This article is written by Sudhir, 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 other sites without the knowledge and consent of the web administrator of atulsongaday.me, then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws.

This is the 1400^th post by Sudhir.

The Many Colors of Love #31 – Love Divine
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And so wrote the scribe

खाक को बुत, और बुत को देवता करता है
इन्तहा ये है के बंदे को खुदा करता है इश्क़

Khaak Ko But, Aur But Ko Devta Karta Hai
Inteha Ye Hai Ke Bande Ko Khuda Karta Hai Ishq

Such a profound statement with a hugely significant implication – words are written by Sahir. Whether you read them in the flow of the entire set of lyrics, or just these two phrases, the import of these words cannot be diminished. And a more grand effect is achieved in rendition. Roshan Sb has put this to a melody that one cannot pulls oneself away from the flow, as line after line is being rendered by Rafi Sb. And finally, the effect of the rendition itself, as the continuous flow of singing gains momentum, the crescendo is rising, and Rafi Sb takes these two line progressively higher from octave to octave – to the most important message in this entire qawwali – “बंदे को खुदा करता है इश्क़ ” – “That Love Elevates Man to the Degrees of God”. This phrase is the ultimate climax – in all aspects – the rising crescendo of the music, the heightening pitch of the singer’s voice, the increasingly fervent clapping of the accompaniment singers, and the magnificent declaration about Love and God – all converging on the heights wherefrom one cannot go any further. For the message delivered is the ultimate statement to be made in this creation, in this existence – that Love Elevates.

All faiths, all beliefs, all creeds – have one thing in common. They all acknowledge something superior, a higher power that be – because none can otherwise explain the existence of these universes and the presence of the self on this planet. It is Voltaire who has said – “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him”. Yes, there is so much that we do not understand and so much that cannot be explained by the intellect, that finally even the non-believers cannot extract themselves out of the argument to explain existence.

Where is the story of creation? Every creed has its own, and in every such story there is a higher power that be, which is acknowledged as the authority responsible. The Humans being a visibly cognizant entity (चेतन) in this creation which is so manifestly non-cognizant (जड़) – this question indeed arises in the curious awareness of the self – why am I here? And the answer given by every system of belief is a variation of – “Man Must Return to His Maker”.
I remember another famous qawwali –

रस्ते अलग अलग हैं ठिकाना तो एक है
मंज़िल हरेक शख्स को पाना तो एक है

Raste Alag Alag Hain Thikaana To Ek Hai
Manzil Har Ek Shakhs Ko Paana To Ek Hai

“That paths may be many, yet the destination is the same.”
“And to the Divine must we return”

Theological systems have a life and existence of their own. Most people will follow one or the other that already exists. Once in a while, in a millennium, will come a person or a thought that will bring forth a new theology. Over the ages and across the history of mankind, one after another, newer and different belief systems have appeared, and each has its own existence, its own history, its thoughts, teachers and following.

And then, there is love. No, not as simply as it is just said. An emotional enigma, an anonymous obscurity, supposedly an inscrutable element that forms a significant constituent of what this larger conundrum of ‘creation’ is. An element yes, the basic, most primeval foundational piece. Tagore, in all his wisdom, was moved to write thus – “Love is an enduring mystery because it has nothing else to explain it“.

We can write and express it in a multitude ways, and indeed that has been done across the history. And yet, it remains universally undefined, and there always is yet another expression that attempts to. Through the history of mankind, this attempt has been made many millions of times. And as many millions of times poets, philosophers, lovers, thinkers, believers, and yes, the disbelievers too, have talked about it. And yet, in every age, in every culture, in every generation, every individual mind still continues to ask this question. The same minds continue to discover new definitions and new flavors. Adam and Eve wondered about it, as they looked upon the tree of the forbidden fruit. Brahma, the creator of the universe, was so enamored by his own creation of the feminine form, that he forsook his lotus seat as the creator God, and ran after Her. Lord Shiva was so captivated with the Mohini incarnation of Lord Vishnu, that he too left his abode in Kailash, and in pursuit of that vision. The renowned Sufi poet, Rumi thus wrote “Love is the astrolabe of God’s mysteries”.

