Bulleh Shah and Nukta - In a dot the whole mystery is solved
Nukta is difficult to decipher -My personal interpretation has to do with the nukta of Being - like the letter Alif that is Single and a Whole. So we, the created are not different from the Creator. We the lovers and not separate from the Beloved. It is this unity of being and existence that is one and can be reduced to one little nukta - a dot - that has all the answers and comforts we spend our lifetimes attaining.
The Point or Dot is the starting point of anything or everthing.The Dot explodes with Big Bang. And becomes universe. the explosion’s effects are dynamics. The Universe continues to expand. In this universe there are microcosms the earth. man his spirit, etc… All emanates from one point.
“aik nokthe vich gul mukdeeâ€â€™ -Here is a translation by Suman
At this one point, all talk ends.
Hold tight to this point, forget your calculations,
Leave the miserable state of unbelief,
Do not torment yourself with the fear of death and hell,
For these are imaginary fears.
Only into such a house will truth the enter.
At this one point, all talk ends.
For no reason you abrade your forehead on the ground,
You display your reverence at the mehraab,
You recite the kalma to impress a listener,
But knowledge does not enter your heart.
Can the truth stay hidden?
At this one point, all talk ends.
Many return from Mecca as hajjis,
With blue shawls across their shoulders.
They profit from Hajj ,
Who can admire such behavior?
Can the truth stay hidden?
At this one point, all talk ends.
Some withdraw to the forest,
Eat a single grain a day.
They exhaust their bodies foolishly,
And return home in bad shape,
Their life sucked dry with useless fasting and prayer.
At this one point, all talk ends.
Hold fast to your murshid,
Become a devotee of all creation,
Intoxicated, carefree,
Without desire, indifferent to the world,
Let your heart be fully clean.
Says Bulha, can the truth then be stopped?
At this one point, all talk ends.
It has many layers of meaning and can be read in more than one way. On one point the matter ends. (Muzaffar Ghaffar); In a dot the whole mystery is solved (Saeed Ahmad); It’s all in one contained ( K S Duggal);Wisdom is contained in a single point!( J R Puri)
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Pingback by silentdevotion.net » Bulleh Shah and Nukta - In a dot the whole mystery is solved — March 3, 2008 @ 2:31 pm
Bravo Zulu. Keep it up.
Comment by shahidain — March 3, 2008 @ 3:47 pm
RR, Muzaffar Ghaffar has perhaps alluded to his Unity, this one-ness in one of his poems inspired & titled Bulleh Shah, an excerpt for your kind consideration.
For me, it is a fun poem because in addition to singularity, there is a bit of playing with the concept of a tangent of duality if you may !!
Bulleh Shah
From “Another Voice”
Muzaffar A. Ghaffar
Ferozsons
All that is two-faced must die;
like the universe and black holes
like good and its evil ride
like beauty entwined with dross
all that stands stalwart at the edge of the abyss
all is half-poised
on the ever crumbling divide
So where is the still point
where singularity abides?
Where is the first alphabet
truth’s sanctuary
from which was crafted
the calligrapher’s art
the imagist’s paint, stone and metal,
the philosopher’s raven-hearted thought
the climber’s mountain, and
the labours of the scribe?
Take me via the second alphabet,
through swooning forests
and earths that bite;
through light that pierces
where tyrant digressions, sword in hand
behead consciousness
Take me over the bridge on the torrent
across the corpus of beehives
beyond the race thing which caps my knees
and the alluring gender divide
Take me into the cauldron of faith
show me the umbilical chord that binds
the earth-mother with my navel, my mind;
show me fires that are heaven-bound
like never-ending ladders,
like the genie Himalayas sun-spiked
If you cannot do this
then let me be;
for this time in space
to the hushed rhythm of the pulsating, breathing, universe.
Let me re-enter baby’s first smile
Comment by Naveed Siraj — March 3, 2008 @ 5:27 pm
Naveed Bhai
Many thanks for the poem - wah wah- I had not seen this. You are now my blog-master after Shahidain has become the alter-Jahane Rumi…
will comment on this and post it separately as well
Comment by RR — March 3, 2008 @ 7:45 pm
Raza Bhai, Thanks. Perhaps you are not aware of how much your blog inspires us either..
Comment by Naveed Siraj — March 4, 2008 @ 2:58 pm
Naveed Bhai
thanks!
