Bhimpalasi

This composition, 'ja ja re apne mandirwa'(जा जा रे अपने मंदिरवा) is a famed one in bhimpalasi. Almost everyone has sung it. A rendition by Ashwini Bhide used to yell from my laptop some time ago. To my utter surprise one day our geek-friend Atishay, was humming it, with all gamaks and aakaars complete :D. Apparently the song sort of caught-on with him, even though he had no particular liking for classical music. Sort of surprised me. Anyway.

Here is bhimpalai by Pt. Jasraj, Pt. Rajan Sajan and Ashwini bhide . Jasraj one, comes to you easily but Pt. Rajan Sajan will grow on you. I am embedding only Rajan-Sajan one. For Jasraj click here and for Ashwini bhide here. Ashwini has also sung it well, though my guess is most people will like the Jasraj version most.

I think its a nice and light composition.

satya

सत्य की तरह झूठलाये जा रहा हूँ मैं,
अपने अस्तित्व को |

Vichar

क्या है विचार की अंतिम गति?
दुर्गति!

Dying Man

We will call him 'dying-man'. If you ask him he is never gonna tell you that, but the truth is, that he is dying. He is not sick or old, he is fairly-fit and young but he is dying. Everyone is dying too, you can say that, but everyone is living too. For him, he has lost that connection with life. There is nothing left in the gamut of human experiences, which can evoke his interest. He is just waiting now for the, 'THE-END'.

Dying-man picked up a packet of biscuit, a packet of cheese with holes and some tea. There was a long queue at the cash counter. It was a weekend after all. This civilization had created this unique travesty of relief, weekends. May be there is some deeper human fixation with ends. May Be. Dying-man was also waiting for his end, 'The End'. But his kind of 'end' was not a means towards some end. He just wanted himself to end. Period.

He decided not to stand in the queue, he was in no hurry. Causally he studied the merchandise stocked in racks. A super market is a sensual feast. 1000 kind of things, and then 1000 types of those 1000 kind of things. Aisle after aisle he moved on. Looking at everything, yet not quite noticing it. Suddenly, he heard a giggle, shrieky enough to pull him out of his reverie. Two bright eyes were looking at him. Shining ones, rare ones. He gave those eyes a glance back, but the eyes had disappeared. He thought, he did some thing uncharacteristic
to attract this. Could be. He was other-worldly, always. Cash counter still had a long queue.

He moved on. To another aisle, to another set of products. Products products and more products, super fertility of industrial economies. Increase production, increase consumption, deck up everything up in shiny packaging, to arrest your eyes and ears. He was a dying man. Unfazed, he moved on, no commodity could create arousal in his system. His shopping basket already had, all what he needed.

He heard the giggle again, the same shining eyes were now smiling. He made an eye contact, he noticed those eyes had mischief, playfulness, innocence. The dying man smiled. Rarely did the dying-man smile, this was one such occasion. Shining eyes clapped in glee.The little one had little hands, little legs, chubby cheeks, and the frivolity which can make a dying-man smile. Dying-man gazed continuously, enchanted. The little one laughed, ran and hid himself behind his mother's legs.

The Dying-man had just felt the stroke of aliveness in his skin. The little one, peeped again, standing behind his mother's legs and then hid himself up again. For the first time now, the dying-man REALLY looked at the merchandise. He grabbed a big bar of Mars, a big bar of Bounty and Twix.

He had just met Life. Our dying-man.

26th Jan

Sound Seeing Samkhya

I dont know much about dance. I dont know much about music either but at least with music I have some familiarity. My education and interests however have often made me ponder about music and its connection with time. How do we bring our modern understanding of vibration/sound(longitudinal wave) /fourier series/vocal apparatus/human anatomy to realm of Indian classical music(ICM)?

Indian classical music(both Hindustani/Carnatic) has this unique feature of using this concept of 'taal'(rhythmic cycle?) to convey time and also timelessness. Using a circular concept, passage of time is conveyed via aavartans (आवर्तन). Using a cyclical approach, time is divided into repetitive recurring pieces. The most defining event in this repetitive-cycle is the starting point(called Sam सम) and ending point (also termed Sam and it begins another cycle). I call this the Big-bang or the Big gong when t=0.

This blog also, has wasted several CPU cycles (आवर्तन ;-)) on Time and its mythification. And of course the sense of passage of time and tense bla bla bla.

Then one day I heard Pt Birju maharaj saying, u can hear tala via tabla, mridang and pakhawaj but to see tala u need a dancer :). This made me tinker further with the idea of, "seeing the time". Music and dance have this unique capability, one can 'see' and 'hear' the "time". Of-course I am using the wider definition of time here.(I think you can fathom what I am hinting at)

Now think on these lines. All of you know very well, from the Indian perspective, sound is categorized as para-pashyanti-madhyama-vaikhiri.Para being the most subtle and vaikhiri being gross. Pashyanti is made from the root (pashya/too see), means seeing the sound. So, just before the unmanifested sound(para) the first perception of sound is pashyanti(seeing).
Now sound. The only way sound can be defined, is an auditory sensation. So the argument now becomes, that the perception of sound(hearing) first happens as pashyanti i.e. vision.

Now think of those Vedic seers, the so called mantra drastha crowd. The 'seers' of the 'sound' chaps. And ofcourse now we bring in time here. Shruti is Eternal ..Right ? Eternal means all the time. Now connect all of this to concept of taala.

In someway this all somewhat becomes absurd, since as per the thesis put forth by the tradition, hearing (sound) is a more fundamental property than seeing(light). In my own personal understanding, also I feel the same. To me, hearing does indeed happen at a zone where image making mechanism of mind is inactive. Hearing is a more subtle sense than seeing is my firm belief/experience.But the tradition it seems, calls the subtlest form of hearing, seeing(pashyanti) :) at one place but at some other place says hearing is subtlest(akasa) and seeing is grosser(agni).

Ok maybe I have not made myself clear enough. But I am sure few of you can catch the trash which I just threw. I can develop this further, connecting time to pinda(body) and brahmanda(cosmos) but some other day.

Piya milan ko jaana

Pankaj Mullick. If I write anything about this song I will only sully it.

Just listen

जग की लाज, मन की मौज, दोनों को निभाना
पिया मिलन को जाना, हां पिया मिलन को जाना

Ragini: Tu raja ki raj dulari

Now that I have been gently reprimanded by my Guruji for being too cerebral (see comments of previous post), I seek redemption in this post :)

Here is ragini, a folk-music form, from Hariyana. Most raginis are centered around events/stories and are musical descriptions of the same. This is a very fundamental, a very earthy music. Lyrics are important here, but not in the way they are in Ghazal(its HR!). This ragini describes Shiva warning Parvati of unpleasant consequences, if Parvati's imagined marital endeavors fructify. Don't forget this is 'Shiva-the-jat' of haryana, he aint gonna talk Vigyan Bhairav tantra in this land :).

Do watch the video with its beautiful visuals, and of course even more beautiful lyrics! This is not for you if you are faint hearted or under 18 (in that case you would need adult supervision).

I have also put up the lyrics which have been copied from here, the English uttar-mimansic translation is of yours truly.

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तू राजा की राज-दुलारी, मैं सिर्फ लंगोटे वाला सूं (हूँ का हरियाणवी बोल)
भांग रगड़ के पिया करूं मैं, उंडी (कटोरा) - सोटे (दंड) वाला सूं
You sport Tag Heuer and wear Estée Lauder, I a street hoodlum, who just got a mug shot
I partake controlled substances, with possessions far and few

तू राजा की छोरी सै, मेरे एक भी दासी दोस्त नहीं
शाल दुशाले ओढ़न वाली, म्हारे कम्बल तक भी पास नहीं...
You a wine glass socialite, I a lonesome antisocial
You wear cashmere, I naturist by compulsion

तू बागां की कोयल सै (है) अढे (यहाँ) बर्फ पड़े, हरी घास नहीं
किस तरयाँ (तरह) दिल लागेगा तेरा, सतरा चौ प्रकाश नहीं
In your centrally heated room u do karaoke, I a destitute
There is no glitter of Manhattan here dear, power cuts abound

किसी साहूकार के (यहाँ 'से' के अर्थ में प्रयुक्त) ब्याह करवाले, मैं खाली सोटे वाला सूं.
Marry an i-Banker lady, raise kids in east coast, I am eternally broke

मैं धूनी तपा करूँ, तू आग देख के डर जायगी,
रंग घोल के पिया करूं, मेरा राग देख के डर जायगी
My Life is not so Rosy, my Rosy, fears it has plenty
My cannabis induced ecstasy, is the stuff which horror movies are made of

सौ सौ साल पड़े रहे जल में, तू नाग देख के डर जाएगी.
तांडव नाच करे बन में, रंग राग देख के डर जायगी
O'Beauty, I am a beast, fear and trepidation my companions
My free-style vacillation is no Flamenco

तने (तुझे) जुल्फां (ज़ुल्फ़) वाला छोरा चाहिए (यानी मोडर्न),
मैं लाम्बे (लम्बे) चोटे (जटा) वाला सूं.
Prince charming, well-groomed, with chic hair-do is what u need
A ruffian with head lice is not what girly dreams are made of!

