Madhushala Verse #7: Unattainability

chalne hi chalne mein kitna jeevan, hai, bita daala
'door abhi hai', par, kehta hai har path batlaanewaala
himmat hai na badhoon aage ko saahas hai na firoon peechhe,
kinkartavyavomoodh mujhe kar door khadi hai madhushaala


The madhushala is unattainable as long as one desires the madhushala.

The commentary should stop right here, but I will carry on, nevertheless, for it is a beautiful verse that goes into the heart of desire itself. As long as we desire something, two things are inevitable. We will be impatient, while seeking it, and secondly, there will always be those who will purport to teach you the way to attaining it while telling you how difficult it is.

It is a salesman's adage: there is profit in difficulty and mystery. Every guru, every master, every path batlaane waala, will always tell you how difficult it is to attain happiness and how only he knows the way to get there. Invariably, it is an expensive way as well! However, the demand for these spiritual wares is inelastic, in spite of the fact that man spends an entire lifetime in disillusionment and disappointment.

Every so often, we feel like giving up: the heart knows the inevitability of failure. The desire for happiness is the brick wall that separates us from happiness, and despite this simple lesson, we do not have the courage to go back, for then we are left with ourselves; and the self is a dangerous, fearsome, horrible thing that scares us witless.

Ghalib said it best:

hai kahaan tamanna ka doosra qadam ya rab!
hamne dasht-e imkaan ko ek naqsh-e pa paaya


Where is desire's next step, My Lord!
I found the desert of possibilities as but one footstep wide.

The entire range of human desire, said Ghalib, is just one footstep wide, for the moment you take it, you are lost. This includes the desire for spirituality as well. Any desire is unattainable: the kingdom of Heaven is only for those who don't give jack-shit for it.

Atheism, which is not the same as non-belief in God, is the only true religion, for God only appears to those who have the pure flame of religiousness in them that does not follow a book. A religious life demands the shunning of religion. A moral life demands the shunning of social morals. The two are incompatible. Truth is a pathless land, but one thing is sure: is does not lie alongside the road to the temple.

Madhushala Verse #6: It's not about all roads leading to Rome

madhiraalay jaane ko ghar se chalta hai peenewaala
'kis path se jaaoon?' asmanjas mein hai vah bholabhaala
alag alag path batlaate sabpar main yeh batlaata hoon
'raah pakad tu ek chala chal pa jaayega madhushaala


This is the most quoted, most recognized verse of the Madhushala. Most of those who are not fully familiar with the Madhushala even think that it is the opening verse. In a most beautiful selection of verses for an album which was sung by the great singer Manna De, this is indeed the first verse, sung-recited by the poet Bachchan himself.

The quest for happiness is eternal, and every man and woman seeks it, all his or her life. We all want to be protected, safe, and free from the vicissitudes of life. That state of total protection from the vagaries of life - that is the madiraalay that we all seek.

But there is a contradiction that very quest. We want to be happy, and protected from unhappiness, but life is messy, unfair and unpredictable. It is surprising that most people's vision of happiness is actually a vision of withdrawal! We want to live life but we do not want to be subject to its uncertainties. So yes, this man, who is asmanjas, confused, sets out to seek happiness, and therein lies the problem. Happiness, as Bachchan will demonstrate in ample measure is always within, and forever in the now.

So what is the meaning of 'raah pakad tu ek chala chal, pa jaayega madhushala'? Doesn't it mean, as it is commonly understood, that all roads lead to happiness / fulfillment-Rome? Doesn't it mean that every religion leads to the same Godhead?


That is the conventional understanding of this verse, but I don't think that is what Bachchan meant. Bachchan was too knowledgeable a person to be so common in the usage of his words. Later in the poem, Bachchan explicitly rejects every form of organized religion; he rejects ALL paths to salvation. Each and every one of them.

