J. R.

Puri
&V,
T. R. Shangari

Radha Soami Satsang Beas

i
 Bulleh Shah, the 18th century
mystic poet from the Punjab, was
the most popular Sufi saint of his
times. In fact, some eminent writers
have called him “the greatest Sufi
poet of the Punjab.” His admirers
have even compared his writings and
philosophy to those of Rumi. At
present he is held in equally great
esteem in Northern India and
Pakistan.

Bulleh Shah’s poems are suffused

with love for God and his Master or
Murshid. The other dominant note
in his poetry is on very strong
denunciation of empty rituals and
external observances of religion.

He does not believe in saying

something in roundabout ways.
Whatever he has to convey, he says
it by hitting the nail on the head. His
poems are marked, not only by plain
speaking, but also by bluntness. This
produces a poignancy of feeling
together with a depth of insight,
which puts all artifice to shame. His
poetry rises spontaneously from the
depth of his heart, even as a fountain
spouts from the depths of the earth.
It has a kind of abandon which
produces an intoxicating effect on
the reader. No wonder it has always
been a favorite choice for the group
of singers called qawwals.
Mystics of the East Series
Bulleh
Shah
(1680—1758)
V
 Bulleh
Shah
The Love-intoxicated Iconoclast

J. R. Puri
&
T R. Shangari

Radha Soami Satsang Beas

Published by
S. L. Sondhi, Secretary
Radha Soami Satsang Beas
P. O. Dera Baba Jaimal Singh
Dist. Amritsar 143 204
Punjab, India

© 1986
Radha Soami Satsang Beas
All rights reserved

First Edition 1986—8,000 copies

Printed and phototypeset at Align Graphics 9/54 Kirti Nagar New Delhi 110 015
Ph. 591292
 DEDICATED
TO

MAHARAJ CHARAN SINGH

without whose inspiring guidance and encouragement
it would not have been possible to offer this book
in the present form

I
 Contents

Preface xv

Authors’ note xvii

SECTION ONE 1 LIFE

SECTION TWO 31 TEACHINGS

SECTION THREE 145 POEMS

Kafi 149 Note on Kafi

150 A Subtle Difference
151 A Warning
153 Arise! Awake!
159 At the Well of Life
161 Auspicious Day
162 Behind the Screen
165 Behind the Veil
167, Beloved as Man
169 Beloved as Yogi
171 Bid me Farewell!
173 Call me Your Own
177 Caught in a Net
182 Celestial Melody
184 Cheated While Spinning
186 Come, Dear Friend
187 Come, Friend!
189 Come, Love!
191 Come, O Physician!
193 Consumed by Love
196 Creator and Creation
197 Deep Color
200 Deficient at Studies
202 Departure
 \

Kafi—Contd. 203 Destiny

204 Dogs are Better Than you!
205 Don’t Hide Behind the Veil!
206 Dust Mingles with Dust
208 Ecstasy of Love
210 Ever Fresh Spring of Love
213 Face of the Beloved
215 Fall Not in Love
218 False Knowledge
222 False Repentance
224 For the Sake of My Beloved
226 Friends, Congratulate Me
228 “Goodness” of Our Forefathers
230 Guiles of the Beloved
232 Guru is All-Powerful
235 He Deserted Me
237 Hide No More
239 Hint From the Beloved!
242 His Omnipresence
244 I am Free
245 I am Lost to Myself
246 I Cannot Live Without You
248 I Talk of the Beyond
251 In a New Attire
253 In Love
255 In Love Divine
258 Lift Your Veil!
260 Longing
262 Longing for the Master
264 Lost in Love
265 Lost to Myself
266 Love and Law
268 Love Charms
270 Love Consummated
272 Melody of the Flute
274 Merging in the Beloved
275 Merging in Ranjha
278 Missives
280 My Beloved Friend
Kafi—Contd. 281 My Fasts, My Pilgrimages!
282 My Mad Love for the Beloved
284 My Magnificent Bridegroom
285 My Spinning Wheel out of Order
287 Mystery of Alif
289 Neither Hindu nor Muslim
291 No Reliance on You
293 Of Earth
295 On Union with the Lord
296 Only Ranjha
298 Pain of Love
300 Pangs of Love
301 Pass Your Time in Silence!
303 Perfect Love
305 Permeation
307 Perverse Times
309 Physical Love
311 Pining
313 Plea for Piety
319 Pray Merge Me with You
320 Radiance of Love
321 Ranjha is My Ka’ba
323 Ranjha is My Mecca
325 Revel with the Lord
327 Seeking Cure
330 Separation
332 Shah Inayat
333 Spin and Roam Not Aimlessly
335 Stay, O Love!
340 Sweeperess of the Lord
341 Swings of Love
343 The All-pervading Beloved
345 The Assemblage
347 The Beloved Departs
349 The Crucial Point
352 The Delicate Secret
354 The Divine Ranjha
355 The Essence of Love
356 The Fleeting Four Days!
Kafi Contd. 358 The Great Trickster
362 The Intoxicated One
364 The Jewel Merchants
366 The Joy of Death
368 The Lord in Disguise
369 The Lover
371 The Message-bearer
373 The Night of Union
375 The Pain of My Mad Love
376 The Reverse Direction
378 The Safflower Blossoms
381 The Spell of Love
383 The Spinning Wheel
389 The Story of Creation
392 The Torment of Separation
393 The Wages of Love
395 The Way of Love
397 The Wondrous Sadhu
398 The Works of Love!
400 The World as a Fair
402 Thief in the Fold of My Cloak
404 To Admonish Bullah
406 Transient Life
408 True Love has Beguiled Me
410 Truth Cannot be Withheld
413 Truth Submerged
414 Turn to Me
415 Unity in Diversity
417 Wake Up, Dear Traveler
419 Walk into My Courtyard
420 Weary of Spinning
422 What do I Know of Someone?
424 Whims of Love
427 Whither Your Destination?
428 Who Am I?
431
Who Can Now Recognize Me?
433 Why .the Veil?
436 Without Habitation
439 Woes of Separation
 Kafi—Contd. 441 Wounds of Love
444 Yearning
447 You Alone Exist
Baran Maha 449
450 The Spring Season (March-April)
451 The Rainy Season (July-August)

The Week 452

453 Saturday
454 Thursday

The Knots 455

Couplets
and Excerpts 457

Acrostic 467 The Fire of Love

—A Selection

Appendix 469 Literary Style

Notes 477

Bibliography 485

Books Consulted 487

Index 489 Punjabi First Lines of kafis

Local Addresses 493

Books on this
Science. 497
 PREFACE
This is the tenth book in our Mystics of the East
series. As already indicated, the object of the series is to
bring out the fact that all true saints — no matter to
which period, country or race they belong — propagate
the same teachings. There is no difference between the
one and the other. They all proclaim that God is one,
Truth is one and the same. Their method of presentation
may be different, depending on the ethos of the people
of their country, but the Truth never changes.
Many books have been written on Buileh Shah, but
hardly any one has tried to explain the real meanings of
his writings, most of which are couched in mystic lan¬
guage. Years of research have been spent by the authors
in order to bring out the hidden mystic meaning of
Buileh Shah’s poetry, which is full of love, devotion,
longing, and humility. This has proved an exhausting
and laborious project as the authors had to explore
intensively all the avenues for bringing their work to a
successful conclusion. Their acknowledgments will be
found under the subject “Authors’ Note.”
We are grateful to the authors for their patient and
painstaking efforts resulting in the addition of this valu¬
able monograph to our publications.

S. L. Sondhi
Secretary
Radha Soami Satsang Beas,
Punjab, India
December 12, 1985
 AUTHORS’ NOTE

Bulleh Shah has aroused keen interest in his readers

for his sublime poetry. His poems, surcharged with
divine love, have held them in a spell for nearly 250
years. They are suffused with love of God and love of his
Master, and leave an intoxicating effect on the reader.
No less dominant in his poetry is the refrain of strong
denunciation of barren rituals and external observances
of religion. He is equally critical of the sham pedantry of
empty scholarship. Thus, he could well be designated as
a love-intoxicated iconoclast.
It h^s been our endeavor, through an in-depth and
analytical study of Bulleh Shah’s poetry, to bring to
surface a vast treasure of mystic wealth that lay buried
in it. Till now his poetry has been studied and admired
by various writers mainly for its literary excellence.
Anwar Ali Rohtaki was perhaps the first scholar who
brought to light some of its mystic aspects.
Scholars have generally viewed poetic utterances of
saints and mystics from a historical standpoint. They
trace these utterances to certain external sources, such
as the Vedant, Sufism and the Bhagti movement. It does
not strike them that the remarkable resemblance in the
works of mystics could well accrue from the similarity—
and indeed the identity—of their experiences. Mystics
do not borrow their ideas from others. They have a
direct perception of Reality, which becomes the foun¬
tainhead of their teachings. Since Reality is one, its per¬
ception by mystics is bound to be the same. And the
teachings that flow from this perception are necessarily
similar.
 The study of Bulleh Shah was beset with various
problems. The main problem was the absence of a
standard and universally accepted text. These variations
in the text have often been perplexing. At places, appar¬
ently minor variations lead to vastly different interpreta¬
tions. All the same, every effort has been made to pres¬
ent a consistent account, so that the basic framework of
his philosophy is not affected. Almost all available texts
were consulted, but we have mainly relied on the texts
prepared by Dr. Faqir Mohammad, Maulana Anwar
Ali Rohtaki, Dr. Nazir Ahmad and Mr. Abdul Majid
Bhatti.
Although the study of the aesthetic and literary
aspects of Bulleh Shah’s poetry was not a part of the
project, a short chapter on his poetic style has been
included in the book for the benefit of readers. For its
natural, forceful flow, forthright expression, novelty of
metaphor and an exquisite choice of words, Bulleh
Shah’s poetry is unrivaled.
We are grateful to Prof. K. S. Narang, former Vice-
Chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala for giving us
valuable suggestions. We must also thank Dr. Kirpal
Singh‘Khak’for extending his scholarly help every now
and then. This book went through repeated revisions,
and Mrs. Kamla Samtani ungrudgingly typed each draft
with love and devotion. She was helped in preparing the
final draft by Miss Indu Kirpalani. We are indebted to
them both. Last but not least, we are grateful to Miss
Louise Hilger who, as usual, has taken pains to prepare
the press copy.
J. R. PURI
T. R. SHANGARI
SECTION
ONE

LIFE
 Life

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 recogni¬
tion. 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.”1 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.
“The greatest Sufi poet of the Punjab was Mir Bulleh
Shah Qadiri Shatari.”2 Because of his pure life and high
spiritual attainments, he is equally popular among all
communities. Scholars and dervishes have called him
“The Sheikh of Both the Worlds,” “The man of God,”
“The Knower of Spiritual Grace” and by other equally
edifying titles. Considered as the greatest mystic poet of
the Punjab, his compositions have been regarded as “the
pinnacle of Sufi literature.” His admirers compare his
writings and philosophy to those of Rumi and Shams-i-
Tabriz. At present, he is held in equally great esteem in
Northern India and Pakistan.

1. Taufiq Rafat: Bulleh Shah, A selection 1982, p.l.

2. Saiyid Athar Abbas Rizvi: A History of Sufism in India, Vol. II p. 445.
Hereafter, it will be referred to as A History of Sufism in India.
4 BULLEH SHAH \

Bulleh Shah’s real name was Abdullah Shah. From

Abdullah Shah it changed to Bullah Shah or Bulleh
Shah. “Out of affection some call him Baba Bulleh
Shah, some, Sain Bulleh Shah and some others merely
Bullah.”1 The 40th Knot* gives evidence of his true
name. “Invoking the name of God, now pray to Him,
the Lord pervades everywhere Abdullah exists no
more.”
There, is some difference of opinion among research
scholars about the time of his birth and death. The
majority, however, believes that he lived from 1680 to
1758. Even about his birthplace there is some contro¬
versy. Some researchers hold the view that he was born
in the village Uch Gilaniyan in Bahawalpur State
(Pakistan).2 They believe that Bulleh Shah remained in
this village up to the age of six months,3 when his
parents were residing here, but who shifted to village
Malakwal (Tehsil Sahiwal, Dist. Multan) for some
reason. They had not been in Malakwal for a long time,
when the owner of village Pandoke felt the need of a
preacher for the village mosque. On the recommenda¬
tions of the people of Malakwal, he approached Bulleh
Shah’s father, Shah Mohammed Dervish, and took him
to Pandoke where he performed the duties not only of
the preacher but also of the village teacher for children.
All researchers agree on the point that the ancestral
village of Bulleh Shah’s parents was Uch Gilaniyan, and
it is from there that they shifted first to Malakwal and
later to Pandoke. However, some researchers hold the

1. Gurdev Singh: Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 12.

2. Maula Baksh Kushta, Lajwanti Ramakrishna, and Fakir Mohd have
concluded it from the data available with them.
3. According to some scholars it is six years.
* A form of poetry.
 LIFE 5

view that Bulleh Shah’s birth took place after his parents
had shifted to Pandoke. Today it is known as Pandoke
Bhatian. It is about 14 miles southeast of Qasur and is
quite well-known. In fact, Bulleh Shah’s contribution to
make it famous is considerable. It is said that from
among the ancestors of Bulleh Shah, Sayeed Jalaluddin
Bukhari came to Multan from Surakh-Bukhara three
hundred years earlier. Here he got initiated from
Hazarat Sheikh Ghaus Bahauddin Zakrya of Multan,
and here eventually he settled down. Bulleh Shah’s
grandfather, Sayyiad Abdur Razzaq, descended from
the same line. Thus Bulleh Shah’s family, being of
Sayyiad caste, was related to prophet Mohammed on
the one hand and on the other hand with Sufi thought
and mystic traditions, for centuries.
Bulleh Shah’s father, Shah Mohammed Dervish,
was well versed in Arabic, Persian and the holy Qura’n.
He was a noble soul with spiritual leanings. It is said
that out of the whole family, Bulleh Shah’s sister had the
greatest love for him, who, like her brother, remained
celibate all her life, and spent much of her time in
meditation. Both, brother and sister, had been greatly
influenced by the high moral character of their father
who, out of respect for him, had been given the title
“Dervish.” The tomb of Bulleh Shah’s father still-exists
in Pandoke Bhatian. Every year an urs1 is performed at
the tomb and Bulleh Shah’s kafis are sung there. In this
way a tribute is paid to both, father and son, and it has
assumed the form of a tradition to perpetuate their
memory.
Bulleh Shah’s childhood was spent under the care of
his father at Pandoke. He received his early education,

1. A religious ceremony celebrating the union of the soul of a deceased

saint with the Supreme Being.
6 BULLEH SHAH

like that of other children, from his father. Later, for

higher education he was sent to Qasur, which was a
well-known educational center those days.
In Qasur there were eminent teachers such as
Hazarat Ghulam Murtaza and Maulana Mohiyuddin.
Their fame had spread far and wide. Bulleh Shah too
became a pupil of Hazarat Ghulam Murtaza. With his
native intelligence and moral inclination, he gained
much from his contact with his teacher.
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.
Inayat Shah was a well-known Qadiri Sufi of his
time. From the historical point of view the Qadiri Sufis
can be traced back to the Sufi Saint Abdul Qadri Jilani
(1077/78 to 1166) of Bagdad. Jilani is also known by the
names Pir Dastgir and Piran-i-Pir. Bulleh Shah himself
has also given a hint that his “Master of Masters” was
born in Bagdad but his own Master belonged to Lahore:

My Master of Masters hailed from Bagdad,

but my Master belongs to the throne of Lahore.
 LIFE 7

It is all the same. For He himself is the kite

and He himself is the string.

Two collections of Sheikh Abdul-Qadir Jilani’s ser¬

mons, al Fathal Rabbani, comprising 62 and the Futuh
al-Ghaib, containing 78 of them, are well known to
Islamic readers.1 In one of the sermons, he strongly
denounced his contemporaries for their materialistic
way of life. In another sermon he said, “Good and evil
were two fruits emerging from two branches of a single
tree. One of the branches yielded sweet fruit and the
other bitter; it would be wise, therefore, for people to
move to areas where the sweet fruits were to be found.”2
Also, “A jihad fought against self-will was, to Sheikh
Abdul-Qadir far superior to that waged with the sword.
Through this struggle the idolatory of the self and the
worship of created things (the hidden shirk) could be
vanquished.3 Sheikh Jilani “advised his audience that
seekers of God had to be indifferent towards even the
life hereafter and to cultivate pleasure only in the
thought of annihilation and abiding poverty in this
life.”4
In India the influence of the Sufi Qadiri thought was
felt after three centuries in 1432 through the person of
Mohammed Ghaus, a Sufi dervish. Mohammed Ghaus
first settled in Bahawalpur, but later his teachings
reached far and wide.
The Sufi saint of Punjab, Mian Mir (1550-1635
A.D.) was also connected with the Qadiri tradition. It is
well-known that Guru Ram Das got the foundation of
Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar laid by Mian Mir. The
story is also current that at the time of the Mughul

1 to 4. A History of Sufism in India, Vol. I, pp. 84-85.

8 BULLEH SHAH

emperor Jahangir’s persecution of the fifth Guru, Shri

Arjun Dev, Mian Mir sought the approval of Guru
Arjun Dev to raze the town of Delhi to the ground if he
so permitted. The Guru replied that he could also do it,
but under all conditions one must live in the will of God.
It is obvious from this that there was great love between
Mian Mir and the Gurus, and that he was held in great
esteem by them.
The date of birth of Inayat Shah Qadiri (died
1728 A.D.) is not known. But, from one of his own
hand-written manuscripts it is evident that he was
enjoying good health in 1699 A.D. He was an eminent
Sufi saint of the Qadiri tradition and is said to be a
scholarly author. 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.1
Inayat Shah lived in Lahore, so he was called Inayat
Shahi Lahori. He belonged to the Arain2 caste and
earned his living through agriculture or gardening. He
also lived in Qasur for some time, but due to the
animosity of the ruler of Qasur he shifted to Lahore,
where he remained till the end of his life. His tomb, is
also situated near Lahore. In Bang-i-Auliya-i-Hind we
find the following reference about him:

From the tribe of g'ti deners was brother Shah Inayat,

He received honor from Shah Raza Wali Allah.

1. Punjab, Language Department Punjab, Patiala, p. 424.

2. An agriculturist community among Muslims.
 LIFE 9

He earned his living in the small town of

Qasur Pathana.
The ruler Husein Khan of this town was his
arch enemy.
From there Inayat Shah came to the city of Lahore;
Two miles to the south of the city he made
his habitation.
It is at this place that we find his tomb.
In 11411 he departed from this world.

It is said that even before coming in contact with

Inayat Shah, Bulleh Shah used to do some spiritual
practice, and had acquired certain miraculous powers.
When Bulleh 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, Bullah2 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 fhe 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, “O, you are not only a thief, you are also being

1. This is according to the Muslim calendar, the equivalent of which in

Christian calendar is 1728.
2. Bulleh Shah is simply referred to as “Bullah” when “Shah” is not used.
10 BULLEH SHAH

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 “O 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.
In Bang-i-Auliya-i-Hind this instance has been described
as below:

“In the city of Qasur Pathana it happened to a

man of God, a descendent of prophet Mohammed,
the grandson1 of Pir Jilani, that he achieved
greatness from Hazrat Shah Inayat whose tomb lies
in Lahore, south of the city. Bulleh Shah said to
himelf, “I must get my Master after testing him. I
must fully satisfy myself, I must drink water after
straining it.” In his intense search for his Master he
first looked towards Lahore, then he came there and
took his residence, where the garden of Shah Inayat
was situated. There he saw a mango on a tree at that
time, he looked at it, invoked the name of God, and
the mango fell on the ground. Shah Inayat gave a

1. He was a disciple of a disciple, Hazrat Jilani.

 LIFE 11

call to him and said, “Listen, you wayfarer, you have

stolen my mango. Give it back to me.” Bulleh Shah
replied, “I did not climb up the tree; your mangoes
are far from my reach. It is with the wind that the
mango broke from the branch and came into my
lap.”“lnvoking the name of God,you got the mango.
You have committed a theft.” Bulleh Shah realized
the spiritual power and knowledge of Inayat Shah.
He fell at his feet, was graced by initiation from the
Master and attained the secret knowledge.”
Bulleh Shah’s meeting with the Master, getting
initiation from him and being deeply impressed has been
described by a scholar in these words:

“Bulleh Shah had all those virtues in him which

Shah Inayat was looking for in a disciple. He opened
his inner treasure and placed it before him. .. He got
the vision, he became oblivious of his surroundings,
and in that state of rapture he proclaimed the gift of
his inner grace in the manner of Mansur.”

Bulleh Shah started to pass his time in a state of

strange ecstasy. In the company of his Master and with
the practice of the path he had been shown, Bu e
Shah’s spiritual condition started changing day by day.
His kafi “Whatever color I am dyed in” makes it clear
how great was the effect of his Master on him. In it he
mentions that his inner eye had been opened, all his
doubts had been removed, and he had been blessed with
the light of Realization. Through the grace of his Master
he had the vision of the Lord within and that for him no
difference existed between his Master and the Lord.

1. Sunder Singh Narula (Editor), Sain Bulleh Shah, Amritsar, 1931, p. 9.

 12 BULLEHSHAH

The effect of his Master on him was so profound that

but for his Master nothing else mattered to him. He
became strangely selfless and impervious to affairs of
the world. Prof. Puran Singh has described an
interesting incident of this phase of Bulleh Shah’s life in
his book, The Spirit of Oriental Poetry.< One day he saw
a young girl whose husband was expected to come
home, and in whose preparation she was putting plaits
in her hair. A strange desire arose in his mind. He also
dressed himself like that woman, put the same type of
plaits in his hair, and went in this guise to meet his
Master. For the worldly people such an act would look
ridiculous, but it shows not only the great love for his
Master but also his unconcern with public opinion and
his desire to sacrifice himself for his beloved. In the
manner of true lovers he shed his masculine pride and
assumed the form of a helpless woman, who renounces
her ego and surrenders herself completely to her lord.
Whatever questions and doubts Bulleh Shah had in
his mind before he met his Master, were all drowned in
the experience of his inner light. When he had made up
his mind to come to Inayat Shah, people had dissuaded
him from doing so, saying “You are a great scholar, a
master of miraculous powers and a descendent of
prophet Mohammed. Does it seem right to you to go to
an ordinary gardener of low caste and become his
disciple ? Is it not shameful ?” But his Master was true to
his name.1 2 He showered such grace on Bulleh Shah that
a single glance of his made him saturated with spiritual
light. In ecstatic gratitude Bullah proclaimed: “O
Bullah, if you seek the pleasure of a garden in spring, go

1. Page 15.
2. ‘Inayat’ literally means favor or bounty.
 LIFE 13

and become a servant of the Arain.” Bulleh Shah held

the hem of his Master’s cloak so firmly that he never let
it go from his hand for the rest of his life. All of Bulleh
Shah’s compositions are suffused with love and
gratitude for his Master. In this love he identified his
Master with the Lord. He has addressed Shah Inayat
with such words as guide, as one who unites people with
God, besides calling him spouse, husband, Lord, friend,
and beloved.

1. He listens to my tale of woe ;

Shah Inayat guides me and takes me across.
(Week)

2 a. Shah Inayat is my Master, who has come

to grace me.
All my wrangles and strifes are over.
Who can now delude me ?
(Acrostic)

b. Bullah has fallen in love with the Lord.

He has given his life and body as earnest.
His Lord and Master is Shah Inayat
who has captivated his heart.
(Baran Maha)

c. He pervades in everyone.
Shah Inayat himself showed it,
And then alone I could see.
(Baran Maha)

3 a. Inayat will come to my nuptial couch ;

I am in great delight.
(Knot)

b. My friends have come to congratulate me.

Shah Inayat, my Lord, has fulfilled my hopes.
(Baran Maha)

V
14 BULLEHSHAH

c. I left my parents to take your shelter,

O my beloved King Inayat !
Now honor this bond of love,
For I am entirely in your hands.
Pray, walk into my courtyard !
(Kafi)
d. Come Love, fold me in your arms,
Why this estrangement ? Says Bullah:
Ever since I found Shah Inayat,
The Lord has taken abode in me.
(Kafi)
er Bulleh Shah has no caste ;
He has found Shah Inayat.
(Kafi)

He calls his Master the Lord of the soul and the

philosopher’s stone, which can turn iron into gold.

O Bullah, my Lord Inayat knows God,

He is the Master of my heart.
I am iron, he is the philosopher’s stone.

Again, “The Master is an adept in swimming, who

can take across an inept and helpless woman.”1

Bullah also calls him the one who can embellish the
soul with spiritual apparel and jewelery and transform a
widow into a bride.

O Bullah, the Lord brought me to the door of Inayat,

Who embellished me with clothes green and red.

1. cf. Bullah was not worthy of the Lord but Shah Inayat took him across.
 LIFE 15

For a distinguished scholar, who belonged to the line

of prophet Mohammed, to accept an ordinary vegetable
grower as his Master was a very extraordinary event in
the social conditions of Bulleh Shah’s times. It was like
an explosion which shook the prevailing social structure.
Bullah had to suffer the taunts and ridicule not only of
men of his religion, clan and caste, but also of all
members of his family. He says:

1. O, what has love done to me?

People hurl at me taunts and rebukes.

2. For the sake of my true friend,

I have to bear the reproaches of people.
3. To admonish Bullah came his sisters and
sisters-in-law,
“Why have you brought disgrace to the prophet
and to the progeny of Ali? 1
Listen to our advice, O Bullah, and leave the hem
of the Arain’s skirt.”

Bullah preached fearlessly that the guidance of a

Master was indispensable for spiritual realization, and
the caste of the Master did not at all matter in this
pursuit. Even if he belonged to the lowest caste, his help
would still remain indispensable. Thus, he proclaimed at
the top of his voice that pride in being a Sayyiad would
land one in hell, and the one who held the skirt of a
Master like Inayat Shah would enjoy the pleasures of
heaven.
Let anyone, who calls me a Sayyiad,
be punished with tortures of hell,
And let him revel in the pleasures of heaven,
who labels me an Arain.

I One of the four Caliphs and the son-in-law of prophet Mohammed.

 16 BULLEHSHAH

If you seek the pleasures of the spring season,

become a slave of the Arain.

An interesting incident of this period in the life of

Bulleh Shah presents a graphic picture of his ecstasy,
generosity and fearlessness of public opinion. It is said
that as a result of disgust from people’s attitude, Bulleh
Shah purchased a few donkeys so that people should
ridicule him. They started calling him “The man with
donkeys.” During those days, a p'oor man’s wife was
abducted by a Muslim Chieftain.1 In despair, the
husband went to Bulleh Shah, and asked for his help in
recovering his beloved wife. After a few moments spent
in thought, Bulleh Shah told the man, “Go and see, my
friend, if there is any music or dance going on
somewhere nearabout.” The man soon came back and
reported that a group of eunuchs was dancing in the
village nearby, accompanied by a band of musicians.
“That is good,” said Bulleh Shah. “Come now and sit on
one of my donkeys, and we shall both go to watch the
dance.” As soon as the saint arrived at the dance, he
joined the group and also started dancing. He got into
an ecstasy and asked the man, “Where does the Muslim
Chieftain live?” The man told him that he lived in a
certain part of the city near the orchard of dates and the
grove of mangoes. Then Bulleh Shah called out with
directed attention:

There is a mango grove, it is said,

and an orchard of dates.
The owner of donkeys calls you,
Wake up, if you are asleep.

1. Tales of the Mystic East, Radha Soami Satsang Beas,pp. 183-185.

 Sorrel is thus hulled in the mortar,
Sorrel is thus hulled, my friend !

The moment he uttered these words, the abducted

woman ran out from the nearby garden and came to
Bulleh Shah. Bulleh Shah stopped dancing and called to
the husband, “Here is your beloved wife, brother! Take
her home and guard her well.”
Then once more wrapped in ecstasy, he continued to
dance to the bewitching music. The gossips lost no time
in going to Bulleh Shah’s father, an orthodox Muslim,
and told him all that had happened. Not only was his
son now hiring out donkeys, but he had also started to
dance with the eunuchs. Greatly distressed and enraged,
the saint’s father, with a rosary in one hand and a staff in
the other, hastened to the place where his son was
dancing. “Ah! it is you, father,” said Bulleh Shah as he
heard his name called. He looked at his father intently
and began to sing:

People have only chaplets but my father has a rosary.

The whole of his life he has toiled hard,
But has not been able to uproot a single hair.1
Sorrel is thus hulled in the mortar.
Sorrel is thus hulled, my friend !

As the son, filled with spiritual ardor, gazed at his

father, the inner eye of the father was opened and he had
a divine vision. With a serene and radiant smile on his
face, he joined his son in the ecstatic dancing and
singing, and as he danced, he $ang over and over again:

1. He has not been able to achieve anything.

18 BULLEHSHAH

Blessed are the parents whose sons

are dyed in such divine color!
They bring salvation even to their parents.
Sorrel is thus hulled in the mortar.
Sorrel is thus, hulled, my friend !