Some say God is Love. Some others say Love is the link from Man to God. Yet others say Man who has realized Love, has realized God. Philosophers have written that Love is the basis of this Creation. Others have surmised that Love is the sustenance of this Creation. Another thought is that Love is the path to God. Such a multitude of concepts, ideologies and aesthetics thinkers have thought about and postulated. Some others say Love is an axiom. In the process of philosophical or logical differentiation, an axiom is a self evident truth that stands by itself. It cannot be further simplified or partitioned, or be established from more basic and elemental concepts. An axiom always just is. I recall the cover page of one of the most popular worldwide English editions of the Bible. The cover page simply says “The Greatest Is Love”. No other words, not even the word ‘Bible’ is printed on the cover page. It simply says “The Greatest Is Love“, and that’s it.

This is surely an axiom. A summary outcome of years and aeons of distillation of the human thought that has examined the emotions and expressions to bare bones, and then from the remnants of all that is stirred in the crucibles of the collective human psyche comes this extraction so short, so sweet and so sublime. And from this emerge some very stunning implications, the most significant of them being that Love is greater than God. And suddenly one has to pause, pull the brakes on this whirling carousel of thoughts and expressions and stare in wonder and amazement at this startling conclusion – “The Greatest Is Love, Even Greater Than God Himself”.

There is this play of Love that permeates every thought, every event, every concept, and everything that populates this universe at the physical as well as the non physical and the metaphysical levels of existence. The cycles of existence of the universe – the cause, the sustenance and the eventual assimilation – each one of these is an act of love. The cause of creation occurs when the alone Supreme Soul has a desire to share. That sharing is an expression of Love. The sustenance of the universe is the desire to maintain and keep well the creation – once again it is an act of Love. And the eventual assimilation – no, not the destruction, but more a dissolution of this game of universe, and the assimilation of all the souls back into the primal super soul. Once again, an act of love – an embrace that outweighs any level of proximity – the ultimate sharing of love. The ultimate conversation of love is the tête-à-tête of the souls – as they say, Soulmates. In our bhakti discourses, it is the ‘आत्म निवेदनम्’ (‘atma nivedanam’), the ultimate propinquity of love, the highest stage of meeting of the souls.

Love and God – the ultimate triumphs of realization in this mystery of existence, the magnum opus of individual endeavor and accomplishments. After propounding all the values of human existence, and teaching about all the good and bad in life, every faith, every religion finally talks about Love, about Love and God, about Love Divine, about the Divinity of Love.

This Divine Love is expressed and manifest in countless episodes that are scattered across the length and breadth of the scriptures of our Sanatan Dharm. In the Varaha Avatar – manifestation of Vishnu in the form of a tusked Boar, Vishnu battles with Hiranyaksh and vanquishes him. Then he dives into the waters of the Cosmic Ocean, into which Hiranyaksh had hidden Bhoodevi (Goddess Earth). He picks Her up on his tusks, and brings her out of the waters of the netherworld. In this episode there are brief shlokas wherein Vishnu in the form of Varaha tells Bhoodevi – “My Dear, it has been such a long time that you have cuddled as such in my arms, and I have carried you”.

During the episode of Sagar Manthan, Goddess Lakshmi appears as one of the outcomes of the churning of the Cosmic Ocean. There is an argument as to who would she belong to. Short of a battle, good sense prevails and all agree that Lakshmi should herself select her consort. And Lakshmi puts the flower garland on Vishnu.

In this same episode, Vishnu also appears as Mohini, the incarnation as a beautiful woman. And Shiva who is also present, is so enamored by Her beauty that He immediately has a charming attraction for Her and pursues Her. This affiliation recurs many more times as different episodes are narrated in different books.

When Vishnu appears in the avatar of Narsimhadev, and vanquishes Hiranyakashipu, His demeanor is so frightful, and He is so angry even as the inanimate body of Hiranyakashipu is lying in his lap, that none of the Gods and Sages present have the courage to approach Him. Not even Sage Narad who has the liberty to approach Vishnu whenever and wherever. Not even Goddess Lakshmi, His wife. Then Brahma and Narad request the child Prahlad to approach Narsimhadev. With his childlike innocence, Prahlad presents himself to the infuriated and ferocious half lion manifestation. And lo, in a moment, the anger of Narsimhadev evaporates and is immediately replaced by effusive love for his Bhakt.

