Vasudev sutam devam
Posted on: September 12, 2014
This article is written by Arunkumar Deshmukh, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a contributor to this blog. This article is meant to be posted in atulsongaday.me. If this article appears in sites like lyricstrans.com and ibollywoodsongs.com etc then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws.
Today’s song is from an obscure mythological film Veer Arjun-1952. It is sung by G M Durrani. It is a Bhajan. Durrani has hardly sung any bhajans in his career,so in a way,this is a rare song. Moreover the bhajan starts with Sanskrit shlokas, which Durrani has sung with surprising ease and clarity. He must have really taken lot of efforts to do this.
Mythological films are of two types. First type are where the stories are based on Ramayana and Mahabharata and the second is where the films are based on stories drawn from Puranas or Vedas. Films based on Ramayana or Mahabharata contain stories which are very well known,yet people come in hordes to see them. These stories have been told to children from several generations,but their appeal has not diminished. Sometimes i wondered how come people come to see the same things on screen again and again. here,’people’ includes me too,and on thinking I realised that it was not for the stories alone, but Gods in action on screen that served as the main attraction !
Clever film producers understood this psychology of the people and they churned out stories on Rama and Krishna in large numbers. Films titled ‘Ramayana’ itself were made in 1933, 34, 45, 54 and 60 and Sampoorna Ramayana in 61 and 73. Further films were made with titles like Ram Navmi, Ram janma, Ram Rajya, Ram Vivah, Ram baan, Rambhakta Hanuman, Ram bhakti,Ram darshan, Ram Laxman, Ram Leela, Ramdoot Hanuman, Bharat milap etc etc. The list will be too long. Simiarly films on Shreekrishna also were made using different titles and in several combinations.
Today’s song is from a character in Mahabharat viz. Arjun. Though the film title is Veer Arjun, the film showed entire mahabaharat, with emphasis on Arjun, ofcourse.
This song is sung by Ghulam Mustafa Durrani. He was born in a Pathan family of Peshwar in 1919. He was the only son of his parents. Interested in music from childhood, he did not complete his education, fought with his father and ran away to Bombay. ( In olden day it was almost a tradition for artists to run away to Bombay. I wonder where such people run away to these days ! ). His close friend Ishaq Shikarpuri was already working in Bombay film world as a comedian, singer and a composer. This was the year 1935. Durrani was introduced to several film people like Madhok, Gyan Dutt, Khemchand Prakash etc, but it was Sohrab Modi who spotted him. Those days Modi was working as a Director with Minerva Film company. He was so much impressed with Durrani’s singing that he created a new scene in the film which he was directing that time for Durrani. Thus Durrani acted and sang first time in film ‘Saeed-E- Havas’-1936. After the film was released the owner of the studio died suddenly. Sohrab Modi bought the studios and renamed them as Minerva Movietone. However Durrani,meanwhile,worked in All India Radio as a singer at Rs 70/- pm.in 1938.
In 1941, Naushad gave him another break, with 2 songs in the film “Darshan”-41. The Heroine of the film was Jyoti-sister of Waheedan bai and Mausi of actress Nimmi. Durrani later on married Jyoti and they had a happy long married life. Durrani took off from film “Station master”-42 and then he became famous and very popular. He was one of the major singers of the 40s.
Durrani claims to have helped Rafi and Lata in their careers, when Durrani was an important person in the industry. He sang more that 500 songs in the 40s, but his days were over by the time 1950s arrived. He sang only 60 songs in 47 films in this decade. In the 60s he hardly sang in 3-4 films. He last sang in a film in 1971. He had fallen on such hard times by then that he was surviving by selling his all, viz. house, car etc. He even tried running a grocery shop in Mahim, Bombay. In 1982, he got cancer and he died in absolute poverty.
Film Veer Arjun-52 was a Ajit pictures movie. It was directed by Ramchandra Thakur- a highly educated and scholarly person who started career with Sagar movietone as a Director. He also wrote several books. The film was produced by Ratilal Punatar- who was a close relative of Ranjit Movietone’s Sardar Chandulal Shah. He was also a director of a few films. The music was by Avinash Vyas who composed 6 songs of the film and the remaining 7th song was composed by S.Mohinder-which is what we will hear today. The cast was a standard one for any Mythological film like Nirupa Roy, Trilok Kapoor, Mahipal, Mehtab, Amirbai Karnataki etc etc.
The story of the film was-
Arjun was declared the champion warrior from amongst the Kaurava and Pandava princes. This incident sowed the seed of jealousy in the heart of Duryodhana, the eldest prince among the Kauravas. Unable to bear the fame of the prowess of Arjun and with a view to beat him, he formed a life-long alliance with Karna. Yudhisthira, the son of Maharaja Dhritashtra’s elder brother Pandu was declared as the heir to the throne. Though all consented, one heart was burning with jealousy at this decision. It was Duryodhanas. He, with the help of his uncle Shakuni, hatched a plot to burn the five Pandavas alive. But thanks to the courage and power of Bhim, all the five brothers and their mother Kunti came out of the ordeal unscathed. They lived incognito as Bhrahimns. Kauravas believed that Pandavas were dead and rejoiced.