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PS1: reminds moi of a sanskrit subhashit, स्वयं पञ्चमुखः पुत्रौ गजाननषडाननौ दिगम्बरः कथं जीवेत् अन्नपूर्णा न चेद्गृहे (5 mouthed himself, sons having 6 mouths/elphant mouths, how would digambar(shiva) live, if annupurna(parvati) wasnt in his home? ;)

PS2: Ok,So what if Shiva dint expound VBT here, every HR-SRTC bus has many live Bhiarvas which can offer u shaktipat anytime ;)

PS3: Who cares about Shiva, when Krishna chose Haryana to sing Gita :) :) :)

Café-Upanishad

"Cafe Latte" he said nonchalantly. His order was fixed. Since many many years.
"Tall? Grand? Venti?" , he was demanded.
"Venti", he said. Only capitalistic abundance can make the smallest, tallest, He thought.

He searched for a corner seat. Corner is where 2 walls meet. Three also, actually. But he chose the two one. Sitting on that bean bag, he was a picture of tranquility, if only anyone noticed. Everyone was too busy. Good for him, he despised human attention.

'Stupendo, fantastico', A young couple was conversing in Italian. His favorite tongue, Italian. He could hear all languages there, you name it. The powerful arbabic, the delicate french, the chirpy spanish, the throaty danish, norwegian, everything. This place mixed, flavors, smells and languages and created a unique one of its own. You don't need to be a 'parivrajaka' anymore, this place has brought into being that possibility. This place could be called, a laboratory to investigate human thought. To see how different cultures think, to see how they think no-different. Wont you call such a place, an institution? A sacred one?

But he dint come here for that. He knew where thinking could lead,No-where. He had crossed the hurdle of thinking long back. No, No, he was also not not-thinking. Though he knew not-thinking also through and through. He knew all the turns mind can take, he knew all identifications of mind. Insanity/sanity he knew it all. Nirvikalpa/shoonyata/id/ego/super-ego/cognitive-psychology/epistemology, what have you. The whole philosophy of mind.

"Sir, your Cafe latte", he heard.
Without sugar, is what he used to prefer. He felt the warm-dark-bitter-milky fluid in his mouth. Every sip bitter than the other sip. Every sip making way for another sip. Brahman is bitter, he knew it.

Meeting

हम मिल रहे हैं
पल पल
पर
मिल नहीं पा रहे हैं

thakaan

नींद भी इसे,
मिटा पाती नही|
ये थकान,
जाती नहीं ||

Bend in the Sarayu - A soota chronicle

A bird just flew from the sacred southern shores of IN and landed in my vicinity, bringing with him two books which I had sought. I spent a good weekend, in that bird's generous hospitality, all tucked up in the bed catching up with my fast disappearing reading habit(while bird cooked and fed me and ran odd jobs for me!). It seems,I gave some trouble, to various stakeholders involved in my wish fulfillment mission(of book acquisition), but my gratitude I hope will make up for it :).

So, I read a nice travelogue book, 'Bend in the Sarayu - A Soota Chronicle'. Its an interesting tale of Authors journey, beginning in Delhi across the dusty lands of eastern UP. Author, an engineer by profession, goes on a pilgrimage of some sort to Ayodhya and Naimish. In the process are uncovered, customs of hinterland, fables from purana and (my fav.), lessons of life learnt from perceptions of those body-mind systems which are oblivious of an urbanized life full of fret-rush and push-push. Its a good peek into history/culture/mythology(very generous dose of it), of the land where Rama, a 'high impact factor character' in the Indian 'diviniscape' was born. Some chapters were set in villages and described rural life, they were so enchanting and the characters so emotive that I was totally moved. Some premchand's traits there in story-telling, perhaps!

Even as I knew most puranic stories told there, some of my impressions about North indian 'mytho-scape' were challenged, esp. when I discovered, much to my chagrin that Varaha avatar is worshiped in Eastern UP. I was under the impression that, the erstwhile puranic gods had more or less left the popular imagination of Indo Gangetic plain, as north indians today mostly worship Rama Krishna,Shiva and Durga and hanuman. Some descriptions of Bairagi(vairagi) brought to my mind descriptions of Sant Mat and Udasi Sampradayas etc.

In the puranic lore, Soota is the traditional story teller. Author pictures himself as Soota in the book. But I would say, Soota of the book willy-nilly creates a sutra, yes a sutra which he then adorns, by plucking flowers from all traditions of India(from kamban to tulasi), and creates a floral garland. That sutra is devotion. Cant help thinking of akshar-manamalai, considering, that author ends the book with Upadesa Saram. Good Read!

Since, we are at Rama, here is chaupai from RCM, that my mother used to sing to me often, its from Beauty-Kand.

प्रबिसि नगर कीजे सब काजा। हृदयँ राखि कौसलपुर राजा।
गरल सुधा रिपु करहिं मिताई। गोपद सिंधु अनल सितलाई।।
गरुड़ सुमेरु रेनू सम ताही। राम कृपा करि चितवा जाही।
अति लघु रूप धरेउ हनुमाना। पैठा नगर सुमिरि भगवाना।।

Here are some more details about the book.

Highway Lessons

It was one of those days, those kind of days, which days are normally supposed to be. Uneventful, silent, usual, though not exactly boring, boredom had left his system long long ago. He was diseased, the cause unknown but the suffering, so real. It was a dark night and through his windscreen, he could see the dark highway tar divided by the white line.

The same road can lead you to two different ends, it just depends on what side of line you are on, he said to himself. Someone draws the line and one chooses one's side. Line had taught him a lesson.

Keep to your left, he said to himself, as he was speeding away. A speeding car, on a dark night, on a high way, is such a reflective setting! He searched for a CD but stopped, he wasnt sure he needed music. One symptom of this disease was not being sure, in any case, nothing really entertained him these days(that's another symptom), so why bother.

A deep breath later, he saw the white line again. It wasn't really a white line. It was a dotted line. Or you can say a broken line. Or lots of small lines with gaps in between. He was looking mindlessly at the line. May be the motion had made him still. It happens, stillness sometimes emerges from motion. We can call it restful motion. Oxymoron..right ? He understood one thing ,may be we can use personification here, 'the line made him understand'. The line made him understand, that lots of lines can become one line, that 'lines' is 'line' when aligned. That singular is also plural sometimes.That that sometimes gaps can create continuity and vice versa, continuity can have gaps.

Suddenly the car shook, the speed breaker told him, his presence had absence(that's another symptom). He inhaled deeply, the familiar bright street light shone through his windscreen, he was home!

Irony

घट रहे हो तुम,
मेरे भीतर,
पल पल|
और घट रहा हूँ,
मैं भी शायद ||

Pencil

पेन्सिल की तरह,
तुम्हारे हाथों में|
छिल रहा हूँ,
घिस रहा हूँ,
और लिखता जा रहा हूँ ,
तुम्हारी आत्मकथा ||
यही तो है बस,
मेरे जीवन की व्यथा |

Kenu sang khelun holi

Meera bhajan,very very well sung, by Lata and extraordinary music by Hridaynath Mangeshkar. Lata-Hridaynath is such a beautiful combination. Its a pity that Hindi cinema did not have the caliber to exploit Hridaynathji properly. Reminds me of a great album Lekin, where Lata and Hridaynath have given soulful songs.

Anyway. Enjoy, solitude, melancholy, pain.

Kenu sang khelun holi, piya taj gaye hain akeli
With whom should I play holi?, beloved(the only companion!) has forsaken me.

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Jo nar dukh mein dukh nahi maane

Nice, Shabad.

Jo nar dukh mein dukh nahi maane. Sukh saneh aru bhaya nahi jaake.
A being who doesnt accept grief as grief. Pleasure, attachement, fear who has neither.

