हम परदेसी पंछी बाबा (Hum Pardesi Panchhi Baba)

(One of the very insightful bhajans of Kabir interpreted by Rangi Arwind)

हम परदेसी पंछी बाबा, अणी देसरा नाही

Hum pardesi panchhi baba, ani desara nahi.

(I am from the foreign land my dear and not from here!)

Realized soul recognizes that the soul (the real force of the human existence) is from somewhere else - from the domain of supreme consciousness. It expands beyond the physical reality which is defined as the local land (individual consciousness). The key to existence is divine grace. The moment the grace evaporates, existence ceases. This grace is represented by soul which can not be identified by our senses but its there! So a realized yogi who identifies himself with the soul and not with the body, says that the 'subtlest' life force -Atman is the reality and not the gross body. Gross body here is called as a local land and Soul as the bird from far!
Hence the realized soul says - I am from the foreign land my dear and not from here!

Rangi Arwind at Kunjapuri (Himalaya)

अणी देसरा लोग अचेता पल पल पर पछ्ताई भाई संतो

Ani desara log acheta pal pal par pachhtaai bhai santo
(And listen dear saints, the people from local land repent every moment)

Sufferings are experienced because one identifies his existence with the body - the gross one. And gross is bound tho undergo sufferings as it is measurable. Those who suffer will obviously repent for the experience. They will repent that they have not grown beyond bodily identification and hence are suffering!

मुख बिन गाना, पग बिन चलना, बिन पंख उड जाई हो 

Mukh bin gaana, pag bin chalana, bin pankh ud jaai ho

(one would sing without mouth, would walk without feet, and would fly without wings)

Soul is powerful. Soul is powered by supreme soul - the supreme consciousness. And this all pervasive, omnipotent force can make anything and everything happen. Bodily consciousness would limit ones power of manifestation to the the bodily organs and senses but 'soul' identity won't require bodily organs at all. Hence for such joyful creature, its possible to experience the joy of singing, wandering, flying etc just by imagination. He doesn't need to actually walk, sing or fly with the body! 
So here actually Kabir is trying to explain Vibhuti characteristics explained by Patanjali in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. Where a realized yogi can do miracles - not for public display but as a part of his evolutionary yogic journey!

बिना मोह की सुरत हमारी, अनहद मे रम जाई हो

Bina moh ki surat humari, anahad mein ram jaai ho

(My identity is one that is unattached, who is constantly engaged in divine pursuit)

Yogi reaches the bliss of samadhi or constant 'experience of soulfulness' by non-attachment. attachments stall ones progress in spiritual evolution. Attachments keep one busy at body and mind level where disers and efforst to manifest them become core theme of life. And desires appear in chain which keep one engaged in illusionary world. Yogi on the path of 'self-realization' has to be detached and one-centered! Patanjali maharaj says that abhyasvairagyabhaym tannirodhah. the modulations of mind can be restrained by persistent self study and supreme detachment.

छाया बैठू अगनी व्यापे धूप अधिक सितलाई हो 

Chhaya baithu agani vyape, dhoop adhik sitlaai ho

(when one sits in shadow, he can feel heat of fire and in the sun, he experiences coolness)

For a ordinary human who is engrossed with various desires, even in the shadow, there will be experience of sunburn (uneasiness) or even in the sun he will feel cold - because his mind is busy, constantly working. Master yogi would rise above duality. He won't experience heat or cold as a normal human being would do. ideally he would master over the bodily experiences of heat and cold. These experiences in yogic language are called as Urmi. They actually are the food/ inspiration behind bodily being. These Urmi are hunger & thirst, heat & cold and desire & attachment. Master yogi would rise above these six urmis and attain the siddhi where he can experience cold in heat and sunburn in the shadow!

छाया धूप से सतगुरु न्यारा, मै सतगुरु के भाई 

Chhaya Dhoop se satguru nyaara, main satguru ke bhai

(Guru is unique force than the experience of duality of shadow and sun. I am with the Guru who guides to Truth!)

