेषु ब्राह्मणस्य विजानत: ॥ 46॥
The argument stands on rather tricky grounds because if a reader’s intellect is not sufficiently developed this can be construed as Vedas being unimportant or worthless. That is certainly not what is being suggested. What is implied is that the divine knowledge stands independent of the Vedas. The Vedas, spiritual teachers or spiritual texts or religious teachings are some practical means to acquire this knowledge and therefore must be regarded with great respect. But none of these can ever claim to be the sole means to reach the knowledge.
Jawani ki ibadat kis qadr rangeen hoti hain
Jawani refers to youth/youthfulness. Ibadat is worship or devotion( usually in reference to God). Jawani ki ibadat can be interpreted in a couple of different ways: worship of youth or worship done during the times of youth. The poet is pointing out to the fact that worship, when the mind is naive and young, tends to be highly colorful.
A young mind is readily drawn to fall in love with a pretty face or impressionable person or whatever in that person attracts it. Or to countless material things. This love tends to be intensely passionate and consuming. At that age there is a natural high energy, liveliness, sense of wonder and colorfulness to the mind as opposed to how the mind tends to become at later stages. While the former seems more attractive it often proves to be misguided and reckless. Faith and religion assume a distorted form for the young. As long as this distortion holds a power on the mind, such a mind cannot understand the real purport of faith and religion. It is consuming a harmful kind of wine to remain intoxicated and oblivious of reality.
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Sharab-e-naab ko do aatish bana ke pila
Sharab kam hain toh saqi nazar mila ke pila
शराब-ए-नाब को दो आतिशा बना कर पिला
शराब कम है तो साक़ी नज़र मिला कर पिला
Sharab-e-naab means pure wine. One that is unadulterated. Purest of the pure. Do-aatish means doubly potent.
The poet dares the beloved ( divine master) to cast a spell so strong in that he is totally mesmerized by divine love and forgetful of everything else. He has specified here that the wine not be adulterated. The love ought to be purely for the divine spirit and not anything else.
And if extraneous measures fall short, he says, simply allow me a deep gaze into your eyes and that will do the trick. The devotee is desirous of spiritual ecstasy. He wants a deep emotional connection with the Lord.
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Sharab ka koi apna sareeh-e-rang nahin
Sharab tajjeeya-e-ehtisaab karti hain
Jo ehl-e-dil hain badhati hain aabroo unki
Jo be-shuoor hain unko kharab karti hain
शराब का कोई अपना सरीह-ए-रंग नहीं
शराब तज्ज़िया-ए-एहतिसाब करती है
जो अहल-ए-दिल हैं बढ़ाती है आबरू उनकी
जो बे-शु’ऊर हैं उनको खराब करती है
In this verse sharab (wine) is to be taken as Reality or Pure Consciousness. The mystic poet is telling us that Reality has no color of its own. sareeh-e-rang means of definite or specific color. Like water or sunlight or wind, it is neutral. And by virtue of its neutrality it is qualified to analyze precisely whatever comes in contact with it.
I am reminded of the incident in Alandi where young Muktabai could smell spiritual arrogance in Sant Namdev and insisted that Sant Gora Kumbhar put all the members of the group through a test of their spiritual ripeness. Everyone except Sant Namdev passed the test. A humbled Namdev accepted discipleship of Visoba Khechar and with the grace of his teacher he could ascend to the final step of self realization or liberation. Although a temporary embarrassment, Namdev still had considerable accrued merit and therefore quickly learned from the mistakes and corrected them.
In the present verse the poet points out that when put through a thorough test, that is when a critical Reality Check occurs, those that are truly wise and filled with goodness get a nod and their authenticity and dignity is further enhanced. In contrast, those that are dishonest and have significant flaws in their personality fail miserably and face disgrace and humiliation. Their facade is exposed. Their credibility is diminished or lost.