Web says its by guru teg bahadur, but the 'takhallus' says its guru nanak. Shrikant Bakreji sings it well.

Here are the lyrics.

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जो नर दुख में दुख नहिं मानै।
सुख सनेह अरु भय नहिं जाके, कंचन माटी जानै।।
नहिं निंदा नहिं अस्तुति जाके, लोभ-मोह अभिमाना।
हरष शोक तें रहै नियारो, नाहिं मान-अपमाना।।
आसा मनसा सकल त्यागि के, जग तें रहै निरासा।
काम, क्रोध जेहि परसे नाहीं, तेहि घट ब्रह्म निवासा।।
गुरु किरपा जेहि नर पै कीन्हीं, तिन्ह यह जुगुति पिछानी।
नानक लीन भयो गोबिंद सों, ज्यों पानी सों पानी।।

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Mountain

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Like many others, he too had read, he too had heard and he too had contemplated. Mountain beckoned and he arrived.He saw the mountain. Mountain was serene and the peak was inviting. His face beamed. But the inner voice said to him, "this is just another peak, after all what is there in peaks! What do you want to add to yourself by reaching summits, scaling heights ?".

The problem with inner voice is, it rarely shuts up, moreover the more you try to shut it up, the more it roars back.

This time however, he saw some sanity in inner voice. He saw a deeper meaning in it, to surrender expectations related to forthcoming moments.
After all, the sky which was above him right now,the same sky is above the peak too. Will he get any closer to it by reaching the top ?

The inner voice said, "you dont climb to see the sky, you climb to see the earth, the same earth is not the same, when seen from the top"."When you go up it changes the way you look at what is down".

A tear dropped and trickle followed.

Rudrashtak: Shivraj Shitole

I have been looking for some sweet rendition of this famous Shiva hymn by Tulasidas. The sanskrit text and trans. is already there on Stutimandal. Today I found a nice rendition of the same. Artist is Shivraj Shitole. He has sweet voice and apparently some connection with yogic tradition. Anyway, enjoy the music also sample the other number, Karpur Arti. Get back or comment on this blog if you know something more about him.

To listen click here.

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Update
here is Rudrashtak sung by Pt. Channulaal Mishra ji

थकी हुई नदी - tired river

थकी हुई नदी:

कितना नदी और बहे?
कि वो सागर से मिले?

नदी भी सोचती है कभी कभी
कि क्यों निकल पड़ी
खाने ठोकर पत्थरों की
जंगलों की

क्यों निकल पड़ी आखिर
मार्गहीन पथ पर?
थक गयी है अब नदी.

क्यों धर्म नदी का नदी को?
सागर ओर ले जाता है
सागर नहीं क्यों खुद ही बढ़कर?
निकट नदी के आता है ?

OS Arun Bhajan Shyam Shyam MM 2009

The way OS Arunji, says "shyam shyam shyam" the aakar etc. is ditto Pt. Jasraj. The anu-nasiks(nasals) also reminded me of Jasraj. Ofcourse he maintains his own creative distinctness. Interesting also is the way the audience responded, moving and shaking and clapping, he seemed to have cast a hypnotic spell on his audience. They dint seem like classic-Mylapore-wale-rasikas. This goes a long way to show how effective Arunji is.

More power to you Arunji. We love your music. Some songs that he sang are very popular in north india and my mind kept going back to Pt. Bhimsen and Lata and their renditions of the same. But Arunji has energy, and boy he is totally immersed in his music.He deserves at least Padma Bhushan.

Do watch the other parts of this performance which he gave at Margazhi'09. They have been uploaded as a playlist by the same channel.

Btw btw, I read on the web that Arunji has launched his album of Tamil-gazhal. You read it right Tam-gaz ;)
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New Year

But now you're here
Brighten my northern sky.

It's been a long time that I'm waiting
Been a long time that I'm blown
been a long time that I've wandered
Through the people I have known
Oh, if you would and you could
Straighten my new mind's eye.

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Unmani उन्मनी Kabir

Here is a bhajan of Kabir sung by Shubha Mudgal, putting the full text for those interested. I was searching for its lyrics and parallely transcribing it ... then I realized this has been also incorporated in Gurbaani. Cool!.

I wont translate this, in the best interest of keeping somethings as they should be. There are some typos in the text ...I corrected some hastily, doesnt matter much though.

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Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA

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If the embedded widget doesnt work, click here to listen.

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and here is the text

English

avadhu mera man matavaara .
unmani chadha gagan ras piivai, tribhuvan bhaya ujiyara

gudakar gyan dhyan kar mahuva, bhav bhathi kari bhara,
sushaman nadi sahaj samani, pivai pivanahara ... avadhoo

doi pur jori chinagari bhathi, chuva maharas bhari,
kam krodh doee kiya banita, chhuti gaee sansari ... avadhoo

suni mandal main mandala bajai, tahan mera man nachai,
guruprasadi amritafal paya, sahaj sushamana kachhai ... avadhoo

poora mila tabai sukh upajyo, tan kee tapan bujhani,
kahe Kabir bhavabandhan chhoote, jyoti hi jyoti samani ... avadhoo

Hindi

अवधू मेरा मन मतवारा ।
उन्मनी चढा गगन रस पीवै, त्रिभुवन भया उजियारा ... अवधू

गुडकर ज्ञान ध्यान कर महुवा, भव भाठी करी भारा,
सुषमन नाडी सहज समानी, पीवै पीवनहारा ... अवधू

दोइ पुर जोरि चिनगारी भाठी, चुवा महारस भारी,
काम क्रोध दोई किया बनीता, छुटी गई संसारी ... अवधू

सुनि मंडल मैं मंदला बाजै, तहाँ मेरा मन नाचै,
गुरुप्रसादी अमृतफल पाया, सहज सुषमना काछै ... अवधू

पूरा मिला तबै सुख उपज्यो, तन की तपन बुझानी,
कहे कबीर भवबंधन छूटे, ज्योति ही ज्योति समानी ... अवधू

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I have copied the etxt from here.

The door

He took a deep breath before knocking the door. He was aware how important this was. This could be the last moment of his usual life. Nothing perhaps will remain the same after the knock, he thought.A master stroke of destiny. A vanishing point! A conclusion. The search had led him to this and now he must. So he paused and he knocked.


Knock Knock Knock.
No response.
Knock Knock Knock.
No response.

He wondered, why? Is this not the right door? Has the search-the path-the journey led him to the wrong door? How could this be! So? what course to take? Go back ? Knock more ?

He was clear that he cant go back, he has come too far, and really, there is NO path that goes back. Then ? Then what, he thought?

His inner voice told, 'search a new path, try again'. And his inner voice spoke again, 'I am too fatigued to try again'. If the search-the path-the journey, had taught him anything it was, "there is nothing to be learnt from inner voice--- Inner voice is rubbish". But he knew, not through his inner voice (which he knew is useless), but somehow he knew, He knew that this was it. Call it intuition, call it instinct, call it revelation, he knew this was it, THE DOOR. But why then No answer ? Should he knock differently? He pondered and pondered and pondered. Should he wait more and then knock ? May be!

Total confusion, infinite fatigue and wringing anxiety took over him. He saw how diminutive in significance is human will, human understanding, human judgment. He needed help. Something. Something to pull him out of this rut. He began questioning all the life decisions which led him to this. Pale-jaded-torn, he held on to the knob of the door and he collapsed.

To be continued...

sarvana bhava: ranjani gayatri

Very very well sung. Invigorating, fast and enthralling. Infact between 2.00 to 3.00 the gamaks/control etc. are remarkable. It reminded me of MSS rendering Raghuvamsha Sudha. Even the audience, acknowledged approvingly.. CLAPS CLAPS!

Also a very good Abhang by R-G. Naryanan Sakha Mazha, kari china nivarana (Naryan my friend, resolved my worries)

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Shiv Sutra

I am not an expert of vyakaran but when I hear things like this, I get inspired to learn panini's ashtadhayayi or at least revisit laghu siddhanta kaumudi.