Experience of duality is ordinary experience. Divine truth would expand ones consciousness to an extent where the duality ends and supreme oneness pervades. Such experience is possible through a guru when one derails on the path of detachment and self study. Hence the real seeker is committed to a guru who guides one experience the truth.

आठो पहर अडक रहे आसन, कदे न उतरे शाही

Aathau pahar adak rahe asan kade na utare shahi

(All the time I ll be meditating and would experience the bliss of 'Royal Self')

During one's yogic journey - which is not result oriented but directed towards the 'wider' experience, towards experiencing the divine vastness - determination is important. consistency is important hence a yogi would be meditating / focusing on the Supreme consciousness with determination all hours of the day. The only thought in his mind is God, God and God! When this happens, it is like a royal ride -Shahi! All majestic and colorful.  

Sadhu in meditation

मन पवन दोनो नही पहुंचे, उन्ही देस के माही 

Man pavan dono nahi pahunche unhi des ke maahi

(When yogi establishes his one-pointedness on god, the waves of mind or power of wind can not destabilize)

When the state of samadhi, which is a constant experience of bliss, and not glimpses of it - is achieved, the seeker is firmly established in Supreme Consciousness. And then nothing can deviate him from there. In that country of supreme consciousness, mind and wind can not reach. 

निरगुण रूप है मेरे दाता, सरगुण नाम धराई 

Nirgun roop hain mere daata, sargun naam dharai

(Supreme consciousness has no form, it only takes form for a while)

The realized yogi knows that the nature of god is -formless, shapeless, tasteless - i.e. beyond senses. The 'form' or name is temporary for a less conscious being to understand. Form is just the few attributes of god that are used by seeker as -a step - to understand the wider nature of god!

कहे कबीर सुनो भाई साधो, साहब है घट माही

Kahe Kabir suno bhai sadho, sahab hain ghat maahi.

(And says Kabir, listen O' Sadhu, the Supreme Lord resides in you!)

Rangi Arwind

Kunjapuri, Rishikesh 

(Himalaya)

You can listen this bhajan sung by Rangi Arwind here: https://soundcloud.com/yogi-arwind/hum-pardesi-panchhi-baba

Guru ji, jahan baithu vahan chhaya ji...

Guru ji, jahan baithu vahan chhaya ji

So hi to malak mera najrana aaya ji.

O' my beloved Guruji, wherever I am, i experience the thick shadow of the divine grace. It's such wonderful bliss!

And I get the most precious gift meant for a true spiritual seeker, the experience of the supreme self!

This is nirguni bhajan of Deva Nath. Kumar Gandharva has soulfully sung it. This is a state of mind of a realised seeker. The seeker who has experienced the truth! The seeker who has seen the god! The seeker who has experienced the supreme consciousness!

The realised soul is reflecting the deep sense of gratitude towards his guru, the spiritual master who facilitated this experience for him. 

The guru guides the disciple in his spiritual journey with the words of wisdom. The seeker persistently continues his spiritual efforts. And one fine moment 

arrives that the summit of ultimate consciousness is reached. The obsever and observed lose the duality and only observation remains.

At such moment, the seeker spontaneously expresses his deep sense of gratitude towards his guru saying, 'O' my beloved Guruji, wherever I am, i experience the thick shadow of the divine grace. Its bliss!'

Gera gera jhad jhad sheetal chhayaa ji

Mhara hain satguru dekhan aaya ji

And the seeker says wherever i go, in every experience of my life, in each place, in every situation, every time i experience the cool shadow of the ultimate bliss! Such is the powerful experience that the there is no conditioning of the space and time for this experience. And he expresses the deep gratitude again for his master, the guru saying, its my satguru, who has shown me this divine light!

Kumharya jo dharati ye kalash mangaaya

Mhare satguru ne bhent chadhaayaa ji

The potter, who collects the good clay, cleans it, sorts the unwanted dirt out, mixes with water, makes good dough and then makes nice pot out of it, similarly my guru has accepted me with all my good and bad qualities, he gave me time, answered my queries, guided me with the spiritual practice, he showed utmost patience towards me and helped me to seek the truth! So, i am like the satvic pot that my guru has made out of the non refined clay of my personality which was full of saatvic, rajas and tamas gunas.