The beginning of love is fascinating, but its path is

difficult and its destination far. Even a small error or
omission on the part of the lover can become a cause of
great annoyance for the beloved. ‘That creates a
mountain of calamities for the lover. Such a thing
happened to Bulleh Shah, when his Master got annoyed
with him for an omission on his part.
Some writers have attributed the reason for his
Master’s annoyance to Bulleh Shah’s open criticism of
rituals and customs practiced by Muslims, and this was
not to the liking of Inayat Shah. This reason, however,
does not appear plausible, because criticism of external
observances is common to all Sufi saints, and it was not
unknown in the Qadiri tradition. They were certainly
not the worshippers of this system.
The second reason given for the annoyance is quite
different in nature. It is said that once Bulleh Shah
invited his Master on the marriage of one of his
relatives. The Saint deputed one of his disciples to
represent him at the function. This disciple belonged to
the Arain caste and was poorly clad. Now, Bulleh Shah’s
family was proud of belonging to the clan of Sayyiads.
They did not give proper attention in receiving this
poorly clad man. Even Bullah happened to make this
omission. At least he should haye shown proper respect
to the representative of his Master. But under the
pressure of his family or thb fear of public opinion, he
did not give the guest due honor. When the disciple
 LIFE 19

returned from the marriage, the Saint asked him how the
marriage was celebrated. He told his Master the whole
story, and complained that because of his low caste and
tattered clothes, neither Bulleh Shah nor his family
showed him due respect. The Saint replied, “How dare
Bullah behave like this ?” And then added, “What have
we to get from this useless man? We shall change the
direction of the flow of water from his fields to yours !”
He had only to utter these words to bring a calamity in
Bullah’s life. As soon as the Master changed the
direction of his grace, his spring turned into autumn.
His inner visions vanished, leaving him dry and barren.
Light changed into darkness and bliss into mourning. It
was a stunning blow to Bullah.
One who has never experienced inner bliss and who
has never had a glimpse of the divine glory of his Master
within, his case is quite different. But the one who has
enjoyed the wealth of inner experience and who is
suddenly deprived of this treasure, he alone knows the
pangs of such a torture. In fact, the lord of spiritual
wealth is the perfect Master, and there is nothing in the
hands of the disciple. Apparently, the disciple is himself
seeking the Master, and with his own effort treads the
path and progresses on it, as shown by the Master. But,
in reality the disciple cannot search for the Master with
his mind and meager intellect, nor can he find the true
path with his own power and cleverness. Nor can he rise
to spiritual realms with his own endeavor. Finding the
true path and achieving spiritual progress are all gifts of
the Master’s grace. Bulleh Shah has himself written,
“The Guru does whatever he wills.” But to realize this
truth he had to suffer the annoyance of his Master and
to cross the frightening ocean of the fire of separation.
20 BULLEH SHAH

As soon as his spiritual experiences were stopped,

Bullah hastened to his Master, but the Master turned his
back on him and asked him to leave the place. For one
thing, the annoyance of his Master, for another the
command not to see him! What greater torture could
there be for a disciple? Bullah was miserable. He began
to burn in the fire of repentance, and his condition was
like that of a fish out of water.
In the compositions of Bullah, many references can
be found of this heart-rending state of his mind. In many
of his kafis there is a touch of his personal life. No one
can say with certainty when these kafis were written. But
the descriptions in these poems bespeak of such a mental
state. The pain of separation erupts in them like
turbulent waves. “In poignancy of emotion, sincerity of
feeling, ardor and longing, these kafis are matchless.”1
From the kafi given below it is evident that the
memory of the bliss of union with the beloved and the
pain of separation from him are continuing to burn
Bullah to ashes like a house on fire. He cannot give up
love, but in the separation of his beloved, he can find
peace neither by day nor by night. He is not blessed with
the sight of his beloved, but without seeing him, fire
rages within his breast, and his heart is breaking. It is
hard to bear such a state of mind, but it is also
impossible to relinquish love. So he hangs between life
and death:

I have been pierced by the arrow of love,

what shall Ido?
I can neither live, nor can I die.

1. History of Punjabi Literature, Language Deptt., Patiala, Sufi Poetrv

(Medieval) p. 60.,
 LIFE 21

Listen ye to my ceaseless outpourings,

I have peace neither by night, nor by day.
I cannot do without my Beloved even for a moment.
I have been pierced by the arrow of love,
what shall I do?

The fire of separation is unceasing!

Let someone take care of my love.
How can I be saved without seeing him?
I have been pierced by the arrow of love,
what shall I do?

O Bullah, I am in dire trouble !

Let someone come to help me out.
How shall I endure such torture ?
I have been pierced by the arrow of love,
what shall I do ?
I can neither live, nor can I die.

In another kafi he describes his pain thus:

He left me, and himself he departed;

What fault was there in me ?

Neither at night nor in the day do I sleep in peace;

My eyes pour out tears !
Sharper than swords and spears
are the arrows of love !
There is no one as cruel as love;
This malady no physician can cure.
There is no peace, not foe a moment,
So intense is the pain of separation!
O Bullah, if the Lord were to shower His grace.
My days would radically change !

He left me, and himself he departed.

What fault was there in me ?
22 BULLEHSHAH

As the period of separation became longer, Bullah’s

condition became worse. On the one hand, there was the
pain of separation, on the other, the ridicule of people.
He prostrates before the memory of his Master, and
repeatedly entreats him to show his face to him at the
earliest.

Why do you tarry, my Beloved ?

O Bullah, now narrate your love story.
He alone knows who has experienced love.
There are rebukes within, taunts without
Such is the comfort I have found in love !
My eyes have taken to the habit of weeping.
For one, it is death, for another, reproach from the
world.
The pain of separation ha? tightly squeezed my life.
O Love, I have cried out my heart in anguish !

Bullah was full of repentance over his blunder. He

was keenly desirous to be forgiven by his Master. In his
mind he pleads to his Master to heal his wound of
separation, and to apply balm to his heart by showing
his face to him.

I suffer from the pain of my mad love.

Come, dear Ranjha, cast a glance at me,
and forgive me my faults.
From the throne of Hazara set out Ranjha,
the Master of artless Heer.
The bridegroom visits the homes of all others;
What is the flaw that vitiates Bullah ?

Bullah does not only describe the state of his

suffering, but also hurls complaints at his Master. On
the one hand, he regrets his own lack of wisdom, on the
 LIFE 23

other, he reproaches his Master, who, after piercing his

heart with the arrow of love, has hidden himself and has
never inquired after him.

Inflicting a wound you hid your face;

Who has taught you such thefts, my Love?
With your fancy you captivated my heart,
But then you never showed your face.
This cup of poison I have drunk myself;
Indeed I was unripe in wisdom!

He calls his Master “the beloved Thug of Lahore”

and complains that he has robbed him with his love, and
made him useless for the world.

Never be taken in by its guiles;

It gives not peace in forest or city.
When the traveler left after casting a glance,
Suddenly a noose was hung round my neck.
He then showed no concern for me.
Oh, I have met the “beloved Thug of Lahore”!

“To be incessantly weeping in separation of his

Master had become the usual routine for Bullah. This
separation of his had assumed the proportions of
madness, and he started roaming in streets and lanes.
The intense longing to see his Master produced a kind
of fire within him, to extinguish which he began to think
out some plans.”1 He knew that his Master was a lover
of music. It is said2 that Bullah put on the garb of a
woman, got hold of a sarangi3 and went to the house of

1. Jit Singh Sital: Bulleh Shah, p. 26

2. Maula Baksh Kushta, Punjabi Shairan-da-Tazkara, p. 104.
3. A musical instrument, like a fiddle.
 24 BULLEH SHAH

a dancing girl. He learnt dancing from her and became

an adept in it. He then took along with him a drummer
and a harmonium player and went to the tomb of a holy
man in whose memory an annual function was being
celebrated. Shah Inayat had also come to attend it.
While all other dancers and singers got tired and sat
down, Bullah, in ecstasy, continued to dance. His voice
was extremely doleful and heart-rending. It is said that
Bullah sang many kafis on the occasion. At last even
Inayat Shah’s heart melted. With a voice full of
compassion he said, “Are you Bullah?” Bullah ran and
fell at his Master’s feet and replied with his eyes full of
tears, “Sir, I am not Bullah but Bhulla”1
The Master is never indifferent to his disciple. When
he realized that the fire of repentance and separation
had purified Bullah and turned him into pure gold, he
forgave him his lapse and pressed him to his heart.
The reason why the Master put Bulleh Shah to such
a hard test— the torture of burning in the fire of
separation and longing — was to make him fit to receive
the invaluable wealth of the Word of God. With this
spiritual treasure he was not only to become rich
himself, but also to make other seekers the recipients of
this wealth.
When the fountain of the Master’s grace started
flowing once again, the arid fields of Bullah began to
revive, and the fragrance «f the flowers of bliss spread
all around. According to the author of Qanun-i-Ishq,
the Master pressed Bullah to his heart, took him along
with him, and intoxicated him with the wine of union.
Bullah’s soul got dyed in the hue of his Master’s soul, so

*• °“e Wh° ^ 8006 aStray‘ There is 3 pun on the word

2. Anwar Ali Rohtaki; Qanun-i-Ishq, p. 177.
 LIFE 25

that no distinction remained between the two. One of

Bulleh Shah’s kafis gives a graphic description of his
state of merging in the Master (Fana-fil-Sheikh):

Repeating the name of Ranjha I have become

Ranjha myself.
O call me ye all “Dhido-Ranjha,” let no one
call me Heer.
Ranjha is in me, I am in Ranjha,
no other thought exists in my mind.
I am not, He alone is. He alone is amusing himself.

The Master is one with the Lord. So, merging in the

Master is transformed into merging in the Lord. This
state is expressed by Bullah in the folldwing lines of two
kafis:

1. You alone exist, I do not, O Beloved!

2. Repeating the name of the Beloved

I have become the Beloved myself.
Whom.shall I call the Beloved now?

The same thought is conveyed by Jesus Christ in the

the Bible thus:

At that day ye. shall know that I am in my Father,

and ye in me, and I in you.1

Arriving at this stage, the illusion of duality disap¬

pears, and the glory of the Beloved is seen to pervade
everywhere. Bulleh Shah declares that love for the Lord
has so radically changed him that his individual self or

1. John 14:20
 26 BULLEH SHAH

ego has been totally eliminated. He has now realized his

true Self hidden behind the veil of the physical body. His
identification with the Supreme Being has opened for
him the floodgates of divine light. In this light no one
has remained a stranger. All have become His own.

I have got lost in the city of love,

I am being cleansed, withdrawing myself
from my head, hands and feet.
I have got rid of my ego, and have
attained my goal.
Thus it has all ended well.
O Bullah, the Lord pervades both the worlds;
None now appears a stranger to me.

In the transcendence of the finite to the Infinite; all

disputes of religion, of good and evil, disappear. To
Bullah now all began to appear as virtuous; none
seemed to him as evil or a stranger.

Remove duality and do away with all disputes;

The Hindus and Muslims are not other than He.
Deem everyone virtuous, there are no thieves.
For, within every body He himself resides.
How the Trickster has put on a mask!

Saturated with the love of God, Bullah became the

personification of compassion and forgiveness. He
began to see the divine in every being, and distinctions
of caste and religion, friend and foe, ceased to have any
meaning for him. The following incident of his life
illustrates this sublime state of his mind in a beautiful
way:
 LIFE 27

It is said1 that “once Bulleh Shah was engaged in

meditation inside his chamber. It was the month of
Ramzan.2 Some of his disciples were sitting outside
eating carrots. After some time a group of orthodox
Muslims who were keeping the fast happened to pass
them. When they saw the disciples sitting at a faqir’s
abode and violating the fast, they were enraged.” They
shouted in an angry voice, “Are you not ashamed of
eating in the month of Ramzan, and that also at the
abode of a faqir?” The disciples replied, “Brother belie¬
vers, take your path. We are feeling hungry. That is why
we are eating.”
The group of believers felt suspicious about their
faith. So they asked, “Who are you?” They replied, “We
are Muslims. Don’t the Muslims feel hungry?”. The
believers again commanded them to stop eating, but the
disciples did not heed. The believers who were on
horses, alighted. They snatched the carrots from the
hands of the disciples, and threw them away. They also
gave a few blows to them. As they were about to leave, it
struck them that the pir of these impious people must
have been cast in the same mould. So they turned back
to ask him what kind of instruction he had given to his
disciples. They went to his chamber and said, “Who are
you?” Bullah who was meditating with his eyes closed,
raised his arms and moved his hands. They asked him
again, “Why don’t you speak? Who are you?” Bullah
once again raised his arms. The riders taking him to be a
mad man, went away. Soon after they left, the disciples
entered the chamber, raising a hue and cry that they had

1. History of Punjabi Literature (Medieval), Language Deptt. Patiala,

1963, Sufism, p. 64.
2. Muslims keep fast for a month in a year, which is called the month of
Ramzan. They eat only once a day, in the evening, during Ramzan.
 28 BULLEH SHAH

been beaten. Bullah told them that they must have done
something to provoke the believers. The disciples denied
to have done any such thing. Bullah said, “What did
they ask you?” The disciples replied, “They asked us
who we were, and we said we were Muslims.” Bullah
retorted, “That’s why you were beaten. You became
something and you suffered. I didn’t become anything,
and they said nothing to me.”
To consider oneself something emanates from the
sense of ego. Such a person is still under the sway of
maya, and has not had a vision of Truth so far. One who
has had such a vision comes to know his true Self and
gets liberated from the bondage of caste, religion and
country. There are numerous instances in the poems of
Bulleh Shah, which show that the soul, like the Lord,
has no religion, no caste, no country. All these
distinctions are born out of time and space, but the soul
is unborn and timeless. It has neither a beginning, nor
an end, nor is it bound by the limitations of caste and
religion. Bullah recognizes only the primeval relation¬
ship of soul with God :

I take myself to be the beginning and the end;

I do not recognize aught except the One.

Having realized the Truth within, Bulleh Shah be¬

came the embodiment of Truth himself. He spent the
rest of his life in disseminating the message of this
Reality. Till the end of his sojourn in this transient
world he was engaged in meditation of the Lord, and
guided all those who came in contact with him, on the
same path. His magnetic personality, his pure living and
his divine writings spread his fame far and wide. Many a
seeker after Truth was attracted by his charm and
 LIFE 29

derived much spiritual gain under his guidance. The last

years of his life he passed in Qasur, and here he died in
1758-1759. His tomb can be seen in Qasur even today. It
is mentioned in Bang-i-A uliya-i-Hind :

When 1171 (Hijiri)1 had come to pass,

In Qasur his shrine was well raised.

Bulleh Shah was an evolved soul, a perfect faqir and

a true lover. Through the love for his Master he realized
the Lord. In his love one finds poignancy, ardor and
longing besides sincerity, sacrifice and renunciation.
Under the canopy of love he made his offerings of caste
and learning. His love for his Master never wavered for
a moment despite the fire of separation and longing
through which he passed. His writings, as also his life,
manifest transcendence of physical love (of the Master)
to divine love (of the Lord). Indeed, this is. the path of all
true mystics, all true lovers of God.
Whosoever has attained union with the Lord has
done so by traveling on this path, and whosoever will
attain this union, will do so by becoming a traveler on
this path of love. Bulleh Shah’s life and writings are
replete with subtle secrets of the path. They do riot only
strengthen the love of a true lover, but also encourage
him to undergo the severest hardships for reaching the
spiritual goal. The life and compositions of Bulleh Shah
will serve as a lighthouse for times immemorial to true
seekers of spiritual realization.

1. Muslim Calendar.
 SECTION
TWO

TEACHINGS
 Teachings

Bulleh Shah has been considered the greatest Sufi

poet of Punjab. What does the term ‘Sufi’ signify? The
generally accepted view is that the word is derived from
‘suf’ or wool. The members of the fraternity of Sufis, a
Muslim mystic sect, used to wear a coarse woolen cloak.
So they came to be called Sufis. The basic tenet of their
philosophy was the realization of God through certain
mystic practices, in which intellect and senses played
hardly any part. Consequently, the emphasis of Sufism
was on practice rather than theory. Through their
spiritual practices, the Sufis sought to bring their mind
under their control and to eliminate the sense of ego
from within themselves, which is said to be the major
stumbling block in God-realization.
Since the Sufis have been opposed to the dogma of
religion, the term “Sufi” has also come to be used for
freethinkers. And, since they see God pervading every¬
where and in all beings, they have also been called
pantheists. They see the One, all-pervading, everlasting
Reality hidden behind the many ever-changing appear¬
ances of this world. According to them, man can
achieve this transcendental state beyond time and space
through mystic realization. Indeed, it is the multiple aim
of Sufism to raise man from the gross to the subtle, from
the many to the One, from change to permanence, from
the partial to the complete and from the ever-recurring
suffering to the never-ending bliss. Bulleh Shah’s
writings are powerful portrayals of all these aspects.
34 BULLEH SHAH

An accepted principle of spirituality is: Mind and the

senses are only instruments of the soul. Although the
soul is activated in this world through these instruments,
yet it is quite apart and independent of them. The
existence of soul is neither dependent on body, mind
and the senses, nor can its original nature be changed by
them. In the Qura’n it is stated that soul is a part of
God.1 It possesses all the attributes of God. By
association with mind and maya all its native qualities
have been suppressed. By removing the curtain its
associates have raised, the soul can regain its lost
splendor. All its divine qualities can once again come to
the surface.
Bulleh Shah reminds the soul of its divine origin. By
descending to the gross material world and by
association with the body, the mind, and its senses, it
has been deluded into believing that it is itself material
and that it is nothing more than a physical body, mind,
and its senses. He explains to the soul that it is eternal,
immortal, self-luminous, conscious, and as blissful as
God himself is. He exhorts it to leave the company ot
mind and senses and recognize its primeval form:

1. Oh Bullah, take care and recognise yourself!

You are immortal; why do you cling to the body?

2. Oh Bullah, know yourself and behold:

The light of Sohang2 ever swings round you.

3. You are the form of bliss and unceasing

consciousness.
O Bullah, that is what the four Vedas proclaim.

1. Qura’n: 17:85
2. Literally, ‘I am that’, i.e. God and soul have the same essence. Mansur’s
statement “I am the Truth”, and “I am that” have the same meaning. It
hints at the liberated soul and not one imprisoned in body, mind, and
senses.
 TEACHINGS 35

4. Oh Bullah, recognize your own true self.

You are ever lasting bliss, you are resplendent light.

Bulleh Shah has raised the question of the origin of

man in one of his well-known kafis. Says he:

Whence did you come? Whither are you going?

Which is your abode ?

In another equally famous kafi he poses the question

of the reality of man. He gives a long list of entities of
what he is not and what people generally take him to be:

O Bullah, what do I know who I am?

I am not among believers seen in mosques;
Nor am I versed in the traditions of unbelief.
I am not among the pious, nor among the sinful.
I am neither Moses, nor am I a Pharaoh.
I am not in the Vedas, nor in other holy books.
I am not among hemp-eaters or wine-drinkers.
I am not among profligates, nor among libertines.
I am neither among the awake, nor among the
sleeping.
I am impervious to joy as well as sorrow.
I am not among the virtuous, nor among the wicked.
I am neither of water, nor of earth.
I am neither of fire, nor of air.
I am not from Arabia, nor from Lahore.
I am not from India, nor from the city of Nagore.
I am not a Hindu, nor a Muslim from Peshawar.
Nor do Preside in the city of Nadaun.
I have not solved the mystery of religion,
Nor am I a progeny of Adam and Eve;
36 BULLEH SHAH

Nor have I a specific name of my own.

I am neither among the settled, nor among the
roaming.

All the distinctions mentioned above are based on

contingent qualities and are not essential or necessary.
The contingent qualities are those which could have
been different. The religion to which one belongs, the
parents one is born to, the place one is born at, could all
have been different. So they cannot constitute the
essence of man. The elements of earth, water, fire, and
air are all perishable. They cannot be the reality of man
either.
After giving the long list of negative objects which
cannot be the reality of man, Bullah himself gives the
positive answer of what man really is, in the last stanza
of the poem:

I take myself to be the beginning and the end;

I do not recognize aught except the One.

The reality of man is that which has neither

beginning nor end. In other words it is timeless, not
subject to change. This entity is the soul; it can be
neither the body, nor the mind, nor the senses. And the
essence of the soul is the same as that of God. So the
reality of man is divine. He is God in essence.
Doubtless, the soul comes to the physical world in the
garb of a human being. Nevertheless, it comes from high
spiritual regions and from the ultimate Reality. It has
the capacity to rise to those heights from which it has
descended, and regain its lost freedom:

I am unfettered! I am unshackled!
I am neither a patient, nor a physician.
 TEACHINGS 37

I am neither a believer, nor an infidel;

I am neither a lord, nor a serf.
I walk freely in the fourteen worlds.
I am not in chains, anywhere.

It is written in the Bible that “God created man in

His own image.”1 Surely, this similarity between God
and man is not due to the five elements with which the
human body is constituted. It is only the light of the soul
within, which relates man to God. Indeed, it is the
purpose of human life to make its potential divinity an
actuality. Bulleh Shah says that man has forgotten his
real form and divine home after coming into the realm
of mind and maya. In this deluded state he is no longer
aware that his existence is dependent on the all-
powerful, all-knowing God, who is also the fountain of
bliss. One who is ignorant of his native state of
boundless power, and who flounders and is tossed about
in a strange land, how can he hope to find peace and
happiness?
Bulleh Shah in his kafi “Arise! Awake! Do not
snore!” has called the soul of man “unmindful,”
“neglectful,” “asleep,” “in slumber,” and “snoring.” He
has also denounced it as “prideful,” “intoxicated with
youth,”“intoxicated with beauty,’’“engulfed in pleasure,”
“garrulous,” “inept,” and “shameless.” Bulleh Shah has
used all these epithets to warn man not to get engrossed
in this world, for it is only his temporary sojourn. His
true home is elsewhere, and the path to that home is
beset with dangers and wilderness. And, there will be
none to guide or keep him company when he departs
from this world. Even powerful monarchs such as

1. Genesis 1:26-27
38 BULLEH SHAH

Alexander, sages full of wisdom like Solomon, the great

prophets and seers and lovers like Yusuf and Zulaikha,
had all to leave this place. The tulip and the rose, the
jasmine and the lily could not stay for long. It is the
world of transience: Only God is abiding. Love for Him
and His Word or Nam can take the soul back to Him.
In his kafi “Put your mind in spinning, O girl!”
Bulleh Shah impresses upon man the necessity and the
urgency of collecting spiritual wealth in this world,
which will serve as the dowry for his soul, when he
leaves this world for the next. In another kafi on the
same theme, “Do your spinning, O girl, and roam not
aimlessly,” he says:
If you go without a dowry to your in-laws,
You will not be liked by anyone there.
How will you ever please your Spouse?
Take counsel from dervishes, O girl.
O Bullah, if the Spouse were to come to my house,
Then alone the set of bracelets and the betel leaf
would be pleasing.
If I have any virtue, He would clasp me to his heart,
Or else I shall weep bitter tears of blood.

The Adi Granth is also full of such warnings. For

instance, Guru Tegh Bahadur states emphatically that
foolish man, in delusion, takes the false for the true, the
transient for the permanent. Says he:

1. For the sake of maya, foolish people run wild.

Says Nanak, without meditation on the Lord,
life has been spent in vain.
M. 9. p. 1427

2. Entangled in maya, the mind has forsaken

the Name of God.
 TEACHINGS 39

Says Nanak, of what use is life

without meditation on the Lord.
M. 9. p. 1427

Bulleh Shah considers the material world as “the

garden of safflower blossoms.” These blossoms are as
bright, colorful and attractive as they are short-lived and
painful. Sheikh Farid has written that they give a
burning sensation to the hand which touches them.
Their fine thorns also appear to be pleasant because of
the attractive color of its blossoms, but their sting is
quite poisonous. “The thorns of safflower are fine and
sharp. Again and again they tear my veil.” Man in his
collossal ignorance goes on collecting piles of “safflower
blossoms,” whereas not a single blossom can accompany
him when he leaves the world. “O, I am sick of picking
safflower blossoms.” That is to say that man, ever since
he came into existence and passed through countless
lives, has been making vain attempts to gather material
goods and conquer this world. There is only one way for
him to cross the turbulent waters of this world: he
should find a perfect Master, who would hold him by
the hand and ferry him across the stormy ocean:

I am mean, I am inept, I am ugly,

I am indeed devoid of all virtues;
I am not worthy of the Lord, O Bullah;
But my spouse, Inayat, has redeemed me!
I am sick of picking safflower blossoms!

On the transience of this world and of human

existence Bulleh Shah says that whatever is visible to the
eyes is “a rose-garden of four days’ duration.” The world
is short-lived. The human body itself is nothing more
than a heap of clay, which will disintegrate one day. He
40 BULLEH SHAH

brings out this truth in the following kafi in his own

inimitable style:

Hail! the rose garden of earth is wondrous!

The apparel is of earth, the steed is of earth;
And of earth is the rider.
The earth makes the earth flee;
Of earth is all clamor.
Earth is at war with earth;
Of earth are all weapons.
The earth with much earth over it,
Is the earth full of pride.
Earth has come to behold earth,
Of earth is all splendor.
That which laughed and played is earth again;
It now sleeps with legs outstretched.
O Bullah, if you were to solve this mystery,
You would cast aside your ego and pride.

Some other kafis which emphasize the same truth,

i.e., the transitory nature of physical existence and
reminders to man not to idle away precious time, start
with the following opening lines:

1. Dust will mingle with dust!1 * * * *

How illusive are power and vanity!

2. The night is over! The stars have waned.

Wake up, O ye dear traveler!

1. We also find similar quotations in the Bible: All flesh shall perish
together, and man shall turn again to dust. (Job 34:15)
All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again
(Eccl. 3:20) 6 '
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall
return unto God who gave it.(Eccl. 12:7) (see also p. 206)
 TEACHINGS 41

Quoting verses from the holy Qura ’n, he stresses that

man is “the top of all creation.” God’s own light shines
in him. He should not waste his time in frivolity. He
must know himself:

1. You have been made worthy to go back to heaven.1

You have been given the top status in all creation.

2. O man, look, how high is the position I have

given you!

To attain the high position which God has ordained

for him, he should concentrate on the meditation of the
Lord. For such meditation Bulleh Shah uses the analogy
of spinning. In his kafis the spinning wheel is the symbol
for the human body; and the act of spinning stands for
meditation. In the following kafi he impresses upon man
the extreme privilege that God has showered on him by
giving him the human body, and it becomes incumbent
on him to make full use of this rare gift:
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!
The spinning wheel you have got free.
You have paid nothing to obtain it.
You do not realize its immense value,
For you have got it so easily!
This wheel has a heavy price!
What would you know, O you rustic girl?
You are haughty and you strut in conceit.
Enveloped in your own self-importance.
Why have you let such a wheel go waste?
Why have you thrown it on a rubbish heap?
Ever since it came into your hands,
You did not ply it for a moment, O girl!
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!

1. True home; ultimate destination.

42 BULLEH SHAH

A number of kafis have been written by Bulleh Shah

on the transitoriness of this world. He compares it to a
caravan-serai, where people come and go in an unending
stream. Here are a few examples from his writings:

1. This is your camping ground in a caravan-serai,

Where people come and go ceaselessly.
All your fellow travelers are ready to leave,
And still you do not hear the clarion call.
Wake up at least now, O you dear traveler!
2. Some are born, some die;
And this cycle goes on.

3. They all filled their pitchers,

and departed on their respective turns.
More have come to fill, some have filled
and are leaving;
And some are waiting with their arms outstretched.

In Persian mystic literature Rumi and Shams-i-

Tabriz make remarkably similar statements:

1. Many a time like grass have I sprung;

Eighty-four (lakhs of) bodies have I seen.
Rumi

2. Hundreds of thousands of times we came into

and we went out of this caravan-serai.
For this is a workshop where people come and
go with great fanfare.
Shams-i- Tabriz
 TEACHINGS 43

Guru Arjun Dev in the Adi Granth brings out the

same truth:

1. For several births were you an insect and a moth,

For several births an elephant, a fish, a deer;
For several births were you a bird, a serpent.
For several births yoked as a bull, a horse.
Meet now the Lord, for now is the time.
After ages have you been given the human body.
M. 5., p. 176

2. Eighty-four lakhs of species are there in all;

To man is given the pride of place by God.
Whosoever slips from the top rung of this ladder,
He suffers the pain of ever coming and going.
M. 5., p. 1075

And, this is how Soami Ji1 puts it:

This body that you have been given is a priceless gift.

You have attained it after going through
millions of births;
Now do not let it go waste without its proper use.
Contemplate on the Lord, and amass spiritual wealth.
Sar Bachan, p. 127

On the impermanence of life there is an interesting

dialogue mentioned in the epic, Mahabharat. Yaksh
asked Yudhister, “What is the most astonishing thing in
the world?” Yudhister replied, “The strangest thing of
the world is that people daily see others die, but
everyone of them suffers from the delusion that he
himself is going to live for ever. Death is meant only for
others. The only certain thing in life is death, and the

1. Seth Shiv Dyal Singh, founder of the Radha Soami Faith.

44 BULLEH SHAH

wonder is that people in their everyday behavior show

complete skepticism about it”

THE LAW OF KARMA

The law of karma is an integral part of Indian

religious and philosophical thought. It is accepted by all
Indian religions and all the schools of Indian philo¬
sophy. Bulleh Shah, too, accepts it in its entirety.
The law of karma is generally believed to be
arbitrary and unscientific by the Western thinker. In
fact, it is quite rational and logical, if properly
understood. Briefly stated, it is only an extension and a
completion of the Law of Causation, which is the most
important postulate of science. Causation says that
every fact has a cause, and nothing can happen without
it. Science, however, applies this principle only to the
material world. Fpr instance, sunshine is the cause of the
melting of the snow on mountains. The Indian seers and
sages have extended this principle to cover also the
moral and spiritual life of man. And, it is extended to
cover lives other than the present. Our actions of past
lives determine our state in the present life. And, our
present actions will determine the condition of our
future life. Consequently, our seers have impressed upon
us the desirability of leading a good moral life now, so
that we should not have to suffer the result of evil deeds
in lives to come. Our attitude to our misfortunes in the
present life should be to accept them cheerfully, for they
are the result of our own past actions.
Bulleh Shah warns us against perpetrating evil deeds
in this life, so that we should not have to suffer for them
in the life hereafter. The following lines from two of his
 TEACHINGS 45

Kafis illustrate his faith in the existence of future lives

and in the law of karma:

1. As you sow, so shall you reap is the custom

of the City of Love.

2. Thorns and briers, extremely sharp, cling to me.

I carry with me my future woes;
To whom shall I give my old ones?

One becomes a tyrant and acts cruelly only because

he is not aware or concerned about the bitter fruit of his
actions:

1. Having enjoyed yourself for the fleeting four days,

You will at last be humbled, for sure.
You act cruelly and inflict suffering on people;
O, leave the practice of torture and tyranny.
In whomsoever you take pride and feel conceited,
None of them will ever go with you.
Ever keep in view the city of the silent.
For in that city every denizen will have to abide.