Legend has it that these sounds came out of Shiva's damaru which then led to formation of sanskrit varnamala(alphabet)as we know it today.The way these letters are organized, is in itself a phenomenal way of indexing. Most modern linguist acknowledge panini's genius in creating this phenomenal meta structure. Here are complete shiva sutras, that I have copied from the wiki page on SS.
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१. अ इ उ ण् |
२. ऋ ऌ क् |
३. ए ओ ङ् |
४. ऐ औ च् |
५. ह य व र ट् |
६. ल ण् |
७. ञ म ङ ण न म् |
८. झ भ ञ् |
९. घ ढ ध ष् |
१०. ज ब ग ड द श् |
११. ख फ छ ठ थ च ट त व् |
१२. क प य् |
१३. श ष स र् |
१४. ह ल् |
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You can read more about Shiv Sutras on the web. Here Pt. Channulal mishra is reciting them, see from 0.30 to 0.60 in the video.

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Kaun Samjhega ?

क्या हुआ है मुझे ?
कौन समझेगा इसे?
किससे कहूँ ?
पर चुप भी कैसे रहूँ ?

Gurbani: Shabad

Kaun jaane gun tere ?
Simple soothing comforting gurbaani.

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Hath Yoga Pradeepika

I had read this text as a child, that too in Hindi. I clearly remember the greenish cover of the book and my experiments with it, as soon as it had arrived by VPP. Anyway, my fascination those days was more with the first and second chapter of this book as it offered to me things which were both illogical and promising(you know what kind of promises these books offer!). I discussed them with my father, who had seemingly difficulty in trying to rationalize the irrational, esp when you are talking to your own child, who is enthusiastic about self-mutilation. :)

Anyway, here are some verses from the book. Book is by Svatamarama and find the full text here.

I have changed the translation at some places. Translation is actually very poor, though it manages to convey the essence. Sanskrit used however, is simple enough to comprehend if you can follow sanskrit. I might talk about Samkhya and connection of senses with reality some other day.

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हेतु-दवयं तु छित्तस्य वासना छ समीरणः |
तयोर्विनष्ह्ट एकस्मिन्तौ दवावपि विनश्यतः || २२ ||
There are two causes of the activities of the mind: (1) Vâsanâ (desires) and (2) the respiration (the Prâṇa). Of these, the destruction of the one is the destruction of both. 22.

मनो यत्र विलीयेत पवनस्तत्र लीयते |
पवनो लीयते यत्र मनस्तत्र विलीयते || २३ ||
where mind ceases, breath creases, where breath ceases, mind does.

लयो लय इति पराहुः कीदॄशं लय-लक्ष्हणम |
अपुनर-वासनोत्थानाल्लयो विष्हय-विस्मॄतिः || ३४ ||
Laya laya, it is said, what are the signs of laya?
Laya is forgetting of the objects of senses when the Vâsanâs (desires) do not rise into existence again.

वेद-शास्त्र-पुराणानि सामान्य-गणिका इव |
एकैव शाम्भवी मुद्रा गुप्ता कुल-वधूरिव || ३५ ||
Vedas and the Śâstras are like ordinary prostitute. Śâmhhavî Mudrâ, alone, is hidden, daughter of house.


बाह्य-छिन्ता न कर्तव्या तथैवान्तर-छिन्तनम |
सर्व-छिन्तां परित्यज्य न किंछिदपि छिन्तयेत || ५७ ||
He should be neither of his inside nor of outside world; and, leaving all thoughts, he should think of nothing.

सङ्कल्प-मात्र-कलनैव जगत्समग्रं
सङ्कल्प-मात्र-कलनैव मनो-विलासः |
सङ्कल्प-मात्र-मतिमुत्सॄज निर्विकल्पम
आश्रित्य निश्छयमवाप्नुहि राम शान्तिम || ५८ ||
The whole of this world and all the schemes of the mind are but the creations of thought. Discarding these thoughts and taking leave of all conjectures, O Râma! obtain peace. 57.

कर्पूरमनले यद्वत्सैन्धवं सलिले यथा |
तथा सन्धीयमानं छ मनस्तत्त्वे विलीयते || ५९ ||
As camphor disappears in fire, and rock salt in water, so the mind united with the âtmâ loses its identity.

Thillana: Prince Rama Varma

The energy in this thillana is amazing. Prince rama varma is , genius.(BMK composed it)
Watch it till the end.

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Nada Vindu Kaladi

Very well sung, simple light and 'easy on the ears' classical. :. Need to write something abt Arunagirinathar swami, Its a pity that I dont follow tamil!

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And here is MS Amman singing the same. I dont need to use adjectives here, do I ?

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Malladi Brothers: Bhaja Bhagavantham

Very sweet! The "maun vyakhya samudit darpam" line in this rendition reminded me of Dakshinamurti strotam. Especially a verse from Dakshinamurti strotam, where Dakshinamurti Shiva is expounding Vedanta to Rishis.


"Chitram vata tarur moole
Vridhha shishya gurur yuvaa
Grusutu maunam vyakhyaanam
Shishyastu chinna samshaya"

The scene: under the vata treee, a young guru and aged disciples are sitting.
Guru is elucidating through silence, dispelling doubts of disciples.

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Song / NFAK

Kaivalya Navaneeta: The Cream of Emancipation

Written by Tandavaraya Swami, this is a famous work in Tamil. Thanks Nari for transcribing it :).

Here are some snippets. Some lines have been emboldened by me.

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--> The perfect enjoyer is he who partakes of anything that comes his way without discriminating, whether it be tasty or not, clean or unclean, healthy or unhealthy like a blazing fire consuming all that lies in its way.

--> Brahman is not an object of the senses nor of inference, and there is no second to it. It is beyond direct perception, inference or analogy. Also know that being free from attributes it cannot be expressed by words.

--> Q: When I dissociate myself from the five senses and look beyond there remains only a blank. I see nothing more than that.Am I to take this blank as the supreme experience of the self?

A: In the anecdote of the tenth man of deluded intellect, after counting only nine men and not recognizing himself as the tenth, was stupefied. Can such stupor be the tenth man! Good son! you are the seer of all.. The blank and the five sheaths!

--> Q: There cannot be any kind of experience in the absence of mind. if the mind persists how can they said to be liberated ?

A: The annihilation of mind is of two types namely of the mind patterns and of the mind itself..the former applies to liberated sages while the life the later to disemobdied sages. elimination of rajas and tamas leaving satva alone is the dissolution of the patterns of the mind. when the satva vanishes with the subtle body the mind itself is also said to have vanished too... In such a state the sage will partake of what comes unsolicited.... not thinking past or future, getting over their doership witnessing the mental modes and the three states, they can remain liberated.

If you always remain aware that 'I' am perfect Consciousness, what does it matter how much you think, or what you do? All this is unreal like dream visions after waking. I am all-Bliss!

janaki vallabh shastri - poem

Read this poem by janaki vallabh shastri titled Mauj.

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मौज

सब अपनी-अपनी कहते हैं!

     कोई न किसी की सुनता है,
     नाहक कोई सिर धुनता है,
     दिल बहलाने को चल फिर कर,

फिर सब अपने में रहते हैं!

     सबके सिर पर है भार प्रचुर
     सब का हारा बेचारा उर,
     सब ऊपर ही ऊपर हँसते,

भीतर दुर्भर दुख सहते हैं!

     ध्रुव लक्ष्य किसी को है न मिला,
     सबके पथ में है शिला, शिला,
     ले जाती जिधर बहा धारा,

सब उसी ओर चुप बहते हैं।
सब अपनी-अपनी कहते हैं!

Janani Janani Jagam Nee Jagam Nee

Was searching youtube for some grave/serious kind of music, somewhat Shree Raga like and found this. Almost shocked me too, to see that he opens with Saundarya Lahiri's verses. Bhayyia had asked me to translate the same for stutimandal, few days ago... but everyone knows I live in perpetual postponement.

Cant think of anything now except ..reading and commenting on Saundarya Lahiri!
My deep thanks to all those people who are involved in creating such things and also to youtube up-loaders.

Anyway Saundaryalhiri reading is warranted now !

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Brilliant

Kahe Maan Karo: Jasraj
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Aaj sakhi anand ni heli

This is a beautiful gujrati bhajan. I dont know the composer etc. Will translate it perhaps.Undermentioned are the lyrics and youtube link. Lyrics have been copied from here.

---LYRICS---
Aaj Sakhi Anand-Ni Helli, Hari Mukh Joine Hu Thaai Chhu Gheli……
Maare Munina Dhyaan-Ma Naave, Tere Shaamarriyoji Mujne Bolaave…..1
Je Sukhne Bhav Brahma Re Irchhe, Te Re Shaamarriyoji Mujne Re Prichhe…..2
Na Gai Ganga Godaavari Kaashi, Gher Bethhaa Malyaa Akshaarvasi…..3
Tap Re Tirth-Ma Hun Kayi Navjanuh, Saheje Saheje Huto Sukhddaa Re Maanu…..4
Jeraam Kahe Swami Saheje Re Maalya, Vaat-Ni Vaate-Vaalo Adharrak Dhariyaa…..5
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if the embedded link doesnt work try here

LS or VS

Strange surprises in life happen.