Tan bhar tala shabad bhar kunji

Mhare satguru ne khol bataya ji

I was trapped into body consciousness. I limited my existence to my body. This ignorance of mine was a root cause of my suffering. It deprived me of the experience of joy! The bliss. My guru helped me get out of this limitation whith the help of shabad, the key to open the lock of limited consciousness to enter the kingdom of supreme consciousness. My guru opened this lock with the mantra. He gave me the mantra. He gave me the practice. He showed me the light. All these worked a s ke key to liberate my self from the locked being!

Jeev nagar mein kaant bharanu

Mhare satguru ne shodh lagaayaa ji

The life of mortals is full of sufferings and sorrow. It is full of obstacles. Day to day life

 is so full of problems like the the thorns laid down on the path at every step. It is my guru who warned me of the horns. He showed me the horns and helped me clear the path. He helped me remove my sufferings. He helped me redifine sufferings. He helped me open my eyes. He helped me refine my actions. He helped me with the energy of persistence. Hence i am here at the summit experiencing the bliss of the supreme!

Doi kar jod Deva Naath bolyaa

Mhane kesar tilak chadhaaya ji

With the folded hands, says Deva Naath that he applies the saffron spot on the forehead of the guru ji!

The disciple is so content now. Hw is happy. He has deep sense of gratitude. He has sense of reverence towards the guru who made him reach the goal. Out of such umatched sense of request, the disciple worships the guru with the kesar tilak. The saffron spot. This is a traditional way of worship. 

Jai Gurudev!!!

Fearlessly I will sing...

Nirbhay Nirgun Gun re Gavunga...

Kabir is a fabulous teacher. He chooses such apt words and emotions to make us understand the complex of complex things. He explains how simple the spiritual journey is.

Saint Kabir weaving chadar...

In his one of the most mystic bhajans (Nirguni Bhajan) Nirbhay Nirgun Gun re Gavunga... Kabir says "O lord, I will sing your glory fearlessly. I will be fearless in singing your attributes O' the one without attributes (formless, colorless, odorless, can not be heard, tasted with tongue or be touched).

Spiritual journey is actually an inquiry into one's own existence. its an inquiry into existence and non-existence and the relationship between these two. Its realizing true existence. An inquiry has to be open without any fear in mind about the ability or outcome. So being fearless is the first step in the path of realization. We are always under the influence of some or other fear. The fear is an outcome of either illusion or weakness to understand and tackle the situation. Illusion can be overcome by acquiring knowledge while weakness can be overcome by acquiring strength. Fearlessness is prerequisite as well as an outcome of spiritual quest.

Hence, Kabir says be fearless to know god.

Once you are 'fearless' then further journey is simple. Merging with that ultimate "oneness' is easy. There are multiple ways, methods, techniques to achieve it. Sunk yourself into Bhakti and you are there. Acquire the pure knowledge and you are there. Do the karma without desire for the fruits from it and you are there...

Here Kabir explains about the path of Kundalini Yoga to reach the Truth.

"Mula Kamal Drudh Aasan Bandhu Ji Ulti Pawan Chadhaunga"

Which means I will sit firm with my back straight. Muladhar the base chakra is the first point for prana to travel upwards. Hence I will be firm in my sitting lotus posture (in padmasana) and then will pull the prana upwards from muladhara.

"Man Mamata ko dur karau ji pancho tatt milavunga"

Which means all the desires, affection arising in my mind, I will control them with efforts and will merge myself in all the five elements seamlessly. So the identity crisis is over. You feel part of a greater scheme. You experience the greater scheme. The ultimate one.

"Ingala Pingala Sukhaman naadi ji Tirveni pe ho nahavunga"

In my technique of pulling prana upwards, I will use ingala, Pingala and Sushumna naadi.I will enjoy the bliss where all these confluence.Ingala is the left naadi also called at Chandra Naadi. Pingala is the right naadi also known as surya Naadi. Sushumna is the central nadi around which the two other naadis intertwine.

