Sharing a piece by a good friend , Rajiv Handa
Rooh Ko Shaad Kare, Dil Ko Jo Par-Noor KareOne that gladdens the heart and fills it with the Divine Light
Emotions are unquantifiable and invisible. One can hardly say this is my pain quotient or this is my happiness quotient, yet grief, despair, sadness move hand in hand with hope and laughter. The power of the senses, sight, sound, smell and taste are within our reach and yet unseen. However, if we wish we can take the good and the bad in our stride, and still find the pleasures in simple-ness.
Around 1516 AD, Baba Nanak Shah Fakir sang this melodious jaap outside the premises of the Jagannath Temple at Puri. It goes like this: "Gagan mein thaal,Rav Chaand deepak bane, tarika mandal janak moti". How simple this opening couplet is, it acknowledges at once the Divine behind the Cosmos, the sky a platter in which the Sun and the Moon are the Diyas and the Stars are the Motis for the Lord".
I surely must have heard it before, but only recently a friend invited my attention to this prayer that is recited both as Ganga ji ki Aarti and as a Sikh Guru jaap in shrines all over the World. The most wonderful part is that the words of Guru Nanak are revered, but to his prayer are added the words of Sant Ravidas, Sant Kabir, Sant Sen, Dhanna Bhagat and Guru Gobind Singh contributed and all their words form a part of the Great Granth.
Bhimpalasi
This is a Raag that finds its origins from the Kafi Thaat. It is a late afternoon raga, mostly sung in the third prahar of the day, so suited for singing in the Evening. The Raag belongs to the Audhav group, with five ascending notes and 7 descending notes. The note M or Madhyam is used in the softer Komal form. The music masters put Bhimpalasi to selective use in Hindi movies of the yore. Madan Mohan and SD Burman are the key exemplars having put Bhimpalas to effective use on the lyrics of Raja Mehdi Ali Khan and Kavi Neeraj. There is extensive use of the string instruments like the Sitar and the Tanpura in Hindustani clasical, with the thekas coming from the Tabla and the imitation of the human voice by the harmonium.
The Punjabi Folk singing extensively uses the Rabab, with the other accompanying instruments remaining the same. Because of small divergences this Raga turns into Dhanasri. The most famous Hindi song one can think of is "Khilte Hain Gul Yahan, Khill Ke Bichadne ko" and the all time Pandit Jasraj favorite, "Ja Ja Re Apne Mandar viya, Sun Paavegi mori Saas Nandaniya'' and then there is that mellifluous rendition by Pandit Gokulotsavji Maharaj , "Gao Bajao Sab Mil Ata Umang So" in Bhimpalasi, Ektaal.
A sampler
Bhagat Dhanna, finds himself in the Granth having spoken, "Gopal Tera Aarta, Jo Jan Teri Bhagat Karantey, Tin Ke Kaaj Savarta! Daal Seedha Mangau Ghee, Hamra Khusee Kare Nit Jee! Pania Chadan Neeka, Anaaj Mangau Sat Seeka! Gau Bhains Mangau Laveere, Ik Taajana Turee Changeree! Ghar Ke Geehane Changey, Jan Dhanna Mangey Levee, Gopal Tera Aaarta, Hey Dayaal Tera Aarta". O Lord of the World this is your lamp lit service-i need clothes, food, shoes, a decent wife to take care of my home". The final words were added to the initial prayer by Guru Nanak (Gagan mein Thaal Rav Chaand), by none other than the venerated Guru Gobind Singh, "Jhaalar Taal Mrudanga Upanga, Rabab Leeyey Sur Saaj Milavey".
A tete a tete with Rabindra Nath Tagore
The thespian Balraj Sahni had once asked Tagore, "you have written the national anthem -Jana Gana Mana, can there be an Anthem for the World? To which Kabi Guru replied, Guru Nanak has already written that 500 years ago, the global anthem is none other than "Gagan mein Thaal Rav Chand Deepak Bane".
Which brings me back to my original thought, the invisibles and their inviolate quantification. Life could be much simpler. Rooh ko shaad kare, dil ko jo par-noor kare, har nazare mein woh Tanvir kahan hoti hai". Rooh is Soul, Shaad is fulfilment, happiness, par-noor is the Divine Light, Tanvir is Roshni.