Today after a lot of time I decided to have some Indian food. The love of sambhar and related stuff suddenly made me take a metro ride. Now in the metro, for no particular reason, I started humming Vishnu Sahasranaam, nothing devotional about it ,just usual humming. I have always had this tussle with bhayyia, on Vishnu and Lalita sahasranaams, bhayyia always maintaining LS is beautiful and me always rooting for VS. I suddenly thought of bhayyia & LS , but kept on with VS.

And lo and behold, the moment I entered the restaurant, they started playing LS! Now which restaurant in this part of world, would want playing LS! Quite a strange thing to start your meal with, "shri mata shri maha..." and end it with, "mooladharaik nilaya brahmagranthi vibhedini".

Ha Ha.

Should translate LS with my comments. Someday perhaps :-)

QnA-6

Q: How does this happen ? Suddenly or gradually ?
A: It does not happen.

Q: Now Now dont disappoint me!
A: Truth is Truth. There is no room here for disappointment or encouragement.

Q: Tell me Tell me
A: See. The idea that it is a journey where you incrementally add experiences which take you to a destination is false. The idea that there is a destination is also false.

Q: This is another word play. What about my *belief*
A: You can believe anything you want.

Q: No! No! No! No! This is an experience, continuous, its not just another belief, please !
A: Ok. YOU CAN BELIEVE ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Q: Hmm.. So ?
A: So, what do u want ?

Q: I am not so clear now. What should I want, you tell me ? I dont want anything now.
A: Live then just live, it will be clear.

Avadhuta Gita

Some snippets from this great text.

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9. The mind indeed is of the from of space. The mind indeed is omnifaced. The mind is the past. The mind is all. But in reality there is no mind.

23. If it is of the nature of the not-Self, how can there be samadhi (superconscious realization)? If it is of the nature of the Self, how can there be samadhi? If it is both "is" and "is not", how can there be samadhi? If all is one and of the nature of freedom, how can there be samadhi?

26. As the self is filled by the Self, so is all filled continously by you. There is no meditator or meditation. Why does your mind meditate shamelessly?

27. I do not know the Supreme; how shall I speak of Him? I do not know the Supreme; how shall I worship Him? If I am the supreme One, who is the highest Truth, who is homogeneous Being and like unto space, how then shall I speak of Him and worship Him?

58. There is no need of knowledge, reasoning, time, space, instruction from a teacher, or attainment of samadhi. I am naturally the perfect Consciousness, the Real, like the sky, spontaneous and steady.
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Sita Kalyana Vaibhogame

Prince Rama varma, of whom I am a big fan, sang an excerpt of this while explaining Shankarabharanam raga. This got me hooked on to this Thyagaraja kritti. Sometimes when you hear these compositions, you feel, that there is no other composer worth listening to(other than thyagayya). I saw all the uploaded versions of this on youtube and liked all :).

Somehow it sounds best when sung in chorus. I am putting two versions here... two chorus versions.

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TN bala's version
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Prince Rama and his students
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there are also good renditions by BMK and Maharajpuram Santhanam on youtube.

Two bhajans

I have a deep relationship with these two bhajans. Few years ago in college these would play, over and over again and give me the kind of inner-ecstasy for which finding words is impossible. The technical part of the composition aside, I think they have been sung from some deep inner space for which 'sacred' is the only term that comes to my mind.

These are not meant for casual listening. You can enjoy them when u listen to them in a relaxed state. Singers are Ashwini Bhide and Kishori Amonkar both renowned artists.

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Kabir yet again

kabir again

मन मस्त हुआ तब क्यों बोलै।
हीरा पायो गाँठ गँठियायो, बार-बार वाको क्यों खोलै।
हलकी थी तब चढी तराजू, पूरी भई तब क्यों तोलै।
सुरत कलाली भई मतवाली, मधवा पी गई बिन तोले।
हंसा पायो मानसरोवर, ताल तलैया क्यों डोलै।
तेरा साहब है घर माँहीं बाहर नैना क्यों खोलै।
कहै 'कबीर सुनो भई साधो, साहब मिल गए तिल ओलै॥

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कबिरा प्याला प्रेम का, अंतर लिया लगाय।
रोम रोम में रमि रहा, और अमल क्या खाय॥

गगन गरजि बरसे अमी, बादल गहिर गँभीर।
चहुँ दिसि दमकै दामिनी, भीजै दास कबीर॥

सिर राखे सिर जात है, सिर काटे सिर होय।
जैसे बाती दीप की, कटि उजियारा होय॥

Ustad Tari Khan

Apparently, Ustad tari khan is a tabla player from Pakistan. Might be singing 'shaukia', much like Rais khan, Sultan Khan etc.(I have to put that gazal by Rais Khan someday on this blog). I dont know many artists across the border anyway. I was searching for 'famed' hansadhwani rendition by Ustad Amir khan and landed on this thanks to utube recommendation engine.

The opening is just heavenly, the first 40 seconds are very very sweet but suddenly, it becomes a usual song though still bearable. But the opening is magical!

Baro Krishaiyya

Priya sisters have sung this well, but I am somehow looking for more soul stirring rendition.

Kapi raagam: Saketharaman

Very famous composition by Pappan Sivam. I would say very delicately sung. I think Kapi is one of my fav ragas these days :). Saketharaman is v.good.

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If the mebdded link doesnt work try here

Dushyant Kumar Poem

One of my fav. poets in Hindi is Dushyant kumar. I recall those days 6-7 years ago, when hindi sites were far and few and more so Hindi poetry sites. I used to ransack the web for poems by Dushyant Kumar. Now of course, there is plenty of stuff all over the web in most Indian languages.

Here is a beautiful short poem by Dushyant Kumar.

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धर्म - दुष्यंत कुमार

तेज़ी से एक दर्द
मन में जागा
मैंने पी लिया,

छोटी सी एक ख़ुशी
अधरों में आई
मैंने उसको फैला दिया,

मुझको सन्तोष हुआ
और लगा –
हर छोटे को
बड़ा करना धर्म है ।

Muktika Upanishad

In a little hurry now. Will post on this upanishad in detail some other day. To summarize in a few words, it would suffice to say, that this upanishad tells you, how "Rama teaches". We have seen Rama the student in Yoga Vashishta. To know how Rama the teacher is, read Muktika upanishad.

The discourse is given to Haumana, upon his enquiry, soon after Rama has woken up from his Samadhi. I am only copying some bits and pieces.

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Hanuman: O Rama, you are the supreme being, of the nature of Sat, Chid and Ananda. I desire to know your nature truly for liberation. Please tell me how I can be released from bondage without strain ?

Rama: Well asked. I shall tell you. I am well established in Vedanta.

.... .....

Hanuman asked Ramachandra: What is this Jivanmukti, Videha-mukti ? What is the authority, means of success and purpose ?

Rama said: For a person there is bondage from doer-ship, enjoyer-ship, pleasure, pain etc., -- their prevention is liberation in the body. Videha-mukti (liberation without the body) is from the destruction of Prarabdha (operative) karma, like the space in a pot released from the conditioning (enclosing) pot.

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The destruction of impressions, cultivation of knowledge and destruction of the mind, when practised together for long will yield fruit. If not practised together, there will be no success even after hundreds of years, like mantras which are scattered. When these three are practised long, the knots of the heart surely are broken , like lotus fibre and the stalk
.....

The wise know that the mind is bound by the impressions, it is liberated when released well from them. So, O Hanuman, practice the destruction of mental impression, quickly. When impressions die out, the mind becomes put out like a lamp. Whoever gives up impressions and concentrates on Me without strain, he becomes Bliss.
.....

The restful state is like the roasted seed, giving up the (sprout of) rebirth. Can the inner light be sought with chewing the cud of many Shastras, uselessly ? One who remains alone giving up perception as well as non-perception is himself the Brahman – A person cannot know Brahman by merely learning the four Vedas and Shastras, as the ladle cannot taste the food.
.....

Bondage is by impressions, Moksha is their destruction – you give them up as well as the desire for Moksha.

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I have copied this from here.