The great philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti, in his speech, said something that could be treated as the explanation of this all-important verse, and I quote:

"I maintain that Truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect. That is my point of view, and I adhere to that absolutely and unconditionally. Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organised; nor should any organisation be formed to lead or coerce people along any particular path. If you first understand that, then you will see how impossible it is to organise a belief. A belief is purely an individual matter, and you cannot and must not organise it. If you do, it becomes dead, crystallised; it becomes a creed, a sect, a religion, to be imposed on others".


It is the organization of belief that leads to alag alag path batlaate sab. Every organization that purports to show the way to salvation is a sham. The only purpose of any organization, no matter how noble the motive to form it, degenerates into a mechanism for its own perpetuation.


Bachchan was bold, iconoclastic, and uncompromising when he wrote that verse. He said three things:


1. All of us set out to seek our spiritual taverns where we can find eternal happiness.
2. Invariably, we will be confused about how to go about finding that elusive happiness.
3. As long as we desire salvation, there will be gurus and masters who will peddle their own "path", none of which have hope in hell of getting you there.


Given these difficulties, Bachchan points out that the only "path" to that beautiful tavern is the desire to find out. The desire for the eternal truth is the path: the motive is the object. That is how the verse must be understood, and the proof of this interpretation is in Verse 9, which we shall come to in due course.

Interlude: Nai Naveli Madhushala

pal mein sab saundarya sama hai, pal mein rehti hai haala

"maang rahe kyon jeevan sara", kehti hai ye surbaala

jeevan-tal par gauhar jaise bikhre kitne hi kshan hai

apne jeevan se tumko ye kshan deti hai madhushaala

No, this is not a verse from Bachchan's Madhushala, but a verse from a poetry website run by a Peeyush Yadav from Bangalore, India. I fell in love with the last line: the softness of it reminiscent of Bachchan saab's style. Clearly, he has a great understanding of the Madhushala. I don't know this gentleman; just got connected with him via Twitter.

Do visit his website at www.nainavelimadhushala.com

Madhushala Verse #5: I am the universe

madhur bhaavnaaon ki sumadhur nitya banaata hoon haala
bharta hoon is madhu se apne antar ka pyaasa pyaala
uttha kalpana ke haaton se swayam use pee jaata hoon
apne hee mein hoon main saaqi, peenewaala, madhushaala


This is the last of the five introductory verses of the Madhushala. And just as Al Mustapha, the Prophet of Khalil Gibran's eponymous poem, tells the people of Orphalese as he departs from them, Bachchan says that he is also the reader, the listener.

The last line, apne hee mein hoon main saaqi, peenewaala, madhushaala....is not self-glorification. He tells us that we are the readers, the tellers, the listeners as well. Remember that the Madhushala is your story, and mine. And Bachchan's. As Bachchan writes, he reads too. As you read, so do you teach. As you get enlightened, so does the universe. For You are the Universe. I am the universe. He, she and she and he are the universe as well.

Before we embark on the "poem proper", so to speak, let us understand the spirit with which this poem is to be read. We read it as if it were a visit to a kind but truthful doctor. We are in pain, we are hurting. We are in sorrow. In confusion. The doctor is going to tell us what is wrong with us. His diagnosis is going to be accurate, and some of it is going to be bad news. But this compassionate, beautiful-hearted doctor is not going to pull any punches. He is going to tell us what is wrong with us, and he is going to politely suggest the only remedy. However, he is keenly aware that we may not be in a state of mind to listen to him. He will accept that, sit by us, hold our hand, and maybe cry with us a little. He is going to say, "I understand. I know how hard it is. I've been there".

I understand. I know how hard it is. I've been there. That is the true meaning of apne hee mein hoon main saaqi, peenewaala, madhushaala.

Madhushala Verse #4: Inexhaustible

bhavukta angoor lata se kheench kalpana ki haala
kavi saaqi bankar aaya hai bharkar kavita ka pyaala
kabhi na kanh-bhar khaali hoga laakh piyen do laakh piyen!
paathakgan hai peenewaala, pustak meri madhushaala


Bachchan reiterates that he is the mirror and just the mirror. We, the drinkers, are the teachers who fill his wine glass; the pitcher is his book. The beautiful part of this is that no matter how many millions drink this wine, it will be inexhaustible.

