I got one of my favorite bhajans from internet (from esnips.com). Its a bhajan of Kabirdasji in the voice of Bhupinder Singh. I remember I used to listen to this bhajan in my childhood. While my mother used to get me ready for school, Vivid-Bharati (FM of that time) used to play some popular and heart-soothing bhajans. It seem to me now as if there was a pre-defined playlist of Vivid-Bharati that same bhajan were played almost daily.
Later, I read that bhajan of Kabirdasji in my Hindi text book in my higher classes. But by that time we guys have developed interests other than listening to bhajans. Though I remember that when I first read that kabira-bhajan from my text book I remembered that I used to listen to it when I was a kid.
By the time I entered my Engineering College, I have already become a fan of Bhupinder Singh, loved his numbers "Dil dhoondhata hai" and "Zindagi mere ghar aana". That time I was inroduced to the vast possibilities of the inter-connected world. I found out that we can download songs from internet. I searched for the bhajan "moko kaha dhoondhe re bande" in google. I got not only the text bhajan in both Hindi and English, but also I got the bhajan in audio and video format. By that time, Gulshan Kumar was dead but his company T-series and its alikes had mastered the art of selling devotion. Though I must admit that one of the finest collection of bhajans you can find on T-series.
So, when I searched for this bhajan, I got many audio versions in different voices and more importantly in various 'dhuns' (tones). But none could make an impact on me and I could not get the nostalgiac feeling while listening to any of them. I gave up, I didnt even know then that the voice I was looking for was of no one else but Bhupender Singh.
Years passed and I forgot about this bhajan. But by that time I could understand the inherent meaning of the bhajan. This is a unique bhajan; or I should say now it is the song sung by God Himself. He says to man 'Why o men, u search me everywhere, while I am within you'. In this bhajan, Kabirdasji have criticized the traditional ways and rituals people do in the name of God. Kabirdasji is well known for being one of those few who rose their voices against all the religious show-offs done by Hindus and Muslims. Most of his bhajans are really inspiring.
Well, coming back to this bhajan, I really became a regular net surfer. By the time I entered my MBA course, I had an almost clear understanding of my taste (in music atleast :)). We were lucky to get 24 hour internet connectivity in our hostel rooms. I downloaded most of the bhajans that I used to listen in my childhood. I was happy to see people of similar interest in this inter connected world.
Now I am a working professional, I am much more longed than ever for these bhajans and old songs I used to listen long back. When we were kids we used to do some leg pullings of our elders while sarcastically mocking those old songs. Now life has showed us that though we are moving with time but our ineterests have become like stationary stones in sea. They cant change now, We can have additions to them but what interests we have developed so far can not be changed easily now.
Last week, when I was searching on internet this bhajan, I came to know of the attacks on Mangalore pubs. Girls were beaten shamelessly and were reportedly molested. The saviors of Indian culture call themselves 'Ram Saininks', though if they know, in our mythology Ramayan, characters who called themselves 'Ram sainiks' fought to safegaurd the freedom of women.
The incidence like this have happened before also, but its the first time that men have entered in some place (which is meant to be a place of entertainment) to beat girls publicly and that too in front of a camera. Now arguments and debates have started regarding this behavior of the so called 'Dharm rakshak' people. I dont know which culture they want to safagaurd. If that culture includes beating up teenage girls publicly I wont support them.
Some people call this new Ram Sena as Indian version of Taliban. But the truth, what I feel is that, these people niether belong to any religion nor any religion can save them from being blamed. These people, (I am talking now about only Ram sainiks) are in my opinion mis guided, despodents who cant go with time like us. Since they cant go with time and cant adapt with changes, they become hopeless despodents and such people are easy targets of any religious fanatic party or selfish political party to manipulate.
I saw the pics and the videos of that incidence. The Ram Sainiks were all young men. If they all had that 'status' or monetary power, could they avoid going to places like pub? Its all matter of economic disparity. The cosmopolitan culture prevelant in cities like Mangalore has widened this disparity. It has got nothing to do with so called 'Hindu' or 'Indian' culture. If these people were against those pubs which sell liquor and according to them liquor is the root cause of all evil against women in such places, why dont they initiate such a move in villages where you can get liquor more easily and more cheap. Why is that when you see teenage girl with liquor in a pub your conciousness for 'Indian' culture awakes and why not when you see a drunkard beating up his wife near any 'daaru ka theka'? As someone has rightly quoted, if these so called 'Ram Sainiks' are so vigilant about Indian culture why dont they form a group and catch thiefs, eve teasers and anti social elements? they are also against Indian culture. Why waste the valuable time of the saviors of Indian culture in pubs and restaurants when the majority of activities that could 'hamper' our 'culture' or our 'religion' are happening inside many homes in the non-cosmopolitant "actual" India.
Its an irony that whatever happens with the so called high or middle class people and in these cosmo politant cities catches the eye of the media (and in turn our attention) and many activities like initiatives of spreading education, awareness among the economically lower class society gets less attention. Its because we all like 'masala' so media serves masala.
The India in which I live is not defined by people like Ram Sainiks and neither by the teenage girls who go to pubs. The India in which I live is defined by a poor village boy who, with the help of education and his own beliefs becomes a famous scientist and then the president of the country.
And if this has got anything to do with religion or God, and these people accuse the teenage girls of not following the traditional ways of Hindu culture, the only answer I have got is the famous bhajan of Kabirdasji which I finally got while I was surfing for this news..... :)
मोको कहाँ ढूंढें रे बन्दे में तो तेरे पास में
न तीरथ में, न मूरत में न एकांत निवास में
न मन्दिर में, न मस्जिद में न काबे कैलास में
मैं तो तेरे पास में
न मैं जप में, न मैं तप में न में ब्रत उपास में
न में किरिया कर्म में रहता नहीं जोग सन्यास में
नहीं प्राण में नहीं पिंड में
न ब्रह्माण्ड अकास में
न में प्रकुति प्रवर गुफा में नहीं स्वासों की स्वांस में
खोजी होए तुरत मिल जाऊं इक पल की तलास में
कहत कबीर सुनो भाई साधो में तो हूँ विस्वास में
And the bhajan is here:
In the end here is a poem by one of my close friends, Achin
