Raju Korti
I have always carried the burden of my conviction that Faith is to believe what you do not see and its reward is to see what you believe. If I feel vindicated today it is thanks to the compelling documentary " Gandhi's Song" made by my US-based fellow journalist and dear friend Mayank Chhaya. It is remarkable how Mayank has been able to embroider the divine spirit of poet-saint Narsinh Mehta's work with the Gandhian ethos. The 15th century poet's mystique comes to the fore from a number of brilliant expositions, notable among them being "Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye peed parayi jaane re.." Venerated as Adi Kavi (pioneering poet) and occupying a pride of place in the thriving Gujarati literature, Mehta is widely regarded as a pre-eminent exponent of Vaishnav poetry. But first things first!
My first appointment with this Gandhian intonation came way back in 1974 while grappling with my Engineering studies. Each morning, we hostel residents woke up to the strains of this song which was followed by other bhajans. Without allowing the curiosity to get the better of us, we concluded in our misplaced wisdom that the song was written by Gandhi himself until the hostel rector chastised us for our ignorance and told us that it was the work of Gujarati saint-composer Narsinh Mehta. The key element of this small anecdote is the rector was a Maharashtrian. If anything, I learnt that here was a poet-devotee whose appeal had far transcended the Krishnaland of Gujarat. Proof, if any was required, came from the ubiquitous presence of the collection of his devotional songs published by the famous Geeta Press of Gorakhpur. The publishers have since faded into oblivion but Mehta remains an integral part of the psyche of those to whom devotion is the very essence of life.
Mayank's documentary flows like a stream with an idyllic beauty. Foraying into a territory that is devoid of any populism and allows no scope for playing to the gallery, Mayank gives it the character, chastity and temperance it calls for. The result is over 70 minutes of spell-binding narrative characterized by an articulation you don't get to hear in these times of frivolous.
Mayank's recountal is like a recital, a commentary that has a lyrical composition and visual appeal to it -- the words stitched more like notations. That in itself is a robust tribute to the saint who breezed into history with his extraordinary devotion through an array of resonating bhajans.
Given the guilelessness of the subject, it has been handled with the restraint it deserves. The documentary has class written all over in terms of production values, directorial effort and editing. Such features happen when the maker doesn't approach the subject with stars in his eyes. Mayank has chosen just the right people to punctuate his narrative. Dr Tridip Suhrud an acknowledged authority in Gandhian literature, Tushar Gandhi (Mahatma's great grandson) and Jawahar Baxi, well known Gujarati poet. A quick word of praise for Bill Russell for the fluent narration.
Says Mayank: "Narsinh Mehta and his work have been a lifelong passion for me. However, in so much as one needs a hook for a documentary, I could not have considered anything other than his most enduring creation 'Vaishnav jan to..' Quite apart from the fact that it became Mohandas Gandhi's moral compass and hence by implication informed his leadership of India's freedom movement, it is also one of world's most widely sung songs. There is a great story to tell. "A particular peeve for me was that a surprising number, I would say eight or nine out of ten, would say it was written by Gandhi not knowing that it is over 550 years old. The documentary tries to correct that wrong."
To follow one's instincts and choose such a theme always comes with its attendant risks. For Mayank, it was a tough slog in terms of finances but help came from three individuals, two in US and one in Bahrain, all Gujaratis who bankrolled the project. Will finally found its way to become love's labor. " It was a deeply satisfying venture for me at an intellectual level but harrowing financially. In a sense it is quite like Mehta's own life that was always penurious, he points out." The reimbursement came from the scholastic pursuit of something that was always close to his heart. A significant characteristic of the documentary is Mayank has ensured that the weight of his words does not incommode the simplicity of the theme. The words have been woven into theme seamlessly and that is not as easy as it sounds.
In an interview, Mayank answered some of my questions relating to the documentary. Here they go:
Q: India is known to be a land of saints. In the galaxy of such greats who wrote poetry and ballads in their total surrender to what is believed as the ultimate force in the Universe, why did you choose Narsinh Mehta for your documentary? What distinguished his "bhakti" from others who also claimed to have communion with the God?
A: Having been born in Gujarat -- Ahmedabad specifically -- Narsinh Mehta had always been intrinsic to my life. Apart from his most celebrated work "Vaishnav jan to" I grew up listening to an astonishing range of his songs and ballads. For as long as I remember, I was always struck by his profound philosophical undercurrent. That Mehta straddled both the Saguna and Nirguna worlds with such remarkable ease as a poet was for me irresistible. His "bhakti" were secondary to me since I am personally bereft of a devotional instinct. My draw to Mehta has been the brilliant imagery of his poetry and its lustrous wonderment about the Universe.
Q: How did you negotiate a subject where there are varying impressions about his pedigree and the chronology of his compositions?