Comment by RR — March 5, 2008 @ 7:57 pm
RR, I was just thinking; is “point” not another literal version of “nukta”. for one point is singularity or unity of the Divine and secondly also the argument (point) of discussion of unity. aik nuktay-ch gal mukdee ayay
is shahidain on a blog somewhere….i see no link to get to alter-jahane-rumi
Comment by Naveed Siraj — March 6, 2008 @ 8:52 am
For Naveed
Let me also give the english translation done by Muzzaffar Ghaffar of
“aik nuktay-ch gal mukdee ayay”
On one point the matters ends
Catch the point, drop the academe
Push away divisions which blaspeme
Cast off hell, the grave, chatisement extreme
Cleanse out the heart’s every dream
Into this house everything descends
On one point the matter end
For nothing we rub foreheads on the ground
Then show off the prayer-mark profound
Reading the karygama people we confound
Into hearts understanding don’t expound
A truthful matter never pretends
On one point the matter ends
Fashioned as returned-pilgrims many came
Then blue robe-wearers they became
Selling their pilgrimage, bread they claim
This matter who can acclaim?
Such a matter into concealment never vends
On the point the matter ends
Some to jungles, to the seas go
Some daily a single grain swallow
Without perception tiredness they stow
They return home emaciated, in imbroglio
Just in prayer-rigours life expands
On one point the matter ends
Take a guide, become the servant of the lord
With wanton ecstasy stay in accord
Devoid of desire become destitution’s ward
In the heart through cleansing record
Bullha the true transcends
On one point the matter ends
You may like to visit this site “http://www.folkpunjab.com/bulleh-shah/” for Bulleh Shah kalam. It has also kalams of Sufis like Baba Farid, Khawaja Ghulam Farid, Mian Muhammad Bakhsh, Sachal Sarmast , Shah Hussain ,Sultan Bahu and Waris Shah.
I would also recommend you to listen Ghulam Farid Kafi “Umraan Langheean Pabhaan Phaar” sung by Asad Amanat Ali Khan.
Comment by shahidain — March 7, 2008 @ 3:55 pm
Shahidain, you have made me cry listening to Asad Amanat Ali. The website is beautiful. Muzaffar Ghaffar has been by my bed-side for past few years actually. This includes his original poems one of which “Bulleh Shah” I have posted above.
I can understand Seraiki/Punjabi to a large extent but only after repeatedly listening to people like Abida, Pathany Khan etc but could you help to advise on
umara lageya pabha bhar,
haali na waas way kaaleya,
kaadi na sookh saneha galeya,
Would appreciate a translation (just these three lines, others I can grasp) and a link where I can read the original in shah-mukhi/arabic script.
Comment by Naveed Siraj — March 8, 2008 @ 10:05 am
Naveed,
Accept my apology for a delay because I was trying to find out the actual author of “Umara lageya pabha bhar”. This poem / kalam is written by a poet called “Mazhar Tirmazi.
I shall endavour to give you the gist of the three lines as desired by you. The translation can be improved. I shall also try to get you the english translation whole of this poem very shortly.
‘umara lageya pabha bhar,
haali na waas way kaaleya,
kaadi na sookh saneha galeya”
Standing on tiptoe for a quite long time
Black clouds donot come in the shape of rain
Never have sent a message of well being and happiness.
Comment by shahidain — March 16, 2008 @ 6:39 pm
shahidain, i am extremely grateful for your kind response and translation. I had some doubts that this was Kh. Ghulam Fareed as stated on the site under Asad Amanat Ali Khan. Perhaps a few lines belong to Ghulam Fareed but in its entirity, you have perhaps been successful in pointing out to correct poet.
The words are so clearly common and commly used in Sindhi that it was a feeling of so close to understanding this myself and yet so far that i need your kind help. I am amazed at the similarity especially of pabha and saneha.
Comment by Naveed Siraj — March 20, 2008 @ 7:21 am
Arab Culture…
Thanks for the nice read, keep up the interesting posts…..
Trackback by Arab Culture — March 22, 2008 @ 2:39 pm
Naveed
Yes I do agree. Feel free to ask anything about kalam of Sufis.
Can contact on “shahidain@hotmail.com”
Comment by shahidain — March 22, 2008 @ 8:25 pm
If some body is interested to read this kafi in shahmuki(Urdu), then a link there,
http://www.urdupoint.com/poetry/poem.php?author_id=72&book_id=223&poetry_id=4236&page=2&page1=13&searchKeywords=&typeofSearch=
Comment by shahidain — March 24, 2008 @ 5:25 pm