Mai pal do pal ka Shayar hoon - From a Spiritual Perspective

"Mai pal do pal ka shaayar hoon - Pal do pal meri kahaani hai

Pal do pal meri hasti hai - Pal do pal meri jawaani hai "

I don't know what Sahir Sahib had in mind when he wrote this Nazam. 

But every reader and listener reads and hears everything according to their own perspective - according to their own understanding.

I think,  intentionally or unintentionally, Sahir Sahib has touched the four phases of spirituality - the four steps that a seeker encounters during the spiritual journey.

The first step in spirituality is to realize that everything in this world is impermanent and transitory - including life.

Mai pal do pal ka shaayar hoon - Pal do pal meri kahaani hai

Pal do pal meri hasti hai - Pal do pal meri jawaani hai 

The realization - that whatever we consider ourselves to be - a poet, a doctor, an engineer, or a farmer - is a temporary ID - that we are here in this world for a limited time only. 

The second step is the renunciation of the ego.

'Mujh say pehlay kitnay shaayar aaye aur aa kar chalay gaye

Kuchh aahen bhar kar laut gaye kuchh nagmay gaa kar chalay gaye' 

'Kal aur aayengay nagmon kee khilti kaliyaan chunanay waalay 

Mujh say behtar kehnay waalay, tum say behtar sunanay waalay' 

To realize, that I'm not the only one like me - I am not any special - or an extraordinary being. 

There were many before me - and there will be many more after me who would be even better than me.

Those who would narrate better than me -

And there will be those who would listen better than you.

Now, this is a realistic approach - without any sense of false ego. 

The third step is detachment - no expectations of any kind.

To realize that this world is unreal - 

That everything is temporary and trivial - unsatisfying.

Hence, the poet says:

"Har nasal ik fasal hai dharti kee aaj ugati hai kal katati hai 

Jeevan vo mehangi madiraa hai jo qataraa qataraa batatee hai 

Saagar say ubhari lehar hoon mai saagar mein phir kho jaoonga

Mittee kee rooh ka paseenaa hoon phir mittee mein so jaoonga"

Life is like a crop in the fields. Today, the plants grow out of seeds, and tomorrow the crop is cut off. 

Like a drink is consumed drop by drop - life gets consumed by each breath.

It's like a wave that rises momentarily and falls back into the ocean.

It comes from dust, and in dust, it goes back.

The poet wonders: 

"Kal koyi mujh ko yaad karay - kyon koyi mujh ko yaad karay

Masroof zamaana meray liye kyon vaqt apnaa barbaad karay"

What is my significance after all?

When I go, the world will still be here - everything will continue as it is. 

Nothing will stop due to my absence.

With this realization, the seeker enters the fourth stage - where the feeling of Virahaa, or longing, is born.

After understanding and experiencing the immateriality of the world, there arises a strong desire to know the Truth.

Perhaps this stage is the most crucial and significant but also - the most difficult one. 

Often most people settle before this. 

They stop exploring further and do not enter into this final stage.

However, after passing through these four stages - after attaining the Gyana - the knowledge - the seeker's vision or perspective changes.

The whole world begins to appear as one. 

Everyone in the world seems to be connected -

everything seems to be intertwined.

Then the poet, struck by this sense of vastness, suddenly and spontaneously declares:

 "Mai har ik pal ka shaayar hoon, har ik pal meri kahaani hai 

Har ik pal meri hasti hai, har ik pal meri javaani hai 

Ik phool mein tera roop basaa, ik phool mein meri javaani hai

Ik cheharaa teri nishaani hai, ik cheharaa meri nishaani hai" 

That I have always existed and will always be as a part of the universal consciousness. 

Every moment and every particle belongs to me.

Your face and my face - are just masks - just symbals of identification. In reality, we are all connected with everyone. 

Scientifically also, the whole of humanity is related through some strings of DNA

And then - a transformation takes place.

Then we start thinking not only for ourselves but for the whole world.

 "Tu apni adaayen bakhsh inhen, main apni vafaayen detaa hoon 

Jo apnay liye sochee thin kabhee, vo saari duaayen detaa hoon"

After attaining this stage, regardless of what religion one belongs to - one starts to wish for the well-being of everyone in the whole world.

And starts praying that:

"Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah - Sarve Santu Niramayah - Ma Kashchid Dukhbhaga Bhavet"* 

                                  (Rigveda)*

 "Nanak Naam Chaddi Kala, Tere Bhane Sarbat Ka Bhala"** (Gurbani)

 "Tera roop hai he sansaar , sab da bhala karo kartaar " ***

                               - Avtar Vani - 

Meaning:

* May All be Happy, and May All be Free from Illness.

  May All See what is Auspicious, and May no one Suffer.

  May there be Peace, Peace, Peace.

**  By His grace, peace for everyone

*** Everyone is an image of you - the Almighty

       May everyone be well - happy and at peace

                               

                                 “Rajan Sachdeva” 

Note ; 

For your convenience, I am rewriting the entire Nazm or poem here again.

Mai pal do pal ka shaayar hoon - Pal do pal meri kahaani hai

Pal do pal meri hasti hai - Pal do pal meri jawaani hai 

'Mujh say pehlay kitnay shaayar aaye aur aa kar chalay gaye

Kuchh aahen bhar kar laut gaye kuchh nagmay gaa kar chalay gaye' 

Vo bhee ik pal ka kissaa thay main bhee ik pal ka kissaa hoon 

Kal tum say judaa ho jaoongaa - go aaj tumharaa hissaa hoon 

Pal do pal main kuchh keh paaya itni hee sa'aadat kaafi hai 

Pal do pal tum nay mujh ko suna itni hee inaayat kaafi hai 

Kal aur aayengay nagmon kee khilti kaliyaan chunanay waalay 

Mujh say behtar kehnay waalay, tum say behtar sunanay waalay

Har nasal ik fasal hai dharti kee aaj ugati hai kal katati hai 

Jeevan vo mehangi madiraa hai jo qataraa qataraa batatee hai 

Saagar say ubhari lehar hoon mai saagar mein phir kho jaoonga

Mittee kee rooh ka paseenaa hoon phir mittee mein so jaoonga 

Kal koyi mujh ko yaad karay - kyon koyi mujh ko yaad karay

Masroof zamaana meray liye kyon vaqt apnaa barbaad karay

Mai pal do pal ka shaayar hoon - Pal do pal meri kahaani hai

Pal do pal meri hasti hai - Pal do pal meri jawaani hai 

                                            Part 2

Rishton ka roop badaltaa hai, buniyaaden khatm nahin hoteen

Khwaabon aur umangon kee miyaaden khatm nahin hoteen 

Ik phool mein tera roop basaa - ik phool mein meri jawaani hai 

Ik chehraa teri nishaani hai, ik cheharaa meri nishaani hai 

Tujh ko mujh ko jeevan amrit ab in haathon say peena hai 

In kee dhadakan mein basnaa hai, in kee saanson mein jeena hai 

Tu apni adaayen bakhsh inhen, main apni vafaayen detaa hoon 

Jo apnay liye sochee thin kabhee, vo saari duaayen deta hoon 

 "Mai har ik pal ka shaayar hoon, har ik pal meri kahaani hai 

Har ik pal meri hasti hai, har ik pal meri javaani hai 

              ~ Abdul Hayee - urf  Sahir Ludhianavi ~