Saiyyan By Kailash Kher

There are some songs which keep haunting you.
And recently, I came across such a song, “Saiyyan” by Kailash Kher. Its slow, but very melodious. Its a simple song, with beautiful lyrics and Kailash Kher’s rustic voice.
Not only it touches your heart, but the sincerity in his voice and the lyrics, makes you feel the emotions that are being talked about in the song.

I am not posting the video as I didnt think it did complete justice to the song.. My friends on facebook can go and check it out there…

As for the rest.. I am sure u will manage

Phenomenal Woman

This is one of my favorite poems.

Answers a lot of questions…. asked and unasked, answered and unanswered.

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
‘Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

By Maya Angelou

Contentment

Many times I have had this discussion, what does contentment mean… Is it not to have any wants or ambitions as you are happy with what you are? Does it go against evolution, dynamism and growth and ends up in stagnation? Is it the perfect excuse for the lotus-eater?

Well, I beg to differ. It means to be happy with whatever one has, to enjoy living in the present moment without desiring or craving for more.

Its just being satisfied with what you possess, being happy with what you have, and thankful for what has been given to you. … Contentment does not mean a life of inertia and stagnation, but one of slow and steady action and elevation.

To come to think of it, what do we crave in life? And us hankering after it, does it take us closer to that?

Most of us are in good, comfortable positions in life. Yet most of the time people are unhappy, why? Isn’t it just expectations, (be it personal or professional) which weigh us down?

To me contentment means to lower expectations, not because of fear that they will remain unfulfilled, but because I want to enjoy the present, if something that is worthy of desiring happens, Let it be a surprise…If it doesn’t, I never expected it.. So why be sad?

 

When I was very young, my grandfather, used to sing to me.

I could never make out if it is a song or hymn. Was it a love song or a devotional one? I was always confused that who was he singing for?
The songs were beautiful in a different offbeat kind of way, as in if beauty can synonymize passion or fervor. Some of them funny, some of them satirical, some of them had the sarcasm (somewhat like Kabir’s dohe), but all of them had a devotion, love in its purest form.
Much much later, did I come to know it was all Sufiyana music and Kalaam.

Sufi love poetry tends to be based on the metaphor that our love for God and our seeking contact with him is like seeking a departed lover.
Therefore, in the Sufiyana Kalam, it becomes so difficult to ascertain that if one is talking about God or his/her beloved.
Till date, no matter how rudimentary or unsophisticated it might sound, this is what moves me the most.

One such sufi poet, is Bulle Shah (yes of the “Bulla ki jana main kaun” fame)

And one of his lines I remember from childhood is

Ranjha ranjha kardi ni main apay ranjha hoi
Sakhiyon ni menu sadho ranjha heer na akhay koi

( Saying Ranjha Ranjha I have became Ranjha my self,
therefore call me Ranjha and no one say Heer anymore.)

Another rendition that I had heard was:

Ranjha ranjha kardi ni main apay ranjha hoi
Ranjha main wich main ranjhe wich, hor khayal na koi

(Second line means, we both have become one, no other thought exists)

Although I would love to talk about Bulla ki Jaana (maybe some other time), let me describe another poem on a similar vein.

Ni mein kamli han (Yes indeed, i am mad in His love)

Haji lok Makey  nu jandey, mera Ranjha mahi Maka ni mein kamli han

(Those who want to go to Mecca can do that, for me Ranjha is Mecca
and yes, I am mad)

Jit wal yaar, ut wal Kaaba, bhaven fole Kitaban Chharen, ni mein kamli han.

(wherever is my beloved my Kaaba is there, you can check your all four holy books, i.e. the Tourant, Jaboor, Injeel and the Quran, i am madly in love with Him).

Wichey Haji, wichey Gazzi, wichey Chor Uchaka, ni mein kamli han.

(In my procession there are people going to Haj, to war and also cheats and thieves, i dont care, I am in love with My Beloved, and i dont look at others, i am in love with Him).

Mein ta mang Ranjhe di hoiyenya, mera babal karda dhakka, ni mein kamli han.

