Raskhan re tum ho jag ke nissar!

Recently, I've been exploring Raga Durga, a captivating and serene evening raga renowned for its uplifting and devotional qualities that often evoke a sense of peace and reverence. I’ve been practicing a beautiful bandish in this raga, which goes:

रसखान रे तुम हो जग के निस्सार|  

भवजल हूँ तरु गुन नही मो में  

तुम ही लगाओ पार||

The verse conveys a plea for divine assistance: "Lord, worldly things hold no value for You; You are detached from them. But for me, navigating through life's challenges is difficult, something I cannot manage alone. Please help me cross this sea of daily struggles." Here is my modest attempt at singing this bandish. You’ll find this same bandish performed as a bada khyal by many renowned singers, including Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. I’ll share an interesting anecdote about it with you at a later time.

While teaching me the bandish my guru Prof. Milind Malshe had mentioned that Raskhan was a Muslim Sufi poet who used the pen name Raskhan, meaning "mine of beauty" (aesthetics). Intrigued by the poet’s exquisite name, I delved deeper into his background. His story captivated and inspired me, so I decided to share it with others.

Raskhan, born Saiyad Ibrahim Khan in the 17th century, initially led a luxurious life in a well-to-do family. However, his profound devotion to Krishna led him to embrace Bhakti, convert to Vaishnavism, and settle in Vrindavan, where he spent the rest of his life. His poetry, deeply rooted in Krishna and spirituality, continues to be celebrated.

Many of Raskhan's padas are still performed today, and his samadhi is located in Mahaban, Mathura. His poetry is available in books on platforms like Amazon, and some of his works are included in the Hindi syllabus for higher education.

This brief introduction is just the tip of the iceberg; there's so much more to explore in Raskhan's beautiful creations. My aim with this post is to introduce him and spark curiosity. So, I'll conclude with one of Raskhan's popular Savaiya (a form of poetry in praise of someone, where each verse is a quarter of the length of a standard verse):

मानुस हौं तो वही रसखान, बसौं मिलि गोकुल गाँव के ग्वारन।  

जो पसु हौं तो कहा बस मेरो, चरौं नित नंद की धेनु मँझारन॥  

पाहन हौं तो वही गिरि को, जो धर्यो कर छत्र पुरंदर धारन।  

जो खग हौं तो बसेरो करौं मिलि कालिंदीकूल कदम्ब की डारन॥  

Meaning:  

In my next life, if I am born as a human,I wish to be a cowherd from Gokul. If not, and I am reborn as an animal, I hope to be a cow in Nand’s herd. If that’s not possible, and I become a stone, I would like to be a stone from Govardhan Hill, which Krishna lifted on his head. If I turn into a bird, I want to live among those on the branches of the Kadamba tree by the Yamuna River under which Krishna plays Bansuri. (Essentially, I wish to be close to Krishna, to hear his flute and witness his divine leelas.)

Such a novel and beautiful expression of love and devotion!

I hope this post offers you some new insights, as it did for me. I look forward to sharing more musings with you, inspired by the delightful world of music. See you soon!