2. You eat meat, you chew betel, and you

dress like a dandy.
You wear a tilted turban, you put on foppish shoes,
and you strut proudly.
You are being nourished like a lamb to be
slaughtered by the messenger of Death.

Bulleh Shah exposes the hypocritical life of man in

various kafis. In the name of religion he poses as a pious
man, repenting for his sins before others, but inwardly
continuing to harbor evil thoughts and perpetrate
wicked deeds. The following kafi is an excellent example
of exposing such sham and cant:
46 BULLEH SHAH

You ever read, “Forgive me, O Lord!”

What repentance is this, O friend?
You give one measure and take back one and a
quarter. .
You have wagered to make illicit profit.
Wherrdid Islam give you such teaching?
Such are your doings! What repentance is this?
You go to places where you should not go.
You relish things which belong to others.
You falsely swear by holy books.
Such is your trust! What repentance is this?
Tyrants do not fear to act cruelly.
They perish due to their own doings.
They repent from their mouths, not from their hearts.
They disgrace themselves here and in the hereafter.
What repentance is this, O friend?

LOVE OF GOD

I write letters to my Beloved, for I do not see Him.

My courtyard has become frightening,
O, how shall I pass my night?

How can man be liberated from the bondage of mind

and mdya? His attachment to the material world does
not let him break its shackles. The only way to break
these chains is to have a more powerful attachment. This
is what happens to the lovers of God. So strong is the
love of God in saints and mystics that love of the world
pales into insignificance before it. The intensity of this
love is further inflamed by separation of and longing for
the Beloved. A true lover of God becomes oblivious of
his surroundings. All that matters to him is his Beloved.
Nor is he concerned with orthodox and dogmatic
 TEACHINGS 47

religion. He is indifferent to faith or lack of it in the

generally accepted sense of the terms. Says Farid-ud-
Din Attar:

Paganism is for the pagan and faith for the faithful;

A bit of heartache is enough for Attar!

Sages and seers, mystics and saints of all ages have

revealed the truth in their works and their teachings that
attachment to the world and its goods has entailed the
suffering of going through the cycle of birth and death
endlessly.
Man is a prey to his appetites and desires of this
world. They are related to progeny, wealth, status,
power and the like. They have small beginnings like
seeds, but grow in due course of time into huge trees.
The satisfaction of every desire entails hardships, pain
and suffering. An unsatisfied or half-satisfied desire
throws man into the well of misery, and a satisfied desire
gives rise to various forms of responsibility and
bondage. From a single desire are born a multiplicity of
other desires with their attendant consequences. In a
nutshell, man becomes an utter slave of his desires and
gets tightly yoked to this world. Floodgates of carnal
desires are opened in the mind of man, which deprive
him of all peace of mind. He is ever in a state of
agitation.
Rarely, however, is it the good fortune of a man to
meet a perfect Master, as was destined for Bullah to
come in contact with Inayat Shah. This meeting
radically changed the direction of his life, and brought
about a revolution in his scale of values. The world and
its orthodox religious beliefs now meant nothing to him.
Their reality—or lack of it—was unraveled, and a
48 BULLEH SHAH

longing for God-realization replaced the desires for the

world.
A large number of Bulleh Shah’s poems manifest the
primeval love of the soul for the Lord. They throw hints
that this phenomenon of love is not new, nor even
recent. Right from the day of the beginning of Creation
it has been there. Man is constantly being nagged by a
feeling of loneliness, even when he is in the midst of a
multitude. This is due to the longing of the soul to go
back and merge into its source. Says Hafiz:

There was not a semblance of the two worlds,

when our love existed.
Time has not laid the foundation .of love
in the present age.

The following lines from two of Bulleh Shah’s kafis

convey the same thought:

1. The only one I long for is Ranjha.

“Let there be, and it became!”1
Our love was not begun in secret.

2. O friends, love was implanted in me from the

beginning,
From the beginning, from the day of eternity!
It fries me again and again in a pan,
And fries again what is already fried.
The already dead, it crucifies again.
The already bound it again binds.
As if a spark of fire has struck my body,
It pierces like a thorn in a wounded heart.

1. It refers to a verse from the Qura ’n, which hints at creation of the world
by God. Bulleh Shah indicates that ever since soul has been separated
lrom the Lord, it has been pining for reunion with Him.
 TEACHINGS 49

The arrow of love is stuck in my heart;

It does not move despite all shaking.
O Bullah, unique is the love for the Lord!
It does not blend with any other love.

In fact, the essence of God is love, and he, who is devoid

of it, can never realize the Lord. In the Bible it is said:

He who does not love, does not know God,

for God is love.
I John:4.8

Although pain of separation and longing for union is

the dominant strain in Bulleh Shah’s poems, yet they are
not altogether devoid of the bliss of union. One of the
most beautiful kafis written in this strain is as follows:

Turn away the watchman, O friends!

Today my Precious, my Beloved has come home.
Again and again he strikes the gong,
And cuts he short the night of union,
If he were to know my heart’s desire,
He would throw away the gong, O friends.
The Unstruck Melody resounds sweetly.
The Musician is accomplished, the tune enchanting.
Prayers and fasting are all forgotten,
When the Distiller offers the cup, O friends.
Wondrous is the sight of beholding His face!
The pain of my heart has all disappeared.
How to extend the length of this night?
Place a wall against the day, O friends.

In the ecstasy of union with the beloved, the lover

wishes that time should come to a stop, so that all
possibilities of separation may be eliminated. There
should be a never-ending spell of joy and bliss.
50 BULLEHSHAH

Love for God is so dominant in Bulleh Shah’s

writings, that it completely overshadows his other divine
qualities. Other writers have written volumes on God’s
omnipotence; His omnipresence, His omniscience and
the like but for Bullah His main quality is love. In his
words, “love is the essence of God.” So intimate is his
love for the divine Beloved, that he is not constrained to
call Him a “trickster,” a “juggler,” a “hypocrite,” a
“thief,” and a “thug”. There is a playfulness in the
ecstasy of his love. In one of his kafis he asks his divine
Beloved, “Is my love for you only one-sided? Or, do you
also have some feeling for me”?1 It is in such a state of
mind that he calls out:
/ > ; . r— | I
1. To steal the heart of Sassi He assumed the form
of Punnun.
2. Guess who has come in disguise!
How the Trickster has put on a mask!
3. In the fold of my cloak hides the Thief, friends.
To whom shall I complain?
4. To hide and seek and to play tricks—
such is Your greatness, my Love!

It is obvious from the above that love for Bulleh

Shah — as indeed in all Sufi poetry—refers to the love of
or for God or his Master or Mentor, but it never means
love for woman. The Beloved, in his poems, is always
the object of spiritual adoration. Generally, the poet
appears in the guise of a woman in quest of her Beloved,
but this Beloved is either the Lord or the Master.
References to Heer and Ranjha—as indeed to other

I. According to one mystic saint “Love is first born in the heart of the
Beloved.” Bu Ah Qalandar says, “If you were to get an inkling of His
love for you, you would know how much stronger it is than your love
for Him.”
 TEACHINGS 51

classical lovers — are not to the legendary lovers, but to

the devotee and the Master, or to the soul and the Lord.
Thus, the apparently straightforward love poems in
Bullah are anything but plain. The Lord hidden behind
the screen of maya is the fountain head of light for
others, but for Bullah He is a Beloved who has covered
His beauty behind a veil to agitate His lover. Says he in
one of his couplets:

His face is a light, the world is its veil.

He has concealed himself in the veil,
covering His face with its hem.

God is generally depicted as transcendent, but even

this attribute of transcendence has been portrayed by
Bulleh Shah with such vivacity and pertness, that the
faraway Lord seems to abide quite near.

Hail! the secret of the Beloved is wondrous.

All except the lovers are blind to it.
O Bullah, none can behold the Beloved.
And whoever sees Him is not to be counted.
He has no shape, no form, no color;
He has hidden himself like a thief.

For Bulleh Shah the Lord is like a sportive Beloved,

who neither consents nor listens to others. He is seen as
a buoyant youth who does what He likes. He throws
hints from behind a screen. He pulls strings while
keeping himself hidden, and does not come out in the
open.

He listens not to my advice, He speaks not a word

to me.
Shall I ask and find out what He intends ?
52 BULLEH SHAH

Yesterday I was mad for Him, and He was mad

for me.
Why is He afraid of me now?
From behind the screen He shot at me
an arrow of love, and it pierced my heart.
My life has been caught in a net!

Another instance of His mysterious ways, which

makes it impossible for an ordinary human being to
comprehend His doings, is given below:

Some are vain and self-conceited, they flourish

in the world, O Friend !
Some, insulted and disgraced, follow You;
You burn the burnt over again, O Friend !
You dance with those who are soiled with mud,
O Friend!
I have adorned myself with pearls of love,
But you flee from me, O Friend !
Never again shall I boast of the beloved Ranjha,
O Friend!

A hint has been given by saints and mystics about

the despatch of souls by God from their original abode
at the time of creation of the universe. It is said that the
souls were not willing to leave God and come to this
world. God prevailed upon them to leave, with the
promise that He himself would come to take them back
with Him. Bulleh Shah has written some beautiful kafis
on this theme. In his own inimitable style he complains
to God — as an irked lover—for having failed to keep
His promise in the following kafi:

I talk of there, but I am afraid even of talking.

With the souls You made a false promise:
 TEACHINGS 53

“You go and I shall soon follow you.”

But here You have created a screen.
And I wander about lost in delusion.
O Bulleh Shah, there is an infinite abyss;
Nothing in the two worlds can fathom it.
There is no knowledge of this bank or that.
I flounder in it without my head and feet!
I talk of there, but I am afraid even of talking.

The theory of Creation has been propounded by

many a saint and seer. Bulleh Shah, too, describes how
the One became many, and unity was transformed into
multiplicity. In the beginning the One was absorbed in
profound contemplation, and nothing existed besides
Him. In his own style and language of love Bullah calls
Him “The Beautiful Beloved” and conceives His created
universe as a lively market of His beauty. He describes
the transition from One to the many, thus;

I have now seen the fair Beloved,

Whose beauty shines through His creation.
When the One existed all alone,
No light of His was ever manifest.
Nor did God1 or His prophets exist,
Nor the Omnipotent or the Dominant.
I have now seen the fair Beloved.

In the state of absolute unity. He was beyond the

distinctions of color, form, space, and time. He was
peerless, and there was no second with whom He could
be compared. He then transformed himself into the
many, according to His own will;

1. He existed in the absolute, and became God when He started the

creation.
 54 BULLEHSHAH

He was without a peer, without an equal.

He was without a form, without a second.
He was without a color, without a fellow.
But now He has countless manifestations.
I have now seen the fair Beloved.

The beautiful Beloved, of His own decree, put on

various garbs to manifest himself. Sometimes He
became Adam, sometimes a prophet and sometimes a
Master;

The Dear One comes in different garbs.

He has given himself the name of Adam.
From the One He has become Ahmad,
the Chief of the prophets.
He said, “Let there be,” and “it became.”
Out of no likeness He created likeness.
He inserted ‘m’ into Ahad,
And brought the universe into existence.
I have now seen the fair Beloved.

In his kafi Stay,O Love!” Bulleh Shah has described

the doings of the Beloved in variegated forms and which
are full of pantheistic mystic significance. The light in
Rama, Krishna, and Jesus was His. The power to bear
infinite suffering was put by Him in Zacharias, Sarmad,
Shams (of Tabriz), and Shah Sharaf. Again, the One
who lit the fire of love in Yusuf and Zulaikha, Laila and
Majnun, Sassi and Punnun, Heer and Ranjha, Mirza
and Sahiban and other legendary lovers was He. And,
He again it was who put ego and pride in Namrud!
Pharaoh, Harnakash, Ravan, and the Kaurvas to bring
about their destruction. Whatever happens in the world
emanates from His colorful sense of drama. In another
of His kafis, too, he calls the world as His game of love:
 TEACHINGS 55

Whom do you tell that You are without habitation?

You abide in every form, in every color.
You yourself said, “Let there be.”
Who other than You came into being?
You made everything emanate from love;
And You abide in everyone as the lover.

The lover of God imbibes true humility in himself,

for he has the realization of the greatness of the Lord.
This indeed is one of the prominent virtues of saints and
mystics. Bulleh Shah, too, is full of humility like a true
lover. Says he:

1. I find here imperious people, full of pride;

I am the only humbled one, full of sins.

2. I am a sweeperess in the service of the true Lord.

My feet are bare, my hair are shorn;
And the message has come from there.

He gives the hint that people with good deeds and

with the credit of much meditation have been ferried
across the ocean of this world, but he himself is without
any virtue and is entirely dependent on the mercy of the
Lord:

The ones with good deeds have gone across,

But my honor lies in the hands of the Lord.

It is not justice that he wants, but His grace and

mercy. For, his black deeds demand His forgiveness,
and not justice which would land him in hell:

1. If you were to dispense justice, there is no place

for me;
From Your grace alone could I get a bounty.
56 BULLEHSHAH

2. None other than You is mine. To whom shall I

give a call?
O Bullah, may King Inayat bestow a glance on me
in alms!

The path of the mystics is the path of love. Their love

is one-pointed, fixed on their Master or on God. They
are so lost in the object of their devotion, that they
become oblivious to all else. A true lover of God
identifies his own will in the will of God. Whatever
comes from Him is cherished. His meditation is not
meant to earn a seat in Paradise or to avoid the tortures
of Hell. Once Shibli was observed running with a
burning coal in his hand. “Where are you going?”
people asked. “I am running to set fire to the Ka’ba” he
answered, “so that men may henceforward care only for
the Lord of the Ka’ba” On another occasion he was
holding in his hand a piece of wood alight at both ends.
“What are you going to do ?” he was asked. “I am going
to set Hell on fire with one end and Paradise with the
other,” he replied, “so that men may concern themselves
only with God.”1
Mystics have conveyed love of the soul for God in
two kinds of symbols. The first kind has been taken
from nature. Lotus and the sun, lotus and water, sea and
the moon, earth and water, sun and the sun-bird, moon
and the moon-bird, rain and the rain-bird, moth and
candle, flower and bumble-bee, fish and water and the
like are examples of the first kind.
The second kind of symbols refers to human
relationships. Instances of this kind are: father and son,
mother and son, master and servant, husband and wife,

1. Arberry: Muslim Saints and Mystics, p. 281.

 TEACHINGS 57

etc. The most frequently used relationship is of husband

and wife. Hidden in this analogy is the difference in the
customs and manner that exists between the parents’
house and the house of the in-laws for the bride. To be
accepted in the house of the in-laws, the bride has to give
up the attachment to her parents for that of her
husband. She has to completely transform herself. The
greater the interest and love she has for her husband, the
greater is her detachment from all other bonds.
Likewise, the soul, through love for her divine Spouse,
gets rid of all her worldy attachments, and consequently
is freed from all ailments of the gross world.
It is the experience of the mystic trance in the divine
union which gives rise to all great art, literature, religion
and philosophy. When, however, the trance is being
experienced in all its intensity, there is no room for
anything else. Art, religion and the like are only
byproducts of that experience, and are born only in
retrospect. Prof. Puran Singh says in this context:
“There is no religion nor art without His inspiration. It
is when inspiration has left us that religion assumes the
form of ethics, philanthropy, humanity, churches,
mosques and temples, hospitals and orphanages, because
inspiration needs no such crutches. ... It is only the
increased sickness of the soul that demands the props of
a philosophy to support its semblance of life. Philoso¬
phy is merely a weed. We have no need of it when we are
alive with the inspiration of love.”1
It is this supremacy of love over all other paths
leading to spiritual realization, that Sufi saints and
mystics have extricated the plant of spirituality from the
mire and slush of asceticism, karma and knowledge, and

1. The Spirit of Oriental Poetry, p. 264.

58 BULLEHSHAH

embedded it in the lovely and fragrant valley of love. It

is noteworthy that in most of the metaphors, allegories,
analogies and parables used by mystics all over the
world the general import is of love and its dominance
over all else. This is particularly so in the writings of
Bulleh Shah. His intoxication with the love of his
Master or the Lord is evident in almost every one of his
poems.

THE LORD IS ALL-PERVADING

According to Bulleh Shah the Lord is present in

everything and everyone. He is the essence behind all
appearance. The world is His play. In the multiplicity of
His creatures, He had hidden himself in every one of the
many. He also exists behind every element and force of
nature. There is a strong pantheistic trend in Bulleh
Shah’s writings. The distinctions between Adam and
Eve, man and woman, gods and goddesses, the three
attributes and the five elements are all resolved in the
reality of the One. He is in disguise behind all His
creation. And, whatever exists, emanates from Him. In
one of his kafis, Bullah asks his Beloved:—

From whom do You conceal yourself?

Wherefore do You peep through the veil?
You yourself, O Lord, did manifest at first.
Now you teach the lesson of offering prayers.
Now you yourself have come to behold,
And, in the guise of Laila You give a glimpse.
Now, You have turned your aim on me!
You cannot remain hidden any more.
 TEACHINGS 59

You have let yourself be called ‘Bullah’,

But with the veil of the earthly form in between.

The Lord in disguise dances in all the puppets He has

created. His light shines through all men, beasts and
birds. He is present in the murderer and the murdered,
the master and the servant, the king and the beggar, the
libertine and the ascetic. Credit goes to the Master, who
imparts the method of realizing unity in the diversity.

He himself is the deer and himself the leopard.

He himself then goes out to hunt.
He himself is the master and himself the slave,
And himself He gets sold for a price.
Sometimes He mounts an elephant;
Sometimes He roams with a begging bowl,
Sometimes as a prince, a yogi or a libertine,
He acts in the play in various guises.
What a game the juggler has played!
He has made me dance as a puppet.
I dance to the tune of that researcher,
Who has made me realize the Beloved.
The Beloved has come as man!

In this context, his kafis “Whom do you tell You are

without habitation?”, “Stay, stay, O love, you have
ruined me!” and “What a carefree game He plays!” seem
to have been composed in a state of strange ecstasy. In
the first-mentioned poem he writes:

Whom do You tell that You are without habitation?

You abide in every form, in every color.
You yourself hear and You make us listen.
You yourself sing and You yourself play.
With your own hands You play the melodies.
60 BULLEH SHAH

You yourself move the string of “I am the 1 ruth.”

You make Mansur ascend the gallows;
Then, stand aloof with unconcerned smile.
Somewhere You are in a Turk, somewhere in an
Ethiopian;
Somewhere You are in a hat-wearing Englishman.
Somewhere You are in a drunkard in a tavern;
Whom do You tell You are without habitation?

It is said that Sarmad thus addressed his executioner,

when he raised his sword to kill him: “I am a sacrifice
unto You. Come, come, I recognize You well in
whatever form You come!” In a state of extreme ecstasy,
the lover of God sees Him in everyone. The well-known
mystic Naushah writes: “A dervish is at peace with all.
He considers none as his enemy.”1 Scanning through the
pages of history one comes across numerous examples
of realized souls, who saw the Beloved in all, including
their own executioners. From over their eyes the veil of
duality had fallen, and they saw the One prevail
everywhere. Kabir writes in one of his oft-quoted
hymns: “First, God created His light; from it were all
creatures born. The whole world emanated from one
light. Whom shall we call good, whom bad? Brothers,
wander not in delusion: The Creator is in the created,
the created in the Creator; He prevails all over. The clay
is the same, but moulded in various forms. The potter
has himself fashioned them all. Find not fault with the
clay vessels nor with the Potter.”2 The example of the
pot and the potter has been also used in a famous verse
of Rumi: “He himself is the clay, himself the pot and

1. A History of Sufism in India, V.II, p. 440.

2. Adi Granth: pp. 1349-50.
 TEACHINGS 61

himself the potter. And above all. He comes as the

customer.”1 It is said that Namdev was once about to eat
his meal, when a dog came and took away a loaf of
bread. Namdev ran in pursuit with the butter-bowl in his
hand and called out to the dog: “Pray, take the butter,
do not eat dry bread.” It must have been in such a
sublime state that Namdev composed the following
hymn:
#

The One is manifested as many.

Wherever I see, He pervades everywhere.
Maya tempts all with its alluring forms,
But rare is the dispassionate one who knows:
All is God. All is God. Without God there is none.
The thread is one, its beads are many.
So is the Lord woven into the world.
Waves of water, foam and bubbles are not separate
from the sea . . . Says Namdev.
Reflect on the creation of God in your mind,
and know that the one Lord abides in every heart.2

Guru Nanak conveys the same truth in the hymn

starting with the following lines:

He is tasteful, He is the taste and He himself

is the taster.
He is the bride as also the spouse in bed with her.
My Lord is masterful, He it is who pervades all.

Bulleh Shah’s poem starting with the line, “There is

only one thread of all cotton,” also reveals the same
truth. Just as cotton is woven into a great variety of

1. The Masnavi.
2. Adi Granth: p. 485.
62 BULLEH SHAH

cloth and even as silver is moulded into numerous kinds

of jewelry, so also behind the multiplicity of nature one
Reality is working. The same theme is emphatically
presented in another kafi as follows:

I have seen, verily I have seen;

The Satguru has shown me the Unseen.
Somewhere He is hostile, somewhere friendly.
Somewhere He is Majnun, somewhere Laila.
Somewhere He is a guru, somewhere a disciple.
In all He manifests His own path.
Somewhere He becomes a temple with idols.
Somewhere He assumes the form of an anchoret.
Somewhere He comes in the garb of a Sheikhan.1
Somewhere He is found on the prayer mat of Muslims.
Somewhere He is seen reciting Hindu scriptures.
Somewhere He lets himself be lost in a labyrinth.
At times He has showered His love in every home.
\

Elsewhere Bulleh Shah says, “I see no stranger in

either of the two worlds,” and “The Lord resides in every
heart.” He makes it clear that the pride born out of caste
or creed, country or nation is the product of ignorance.
The problems of color, race, profession, man, woman
are raised by those who are not aware of the spiritual
light present in all creatures. To consider oneself
something special because of such considerations is to
display lack of understanding. God has created man. It
is we who divide ourselves into races, nations, creeds
and countries and create a variety of problems. Bulleh
Shah goes to the extent of saying that to divide men into
believers and heretics is itself the greatest act of heresy.
What can be a greater blasphemy than a belief in

1. The wife of a Sheikh.

 TEACHINGS 63

duality? Soul is the essence of God, and love of God is

the true creed, true religion of the soul:

1. Such knowledge has been ignited within me;

That I have ceased to be a Hindu or a Muslim.
All that is acceptable to me is love.
It is the lover alone who realizes the Lord.

2. I am neither a Hindu, nor a Muslim.

I take to the path of amity for all.

3. 1 do not see the believers and the unbelievers,

after having entered the state of unity.

Guru Arjun conveys this thought in almost the same

language:

Neither am I a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.

My body and soul belong to Allah and Ram.
Adi Granth, M.5., p. 1136

That love is the essence of God, the Master and the soul,
is thus expressed by Soami Ji;

Love is the form of the soul as well as the Lord.

Know ye that both God and love are one.
And so also is the Master the incarnation of love.
Sar Bachan. p. 103

In the same strain Hafiz says in one of his lyrics:

“Do not ever say that Ka’ba is better than the idol-
temple. Whichever gives a glimpse of the Beloved is
more pleasing. Behind the curtain of the mosque and the
temple is manifest the same Beloved. If two stones are of
different colors, are the colors of the sparks produced by
them also different? The mosque and the temple are
64 BULLEH SHAH

resplendent by the same light. I am amazed at the

quarrel between faith and unbelief.” He goes on to add,
“From the day I have seen conflict between creeds, I
have given up all concern either with the Sheikh or with
the Brahmin.”
Sages and saints have taught brotherhood of man
and fatherhood of God. Without the foundation of the
latter the mansion of the former could never stand.
Guru Arjun says, “There is but one Father, and we are
all His children.”1 Likewise, says Guru Amardas, “All
living creatures are His, and He belongs to all. Whom
shall we call bad, when there is none other?”2 In the
Bible we find the same teaching in the commandments:
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” This is the
first and great commandment. And the second is like
unto it, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” On
these two commandments,3 hang all the law and the
prophets.
In his own matchless style Bulleh Shah conveys the
same truth in these words:

Somewhere He is Ramdas, somewhere Fateh

Mohammed,
There is the same ancient uproar!
The Muslims are averse to being cremated;
And the Hindus are loath to be buried.
Both die quarreling over this wrangle.
Such is the cause of enmity between them!
Their quarrel came to an end,
When someone else made His appearance.

1. Adi Granth: p. 611

2. Adi Granth: p. 425
3. Matthew: 22: 37-40
 TEACHINGS 65

SEARCH FOR GOD

1

He is within
God is not to be found anywhere outside, neither in
the mosque nor in the temple, neither in holy places of
pilgrimage nor in holy rivers or mountains. He abides
within man himself, and there alone He can be realized.
In terms of his most frequently employed symbols,
Bulleh Shah says:

Deluded Heer seeks Him in woods,

While Beloved Ranjha plays in her veil.
I completely lost my senses before Him.
Ever new, ever fresh is the spring of love!

Many other kafis have been written by Bulleh Shah

in the same strain. Those starting with the lines “In the
fold of my cloak hides the beloved Thief, friends” and
“Words that come to my tongue cannot be held back”
are two outstanding examples on this theme. They stress
the point that something lost in the house can be found
only in that house, and not somewhere outside. All
attempts to search for it outside are bound to fail, and
will entail the loss of much time and energy. True lovers
of God do not roam about in forests and jungles in quest
of Him, but seek Him within themselves.

Whosoever found the secret from the mystic,

He searched for the path within himself.
He is a blissful dweller of that temple,
Which knows neither rise nor fall.
One essential truth is worthy of all respect,
And I know this truth to abide in everyone.
In everyone dwells the form of the Lord.
66 BULLEH SHAH

In some it is manifest, in some it is latent.

Here in this world darkness prevails.
And, this world is a slippery courtyard.
Enter within yourself and see who is there.
In vain do the crazy seek Him outside.

He goes on to say:

O Bullah, the Lord is not separate from us.

Other than the Lord none does exist.
But, alas! we do not have the seeing eye.
That’s why life is a tale of suffering.
Words that come to my tongue cannot be held back.

Bulleh Shah has often described the body as a house

or a courtyard. In the following lines of a kafi he says
that the Beloved resides within the house, but it is
difficult to catch Him:

He came to abide in my house;

He came to delude me with His guiles.
Ask Him if it was magic or a dream.
Get all the truth revealed by Him.
He dwells within my heart;
He sits and laughs with me.
If I make a query, He gets up and flees;
And, He takes to flight as does a hawk.

Body as Temple of God

Since God resides within man, Bulleh Shah has
called the human body as the Temple of God. And, God
himself has created this temple. The initial lesson for a
true seeker of God is to know this truth. All external
temples are false temples. The music played in them,
such as of the bell and the conch is a poor imitation of
 TEACHINGS 67

the divine melody reverberating in the true temple of the

human body. The divine melody never ceases to ring,
the music of the external temple rings only for some
time. In the temples outside, light is produced from the
oil poured into clay lamps, which goes out when the oil
is finished or when the wick is burnt out. In the inner
temple the immortal flame of divine light is ever
glowing. The inner music and the inner light have no
beginning, no end, no decline:

When I learnt the lesson of love,

My heart dreaded the sight of a mosque.
I then entered the abode of the Lord,
Where resound a thousand flutes.
I was sick of reading Vedas and Qura’ns;
My forehead was bruised by prostrations.
God is not at Hindu shrines nor at Muslims’ Mecca.
Whosoever found, found Him in light divine.
Ever new, ever fresh is the spring of love!

The Bible reveals the same truth thus: “Kingdom of

God is within you.”1 Again, “Lord of heaven and earth
dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is He
worshiped with men’s hands.”2 Guru Nanak conveys it
in almost identical words: “That alone is the temple of
God wherein He is revealed. And, it is in the human
body where He is found through the Guru’s Word. Seek
Him not without, for the Creator is within the house.
The worldling know not the essence of God’s temple
and so waste their lives. The One pervades all, but is
known through the Guru’s Word.”3

1. Luke 17 : 21
2. Acts 17 : 24, 25.
3. Adi Granth : p. 953.
68 BULLEHSHAH ’ \

Human body is Mecca and Kal)a

Bulleh Shah calls the human body as the true Mecca
and the forehead as its arch. He feels sorry for the
people who go on a pilgrimage to the external Mecca.
They do not know that the true Mecca is the body
wherein the effulgence of God can be experienced. Says
he:

The hajjis go to Mecca, my house is my Mecca with my

Bridegroom.
Whichever side the Beloved is, that way the Ka’ba is,
Even if you were to read all the four books.

In another kafi he says that through the waves of

love aroused in the heart can God be found:

The seven seas sleep within my heart; I shall stir them

into a storm. Charms and spells I shall work; And win
over my offended Friend.

Bulleh Shah has given the name “Lanka” to the body

in one of his poems. Ravan, the villain of the epic,
Ramayan the demon with ten heads—signifies the ten
senses which have to be tamed to realize God. The true
pool of nectar, bathing in which the soul becomes
purified, is within the human body.

Reverse the direction of the flow of Ganga,

O Sadhu, for then you will behold the Lord. If
Kumbh Karan1 were to retrace his steps,
he would find the secret of Lanka.

1 • A character in the epic Ramayan, who used to sleep for six months at a
stretch. Here, it signifies the long period of inactivity of man in doing
his meditation.
 TEACHINGS 69

Kill the ten-headed monster,1 and save the life of

Lakshman, for then the unstruck melody will ring.
Your Master will grant you such a region of nectar,
that it will take you to complete absorption
in God.

In a beautiful analogy Bulleh Shah denounces

external search for God by going to temples, mosques
and other places of pilgrimage. Those who look for Him
within themselves are blessed with the ecstasy of divine
union:

Beloved, no longer does noise appear sweet;

Now I am happy within myself.
A new flower has blossomed in my house;
I have experienced new thrills and delights.
O mother, I am dying of ecstasy and joy.