The first line is beautiful. The angoor-lata is the vine, the creeper in the grape plantation, poetically harking to the vision of a straw through which Bachchan extracts the universe's wisdom, using his imagination as his source of energy.

Elegantly constructed verse!

Madhushala Verse #3: I am you, and you, me

priyatam, tu meri haala hai, main tera pyaasa pyaala

apne ko mujhme bharkar tu banta hai peenewaala

main tujhko chhak chhalka karta, mast mujhe pee tu hota

ek doosre ki ham dono aaj paraspar madhushaala

Bachchan, while setting the stage, repeatedly points to the interconnectedness amongst us. Constantly, he reminds us that our stories (at the deepest level) are not different in the least. The manifestation of our individual lives may wary, but at the psychological level, we are one and the same.

This verse is not just praise for the reader. Bachchan says that there is great joy in recognizing the truth that we are one; we will then experience joy in each other. Not for nothing does he repeatedly use the word priyatam; we are dear to each other, we are each other's beloved. We can experience this only if we understand that we are the same.

"You fill me with yourself, and then you drink", he says. Bachchan is not going to proselytize; he is not going to reveal any great secret. He is going to be a mirror, and his relationship with you and me is that mirror. It is a very beautiful verse; extremely well constructed, and the words carefully chosen. main tujhe chhak chhalka karta...Bachchan says; he would leave us sated, satisfied, because in doing so, he fulfills himself.

When we recognize our oneness, we can be ecstatic in each other; for then we know that we can't hurt each other without hurting ourselves in the process. Note that this oneness is not a theory or a hypothesis; it is a fact. Therefore, it is not enough to believe in our connection: we have to recognize it. When we do, we can live cooperatively, creatively. Grief begins when we think we are separate from each other.

John Donne, the famous poet, said it best:

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manner of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

The understanding of this oneness is central to the understanding of the Madhushala. It is not sentimental romanticism; it is a great truth; perhaps the only enduring truth. Later in the poem, Bachchan demonstrates how organized religion is completely irreligious, and how the only worthwhile freedom comes from the renunciation of all sects, creeds, ideologies and philosophical positions. In two lines, the Urdu poet Ghalib expressed it thus:

ham muvaahid hain, hamaara kesh hai tark-e rusoom

millaten jab mit gayeen, ajzaa-e imaan ho gayeen

We know the oneness of us all, our practice is the renunciation of customs

When religions, tribes, groups and sects were erased, they became parts of true faith and integrity

[muvaahid = those declaring the Unity of All; kesh = practice; tark = sacrifice, giving up; rusoom = customs,plural of "rasm"; millaten = organized groups; ajzaa = part, component; imaan = true faith]

In this day and age of divisions, polarized views and intractable positions, Bachchan reminds us of the simple solution to all these difficulties. Recognize our oneness, he says, and you'll neither hurt others nor be hurt yourself. It is a very difficult lesson to truly learn.

But then in Bachchan's tavern, the wine is true and fiery. It is not easy to drink, but it is the only wine worth drinking.

I love the last line. It is a line of hope, of the most positive attitude we can ever have. ek doosre ki ham dono aaj paraspar madhushala. [paraspar = interdependent; mutual]. I am you. You are me. As I write, so do you, and as I write, so am I the reader.

Madhushala Verse #2: If you'll listen...

pyaas tujhe to, vishw tapaakar poorn nikaaloonga haala,

ek paaon se saaqi bankar nachoonga lekar pyaala

jeevan ki madhuta to tere oopar kab ka vaar chuka

aaj nichhaavar kar doonga main tujh par jag ki madhushaala

pyaas tujhe to.....if you wish to listen, says Bachchan. If you wish to listen, the poet wouldn't merely talk. He'd extract the entire wisdom of the ages and serve it like a bargirl. He will dance for you; he has already dedicated the beauty of life to you; now he will lay the universe at your feet.

