7/08/2009

hai koi ram naam bataawe

है कोई राम नाम बतावे
बस्तु अगोचर मोहें लखावै
राम नाम सब कोई बखाने
राम नाम का मर्म न जाने;


ऊपर की मोहें बात न भावे
देखे गावे तो सुख पावे
कहे कबीर कछु कहत न आवे
परिचय बिना मर्म को पावे.
hai koi ram naam bataawae
bastu agochar mohein lakhaawae
ram naam sab koi bakhaanae
ram naam ka maram na jaanae;

upar ki mohein baat na bhaavae
dekhe gavae so sukh paavae
kahae kabir kachhu kahat naa aawae
parachai bina maram ko paawae.

my poetic translation-
Can anyone tell me the Name of my god?
Show me the one who cannot be seen
Everyone calls Him out loud
Yet none know the depth of what It is!

The superficial doesn't interest me
Until i see for myself, I don't believe and only then I sing His name
Says Kabir, mere calling out a Name is not enough
To him who has to know It shall be revealed, even if he doesn't know a single loud syllable.

my interpretation:
This is a voice of challenge. Kabir challenges anyone to tell him, to show him, what is the nature of God, Ram as he calls him (not the Ram of the Ramayana, mind you). He says, 'everyone is calling out the name of ram, and so many are making so much noise about it too. but few knew what it takes to know the lord' In other words he is taking a dig at the ones who are making money out of the name of the Lord. And then he says, that the more you talk about it the more you turn me off, becuase your talk is nothing more than babble; until i see it I won't believe it. Just saying on surface is no sign you know anything really. For that whom the Lord chooses to grace with knowledge of Him (the Lord) it shall be revealed without so much talk, and the rest can make the noise!
In this context there is many a connected bhajan where Kabir laughs or mocks such people who make noise in the name of calling to the Lord (how contextual it is in the modern times with the booming industry of spirituality!!) and I have rendered them in my Kahe Kabir album. They are-
  • naa jaane tera sahib kaisa hai
  • koi peevae re ras ram naam ka, jo peevae so jogi re
  • munn na rangaaye, rangaaye jogi kapda
In some more time I will put all these lyrics up here.

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