Laagi, laagi...

S shared this with me last evening:

Laagi laagi sab koi kahe, laagi buri balaa
Laagi hoye jab janiyo, aar paar hoi jaaye

I offer a rough and literal translation:

"I'm struck", "I'm struck", everyone says - they have caught this bad habit
When you're struck, you'll know, for all will be a-scatter

Kabir on a Saturday

I came in to the office today, and see it on a Saturday for a change. A big presentation awaits on Monday, and it could do with more work, hence. No one else is around, and although I could now go home, I decided to stay back and immerse in Kabir for a change, on my own. I had seen the four films last in the U.S., and have since kept a small distance, knowing that the right time would reveal itself when revisiting would become a meaningful experience.

The last few days have been strangely contemplative. Perhaps the effects of the eclipse :). I found myself disinclined to sing at S's place this morning - a first. This would not do, I thought. And to overcome the inertia, I finally made myself pick up a DVD and push it into the disk drive. (This took some labor.) Found myself on Had-Anhad, and re-experienced an introduction to Malwa, to Prahaladji, to Pugal, Mukhtiyar, to dohas that are now an element of daily life. I feel shaken. Not sad, not moved even, nor nostalgic, but shaken. To no small degree, I found tears streaming down my face, and I could not explain. Something is transformed within, yet I cannot put my finger on it. Instead of rambling on in riddles that I'm myself unable to solve, I leave you with (surprisingly) the first doha that has made it to this blog. Fittingly, too. Straight out of Had-Anhad, straight out of Mukhtiyar's crystal clear voice, and straight out of the essence of Kabir:

pothi padh-padh jag muha to pundit bhaya na koye
dhai akshar prem ke padhe so pundit hoye

Reading book after book, no one became a pundit,
But he who reads the 2.5 (or 4) letters of 'love' - he is fit to be a pundit.

kabira khada bazaar mein

the third kabir film (alas, only one more remains) was screened today. it brought out subtle distinctions to be kept in mind when one tries to live according to what one believes is the truth. my (brief) jottings from the viewing are as follows:

• a play on kabir is being directed and one of the scenes sees kabir protecting a young boy from being attacked by a group of hindu priests. the director mentions that he likes kabir because kabir stood up for his actions instead of intellectualizing like most sages are wont to. he appreciates that kabir's teachings are not about the abstract, but about daily living.
  
• the first step on the spiritual path involves chants, idol worship, rituals, etc. but man must go beyond that step too.
• tipanya's wife says "atma puja, phir kaam duja", that is, first one must worship the soul, then do any other task. she also adds that worshipping the soul entails serving others.
• "the one who sings, plays, laughs, listens - he goes to satlok (the fourth world)."
• one of the characters used to be a materialistic accountant, and beat up people if they did not return his money, etc. another used to be a naxalite rebel. kabir found them (and reformed them) too.
• kele ke paat paat mein paat, gadhe ki laat laat mein laat, kavi ki baat baat mein baat, hindu ki jaat jaat mein jaat (roughly: a banana has leaves within leaves, a donkey has kicks within kicks, a poet's words are nested within each other, and a hindu has castes within castes).
• "everyone has set up their shops and sells their wisdom, but the greatest wisdom of all is that which is mine own."
• "i realized this is all humbug."
  
• "till you are one, you cannot say anything."
• "a lotus only blooms in the swamps. be one of them (the common men), then rise above."
• "i have seen satlok. satlok is here, in front of me. this is what i have seen - gentleness of speech, of love. this is satlok."
• he finds kabir's words stronger than bullets... the bullet of wisdom strikes.
• a final word: "to my son sahir, for putting up with kabir" :).
  

ud jayega...

i just translated this for a friend, and thought to share it with the rest of you. kabir's words always inspire, after all, and when kumar gandharva lends his voice to them, nothing short of bliss is to be experienced :).

ud jayega hans akela...

Ud jayega hans akela
Jag darshan ka mela
Jaise paat gire taruvar ke
Milna bahut duhela
Na jaanu kidhar girega
Lagya pawan ka rela
Ud jayega ...

The swan will fly away alone
From the festivities that make up this world
The way the leaves of the tree fall
And are difficult to find
Who knows where it will fall
Who knows where the wind will blow it to

Jab howe umar poori
Tab chhootega hukum huzoori
Jam ke doot bade mazboot
Jam se para jhamela

When this life is complete
Then we shall cease to be slaves
The messengers of Yama are powerful
Thanks to Yama, we will overcome this charade

Das Kabir Hara ke gun gaave
Vaahar kou paar na paaye
Guru ki karni guru jayega
Chele ki karni chela

Kabirdas sings the praises of the Lord
None can escape this Truth
He who does as a Guru will achieve his end suitably
As will he who is the disciple

shabnam virmani's films on kabir are showing these days, at stanford and berkeley, and have left me floored entirely. the themes she explores and the manner in which she does so are spellbinding. i may sound overly effusive on occasion, but so far, the auditoria have been running full, and everyone else appears to be as impacted. if you are conveniently located, in space and time, do check these out. it is the second of these films - koi sunta hai - that is on 'kumar and kabir'. this song is featured in that film and is a beauty to behold.