(I have been betrothed to Ranjha but my family wish to send me with the other group… what to say i am mad).

There was this movie that i saw.. Ridiculous as it was, (it was a YashRaj movie, had to have fantasy).
Somehow, made a deep impact. Maybe i could relate to it, it reminded me of the days when we had faced a similar situation.
By God’s grace we came out of it, but I would never be able to forget the struggle. And i dont even want to..
It was a difficult period, but I am a different person because of it. Something changed those days, and has remained that way. Nothing comes easy, and I love it. I dont say that I am happy with How I have performed, But I like what I have become.

Following are the lyrics of one of the songs of the movie, which perfectly described everything. I think they are quite inspiring

ik banjaara ik taare par kabse gaave
jivan hai ik dor dor uljhe hi jaave
aasaani se girahe khulati nahi hai
mann woh hathila hai jo phir bhi suljhaave
raahi ka toh kaam hai chalataahi jaave

tinaka tinaka chidiya laave
aise apana ghar woh banaave
Zarra Zarra tu bhi jodke ik gharonda bana
boond boond hai banata saagar
dhaaga dhaaga banati chaadar
dheere dheere yuun hi tu bhi apana jivan saja
sichata hai yahaan jo bagiya ko, wahi phool bhi paave
raahi ka toh kaam hai chalaatahi jaave

din hai parvat jaise bhaari
raate bojhal bojhal saari
tu yeh sochata hai raah kaise aasaan ho
saari anjaani hai raahe, jinme dhunde teri nigaahe
koi aisa pal aaj ya kal meherbaan ho
ghume kabse dagar dagar, tu mann ko yeh samajhaave
raahi ka toh kaam hai chalataahi jaave

Wo Kamra Yaad Aata hai

Well..

If life can never be stagnant.. if its everflowing.. than what stays with us?

If there is one thing which I fear, will remove me from Myself, is letting go of my roots, or to put it more clearly, things which are dear to me right now. I tend to keep everything, save it, savour it again and again… This makes me relatively quite slow for the world, but then thats me.

There is this poem by Javed Akhtar which really touched me, It goes like..

Main jab bhi zindagi ki chilchilatee dhoop mein tapkar
Main jab bhi doosron ke aur apne jhooth se thak kar
Main sabse lad ke khud se haar ke
Jab bhi us ik kamre mein jaata tha
Wo halke aur gehre katthai rangon ka ik kamra
Wo behad meherbaan kamra
Jo apni narm mutthi mein mujhe aise chhupa leta tha
Jaise koi maan bachche ko aanchal mein chhupa le
Pyaar se daante,
“Ye kya aadat hai, jalti dopahar mein maare maare ghoomte ho tum”

Wo kamra yaad aata hai..
Dabeez aur khaasa bhaari
kuch zara mushkil se khulne waala (Dabeez=Hard)
wo sheesham ka darwaaza
Ki jaise koi akkhad baap
apne khurdare seene mein
shafqat ke samandar ko chuupaye ho (Shafqat = Tenderness)

Wo kursi,
aur uske saath wo judwaan bahen uski
Wo dono dost thein meri Wo ik gustakh munhphat aaina,
jo dil ka achchha tha
Wo behangam si almari, (Behangam= Clumsy)
jo kone mein khadi ik boodhi anna ki tarah
aaine ko tambeeh karti thee (tambeeh=scold)
Wo ik guldaan,
nanha sa,
bahut shaitan,
un dono pe hansta tha

Dareecha                              (dareecha=window)
ya zahanat se bhari ik muskurahat     (zahanat=Knowing)
aur dareeche pe jhuki wo bel
Koi sabz sargoshi                      (sabz = green)
(sargoshi = whisper)