The Veil
The soul, as bride, is pining in separation from her
Bridegroom, the Lord. The two are not distant from
each other, but there is a curtain or a veil between them,
which does not let them unite. This veil is of the ego,
which gives a false sense of independence to the soul.
The soul is incomplete without the Lord. It is also the
ego, which produces ignorance and delusion. So, unless
the veil of ego and ignorance is removed, the soul can
never be in peace. Bulleh Shah says in a kafi\

1. You abide near, but You reveal not your abode,

Where shall I go to seek You?
Dwelling in the same house together,
Before whom shall I scream?

j. Ravan, the ten-headed villain of Ramayan. Here, he stands for the ten
senses, which have to be tamed for realizing God.
70 BULLEHSHAH

2. Out of neglect you did not repeat His Name.

In your negligence the Beloved kept hidden.
That Supreme Being abides within you,
But you are wont to relish carnal desires.

Guru Arjun conveys the same idea in these words:

They live together in the same house,

but they talk not to each other.
For the Invisible cannot be known,
when the veil of ego intervenes.1

Bulleh Shah counsels man to rise above his ego and

ignorance to attain union with the Lord. No amount of
external piety in the form of rituals and pilgrimages can
yield the desired fruit:
By going to Mecca the mystery is not solved,
So long as the ego is not annihilated.
By going to Ganga the mystery is not solved,
Though you may take a hundred dips into it.
By going to Gaya2 the mystery is not solved,
Though you may offer many rice-cakes3 at funerals.
O Bullah, the mystery will be solved only,
When the “I” (the ego) is completely eliminated.

So long as the senses are not tamed, the false

husband, (the mind) is not killed and the heresy of
duality is not removed, union with the Lord is not
possible:

[Expressions, such as killing, vanquishing, subduing, eliminating

and annihilating the mind, mean controlling the mind. This is

1. Adi Granth : p. 205.

2. A place of Hindu pilgrimage.
3. A ball of rice is offered at the funeral rites (shradhas) to the deceased’s
relatives, according to Hindu custom.
 TEACHINGS 71

achieved by removing the various coverings that bind the soul, and
thus liberating it from the slavery of the mind.]

O Bullah, I have been married to the yogi;

Ignorant people have no knowledge of it.
I am his property, having tamed the five pirs1
I have sacrificed unbelief from my heart with my head
on my palm.
Fortunately I have killed my false husband (mind),2
administering poison (nectar)3 to him.

The Tenth Door

Where shall we look for the Lord within the temple
of our body? In the manner of other seers and saints,
Bulleh Shah also states that in the house or courtyard of
the body there are nine doors or outlets. They are: two
eyes, two ears, two nostrils, the mouth and the two
lower orifices. It is through these apertures that
connection of the soul with the outer world is
established. But, there is a tenth door which opens into
the inner spiritual world. This tenth door4 is, in fact, the

1. The five pirs are generally believed to be : Ghazi Mian Salar Mas’ud,
Zinda Ghazi, Sheikh Farid, Khwaja Khizar and Pir Badar. From the
spiritual point of view, Waris Shah has called the five exteroceptors
(eye, ear, nose, tongue and skin) as the five pirs. In Sufi thought, it
would not be far-fetched to call controlling the five senses as “taming of
the five pirs."
2. Mind, the agent of the Negative Power, which holds the soul under its
sway.
3. The Nectar of the Name of God, which redeems the soul, proves fatal
for the evil tendencies of the mind.
4. It is at the tenth door where the soul is knotted together with the mind,
and wherever the attention of the mind goes, there the soul has,
perforce, to go also. And the mind, in turn, is lured by the senses and
drags the soul along with it. But when the attention of the mind goes
from the tenth door upward, it is no longer a slave of the senses and can
travel towards its own home along with the soul. Then the soul is free to
go on to the Father’s House, it’s own source. Thus the mind is happy in
its home, and the soul enjoys everlasting bliss with the Father.
72 BULLEHSHAH

seat of the mind and soul in waking consciousness.

Descending from this point she passes through the nine
doors and gets in touch with the world outside. In the
process she is enslaved by the pleasures of the senses.
She is ignorant of the bliss of the spiritual world and of
union with the Lord. Bulleh Shah stresses that so long as
the soul is ignorant of the tenth door or the tenth lane
from where the path to the Lord’s mansion commences,
she can never get united with Him:

This courtyard has nine doors, and the tenth

has been kept hidden.
I do not know the value of the lane, which leads to
the Lord’s abode.

Kabir conveys the same truth in these words: “The

woman (soul) who is deluded in the nine doors, does not
obtain the incomparable treasure. Says Kabir, ‘All the
nine doors are cheats, the essence lies in the tenth’.”1
The human soul is lying cramped in the prisonhouse
of the body, with its nine doors. Not till it gets released
from it through the hidden tenth door into the spiritual
world within, can it get freedom and enjoy peace. Says
Soami Ji:

You are imprisoned in the nine doors,

And not for a moment do you enjoy peace.
Open ye the tenth door, and revel in bliss.
~ Sar Bachan, p. 145

The Persian mystic Shams of Tabriz says: “Look not

downwards to the earth like beasts. You are, after all, a

1. Adi Granth : p. 339

 TEACHINGS 73

man; look upwards. When you recover from the swoon

of this body, becoming a new being, you will attain a
new world.”
Khwaja Hafiz says it thus: “You who never come out
of the house of your body, how can you ever enter the
lane of Reality?” And, Rumi expresses it in these words:
So long as man does not rise above the senses, he
remains deprived of a vision of the hidden face.”
The tenth door behind the two eyes has been called
by various names, such as door of the house and door of
salvation. Bulleh Shah calls it the niche having a
window which opens out into the palace of the Beloved,
in the following kafi:

Play thou in the courtyard with joy!

In this courtyard is a delightful niche,
in the niche is a window.
I spread my bed in the window and
revel in play with my Beloved.

Hundreds of years earlier. Saint Beniji had pro¬

claimed that by opening the inner window, man is
awakened forever, and becomes the beholder of the
three worlds: “At the top is the head, in the head is a
niche, within the niche is a window. The one who attains
to this window is forever awake, he never sleeps, and
beholds the three worlds.”1

The eye that sees the Lord

Other names given to the hidden door by saints and
mystics are: the eye, the inner eye, the third eye, the
divine eye and Shiva’s eye. In Arabic and Persian

1. Adi Granth : p. 974

74 BULLEH SHAH

languages mystics have called it “the hidden eye” or “the

black spot”. In the Bible it has been referred to as “the
single eye.”1 Bulleh Shah says that vision of God is
impossible so long as the inner eye remains closed.

O Bullah, the Lord is not separate from us.

But, alas! we do not have the seeing eye.
That’s why life is a tale of suffering.

Indeed, without opening the inner eye man is no

better than a beggar. Though his house is filled with
spiritual wealth, he acts like a pauper. His condition is
that of the one who sits on a seashore, but suffers from
thirst:

Pearls, jewels and the philosopher’s stone

are all near you.
Near you is the ocean, and you are dying of thirst.
Open your eye, and sit up, O you beggar.
Wake up at least now, O you dear traveler!

In another kafi Bulleh Shah has called it a hole in the

head, through which reverberates divine melody:

The unstruck music is all-uniting, foe to none,

and it emanates from the orifice of the head.

In one of his famous odes, Tulsi Sahib, the great

Saint of Hathras, has given a detailed account of the
music emanating from the eye center as also the method
of listening to it, to a Muslim divine, Sheikh Taqi:

I. “If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” Matthew
6 : 22.
 TEACHINGS 75

Listen, O Taqi, seek not thy Beloved in the world

outside;
Within thine own self, behold His splendor.
In the pupil of thine eye is a mole, wherein is hidden
the entire mystery.
Peep within and behold thou what lies beyond
this dark curtain.
The secret of the fourteen realms will, for certain,
be revealed to thee.
Let thy attention not slip, see that thou art ever
vigilant.
Listen! Thou art constantly being called
from the Most High.
The voice of thy Beloved ever beckons thee to Him.
It is not meeting with the Beloved that is difficult.
What is difficult, O Taqi, is that it is hard to behold
Him.
Without the grace of some realized Master, says
Tulsi,
The goal of salvation is distant, beyond thy reach.

In the following line from one of his hymns, Soami Ji

gives a hint of the bliss that emanates from opening the
third eye:

Abandoning the two eyes I reached the third;

And perceived the resplendence of the pure Lord.
Sar Bachan, p. 252

SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

Concentration and Contemplation

How is the soul, imprisoned in the nine doors, to be
liberated into the tenth, and how is it to open the inner
eye? Saints and mystics tell us that man has the habit of
 76 BULLEHSHAH

thinking, concentrating or remembering the qualities of

something or some one. Now, whatever he thinks on,
also produces its image or its picture in his mind. This
habit of dwelling on something has been called by the
mystics simran,1 and the habit of forming pictures
dhyan or contemplation. Even when we are sitting in a
dark chamber, our mind is never static. It is engaged in
thinking about something or contemplating on some
form. This, in turn, produces attachment with those
objects. Now, the objects of this world being transitory
in nature entail suffering, because separation from them
is painful. If our attachments are to avoid suffering, they
must be fixed on something permanent and not
perishable. The only permanent being is God, who is
neither born, nor does He die, nor indeed He knows any
decline. So, unless our attachments shift from the
external objects to the Lord within, deliverance from
suffering is impossible.
How can love for God be born within us, when He is
formless ? He cannot be seen with our eyes, nor heard
with our ears, nor felt by any other sense-organ. Indeed,
He is beyond the scope of any sense-knowledge. Now
saints and mystics tell us that the answer to this problem
is the Master. The Master is the concrete form of the
Lord, because he has realized God and has merged with
Him. That is why saints tell us that the only entity
worthy of our contemplation is the Master. Says Soami
Ji:

Contemplate on the form of the Master in your eyes.

And connecting your soul with the Word,
rise to spiritual realms within.
Sar Bachan, p. 8

1. Repetition of the Holy Names, which lead to concentration.

 TEACHINGS 77

It is due to attachment with worldly objects, that

mind first descends from the eye center to the nine sense-
outlets, and then spreads in the whole wide world. If we
reverse the process by fixing our attention on the eye
center and concentrate on the Lord’s Name as also
contemplate on the Master’s form, our mind and soul
will begin to contract and vacate the nine doors to
collect at the tenth. When the soul and mind are
completely collected in the center behind the two eyes,
the tenth door is automatically opened. It was this
process, which was described by Jesus Christ in these
words:

Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened

unto you.1

Bulleh Shah addresses the Lord in a kafi as follows:

For your sake I have become thus:

I have closed my nine doors to sleep;
And I have come to stand at the tenth.
O, accept my love for You now!

Bulleh Shah has used the word “sleep” in the above

stanza. It does not mean the ordinary phenomenon of
periodically recurring physiological state of rest. It
signifies rendering insensiblgjhe part of the body lower
than the two eyes, by vacating the nine doors of the soul
and mind. Such a soul becomes oblivious of the outer
world, but it gets awakened to the inner one. Bulleh
Shah means to say that people, awake, to the world
outside, are in reality drowned in deep sleep. On the

1. Matthew 7 : 7
78 BULLEH SHAH

contrary, those persons are really awake, who through

spiritual practice have raised and collected their soul at
the eye center. Those who are asleep from inside, wake
up at the time of death and are repentent for wasting
their invaluable life on useless activities:

I am awake while the whole world is asleep.

It will shed tears when its eyes will open.

There is the veil of ego with all its dirt that lies
between the soul and the Lord. Unless this dirt is
removed and the soul is cleansed, she cannot behold the
Lord. This task of purification can be performed by
concentration and contemplation. Taking himself to be
sweeperess Bullah says:

I am a sweeperess in the service of the true Lord.

With the chhajli1 of contemplation and the broom
of knowledge,
I sweep of the chaff of lust and anger.

Other saints have also laid stress on the practice of

concentration and contemplation. They too consider it
indispensable for God-realization. Says Guru Arjun in
this context: “Standing or sitting, asleep or awake, yea,
with every breath, contemplate on the Lord.”2 Again,
“Forget Him not for a moment, night or day, any hour,
any instant.”3 And in the words of Sultan Bahu: “Never
be remiss in remembering the Lord, although it is
sharper than the sword ... He alone is grateful who

1. A winnowing implement for separating grain from chaff.

2. Adi Granth : p. 1298.
3. Adi Granth : p. 247.
 TEACHINGS 79

remembers Him, and forgets Him not for a moment, O

Bahu.” Also, “The moment He is out of your mind is the
moment of ingratitude. Thus has my Murshid taught
me.”
In his Kafi, “Reverse the direction of the flow of
Ganga, O Sadhu,” Bulleh Shah describes in detail the
part played by concentration and contemplation in
spiritual practice and in attaining the experience
through it. He says that in order to realize God, one has
to make the Ganga flow in the reverse direction. In other
words, the soul current has to be withdrawn from the
lower extremities, through the main body, to the center
behind the two eyes. He has used the symbols of the
spindle and the spinning wheel for concentration and
contemplation. Also, he has called the process as
“flowing in the reverse direction,” because the soul and
the mind have to be brought in from outside and are to
be raised upwards from below. To rise above the ten
senses and their temptations have been called by him
“killing the ten-headed monster.” When this has been
achieved, the secrets of the body, which he calls
“Lanka,” are revealed, and the unstruck, divine melody
begins to reverberate. Eventually, union with the Lord is
attained. But, this consummation is possible only
through the instrument of the Guru or the Master.
Bulleh Shah conveys all this in the following words of
the kafi:

Reverse the direction of the flow of Ganga,

O Sadhu, for then you will behold the Lord.
Take the cotton roll of love in your hand,
and let not any knot be formed in it.
The spindle of knowledge and the wheel of
contemplation are to move backwards.
80 BULLEH SHAH-

If Kumbh Karan1 were to retrace his steps,

he would find the secret of Lanka.
Kill the ten-headed monster2 and save the life of
Lakshman, for then the unstruck melody will ring.
This blessed state you will attain through
the grace of your master,
And then alone you will deserve to be called his
disciple.
He will grant you such a region of nectar,3
that it will take you to complete absorption
in Him.

The Royal Vein

After passing through the third eye, the soul enters a
fine vein, which has been called Sushmana or Sukh-
mana by saints and mystics in Hindi and Punjabi.
Bulleh Shah and many other Sufi saints have given it the
name Shah Rag (The Royal Vein). It should’ not be
confused with the main blood vessel, aorta. In mystic
terminology it is a fine path for the soul to travel on its
spiritual journey from the eye center, upwards. Bulleh
Shah says that those who are able to reach and enter the
Royal Vein do not find their destination, the court of the
Lord, very far.

1. Kumbh Karan, a character in the epic Ramayan, who used to sleep for
six months at a stretch. Here, it signifies the long inactivity of man in
doing his meditation.
2. Ravan, the ten-headed villain, in Ramayan. Here he stands for the ten-
senses, which have to be tamed to realize God.
3. Muslim mystics have called it ‘Hauz-i-Kausar’ (the Tank of Paradise)
and Chashma-i-Abihayat’ (the Fountain of Ambrosia). Other saints
and mystics have given it various other names, such as Amritsar (the
Pool of Nectar) and Mansarover (the Lake of Honor). The mystics say
that by bathing in this pool, the soul is rid of all coverings and
impurities, and man truly comes to know himself. This self-realization is
a necessary pre-condition for God-realization.
 TEACHINGS 81

Through the Royal Vein God is not far.

People have for nothing raised a turmoil.

In confirmation of this point, Bulleh Shah has

quoted verses from the Qura’n in many of his poems. In
these verses God says to man:

1. You have written, “From the Royal Vein I am near

you.”
You have given the lesson, “I am with you.”
You have ordained, “Know me within yourself.”
Then, why have You put on this veil?

2. You played the tune on the flute: “From the

Royal Vein, I am near you.”
“Know me within yourself.” You made us hear this
cry.

Sultan Bahu conveys the same truth in his own words

thus: “Those who understood the essence of God
correctly, they moved towards progress. O Bahu know
that ‘From the Royal Vein I am near you,’ and end all
disputes.”
In some other poems Bulleh Shah says that through
spiritual practice the soul can travel in the fourteen
worlds, and man’s crow-like attitude (of carnal desires)
would change into the swan-like attitude (of drinking the
nectar of the Lord’s Name):

1. I walk freely in the fourteen worlds,

I am not constrained anywhere.

2. The Beloved himself displays His beauty,

And makes the drinkers intoxicated!
Seeing the graceful pace of swans,
Bullah has forgotten the gait of crows.
82 BULLEH SHAH

3. In the rapture of Your love I have lost my senses;

I have now found how close You and I are.
You, O Lord, are near the Royal Vein within me.

Tulsi Sahib of Hathras, revealing the same secret to

Sheikh Taqi, a Muslim divine, says in one of his famous
ghazals:

Why do you wander in quest of the Beloved?

The path to the Beloved lies through the Royal Vein.

The State of Trance

As the soul is completely withdrawn from the body
and concentrated within, it is said to be in the state of
samadhi. It is in a trance, and although the body has
become senseless, the soul has been awakened from deep
sleep. This process has also been described by mystics as
one of untying a knot because the soul has been
separated from the body and the mind. In fact, it is at this
stage that man is able to know his reality as soul. When
Socrates said, “Know thyself’ it is in this profound sense
that he had appealed to his compatriots. And, it is in this
sense alone that knowledge of the self leads to knowledge
of God. For soul and God are identical in essence. So
long as the soul is wrapped in coverings, it cannot know
its true nature or essence. Bulleh Shah has made
abundant use of verses from the Quran to expound this
truth. As already mentioned, he has quoted God saying
to man:

Know me through knowing yourself.

O Bullah, when I have known my own self,
I shall no longer bend my sleeping organs.
 TEACHINGS 83

Bulleh Shah has also called this process the practice

of closing one’s eyes, ears and mouth to the outside
world. He considers the world known through sense
organs below the third eye as the world of falsehood. He
appeals to man to lift his attention from the world of
falsehood and delusion to the everlasting world of the
Beloved within:

Leave this abode of falsehood and delusion.

Establish yourself in the ecstasy of love.
You will then reach the presence of the Beloved,
Where your eyes, ears and mouth are closed.

Other saints and mystics have also dwelt upon

the subject of self-realization and its relation to God-
realization in the same way as that of Bullah. Guru Amar
Das says in one of his hymns: “He alone is pure who has
known his self. The Lord of bliss himself comes to meet
him.”1 The spiritual meaning of the quotation is to
separate the soul from the mind and the senses. As long
as it is not separated, it can neither know itself nor can it
merge in the subtle essence of the Lord. Jesus Christ had
also hinted at the same truth: “That which is born of the
flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is
spirit.”2 He too meant to say that the spiritual element
can blend with the Lord only after it has been sifted from
the coarse material stuff.
Lovers of God often appear as cranks or crazy. They
are, however, wise from within. In fact, they are
indifferent to the world outside and their attention is

1. Adi Granth: p. 1046

2. John 3:6
84 BULLEH SHAH

fixed on the inner resplendence of the Lord. In one of his

kafis Bullah says:

Your separation has made me crazy and earned me

the name “the mad one.”
I shut my eyes, ears and mouth, and bide my time.
Throw now a generous glance on me and be merciful.

Dying While Living

The process of withdrawal of the soul current from
the lower part of the body to the eye center has also been
called by saints and mystics, ‘dying while living.’ This is
so, because the process of vacating the body of all
consciousness is akin to the process of dying. In natural
death, the soul vacates the body starting from the lower
extremities, and gradually moves upwards. As the
process of withdrawal proceeds, the parts vacated
become senseless. And when the body has been entirely
vacated, we say that the person has died. Now, the same
process is gone through in “dying while living,” but with
two significant differences. In spiritual practice the
process is voluntary, unlike the natural death, which is
involuntary. In “dying while living” death is induced by
the practitioner’s own will. He can bring back the soul
within the body when he likes, as he can withdraw it at
his will. Secondly, the process of involuntary death is
extremely painful, but the voluntary death of the
spiritual practitioner is as blissful as the other is painful.
Says Bullah in a kafi:

People in whose bones love makes its abode.

They verily die while they are still living.
Ecstasy seeps into every pore of their body,
And nothing remains hidden from their eyes.
 TEACHINGS 85

Again, in a couplet he writes:

O Bullah, in Islam I ever find

special comfort in hijrat:1
I die daily and I daily come to life.
I am daily in transit.

There are numerous examples from other mystics

which convey the same truth. St. Paul says in the Bible,
“I die daily.”2 Also, in the Gospel according to St. John it
is written, “I say unto thee except a man be born again he
cannot see the Kingdom of God.”3 To rise above the
physical body and to enter the spiritual realms within, is
what is implied by the expression ‘to be born again’.
Since this is possible only through spiritual practice and
consequent spiritual growth, after being initiated by a
Master, the real birth occurs only when one is connected
with the Word by the Master at the time of initiation. In
this sense, ‘being born again’ also refers to the day of
initiation by a Master. Kabir says in one of his poems
that those who have mastered the practice of dying while
living become free from the delusion of this world, and
are liberated forever from the bondage of transmigra¬
tion. “He dies while living and comes back to life again,
thus merging into the Void.4 Living in the sense-world,
he rises above it, and is thrown not in the turbulent ocean

1. Muslims have given the name hijrat to the departure of prophet

Mohammed from Mecca to Medina. The Muslim calendar commences
from this date. Bulleh Shah, in his Sufi style, considers the withdrawal
of the soul from the nine sense outlets to the tenth hidden door as hijrat.
And, rising from the realm of duality to enter the unity of God is called
by him, ‘entering Islam’.
2. I Corinthians 15:31
3. John 3 : 3
4. lVoid’ here means the pre-creation stage.
86 BULLEH SHAH

of existence.”1 In the Dialogue, “Phaedo,” Socrates has

defined a philosopher as one who pursues the art of
dying while living: “For as many as rightly apply
themselves to Philosophy aim at nothing else than to
die.”2 Continuing, to clarify what he means—
withdrawing the soul from the body—he remarks that
ordinary people do not understand the true import of
his statement: “They are ignorant of the sense in which
true philosophers desire to die.”3 The House of Guru
Nanak in the Adi Granth imparts identical teaching:
“Where one has to go after death, attain that state while
still living.”4 “If one dies while living, and from death
comes back to life, he attains to salvation indeed.”5 The
process of withdrawing the soul current from the rest of
the body to the eye center does not only result in an
extremely blissful experience, but also in emancipation
from delusion, from duality. Soami Ji says:

Abide thou in the eyes after collecting

yourself as a unity.
Duality will vanish here when you fix
your gaze on the Light.
Sar Bachan p. 152

Some Persian mystics have dwelt on this theme in

even greater detail. Says Shams-i-Tabriz: “The lovers die
of their own free will. And this death, before their
Beloved, is like sugar to them. Their Master opens their

1. Adi Granth: p. 332

2. Five Dialogues of Plato, Everyman’s Library, edited by Ernest Rhvs-
pp. 131 and 132. J
3. Ibid.
4. Adi Granth: M.I., p, 25.
5. Adi Granth: M.3., p. 550.
 TEACHINGS 87

hidden eye, whereas all the rest die as stark-blind. The

mystics go to the Beloved with great delight; the ignorant
depart in darkness and in disgrace. And, those in-looking
lovers who waste not their nights in slumber, die without
fear and without separation. In great joy and ecstasy they
depart from this world to be in His presence.” And,
Rumi has this to say on such a death: “Die, O friend,
before your death, if you seek life everlasting. Yea, die
before dying, O , you of good sense, and give your life to
the Beloved. It is not a death, which takes you into the
grave; indeed it is the death which takes you to light
from darkness. It is not a death, which takes you into the
grave, it is a change which takes you to a banquet. You
are one who has a body without a body. Be not afraid,
therefore, of coming out of your body and departing
from this life.” Saint Paltu, the well-known north Indian
mystic says in this context: “All people die, but rare is the
one who knows how to do it. O Paltu, the one who dies
while living, dies in bliss, of his own free will.”1 “While
still living, he dies, but comes back to life again.
Whosoever can do this, gets released from the bonds of
transmigration.”2
Quoting from the Quran, Bulleh Shah brings out the
true import of the holy verse:

“Die thou before thy death,” says the Quran;

Bring me back to life from death, O Friend.
O Bullah, the Lord has come to my house.
Entertain Him with a sequence of dances, O friend.

1. Saint Paltu \ Part 3, Sakhi 99.

2. Saint Paltu\ Part I, Kundali 72
88 BULLEH SHAH

In another kafi he says:

I give you sound advice, if only you were

to set your heart on it.
The dead will rise on the day of resurrection,1
but the lover will never die.
If you die before your death, such a death will
indeed be priceless.

Light and Sound

What does a man experience on attaining the state of
samadhil What happens when he completely withdraws
his soul current from the nine sense organs and opens the
“tenth door”? As mentioned earlier, such a man
experiences death while still living. He leaves the abode
of the dead behind and enters the realm of the truly alive.
Bulleh Shah says that the one who enters the bright eye
center behind the two dark eyes experiences three things:
he hears the divine melody, he sees the divine light, and
he has the vision of the astral form of his Master:

Your face is reminiscent of Yusuf,

take care of the thunder of clouds, O friend.
From the center within the black tresses,
show me the flash of Your light, O friend.
Whatever color is given, I am dyed in a deep hue,
it has the glow of my Master, O friend !

The experience of these three elements within has also

been described by him in a different way:

From the resplendent heaven came out a call,

And it was heard at the court of Lahore.

1. Those devoid of love are the same as dead.

 TEACHINGS 89

King Inayat fastened a hook as a trap:

And he himself pulls the strings to catch me !

Many saints and mystics have given hints in their

writings that by entering the tenth door the soul hears
celestial music and sees divine light. For example, Hafiz,
the great poet and mystic of Persia, counsels man to raise
his attention from the six lower centers and the seven
skies to be able to hear the five divine melodies ringing
within him: “Be silent and listen thou to the five melodies
emanating from above the skies. For, they emerge from
beyond the seven and the six.” Shams-i-Tabriz conveys
the same in these words: “Above the seven skies you will
hear the five melodies, when you will unpeg your tent
from all the six sides.” To make it absolutely clear that
the melody comes from within, and is not to be found
anywhere outside, he writes, “Reason says: six directions
there are and there is no way other than these. Love says:
there is a way, and I have traveled on it many a time.”
Here are some other statements by Indian mystics: “I
have closed the (nine) doors; now rings the unstruck
melody.”1 “There are nine doors, but only the tenth leads
to salvation. In it you hear the unstruck melody.”2 Guru
Nanak, in one of his hymns, brings out the fact of light
and sound together in the inner experience, and of
arousing imperishable love for the Lord : “There is light
within, and from within the light emanates sound.
Together they put me in rapture of the True. Lord. ”3
Saint Paltu in one of his kundalis gives a detailed
account of light and sound experienced within:

1. Adi Granth: Kabir, p. 656

2. Adi Granth: M.3.p. 110
3. Adi Granth: p. 634.
 90 BULLEH SHAH

An inverted well is there within,

wherein burns a lamp ;
Wherein burns a lamp without a wick,
without any oil.
Day and night it burns, through the six seasons
and the twelve months.
To one who has found a Master, it comes
within his sight.
By the one without a Master, this flame
cannot be seen.
From within the flame of the lamp
emanates a sound.
Only the one in Gyan Samadhi1 hears it,
it is heard by none else.
O Paltu, whosoever hears it, is the one
with perfect fate:
An inverted well is there within,
wherein burns a lamp.

Annihilation and Permanence

Sufi saints have often used the expressions fana-fil-
Sheikh and fana-fil-Allah. Literally the word fana means
annihilation or passing away. In the present context we
can understand by it “merging into”. Thus the term fana-
fil-Sheikh would mean merging into the Master and
‘fana-fil-Allah' will connote “merging into God.” Identi¬
cal ideas are found in the Adi Granth:

L If one merges into the true Master,

the unutterable Word is realised.
M.I., p. 62

1. Mystic trance.
 TEACHINGS 91

2. Nanak loses his self and merges into the Master.

M.3.,p. 509

These expressions are not used metaphorically or as

ideals, but have a special mystic significance. They
indicate a certain spiritual state in mystic trance. Much of
Bulleh Shah’s poetry points to such a state. For instance,
his kafi beginning with the line, “Repeating the name of
Ranjha I have become Ranjha myself,” is symptomatic
of this condition. Through concentration and contempla¬
tion when the soul leaves the senses, body and mind, it
first merges into the form of the Master, and then into
that of the Lord. Every true practitioner of the spiritual
path aims at attaining such a stage. In his kafi, beginning
with the line, “O friends, it is now that I learn how love
and law are related,” Bulleh Shah says:

Within us abides our Murshid.

When I fell in love, I learnt this.

Likewise, in his kafi “Will You ever call me Your own?”

he points out in the last stanza that so long as the disciple
does not merge into his Master, he cannot have the vision
of God:

O Bullah, when you go to see the Lord,

You have to transform these eyes of yours.
Then alone will you be able to behold Him,
When you come back home as King Inayat.

In the same kafi he points out in an earlier stanza,

that with the elimination of the ego from within, God
alone remains behind, although in the process one might
have to go through experience akin to that of Mansur:
92 BULLEH SHAH

If I, the perishable, eliminate my ego from within,

I shall manifest You who are everlasting.
If I were to reveal You in the manner of Mansur,
I would be caught and put on the gallows.
Will You ever call me your own?

In his kafi “O friends, I am lost to myself,” Bulleh

Shah hints that with the disappearance of the self or the
ego from within, the individual merges into the Universal
and becomes one with Him:

O friends, I am lost to myself,

Unveiling my face I dance in the open.
Wherever I look, Him alone I see.
By Him I swear, none else exists.
“He is with you” went round the world,
When the Master read from the scroll.
O friends, no name or trace of mine is left!
Whatever I say, you keep silent about it.
Do not give a hint of it to any one,
That Bullah has fully realized Reality.