A: It is true that his period has been a subject of scholarly debate but I chose to depend on the great Gujarati litterateur Uma Shankar Joshi's perspective in terms of his era, However, in which era Mehta might have lived was of far less consequence to me than the quality and range of what he constructed in terms of his philosophical poetry.
Q: How relevant do you think is Mehta's ethos on Equality in today's context when you see the society fragmenting on various counts? Is that what influenced Gandhi to adopt his song?
A: I consider "Vaishnav jan to" as the perfect global secular standard whose relevance is irrespective of the times we live in. It is carefully shorn of the dogmatic or the doctrinaire. It offers a refreshingly uncomplicated way to conduct one's life which when you reflect on it should be obvious to anyone without being told. Gandhi's engagement with Mehta was almost entirely via this one song even though he ought to have been aware of his other works. It is my case that Gandhi did indeed construct a significant part of his personal and political philosophy with this song as the basis.He made it one of the songs to be sung at his ashram in South Africa in 1907 and continued until his death.
Q: Mehta's devotion to his Beloved as so pure that he had no qualms in singing bhajans in areas where the towns lower classes resided. It is said that "Vaishnav jan to" was born out of his wish to see an egalitarian society. Did it stem from his conviction that unless one is in tune with his soul, no human endeavor would ever succeed?
A: Absolutely. His poetry was in defiance of the oppressive societal norms of the times then and the times even now. He was treated with contempt by his own community and cast off as a pariah. He did not reach out to the grotesquely discriminated against sections of the society of his time out of a sense of condescending to them but out of a genuine conviction about the universality of human race. His sense of egalitarianism was extraordinary and informed by his deep realization about the singular force animating us all. You are right to point out that his philosophy of being one with one;s Soul was the key definer of his life and work.
Q: Mehta's work underscores his profound understanding of the ephemeral nature of life. Was that one of the driving factors behind your documentary? Or was it because of the cosmic romanticism that he visualized through his divine vision?
A: As a student of Physics generally and Quantum Physics particularly, like you are, I was struck by his keen grasp of how evanescent existence is. His songs "Jaginejoun to jagatdeeseynahin" (When I wake up the world vanishes) and "Hun kharey tun kharo" ( You exist because I do) are to my mind the essence of Mehta's life which capture the quintessence of Quantum Physics so unwittingly and so brilliantly.
Q: Mehta's compositions, generally categorized as Vaishnav compositions, are full of lyricism based on pastimes of conjugal love between the Supreme Creator and his most intimate devotees (the Gopis). They are not without allegorical dimensions and are devoid of the erotic element so vivid in contemporary European works. Your comment.
A: You are spot on. His communion with that singular force, as manifest in his mind as Krishna, was so deep and yet so transient that he chose to express it without much eroticism. Of course, there are some works where he does touch upon the erotic on passing. That he constructed his songs and ballads in a way that could be composed and sung shows that he was conscious of their propagation. Reputedly illiterate, it is striking that his language was so fine-tuned to address rather deep themes.
Q: From a family understood to have been steeped in Shaivism, the poet is said to have become a Vaishnava. Your documentary makes a fleeting mention of Dwaita and Adwaita (Dual and Non-dual). Viewed in that context what was your finding about how smooth was this transition?
A: As you say, the transition was so seamless as to be indistinguishable. I am not sure whether the transition from Dwaita to Adwaita came early or later in life but the traditional view is that he graduated from one to the other as he became older. I am not so sure. In terms of his so called move from Shaivism to Vaishnavism, I think he did not necessarily make a distinction in his mind because he was driven by the primordial. In any case, legend has it that it was Shiv who took him to witness Krishna Leela. Carrying a torch in his hand, Mehta was said to have been so enraptured by the spectacle that he accidentally burned part of his arm.
Q: Mehta is known as a pioneer poet of Gujarati literature. One of the important features of Mehta's work is in the language he composed them. They have been largely preserved orally. Despite this his work has found a universal appeal. How do you explain this?
A: One primary reason could be the inherent musicality of his songs and the fact that he sang them himself. As in many parts of medieval India, particularly swept by the "Bhakti" movement, the propagation was oral because that was the easiest way to remember. I suppose the levels of literacy generally were not high and people were naturally good at remembering. Shruti (Hearing) and Smruti (Memory) have always been the defining elements of Indian literature.
Q: Your documentary dwells more on his perceptions and enlightenments than the miracles attributed to him. Was that your focus when it would have been too much of a temptation to dwell on those?
A: My natural attraction has always been the philosophical even though the miraculous might seem more dramatic. I find that the miraculous tends to take away from the sheer poetic and philosophical brilliance of Mehta's works. As a documentary my objective of it was to bring those elements out for the world beyond Gujarat and India.