Kitabein
taak mein aur shelf par
sanjeeda ustaani bani baithein
Magar sab muntazir is baat ki main unse kuchh poochoon (muntazir = waiting)
Sirhane
neend ka saathi,
thakan ka charagar
wo narm dil takiya
Main jiski god mein sir rakh ke
chhat ko dekhta tha
Chhat ki kadiyon mein na jane kitne afsanon ki kadiyaan thein
Wo chhoti mez par
aur saamne deewar par
aawezaan tasveerein
Mujhe apnaiyat aur yaqeen se dekhtein thein,
muskuratein thein
Unhein shak bhi nahi tha,
ik din
main unko aise chhod jaoonga
Main ik din yoon bhi jaoonga,
ki phir wapas na aaoonga

Main ab jis ghar mein rehta hun, bahut hi khoobsoorat hai
Magar aksar yahan khamosh baitha yaad karta hoon

Wo kamra baat karta tha….!

Contentment

Contentment is something which I absolutely treasure…

I do not say its lack of ambition or fire.. But if you have contentment, the desires stop running your life. These desires are the main reasons which disturb the balance or the equilibrium in life.

The most fulfilled person is the one who is contented

———————————————-

I prayed for riches and achieved success,

All that I touched turned into gold. Alas!

My cares were greater, and my peace was less

When that wish came to pass.

I prayed for glory; and heard my name

Sung by sweet children and by hoary men.

But ah! the hurts, the hurts that came with fame!

I was not happy then.

I prayed for love, and had my soul’s desire,

Through quivering heart and body and through brain

There swept the flame of its devouring fire;

And there the scars remain.

I prayed for a contented mind. At length

Great light upon my darkened spirit burst,

Great peace fell on me, also, and great strength.

Oh! had that prayer been first!

- Ella Wheeler Wilcox, “”Answered Prayers”"

chalte jaate hain
ek sukoon ki talaash mein
ek kumi si khalti hai
har padaav pe har mukaam pe

kyun sab kuchh khali khali hai
jane yeh kaisi pyas hai
kyun duniya bemaani hai
jaane ye kaisi aas hai

Duniya mein itna shorgul
par dil mein yeh kaisa sannata hai
ab khushi bhi mil jaye raah mein
usse dekh ke dil ghabrata hai

Love..

I came across this definition of Love which i think was as close as it could get. I shared it with a friend of mine.. Shirin. And She said that this quote is something like what i would speak .. Well.. she kinda made my day, week, month or perhaps an year..

Thanks Shirin

Although i know to translate words into actions is another story altogether which takes a lot of efforts, courage and conviction… Still..

The definition goes like..

Love is not something you do,
It is not how you behave.
There’s nothing you can do that constitutes loving another,
No action that is of itself loving.
Love is a way of being.
And more than that.
It is simply being,
Being with another person, however they may be.
Holding no judgements, having no agendas,
No need to have them experience your love,
No desire to demonstrate love,
No intrusion upon their soul.
Nothing but a total acceptance of their being,
Born of your total acceptance of yours.

Peter Russell

Living

Whats living all about?

I am sure it cant be all about earning those materialistic things.. where i see the whole population running, hailing cabs , jostling into trains and basically struggling..

Then is it indirectly working for the ones they love… giving them happiness.. Spending moments that you will cherish when you are eighty.. or most probably u will have a mixture of moments.. which will be sweet and sour..

or maybe it is it about nothing, since we have been put on this earth, we don’t have to question it and blindly follow what has been given, what has been dictated

Big questions, and i don’t have a single answer…

Even trying to answer this raises more questions…

well..

in sawaalon ke jawabon ki ek parat dar parat khulti hai..

Jab ek parat khulti hai.. kai sawal aur aate hain..

kuch ek jawab main dhoondti hoon aur kuch kismat pe chhod deti hoon

aur kuchh jawab shayad yunhi ghum hue reh jate hain

Maybe i am just finding the ways and means to do it.. and i will get the answer later why am i doing it..

i figured out… one thing that i need in life..thehraav.. (i dont know whats the correct word in english)

To put it in english.. i want to retain my poise..

Insecurities will always be there..and so will be responsibilities, duties, obligation and guilt..

Its upon us, if we let them affect us.

Humko man ki shakti dena, man vijay karein…