The “Swayamwar” of Draupadi was announced. An extremely difficult condition was to be fulfilled by the competitors to win the hand of Draupadi. The Kauravas failed in their attempts. Arjun was successful and he won Draupadi. Draupadi was endowed with the blessing that the man who married her, would be the King Emperor. Again the ambers of fire jealously burst out as the five Pandavas demanded their share of the Kingdom. This enraged Duryodhana and under the advice of uncle Shakunni he gave them a waste piece of land. The Pandavas, with their untiring efforts and skill, turned it into a fine city-Indraprashta. Gradually the Pandavas extended their kingdom throughbout the length and breadth of Bharat through peaceful efforts and thus Draupadi’s belssings was fulfilled. They then made preparations for the greatest Yajna-the Rajasuya Yajna-and invited all the kings and princes to the function. Kauravas were also invited. Kauravas were aware of Yudhisthira’s weakness for gambling. On this occasion, they invited Yudhishtira to a game of dice. In the heat of the game Yudhisthira lost everything his kindgom and even Draupadi. Draupadi was forcibly brought into the assembly where the game was played and the success-drunk Kauravas proceeded to undress her. The pleas of Draupadi fell on deaf ears and that generated the spark of the war between the forces of the evil and the good. As per condition of the game, Pandavas lived in exile for thirteen years. After the expiry of the term Lord Krishna approached Kauravas with a proposal to restore the share of Pandavas to them. But the Kauravas turned the proposal down. And then the “Mahabharata”-the world’s First Great War took place. Arjun was downhearted as he had to fight against his own kith and kin. Lord Krishna explained to him his duty which is embodied in “Bhagawadgita”. Veer Arjun won the war and the good triumphed over the evil.
Let us now enjoy this rare Bhajan from G M Durrani…..
Song-Vasudev sutam devam (Veer Arjun)(1952) Singer-G M Durrani, Lyrics-Saraswati Kumar Deepak, MD-S Mohinder
Lyrics
vasudev sutam devam
kansChanoor mardanam
devki parmanandam
krishnam vande jagaguru
yadunath dwaar ka naath shyaam re
natwar kunj vihaari ee
eknath dwaar ka naath shyam re
natwar kunj vihaari
baar baar sansaar bhaar kar
baar baar sansaar bhaar kar
de wo bhar dhan dhaari
eknath dwaar ka naath shyam re
natwar kunj vihaari
un ki leela koi na jaane
un ki leela koi na jaane
maaya aprampaar prabhu ki ee
maaya aprampaar aar
ek roop ho karman mohan
ek roop ho karman mohan
dhaare chhavi apaar aar aar
dhaare chhavi apaar aar
naarayan nar roop dikhaate
naarayan nar roop dikhaate
ek rahe sansaari ee
yadunath dwaar ka naath shyam re
natwar kunj vihaari
mere swaami antaryaami
mere swaami antaryaami
koi na paaye paar prabhu ka aa
koi na paaye paar aar
unke taar mein jude huye hain
unke taar mein jude huye hain
teen lok ke taar aar aar
teen lok ke taar aar
murli dhun per tribhuwan naache
naach rahe nar naari ee
eknath dwaar ka naath shyam re
natwar kunj vihaari
8 Responses to "Vasudev sutam devam"
September 13, 2014 at 1:22 pm
Thank you very much, Deshmukh Saheb & Atul ji.
Warm regards,
Avadh Lal
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September 13, 2014 at 1:41 pm
Thanks Arun Ji. Glad to hear such nice song in the voice of G M Durani.
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September 13, 2014 at 5:14 pm
Saraswati Kumar Deepak’s poetry produces goose pimples
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September 14, 2014 at 2:37 am
Can I elaborate on the comment made by Avinashji? I hope he wouldn’t mind it. 🙂 … A cruel king Kansa had army made of ‘Rakshasas’ (they have the power to change their shape). Putana was the first demon sent by Kansa to kill Krishna and later many others. Putana turn into a beautiful lady with poisonous breast milk, but it was an unsuccessful attempt to poisoning infant Krishna. Later he send Trinivartra as whirlwind, Bakasura as big Crane (bird), Vatsasura assumed the shape of a calf and Adhasura as a python but Krishna slays them all.
Finally, Kansa arranged the wrestling match between two brothers (Krishna-Balaram). – At the entrance gate of arena, he trained elephant Kuvalyapida to killed both brothers, but with few brutal strokes by Krishna killed both Kuvalyapida and his keeper. Soon after slaying Kuvalyapida, Krishna and Balram returned to the arena. Now, King Kansa was angry and he send the two top most fierce wrestlers Chanur and Mustika. But at the end, Shri Krishna defeated and killed Chanur and Balram defeated and killed Mustika. thus the shloka, “Kansa, Chanur Mardanam” (mardanam means destruction, or to kill).
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September 14, 2014 at 6:15 am
Thanks for the details. I used to read and enjoy such details during my childhood but by now I have forgotten all these details. 🙂
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September 14, 2014 at 10:21 am
Thank you very much. The details are necessary for all of us and for the future generations of this country.
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September 14, 2014 at 10:00 pm
@Atulji @Avinashji…Oh, the pleasure is all mine. I had a great time. 🙂
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
September 12, 2014 at 10:30 pm
@ Atul ji – kans ?? mardanam
is Kans-Chanoor mardanam.
( Chanoor & Mushtik were killed by Krishna and Balram during the wrestling competition arranged by Kans, and actually it was a plot by Kans to get killed Krishna)
(Thanks to one of the yearly management week program at AMA. In 2010 it was ‘Inspirations from Lord Krishna’ and the topic was ‘Krishna – The Divine Artist’. There I get to listen and understand these lines.)
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