Q: At least two films, both named Narsi Bhagat, have been made on the life of the saint-poet. One in 1940 by well known Gujarati director Vijay Bhat and the other in 1957 by Devendra Goel. Have you seen them for cinematic reference?
A: No.
Here is the link to his documentary. It is password enabled and pay-per-view. Please do watch.
 |
| Narsinh Mehta, a file grab |
My first appointment with this Gandhian intonation came way back in 1974 while grappling with my Engineering studies. Each morning, we hostel residents woke up to the strains of this song which was followed by other bhajans. Without allowing the curiosity to get the better of us, we concluded in our misplaced wisdom that the song was written by Gandhi himself until the hostel rector chastised us for our ignorance and told us that it was the work of Gujarati saint-composer Narsinh Mehta. The key element of this small anecdote is the rector was a Maharashtrian. If anything, I learnt that here was a poet-devotee whose appeal had far transcended the Krishnaland of Gujarat. Proof, if any was required, came from the ubiquitous presence of the collection of his devotional songs published by the famous Geeta Press of Gorakhpur. The publishers have since faded into oblivion but Mehta remains an integral part of the psyche of those to whom devotion is the very essence of life.
Mayank's documentary flows like a stream with an idyllic beauty. Foraying into a territory that is devoid of any populism and allows no scope for playing to the gallery, Mayank gives it the character, chastity and temperance it calls for. The result is over 70 minutes of spell-binding narrative characterized by an articulation you don't get to hear in these times of frivolous.
Mayank's recountal is like a recital, a commentary that has a lyrical composition and visual appeal to it -- the words stitched more like notations. That in itself is a robust tribute to the saint who breezed into history with his extraordinary devotion through an array of resonating bhajans.
Given the guilelessness of the subject, it has been handled with the restraint it deserves. The documentary has class written all over in terms of production values, directorial effort and editing. Such features happen when the maker doesn't approach the subject with stars in his eyes. Mayank has chosen just the right people to punctuate his narrative. Dr Tridip Suhrud an acknowledged authority in Gandhian literature, Tushar Gandhi (Mahatma's great grandson) and Jawahar Baxi, well known Gujarati poet. A quick word of praise for Bill Russell for the fluent narration.
Says Mayank: "Narsinh Mehta and his work have been a lifelong passion for me. However, in so much as one needs a hook for a documentary, I could not have considered anything other than his most enduring creation 'Vaishnav jan to..' Quite apart from the fact that it became Mohandas Gandhi's moral compass and hence by implication informed his leadership of India's freedom movement, it is also one of world's most widely sung songs. There is a great story to tell. "A particular peeve for me was that a surprising number, I would say eight or nine out of ten, would say it was written by Gandhi not knowing that it is over 550 years old. The documentary tries to correct that wrong."
To follow one's instincts and choose such a theme always comes with its attendant risks. For Mayank, it was a tough slog in terms of finances but help came from three individuals, two in US and one in Bahrain, all Gujaratis who bankrolled the project. Will finally found its way to become love's labor. " It was a deeply satisfying venture for me at an intellectual level but harrowing financially. In a sense it is quite like Mehta's own life that was always penurious, he points out." The reimbursement came from the scholastic pursuit of something that was always close to his heart. A significant characteristic of the documentary is Mayank has ensured that the weight of his words does not incommode the simplicity of the theme. The words have been woven into theme seamlessly and that is not as easy as it sounds.
 |
| Mayank Chhaya |
In an interview, Mayank answered some of my questions relating to the documentary. Here they go:
Q: India is known to be a land of saints. In the galaxy of such greats who wrote poetry and ballads in their total surrender to what is believed as the ultimate force in the Universe, why did you choose Narsinh Mehta for your documentary? What distinguished his "bhakti" from others who also claimed to have communion with the God?
A: Having been born in Gujarat -- Ahmedabad specifically -- Narsinh Mehta had always been intrinsic to my life. Apart from his most celebrated work "Vaishnav jan to" I grew up listening to an astonishing range of his songs and ballads. For as long as I remember, I was always struck by his profound philosophical undercurrent. That Mehta straddled both the Saguna and Nirguna worlds with such remarkable ease as a poet was for me irresistible. His "bhakti" were secondary to me since I am personally bereft of a devotional instinct. My draw to Mehta has been the brilliant imagery of his poetry and its lustrous wonderment about the Universe.
Q: How did you negotiate a subject where there are varying impressions about his pedigree and the chronology of his compositions?
A: It is true that his period has been a subject of scholarly debate but I chose to depend on the great Gujarati litterateur Uma Shankar Joshi's perspective in terms of his era, However, in which era Mehta might have lived was of far less consequence to me than the quality and range of what he constructed in terms of his philosophical poetry.
