If God were to give you a choice, What would you like to be at birth? Would being very strong make you rejoice? Or being very intelligent fill you with mirth?
Or would you like to be born as a Lion, The recognised king of the forest? Or would you rather be born as a scion, To a family that is seen as the richest?
A great singer, painter or actor, What would give you the greatest joy? Would it be to be seen as a benefactor, Or to change over to being a girl if born as a boy?
There are hundreds and thousands of choices, It is hard to think of as what you want to be born. There are in your head many competing voices, Between various options you are torn.
You are a very happy person indeed, If you’d like to be born as who you are. “God, I have neither any remorse nor greed, You have already made me a bright star. “
“I am lucky you made me who I am, I don’t want to change a thing. To becoming someone I don’t give a damn, Even if it were to be a queen or a king. “
You are happy if you’d like to be born as yourself.
A sharp mind and good sense may not be the same thing, Because of the different results that they may bring; Sometimes when you are too discerning, You may inadvertently be overturning, The gains that good sense would have brought by waiting.
Indeed, one thing that we learn from God’s Creation, Is that there is merit in doing things in moderation. If we perceive something as perfect, It would do us good to weight its effect, Before using it in every possible situation.
Good sense may not always agree with sharp mind, But, it may direct you not to be right but kind; You may take a better decision, Than what your mind may envision, And still not be labelled as illogical and blind.
From 4th Jan 19, I started doing something different. In addition to my own inspirational poems everyday, I started giving you, on every Friday, a song or poem that has inspired me. Today is the fourth one and it is a hymn in Hindi called ‘Aye malik tere bande ham‘.
This bhajan or hymn made lasting impact on me. I saw the 1957 V Shantaram movie ‘Do Aankhen Barah Haath’ (A pair of eyes and twelve hands) when I was barely six years old. It was screened in our colony in the Himachal town of Mandi on a portable screen and projector. This movie is a classic in human psychology about good begetting good even in hardcore prisoners. Indeed, as far as I know, the movie depicted the jail-warden Adinath’s resolve to have an open prison based on trust and thereby reforming even hardened prisoners.
This bhajam penned by Bharat Vyas, composed by Vasant Desai and sung by Lata Mangeshkar is not just the most popular bhajan in Hindi movies but depicts the advantages of having God on your side, the righteous side.
It takes great courage to stand against cruelty, evil and chicanery. Many a times we find ourselves alone and feeble to stand against these. We wish we would get miraculous powers and strength to take on everything we are pitted against.
The fact is that such miraculous powers are within our reach. India’s most celebrated mounyaineer, the Indian Navy Captain MS Kohli wrote a book called ‘The Miracles Of Ardaas (Prayer)’ and has shared actual incidents wherein when everything was lost for him, God actually provided him with the miraculous power to come out of it unscathed.
Captain Kohli, a living legend, is the recipient of Padma Bhushan and Arjuna Award besides a host of other awards and honours.
Here is my own introductory poem before we take on the hymn that has provided me with enormous solace and abundant courage all these years. My dad was killed in a jeep accident when I was thirty years old. I had to fight endemic corruption, administrative and judicial inefficiency, and poverty to make secure life for my widowed mother and my family. I had and have Ardaas and Waheguru:
The sensible way to fight evil is with goodness, And not to pay back evil in the same coin. You can’t pit rudeness against rudeness, And then in humility your hands to join.
God and you is the strongest combine, To take on the fiercest oppressors. God’s Power can make you outshine, All the cruelties unleashed by your aggressors.
Have trust in Him to lead you out, From the pit of darkness you appear to be in; Don’t let yourself be assailed by doubt, God on your side shall always make you win.
And now the hymn:
ऐ मालिक तेरे बंदे हम ऐसे हो हमारे करम नेकी पर चलें और बदी से टलें ताकि हंसते हुये निकले दम
जब ज़ुल्मों का हो सामना तब तू ही हमें थामना वो बुराई करें हम भलाई भरें नहीं बदले की हो कामना बढ़ उठे प्यार का हर कदम और मिटे बैर का ये भरम नेकी पर चलें …
ये अंधेरा घना छा रहा तेरा इनसान घबरा रहा हो रहा बेखबर कुछ न आता नज़र सुख का सूरज छिपा जा रहा है तेरी रोशनी में वो दम जो अमावस को कर दे पूनम नेकी पर चलें …
बड़ा कमज़ोर है आदमी अभी लाखों हैं इसमें कमीं पर तू जो खड़ा है दयालू बड़ा तेरी कृपा से धरती थमी दिया तूने जो हमको जनम तू ही झेलेगा हम सबके ग़म नेकी पर चलें …
And my translation….
O Owner, we are your children, Our deeds should be such, We walk on goodness’s path, And shun the evil, So that we depart from the world happy.
When we have to face cruelties, You should be there to hold us, They indulge in evil, We should continue with kindness, And we should not be filled with vengeful feelings. Every step we take should be in love, There shouldn’t be a whisper of animosity.
Deep darkness descends, Your people are afraid, They appear lost, They can’t see anything, The sun of happiness appears to be setting. Your light has such power, As to convert moonless night into full moon light.