Sriram Parasuram

An engineer/manager took to music and managed to create fine music with his wife. Kanha re nanda nandan is very well sung, its a famous bandish in Kedar. I think Sriram is more talented and should sing independently.

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this another good one I cant seem to figure out raga though.

Pt. Ramesh Narayan

It is not often that, when you hail you hail from Kerela, grow up in a family of carnatic musicians, you end up singing haweli style mewati gharana. Whats even more rare is the mastery Pt. Ramesh Naryanji has. The moment he opened with that sloka, I could see touches of Jasraj(I would say Jasraj being bettered).

I think Pt. Jasraj will be known in future as much as by his singing as by the great disciples he has given us, Sanjeev Abhayankar and Pt. Ramesh Narayan. I will upload more of his stuff as and when I like it.

To enjoy this you require attention and video has 3 parts, I am uploading just the first one, find the rest :)

ghunghat ke pat khol - Kabir

घूँघट के पट खोल रे तोहे पिया मिलेंगे
घट-घट में तोरे साईं बसत ह
कठू बचन मत बोल रे, तोहे पिया मिलेंगे
घूँघट के पट खोल रे

धन-जोबन का गर्ब न कीजे, झूठा इनका मोल रे
तोहे पिया मिलेंगे

जा के जतन से रंग-महल मे, पिया पायो अनमोल रे
घूँघट के पट खोल रे

सूने मन्दिर दिया जला के
आसन से मत डोल रे
तोहे पिया मिलेंगे

vasudhaiv kutumbakam

I wasnt aware thats its a complete subhashit. Very beautiful.


I have copied this from this Blog

A conversation on life

I was interacting with my friend Parth, a man of many talents. The conversation after the nicities drifted to modern civilization and its ills. How unsustainable this human civilization is and how we are mindlessly ruining this planet. My nihilist tendencies got the better of me. I told him, all this is the fear of death, and is in turn the fear of life itself. Life exists and survives on threat. The whole pysco response is threat based. All this talk of planet being under threat, is nothing but the personal fear of individual extinction projected on the world. After all if there is LIFE beyond the personal life, it will continue to take newer forms. May be there will be no humans, but cockroaches will create the next heaven here. So the very fear of extinction i.e. the fear of crumbling of human structure is the very life force itself. In reality life grows and survives on death. The more you live the more you die. I said.

To which Parth quipped, "cancer is nothing but a failure to die". Some great thought there.

So! Life is self destructive, cancer(growth) is self destructive. After all form has to dissolve in emptiness some day.Did all zen stories not say that? Reminds me of Richard Bach and his punch line in the famous novel Illusions: The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly

Sloka

In my childhood one of my fav slokas was,

bhogo na bhukta vayamev bhukta
trishna na jeerna vayamev jeerna

I did not enjoy, I got enjoyed(by age/time)
My thirst(for life) dint die, but I did.

In my childhood, I used it sometimes to admonish elders.Even though I realized what it meant and used this verse to my advantage, little did I realize that some years hence I would connect with this verse like I do today. Coming to terms with desires/expectations/anxiety/restlessness, I always bear this in mind, 'vaymev jeerna'. In the the end there is an end. To me this end is not something I deprecate. On the other hand I feel deeply peaceful that in the end there is an end :).

Much like kabir said,
जा मरने से सब डरें, मेरो मन आनंद
कब मराहिहूँ कब पायिहूँ, पूरण परमानन्द

me not sure abt the last line though :)

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btw, the verse is from Bhrithari's vairagya shatak. A great book to read much like his other two works, neeti shatak and shringaar shatak. I also recall a nice story from his life but some other time :-)

chadariya jheeni re jhini - translation and notes

Few months ago I was trying to look for some appropriate translation of this famous compositon of Kabir,not able to find it, I translated and added notes about what I think Kabir meant. Its quite interesting that the Nirguni Kabir (or so he is thought to be) was direct disciple of Ramananda who was initiated in the great tradition of Ramanujacharya. Ramananda's other famous disciples were Ravidas,Dhanna Bhagat etc.

So unlike Shankara who landed directly and spent his life above the vindhyas, Ramanuja did make an indirect impact and sort of ushered North India into Bhakti tradition. More on ramanuja some other time.

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Kabir here talks about body, or human experience and how to utilize it. He talks about how he lived in the body, how other notable predecessors lived and how does an average man live.

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चदरिया झीनी रे झीनी, रे राम नाम रस भीनी
body is like finely woven cloth and is permeated by the raam naam (ra+ma rechek purak (breath))

अष्ट कमल का चरखा बनाया, पांच तत्त्व की पूनी
Eight-petaled lotus was used as a spinning wheel, and the 5 elements as yarn

नौ दस मॉस बुनन को लागे, मूरख मैली कीनी
took 9-10 months to knit it, Oh fool you soiled it!

जब मोरी चादर बन घर आई, रंग रेज को दिनी
When I got my sheet, I gave it to person who dyes sheet(guru).

ऐसा रंग रंगा रंगरे ने, लालो लाल कर दिनी
It was dyed such, totally red in color

ध्रुव प्रह्लाद सुदामा ने ओढी, शुकदेव ने निर्मल किन्ही
Dhruv prahlad and sudama wore it, Shukdev made it pure.

दास कबीर ने ऐसी ओढी, ज्यों की त्यों धर दिनी
dar kabeer wore it such, he left it as it is(as he got it)

---

Notes:

Body is a sheet. You can experience cloth but you arent cloth. Compare with Gita. वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि । तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णा न्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही ॥२- २२॥ kabir urges us to realize body is permeated by ra and ma (in and out going breath) anaapshanti, which is permeating . breath is the link which makes body experience possible.(raam naam), hence re raam naam ras bhini chadariya

Eight lotuses, eight latent tendencies of body(survival,threat,accumulation,attention,domination ,suppression,discontentment,) correlate with eight energy centres within body(7+1(bindu).

Notice how 5 elements manifest as body and in that we create these tendencies compare with samkhya of kapila.
This sheath takes involves 9-10 lunar cycles around earth, time as celestial movement. celestial connection with sheath.
You soiled it, you lost awareness :)


Kabir now talks about his own body (mori chadar what happened with his sheet). When kabir took body, he let his guru work on it. His guru dyed it( permanent transformation of body based experiences :-) ) and made it red. (red is the color of root).

Kabir now talks about how other noted ppl who wore it, dhruv, prahlad sudama(all bhaktas), and shukdev(son of vyasa) and purified it (lived with awareness).
How did Kabir wear it? Kabir, dint let it get soiled. He maintained the new born's awareness all his life.

Dradh In Charanan: Surdas

--

runu jhunu runu jhunu re bhramara - full text

here are the full lyrics of Sant Dnyneshwar's text which someone on RMIM pointed out to me.

रुणुझुणु रुणुझुणु रे भ्रमरा ।
सांडीं तूं अवगुणु रे भ्रमरा ॥१॥

चरणकमळदळू रे भ्रमरा ।
भोगीं तूं निश्चळु रे भ्रमरा ॥२॥

सुमनसुगंधु रे भ्रमरा ।
परिमळु विद्गदु रे भ्रमरा ॥३॥

सौभाग्यसुंदरू रे भ्रमरा ।
बाप रखुमादेविवरू रे भ्रमरा ॥४॥

Taken from this website: http://www.aathavanitli-gani.com/Song%20Html/708.htm

runu jhunu runu jhunu re bhramara

Just when I was about to sleep, found this gem, as if reminding me, that I forgot to pay my promised due to Dnyaneshwar(gyaneshwar).

I will try my best to put the lyrics and translation tomorrow.

I miss pune suddenly and 24/7 company of panduranga and his devotees.

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Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA

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If the embedded thing doesnt work try here


@Nari: Do you remember 'Amrutanubhav' ?

OS Arun

OS Arun is new to my ears. He has a different style (much like KG) and when he sings a composition he renders it in his own style. Here is a sankirtan style chant from him "Naryan Hare".



Another beautiful Abhang by Sant Namdev sung by him.

I think I need to do a few posts on Maharashtra and its great tradition from gyaneshwar,namdev,tukaram to recent ones like swami akkalkot and shankar maharaj. Some other day perhaps.



---
Watch it till the end when the tempo paces up since these are sankirtan style renditions.

Radha Sameta Krishna : Sudha Raghunathan

--
very pleasing composition, was a regular item on my playlist during hey-days.

if the embedded video doesnt work try this.