There is an old Marathi song sung by Sudhir Phadke for the movie Amhi jato amuchya gava. In this song there is a line that says: पीते दूध डोळे मिटुनी जात मांजराची! Cats drink milk with closed eyes! This is a critique on people who do wrong and think they would not be caught. The cat is under the wrong impression that it can sneak up and drink the milk left unattended and when it closes it eyes nobody will see it steal the milk. Any theft, any wrongdoing is going to come to light sooner or later. Thats the rule of universal justice. The wise people know this and stupid people don’t. If another person is not watching, the consciousness within yourself is registering the wrong act. It will confront you and expose the lie one day.
Spiritual awakening is about coming face to face with the consciousness within. To pay heed to it. And lead a life of honesty, sincere effort, integrity, compassion and respect for others. One who is afraid of the audit from the conscience within themselves is not afraid of anything else.
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Saqi tumhein qasam hain pilana sahi sahi
साकी तुम्हें कसम है पिलाना सही-सही
Such a person who knows the value of integrity asks only the right things from his spiritual master. Give me your love and give me all the wisdom I need to navigate my life. I call upon you to promise me that you will grant me these things. Intoxicate me with your love and desire and not for anything else.
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गाहक हैं हम भी माल दिखाना सही-सही
क्या आप भी हैं उसके बताना सही-सही
Kehna galat galat, toh chhupana sahi sahi
कहना ग़लत ग़लत तो छुपाना सही सही
He has asked the question: Kyaa aap bhi hain uske batana sahi sahi
and in it is implied that he expects yes to be the answer.
Yet, somewhere he secretly feels that perhaps the truthful answer to his question may not be in his best interest. If God admits that He indeed belongs to the devotee, who knows what that may do to his mind. It may gloat and become arrogant and start taking things for granted. Or it may feel embarrassed about seeking something in return for his own devotion. A little suspense may give him an incentive to strive harder in the hope that God may reciprocate the love and devotion at a future date. Thus, although I asked a question for confirmation of reciprocal love, let God give a less than forthcoming answer and hide the truth.
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In summary, mysterious are the ways of the human mind and even more mysterious are the ways of the Reality that sustains the universe. When the two become committed partners, wonders can happen.
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Divine Love
Divine Wisdom
Reality
Self Realization
What do these actually mean in the practical sense?
To know beyond doubt that the Creating Power, That from which everything has manifested, exists in all manifestation including ourselves, or we are an inseparable part of divine creation and that is our real identity, is Divine Knowledge. To not simply believe but to Know that everything we see around us in essence is the God we worship in temples or churches or mosques, and yet God is transcendent and much more than the entire creation is Knowing God. To hide from that God and do whatever we “think” is right, is ignorance. To do everything in full consciousness without resultant guilt at any point in time is living in Truth or Reality. To know that God is our pure self and the same Self exists in everything around us and therefore feel the same love towards everyone and everything is Divine Love. To have no trace of ego within us is the Divine Wine without adulteration. Thus to ask God for the purest and strongest of wines in our cup means to ask for an existence that is devoid of ego and falsehood. To be able to live looking beyond our ego and its interests is living free. That is liberation. The true self by its nature does not hold on to anything. Therefore once you find that center within your heart you don’t have to make special efforts to let go of attachments. You can’t hold on to anything. You can love without needing to hold on.
I have experienced letting go of the body from an aircraft 13,000 feet above ground. It was exactly five years to the date yesterday when I did that. It felt like a bird in the sky. Untethered. Out of the clutches of anything including worries, fears, sorrows. Only the experience of wonder and joy. But letting go of not your body, but your sense of body, which is the limited self we have known ourselves to be, is several times more powerful than the bodily experience of flying free in air. It can be achieved by believing and trying. Sky diving experience brings joy to the person doing it. But experience of videha mukti helps not just the person but everyone around the person.
Yet it is not at all easy. One moment you feel you have done it. Another moment you are struggling again to let go the body consciousness. And there you start over again. To get back to your formless natural state of being. Where there is neither you nor another. Neither you nor God.
But then of course the human in you needs to love and be loved. It craves to express emotions. And there comes God and all His creation. It’s about what came first, the egg or the chicken. And who is the egg and who is the chicken between Man and God? Is it the mother who gave birth to her child or the child who made her a mother?
At some point you stop asking questions and just choose to be. Just feel. Just live. Just know. Just love.
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