Episodes and encounters of love are numerously present in the narration of Vishnu’s avatars as Ram and Krishna. The beauty of Ram is so divine that numerous Sages and village belles express their desire to serve Him as His wife. He declines, for in this avatar as Ram, He has a vow to be the husband of just one, and that is Seeta. But then He gives a boon to all such seekers that in his future incarnation as Krishna, He would accept their desires and betroth them. Therein lies the reason behind the Sixteen Thousand One Hundred and Eight wives of Krishna, as well as the occurrence of the phenomenal and Divine Raas Leela.

In the pageantry of the Sanatan Dharm theology, two entities are identified as beyond creation. They are Shiva and Vishnu. These are the only two for whom no stories of origin can be found, no details of parentage have ever been documented. In every episode, in every tale, the description of their physical appearance is always the same. There is no ageing across time. There is no dissolution at the time of Pralaya or Maha Pralaya. On the occasion of Maha Pralaya even Brahma completes his existence of 100 years (Brahma years, vastly different from the concept of earth years) and dissolves back, awaiting the next cycle of creation.

Vishnu and Shiva exist beyond the time and space, beyond the nothing and anything of this created universe. Their abodes are beyond time and they remain even when everything else disappears at the end of creation. It is nearly impossible for the human mind to even imagine what would be beyond the infinity of time and space as we comprehend it. In a manner of speaking, They represent the two basic forces, the two fundamental concepts that are the source of everything of any kind of nature that is, was, or will be, but They Themselves are apart from this creation. It is interesting to note that this concept of two basic forces pervades many other civilizations and many other theologies. The philosophies of further east have this representation as Yin and Yang, the two fundamental forces that are the basis of all creation. The Buddhist philosophy has the concept of Purush and Prakriti, and that everything else exists or is created through the interactions of these two. Even the scientists pursuing research on the theories of Modern Physics are making efforts towards what they call as the Grand Unified Theory of Physics, in which they propose that there exist only two basic forces in this physical universe and everything else in this visible measurable universe can be computed and extracted from the interplay of the equations of these two basic forces.

The scriptures of Sanatan Dharm abound with narrations of many flavors which describe the interplay between these two fundamental identities, and everything else that comes from them. There are narrations where Parvati, the Consort of Lord Shiva is represented as an incarnation of Vishnu. Then we have other narration where Radha ji is represented as an incarnation of Shiva.

The Ardhnaarishvar manifestation of Shiva, in which the left side of His being transforms into the female form, and He is blessed with being male and female form together in one presence. As per the narrations, Shiva got so smitten with the beauty of Mohini swaroop of Vishnu, that he continuously meditated on that beautiful form. As a result He earned the boon from Vishnu that Mohini would co-exist in the same physical body with Him. That is how the Ardhnaarishvar manifestation of Shiva came about.

Narrations abound in our scriptures of the purity of relationships of Love between Radha and Krishna, between Seeta and Ram, between Parvati and Shiva. However, in the most basic terms, it is all the interplay of the two basic forces of Vishnu and Shiva. And now I will touch upon one more aspect of Divine Love – the Love of Gopis of Vrindavan for the Child Krishna.

I have mentioned little earlier in this article, about the rationale behind the episode of Raas Lila during the appearance of Krishna on this earth, about the boon many learned Sages and women folk of villages received from Ram, when they approached Him with their desires to serve Him as His wives. Close to the end of Dwaapar Yug, when Krishna appeared on this land, these blessed souls all incarnated in Brij as Gopis, the milkmaids. The propensity of their earlier attraction to Ram, transformed in this life into an attachment of devotion to Child Krishna.

There are numerous narrations from many scriptures about the pastimes of Krishna in Gokul, Nandgaon and Vrindavan. Many of these episodes, including the Divine Raas Leela, are played out as interactions between Gopis and Child Krishna. The tales are endless. About Gopis craving for a view of Krishna, His pranks to trouble them as they go about their daily chores, about stealing butter and curd from their homes, about breaking the earthen pots (matkis) containing milk and butter, about the Gopis making Krishna dance just for getting some buttermilk and curd from them, even getting His face embellished with bits of cow dung to get more butter from them, and many many more.

There is a very interesting thread that weaves through all these episodes and pastimes, all the way up to the Raas Leela. And that thread is the flute that Krishna always carries with him, no matter what. This flute, made from a small stick of bamboo, is inseparable from Krishna. It is his eternal partner during the manifestation of all his pastimes while in Brij.