Gita Chapter 1

बहुत पुराना है ये प्रेम
पर नया भी, और नया रहेगा

कविता ने सदा संगीत को चाहा
कभी कभी उसे वो मिला भी
जब जब वो मिले , ऐसे मिले
की खो बैठे अपना स्वरुप
और सृजन हुआ गीत का

पर ये बात यहाँ ख़तम नहीं हुई

गीत भी चाहता था कुछ,
एक उच्च अभिव्यक्ति
की उसे भी गाये, कोई योगेश्वर
और वो गीता कहलाया जाए

परन्तु शायद योगेश्वर कम गाते हैं
इसीलिए, शायद अर्जुन विषाद
अर्जुन विषाद ही रह जाता है
सांख्य या मोक्ष संन्यास तक
पहुँच नहीं पाता है

tears

कुछ ऐसे भी होते हैं, आंसू
जो आते तो हैं,
पर आते नहीं|

क्या जरूरी है,ये ?
की हर आंसू, आंसू बने ?
और आँख तक सफ़र करे ?

सूखी आँखों में भी,कभी कभी
हज़ार आंसू होते हैं!

jalan

ऊष्मा हो तुम
मेरे-भीतर
जो जल रही है
जला रही है
जगमगा रही है
मगर पथ नहीं दिखा रही है

Yadva nee baa - Bhimsen Joshi

---
If the embedded link doesnt work, try this

teri talaash

तेरी तलाश में इतनी दूर आ गया मैं
की मजिल बहुत पीछे छूट गयी

Mind

When you have a septic, nagging, self-concious mind the only course left, perhaps is its death.

random incomplete poem

कुछ चल भी दिए
कुछ जाना भी था

कुछ पा भी गए
कुछ पाना भी था

कुछ हो भी गए
कुछ होना भी था

---
Suddenly wrote some thing which came, I dunno if it will complete itself

Child

Whenever I see a beautiful child dancing or bubbling with joy, I say to myself this is saundarya lahiri. Waves of joyous beauty springing forth from a child's body. I try to understand what exactly is happening in there? I can never know. How can I know ? I am limited by my thinking.

I wonder, if its the same life expressing through his body and mine, I cannot be termed alive in the same sense as he is. By comparative standards yours truly is dead. or may be we can say, life is the very enemy of itself, the more u live the more u die. If you have lived more you are more dead. Perhaps this is the reason every one appreciates a child, the tender aliveness is nothing but the subtle truth I-am-available-to-life.

we

we met
but
we couldn't meet.

kya paaya

क्या पाया ,
पाकर विद्या
देख कर पृथ्वी
जान कर अज्ञात को
क्या पाया ?

क्या पाया
ध्यान की गहरी अवस्था में
चेतना के उच्च शिखरों पर
अनुभूतियों में, अध्यात्मिक
क्या पाया ?

पाया क्या
सुखद-अनुभव इच्छा में
दुखद-अनुभव अनिच्छा में
अनुभव परित्याग में भी
क्या पाया ?

हुआ क्या, करके अनुभव ?
सब अनुभव, अनुभव ही रह गए

Hanuman Strotam

---
Should translate for stutimandal soon.

if the embedded vid. doesnt wory try the link

Deva Bandha Namma

----
Purandardasa, Bhimsen Joshi

kabir bhajan - Naiharwa

**************lyrics************

नैहरवा
हम का न भावे
साईं की नगरी परम अति सुन्दर,
जहाँ कोई जावे न आवे
चाँद सूरज जहाँ, पवन न पानी,
को सुन्देश पहुँचावे?
दर्द यह साईं को सुनावे
आगे चलो पंथ नहीं सूझे,
पीछे दोष लगावे
कही बिधि ससुरे जाऊ मोरी सजनी,
विरह जोर जरावे
विषय रस नाच नचावे
बिन सतगुरु अपनों नहीं कोई,
जो यह राह बतावे
कहत कबीरा सुनो भाई साधो,
सुपने न पीतम आवे
तपन यह तन की बुझावे


some typos there , since i used a translation engine will correct them sometime.
web has also some other versions by kailash kher and vikram hazra

I will translate laters if i find some time.

Oriya poem

"Your hut stands outside the city
Oh, untouchable maid
The bald Brahmin passes sneaking close by
Oh, my maid, I would make you my companion
Kanha is a kapali, a yogi
He is naked and has no disgust
There is a lotus with sixty-four petals
Upon that the maid will climb with this poor self and dance."

---
found it somewhere on web, poet is kanhupa .. Mystical in nature will comment on this perhaps.

हाथ

हाथ लिखना चाहते थे
पर क्या लिखते ?
गद्य ? पद्य ?

हाथ जुड़ भी सकते थे, दोनो
पर क्या बनते ?
अभिवादन? याचना ?

हाथ थाम भी सकते थे कोई और हाथ
पर क्या देते ?
स्नेह ? सांत्वना ?

बनाने में हाथ, जिसका था हाथ
कदापि कहना चाहता था
मैं हाथ नही आऊँगा
हाथों को खोल दो

UG Speaks - 3

It went on and on in its own way -- peculiar things -- but never did I say to myself "Well, (Laughs) I am getting there, I am nearer to that." There is no nearness to that, there is no far awayness from that, there is no closeness to that. Nobody is nearer to that because he is different, he is prepared. There's no readiness for that; it just hits you like a ton of bricks.

Vishnu -- Lord of the past 2 (too)

Vishnu -- Lord of the past too

Enjoying a holiday, it struck me while taking bath that Vishnu is also lord of the past.

Vishnu in Vishnu Sahasranaam's(sahasranamam) opening verse is described as:

विश्वं विष्णुर्वषट्कारो भूतभव्यभवत्प्रभुः।
भूतकृद्भूतभृद्भावो भूतात्मा भूतभावनः॥१॥

We can become argumentative sanskrit pandits of Kashi and decipher Bhoota, as not 'past' but 'beings'. But then one more post will be required to connect the sublime invariance in the two seemingly contradictory interpretations of the word 'Bhoota'.

In any case Sahastranaam(sahasranamam) gives more expansive characteristic to Vishnu calling him, namely , bhoot bhavya bhavat(past,future,present). This is expected from the expansive Vishnuite tendencies which seek inclusion through constructs. The ever pervasive 'Vishnu' engulfs everything and appears everywhere hahahaha.

Let me put this semantics to rest, may be another post on Vishnu sometime!

However for those who are inclined to chew on this further there is some hint in the post script.
----

PS: सर्वः शर्वः शिवः स्थाणुर्भूतादिर्निधिरव्ययः।
संभवो भावनो भर्ता प्रभवः प्रभुरीश्वरः॥४॥
स्वयंभूः शम्भुरादित्यः पुष्कराक्षो महास्वनः।
...
भूतावासो वासुदेवः सर्वासुनिलयोऽनलः
...
महाह्रदो महागर्तो महाभूतो महानिधिः॥८६॥

Bhootnaatha - Lord of the past

Boothnatha: LORD of the PAST

This blog has in the past argued, that memory(past) is only fundamental tense that makes up human experience. You cannot perceive without knowledge, which is nothing but a memory (or no knowledge which is in turn knowledge about no-knowledge)

The latent hardwired tendencies(memories) control the emotive response towards incidents/people/actions and also imagination.

All this buried baggage of knowledge, which is nothing but 'past', resurfaces again and again and we go through the same mental responses again and again. When you recognize how past has clutched you, how you go through in your mind same memories again and again compulsively. Memories about how you went through incidents. Memories about how you wanted them to happen and memories about how you would like to experience life which is yet to happen. Once this recognition happens it gives you the freedom to make the present free from past.

You become bhootnaatha by becoming Lord of the Past. When the repetitive tendencies of mind are controlled. When the same incidents which evoked panic/despair/irritation/restlessness earlier do not create them anymore, know that you are Bhootnatha. When memories of life that was, do not have an emotional pull left. When the imagined life which is yet to happen is no longer dwelled upon iteratively, know that you are Bhootnatha. You are liberated from the karmic chakra of thinking obsessively and going through the same "mental imagery route" over and over again.

Then bhootnatha sits in Shamsana(dead/inactive memories) without fear. The fear and burden of memories is no more. The decay of the lifeless past only adds to Bhootnaatha's splendor. It adorns him.

Then when you longer experience your mind the way you experienced in the past, in your action you open your self to the spontaneous, unplanned dimension of life. Time doesnt unsettle you and the fearless Bhootnatha now opens up to be Kala Bhairava, one that time cannot frighten.

