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Monday 21 September 2009

Nagendra Haaraye

When I was a child I would listen to my father’s incantation of ‘Nagendra Haaraye’ every morning. It was very soothing to ears and had a calming effect. I never knew what it meant but I knew it was en eulogy to Lord Shiva.
So when my friend forwarded me this video of 'M.S Subbalakshmi' singing Nagaendra Harayae I was reminded of its power.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyLeBNsovQ8
Amma had a voice which connected with the god. Slowly I was taken over by the Sholka and its rendition. I became curious to know its meaning. After an hour of Google research I got some information which I am putting down here.

This is called Shiv panchakchar stotram. This was written by Jagatguru Shri Adi Shankaracharya. Panchachar mean five Letters. These letters are Na , Ma , Shi, Va, Ye which constitute the word Namah Shivaye. Shankaracharya tells that each letter in the word Namah Shivaye is in itself Shiva. So the Strota has 5 sholkas each dedicated to a letter.
नागेन्द्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय भस्मान्गरागाय महेश्वराय
नित्याय शुद्धाय दिग्मंबराय तस्मै 'न' काराय नमः शिवायः

मन्दाकिनी सलिल चंदन चर्चिताय नन्दीश्वर प्रमथनाथ महेश्वराए
मंदार पुष्प बहु पुष्प सूपुजिताय तस्मै 'म' काराय नमः शिवायः

शिवायः गौरी वज्नार्विंदे सूर्राय धक्षाध्वर नाश्काय
श्री नीलकंठाय वृशाव्ध्वजाय तस्मै 'शि' काराय नमः शिवायः

वशिष्टकुंभोद्धवगौतमार्य, मुनीन्द्रदेवाय चित्शेखराय
चंद्राक्वैश्वा नर्लोचनाय , तस्मै 'वा' काराय नमः शिवायः

यक्षस्वरूपाय जटाधराय पिनाक हसताय सनात्नाये
दिव्याय देवाय दिगाम्बराय , तस्मै 'य' काराय नमः शिवायः
--
पंचाक्षरम इदं पुन्यम यहः पठेह शिव सनिधवो
शिवालोकमाप्नोती शिवेंसह्मोदते

इति श्रिशंकराचार्यविरिचितम श्री पंचाक्षर स्तोत्रं संपूर्णम्
I am putting down the rough English translation of this:
One who has a garland of serpents around the neck; who has three eyes; whose body is smeared with ash; who is the highest lord, who is eternal; who is pure, whose dress is sky; is embodied as the letter Na, I prostrate to that Lord Shiva

One whose body is anointed with holy waters from the river Ganges and sandal paste, who is the sovereign king of the Pramatha Ganas and who is adorned with innumerable divine flowers such as Mandaara; is embodied as the letter Ma, I prostrate to that Lord Shiva

One who is the resplendent sun for mother Gauri`s lotus face, who is the destroyer of Daksha`s sacrificial ritual, who is the blue necked Lord (due to the Haalahala poison), whose banner bears the emblem of a bull and who is embodied as the letter Shi, I prostrate to that Lord.
One who is worshipped and prayed to by great sages such as Vashishta, Kumbha, Uddhav and Gautama, whose eyes are sun, moon and the fire and who is embodied as letter ‘Va’, I prostrate to that Lord Shiva

One who is the Yaksha incarnate, whose hairs are long and matted, who holds Pinaaka (trident) in His hand, who has the entire sky as His attire; is embodied as the letter Ya, I prostrate to that Lord Shiva .
Whoever repeats this prayer composed with the five holy letters before Lord Shiva, attains that supreme abode and enjoys the eternal Bliss.

