From Indian Sultry Dance songs to Great Sufi mystics. I was listening to a famous Indian song Chalay chayan chayan from Shah Rukh Khan’s film Del Se. On a little research I found the song was based on a poem of Baba Bullah Shah. Curiosity led me to the original poem, destorted and misused by the film makers. Funny how something totally unrelated can guide you to the truth. Who was this man?
His real name was Abdullah Shah.
Mysterious is the turn of time. The man who had been refused by the mullahs to be buried after his death in the community graveyard because of his unorthodox views, today enjoys worldwide reverence and recognition. The tomb of Bulleh Shah in Qasur and the area around it is today the only place free of collective refuse, and the privileged of the city pay handsomely to be buried in the proximity of the man they had once rejected. “This radical change has been possible because people have been impressed in the course of time by the holy way of Bullah’s life and the efficacy of his teachings.
There is a strong historical evidence to show that Bulleh Shah was an eminent scholar of Arabic and Persian. From his own compositions we can find many references to Islamic thought and mystic literature. Later, when he attained mystic realization, his erudition and learning acquired a new significance. But Bulleh Shah had to pass through a hard struggle before he could attain the inner knowledge.
This attainment was possible only through his contact with his Murshid or Master, Inayat Shah. The study of scriptures and other holy books had only aroused his interest and curiosity about spiritual realization. His longing for union with the Lord reached its consummation only after he met a perfect Master in the person of Shah Inayat Qadiri.
My Master of Masters hailed from Bagdad,
But my Master belongs to the throne of Lahore.
It is all the same. For He himself is the kite
and He himself is the string.
Inayat Shah was an eminent Sufi saint of the Qadiri tradition and is said to be a scholarly author. He lived in Lahore, so he was called Inayat Shah Lahori. He died in th year 1728 AD. He wrote a number of Persian books on mysticism, from among which Dastur-ul-Amal, Islah-ul-Amal, Lataif-i-Ghaibya, and Ishartul Talibin are particularly well-known. In Dastur-ul-Amal he has made a mention of seven spiritual stages. The ancient Hindu rishis considered passing through these stages as necessary for God-realization.
When Bulleb Shah, the seeker, passed near the small field of Inayat Shah, he saw fruit laden trees on both sides of the road. Inayat Shah himself was engaged in planting onion seedlings. It occurred to Bulleh Shah to test Inayat Shah of his spiritual power.
Invoking the name of God, Bullah looked at the trees, and the fruit started falling on the ground. Inayat Shah looked back and saw that unripe fruit was falling from the trees without any reason. He immediately realized that it was due to the mischief played by the young man passing by. He looked towards Bulleh Shah and said, “Well, young man, why have you brought down the unripe fruit from the trees?” This is what Bulleh Shah wanted, to find an opportunity to talk to Inayat Shah.
He went up to him and said, “Sir, I neither climbed up the trees, nor did I throw any stones at the fruit, how could I tear it from the trees ?” Inayat Shah cast a full glance at Bulleh Shah and said, “0, you are not only a thief, you are also being clever! ” Inayat’s glance was so penetrating that it touched Bullah’s heart and he instantly fell at his feet. Inayat Shah asked him his name and the purpose for coming to him.
Bullah replied, “Sir, my name is Bullah and I wish to know how I can realize God.” Inayat Shah said, “Why do you look down? Get up and look at me.” As soon as Bullah raised his head and looked at Inayat Shah, the Master again cast at him a full glance, laden with love, shaking him all through.
He said “0 Bullah, what problem is there in finding God ? It only needs to be uprooted from here and planted there.” This was enough for Bulleh Shah. He got what he had wished for .
Inayat Shah had poured the essence of spirituality in these few words. He conveyed to Bulleh Shah that the secret of spiritual progress lay in detaching one’s mind from the world outside and attaching it to God within.
Here is the original poem:
Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa
Your love has made me dance like mad
Tere Ishq ne dera mere andar keeta
Bhar ke zeher payala main taan aape peeta,
Jhabde wahudi tabiba nahin te main mar gaiyaan
Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa
Falling in love with you
Was like taking a sip of poison
Come my healer, forsaken, I am sad.
Your love has made me dance like mad
Chupp giyah ve suraj bahar reh gayi laali
Ve main sadqey hova, Devein murrjey wikhali
Peera main bhul gaiyaan tere naal na gaiyaan
Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa
The sun has set, its flush only is left
I’ll give my life for a glimpse of you
My fault I came not when when you bade
Your love has made me dance like mad.
Ais Ishq de kolon mainu hatak na maaye
Laahu jaandre berrey kehrramorlaya
Meri aqal jun bhulli naal mhaniyaan dey gaiyaan
Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa
Dissuade me not from the path of love
Who can hold the boats on the move?
Stupid, I joined the boatman’s squad
Your love has made me dance like mad
Ais Ishq Di Jhangi Wich Mor Bulenda
Sanu Qibla Ton Qaaba Sohna Yaar Disenda
Saanu Ghayal Karke Pher Khabar Na Laaiyaan
Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa
A peacock calls in the grove of passion
It’s Qibla, It’s Kaaba where lives my love
You asked not once after you stabbed
Your love has made me dance like mad
Bullah Shah na aounda mainu Inayat de buhe
Jisne mainu awaye chole saave te suhe
Jaan main maari aye addi mil paya hai vahaiya
Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa
Bulleh Shah Sits at Inayat’s door
Who has dressed me in green and red
And caught me the instant I flew from the pad
Your love has made me dance like mad
Here is the original version by Abida Perveen:
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