The safne thought is found in the Bible, when Jesus

Christ says:
I will come again and receive you unto myself;
That where I am, there ye may be also.1

KALMA OR THE WORD

As stated earlier, the soul, after vacating the body

comes in contact with the Word at the eye center. The
Word manifests itself in the form of unstruck melody,
which wraps the soul within it, and proceeds on its

1. John 14:3
 TEACHINGS 93
/

spiritual journey through various stages to the abode of

the Supreme Lord.
Sufi saints and mystics have given various names to
the unstruck melody: They have called it Kalma (The
Word), Kun (Decree or Command), Bang-i-Asmani (the
Celestial Sound), Nida-i-Sultani (the Royal Call), Bang
(the Voice), Saut (the Call), Ism-i-Azam (the Great
Name), Kalam-i-Ilahi (the Word of God), Sultan-ul-
Azkar (the King of Remembrances), etc. Bulleh Shah,
denouncing worldly knowledge and praising the Kalma,
writes in a kafi:

We are powerless in the fortress of learning;

This learning has made us prisoners of the pen.
We are all worthless without the Word,
And without the Word we cannot cross.

Two kinds of Kalma

Kalma is of two kinds, Sifati (attributive) and Zati
(Essential or Substantive). All the names given to God,
which are based on attributes or qualities, are attributive.
They can be written, read or spoken, and are descriptive
in nature. There are hundreds of names of God in
different languages, and they are all attributive. The
Essential Name, on the other hand, is the True Name,
which is the unspoken, unwritten, cosmic Law. It is the
Creative Power of the Lord, which in the form of divine
sound and divine light abides not only within man, but
also in the whole world outside. The entire existence
comes into being through the operation of this Word.
That is why it is also described as the Decree or the
Command of God {Kun). And it is through the
experience of this Kalma that liberation from the never-
ending cycle of birth and death can be achieved. The
Kalma is the personal property of every human being,
94 BULLEH SHAH

but it is hidden from his physical eyes. It is primordial,

all-pervading, all-powerful and all-knowing.
It is clear from the above account that although the
attributive names of God are different in various
religions and languages, the Essential Name is the same.
For, it is the substance which has given rise to the
attributive names. This does not mean however, that
attributive names are altogether useless. They serve as the
means for attaining the Essential or True Name. They are
all pointers to our destination.
In an elaborate exposition of the two kinds of the
Word or the Name, Soami Ji writes as follows:

Brother, I shall now define precisely what Nam is,

And disclose the difference between its two kinds.
They are called Varnatmik and Dhunatmik,
And here is the distinction between these two.
You may call it Yarn or you may call it Achhar;
It is the one that can be spoken with the tongue.
Also, what can be used in reading and in writing,
Is the same that is called Varnatmik.
It is only a pointer to the Dhunatmik,
But without a Master that cannot be achieved.
Sar Bachan, p. 95

The Bible says:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was

with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1

Soami Ji conveys the same thought in his own words

thus:
You will realize that Nam1 and Nami2 are one,
If you have the good fortune to meet a Master.
Sar Bachan, p. 95

1. The Name or the Word.

2. The Being who bears the Name.
 TEACHINGS 95

Zati Kalma or Unstruck Melody

The following kafi of Bulleh Shah would serve as
an example of his account of the Unstruck Melody
emanating from the Lord :

Wondrous music does the Lord play on the flute!1 * 3

O, Lord of the flute, cowherd Ranjha,
You are in tune with the whole world.
You rejoice, but I am in dire misery.
Pray, harmonize my tune with Yours.
O flute-player, You are called the Lord.
You reveal the peerless cosmic beauty,
Albeit You remain invisible to the eyes.
What a matchless game You play!

Everyone hears and talks of the music of the flute;

But it’s the rare one who understands its meaning.
Whosoever attains the joy of the Unstruck Melody,
He becomes enamored of the flute.
On hearing the sonorous notes of the flute,
I shriek with joy in the manner of peacocks,
For I rejoice in its variegated tunes.
A single note lies behind the entire symphony!

This flute has Five to seven stops,

Each stop has its distinctive note.
But one strain breathes through them all,
And, it is this which has bewitched me.

1. Esoterically, music of the flute is audible at a high spiritual stage within.

Rumi commences his great Masnavi from this stage. Its opening line is:
“Listen to the flute as it narrates its tale, and complains of separation
from its source.”
96 BULLEH SHAH

This flute has a long account.1

Whosoever sought it, found it.
Simple is the strain of this flute;
The whole body is eloquent with His praise.
O Bullah, all my troubles have come to an end.
The Beloved has come and stands at the door.
Now maintain your trade with the Word,
Then your Master will stand as your witness.2

Bulleh Shah has written the entire kafi in adulation of

the Unstruck Melody of the flute, but in the last stanza
he has called it Kalma, the Word. It is clear from this
identification, that he has used the “Unstruck Melody”
and “the Word” in the same sense. He has called both
God and the Master “Lord of the flute” or “Ranjha of the
flute.” From this it can be inferred that the essence of
God and of the Master is the Word. Its being “in tune
with the whole world” means that the Unstruck Melody
resounds in the whole creation and in every being. “Pray,
harmonize my tune with Yours” signifies that the
underlying essence of the soul, the Word, the Master and
the Lord is the same. It is for this reason that they can all
merge into one another. Only the like can be absorbed
into the like.
“Only the rare one understands the meaning of the
flute music” hints at the extremely few people who., are
blessed with hearing the Unstruck Melody. It is those
fortunate few, who begin to understand that all creation
emanates from the Word. “A single note lies behind the
entire symphony! And these fortunate ones “become
enamored of the flute.”

1. Refers to the limitless expanse of the Word.

2. Before the Dispenser of Justice, the Nagative Power.
 TEACHINGS 97

The line, “This flute has a long account,” means that

the scope of this divine melody is boundless. And, it is
free from the stain of duality: “Simple is the strain of his
flute.”
The Unstruck Melody is basically one, but passing
through different spiritual realms it assumes different
forms. “This flute has five to seven stops,... But one
strain breathes through them all.”
At the end of the kafi, Bulleh Shah counsels that one
should never forget the real aim of human life and should
always maintain connection with the Word: “Maintain
your trade with the Word.” If this link is kept up, the
Master will be present (in his astral form) at the time of
• the disciple’s death to help him: “Your Master will stand
as your witness.”
In his poem, “Come fakirs, let us go to the
assemblage,” Bulleh Shah has called the Word,
“Unstruck Music” (Anhad da Vajja) or “The Mystic’s
Music” {Arif da Vajja). He writes that the mystic
practice does not lie in external observances such as
wearing saffron clothes, but in connecting the mind to
the unstruck music within. Without this union with the
Word, the external gathering of fakirs in an assemblage
is futile. Without such a union, human life and good
actions all go waste “Your capital and interest both go
down the drain.” On the other hand, the one who
connects himself with the Word, it raises him from man
to God:

Come fakirs, let us go to the assemblage,

and listen to the music of the mystic!
There you will listen to the many-splendored
Unstruck Melody, renouncing all rituals and
ceremonies.
98 BULLEH SHAH

The unstruck music is all-uniting, foe to none;

and it emanates from the orifice1 of the head.
Without the union the assemblage is fruitless;
your capital and interest both go down the drain.
Hard is mendicancy and the path of the lover,
for you have to still the mind in that music.
Such a lover becomes God from man,
but Bullah has remained where he was.

Bulleh Shah, by calling the Word as God’s Will or

Decree, (Kun Fayyakun) has indicated that the Un¬
struck Melody also works as the Creative Power, which
brings into existence the entire world. In one poem, he
has described it as the path leading to the “Transcendent
Being,” and in another he has called it the call from the
Celestial throne:

1. On the path leading to the Transcendent Being,

I shall seat myself and play on the conch.

2. The call came from the Celestial throne.

And a tumult arose in Mecca.

The praise of the Word is found in all mystic

literature, whether in the East or the West, whether in
one religion or another. And, in everyone of the
statements made by them, its essential nature is clearly
brought out. A short account supported by some
quotations in various religions is given below.

Hinduism and the Word

The Hindu r is his have called the Word by many
names: Shabd, Nad, Vak, Akash Bani (the Celestial

1. The opening in the center between and behind the two eyes, the third
eye or eye center.
 TEACHINGS 99

Sound), Dibh Dhuni (the Divine Melody), Ram Dhun

(the Voice of God), etc. They have also regarded it as the
Creative Power of the universe. In Sama Veda it is
written that Shabd is God and Shabd is the Creator. The
Upanishads are replete with adoration of the Word.
1. “There is a hymn which celebrates Vak (Speech) as
the supporter of tjie world, as the companion of the
gods, and the foundation of religious activity and all its
advantages . . . This idea which, of course, has long ago
been compared by Weber with the Greek Logos is
ingenious:
“The Will of the Creator is thus considered as
expressed in Speech.”1
2. “Prajapati certainly was alone (before) this
(Universe). The Word (Speech) certainly was His only
possession ... He desired: Let me emit this very Word, it
will pervade the whole (span). It rose upward and spread
as a continuous (well-joined) stream of water.”2

Ancient Greek Religion and the Word

The ancient Greek sages and philosophers have
given the name “Logos” to the Word. In praise of the
Logos it has been said: “There is one Logos, the same
throughout the world . . . This wisdom we may win by
searching within ourselves ... It is the cosmic process, it is
God; it is the life principle; it is divine law, or will of
God. It prevails as much as it will and is sufficient for all
things. Logos is the immanent reason of the world; it
exists from all time, yet men are unaware of it, both
before they listen and when they hear it. The Logos

1. Religion and Philosophy of the Vedas, Harvard and Oriental Series

Vol. 32, pp. 435-36.
2. Tandyabra 20: 14: 2, quoted by Bhagwat Datta in Story of the creation,
p. 110.
100 BULLEH SHAH

. . . keeps the stars in their courses. It is the hidden har¬

mony which underlines the discords and antagonisms of
existences.”1 Another philosopher writes in this context:
“The Logos is intermediator between God and the
world, being the regulating principle of the universe, the
divine intelligence ... As the way, the truth and the life, as
the inspirer of the highest morality, and last and not the
least, as the living bond of union between the various
members of his body. The spirit goes through all things,
formless itself, but the creator of forms. The Logos as
World-Idea is also simple. It assumes manifold forms in
its plastic self-unfolding.”2

The Jewish Religion and the Word

In Hebrew language the word “Memra” has been
used for Logos of the Greeks and for Kalma of the
Muslims. Some scholars have traced its origin to the
word “Amar” of the Armenian language, which stands
for “Word” or “Speech”. Usage of the word “Amar” is
older than even of “Logos,” So, we cannot say that the
Jews got the idea from the Greeks. It has been used for
the divine Word, the divine Decree, manifestation of
divine desire, as also for the creative power of God, the
principle behind all creation. Last, but not least, it has
been used as the Creative Being or God, himself. Even
before the advent of the Christians, the Word was called
primeval, creator of the universe and the Decree of God.
This thought binds the Jews, the Christians and the
Muslims in one chain from the spiritual point of view.3

1. Heraclitus of Ephesus (535-475 B.C.) Extract from Encyclopaedia of

Religion and Ethics Vol. VIII pp. 135-137
2. Anaxagoras (500-428 B.C.) Extract from Encyclopaedia of Religion
and Ethics Vol. VIII pp. 135-137.
3. Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics. Vol. VIII, pp. 542-43.
 TEACHINGS 101

Christianity and the Word

In the Bible various other terms besides that of the
“Word” have been used in the same sense. These are: the
Logos, the Spirit, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit and
the Comforter. All of them denote the Creative Power
of the Lord; and the power which can liberate man from
the prison-house of this Creation.
The Bible says: “In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The
same was in the beginning with God. All things were
made by Him, and without Him was not anything made
that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light
of men.”1
Some other sayings pertinent to this theme are: “And
I will pray to the Father, and He shall give you another
Comforter that He may abide with you forever.”2 “But
the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost.”3 “God is a
Spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in
spirit and in truth.”4 The Name of the Lord is a strong
tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”5
“Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be
forgiven unto men.”6

Zoroastrianism and the Word

In the religious system founded by Zoroaster in
Persia, the Word has been called “Sarosh.” Scholars
have shown its resemblance with the Sanskrit words
“Shabd,” and “Shruti,” and suggested that they were

1. John 1:1-4
2. John 14:16
3. John 14:26
4. John 4:23-24
5. Proverbs 18:10
6. Mathew 12:31
 \
102 BULLEH SHAH

derived from the same root.1 Also, like other terms used
for the Word, “Sarosh” too has been considered as the
ultimate divine power, from which has emanated the
entire Creation.2
“Sarosh,” which existed prior to earth, fire, vegeta¬
tion and man is the manifest-form of the Will of God.
On the one hand it acts as the Creative Power, and on
the other it teaches the noble lesson of cheerful
acceptance of God’s Will. Such acceptance is a necessary
pre-requisite for spiritual progress.3 It is the viceroy of
Ahurmazda (God) from the beginning of time. Its
greatness is apparent from the prayer of Zoroaster: “Oh
God, let “Sarosh” be granted to him, who is dear to
You.”4 Here its resemblance with the Holy Ghost, the
Holy Spirit, the Comforter, etc. of Christianity is
noteworthy.5

Taoism and the Word

In the Chinese philosophical and religious system of
Taoism, high praise has been showered on the greatness
of the Tao.6 The Tao is primeval, and it is indescribable
in words.7 The Tao has been identified with God
Himself. It has also been called the Path, the Word,
Discrimination, Decree, The Omniscient, the Unknown
Essence of Creation, the Principle that moves the mind
and the world, and so on.8 It has been regarded as the

1. From the same root as Sanskrit Srutis: Duncan Greenlees, The Gospel
of Zarathustra,n. 54; also 'The Path of the Masters', Julian P. Johnson p.
41-42, (13th Ed.)
2. Duncan Greenlees, The Gospel of Zarathustra, p. 52 (Yasara 57: 1-2)
3. Ibid.
4. Julian P. Johnson: The Path of the Masters, p. 41-42, (13th Ed.)
5. to 8. Southill, W.F.-.Three Religions of China, London: Oxford Uni¬
versity Press, 1929 (3rd. Ed.), p. 16
 TEACHINGS 103

creative, the preservative and the destructive ground of

the universe.1
The Tao is no concrete object, but all objects
emanate from it. It is formless, but all forms become
visible through it.2 Man is governed by earthly laws; the
earthly laws are governed by divine laws; the divine laws
are governed by the Tao, and the Tao is its own law.3
The Tao in its primeval state is nameless, but when it
manifested itself in creation and in creeds, it acquired
names.4 It is not only the root cause of creation, it is the
principle which guides it and the ideal for all things.5 It
is beyond good and evil, and is indicative of that state of
bliss, the attainment of which is the very essence of the
Tao.6 The Tao is the guiding principle for true morality,
true religion, true spirituality and true conduct.
When the practice of the Tao ceased, the stress was
shifted to morality, and then it was laid on intellect and
cleverness.7 But, nothing can replace the Tao. Only by
returning to one’s source can eternal peace be achieved.8

Islam, Sufism, and the Word

In the Quran, the Kalma or the Word has been called
all-powerful.9 Whatever it commands, it comes to pass.10
The Word of God is True.11 On whomsoever God is
merciful, He sends His Kalma through His Decree.12 The
Name of God is auspicious ; it is pure, and it bestows
greatness on the one who practices it.13

I.to 6. Southill, W.F: Three Religions of China, London: Oxford

University Press, 1929 (3rd. Ed.) p. 16.
7. James Legge: The Texts of Taoism, Tao Teh King, Part 81:1.
8. Ibid 16:1
9. Quran 9:39
10. Ibid 36:82
11. Ibid 6:73
12. Ibid 40 :15
13. Ibid. 55:78
 I

104 BULLEH SHAH

The Sufis have accepted Kalma or Saut (Sound) as

the creative power of the world. The sufi-saints have
written profusely on it. A few examples are: “The world
has come into being through the Sound. And, from it has
spread light on all sides.”1 “The Great Name is the
source of all names. It is the inner reality of all things. It
is the ocean, and the world is its mere wave. But he alone
knows it, who is one of us.”2 In other words, this secret
is known only to the mystics. “The whole world is
replete with Sound. But, you have to open your inner
ear. You will then hear that never-ending melody, and
you will cross the gate of death and go beyond the
beginning and end of things.”3 “Since the word has no
limits, it has been called ‘limitless-’ (anhad)”4“O God, how
sweet is your Name! My very existence has become
sugar and honey in it. O God, What rapture is there in
Your Name! Every letter in it puts me into ecstasy.”5
Rumi goes on, in adoration, to call it the essence of all
existence. “The Great Name is the Great God Himself. It
is the core of existence, and puts to life even dead
bones.”6 “O God, Thy holy Name is my true friend. Thy
Great Name brings me close to Thee.” 7
Sultan Bahu, a great mystic poet from Punjab has
written much in praise of the Word. Says he about the
True or Essential Kalma: “Where the Kalma is recited
by the heart, there the tongue has no admittance. Kalma
of the heart is read by lovers. What do our naive friends
know about it?” The practice of this Kalma is by no
means easy. It demands a heavy price for its attainment:

1. Shams-i-Tabriz.
2. Abdul Razzak Kashi.
3. Shah Niaz.
4. Ibid.
5. to 7.Jalal-ud-Din Rumi: Masnavi.
 TEACHINGS 105

“Sleep is prohibited for them, O Bahu, who earn the

profit of zati Name.” But what they achieve after their
great labor is worth all the trouble they have gone
through: “They perform ablution with the Great Name,
who bathe in the ocean of Unity.” Continuing, Bahu
says that the Kalma is the greatest Creative Power: “All
the fourteen realms emanate from the Kalma. What do
the simple folk know?” “All the fourteen realms are
contained in the Kalma, as also the Qura’n, the holy
books and all the books of knowledge.” The Word is the
greatest treasure, which has no peer anywhere outside:
“There is no blessing like the Kalma, none within the
two worlds.” “The Kalma is my rubies, my diamonds,
the Kalma is my richest merchandise. Here, as also in
the hereafter, O Bahu, Kalma is my total wealth.” It is
through the Word, that one learns to die before the
appointed time of his death. It takes him out of the
delusion of duality into the reality of the One: “He will
not die the death of mortals, in whom eternal love has
been awakened. To him death and union will be the
same, for he has practiced the zati Name of God.” There
is no prayer worth the name, from which the practice of
the Word is absent: “Who tries to earn spiritual merit
without the practice of the Kalma, verily he dies as an
infidel, in the manner of one gone crazy. Even if he were
to worship for a hundred years, he would remain a
stranger to God.”

Saints and the Word

Writings of saints are replete with praise of the
Word, and on its practice are based their main
teachings. The Word is not only the Creative Power, but
is also immanent in everything. And, above all it resides
 106 BULLEHSHAH \

within man himself. Says Guru Nanak: “From the Word

comes the earth, from the Word comes the sky, from the
Word spreads light all around. The whole creation rests
on the Word, and this Word, O Nanak, resides within
man.”1 In this context, Guru Amar Das writes:
“Through the Word comes all creation into being, and
through the Word it goes out of existence.’’2 Saint Dadu
Dyal conveys the same thought thus: “O Dadu, all
remain cohesive through the Word, and without the
Word all disintegrate. Through the Word are all created,
and in the Word they all merge. Of the One Word is all
this fiat; so great is the power of the Word! It would
have been quite different, had the Word been power¬
less.” Guru Arjun Dev, in praise of the Word, writes:
“His Name is the cure for all our ills. Sing its praises, as
it gives salvation.”3

THE MASTER
(

Need of a Guide
God, the Supreme Being, the Ultimate Reality is
within, and so is the soul, which is of the essence of God.
Although both are within man, yet there is a veil
between them, which does not let them meet each other.
It is like the bride and the bridegroom being in the same
bedchamber, and yet the bride remaining unaware of the
presence of her spouse. It is like a man with immense
wealth lying in his house, but who roams like a beggar
seeking it outside. The only way in which the bride can
find her Lord and the beggar can find his treasure is

1. Puratan Janamsakhi, p. 137.

2. Adi Granth: M.3. p. 117.
3. Adi Granth: M.5. p. 274.
 TEACHINGS 107

through the Word, which makes the necessary contact

between the seeker and the sought. If the Word can
solve the problem, in which man finds himself, the
question arises: What is the part that the Master has to
play in this drama ?
In a superficial sense the Master gives nothing from
himself, but in a deeper sense his role is the most
important. Since by God’s design the wealth of the
Word is already within every man, so the master does
not give it from himself. But, from another point of
view, he may be said to give everything. If a great
treasure is hidden in a man’s house, but he does not
know how to obtain it, he is actually a pauper. If
someone does not only tell him where it is lying, but also
gives him all practical help and guidance to get it, he has
virtually turned a beggar into a king. This is the role
played by the Master for his disciple.
In the words of Soami Ji “The Guru is he who is one
with the Word.”1 One who is in contact with the Word
can bestow the supreme gift of such contact on others.
That is why all great mystics refer to their masters in
superlative terms of praise and adoration. They ascribe
their entire achievement to their Master’s grace, even
when they themselves worked hard for it. In fact the
individual’s own effort emanates from the Master’s
grace, though apparently the two seem quite different.
Whether we consider them integral or separate they are
necessary for salvation. Says Soami Ji:
Without the Master’s grace,
and without your own effort,
You will not be released from
the cycle of birth and death. Sar Bachan, p. 122)

1. Sar Bachan, p. 105.

108 BULLEH SHAH

Bulleh Shah is no exception to this rule and his

writings are replete with love, gratitude and adoration
for his Murshid, Inayat Shah. A few examples are given
below:

1. Listen to the tale of Bulleh Shah.

He caught hold of his guide to follow him.
His Murshid is Shah Inayat.
He will ferry him across the gulf.

2. Whosoever wishes to have a vision of Him,

He cannot do so without an intermediary.
If Shah Inayat were to reveal the secret,
Then all mysteries would be solved.

3. The land of the Beloved is across the river,

And the waves of avarice have engulfed me.
The Satguru is holding the boat.
Why do you tarry?
4. Come soon, O physician, or else
I shall breathe my last!

Comparing the human body to the spinning wheel,

Bulleh Shah calls the spiritual practice ‘spinning’. In the
following kafi he hints that in withdrawing the soul
current from the nine outlets into the tenth door, and
protecting it from the stratagems of the Negative power,
the help that the Master renders to the disciple is
invaluable:

The handle of the spinning-wheel has slipped down;

I can now spin no more!
The spindle has got many a bend, who would now
call the iron-smith?
Straighten out the spindle, O iron-smith;
the thread gets broken again and again;
 TEACHINGS 109

Every now and then it swings, it does not produce

a single hank of yarn.
I shall deem to have spun a hundred maunds,
O Bullah,
If the Beloved were to clasp me to his heart.

Rizvi, in discussing the role of a master (Sheikh)

writes: “The Tariqa was an arduous journey involving
numerous risks and impediments. It could be traversed
only under the strict supervision of Sheikhs or pirs who
had themselves traversed all the hills and dales of the
Path, and had survived the rapture of the ‘states,’ per¬
ceived the nature of actions, and experienced the severity
of‘Divine Majesty’ and the clemency of‘Divine Beauty’1
All these obstacles confronted by a disciple “needed con¬
stant‘supervision by a Sheikh.”2
Elaborating on what the Master does for his disciple,
Bulleh Shah writes:

Catch hold of your Murshid, for therein lies

God’s worship.
In his love you are carefree and in raptures;
In his love you are free from desire and possessions;
And your heart becomes cleansed of all impurities.
O Bullah, how long can you hold back truth?
Wisdom is contained in a single point!

The Master’s power is not confined to guidance in

this life. At the crucial moment of death, when all
relatives and friends are helpless in rendering any help to
the dying man, it is the Master who comes to his rescue:

1. Saiyid Athar Abbas Rizvi: A History of Sufism in India, Vol. I., p. 99.
2. Ibid.
110 BULLEHSHAH

Your testing time will surely come,

When all near and dear ones will desert you.
At that time the Sultan of Bullah
Will help you to be ferried across.
Put your mind in Spinning, O girl!

Because of the overwhelming spiritual influence of a

true Master, a radical change takes place in a devoted
disciple. He virtually becomes a different person after
his contact with the Master. Bulleh Shah writes about
the metamorphic change wrought in him by his Master,
Inayat Shah:

My Guide taught me a lesson,

No stranger had admittance there.
He showed me the beauty of the Absolute Lord.
And a tumult of unity overwhelmed me !
Who can now recognize me?
Now I have become a different person.

After the realization of the all-powerful nature of a

Master, Bulleh Shah spoke out: “The Guru does
whatever he likes.” And, after such intimate relationship
has been established between the disciple and the Master, as
came to exist between Bulleh Shah and Inayat Shah,
separation is extremely painful to bear. If it happens to
come, there is intense longing for union, as is obvious
from the following lines of Bullah:

O Bullah, may the Spouse come to my home,

And quench the fire burning within me!
I remember Inayat with every breath,
Come and meet me, my Love!

Bulleh Shah’s love for his Master, intense though it

is, does not always take the form of veneration. Often, in
 TEACHINGS 111

the mood of a lover’s playfulness, it expresses itself in a

complaining tone on the fraudulent attitude of the
beloved. His occasional appearance interspersed with
periods of vanishment is tantalizing for the lover. Says
Bullah in an incriminating tone:

Look, what tricks he plays with me,

My Master and Lord, Shah Inayat!
Sometimes he comes, and sometimes not,
Thus he enkindles a fire in my heart.

Some scholars have compared Bulleh Shah’s philo¬

sophy to that of Rumi. In fact, some of them have called
him the Rumi of Punjab.1 Doubtless, Bulleh Shah’s love
for Inayat Shah is reminiscent of Rumi’s love for
Shams-i-Tabriz. This is what Rumi says about the role
the master plays in the disciple’s spiritual progress and
ultimate realization: “The path leading to the Friend is
extremely narrow. Who can walk straight on it without
a sagacious guide? This arduous journey is beset with
deep gorges, which cannot be crossed without the one
who shows the path.” That is why that gracious King
ordained: “First, find a companion for the journey, and
then undertake to travel on the path.” Look for a guide,
so that you may reach your goal without harm, for there
is many a pitfall on the way. You are revolving round
the same spot like a compass, so you remain where you
are without any progress. For years on end you
performed prayers and undertook fasts, but your heart
stayed where it was at first. Have faith in the guide, who
will take you to your destination without a word. To
disregard the command of your Master is like shooting

1. Such as Anwar Ali Rohtaki and Taufiq Rafat.

112 BULLEHSHAH

an arrow without a bow. Have you ever seen an arrow

without a bow, reach its target or even nearabout it?

The Perfect Master

The term “master” has been used for one who has
himself traversed all the stages on the spiritual path and
has ultimately become one with the Lord by merging
into Him. To make this clear, saints and mystics have
sometimes added the word “perfect” to the word
“master”, for an imperfect guide can take one only to a
stage, where he himself has reached, and no further. So,
if the goal is God-realization, a perfect Master, who
himself has reached the final destination, is indispens¬
able. A perfect Master is both man and God. He is a
man, because he has the human form, but he is also
God, because he has spiritually become one with Him.
This is God’s own design, because in no other way can
He be realized. In His abstract form there can be no
contact with God. So, He has to assume the human
form to take man out of darkness into light, out of
ignorance into knowledge, and out of bondage into
freedom. When Bulleh Shah had the vision of God in his
Master, he blurted out: “The Beloved has come as man!”
and “God has come as man!” In a few more kafis he
comes out with the same thought:

1. He is not a cowherd1 but some light of God.

He plays the unstruck melody on His flute.
He has beguiled Heer of Syal with His charm.
2. Bullah, He2 has come from afar!
His form has attracted me.

1. Used for Ranjha.

2. ‘He’ stands for the Master.
 TEACHINGS 113

He showed me his pure effulgence.1

I cannot forget him for a moment.
3. You would enjoy the delights of spring,
if you were to become slave of the Arain.2
O Bullah, fix your gaze on him forever,
For he is the vision of the Lord.
4. O Beloved, to meet you is to end all suffering.
For the common folk you are a mere cowherd;
For me you are the compassionate Lord Himself.

Other saints too have dwelt on the theme of identity

between God and the Master. In a beautiful analogy,
Guru Arjun Dev says: “The Lord’s servant is like unto
the Lord. Think him not to be different because of his
human form. As a wave he arises in a myriad ways from
the ocean, and then merges into it again.”3

Physical Love and Spiritual Love

Sufi saints have the tradition to regard the Murshid
as the ladder for reaching the formless Lord. The
Murshid is the mirror which reflects the glory of God.
Bulleh Shah has called the physical form of the Master
as the bridge that takes the disciple to his Master’s real
form. He states that unless one is in love with a form,
there can be no love for the formless one. Love of the
form is a thread, which sews the garb of love of the
Formless. So long as the Lord does not come in the
human form as a giver, how can the gift of divine love be
obtained? Love for the Master is our real father and
mother, because it gives birth to divine love. It is love for
the form of the Master, through which the disciple

1. Divine light or vision of God.

2. Vegetable grower, here stands for Inayat Shah, Bulleh Shah’s Master.
3. Adi Granth : M. 5., p. 1076.
114 BULLEH SHAH

learns to die while still living and thereby attains union

with the Lord within:

So long as one falls not in physical love,1

The needle cannot sew without thread in it.
Physical love is a giver, a benefactor.
Whosoever is blessed by it, gets into raptures.
People in whose bones love makes its abode,
They verily die while they are still living.
Love is our father as well as our mother.
Whosoever it pursues, gets into a frenzy.

Jami, a great Persian poet, says in this context:

“Consider yourself to be fortunate, if you fall in physical
love. For, it is a means to raise you to love divine.”
In this context, Bulleh Shah, making use of his
favorite story of Heer and Ranjha, Ityas brought out the
true relationship between the soul ^nd her Master. The
eyes of the Master have shown the precious jewel, the
Lord. His face reflects the beauty of Yusuf (the Lord). In
its native state the soul is formless and luminous, but
with the coverings of body and mind, as a yogin, its
brilliance remains concealed. It is for this reason that
Ranjha (the Lord) has to come to this world in the guise
of a yogi (human form). But, when Heer sees in the yogi
the sign (the attributes) of Ranjha, she is drawn
spontaneously towards Him. Love of the soul for her
Lord, which had been lying dormant from time
immemorial, is now awakened. In her new realization
she regrets the wastage of time spent before her newly-
awakened love. When her love for and faith in the yogi
becomes perfect, he takes her with him to the throne of
Hazara (her final destination, the True Abode), which
brings to an end all suffering involved in transmigration:

1. Physical love here means the love of the physical form of the Master.
 TEACHINGS 115

Ranjha has come in the guise of a yogi;

Oh, what a mask He has worn!
This yogi has eyes like goblets,
Beaming their glances like those of a hawk.1
On beholding his face all cares vanish;
These eyes have seen a precious jewel.2
What are the marks of this yogi?
He wears ear-rings and has a string of beads
round his neck.
His visage reflects the beauty of Yusuf.3
He has turned Alif into Ahad.4
Ranjha is my yogi, I am His yogin;
I shall serve Him like a slave.
In vain have I wasted my earlier life.
Now He has come and charmed me!
It is now that Bullah revels in His presence.
His old love has stirred up a storm in his heart.
How can this now be kept a secret?
He takes me along to the throne of Hazara.5
Ranjha has come in the guise of a yogi;
Oh, what a mask He has worn!