Man is very frail, Still he has lots of deficiencies, But You stand there, Like huge (pillar of) Kindness, The Earth rests on your blessings. Since you created us, You would bear all our sorrows.
….take’ hanste huye nikle dam…*
*(So that we leave the world happily). I used to have my doubt about this: to lead the whole life righteously so that one can die smilingly; what a waste, I thought. But then, on the 9th Aug 2017 when my mother was dying in my arms and she had that divine smile on her face, I understood the full meaning of it that had eluded me all these years.
It took centuries for languages to be evolved, And come to their present elegant levels; All of us are in one way or the other involved, Some of us are angels and other devils. Nevertheless, language defines who we are, A polished person or a lout at the local bar.
You may pretend to be an envied socialite, But if you have a crude and abusive tongue, Something about you doesn’t appear to be right, You give the impression of being highly strung. Language defines who we really are, A polished person or a lout at the bar.
You can frequently hide your evil thought, But when you speak you give out the truth, Your expression can easily show your secret spot, Of being a charlatan or simply uncouth. Language defines who you really are, A polished person or a lout at the bar.
So why not pay attention to what we speak and write, And leave the gutter language in the gutter? Our language should always be a delight, And not something that the rogues would utter. Language defines who we really are, A polished person or a lout at the bar.
The world’s knowledge increases as the world ages, That means when mankind evolved we had least wordly knowledge. So, let’s get back, in history book, to the first few pages, And get to the nursery from now being in college. So when to God the first time man prayed, Little or no knowledge such a man displayed.
No languages would have evolved at that time, Nor would people have known rituals and hymns. No practices could have been called sublime, People won’t have yet learnt to use fancies and whims. And yet His children would have been to Him as dear, As those now who to strict religious practices adhere.
Can we then easily and safely conclude, That knowledge and rituals are not compulsory to get God; With today’s standards those people praying must have looked crude, Something that we would now hold as flawed. I think there would have been only one demand of God above, That you turn towards Him with heart full of love.
I think after eons it is still the same, God doesn’t require for us to pray in complex ways, All that we need to know is to call Him by His name, And He’d respond to our loving devotion always. God is not a reward for passing some skill test, Those who love Him are to Him the nearest.
I don’t suppose any since nil are required for a child to get to his/her mother.
What the world is thinking of us, Often makes us miss the bus; Our futile concern, Often gives us heartburn, If only we knew there is no fuss.
Very few people actually care, Even a thought for us to spare; No one gives a damn, It is merely a sham, The world was, is and will be unfair.
Image courtesy: https://thegill.co.uk/opinion/60
The reason is because of the nature of the Man, It has been like this since Mankind began; Even for his survival, He had to plan against the rival, And thus increase his lifespan.
Even when we are dead and gone, Life and world will still go on; The sooner we realise, And make ourselves wise, The faster from these notions we can be withdrawn.
The main function of our Mind is to record, And when asked for or otherwise to recall; Most often it does it of its own accord, And it does for all things rare or banal. The fact is that although it is much maligned, It supports the progression of the mankind.
Its functioning ensures our very survival, With its ability to reproduce data that’s stored; All other artificial means to it are no rival, Its suggestions shouldn’t normally be ignored. It never sleeps even when we sleep, It generally looks after its own upkeep.
Then, what are the things that make it go wrong? One is that it has to be kept from wandering, The other is that our heart makes it less strong, And many times don’t listen to mind’s pondering. Wandering Mind is really out of control, It can go at great speed but miss the goal.
Being ruled by heart is not such a bad thing, Our Mind doesn’t mind when it is ignored; But we have to somehow keep it from wandering, Its wantonly roaming we can really ill afford. The moment we learn to control our Mind, Life’s true pleasures we can easily find.
It is to record and recall and be under our control.
Yes and No are the smallest replies, But pack the world between them; Their correct use makes one wise, Incorrectly they can cause mayhem. Both can spell hope and positivity, Both can spell gloom and negativity.
Say Yes to Love, Mercy, and Life, And you usher in rays of sunshine; Say No to Lies, Violence and Strife; And you extend someone lifeline. The trick is in the manner of their use, Both can be praise, both can be abuse.
Sometimes, we are not too sure, A better response perhaps is ‘Maybe’; For ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ it may be premature, ‘Maybe’ is for some time to ‘let it be’. ‘Maybe’ secretly asks for His intervention, Before you can decide own intention.
Life gives you many an occasion, When you can’t decide ‘No’ or ‘Yes’; It is not an exercise in evasion, When you ask God decision to bless. Given time, He’d show a clear way, And then you can have your final say.
What if you were born very rich, Would all your wishes have come true? Would your lifestyle you’d switch, To one more suited to the wealthy you? God made each one of us rich at birth, Many of us don’t realise our true worth.
God gave us richness we were to find within, But, we kept looking for it outside and beyond; Many of us even thought one day we’d win, If only He’d be kind to wield a magic wand. God made each one of us rich at birth, Many of us don’t realise our true worth.