----

A related post on Kali is here

Ramana Speaks -- 4

D.: It is difficult to follow. I understand the theory. But what is the practice?

M.: The other methods are meant for those who cannot take to the investigation of the Self. Even to repeat Aham Brahmasmi or think of it, a doer is necessary. Who is it? It is ‘I’. Be that ‘I’. It is the direct method. The other methods also will ultimately lead everyone to this method of the investigation of the Self.

-from Talk 266


from achalayoga blog

Guru strotam - Guru poornima

ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं
ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं



---
Will add more words here on the strotam , perhaps :-)

अनुभव

जीवन के सारे अनुभव
मैं त्यागता गया
पर जाना की ये भी एक अनुभव था

प्राप्ती की आशा, निराशा

अंत

चाहता था अंत
अंत आया तो, पर
अपने साथ उपरांत लाया
अंत के उपरांत फिर एक प्रारंभ

अंततः शांति कब ?

kya

क्या फिर किया जाए?
जब जिया ना जाए

bandhan

विचारों के अतिरिक्त बंधन क्या ?
और बंधन के अतिरिक्त विचार क्या ?

भाषा के अलावा विचार क्या ?
और विचार के अलावा भाषा क्या ?

mahatvkaanksha

महत्वकांक्षा तो कभी थी ही नही
अब आकांक्षा की भी आकांक्षा नही रही
आकांक्षा का महत्त्व ही क्या , आखिर ?
महत्त्व का महत्त्व क्या ?

प्रश्न चिन्ह ने अंततः
जीवन की गति को विराम दिया

Upadesha Saram rendition

A nice version of Upadesha Saram though incomplete. Rendition is by Shastri and Sharma ji, they are also better known for Rudram and Chakaram recitation.


अहमयं कृतो भवति चिन्वतः |
अयि पतात्यहं निजविचारनम ||

I

Sometimes I feel, that I am there
and then I realize that, I am, is still there

500 miles

If you miss the train I'm on,
You will know that I am gone

Past

What is past? Is there is any past? All the discourse on the much abused term “present moment” aside, the truth is you touch life only through past. Imagine seeing a cup, how you do know it’s a cup ? You know it because you knew it. Even if the object is new you know it in relation to what you already know. So the new knowledge is constructed on old knowledge. If the old knowledge memories let us hypothesize cannot be accessed, the new knowledge cannot be created. So all that is past is nothing but a set of memories, which are accessed in the field of perception that what we call Now. So we know our now through the past. Through the conditioning that happened in the past.

Normally, it is not possible to perceive without bringing in your memories your conditioning i.e. your past. The question is, is it possible to be free of past. Is that perception possible, to look at a cup and never know it’s a cup? Perception which is freed from the slavery of knowledge, perception which is unburdened from the shackles of recognition, is such a perception possible?

Yoga Vashishta Maharamayana

The true book which gives us a picture of Rama's mind and his attitude towards life is Yoga Vashishta. I often wonder why Rama's battle with Ravana(Ramayana) became more famous than Rama's battle with his own spiritual insufficiency(yoga vashishta).

Perhaps this is the nature of mind, it always believes that changing the outer world will give itself satisfaction in the inner world.

The first chapter is "Vairagya Parakaran". It elucidates how dispassion has flowered in Rama. King Dashratha, understandably upset at this self-abnegation by a young prince of 15 years, consults seer Valmiki , who pronounces...

Valmiki: This madness of the Raghu prince
is not from bad luck, nor from lust:
it is his Waking to the dawn
of his Discerning Dispassion

Bring Rama here at once, and we
at once will lead him out of this
delusion, as the winds disperse
a cloud upon a mountain-top.

He will become the Great Suchness,
knowing this Samsara Universe,
with neither happy days nor sad:
pebbles and diamonds the same


In fact the authority with which Rama speaks, he sounds like a Rishi in his own right. He talks about nature of mind, the inability of finding peace through sense fulfillments, his own dispassion towards enjoyment of all kinds.

He says he doesnt want to live, nor does he want to die and wonders what will he do with his kingdom and pleasure objects when the desire to enjoy them is absent in him. He continues to shed enough light on states of Jivan Muktaa's and it seems, these tendencies of Jivan Muktaa's serve as an aspirational drive for Rama.

In one of his final statements, he almost breaks down saying, he has given up everything but still hasnt attained realization. Then suddenly pleads Vashishta to lead him to THAT.

Rama: In the mentations of the Mind, out of the Suchness, the Three Worlds are born. Somewhere, there's no distress without a remedy. Sir, tell
me where is that wonderful place?

Otherwise, Brahmana, if you, knowing and realizing some
precept, decline to teach me what you know, and tell me nothing, then,
since I cannot know it alone, that unsurpassed, that restful peace,
I must now give up this my "I", the Ahamkara EgoSense
I will no longer eat, I will not drink water, I will not put
on new clothes, and I will not attend to my religious duties:
no more sacred bathing, no more food-offerings, none of those things.
No more activity for me, lucky or tenfold-unlucky!


I will try to continue on YV from now on.
-----------------
1. verses have been taken from Yoga vashishta google group.
2. Thanks Nari as always :)

Ramana Speaks -- 3

M: is for Maharishi, taken from Talks with RM complete
_______________________________________________________________________
Mrs Jennings: Sri Bhagavan says that the state of Realisation is
freedom from the tyranny of thoughts. Have not the thoughts got
a place in the scheme of things - maybe on a lower plane?
M.: The thoughts arise from the ‘I-thought’ which in its turn arises
from the Self. Therefore the Self manifests as ‘I’ and other thoughts.
What does it matter if there are thoughts or no thoughts?
D.: Are good thoughts helpful for Realisation? Are they not authentic
via media, a lower rung of the ladder, to Realisation?
M.: Yes - this way. They keep off bad thoughts. They must themselves
disappear before the state of Realisation.
D.: But are not creative thoughts an aspect of Realisation and therefore
helpful?
M.: Helpful only in the way said before. They must all disappear in
the Self. Thoughts, good or bad, take you farther and not nearer,
because the Self is more intimate than thoughts. You are Self,
whereas the thoughts are alien to the Self.
D.: So the Self finally absorbs its own creation which had helped its
Realisation. Whereas civilisation wrongly worships and so separates
and ‘short-circuits’ its own creations which had helped its advance.
M.: Are you not distinct from thoughts? Do you not exist without
them? But can the thoughts exist without you?

Krishnam Kalaya Sakhi Sundaram

This is a beautiful composition. I first heard it from Unnikrishnan's magical vocal chords, but the one here is a more a kirtan style rendition. It has those lovely Indian cymbals in the background(khartaal, manjeera etc.), which make you feel its a next door kirtan, yet has beautiful micro tones and classical touch.

Rashid Khan

Reminds me of college days, had the pleasure of enjoying Ustad from an arms distance.

Here is a wonderful, bhairavi bhajan, aaj radha brij ko chali.



And here is an even better, but embedding of this link is disabled. Its a very famous composition, sung by almost every one, Kahiyo re Prabhu Aawan ki

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfSRyEF_leA

Experience

Knowledge exists in relation to yourself. You know that you know. You experience knowledge.

In other words knowledge becomes an experience. Similarly no experience exists without knowledge of it. Knowledge and experience are one package.

Even about experiences you have no knowledge of, lets say, dying or I dont know, some sensory experience which you have never had before, you cant create that experience without knowing it. The moment it surfaces, the knowledge is there, that it is this, or it is not this. Every new experience then is brought into the domain of knowing or in other words naming.

Naming is fundamental to experience hence everything is related knowledge.

The precondition of all knowing and all experience is Self. The I AM.
This then brings us to the turning point, that is the fact you are, the “I AM” the fundamental knowing, which is your own self, is that also knowledge? Or is the “I am” experience? May be its both, You know that u are and you experience that you are. May be its too silly to talk about this.

Centre

Either you can be centered on universe(happenings) or you can be centered on Self.
If you are centered on Self, the universe can be seen, you experience that u
are experiencing; But the 'You" takes the center.

The Self is always calm, always same, always still.

If you are centered on universe, the Self gets lost, you become the experience,
you become the dry leaf which is vulnerable to vicissitude of ever changing ever-threatening-universe.

The universe(subdued self) is always restless, always changing, always dynamic.

Think

I am thinking , that I am thinking
Its all, after all my thinking.
Does thinking create me ? Or I create thinking ?

I dont know, I can never know
for all knowing is thinking.