"Panch Pacchiso pakad mangavu ji ek hi doh lagavunga"

Though the above few steps look simple, they require great understanding and effort in the beginning to master them. Hence Kabir says I will try it many times to achieve the result. And there will be one ultimate effort where I will experience the magic of upward movement of prana and meeting the confluence.

"Shunya Shikhar par anahat baje ji raag chattis sunavunga"

When I achieve this, I reach the summit point. The shunya shikhar. The point where there is nothing beyond or there is nothing within. That ultimate emptiness, void. At this point where I am slefless. I am the wider self My existence is so cosmic, so complete with knowledge, which I will continuously enjoy.

"Kahat Kabir Suno Bhai Saadho, jeet nishan ghuravunga"

Kabir says that this is the ultimate victory over desirous mind and I will wave the flag of victory from this summit point.

Wow Kabir - The Simple Buddha!


Samarth Yogi Arwind, Rishikesh

It is beyond Zero. Zero doesn’t fit into it! Gorakh Nath

Gorakh Nath has caught my imagination more than any other saint, philosopher & guide. His philosophy and the language is so captivating for obvious reasons like upfront style of communication, use of very apt phrases, clarity of the concepts, innovative methodology and no-nonsense approach to the spiritual journey.

Kabir, Raidas, Haridas, Dadu, Namdev etc are the saints of the same tradition of which Gorakh Nath is the initiator and torch bearer. Gorakh tradition of spiritual experience is deep rooted in the masses, language and techniques of this tradition are powerful yet simple. Gorakh Nath’s Sabadi, Pad, Gyan Tilak, Gyan Chautisa, Abhaymatra Jog, Atmabodh etc are the available literature.

The very first verse of his Sabadi is so powerful that it has all Upanishadic essence and glory.

Basati Na Shunyam, Shunyam Na Basati Agam Agochar Aisa I

Gagan Sishar mahi Balak Boley Taka Nav Dharahuge Kaisa II

This verse talks straight about the nature of the Param Tatva (‘Supreme Being’). Param Tatva being the ultimate creator, preserver and destroyer is the force that is not possible to be experienced with our limits of senses.

Basati na Shunyam Shunyam Na Basati

Gorakh says, the nature of the supreme being is such that you can not accommodate the supreme being in the ultimate void (Basati Na Shunyam) in which the universe is experiencing its existence. Shunya is zero. Zero means nothing left after it. Hence Zero means everything. And Zero in terms of universal reality is the ultimate void in which the universal existential dance is taking place. Gorakh says that the Supreme being who created this universe does not fit into this ultimate void (Shunya). It is even bigger and beyond it. And the big void does not fit into it too. Hence the supreme being is so vast that there is no measure to fathom its vastness.

Many Upanishads speak of such existential reality with the help of numerous examples. Ishavasya Upanishad, Prashopanishad talk of nature of the Supreme Being beyond the abilities of human senses to understand it.

Agam Agochar Aisa

Further says Gorakh, that the origin of the Supreme Being is not known. It is ‘Agam’. i.e. one doesn’t know from where and when it is originated. It means the Supreme Being is always there. There is no origin / beginning and end to it.

The Supreme Being is ‘Agochar’. It means it can not be understood fully with our parts of the body and senses. Hence our senses are so limited that the nature of the Supreme Being is simply beyond their capacity to ‘sense’ it.

Gagan Sishar mahi Balak Boley

Gorakh Nath uses a very unique phrase to explain further the nature of the Supreme Being. He says that it is like a small child speaking with his voice in the vastness of the sky. Symbolism associated with the child reflects many times in the spiritual literature. A child is ‘unconditioned’ existence. Child is life force with no conditioning of ‘Maya’ or illusion. Hence Gorakh says that the Supreme Being is the true existence like a child whose voice is spread all over the universe. The Supreme Being is ultimate Truth.

Taka Nav Dharahuge Kaisa

And lastly, in the first verse of the Sabadi, Gorakh Nath says that such Supreme Being, which is so vast, so huge that no timeline can bound it, so unlimeited in its expression that no senses can sense it, such an ultimate truth that you just can not name it. The Supreme Being is beyond Nam – Roop.

Shubham Bhavatu!

Yogi Arwind

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