A Journey... with a voice !

Just few days back I finished a novel called , “Lust for Life” by Irving Stone and today I watched a documentary “Koi Sunta Hai”… a very similar thought between two is – you need to be in touch of grounds if you want to paint them or sing about them. Vincent lived in poverty like farmers his whole life so that he could catch the soul of them in his paintings and Kumar Gandharva tried to explore the truth which Kabir presented in his songs , in the regions where Kabir is still alive .

... Says Kabir , Only those are awaken , whose hearts are struck by the arrow of the Word…

Kumar gandharva , a classical singer , was such a man . He was attacked by Tuberculosis , but this was just the disease of body , he was some where also suffering from the disease of heart and soul and that was – Egotism. At the high point of his career , he started believing that he is the best singer but he realized soon what Kabir says is very true  –

The Swan will fly away alone ,

The Spectacle of this world , a carnival

Like a leaf falls from a tree,

And cant be found again,

Who knows where it will come to rest,

Blown away by a gust of wind.

(ud jaayega hans akela,

Jag darshan ka mela

Jaise paat gire taruwar ke,

Milna bahut duhela,

Na jaanu kidhar girega,

Lagyaa pawan ka rela…)

Kumar was also sent to Maalwa , Madhya Pradesh for fresh air . He was strictly instructed not to sing and thus five years flied away until the medicine was available in the market. In these five years he first realized futility of mundane things like money & fame and then he studied Nirgun songs of Kabir. He was the first man to introduce Kabir in classical singing. One friend of his says smilingly that he raised the Status of Kabir. Well , don’t know exactly about the status but Kumar’s singing of Kabir’s bhajans made Kabir popular among Urban people and his scope was widened. The movie is a search of moviemaker of Kabir but in her search of Kabir , she says , she had found many Kabirs . She found “everybody’s Kabir” among different people ,while some found Kabir’s truth ,some created their own Kabir.

In Kabir’s songs , many gems are scattered here and there and one such gem I found in the movie  which is reminded by a Thumari Singer , Vidhya Rai that Kabir says live life to the fullest , there is a diactomy in this that he discards mundane things like all senses yet he talks about them in his songs for example – he says the body is a beautiful instrument … She talks about “ras” and says “taste  ras of everyday life- whether you are washing clothes , waiting for bus , everything has its own ras… ” … Taste – because while you taste something you are mindful and conscious of its taste – you take its whole “ras” , same you should do with your life .

I see every one is fighting his own battle and I ask myself who will help them?  - - - They are all warriors , they can fight their own battle , just they don’t know & realize this yet. Many people say that go to Ganga , you will get rid of your sins , do this – do that – listen to him – meet her n blah blah … but Kabir says – Its only you who can teach yourself , who can find the right way , who can guide yourself … it’s the Self who is Superior. I know Kabir sometimes may mystify us and seems very difficult , but we can simplify him for us. The crux of this thought of Kabir is – Happiness lies within us & Hell and Heaven are the state of our own mind. If we are suffering from a disease of mind, heart or soul , the cure lies within us only - & only we can cure ourselves with true determination but for this – Knowledge of the disease is very necessary – and this knowledge comes along with knowledge of self - - - Who am I? Kabir focuses on the Knowledge of Self more because with this knowledge  only comes along the Knowledge of Truth & God…

No doubt for me, the movie proved one more important step in the direction of knowing Kabir , understanding his philosophy and learning through him otherwise at my age , its very difficult to learn that –

“Nothing is yours , Listen Oh my mind…

Yours Wealth , Yours Treasure ,

A dream of two days

(Koi nahi apna , samjhe mana…

man to daulat tera,  man khadina …

do din ka sapna  )”

I am afraid , what my mother learnt at the age of 55 , I have realized & understood at the age of 21 …now I have to see where my journey ends …