In another kafi Bulleh Shah employs the same

analogy of Heer and Ranjha, and indicates that after
giving the command of creation (Kun Fayyakun),
Ranjha (the Lord) leaves the Throne of Hazara (His
True Abode) to bring back Heer (the soul). But in the
land of Chuchak and Malki6(mind and maya), Ranjha
had to assume the form of a cowherd. When, however,
Heer was being forcibly sent with the Kheras (the Ego

1. He has searching looks. The allusion is to God seeking the soul of man.
2. and 3. The Lord.
4. Alludes to the transformation of the Absolute into God.
5. The true Abode, the final destination.
6. Father and mother of Heer.
116 BULLEH SHAH

and Satan), then Ranjha had to disguise himself as a

yogi (The Lord in the human form of a Master) to
release Heer from the clutches of the Kheras. In the land
of the Kheras, Ranjha would go only to the house He
was interested in, and not care for any other house. This
signifies that the Lord comes to emancipate only those
souls, which would be happy in going back to Him, and
not those which cherish sense-pleasures and are happy
to stay in this world.
On the other hand, the soul which spurns all the
allurements offered by the Kheras (sense-pleasures), and
pines for union with Ranjha (the Lord), the yogi (the
Master) readily comes to her door. What is the mantra
which the yogi recites to bring back Heer? He plays on
the conch at her door (he connects her with the Divine
Melody within). He spreads grain or millet at her door,
and begins to sift it, but during the process of sifting (in
the course of worldly activities), the eyes of the yogi are
ever fixed on Heer. When Heer recognizes the eyes of
Ranjha in the eyes of the yogi, she is thrilled and in
ecstasy accompanies him to the Throne of Hazara:

Why do You tarry, Love? I am a sacrifice unto You.

Soon after the Command to create,
Ranjha departed from the Throne of Hazara.
He let himself be called the servant of Chuchak,
when He was the Lord himself.

The yogi comes to the city of the Kheras,

he goes to a house where he has a motive.
He plays on the conch at the door;
he carries on him the grace of the Lord.
At the door, he picks up a quarrel without reason;
his vessel gets broken, his grain gets littered.
 TEACHINGS 117

Who can see through his trick ?

His grain got trodden in dust.
He keeps his gaze on Heer, while dispensing
grain to people.
Whatever is written in destiny, one gets it;
bitter tears fight like soldiers.
Why do you tarry, Love?

In yet another kafi, “I shall go with the yogi after

applying vermilion to my forehead,” Bulleh Shah deals
with the same theme. To attain union with the Lord
through love with the physical form of the Master is
exquisitely conveyed in this poem. In it he calls the yogi
(the Master) the light of God, and the flute-player of
unstruck melody, who through his magnetic charm
captivates the heart of Heer. He overwhelms Heer to the
extent that she becomes oblivious of herself, as also of
the world. Immersed in her love for the yogi, she follows
him, as if in a trance, to his land:

I shall go with the yogi after applying

vermilion1 to my forehead!
I shall certainly go. Who is there who can hold me
back?
It is hard for me to return after all the reproaches
hurled on me.
He is not a mere yogi, he is my heart’s desire.
I know not why I ever fell in love.
But I lost all sense after a glimpse of him.
He is not a mere friend, he is the very light of God.
He recites unstruck melody on the flute.
He has bewitched Heer of Syal with his magic.

1. A sign of marriage in a Hindu woman.

118 BULLEHSHAH

O Bullah, I am wedded with the yogi.

Foolish people have no knowledge of it.
I am the property of the yogi, after pacifying
the five pirs.'
I shall go with the yogi, after applying
vermilion to my forehead !

The kafi beginning with the line, “Who has come

after wearing an attire?” also hints at the divine Reality
hidden behind the physical form of the Master. At
another place, Bulleh Shah calls the Master “the
cowherd of the unstruck (anhad) door,” who puts on the
garb of a yogi for the love of Heer:

The cowherd of the unstruck door has come,

with bracelets round his wrist.
He has shaved his head for the sake of my love,
and dust has filled his ears.

The Living Master

It is indeed strange that we can have faith in ancient

saints and mystics, i.e. dead masters, but find it difficult
to bring forth such faith in a living master. When those
masters were alive, they were generally persecuted by
their contemporaries, because their teachings were
considered heretical. Recognition for them only came
later, after they were dead and gone from this world.
This attitude in men persists even to this day. It seems
“the way of the world is to persecute living saints and
worship dead ones.”1 2

1. Sense-organs ; it signifies controlling the five cognitive senses.

2. Oscar Wilde.
 TEACHINGS 119

This is not to denigrate the greatness of past saints

and masters. They bestowed immense benefit to the
people living in their times and those who came in
contact with them. A living saint is as indispensable for
a seeker to attain God-realization as is a living husband
necessary for a woman to beget children. A sick man
needs a living physician to get cured of his illness,
although the past has known excellent doctors. A
student, despite such great teachers as Plato and
Aristotle, needs the practical guidance of a living teacher
to acquire knowledge and wisdom.
When great doctors, musicians, generals, painters,
philosophers and scientists can be born at any time, and
in any country, why should the birth of saints and
masters be confined to a specific time and to a particular
country, religion or nationality? If the Lord has
bestowed the blessings of air, water, earth and light to
people without any discrimination, why would He
distribute opportunities for their spiritual growth in so
unjust a manner? Just as He has given great reformers
to people for the solution of their worldly problems
from time to time, so also He has sent saints and masters
in all ages for satisfying their spiritual needs.
The scriptures do not deny the existence of such
saviors in the form of saints and prophets in all ages.
For instance, a verse in the Qura’n says: “We believe in
God and in what has been revealed to us, as well as to
Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and their descendents;
we also believe in what was given to Moses, Jesus and to
all the prophets raised by the Creator of the Universe;
we accept all of them, without making any distinction
among them.”1 A Sufi saint of the mid-ninth century,

1. Sirdar Ikbal Ali Shah in “Islamic Sufism”, Samuel Weiser Inc., New
York, 1971, p. 35.
120 BULLEHSHAH

Tirmuzi (died 851-52 A. D.) asserts that the coming to

this world of men of God, the spiritual saviors, is a
continuous process and no age is devoid of them: “Who
can prevent the mercy of God from prevailing over
people even in these modern times? Nobody can check
it, for it is continuous. Do they think that there is no
siddiq\ no muqarrab2, no mujtaba3 , no mustafa4
nowadays ?'”5 In the Adi Granth too, the continuous
presence of masters in this world is confirmed in
unambiguous terms at many places. Here it may suffice
for us to give, one instance: “Age after age, at all times,
unto eternity, the line of Gurus continues. In all ages the
line of True Gurus runs, who dwell in the Lord’s
Name.’’6
Insistence on guidance by a living Master is no less
obvious in several of the kafis of Bulleh Shah. In fact,
the dominant feature in most of his compositions is love
for his Master, Inayat Shah. Love for the Murshid, is, as
it were, the kingpin of his teachings. In one of his kafis,
Bulleh Shah calls the Master, the merchant who deals in
precious stones, the seller of rubies. He warns people
that the jeweler is there only for a short time, and the
opportunity in striking a rare bargain should not be lost.
(The Master in the human form is in our midst for a
short time, and we should avail of the opportunity for
buying7 the precious merchandise of Nam). After the
departure of the Master, the secret of the Word will
remain unraveled.

1. Faithful witness of the truth.

2. Intimate friend.
3. and 4. Chosen ; Mustafa is also a name of Muhammed.
5. “A History of Sufism”, Vol. I, p. 41.
6. Adi Granth, M. 4, p. 79.
7. Buying, not with money, but with spiritual practice.
 TEACHINGS 121

Strike a bargain, the merchant is here.

Such a chance will not come again.
Make haste to buy the precious stone,
For the tradesman will soon depart,
Nothing will be possible to do that day,
When the bugle will summon you with the last call.
You are loath to live the life of piety;
How long will you issue imperious commands?

A few other lines from the kafis on the same theme

are given below:

1. In this forest of love the peacock gives a call.

My lovely friend appears to me both as Ka’ba and
qibla
2. O Bulleh Shah, sit at the door of Inayat,1 2
Who has made you wear garments red and green.3

3. Whatever color I am dyed in, it is verily a deep

color.
It has the glow of my Murshid, O friend !

4. Look, what tricks he plays with me.

My Master and Lord, Shah Inayat!
Sometimes he comes, and sometimes not.
Thus he enkindles a fire in my heart.
O’ bring me the message of Nam from God;
And deprive me not of a glimpse from you.
5. The Spouse of Bullah, Inayat, is all-knowing.
He is the captor of my heart and the master of my
soul.
I am iron, and he is the philosopher’s stone.
You, O Lord, are ever in touch with him.

1. The altar of the Ka’ba in Mecca.

2. Inayat Shah, the Master of Bulleh Shah.
3. The bright colors signifying the dress of a bride.
122 BULLEHSHAH

LEARNING AND SPIRITUALITY

The Pedant and the Mystic

Like other saints and masters, Bulleh Shah has made
a sharp distinction between knowledge gained through
the study of scriptures and holy books and that gained
through personal spiritual experience. Since he himself
was a highly learned man, he was fully aware of the
limitations of bookish knowledge and erudition. This
awareness became all the more sharp, when he attained
the mystic experience through the guidance of his
Master, who apparently was an unlettered man. When
Bulleh Shah first met his Murshid, Inayat Shah, the
Master was transplanting onion seedlings from one
place to another. Little did Bulleh Shah know at that
time, that the simple vegetable-grower was an adept in
implanting the Word of God in the hearts of true
seekers.
When he came in close contact with his Murshid,
Bulleh Shah realized his Master’s spiritual greatness as
also his high moral conduct. The qualities of a realized
soul began to appear in sharp contrast with the
character of scholars and learned men. He saw that men
of learning and scholars made use of their erudition for
amassing material wealth and gaining worldly fame,
whereas Inayat Shah was content with leading a simple,
pure life, and was distributing gratis, the great spiritual
wealth that he possessed, to true seekers. This led him to
proclaim spontaneously: “O Bullah, if you seek the
pleasures of the spring season, become a slave of the
Arain

1. Literally, the vegetable-grower, here it stands for Inayat Shah.

 TEACHINGS 123

That no scholastic knowledge is required on the path

to God-realization is conveyed thus by Bulleh Shah:

With ‘A’1 my heart is steeped in love for the Lord;

I have no knowledge whatsoever of ‘B’2.
The study of ‘B’ gives me no understanding.
I have relished only the bliss of ‘A’
I knew no distinction between ‘Ain’3and‘Gfiain’4
Through ‘A’ I learnt their difference.
O Bullah, their utterances of ‘A’ are perfect,
Whose hearts have been cleansed of dross.

In another oft-recited kafi, Bulleh Shah points to the

same truth:

I have acquired much verified knowledge,

But only one letter5 is true in it.
All other disputation is futile.
In vain does it raise a tumult!
Words that come to my tongue cannot be held back.

Spiritual and Bookish Knowledge

In sufi language spiritual or mystic knowledge has
been called Ilm-i-Sina,6 whereas knowledge from books
has been given the name Ilm-i-Safina.7 Bulleh Shah
considers knowledge from scriptures, devoid of practical
application, as a ‘bundle of woes’. The erudite scholars

1. Originally, Alif (J ), the first letter of the Arabic/Persian/Urdu

alphabet. It stands for unity, the One, God.
2. Originally Be (v ), the second letter of the alphabet. It stands for all that
is other than God.
3. & 4. The letters Ain (l) and Ghain (t) have the difference only of a
dot. Esoterically, it signifies the reflection of God in the Master.
Elsewhere, Bullah writes : “As is the form of Ain, so is the form of
Ghain."
5. Alif, the letter for Allah. It symbolizes the unity of God.
6. Literally, knowledge from the heart.
7. Knowledge from books.
124 BULLEH SHAH

are adept in hair-splitting over the holy scriptures, but

they are ignorant of all inner spiritual secrets. They have
neither any personal experience of the Reality within,
nor do they try to mold their lives in accordance with the
teachings from scriptures. The aim of scriptures is to
show the path of Truth and to render help in attaining it.
A knowledge which neither purifies the heart, nor tames
the restive mind, of what use is it to man? Says Bulleh
Shah:

Why do you read a cart-load of books?

You carry on you a bundle of woes.
The journey ahead is replete with perils.
You memorize the holy Qura’n by heart,
And keep your gaze fixed on the reward.

On the futility of mere recitation of scriptures,

without any spiritual practice in the wake of it, Guru
Nanak strongly denounces it thus:

If we were to recite scriptures year after year.

If we were to recite them month after month;
Nay, if we were to recite them all our life,
And spend every breath in this pursuit,
Only one thing will count in the end, O Nanak,
All else is futile, sheer waste and strain.1

The Persian mystic and philosopher, Sanai, went to

the extent of saying that “knowledge which does not
take you to the destination of Reality, only ends by
aggravating your ingorance.”
One who has intellectually grasped the theory of
Reality has not necessarily tamed his mind and

1. Adi Granth : M. 1, p. 467.

 TEACHINGS 125

controlled his passions. He may tender advice to others

on matters spiritual, but himself may be vexed by
doubts and suspicions. There is no conformity between
his speech and conduct. His life is all hypocrisy and
cant. To such a one Bullah says:

You read and administer homilies every day;

But you eat the food of doubt and suspicion.
You preach one thing and practice another.
You are false within and true without!

Gather no more knowledge, O Friend!

You read and read, and pile up a heap;
The Quran and other books lie all around you.
All around is light, but within you is darkness.
Without the guide there can be no knowledge.
Gather no more knowledge, O friend!

Many of Bulleh Shah’s couplets harp on the same

theme. He finds the hypocritical way of life of people,
especially of preachers and the clergy, intolerable. Here,
two of his couplets are given as examples:

1. Mullahs and torch-bearers come from the same

stock;
They give light to others, and themselves are in the
dark.

2. All else is mere chatter, talk only of God.

Some confusion comes from scholars, some from
books.

Pedantry, Discrimination and Action

The aim of knowledge, according to Bulleh Shah, is
to awaken our faculty of discrimination. Knowledge
126 BULLEH SHAH

should enable us to distinguish between truth and

falsehood, good and evil. The pedant who claims to be a
man of vision, is in reality blind. He is blind to all higher
values, because he does not distinguish between good
and bad, and between a man of God and a man of the
world. He is a loser in this world as also in the hereafter.
A knowledge which inflames passions and desires
instead of extinguishing them, should better be avoided.
A knowledge which incites one to dishonesty and
arouses in him avarice to possess others’ property, does
not make him dear to God, says Bullah. It is better to be
illiterate and ignorant with a pure heart than to be
learned and scholarly with a heart full of cunning and
deceit. It is to bring out these truths that Bulleh Shah
writes:

1. By such knowledge many complications arise;

Though endowed with eyes you are totally blind.
You capture saints and let go thieves;
You are disgraced in both the worlds.
Gather no more knowledge, O friend!
2. By constant reading mullahs become Qazis,
But God is happy without such knowledge.
Their greed is whetted day after day.
Their acts are aimed at personal gain.
Gather no more knowledge, O friend!

3. Much knowledge was acquired by Satan;

His hearth and home were burnt to ashes.
A necklace of curses was hung round his neck.
And, at last, he lost the game!
Gather no more knowledge, O friend!

4. O Bullah, in the divine temple God asked men

for an account of their acts. '
 TEACHINGS 127

He kept pundits and learned away from Him,

and beckoned to Him the simpletons.
5. Enough of this learning, O friend!
Only Alif is required on the path.

The well-known Sufi saint, Khwaja Abu Ismail

Abdulla Ansari (1005-1090 A.D.) writes: “One person
has continued to gather knowledge for seventy years,
but has not been able to experience a spark of light
within him. Another man has remained unlettered and
ignorant, but has succeeded in hearing the divine
melody within him, and remains immersed in it. The
latter is far superior to the former. On this path (of
spirituality) arguments and logic serve no purpose. Seek
with all sincere effort, and you may have the glimpse of
Reality.” Khwaja Hafiz, too, warns us against the
sermons delivered by pedants. Says he: “Listen not to
the harangues of one who does not practice what he
says. Keep him at an arm’s length, and proceed to the
wine-cellar (where lives the cup-bearer, the Master, the
dispenser of the wine of love)”. Rumi in one of his
verses, comparing worldly knowledge with divine or
spiritual knowledge, says: “Knowledge which emanates
from the body (matter) acts like a snake; knowledge
which emanates from the heart is a friend.”
The thoughts expressed above do not mean that the
study of scriptures and holy books is a waste of time and
energy. Saints and mystics spent many precious years of
their lives to compose their works for our benefit. But, it
is impressed upon us in their very books that salvation
will not come by sheer recitation or reading of
them. Release from the cycle of birth and death can be
attained through love for God and practice of the Word.
128 BULLEH SHAH

A mere repetition of the praise of sunlight by a man

sitting in a long dark tunnel will not bring him out in the
sun. This objective can be gained only by actual
movement to cover the distance of the tunnel from one
end to the other. To have faith in the existence of God
and to recite or chant hymns frotn holy scriptures is not
enough. If union with the Lord is the goal to be
achieved, spiritual practice of the Word is indispensable.
From the point of view of research, from the point of
view of discovering Truth, from the point of view of
removing doubts, or from the point of view of getting
acquainted with the principles of spirituality, the study
of scriptures and holy books is highly beneficial. But the
real gain from such study lies in molding our lives in
accordance with the knowledge acquired, and in
attaining the final goal of God-realization.
The study of holy scriptures is our beginning, not
our end. Theoretical knowledge of a science needs to be
confirmed through practical experiments. That is why
saints and mystics have repeatedly stressed in their
writings, that knowledge conveyed in their books relates
to their experience. For us, it is only testimony, a
second-hand confirmation. It should inspire us to gain
our experience, which was the real aim of writing these
books.

RITUALISM AND SPIRITUALITY

Every orthodox religion is wedded to its own body

of rituals, customs and external observances. Also, it
considers its own system superior to those of others.
 TEACHINGS 129

Consequently, it has usually been a source of conflict

between one religious group and others. But saints and
mystics look at all with the same eye. Junaid, an Arab
mystic, says: “The Arif could not be an Arif until he is
like earth upon which the pious and impious walk; and
like the clouds that are spread over everything; and like
the rains that descend upon all places quite without any
likes and dislikes.”1 The Lord belongs to the whole
world. He is not the sole possession of any particular
group. Perfect saints and mystics, who have become one
with the Lord, make no invidious distinctions between
man and man. They are not tied down to any particular
set of rituals. They are well-wishers of all mankind,
because they are in love with God, and see Him reflected
in everyone. Says Bulleh Shah:

True love has beguiled me, O friend!

Reveal to me the land of my Beloved.
At my parents’ I was an innocent maid.
With love to me He has robbed me of my heart.
Logic, semantics and a store of knowledge—
Such pedantry has left me devoid of Him.
Of what use are fasts and prayers to them,
Who have drunk deep from the font of love?
Sitting in the company of the Spouse,
Bullah is free from all rituals, O friend!

If, at times, saints are critical of the pursuit of a

wrong path, it is with the sole purpose of saving men
from going astray. Their intentions are always noble.
They do not want people to waste the rare opportunity
of the human birth in useless activities. In fact, they

I. A History of Sufism in India, Vol. I, p. 57.

130 BULLEH SHAH

sacrifice their own comfort and often their lives for the
good of mankind. They serve as lighthouses for
posterity. But people turn against them during their
lifetime, because they denounce the trodden path of
empty ritualism. To guard against attacks from people,
they often resort to the device of giving indirect hints in
their writings. In a famous kafi Bulleh Shah says:

If I tell a lie, something is left out;

If I speak out the truth, there is a blaze.
My mind fears both the alternatives.
But haltingly my tongue speaks out.
Words that come to my tongue cannot be held back.
If I were to unravel the mysteries.
All would forget to discuss and debate.
They would then kill our friend Bullah,
For only the hidden truth befits here.

The strongest denunciation of empty rituals and

external observances is contained in the following
couplet of Bulleh Shah:

Accursed be prayers, to hell with fasts,

and let confession of faith be damned.
O Bullah, I have found the Lord within,
and the world wanders in delusion!

Forgetting this strong criticism for a moment, let us

reflect a little deeply about the ritualistic practices that
people resort to. For their entire lives they visit temples,
mosques, churches, synagogues and the like. They recite
and chant hymns there. They pray and they worship
their deities. For the same purpose they go on
 TEACHINGS 131

pilgrimage to holy places. They keep fasts and practice

various kinds of austerities. They give alms in charity to
the poor and the needy. Have they ever experienced
even the slightest spark of divine light? In contrast to all
this, Bulleh Shah proclaims that he found the Lord
within himself. He admonishes the true seekers of God
not to waste time and energy in seeking Him outside.
God is within and so is the path leading to Him. And
this path is free from the practice of all external
observances of every religion. So long as one’s mind is
not pure and God has not been realized, the hypocritical
display of religiosity is contemptible. Says Bulleh Shah:

You have wasted your life in mosques.

Your heart is still filled with impiety.
Never did you realize the unity of God.
Now why do you raise a hue and cry?
Ever new, ever fresh is the spring of love!

When a knower of divine Reality points to some of

our weaknesses, a strong reaction is produced in our
minds. Engulfed in our self-esteem we are unable to
realize that for years we have been prey to those vices.
Because of our ego and our ignorance, we try to prove as
false what is a true analysis of our character and
conduct. On the other hand, the few who take the
remarks of the sage in the right spirit of humility with
discrimination, in them the realization of their mistake
is changed into remorse, which in turn is transformed
into courage to renounce the path of error and to pursue
the path of truth. In this way, such a person comes into
light from darkness.
Saints and mystics are like the surgeons, who
perform a surgical operation on a patient’s carbuncle to
132 BULLEH SHAH

remove its pus, to cure him. The saints and Masters

perform such an operation on the carbuncle of
ignorance and ego formed on the minds of people.
Those who are able to bear the pain of the operation,
they get rid of the filth and dirt from the wound. After
the operation, the saints apply the balm of God’s love on
the wound, and bring about a permanent cure of the
patient.
Bulleh Shah says that Sufi saints and -spiritual
Masters reveal the secrets of the highest spiritual regions
in their writings: “They reveal the secrets of the Fourth
Realm.” The fragrance of Reality emanates from them,
but the ignorant ones do not realize their high spiritual
attainments.They, in fact, become their mortal enemies:
“If one speaks the truth. They come to fight.” One main
sign of an ignoramus is that he considers an enlightened
person as an ignoramus. Under these circumstances,
Bulleh Shah counsels that it is wise to keep silent before
such people, even though hearts of lovers of God
blossom with delight, when they hear the divine secrets
that the mystics reveal:

Pass your time by keeping silent!

When they hear the truth, people cannot bear it.

If truth is spoken, they get on to your neck;
And they do not sit by the side of the truthful.
Truth is sweet only to the dear lover.
Truth is destructive of rituals and ceremonies.
Truth brings joy to the home of the lover.
Truth gives a new direction, it creates a new colony,
After it has vanquished rituals and customs.
Silence cannot restrain a lover from giving out truth;
It comes out from within him like a waft of fragrance;
 TEACHINGS 133

It is like the auspicious cord plaited for conjugal

bliss.1
Leave this world alone, all false and illusive.
Bullah Shah now utters the naked truth.
He now reveals the essence of Shara2 and Tariqat.3
He opens out the truth about the Fourth Realm,4
After it has vanquished rituals and customs.
Pass your time by keeping silent!

In one of his kafis, Bulleh Shah has given the

relative value of the various aspects of religion. In it he
traces the origin of the ritualistic aspect, and thereby
finds only a historical and psychological reason for its
existence. He means to say that every human being is
born in some religious group, and as a consequence
inherits its customary and ritualistic tradition. The
ritualistic aspect thus serves as a kind of midwife, which
should give birth to the ethical aspect in the course of
development. The ethical aspect, in turn, should
produce the metaphysical aspect. Lastly, the metaphy¬
sical stage should end in the attainment of mystical
experience, as the final destination. The one who gets a
fixation at the ritualistic aspect is bogged down at the
least important or the most superficial stage. In fact,
spirituality does not take birth in an individual’s life, if
he remains confined to the customary or the ritualistic
level. The offspring of spirituality was to be born from
the womb of ritualism, but the process remains abortive.
The normal growth should have been from the
customary stage to reflective morality. This, in turn,

1. A bride plaits her hair like a cord and adorns it with ornaments to
denote the auspicious state of wifehood.
2. Ritualistic aspect of religion.
3. The ethical aspect of religion.
4. reality.
134 BULLEHSHAH

should have developed into metaphysical wisdom or

theoretical knowledge of ultimate Truth. In the end, the
theory should have been put into practice, resulting in
mystical experience. This is what is meant by the
following lines of Bulleh Shah:

Remember that Shariyat1 is our midwife;

And, Tariqat2 is like our mother;
Then comes the part played by Haqiqat.3
But the real reward comes from Marfat.4

How man abdicates his reason, and is enslaved in the

web of superstition, is graphically brought out by Bulleh
Shah in the following kafi:

People have drowned the truth in din.

Brahmins produce fear in the minds of their hosts,
That their ancestors in the other world are in trouble.
The impending calamity, they say, could be stopped
by charity.
So the Brahmins demand sugar, rice and clothes,
And supplement it with utensils, money and cattle.
Thus, they wean the simple folk away from God’s
love,
And make them worship forebears and statues,
Which themselves they carved, nor feel any shame.
If perchance one gets indisposed or is taken ill,
They prescribe charms, spells and incantations.
If one happens to suffer from a disease of the eyes,
He is made to spend lavish amounts on alms.
Or he is made to vow to undertake a pilgrimage.

1. Ritualistic aspect of religion ; literally, the law.

2. The ethical aspect of religion ; literally, the path, the way.
3. The metaphysical aspect of religion, literally, the essence, the truth.
4. The mystical aspect of religion, literally, knowledge.
 TEACHINGS 135

The opium-addict says he is in dire need of popy;

And the poor seeker is in search of the benign Lord.
No physician of the soul is there to cure it of its ills.
And people in delusion wander in utter darkness.

Through the Royal Vein the Lord is not far;

People have for nothing raised an uproar!

The above attack against external observances is

specifically directed against the ritualistic priests of
various religions, who delude innocent people for their
selfish ends. In the name of religion they wean people
away from true spirituality. Every established and
organized religion produces such priests, who acquire
vested interests in keeping people confounded in
worthless beliefs and maintaining their hold by the
stratagem of various kinds of superstitions. And, it is
mainly because of them, that internecine feuds in the
name of religion occur. They also excite and instigate
people to rise against saints and mystics, and most of the
world’s great spiritual teachers suffered grievously at
their hands. Guru Nanak was called “The one who had
gone astray.” Prophet Mohammed, Jesus Christ,
Socrates, Guru Arjun, Namdev, Kabir, Dadu and Paltu
were all labelled “enemies of peity and righteousness.”
All of them were subjected to indignity and persecuted
by their compatriots. What can be more ironical than
the fact that the true followers of religion and true well-
wishers of mankind should be maligned and victimized
in the name of religion and humanity?
It was in such a mood of aversion to the hypocritical
ways of priests that Bullah blurted out in one of his
couplets:
136 BULLEHSHAH

In shrines dwell robbers,

in idol-houses, thugs.
In mosques live vagabonds,
the lovers of God remain aloof.

In one of his kafis his tirade against priests is equally

stringent:

Mullahs and qazis show me the way,

Through the labyrinth of the rituals of religion.
They are thugs, they are the hunters of sparrows.
They have cast their net on all four sides.
They teach me the so-called ways of piety,
Which serve as fetters round my feet.
Love does not care for caste or creed;
Love is the eternal foe of orthodox canon.

About the futility of visiting religious places without

purity of heart, Bullah writes:
People advise Bullah, ‘Go and sit in the mosque.’
He asks, ‘What happens by going to the mosque,
If the prayer does not come from the heart?
What use are external washings of the person,
If the filth in the heart is not removed?’

The purport behind every kind of religious activity is

to attain union with the Lord. Bulleh Shah hints in the
following kafi, that after this consummation has been
achieved, all ritualistic activity becomes unnecessary:

My fasts, my pilgrimages, my prayers, O mother,

My Beloved has made me forget them all!
As soon as I realized the Beloved,
My logic, my grammar were all forgotten:
Such was the unstruck melody that He played!
 TEACHINGS 137

When my Beloved came to my home,

I forgot all expositions, all erudition!
His splendor is visible within and without;
And the deluded people know it not!

In his kafi “Mother, my mad love does not leave me,

after I have lost my heart to the Beloved,” the
relationship between love and law has been beautifully
explained by Bulleh Shah. Expressions such as “I sleep
with my Beloved, pressed against His breast,” “After I
have entered the Unity,” “I am now in union with the
Beloved,” and “My head and body are joined to His”
point to Bulleh Shah’s total absorption in the Lord.
Girls play with dolls only before their marriage. After
they get married, not only dolls and other childish
games, but also their parents are forgotten. Bulleh Shah
says that people taunt him by calling him an infidel and
by saying that the Devil has taken abode in him. From
his own point of view, says Bullah, he has lost the
distinction between the believer and the non-believer
after having been united with the Lord. In this sublime
state of union, not only rituals and ceremonies appear as
child’s play, but the fear of public opinion also loses all
importance—(I have burnt my bodice and veil. . .lost all
sense of shame and reproach). The kafi runs as follows:

Mother, my mad love does not leave me,

after I have lost my heart to the Beloved
There was a wager between love and law,
and I played the bet with all my skill.
People reproach me time and again,
but I do not care to listen.
‘In the courtyard the devil dances,1
beware of it and keep it in leash.’