Krishna’s flute playing is remarkably Divine. At will, He can call for all the cows, or all the peacocks, or all the monkeys, or all his playmates and friends. And yes, when He plays the flute for that purpose, it is also to call all the Gopis. The ones so beckoned, are mesmerized by the music of the flute and as if a piece of iron is pulled by a magnet, so will the called ones respond to the call of the flute and in a trance just come to Him.

Gopis are attracted by His flute playing. Their attachment and their affectionate loyalty to Child Krishna is such that they would immediately give up whatever it is that they are doing, answer this call of devotion and converge wherever Krishna is. But when the music is over and the spell dissipates, they are also upset and annoyed that He has such power over them, that He will call them over whenever. There are small episodes of narration of such quarrels between Gopis and Krishna, and also complaints by Gopis to Yashoda.

Taking this narration further, we are also told that the Gopis are also cross with the flute itself. Just a small piece of bamboo and it has such a mesmerizing power over them. They even complain to the flute itself. Sometimes they slyly steal the flute and hide it. Then the little Kanhaiya is distraught, and he pleads with the Gopis to return it. There are some very beautiful bhajans and descriptions that depict this back and forth exchange between Kanha and the Gopis. And then, another step, the Gopis will go to Nand Baba’s home and lodge complaints with Yashoda. This exchange to is covered in many bhajans and episodes that are cute and heartening.

So what or Who is this flute? Some readers may know. Yes, as per narration given in some scriptures, this flute is none other than an incarnation of Shiva Himself. All I can say is that these matters are of the Divine, and are beyond our logic and comprehension. They need to be read and heard in wonder, and then to savor the multitude of sentimental flavors that are enmeshed in all this Grand Design. The more that we think and say about it, the more there remains to be thought and said about it.

The bhajan being introduced today is bringing up yet another flavor of the scores of sentiments that make up this wondrous pageantry. Gopis are even envious of the flute. And they begrudge it, that it always remains close to Kanha, and He so lovingly takes care of it, and He carries it everywhere with Him, even when He is asleep, it is with Him, and then He touches it by His lips, and creates the magic that disturbs their peace and comfort. After all the jealous complaints, they eventually end up praising the fortune of the flute. And they ask of it in wonder – Oh so what all penance and self-flagellation has it gone through, to be rewarded such a position of eminence, with the One that they all adore and covet.  And the words are

ए री बांस की बांसुरिया, तूने कौन कौन तप किन्हो री

Ae Ri Baans Ki Baansuria, Tu Ne Kaun Kaun Tap Kino Ri

Translations

bansi
bansi naam hai, kaahu dhareo sareer
taan taan ki dor su, khinchat hai mann mein

ari kshama kar muraliyaa, padi hain tere paayen
aur sukhi sun hot hain, maha dukhi hum hain

O Eminent Flute
Your name is ‘bansi‘
O why did you have to exist
With the power of the tones that emanate from you
The insides of our heart are pulled and wrenched

O please, please forgive us,
We fall at your feet in reverence
Others who may listen, may get pleasure from this music
But us. . . ?
Your sound makes us so unhappy and disturbed

tu hai brij ki muraliyaa
hum hain brij ki naar
teen lok mein gaayi’e
bansi aur brij naar

O Eminent Flute of Brij
You are the One who is so dear to Him
And we are the simple milkmaids of Brij
May these stories be sung in the three worlds
The tales of the flute and the milkmaids

There is a small personal incident associated with this bhajan that I would like to share. A senior patriarch (not in this world now) in the extended family was a very spiritual and learned person and I have had the good fortune of sitting and listening from him one on one, many times. Once I took this bhajan with me to play it for him. He had never heard this one before. As the play reached the second stanza and the words came “bansi aur brij naar “, he uttered the words “Jai Ho” three times, and I looked at him and his eyes were streaming. A little later I asked him about it, and he replied – “Bansi Aur Brij Naar – there is nothing higher than this in Krishna Bhakti”.

This is a non film bhajan that was recorded way back in 1961. That is all the information that I have been able to gather. No names are listed for the songwriter and the composer of this bhajan. The 78 rpm record is Columbia label GE 39008.

I have heard this song from the days of radio listening while still at school. But now this bhajan seems to have been forgotten by the radio waves. I tried searching for this on line and was really amazed to locate pages where netizens are waiting for this song to be located and uploaded.

