Thus Sang Baba Bulle Shah

Baba Bulle Shah was a famous 17^th century Sufi Sant and poet of Punjab, equally loved by the Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslim. He was fondly called Sheikh of Both the Worlds (Sheikh-e-har-do-alam) and Servant of the Almighty (Mard-e-hakkani).

Here is one of his songs that I love:

माटी कुदम करेंदी यार

माटी कुदम करेंदी यार

माटी जोड़ा माटी घोड़ा, माटी दा असवार,

माटी माटी नूं दौड़ाए, माटी दा खड़कार,

माटी कुदम करेंदी यार ।

माटी माटी नूं मारन लग्गी, माटी दे हथ्यार,

जिस माटी पर बहुती माटी, तिस माटी हंकार,

माटी कुदम करेंदी यार ।

माटी बाग़ बगीचा माटी, माटी दी गुलज़ार,

माटी माटी नूं वेखन आई, माटी दी ए बहार ।

माटी कुदम करेंदी यार ।

हस्स खेड मुड़ माटी होई, माटी पायों पसार,

बुल्हा इह बुझारत बुझ्झें, लाह सिरों भोएं मार(भार),

माटी कुदम करेंदी यार ।

(Source: काफ़ियां : बाबा बुल्ले शाह (हिन्दी कविता) (hindi-kavita.com))

 

My Translation

Behold the dance of dust, O Friend,

Behold the dance of dust,

Of dust are the horse, and the rider,

And his fine livery, too,

Dust races the dust,

Hooves of dust rend the air

With omens of dust.

 

Behold the dance of dust, O Friend,

Behold the dance of dust,

Dust deals deadly blows on dust

With weapons of dust,

Dust heaped on dust preens with pride,

Certain of its superiority and supremacy.

Behold the dance of dust, O Friend,

Behold the dance of dust.

 

Out of dust rises a beautiful garden,

Of dust are the lively plants and flowers,

When dust is in bloom,

Visitors made of dust

Exult on the wondrous pageant of dust;

Behold the dance of dust, O Friend,

Behold the dance of dust.

 

After the brief play of fun and frolic,

Dust claims the player,

His feet splayed wide in the grave

For the final rest

Returning to dust.

O Bulla, one who comprehends this simple riddle,

Throws off a great load from his head.

Mati Kudam Karendi Yaar

This song is not as well-known as Bulle’s other hugely popular songs: Dama Dam Mast Kalandar, Bulle ki zana mein kaun, Tera Ishq Nachaya; but it is an exquisite song.

Like similar songs by other Bhakti and Sufi poets, this song is a sermon, an admonition, and a preaching. Life is brief and ephemeral, O Friend, do not gloat over the worldly pageant, the poet-philosopher sings. Surprisingly however, the poet refrains from asking the reader or listener to focus on Allah or Ram or any other god. He expects one to find his own calling, and make his choice.

The tone and tenor of this song is significantly different from other moralistic songs. For example, Adi Shankara’s Bhaja Govindam is a stern warning to the stupid masses and the address is to mudhamate (O Fool!). In Ecclesiastes 3, the Teacher who is also the King of Israel is a Wise man delivering his sermon of ‘Dust to Dust.’

But Baba Bulle Shah, or Bulleya as he was fondly called, is not claiming to be a wise man, nor is he preaching from a high pulpit. His address is to Yaar (O Friend!). He is the man next door, a well-wisher. That is why he refrains from admonishing his audience, or finding fault with him; but merely shares his perception of life.

Before Bulle, Baba Farid, the first Punjabi poet and Sufi Sant, had observed ‘yeh tan hosi khak’; and Kabir sang ‘Mati kahe kumbhar se tu kyun ronde mohe.’ Bulle Shah is an inheritor of these philosopher-poets who contemplated on the transience of life. But he is not despondent or morose. He has found his Love in the Divine One, and exults in love, and celebrates Life.

Bulle Shah’s ambivalence is typical of several other Bhakti and Sufi saint-poets. Ekei Ram Raheem. Neither a trip to Mecca nor multiple dips in Ganga will save you. Only pure love and devotion can.

‘Mati’ is among Bulle Shah’s briefest songs, with just four stanzas, but packed with deep contemplation of the human situation conveyed through simple yet unforgettable imagery.

Stanza 1: A rider in splendid livery gallops away on a mission and the ominous sound of the hooves on the parched earth rends the air. Bloodshed is just round the bend. This rider may kill or get killed. Dust would return to dust.

Mati kudum karendi year: the dervish dance of dust, never settling down, perpetually on the move, forever changing shape, substance, content, and colour. The great maya that is this samsara.

Mati may be translated as clay, soil, earth, or dust; however, dust best conveys the ephemeral nature of life.

Mati joda mati ghoda mati da assavar: Who is the rider, a soldier in his livery, or a bridegroom in silken brocade on his way to fetch his bride? Possibly, a soldier, since the next stanza talks of violence, bloodshed, and murder.

In either case, this brief drama is part of the हस्स खेड after which, inevitably, the मुड़ will be माटी, and Dust will return to Dust.

Stanza 2: Dust is on a murderous prowl decimating dust with weapons of dust. A taller, stronger pack of dust is convinced of its invincibility and preens with pride. But all dust will return to dust. It is just a question of time.

Stanza 3: From dust rises a beautiful garden; Dust creates a luxurious, magical bloom in Spring; visitors made of dust troop in to appreciate the pageant of Dust.

Stanza 4: After his brief tenure of fun and frolic, the one made of dust returns to dust by spreading his legs wide in the grave. One who solves this riddle and comprehends this simple truth throws off the heavy burden on his head.

This song has been sung in different styles (available on You Tube) by Surinder Kaur, Asa Singh Mastana, Pathi Ratan Singh Ji, Chintoo Singh, and others. I like Chintoo’s rendering the most.*

If you love Sufi songs, and Baba Bulle Shah's kafiyan, you must listen to the rapturous rendition by Abida Parveen which transports you to a different realm. I searched for Abida's rendition of 'Mati', but could not locate it.

Transience of Life

Down the ages, philosophers, preachers, and poets have endeavoured to remind man of the transience of all life on earth including his own, and the need to abjure the obsession with the ego. Do not fritter away your precious life on frivolous pursuits; focus on the noble goals of life; they have counselled. Yet, man turns a deaf ear to the words of the wise.

Yaksha Prashna

Mahabharata has an interesting story where a Yaksha asks Yudhisthir more than a hundred questions, each one a riddle - complex and tough. Yudhisthir must produce the right answers to all the questions to revive his dead brothers who had ignored the Yaksha’s warning not to drink from the lake he guarded before answering his questions. (Chapter 296, Aranyaka Parva, Mahabharata)

One of the questions was: what is most strange in the world - kimashcharya?

Yudhisthira replied:

Ahanyahani Bhutani gachhantiha yamalayam

Sheshah sthabaramichhanti kimashcharyamatah param

“Day after day countless creatures are going to the abode of Yama, yet those who remain behind believe themselves to be immortal. What can be more wonderful than this?” (Translation by K.M. Ganguli)

In the last sentence above, I think ‘strange’ or ‘bizarre’ is more apt in place of ‘wonderful’.

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* Link for album 'Great Works of the Bhakti Era (14th to 17th Century' with songs of Meera, Tulsidas, Surdas, Kabir, Bulle Shah, and others:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kRTg0OaKsZdc-SDx7B9BoF_AYK0viaYwg&si=w9K3JmTGYoUNXhy4