I. People taunt me by saying that within me resides the Devil. They

consider me as an infidel.
138 BULLEH SHAH

Breaking the law I won the game,

and I walk disgraced in people’s eyes.
I was immature; in child’s play I was lost;
I was playing with toys of clay.
These games now appear to be stupid,
after I have come to the house of my Lord.
I clap my hands, dancing a jig with my friends,
and the Beloved peeps stealthily.
Say, why does He feel shy? Why does He not
disclose His secret?
People call me an infidel, a disbeliever,
and they pronounce it from house-tops.
I see neither the infidel, nor the believer,
after I have entered the Unity.
I have burnt my bodice and my veil,
and set on fire my hut, igniting unbelief.
Placing my head on my palm, to my unbelief
I am beholden.
I am most fortunate to have killed my false husband,1
making him drink nectar2 with my own hands.
I am now in union with my Beloved,
having lost all sense of shame and reproach.
In the garden have I laid my bed,
and sleep with Him, pressed against His breast.
My head and body are joined to His, O Bullah,
and the Beloved is firmly secured.
Mother, my love does not leave me,
after I have lost my heart to the Beloved.

Ritualism may be compared to the frame of a

picture. The frame along with its cardboard back and
the front glass is meant for the protection of the picture.

1. Mind, the agent of the Negative Power, which holds the soul under its
way.
2. The nectar of the Name of God which redeems the soul, proves fatal for
the evil tendencies of the mind.
 TEACHINGS 139

The frame is not the picture itself. The box for jewelry
cannot take the place of jewelry. The value of ritualism
is derived from spirituality. Ritualism devoid of
spirituality is like an empty box. The value of jewelry
does not decrease, if it is contained in an ordinary box,
or even if it is without a box. On the other hand, of what
use is a box with a velvet cover, if it is filled with
worthless shells? Where ritualistic practices are devoid
of love of God and the Master and practice of the Word,
there the best of rituals are futile. When the mind is
pure, and love for the Master and the Word abides in
the heart, then a specific etiquette or decency of manner
is not indispensable. Bulleh Shah conveys this in his
inimitable style as follows:

O Bullah, beyond all physical steps,

behold the glory of Truth,
Whoever has reached there,
may forget to pay his respects.

In yet another kafi, he deals with his favorite theme

of the relationship between love and ritualistic law thus:

O friends, it is now that I learn,

How love and law are related.

By drinking a cup of love,

All things are forgotten!
In every house abides the Lord!
I see Him pervading one and all.
Within us abides our Murshid.
When I fell in love, I learnt this.
My logic, my grammar, my fund of polemics,
All the knowledge I had learnt, proved futile.
What has he to do with prayers, with fasts,
Who has been intoxicated with the wine of love?
140 BULLEH SHAH

The erudition of the pundits and the mullahs

was useless.
None of them came to know the secret!
How would he know the worth of brocades and silks,
Who has spun only a coarse cloth?
Bullah, by sitting in the presence of the Beloved,
Has become mute and dumb!1
O friends, it is now that I learn
How love and law are related.

CONCLUSION

An attempt has been made in this book not only to

present Bulleh Shah’s spiritual philosophy, but also to
compare it with that of other saints and mystics. We
have seen that at the basis of all true religions there is a
common, universal core of mystic experience. No doubt,
certain differences are perceptible in the expositions of
these religious doctrines, but all these differences are
superficial. They are mostly concerned with the rituals
and external observances practiced by different creeds.
They emanate from their socio-moral ethos, as also from
their historical backgrounds and geographical environ¬
ment. The differences of expression also flow from dif¬
ferences of various languages and their respective idioms.
If one were to probe deeper into their underlying mean¬
ing, it would not be difficult to discern a common spiri¬
tual substratum, from which emerge all the different
religious philosophies.

1. By attaining union with God, the tongue becomes speechless. This state
has often been described by saints and mystics as of one who is mute and
dumb.
 TEACHINGS 141

One or two examples will make this fundamental

point quite easy to comprehend. An electricity-gene-
rating station produces electric power which is used in
various ways and in countless homes and institutions.
We use it for producing light through bulbs and tubes;
we use it to produce breeze through fans; we use it to
listen to radio programs and to watch T.V. shows; and
we use it for cooking and heating. The form and the
level of each of these uses is different, but the underlying
power is the same. So also, it is the same spiritual power
operating in the whole world. Not only that, it is the
same power that is active in the Lord, the Master and
the soul; although the level at which it operates is
different in all the three cases. To take another example,
the water in a drop, in a wave and in an ocean is the
same, although it appears in different forms. Similarly,
the reality of the Lord, the Master and the soul is the
same. It is for this reason that a drop (the soul), blending
with a wave (the Master) can merge in an ocean (the
Lord).
The Master is like an engineer who connects with a
machine a part which has got detached from it. He/
connects the separated soul to its source, the Lord. He
uses the means of the Word to bring about this
connection. The entire creation emanates from the
Word. But while the creation is perishable, the Word is
everlasting. Once the connection between the soul and
the Word has been made, a man is able to live in this
world like a lotus flower, which lives in water and yet
remains dry. One who has been able to attach himself to
the Word within during his lifetime, is a man in the
world, yet not of it. Also, he is freed from all delusion,
and lives in a state of bliss.
142 BULLEH SHAH

How does one attain this bliss? How is he able to

attach himself to the Word? This is achieved through
learning to die while still living. In other words, he
learns to withdraw his soul current from the extremities
through the main body to the eye center, behind the two
eyes. The technique for doing this is imparted by the
Master, who is an adept in traversing this path.
Last, but not least, it has ever to be kept in mind that,
the human birth is the only opportunity, in which
deliverance from suffering, deliverance from the cycle of
birth and death, can be achieved. The entire creation is
like a huge prison-house—a prison-house with eighty-
four lakhs of cells—with only one cell that has an outlet.
Once an individual misses the chance to get salvation
from transmigration and suffering, the next chance
might come after millions of years. The human birth is
the last rung of the ladder, which takes one to the top,
the final destination. A slip from the last rung will have
the tragic consequence of throwing the climber to the
bottom of the ladder. That is why, “even gods and
goddesses pine for the human form.” Bulleh Shah,
therefore, warns us with all emphasis at his command,
not to let go this rare opportunity in frivolous pursuits,
and to avail of it for the purpose for which we have been
sent to the world:

On what have you spread your feet?

It will last but for a fleeting moment.

This fair endures for the winking of an eye.
Accomplish something, for your time is short.
Take this day, this minute, as a rare opportunity,
On what have you spread your feet?
 TEACHINGS 143

Your sojourn in this caravan-serai is for a night.

Do not get puffed-up in your brief stay here.
Tomorrow the clarion-call will ask you to leave.
On what have you spread your feet?

You have come from that royal place.

O, why have you made this your permanent home?
Now leave this assembly, what concern have you with it?
On what have you spread your feet?
O Bulleh Shah, you harbor under a delusion,
That you carry a huge mountain on your head.
To that destination no road, no obstacle stops you.
On what have you spread your feet?

It would be well to recapitulate the basic points dealt

at length in the main body of this book. A glance
through them would make it clear that the essential
message given by all saints is the same. They have all
emphatically asserted that God abides within man, and
it is there that he can be realized. Other points that come
in its wake are:

1. God is to be found within, but all search for Him

in temples and mosques, churches and synagogues in the
form of rituals and customs, which take man away from
his goal rather than to his destination, is futile.
2. Spiritual realization is attained through with¬
drawing the soul current from the extremities through
the main body to the eye center behind the two eyes.
Here contact with the Word is established, and from
here the real spiritual journey commences.
3. The Word is the Creative Power, which is
experienced by man in the form of celestial sound and
light.
144 BULLEH SHAH

4. The method or technique of experiencing the

Word is imparted by a Master, who is an adept on the
path, and has himself traversed the spiritual realms.
5. Human birth is the only opportunity granted to
man to attain union with the Lord. This opportunity
normally comes to him after going through the “Wheel
of the Eighty-four,” that is, after passing through eighty-
four lakhs of species. It is therefore, incumbent upon
man to avail of this rare gift of the human birth to attain
release from the cycle of birth and death, and to attain
the state of eternal bliss in union with the Lord.
SECTION
THREE

POEMS
Kafi
Baran Maha
The Week
The Knots
Couplets and Excerpts
A crostic
 *

(
 Kafi
NOTE ON KAFI
Kafi is a form of poetry in which the first or the
second line—at times both lines together—serve as the
refrain. Kafi is often chanted like a song. At the end of a
stanza the singers sing the refrain repeatedly with force
and gusto. This helps to build a particular mood or
atmosphere, and creates a forceful effect on the
audience. The kafi is generally sung by qawwals, a group
of singers. They get so deeply absorbed in the singing
that they become a part of the chorus. The word kafi is
derived from the Arabic ukafan which means a group.
Thus participation by the whole group has become an
almost integral part of kafi singing.
In printing the kafis in this book the refrain and each
stanza of a kafi have been distinctly shown separate
from one another. In certain kafis the refrain at the end
of each stanza has been eliminated in full or in part,
because pleasant in singing, the repetition appears
monotonous in reading.
150 BULLEHSHAH

A SUBTLE DIFFERENCE
In this short kafi Bullah has touched upon one of his
favorite subjects. The Lord pervades everywhere. To the
discerning eye, He is reflected in His whole creation. To
the laity there is vast difference between God and man,
but to the spiritually enlightened, every man has the
potentiality of rising to the level of the Lord. To Sassi
He came in the form of Punnun, and for Bullah He
appeared as Inayat Shah, his Master.

Ik nukta yar parhaya ei

My Friend has taught me one adage.

Ain1 and Ghain2 have the same form.

One single dot has created this tumult.
To rob Sassi of her heart,
He has assumed the form of Punnun.
O Bullah, the Lord has no caste,
I have found Him as Shah Inayat,

My Friend has taught me this adage.

Faqir Mohd. Kulliyat, * * p.19, poem 10

1,2. In Arabic/Persian/Urdu script they are written as i and i with the

difference only of a dot on the latter. The former stands for God and the
latter for the Master.
* The full name of the book is Kulliyat-i-Bulleh Shah.
 KAFI 151

A WARNING
Human life is an opportunity given by the Lord to
man to realize Him. But, man in his folly whiles away
this rare opportunity in running after sense pleasures.
This poem is in the form of a warning to man of the
impending disaster. The poet exhorts man to find out
the true purpose of human existence, and then impresses
upon him the desirability to achieve this goal—“Do
your repetition and don’t be so stupid! ... Do not be
so foolish, come by some wisdom . . . Leave alone the
tale of this world. This is the time for union with the
Lord.”
In the last stanza Bulleh Shah holds God responsible
for all the ills the world suffers from. For if He had not
created this world, there would have been no problems—
“O Bullah, God Himself created this world, and then
arose all troubles and distress. Quarrels in homes and
strifes among parents, disasters, and calamities befell all
men.”

Main puchhan shauh dian vatan ni

I ask about the path leading to the Lord.
Let someone come and tell it to me.

I remained unmindful and repeated not His Name.

In my carelessness the Beloved remained hidden.
You have to make manifest who abides within you,
But you have a liking for sensual pleasures.
I ask about the path leading to the Lord.

O, do your repetition and don’t be so stupid!

Or else you will be called the top renegade.
Perverse are the ways of the city of love!
152 BlILLEH SHAH

Within it blaze its all-consuming flames!

I ask about the path leading to the Lord.

Do not be so foolish, come by some wisdom.

Fill your heart with the light of love.
Leave alone the tale of this world.
This is the time for union with the Lord!
I ask about the path leading to the Lord.

O Bullah, God himself created this world,

And then arose all troubles and distress.
Quarrels in homes and strifes among parents,
Disasters and calamities befell all men.
I ask about the path leading to the Lord.
Let someone come and tell it to me.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 287-288, poem 133
 KAFI 153

ARISE! AWAKE!

This kafi is in the nature of a warning. Human life is

specifically meant for God-realization. Its duration is
short, and it should not be wasted in frivolous activities.
The fact of death should always be kept in mind. Bulleh
Shah calls death the wedding-day.
Bulleh Shah has sometimes employed the analogy
of wedding as death, in diametrically opposite ways.
For a proper understanding of this analogy, it has to
be remembered that death can be an occasion both for
pain and joy. For the foolish worldly man who wastes
away the precious gift of human life, death is a source
for untold misery, but for the one who employs it for
spiritual realization, it serves as an occasion for
rejoicing.
An Indian bride has hardly any role to play in the
choice of her spouse. She seldom gets the partner with
whom she could be happy, and is often a victim of
■hostility in the house of her father-in-law. Similarly, the
worldly-minded person who has made no spiritual
progress during his life, suffers pain and misery at the
time of death. His soul is forcibly withdrawn from his
body by the cruel angels of death, causing him much
torture. And, instead of meeting the Lord, the real
Spouse, the soul is taken to the Lord of Death, the Lord
of Justice (Dharamraj). He is also known as the
Negative Power which punishes or rewards the indivi¬
dual according to his deeds. Such a ‘wedding’ would be
worse than an abduction by a tyrant.
On the contrary, the bride who has accumulated the
wealth of the Name of God as her dowry during her life,
would find death to be a blissful experience. The Master
154 BULLEHSHAH

of such a soul would take charge of her, and would take

her to higher spiritual regions for an ultimate union with
the Lord. She would be released forever from the
painful wheel of the eighty-four. For such a one death
would prove to be a boon and a blessing, a true wedding
indeed.
Human life provides the only outlet from the ever-
recurring cycle of birth and death. Once the aspirant
misses the chance, he has to go through once again the
arduous wheel of eighty-four. Not only should one lead
a pure and normal life, but one must also acquire the
ability through assiduous spiritual practice to withdraw
the soul current from the body to the eye-center. Bulleh
Shah symbolically calls it spinning yarn from the
spinning wheel. Various saints have called it ‘dying while
living’. Unless one learns to achieve this voluntary
death, one cannot form contact with the Word, which
eventually leads him to attain union with the Lord.
One who fails to avail of this opportunity, has a
bleak prospect in front of him. He will depart from this
world without a friend and without having made any
preparation for the arduous journey ahead. Such has
been the fate of the so-called great kings and conque¬
rors, who strutted with great aplomb for a short while
in this world, but had to leave helpless and empty-
handed. Likewise, the great beauties before whom the
mighty ones of this world knelt with humility, became
food for worms in graves. In brief, all is transient in this
world.
At the end of the poem Bulleh Shah states that even
scholarship and erudition are of no avail for spiritual
realization. What will take us to our goal of divine union
is practice of the Word.
 KAFI 155

Utth jag ghurare mar nahin

Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

This slumber of yours is most inopportune.

One day you will have to leave this world;

You will then find your abode in the grave;
Your flesh will be eaten up by the worms;
Keep this in mind, forget not your death.
Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

Your wedding day1 is approaching fast;

Have you dyed your clothes for your dowry?2
Why have you let yourself go to waste?
O you ignorant, you have no value for life!
Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

You have frittered away your life in sleep.

Your auspicious moment has now come.
You have spun no thread on the wheel.3
What will you do, your dowry is not yet ready?
Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

The day you were intoxicated with your beauty,

You were lost in the company of your mates.
In ignorance you wasted time in futile chatter,
You were totally unaware of the truth.
Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

Right from the beginning you were inept;

You were most shameless of the shameless.
As a glutton you filled your stomach to surfeit;
Till now you didn’t avail your turn for release.
Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

1. For a mystic, death is a wedding, for it leads to union with the Beloved.
2. (Have you) Spiritually prepared yourself for the wedding.
3. The spinning wheel is the symbol for the human body, and spinning
yarn from it signifies spiritual practice or the process of withdrawing the
soul current from the body to the eye center.
156 BULLEHSHAH

Now is the time for your nuptial departure.

Why do you sleep with such false confidence?
You have got to meet strangers1 there.
This market2 will not remain brisk tomorrow.
Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

You will have to depart from this world,

You will not set your foot here again.
You will lose your lovely form and figure.
You will not live here forever.
Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

Your destination lies far, far away;

You shall pass through forest and vale.
It is hazardous to reach there on foot;
And you do not seem to be an apt rider.
Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

You shall depart friendless, all by yourself;

You shall straggle in dense forests.
Take your provisions with you from here;
For there no one gives aught on loan.
Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

You will go to an empty, desolate house;

You shall live there friendless, a lonesome life;
None will give you solace in your isolation;
No one can keep you company there.
Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

Those who ruled their lands with great aplomb,

Those in whose honor bands were played.
They had to leave their throne and crown.
None can ever trust this world.
Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

1. Strangers are persons at the Bridegroom’s house ; they depict saints and
other realized souls.
2. This world.
 KAFI 157

Where is now Alexander the Great?

Death does not spare even pirs and prophets.
All have had to leave behind their vain pride;
There is none everlasting here, O friend.
Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

Where now is Yusuf, the moon of Kina’n?

Gone is Zulaikha with all her charm.
Death at last made her mortal.
No longer are they adorned and ornate.
Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

Where is now the throne of Solomon,

On which he used to ride the winds?
The lord of death swallowed it too.
None can hope to live for ever.
Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

Where are chieftains, masters and kings?

All have had to vacate their mansions.
None could make this world his home,
Even the one with armies countless!
Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

The select of flowers—jasmine and tulips,

The lily, the hyacinth, the peerless cypress,
The autumn winds have flattened them all.
Even the ecstasy of the narcissus is transient.
Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

As you sow, so shall you reap;

Or in the end you shall come to grief;
Like the wretched crane you shall shriek;
For without the wings none can fly.1
Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

1. The poet seems to suggest that one must acquire those wings on which
the soul can fly back to its eternal Home.
158 BULLEHSHAH

Your abode will then be such places,

Where live lions, wolves, evil spirits.
Your palaces and mansions will all be vacant,
How will you claim them as your own?
Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

We are powerless in the fortress of learning;

He Himself brought us under His pen,
We were worthless without the Word,
And without the Word none can cross.
Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

Except the Lord none exists, O Bullah,

Neither in this world, nor in the next.
Take your steps with care and caution,
For you shall not come the second time.

Arise! Awake! Do not snore!

This slumber of yours is most inopportune.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 9-14, poem 6
 KAFI 159

AT THE WELL OF LIFE

In this beautiful analogy from village life in India,

this world has been compared to a well, and the people
of this world to the women who come to the well with
their pitchers to fill them with water. Just as there is a
continuous stream of women who come to the well, so
also people come to this world and depart from here in
an unending succession.
In another simile, the poet says that just as the
decoration of a bride adorned with ornaments and
jewelry is all futile, if her husband does not look at her,
so also the worldly position and status of a man are
quite useless, if the Lord does not accept him. Such
persons, with all their wealth and power, lose the game
of life, in the words of Bulleh Shah, because they fail to
attain the real purpose of human existence, namely
union with the Lord.

Pani bhar bhar gayyan sabbhe

They all filled their pitchers,

and departed turn by turn.

More have come, some have filled and are leaving;

Some are waiting with arms outstretched.
With garlands, necklaces round their necks,
Their arms tinkle with bracelets.
Earrings hanging from their ears,
Jhumars1 falling on their foreheads,
Lend perfection to their vanity.

1. An ornament consisting of a number of chains forming a fringe, which is

attached to the top-knot of a woman’s head and falls on the forehead.
160 BULLEHSHAH

But the Husband does not turn to look back;

Their proud ostentation is futile.
They all filled their pitchers,
and departed turn by turn.

With henna on hands, henna on feet,

A plait of hair on her temples,
Perfumes and scented oil on her person,
betel in the mouth, missi1 on her teeth,
Were the secret call to come,
All her household chores would be forgotten!
They all filled their pitchers,
and departed turn by turn.

O Bullah, if you follow His footsteps,

You’ll discover the path.
You asked for a win, you got utter defeat.
Having lost the game of life,
You have become deaf, dumb and mad.

They all filled their pitchers,

and departed turn by turn.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 22

1. A powder that stains the gums red.

 KAFI 161

AUSPICIOUS DAY

It is one of the many love lyrics of Bulleh Shah based

on the tale of Heer and Ranjha. He considers it the most
auspicious of days, when his master, Inayat Shah, comes
to his house. And just as the worth of Ranjha was
known only to Heer, as the others took him to be only a
cowherd, so also the true worth of Inayat Shah is known
only to Bulleh Shah, whereas the laity considers him a
mere Arain, a vegetable-grower. To be ignorant about
his true nature is like trampling a crown under trash or
letting it go to waste in rivers and jungles.

Ao sayyo ral c/ayo ni vadhai

Come, dear friends, felicitate me on my good fortune !

I have found my consort in beloved Ranjha !
Today is the dawn of an auspicious day;
Ranjha has stepped into my courtyard.
With a staff in hand and a blanket on shoulders,
He has taken on the form of a cowherd.
Come, dear friends.
The crown is trampled under hoofs of cows,1
It is being wasted in jungles and pastures.
He appears to come from the place of the Lord,
No one cares to know the truth.
Come, dear friends.
Bulleh Shah has struck a bargain,
He has drunk a cupful of poison.
He did not think of gain or loss,
He carries overhead a bundle of sorrows.
Come, dear friends, felicitate me on my good fortune !
I have found my consort in beloved Ranjha!
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp.30-31, poem 19

1. The poet suggests that the master is the crown of creation but none
knows his real worth.
162 BULLEHSHAH

BEHIND THE SCREEN

The Lord pervades this world and in every living being;
but this is in the latent form. He comes in the manifest
form as a friend of man in the guise of a prophet or a
master. And, it is through love that he gets united with
His creatures.
The pantheistic strain which marks many of Bullah’s
poems, is quite prominent in this kafi. In the second
stanza he says, “You yourself abide in one and all.”
Then why say, “I am different from you.” The only
difference is that He takes on an earthly form, when He
comes as a master. The third and the fourth stanzas
harp on the same theme.
The fifth stanza brings out the ecstasy of love, in
which the one who has drunk from the cup of this wine
cannot remain silent.
The last stanza deals with the price of love, which is
like a fire where one has to get consumed—“O Bulleh
Shah, make your body a furnace; burn your bones to
dust in its fire.” However, the reward that comes at the
end is beyond all reckoning, for it is total bliss of union
with the Lord—“Thus alone, can you behold the
Creator!”

Kyon ohle baih baih jhaki da ?

Why do you sit behind the screen and peep?
From whom do You hide yourself?

You came as a friend to love yourself,

You have put over Your face the veil of meem.1

1. The letter ‘m’ in Arabic. Here it signifies the illusion of duality.

 KAFI 163

From Ahad1 2 You changed yourself into Ahmad.1

And on your head waves the canopy of the cosmos.
Why do You sit behind the screen and peep?

You yourself abide in one and all.

Then why say, “I am different from you.”
You have yourself come to have a look at You;
Only You have kept the veil of earth between.
Why do You sit behind the screen and peep?

Who other than You at all exists?

So why do You raise this futile quarrel?
This is the height of high handedness—
To talk of one to one’s own self.
Why do You sit behind the screen and peep?

Somewhere You are a Roman, somewhere a Syrian.

Somewhere You are a master, somewhere a slave.
You yourself are every one of them.
Then why do You test the good and the bad ?
Why do You sit behind the screen and peep?

In whomsoever love raises its wayward head;

The intoxicated one loses all sense of self.
How can one ever remain silent.
Who has drunk the cup from the Cup-bearer?3
Why do You sit behind the screen and peep?

Of your own You have hastened to me;

How long can You now remain in hiding?
You have come disguised as King Inayat,
And now You steal glances at me!
Why do You sit behind the screen and peep?

1. The One, God.

2. The prophet, the Master.
3. The Beloved, the Master.
164 BULLEH SHAH

O Bullah, make your body a furnace;

Burn your bones to ash in its blaze.
Turn it into a vessel of love;
Thus alone, can you behold the Creator!

Why do You sit behind the screen and peep?

From whom do You hide yourself?
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp.206-208, poem 95
 KAFI 165

BEHIND THE VEIL

The subject of this kafi is that the Creator is to be

found in every part of His creation, but He is seen only
by the rare few who have the eyes to see Him. For the
worldly man he is hidden, but for the man of spiritual
vision He is manifest.
The pantheistic strain marks the entire kafi. He is
present in the observer as well as the observed. He
himself keeps himself concealed and He himself makes
himself revealed.
He took the form of Laila and He took the form of
Majnun to have a glimpse of His own effulgence. He
was in Shams, Mansur and Zacharias and He came in
the form of their executioner. It was through His decree
that the world came into existence, and it was by His
command that man was made in His image.
In the last stanza the target of the Lord is Bullah
himself; but at the same time He has become manifest in
Bullah. In fact Bullah and He have merged into one
entity.

Parda kis ton rakhida ?

From whom do You conceal yourself?

Wherefore do You peep through the veil?

You yourself, O Lord, manifested at first,

Now, You teach the lesson of saying prayers.
Now, You yourself have come to behold
the spectacle,
And, in the guise of Laila You give a glimpse.
From whom do You conceal yourself?
166 BULLEH SHAH

You got Shams of Tabriz flayed alive,

Mansur of Hallaj, You put on gallows,
You severed with a saw the head of Zacharias.
What shall I say of the countless others?
From whom do You conceal yourself?

You ordained, and it did happen;

From the formless You became manifest,
For yourself You created the whole wide world,
With the umbrella of Cosmos over head.
From whom do You conceal yourself?

Now, You have turned Your aim at me;

You cannot remain hidden any more;
You yourself get addressed as ‘Bullah’,
With the earthly veil though between!

From whom do You conceal yourself?

Wherefore do You peep through the veil?
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 61-62, poem 36
 KAFI 167

BELOVED AS MAN

The first line of the poem says that God has come to
this world in the form of a man. Bullah is obviously
referring to his Master, Inayat Shah, in this opening
line.
In the subsequent part of the poem the omnipresence
of God is dilated upon. He abides in the deer, the prey,
as well as the leopard that preys. He then comes as the
hunter of both. He abides in the master as also in the
slave. He then gets himself sold for a price.
Sometimes He takes the form of a king, riding
elephants, and sometimes of the beggar with a begging
bowl. He is to be found as much in a yogi as in one given
to sense-pleasures. Various are the roles that He is
pleased to play.
But, although He is present everywhere and in
everyone. He is manifest only in the Master—“I dance
to the tune of that researcher, who has made me realize
the Beloved.”
In the last stanza Bullah proclaims that his love for
God is older than creation, because he and God were
one before He created the world.

Dhola admi ban aya

The Beloved has come as man!

He himself is the deer, himself the leopard.

He himself then goes out to hunt them.
He himself is the master, himself the slave;
And himself He gets sold for a price.
The Beloved has come as man!
168 BULLEH SHAH

Sometimes He mounts an elephant.

Sometimes He roams with a begging bowl.
Sometimes as a prince, a yogi, a lover of pleasures,
He acts in the play in every role.
The Beloved has come as man!

What a trick the juggler has played!

He has made me dance like a puppet.
I dance to the tune of that researcher,1
Who has made me realize the Beloved.
The Beloved has come as man!

Abel and Cain were begotten by Adam,

But who begot Adam?
Verily, Bullah came earlier than all;
He dandled his grandfather in his lap.2

The Beloved has come as man!

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 119-120, poem 60

1. Researcher into the inner treasures, the Murshid.

2. Bullah talks of his existence with God, before God had manifested
himself. Thus, his grandfather came late as a progeny of Adam. This
refers to the pre-manifestation period when the Sufi-saints were with
God. Paltu, Dadu and a number of other saints have made similar
statements. According to C.F. Usborne, the line means that the poet’s
grandfather is a babe in knowledge compared to him (Bulleh Shah by
C.F. Usborne, p. 20).
 KAFI 169

BELOVED AS YOGI

Just as Ranjha assumed the form of a yogi and came

to meet Heer at her in-laws’ house, so also the Lord
came in disguise as Inayat Shah to this world to redeem
Bullah. Bullah felt the same attraction and charm for his
Master, as Heer felt for Ranjha. And, even as Ranjha’s
love for Heer was no less strong than that of Heer for
Ranjha, so also the love between Inayat Shah and
Bullah was equally mutual and equally strong. Also, it
symbolizes the same strong longing of the Lord for the
separated soul as the soul feels for the Lord. In fact it is
the Lord Himself who enkindles His love in the soul by
appearing before her in the attractive form of the
Master.
The last stanza brings out the fact that the love
between Bullah and Inayat Shah could not be kept
hidden for long, just as the mask of a yogi on Ranjha
could not remain a secret, and his true identity was soon
revealed.

Ranjha jogira ban aya

Ranjha has come in the form of a yogi.

Oh, what a mask he has worn!

This yogi has eyes like goblets.

Beaming their glances as of a hawk!1
Oh beholding his face all cares vanish.
These eyes have lost a precious jewel.2
Ranjha has come in the form of a yogi.

1. He has searching looks. Ranjha comes in disguise as a yogi to search for

Heer. The allusion is to God seeking the soul of man.
2. Heer.
170 BULLEHSHAH

What are the marks of this yogi?

He wears rings in his ears and beads round his neck.
His visage reflects the beauty of Yusuf.
He has turned Alif into Ahad.1
Ranjha has come in the form of a yogi.

Ranjha is my yogi, I am his yogin;

I shall serve him like a slave.
In vain have I wasted my earlier life;
Now he has come and charmed me!
Ranjha has come in the form of a yogi.

To what a pass you’ve brought Bullah!