A very rare song now, uploaded today. Listen to this baritone sound of CH Atma’s voice from sixty years ago.

[Author’s Note: This series – ‘The Many Colors of Love’ got initiated 20th May, 2013, eight years and 4 days ago. It continued on through 2013, 14 and 15, and 29 episodes were published, the 29th coming online on 9th March, 2015. And then there was complete silence on this topic. Six years – that is too long a gap by any standards. There was a rare blip in 2019 when the 30th episode of this series got published on 20th March, 2019. However, that post, although very much within the theme of this series, came about more towards getting the songs of film ‘Bobby’ completed and getting that film Yippeee’d. And then again, another long silence.

Readers and friends have probably come to the conclusion that the series was more or less complete. But the truth is far from that. In the sequence in which I had laid out the ‘Colors of Love’, after having done the 29th episode, the next topic I come to on the list is ‘Love Divine’. Telling you all the truth, it is this topic that tied up my grey cells in a bind and dried up the juices of creativity. Whenever I used to think to start writing this episode, my mind would just sputter and stop working, not knowing where to make a start. The article that you are reading today is probably the 4th revamped and revised version that I have attempted over the years. And another truth from the heart, I am still not fully satisfied with what I have written. There are many branch avenues that I wanted to explore and write about, but all are not coming together at once. And of course, the length of the article itself has become somewhat daunting.

The series still has three or four more songs to go, more like closing remarks on the ‘Colors of Love’. But yes, this post is the one that has taken the most energy. In a way I am glad that I am finally ahead of this milestone. But as I said before, getting this version of this episode completed still leaves me with a discontentment – that there is more to it. Well, maybe some other posts and other songs that may help fill the gaps within my mind, in the days to come.

So yes, we move forward, and hopefully conclude soon the list of flavors that I had originally planned.]

Song – Ae Ri Baans Ki Baansuriya (NFS – CH Atma) (1961) Singer – CH Atma, Lyrics – [Unattributed], MD – [Unattributed]

Lyrics

ae ri baans ki bansuriyaa

ae ri baans ki bansuriyaa
tu ne kaun kaun tap kino ri
tu ne kaun kaun tap kino ri
ae ri baans ki bansuriyaa
tu ne kaun kaun tap kino ri
tu ne kaun kaun tap kino ri

bansi
bansi naam hai
kaahu dhareo sareer
taan taan ki dor su
khinchat hai mann mein
ari kshama kar muraliyaa
padi hain tere paayen
aur sukhi sun hot hain
maha dukhi hum hain
tu ne kaun kaun tap kino ri
tu ne kaun kaun tap kino ri

ae ri baans ki bansuriyaa
tu ne kaun kaun tap kino ri
tu ne kaun kaun tap kino ri

tu hai brij ki muraliyaa
hum hain brij ki naar
teen lok mein gaayi’e
bansi aur brij naar
tu ne kaun kaun tap kino ri
tu ne kaun kaun tap kino ri

ae ri baans ki bansuriyaa
tu ne kaun kaun tap kino ri
tu ne kaun kaun tap kino ri

——————————————
Hindi script lyrics (Provided by Sudhir)
——————————————

ए री बांस की बांसुरिया

ए री बांस की बांसुरिया
तूने कौन कौन तप किनो री
तूने कौन कौन तप किनो री
अए री बांस की बांसुरिया
तूने कौन कौन तप किनो री
तूने कौन कौन तप किनो री

बंसी
बंसी नाम है
काहू धरेयो सरीर
तान तान की डोर सूं
खींचत है मन में
अरी क्षमा कर मुरलिया
पड़ी हैं तेरे पाएँ
और सुखी सुन होत हैं
महा दुखी हम हा॰॰एं
तूने कौन कौन तप किनो री
तूने कौन कौन तप किनो री

ए री बांस की बांसुरिया
तूने कौन कौन तप किनो री
तूने कौन कौन तप किनो री

तू है ब्रिज की मुरलिया
हम हैं ब्रिज की नार
तीन लोक में गाइए
बंसी और ब्रिज नार
तूने कौन कौन तप किनो री
तूने कौन कौन तप किनो री

ए री बांस की बांसुरिया
तूने कौन कौन तप किनो री
तूने कौन कौन तप किनो री