Q: How relevant do you think is Mehta's ethos on Equality in today's context when you see the society fragmenting on various counts? Is that what influenced Gandhi to adopt his song?
A: I consider "Vaishnav jan to" as the perfect global secular standard whose relevance is irrespective of the times we live in. It is carefully shorn of the dogmatic or the doctrinaire. It offers a refreshingly uncomplicated way to conduct one's life which when you reflect on it should be obvious to anyone without being told. Gandhi's engagement with Mehta was almost entirely via this one song even though he ought to have been aware of his other works. It is my case that Gandhi did indeed construct a significant part of his personal and political philosophy with this song as the basis.He made it one of the songs to be sung at his ashram in South Africa in 1907 and continued until his death.
Q: Mehta's devotion to his Beloved as so pure that he had no qualms in singing bhajans in areas where the towns lower classes resided. It is said that "Vaishnav jan to" was born out of his wish to see an egalitarian society. Did it stem from his conviction that unless one is in tune with his soul, no human endeavor would ever succeed?
A: Absolutely. His poetry was in defiance of the oppressive societal norms of the times then and the times even now. He was treated with contempt by his own community and cast off as a pariah. He did not reach out to the grotesquely discriminated against sections of the society of his time out of a sense of condescending to them but out of a genuine conviction about the universality of human race. His sense of egalitarianism was extraordinary and informed by his deep realization about the singular force animating us all. You are right to point out that his philosophy of being one with one;s Soul was the key definer of his life and work.
Q: Mehta's work underscores his profound understanding of the ephemeral nature of life. Was that one of the driving factors behind your documentary? Or was it because of the cosmic romanticism that he visualized through his divine vision?
A: As a student of Physics generally and Quantum Physics particularly, like you are, I was struck by his keen grasp of how evanescent existence is. His songs "Jaginejoun to jagatdeeseynahin" (When I wake up the world vanishes) and "Hun kharey tun kharo" ( You exist because I do) are to my mind the essence of Mehta's life which capture the quintessence of Quantum Physics so unwittingly and so brilliantly.
Q: Mehta's compositions, generally categorized as Vaishnav compositions, are full of lyricism based on pastimes of conjugal love between the Supreme Creator and his most intimate devotees (the Gopis). They are not without allegorical dimensions and are devoid of the erotic element so vivid in contemporary European works. Your comment.
A: You are spot on. His communion with that singular force, as manifest in his mind as Krishna, was so deep and yet so transient that he chose to express it without much eroticism. Of course, there are some works where he does touch upon the erotic on passing. That he constructed his songs and ballads in a way that could be composed and sung shows that he was conscious of their propagation. Reputedly illiterate, it is striking that his language was so fine-tuned to address rather deep themes.
Q: From a family understood to have been steeped in Shaivism, the poet is said to have become a Vaishnava. Your documentary makes a fleeting mention of Dwaita and Adwaita (Dual and Non-dual). Viewed in that context what was your finding about how smooth was this transition?
A: As you say, the transition was so seamless as to be indistinguishable. I am not sure whether the transition from Dwaita to Adwaita came early or later in life but the traditional view is that he graduated from one to the other as he became older. I am not so sure. In terms of his so called move from Shaivism to Vaishnavism, I think he did not necessarily make a distinction in his mind because he was driven by the primordial. In any case, legend has it that it was Shiv who took him to witness Krishna Leela. Carrying a torch in his hand, Mehta was said to have been so enraptured by the spectacle that he accidentally burned part of his arm.
Q: Mehta is known as a pioneer poet of Gujarati literature. One of the important features of Mehta's work is in the language he composed them. They have been largely preserved orally. Despite this his work has found a universal appeal. How do you explain this?
A: One primary reason could be the inherent musicality of his songs and the fact that he sang them himself. As in many parts of medieval India, particularly swept by the "Bhakti" movement, the propagation was oral because that was the easiest way to remember. I suppose the levels of literacy generally were not high and people were naturally good at remembering. Shruti (Hearing) and Smruti (Memory) have always been the defining elements of Indian literature.
Q: Your documentary dwells more on his perceptions and enlightenments than the miracles attributed to him. Was that your focus when it would have been too much of a temptation to dwell on those?
A: My natural attraction has always been the philosophical even though the miraculous might seem more dramatic. I find that the miraculous tends to take away from the sheer poetic and philosophical brilliance of Mehta's works. As a documentary my objective of it was to bring those elements out for the world beyond Gujarat and India.
Q: At least two films, both named Narsi Bhagat, have been made on the life of the saint-poet. One in 1940 by well known Gujarati director Vijay Bhat and the other in 1957 by Devendra Goel. Have you seen them for cinematic reference?
A: No.
Here is the link to his documentary. It is password enabled and pay-per-view. Please do watch.
https://vimeo.com/155155514
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