We fritter away our diamond life, said poet Kabir, And exchange it for a kaudi, worthless and cheap; From being amir we are then cursed to die a fakir, Because we let richness at birth decay and sleep. God made each one of us rich at birth, Many of us don’t realise our true worth.
From 4th Jan 19 I started doing something different. In addition to my own inspirational poems everyday, I started giving you, on every Friday, a song or poem that has inspired me. Today is the third one and it is a hymn in English called ‘Morning Has Broken’.
‘Morning Has Broken’, a popular Christian hymn, was first published in 1931. Its lyrics are by the English author Eleanor Farjeon. Its original Scottish Gaelic tune Bubessan was the same as that of the 19th century Christmas Carol ‘Child In The Manger’.
I listened to it for the first time when Cat Stevens sang it in 1971 and it took my fancy.
Lets first go through my own poem about God’s Creation:
Imagine the first life on earth, The first cry of a child, of mirth, The first star, No matter how far, And the first time an idea took birth.
One is filled with wonder and awe,
At what the first man ever saw;
“Thank you, God”,
” I can’t help applaud”,
” Your world is without a single flaw.”
After eons it is still as inviting,
Every moment is still new and exciting;
Every new day,
Has something to say,
And not just colours, hues and lighting.
The winds lovingly caress your face,
Soon of the darkness there is no trace,
Like the first man,
Every one of us can,
Get a glimpse of God’s loving grace.
…. like the first morning.”
And now please read and listen to Cat Stevens sing: ‘Morning Has Broken’:
Morning has broken like the first morning Blackbird has spoken like the first bird Praise for the singing Praise for the morning Praise for them springing fresh from the world
Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from heaven Like the first dew Fall on the first grass Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight Mine is the morning Born of the one light Eden saw play Praise with elation, praise ev’ry morning God’s recreation of the new day
Morning has broken like the first morning Blackbird has spoken like the first bird Praise for the singing Praise for the morning Praise for them springing fresh from the world
Only God knows all the truth and all the facts, We don’t know whys and hows of all our acts; We’re all ignorant in various degrees, We simply don’t have the expertise, To gauge our partial truths and their impacts.
That makes every person untrue at some stage, That includes many a saint and many a sage; So can anyone honestly claim, Without doubt and shame, That he or she never told a lie at any age?
Is this one of the sins that Christ asked God to forgive, For men not knowing what they do as long as they live? Did he talk about all the mankind, Or had only his persecutors in mind? I wish someone’d give me evidence that is corroborative.
Meanwhile I can stick to only that truth I know, Until a better one you can tell me or show. We can only be partially honest, Yes, all those who are modest, There is no way of the untruths we can let go.
They tell us Heaven is above the seven skies, With our good deeds on earth we can get there; And that only after a man or woman dies, Can he or she the pleasures of the heaven share. But what if Earth is the Promised Paradise, Of our good deeds in our previous lives?
The entire universe in any case is a myth, So what’s wrong with this very bright theory? What about the this one that we are stuck with, Isn’t it somewhat strange, implausible and eerie? Let’s just think of Earth as the Promised Paradise, Of our good deeds in our previous lives?
Alright, let’s pretend Heaven is actually on Earth,
And of our previous good deeds a reward;
We got here from the time of our birth,
This is the best place ever we can afford.
It is indeed our Promised Paradise,
Of our good deeds in our previous lives.
If that’s the case we unnecessarily worry, About the results of our deeds on earth here; That also explains why we aren’t in a hurry, To let the gift of life on earth to disappear. We are here on the Promised Paradise, Of our good deeds in our previous lives.
Imagine if God made all of us alike, And gave each of us similar thoughts; Do you know what the world’d feel like, With people moving around as robots?
Then why do we envy another’s situation, Knowing his pluses and minuses are unique; His having more is no cause for frustration, His having less is also totally his streak.
Similar is the case with our own fate, We too have unique positives and negatives; Let’s be satisfied with what’s on our own plate, Rather than envy those of friends and relatives.
We may not be responsible for our situation, We are always responsible for our reaction to it; Our destiny may not be our own creation, But how we respond, I believe, hasn’t been writ.
Don’t compare but make your response better, And see what is that unique plus God gave you; Rather than copying you can be a trendsetter, Standing at the very head of your own queue.
….when He gave us less of something, He also gave us more of something else.
It appears to be running down faster in old age, The grains of sand in our life’s hourglass; At one stage when we were in our teenage, It didn’t look like it’d come to this impasse. Wasted hours were as important then as now, But we thought these won’t matter somehow.
How nice it’d be if we could go through life, With the wisdom of today and energy of the past; We could have avoided all the unwanted strife, And could have loads of satisfaction in contrast. Wasted hours were as important then as now, But we thought these won’t matter somehow.
Wisdom doesn’t have to visit us when we are old, We can call it our friend even when we are young; But most of us don’t like ourselves to be controlled, And remain in our youth reckless and highly strung. Wasted hours were as important then as now, But we thought these won’t matter somehow.
Wisdom lies in not relearning those things, That have been passed on by those before; The wasp of wasted time actually stings, When there is not much time left in store. Wasted hours were as important then as now, But we thought these won’t matter somehow.