Saturday 19 September 2009

Jo Thake Thake se the hausle

जो गम-ए-हबीब से दूर थे वो खुद अपनी ही आग में जल गये,
जो गम-ए-हबीब को पा गये वो गमों से हॅश के निकल गये।
[ हबीब = Friend, beloved]

जो थके थके से थे हौसले , वो शबाब बन के मचल गये,
वो नज़र नज़र से गले मिली, तो बुझे चराग़ भी जल गये।

ये शिकस्त-ए-दीद की करवटें भी बड़ी लतीफ-ओ-जमील थी,
मैं नज़र झुका के तड़प गया , वो नज़र बचा के निकल गये
[लतीफ-ओ-जमील = amusing and beautiful]

ना खिzआं में है कोई तीरगी ना बाहर में है कोई रौशनी,
ये नज़र नज़र के चराग़ है, कहीं बुझ गये कहीं जल गये
[खिzआं = autumn, तीरगी= darkness,sadness]
जो संभल संभल के बहक गये वो फरेब खुर्द-ए-राह थे,
वो मकाम इश्क़ को पा गये जो बहक बहक के संभल गए
[खुर्द-ए-राह= lesser path]
जो खिले हुए हैं रविश रविश वो हॅज़ार हुश्न-ए-चमन सही,
मगर उन गुलों का जवाब क्या जो कदम कदम पे कुचल गये
[रविश= The narrow pathways of the garden ]

ना है शायर अब गम-ए-नौ-बा-नौ ना वो दाग-ए-दिल ना वो आरज़ू,
जिन्हे एतमाद-ए-बहार था वो ही फूल रंग बदल गये
[नौ-ब-नौ = New, Fresh, Raw एतमाद = Faith]
शायर 'लखनवी'

Maqta is that part of Ghazal where Shayar uses his thakhallus ( Sobriquet) . It is generally the last sher of the Ghazal. If I would write one for this Ghazal I would write like this:

जो गाम-ए-हयात पे संभल चले वो अंजाम-ए-मंज़िल को हुए 'प्रशांत',
मगर उन आबला-पा का क्या करें जो आगाज़-ए-राह पे फ़िसल गये
[गाम-ए-हयात = steps of life, अंजाम-ए-मंज़िल = end of destination, आबला-पा = wounded foot आगाज़-ए-राह = beginning of journey]

Friday 11 September 2009

Laa_ii hayat aaye, kazaa le Chalii Chale

लाई हयात आए, क़ज़ा ले चली चले,
ना अपनी खुशी आए ना अपनी खुशी चले
[हयात = Life, क़ज़ा = Death]

बेहतर तो है यही की ना दुनिया से दिल लगे ,
पर क्या करे जो काम ना बेदिल्लगी चले

हो उम्र-ए-खिजर भी तो कहेंगे बा-वक़्त-ए-मर्ग,
हम क्या रहें यहाँ अभी आए अभी चलें
[उम्र-ए-खिजर = old age, बा-वक़्त-ए-मर्ग = at time of death]

दुनिया ने किस का दिया है राह-ए-फ़ना में साथ ,
तुम भी चले चलो जब तक चली चले
[राह-ए-फ़ना = path of annihilation]

नाज़ान ना हो खिरद पे जो होना है वो ही हो,
दानिश तेरी ना कुछ मेरी दानीश्वारी चले
[नाज़ान = Proud; खिरद = intellect; दानिश = Intellect, दानीश्वारी = Intelligence]

कम होंगे इस बिसात पे हम जैसे बद खिमार ,
जो चाल हम चले वो निहायत ही बुरी चले

जा की हवा-ए-शौक़ में है इस चमन से 'ज़ौक़' ,
अपनी बला से बाद-ए-सबा कहीं चले
[baad = wind]
'Zauq'
I have tried to translate the essence of his ghazal.

Life got me here and Death takes me away,
Neither I came happy nor am leaving by will.

Prudence demands not to get involved in worldly pleasures
but what to do if the heart is indulgent

Even in old age at the deathbed I will say
I spent lil time here , just arrived and ready to leave

No one will come with you on the path of annihilation
so keep walking as long as you can

Do not be proud of your intellect
as it will not serve you any good

Few would be as bad a player of this game as I,
Whatever move I made turned to be a bad move

The wind of passion keeps 'Zauq' in this garden,
but does the wind blow without any reason?