Madhushala Verse #1: It is just us

mridu bhaavon ke angooron ki aaj bana laaya haala

priyatam, apne hi haaton se aaj pilaaoonga pyaala

pehle bhog laga loon tera, fir prasaad jag paayega

sabse pehle tera swaagat karti meri madhushaala

Bachchan starts on a personal note, and it is beautiful for a very important reason. He is going to speak of important philosophical truths; he is going to tell the story of humankind, so why talk of a one on one relationship with ONE reader? pehle bhog laga loon tera, fir prasaad jag paayega, he says, elevating the reader to the level of a deity, making him more important than everyone else.

But why not? The story of mankind is simply your story and mine. You are the universe. Mankind is made up of you, me, him and her. We have the same problems, the same sorrows, the same griefs. We have the same goodnesses, and the same evils.

Bachchan therefore starts with a dedication to you and to me. He is your biographer, and mine. He promises to use the softest, gentlest grapes to distill the most delicious wine of wisdom, and he promises to give us that wine. All we have to do is to drink it. And drink it we will. All 135 glasses of this most intoxicating beverage.

Introduction

Nearly three years ago, I started a blog on Harivansh Rai Bachchan's famous Hindi poem, Madhushala. I abandoned it midway because the urgent overtook the important, and because I thought that not too many people were interested. However, over a period of time, at least seven people wrote to me asking me to either re-start or continue the postings. Encouraged by this, I decided to start afresh, and resolved to cover all the one hundred and thirty-five verses (plus the four Bachchan wrote as a postscript) of this beautiful poem.

Poetry is written by the poet, but it comes to life only when the reader enjoys it. In that enjoyment, the reader's personality plays a considerable part in defining and shaping the poem itself; in that sense, the reader and the poet share ownership of the poem. Therefore, much of what I will write about each of Bachchan's verses will be my own thoughts.

However, this does not mean that the reader should not attempt to discover what the poet intended to say. In fact, his enjoyment of the poem will not be comprehensive unless he tries to look into the poet's heart and mind. The reader, in other words, has to listen to the poet, ponder on the words, and then let the poem sink in. As it sinks, though, the reader's personality will shape the poem, and it will become his own as much as it is the poet's.

Bachchan's Madhushala offers ample scope for this experience. It is a poem about life, and uses the common metaphor of the tavern to represent it. Drinking wine (or, in general terms, alcohol) is the metaphor used to describe "engagement with life". The cupbearer is both the server and the temptress - she is the medium through which the mundane is "sold" to us all in daily life. The tavern cares not for any specific individual: it does not care how much you drink or how little; whether you get your "fair share" or are denied it. It is not, as is said in James:2 of God, a "respecter of persons". It lives on, gives all, keeps moving, and loves its customers.

Bachchan's poem could be described as a religious one - but is subscribes to a non-denominational religion. It is Buddhist in thought, particularly when it describes the sheer beauty of living in the moment. However, I'd not characterize it as a Buddhist poem; that would take away from the sheer originality of Bachchan's mind; his compassionate understanding of human foibles. It is a poem about you and me. Is is about God, or the Ultimate Truth, or about the condition of mankind. It is your story, and it is my story.

Precisely because it is a lofty poem, with deep philosophical import, it carries with it the threat that the reader would over-analyze it. We must remember that it is also very simple poem, and therein lies Bachchan's genius. When the truth of life is clearly seen, it does become very simple. Bachchan saw the truth, and described it simply. Our challenge is to understand the poem through its simplicity, and that is not a simple thing to do. We have to understand this poem through the heart, not through the head.

Which makes writing about it very difficult, because we can only communicate through words. Words are inadequate to describe deep understanding: we stand the risk of mistaking the map for the territory. Yet, we will try. As I write, and you, hopefully, read, and exchange notes, maybe we will reach an understanding of a bit of Truth now and then - have an "aha" moment. Only some of those moments we will be able to articulate. Others, we will simply experience together and not talk about. But we will know that we both understood when we see a gentle rustle of the leaves, and we will say,

"ye patton ki thi sarsaraahat, ya tumne chupke se kucch kaha?"

Later.

Mohan / GRS