The good old love has stirred up a storm;
How can this now be kept a secret,
That he has come from Takht Hazara?2

Ranjha has come in the form of a yogi;

Oh, what a mask he has worn!
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 121-122, poem 61

1. Alludes to the transformation of the Absolute into God.

2. The native place of Ranjha. This means that the Master has descended
from the Lord’s True Abode to the land of the soul, to guide it back to
the Home Eternal.
 KAFI 171

BID ME FAREWELL!
In this lyric the Lord is depicted as the Bridegroom,
and His abode as the Bridegroom’s house. Bullah has
brought out graphically the state of an inept bride on the
eve of her marriage. She has failed to equip herself
adequately in her parents’ house, and is now in a state of
intense anxiety at the thought of being confronted by
her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law. In this analogy,
Bullah depicts the state of one, who is about to leave this
world, but who has made no spiritual preparation for
the hereafter.
In the last stanza, Bullah invokes the grace of the
Lord to show mercy on him and overlook his faults. For
if He were to dispense justice, there would be no place
for him.

Sada main sahaurian ghar janan

I have to go forever to the house of my in-laws.
O come and bid me farewell, my friends!
God-willing you too will have to go there;
O come and bid me farewell, my friends!

Thorns and briers, extremely sharp, cling to me.

I carry with me my future woes,
to whom shall I give my old ones?
One woe is my separation from my friends,
as is the Koonjx deserted by its flock.

One blouse and a single veil,

That is all my parents have given at my marriage.

I. A species of crane, well-known for flying together with others of its

kind, thus giving the idea of comradeship in Oriental poetry.
172 BULLEHSHAH

When I see this dowry that they gave,

copious tears flow from my eyes.
My mother-in-law and sisters-in-law will taunt me,
making my life miserable.

O Bullah, I hear that the Lord is the Coverer of sins,

Let Him help me to pass over this crisis!
If He were to dispense justice, I have no hope.
Let him shower His mercy on me!

I have to go forever to the house of my in-laws;

O come and bid me farewell, my friends!
God-willing you too will have to go there!
O come and bid me farewell, my friends!
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 147-148, poem 72
 KAFI 173

CALL ME YOUR OWN

This poem of love depicts intense longing of Bulleh

Shah for union with the Lord.
The second stanza points out the main obstacle that
comes in the way of such a union. This obstacle is the
ego, the elimination of which is necessary to bring about
the desired result.
The third stanza in its first two lines gives a warning
about the impending death. Idling away precious time
during the lifetime will result in regret by the world —
“It will shed tears, when its eyes open.” The last two
lines of the stanza stress that it is through love and its
ecstasy that the goal of God-realization can be attained
rather than through intellectual effort and scholarship.
The fourth stanza hints at the intense love disciples
have for their Master, who is the physical form of the
Lord in the world—“When the formless expressed
himself in two eyes, millions of heads rolled on the
ground for them.” They sacrificed their lives in a flood
of joy for their Beloved—“Waves of delight rose in an
awesome flood. O, You will make stream of blood surge
from me!”
The fifth stanza brings out the intermingling of joy
and sorrow in love. Although the lover has to go
through much pain in the game of love, he is not
prepared to forego this pain. In fact, the pain somehow
is transformed into joy—“Is it witchcraft or a spell of
magic, that You make the malady appear as bliss?
The first two lines of the sixth stanza lay emphasis
on the practice of meditation rather than mere thinking
about the spiritual path. For, time lost in life will never
come back. The last two lines express regret on the ways
174 BULLEH SHAH

of the world, which persecutes saints while they are

alive, but worships them when they are dead—“When
the head is sacrificed on the cross, Of what avail will it
be to beat the drums?”
The seventh stanza in beautiful analogies brings out
that love is quite distinct from any recognized creeds
and religions of this world—“I have turned my body
into roasted meat, fermented the water of my eyes into
wine, “Made a rebeck out of my bones and nerves. How
will You christen this creed, this religion?”
The ninth stanza refers to the ecstasy experienced in
the mystic vision of the Lord. It is also a tribute that
Bullah pays to his Master, who is called by him as the
embodied form of the Lord—“Daily You come as Inayat
to me. It is thus that You make yourself manifest.”
The last stanza besides glorifying his Master has a
special esoteric significance. The Lord is invisible except
by rising above the two eyes to the third eye—“You
have to transform these eyes of yours.” But, before the
Lord can be seen, one has to merge into the Master—
“Then alone will you be able to behold Him, when you
come back home as King Inayat.”

Kadi apni akh bulaoge

Will You ever call me Yours?

I am worthless; what virtue do I have?

My body as also my mind belong to You,
You who are my very life,
Will You and I become one?
Will You ever call me Yours?
 KAFI 175

If I, the perishable, eliminate my ego,

I shall manifest You who are everlasting.
If I reveal the Truth in the manner of Mansur,
I would be caught and put on the gallows.
Will You ever call me Yours?

I am awake when the whole world is asleep.

It will shed tears, when its eyes open.
None has reached the goal except through ecstasy.
Will You grant me eternal bliss?
Will You ever call me Yours?

When the formless expressed himself in two eyes,

Millions of heads rolled on the ground for them.
Waves of delight rose in an awesome flood.
O, You will make a stream of blood surge from me!
Will You ever call me Yours?

No lover—in separation—ever enjoys sound sleep.

I shall wash my face with tears of anguish.
Is it witchcraft or a spell of magic,
That You make this malady appear as bliss?
Will You ever call me Yours?

Say, what secret of love will You dwell on?

What will happen when the judgement is pronounced?
When the head is sacrificed on the cross,
Of what avail will it be to beat the drums?1
Will You ever call me Yours?

I have turned my body into roasted meat.

I have fermented the water of my eyes into wine.
I have made a rebeck out of my bones and nerves.
How will You christen this creed, this religion?
Will You ever call me Yours?

1. To beat drums of praise will be of little value.

V '
176 BULLEHSHAH

What will You gain from strain and grouse?

Take hold of that which pleases the heart.
To whom do You give this world and the next?
Pray, bestow on me the gift of Your sight.
Will You ever call me Yours?

Your vision for a moment sets me on fire.

A stream of tears flows from my eyes.
Daily You come to me as Inayat.
It is thus that You make yourself manifest.
Will You ever call me Yours?

O Bullah, when you go to see the Lord,

You have to transform these eyes of yours.
Then alone will you behold Him,
When you come back home as King Inayat.

Will You ever call me Yours?

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 178-181, poem 85
 KAFI 177

CAUGHT IN A NET

The subject of this kafi deals with those difficulties,

in which the disciple has been caught. The main ideas in
this poem are as follows:
The burden of the hardships of love is heavier than
the weight of mountains, but the lover does not hesitate
to bear it, because he desires to have a glimpse of the
Beloved. But the poor lover does not know whether his
desire would be fulfilled. Moses had expressed his desire
to see God face to face, but God had warned him that he
would not have the strength to bear His effulgence.
However, on the insistence of Moses to have His vision,
God asked him to look first at the mountain (Mount
Sinai) on which He put His light. And when God cast
His glance on Sinai, it was immediately burnt, and
Moses fainted out of fear.
Again, the lover insists that he would have direct
relation with Him, although he knows that people with
such a relationship never enjoy peace and sound sleep.
The lover is not content with the revelation of God by
others. He must experience for himself the vision.
In one of the stanzas Bullah refers to a difficulty
which he has mentioned in some other kafis also. He
says that God does not meet him despite the fact that He
is near the royal vein1 (Shah Rag) and abides in the ‘very
folds of his veil.’
He also says that in the state of intoxication with His
love, a wave comes from his heart up to his mouth which
impels him to disclose those secrets, which he is not
permitted to disclose.

1. This is a mystic term for the subtle path from the eye center upward
through which the soul passes on its ascent to higher regions.
178 BULLEH SHAH

The last stanza describes the stage in which the lover

has lost his identity in the Beloved. He then sees the
Beloved pervade everywhere and in everyone. He is
perceived inside as well as outside.

Jind kurikki de munh ai

My life has been caught in a net!
You yourself are “flesh of my flesh”,
You yourself are remote and aloof.
On hearing Your utterances
I have been robbed of my senses.
Leading me out of rituals to the non-conformist path,
You have thrown me into a strange mire.
My life has been caught in a net!

An atom of Your love weighs heavier than

a mountain.
Just for a moment of Your glimpse,
I carry the whole mountain on head.
When no return is received for labor,
What indeed can people do?
My life has been caught in a net!
Why raise a tumult? Let Him burn me as He would.
I go without a sheaf of comfort.
Surrounded by endless heaps of sorrow.
Whatever had to happen, happened that day;1
What can be done now, O brother?
My life has been caught in a net!

He listens not to my advice,

He speaks not a word to me;
Shall I ask and find what He intends?
It’s but a day before that,

1. The day of Creation.

 KAFI J 79

I was mad for Him,

He was mad for me.
Why does He fear me now?
From behind the screen He has thrown a hint,
He has thus pierced, my heart.
My life has been caught in'a net!

With the arrow in my heart,

With the noose round my neck,
I endure my life in this manner.
Repeatedly I bang my head on the ground,
With tearful eyes, I remember my Love.
Have others too fallen in love with You,
Or I alone am guilty of this blunder?
My life has been caught in a net!

The world is resplendent with Your Name,

Why do You run away from Your lover?
In the folds of the veil You live cheerfully,
But Your secret, You do not reveal to me.
You have caught hold of me from the middle,
You have hung me upside down.
My life has been caught in a net!

O Dweller of my heart, come Thee out,

That I may hold Your arm to stand.
Outwardly You hide yourself from me;
Inwardly I am never far from You.
Zulaikha too was pierced from within,
I too cry from within with pain,
My life has been caught in a net?

All I had to say, I said to Him;

The Pretender feigned not to hear.
I wring my hands, I smite my palms,
I cry my eyes out.
I was to get, had instead to give,
Such indeed is Your ‘benevolence’
My life has been caught in a net!
180 BULLEHSHAH

Wave after wave rises thus,

That I blurt out what is a secret.
If I speak the truth, I get the noose;
If I tell a lie, I may be spared.
Why should I give out a delicate secret,
Which uttered later becomes public first.
My life has been caught in a net!

Revelation comes only to the pure;

Pray, do become mine, of Your own.
Wake with me when I wake;
Sleep with me when I sleep.
Whosoever fell in love with You,
Did You ever give her peaceful sleep?
My life has been caught in a net!

How people have persecuted me

because of your love!
How many homes have been ruined like this!
You steal a peep on me from outside,
Inwardly You revolve round me.
You play the game of hide and seek,
You play on me such clever tricks.
Is this what You call Your game?
My life has been caught in a net!

To settle dispute between You and me,

The Qazi1 has come from Rum.
He satisfied himself from scriptures,
That You and I are one.
The Qazi has taken a fancy to me,
I have set my heart on him.
My life has been caught in a net!

1 Qazi from Rum means Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Rumi. Here Bullah

to refer to his Master, Inayat Shah.
 KAFI 181

“Like whom are You, O Beloved?”

Bullah used to ask:
Now the question of You and I has been resolved.
When in my search I looked for You,
I myself was lost, and ceased to exist.
I found You within, I found You without,
Your light I saw in and out.

My life has been caught in a net!

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 99-102 poem 52
182 BULLEHSHAH

CELESTIAL MELODY

This poem is reminiscent of the opening lines of

Rumi’s “Masnavi”.

“Listen thou to the tale told by the flute,

It complains of its severance from its source.”

The sound of the flute is associated with the music of

a high spiritual stage. Its enchanting melody is a
harbinger of the peerless music of the final stage.
The restive mind becomes motionless by the
enrapturing melody of the flute—“Now I have en¬
trapped the restive deer.” Earlier, it was engaged in formal
prayer without any signs of being tamed.
The last stanza depicts a state of perfect bliss—“O,
the Spouse of Bullah, I now cry in ecstasy.” It expresses
sorrow for the plight of those who seek the Lord
elsewhere—“Where do the seekers wander in quest of
You?”

Murli baj uthhi ajghatan

The flute has suddenly burst forth into melody!

On hearing it I have forgotten all other things.

I am shot with the wondrous shafts of Unstruck

Music;
And the world appears fake, false its pursuits.
O Master, I have come to bargain
for a sight of your face.
I have forgotten all other things.
The flute has suddenly burst forth into melody!
 K.AFI 183

Now I have entrapped the restive deer.1

He it was who had tied me down.
I have taught him the prayer of love;
Only a verse or two remains to be taught.
The flute has suddenly burst forth into melody!

O, the Spouse of Bullah, I now cry in ecstasy,

When the Lord has played upon the flute.
Driven crazy by its notes I run to you.
Where do the seekers wander in quest of You?

The flute has suddenly burst forth into melody!

On hearing it I have forgotten all other things.
Anwar Ali Rohtaki, Qanun-i-Ishq, p. 331, poem 101

I. The mind, which with its restless nature keeps man bound to earthly
desires.
184 BULLEHSHAH

CHEATED WHILE SPINNING

This poem deals with the relative merits of love and
meditation. The love of the disciple for the Master will
lead him to his goal of God-realization quicker than not
only religious rituals and customs, but even meditation—
“I was cheated while spinning. What shall I do with the
dowry and the ornaments, who has been beguiled by the
cup of love?” This is so, because the disciple identifies
himself with the Master, who is a realized soul.
Meditation is arduous, and the result is slow in
coming—“After spinning for years I produced a hank.”
The wiles of the negative power always pose a threat for
achieving the goal—“The crow pounced upon it.”
In the last stanza the author welcomes the arrival of
death, for it leads to release from the prison-house of the
body—“Thank God, my spinning wheel is broken, my
life is released from torture,” and culminates in union
with the Lord.

Mian main katdi katdi muthhi

Good Sir, I was cheated while spinning!
What shall I do with the dowry and the ornaments,
Who has been beguiled by the cup of love?
O, capture that thief of mine,
Who has robbed me of my life.
Good Sir, I was cheated while spinning!

After spinning for years I produced a hank,

And the crow pounced upon it, O friend.
Behind my “pihri”1 was left a wasted roll.
Good Sir, I was cheated while spinning!

I. A kind of low seat with a back like a chair, a kind of low seat without a
back, a low stool.
 KAFI

Thank God, my spinning wheel is broken;

My life is released from torture.1
O Bullah, the Spouse has made me dance,
And the tumult has risen all round!

Good Sir, I was cheated while spinning!

Anwar Ali Rohtaki, Qanun-i-Ishq, p 324, poem 99

I. The torture of arduous meditation, devoid of real love.

186 BULLEHSHAH

COME, DEAR FRIEND

This poem, suffused with the poignant pain of

separation, seems to have been written when Bullah had
been separated from his Master, Inayat Shah.
In the depressing mood that affects him, the poet
finds the musical notes of the koel filled with sadness.
And it brings to the surface his own pain of separation
from his. beloved Master.
The last stanza depicts the impatient waiting for the
arrival of the beloved, who alone could extinguish the
blaze of fire raging within the lover’s heart.

Kadi a mil par pyarya

Come sometime to meet me, my Beloved!

I am a sacrifice unto the path you tread.

The koel shrieks from the garden tree;

She ever chants doleful notes of anguish.
Why has the Beloved forsaken the wretched one?
Come sometime to meet me, my Beloved!

O Bullah, the Beloved will come to my house

sometime,
And quench the blazing fire within me.
I am a sacrifice unto the path He treads.

Come sometime to meet me, my Beloved!

I am a sacrifice unto the path you tread.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 182, poem 86

\
 KAFI 187

COME, FRIEND!
It is one of those rare kafis, which is in the form of a
poem, dealing systematically with a single subject. The
subject is: the devotee or the seeker has got separated
from his Deity or Master. He is now lost in terrible
wilderness, and calls the Lord to help him out of the
predicament.
Thieves and robbers who surround the devotee
denote passions and worldly desires that obstruct the
path of his spiritual progress. The religious preachers
enjoin upon him to practice a complicated set of rituals
and thus lead him astray. Bullah calls them thugs, who
cheat innocent people of their valuables.
At the end, Bullah concludes that it is through love
of the Lord and help of the Master that the stormy
ocean of this world can be crossed. The Master shows
the Lord right within the seeker himself and not outside
in mosques and temples.

A mil yara sar hi, meri jan dukhan ne gheri

Come, Friend, I crave Your help,

My life is wrapped in troubles!

In sleep, I got separated from You,

Waking, I have lost trace of You.
Isolated, 1 have been robbed, my Lord!
Thieves and dacoits have encircled me.

Mullahs and qazis mislead me

To the labyrinth of religious rituals.
They are thugs, they are the hunters of sparrows;
They cast their nets on all the sides.
They teach me the so-called ways of piety,
Which serve as fetters around my feet.
188 BULLEHSHAH

Love does not care for caste or creed;

Love is the foe of orthodox canon.
The land of the Beloved is across the river;
And the waves of avarice have engulfed me.
The Master is holding the boat; why do you tarry?
Why do you tarry, why this delay?

O Bullah, you will realize the Lord, for sure;

Boldly announce this to your heart.
The Beloved is right within you!
Whom do you search from outside?
Why get deluded in broad daylight?

Come, Friend, 1 crave Your help,

My life is wrapped in troubles.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 15
 KAFI 189

COME, LOVE!
One of Bulleh Shah’s favorite subjects, love for God
and His test of His lovers, forms the theme of this poem.
He states that one has to work hard to attain union with
the Lord. Not words—what he calls ‘sleeping’ or
‘sitting’—but sustained spiritual practice—what he
calls ‘waking’—will lead to merger in the Lord.
He then gives a number of examples of the great
lovers who had to pay a heavy price for their love.
Shams of Tabriz who had identified himself with the
Lord, was hanged upside down.1 Yusuf was thrown into
the well. Zulaikha was disgraced in the bazaars of
Egypt. Moses was struck dumb while Mount Sinai was
reduced to ashes. Heer was consumed within herself in
separation from Ranjha. Bullah then poses a question to
the Lord, “If You and I are not separate, why do You
hide yourself?”
In the last stanza Bullah, as usual, strikes a happy
note. He proclaims that ever since he found his Master,
Inayat Shah, the Lord had taken abode in him.

A sajan gal lagg asade, kihajhera layoi?

Come Love, fold me in Your arms, why this quarrel?

Sleeping or sitting I saw nothing,

Only while waking I found Him.
“Rise as I command,”2 said Shams;
And he was hanged upside down.

It is generally believed that he was flayed alive, so it is possible that he

was hung upside down while being flayed alive. ..
The reference is to an incident, in which a dead body came back to life
by the command of Shams-i-Tabriz. Earlier, it did not rise with the
command given by him in the name of God.
190 BULLEH SHAH
I am defamed by the world as Your lover;
You alone have given me solace;
I am not separate from You,
Why hide yourself from me?

The buffaloes have come,

The Beloved has not;
The fire of separation has consumed me.

Have You seen the doings of love?

Yusuf was thrown into the well.
In the manner of Zulaikha,
In the bazaars of Egypt,
I have been brought to disgrace by You.
Come Love, fold me in Your arms, why this quarrel?

“Give me a glimpse of Your effulgence”, said Moses;

And the mountain was reduced to ashes.
“You cannot see me” was Your own command,
That You gave to rebuke him.

My crazy love has all but finished me;

It has made my heart an orphan.
Says, Bullah, “Ever since I found Shah Inayat,
The Lord has taken abode in me.”

Come Love, fold me in Your arms, why this quarrel?

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 16-17, poem 8
 KAFI 191

COME, O PHYSICIAN!

This is probably the best known and the most

popular of Bulleh Shah’s kafls.' There is a story
associated with this kafl, which may be briefly narrated
as follows:
Once Bulleh Shah’s Master, Inayat Shah, got
annoyed with him. When he failed to pacify the Master
by all other means, he put on the garb of a woman
dancer and began to dance. As Inayat Shah passed that
way, he stopped for a while to see the dance. When he
recognized Bullah, he had a hearty laugh and his
resentment vanished. In the last stanza of the kafi there
is hint of this incident.
There are five stanzas of this kafi. The first four
stanzas depict four different pictures of the pain of
separation and distance from the Beloved. The fifth
stanza does not paint any imaginary picture but deals
with an actual event, about which mention has been
made above.

Tere ishq nachayian

Your love has made me dance to a fast beat!

Your love has taken abode within my heart!

This cup of poison I drank all by myself.
Come, come, O physician, or else I breathe my last!
Your love has made me dance to a fast beat!

I. Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh shah, p. 112.

192 BULLEH SHAH

The sun has set, the reddish tinge of dusk lingers;1

I shall be a sacrifice to you,
If your face again appears before me.
Forgive me, that I did not go with thee.
Your love has made me dance to a fast beat!

Do not drive me away from this love, O mother.

Who will bring back the boat adrift in stormy waters?
My sense has left me and gone with the ferry-man.
Your love has made me dance to a fast beat!

In this forest of love the peacock gives a call.

My lovely friend is both my qibla2 and Ka’ba
Having inflicted the grievous wound,
You never enquired after me.
Your love has made me dance to a fast beat!

O Bullah, the Lord has brought me

to the door of Inayat3,
Who has given me garments green and red, to wear4.
When I danced a step, I found him the same as ever.

Your love has made me dance to a fast beat!

Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, pp. 26-27

1. The sun signifies the Master of Bullah, Inayat Shah. Thus, setting of the
sun means the departure or absence of his Master.
2. The altar of the Ka’ba in Mecca.
3. Inayat Shah, the Master of Bulleh Shah.
4. The bright colors signify the dress of a bride. Here these are indicative of
the spiritual bliss Bullah has obtained through the grace of his Master.
 KAFI 193

CONSUMED BY LOVE

Bullah generally uses the classical example of Heer

and Ranjha to illustrate the love of the disciple for his
Master. In this lyric, however, he employs the tale of
Sohni and Mahinwal to illustrate his love. The turbulent
waters of river Chenab could not deter Sohni from
crossing the river to meet her beloved Mahinwal. She
tried to cross the river on an unbaked pitcher, and she
was drowned while crossing it. So also, no obstacle can
stop a devotee from trying to reach his Master,
howsoever formidable the obstacles might be in his way.
And, just as Sohni did not know how to swim, but
nevertheless took the fatal plunge, similarly the true
lover, despite being a novice in the art of facing
obstacles, will not show any hesitation in jumping into a
formidable danger.
In the last stanza Bullah imagines himself as an
attractive bride, who could captivate the heart of her
spouse, if he were to come to her house.

Tangh mahi di jalian

I am consumed by the longing for my Beloved;

I set crows to flight1 and ever stand waiting for him.

I have no hard cash on me, I am penniless;

Still I am eager to get across the waters.
I have no acquaintance with the boatmen;
I pick up a quarrel with them foolishly.
I am consumed by the longing for my Beloved.

1. A Punjabi proverb meaning ‘waiting anxiously’.

194 BULLEH SHAH

The banks of the river Chenab are full of din;

Its stormy waters forming eddies swirl in fury;
Most skillful of swimmers have drowned in it;
If I raise a noise, I am dubbed as crazy.
I am consumed by the longing for my Beloved.

The water of river Chenab has deep foundations;

Swimmers have always floundered in it.
Herdsmen and shepherds have gone across;
I am the lone one left behind.
I am consumed by the longing for my Beloved.

The waves of river Chenab can carry one across;

I stand waiting for the beloved to come riding them.
I have fallen headlong in love with him;
If I weep loudly, I become a laughing-stock.
I am consumed by the longing for my Beloved.

Across the Chenab lie jungles and forests,

Where live blood-thirsty wolves and lions.
O God, unite me soon with my beloved;
This worry is preying upon my life.
I am consumed by the longing for my Beloved.

At midnight the stars have begun to wane;

Some have waned, some have reached the horizon.
I have risen from my bed, and come to the river;
Now I wait to be ferried across.
I am consumed by the longing for my Beloved.

I am not a swimmer, what do I know of swimming?'

There is neither bamboo nor oar,
and the boat is worn out.
In the dreadful vortex I can find no foothold.
I weep bitterly and wring my hands in despair.
I am consumed by the longing for my Beloved.
 KAFI 195

O Bullah, if the Lord were to come to my house,

I would love to adorn myself with jewels.
Come beloved, with a mukat1 over your head,
tilak2 on your forehead.
If you were to look at me, only then I am pleasing!

I am consumed by the longing for my Beloved.

I set crows to flight and ever stand waiting for him.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp 72-74, poem 42

1. A crown with a frill attached to it to cover the face. It is worn by the

bridegroom at the time of his marriage.
2. A ceremonial mark.
196 BULLEHSHAH

CREATOR AND CREATION

This short poem is in praise of God. It contains
certain esoteric symbols, which are frequently repeated
in the writings of Bulleh Shah. In brief, the poem
conveys that God alone is real, and as Creator He is
reflected in His creation. And this realization, says
Bullah, comes only to a man with a pure heart.

Alif Allah nal ratta dil mera

With ‘A’,1 my heart is steeped in love for the Lord;
I have no knowledge whatsoever of‘B’.2

The study of ‘B’ gives me no understanding;

I have relished only the bliss of lA’.
I knew not the distinction between Ain3 and Ghaind
This boon was showered on me by ‘A’.
O Bullah, their utterances of ‘A’ are perfect,
Whose hearts have been cleansed of dross.

With ‘A’, my heart is steeped in love for the Lord;

I have no knowledge whatsoever of ‘B\
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p.l, poem 1

1. Originally, Alif (J) the first letter of the Arabic/Persian/Urdu

alphabet. It stands for unity, the One, the Lord.
2. Originally, Be (v-1) the second letter of the alphabet. It stands for all that
is other than God.
3. & 4. 7 he letters Ain (£ ) and Ghain ( £ ) have the difference only of a dot.
Esoterically, it means that God is reflected in the master, elsewhere
Bullah writes : “As is the form of'Ain, so is the form of Ghain."
 KAFI 197

DEEP COLOR!

The Master reflects the Lord. Therefore, the color in

which the Master dyes his disciple signifies the divine
touch that the Master gives. In this kafi the disciple
proclaims that he has taken on a deep color through his
contact with his Master.
This lyric is replete with difficulties for the reader.
For one thing, it does not point towards any one
direction. Like a ghazal, everyone of its verses is
independent. For another, almost every verse contains
within it imaginary pictures whose relation with one
another is quite obscure. For instance, in the second
verse the expressions “pearls of meanings” and “veil
from your eyes” are apparently unrelated. One conjecture
is that “pearls of meanings” refers to the wise sayings of
the Master, whereas “Lift up the veil from your eyes”
signifies manifestation of identity of the Master with the
Lord.
The expression “becoming dumb, deaf and blind”
esoterically points to closing all the sense outlets to help
the disciple withdraw his soul current from his body to
his eye center. This enables him to “die before his death”
as is mentioned in the next verse. Such a death is the real
significance of resurrection, referred to in the Bible.
Such a death is not only voluntary, but also leads to
abiding life.
The last but one verse brings out the omnipresent
nature of God, who pervades everywhere and in
everyone.
In the last verse there seems to be a reference to the
occasion when Bullah obtained forgiveness from his
Master by dancing before him in the garb of a woman
dancer.
198 BULLEH SHAH

Jo rang rangya guhra rangy a

Whatever color I am dyed in, the dye is of deep color;

It has the glow of my Master, O friend.

Fame of the pearls of meanings1 has become

widespread.
Lift up the veil2 from your eyes, O friend.
Of the Sura Yasin of Muzammal,
Listen to the thunder of clouds,3 O friend.

In your black tresses let there be a shining hand.4

Show me that flash of your light, O friend.
I have become dumb and deaf and blind;
Be now steadfast, for the sake of our love, O friend.

“Die thou before thy death,”5 says the Qura’rv,

Bring me back to life from death, O friend;
Beset with obstacles is the arduous path of love;
Put your foot with care on this path, O friend.

In everything and everyone You yourself abide;

You are the observer and the observed, O friend.

1. Seems to refer to the wise sayings of the Master.

2. When the Master lifts up his mask, the Lord appears. It signifies the
identity of the Master with the Lord.
3. This verse is taken from the ‘Kulliyat’ of Dr. Faqir Mohammed, p. 103.
Commentators in general have found it hard to explain. In it the poet
has referred to the chapter ‘Yasin of Muzammal’from the Quran. The
allusion to the thunder of clouds has a possible reference to the specific
sound of the particular spiritual region beyond the third eye.
4. It refers to Moses’ hand, which was burnt on the orders of the Pharaoh.
As a reward for this test, God granted to him the boon that the hands
used to shine like.the sun, whenever exposed to view. Esoterically, it
could refer to the third eye, the bright eye center behind the two dark
eyes.
5. The same as “dying while living,” mentioned in scriptures like the Bible
and the Adi Granth. The expression means the ability to withdraw the
soul current from the body to the eye center.
 KAFI

O Bullah, the Lord has come to my house;

Entertain Him with a sequence of dances, O friend.

Whatever color I am dyed in, the dye is of deep color;

It has the glow of my Master, O friend.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 31
200 BULLEH SHAH

DEFICIENT AT STUDIES
In the analogy of a stubborn, wayward student, who
fails to learn beyond the first letter of the alphabet,
Bulleh Shah says that he has been reprimanded by
everyone for his ineptitude in the subject of orthodox
religious canons. “I refuse to learn it, and they label me
as ‘Willful’,” says Bullah.
Later in the poem the analogy changes to one of an
inept bride. If an undeserving student cannot be
promoted to a higher class, an inept bride will not find
admittance to her husband’s house. If one is deficient in
learning the intricacies of theology, say the priests, and
fails to practice its rituals and customs, he will not be
able to realize God. Bullah is reprimanded for his
rebellious and unconventional ways not only by the
priestly class, but also by the world at large, including
his parents—“All my friends come together with
rebukes, along with them reproach me my parents.” On
the other hand, he says that it is through love of the
Master and the Lord, that he will find admittance to the
court of the Beloved. He is not prepared to be weaned
away from the path of love and take to the path of ex¬
ternal observances of orthodox religion.

Ni kutichal mera nan

O friends, my name is “Willful.”

The mullah taught me a lesson.

I could not learn anything beyond Alif.'
He would beat me with the shoe.
O, friends, my name is “Willful.”

1. First letter of the Arabic/ Persian /Urdu alphabet.

 KAFI 201

Remember, how I set my eyes on Him!

All my friends come together with rebukes,
Along with them reproach me my parents.
O, friends, my name is “Willful.”

My in-laws give me no admittance.

My grandfathers’ folks turn me out.
I have no place in my parents’ house.
O, friends, my name is “Willful.”

All bewail my failure to learn.

He1 will not spare me for this fault.
Where should I go? To whom should I turn?
O, friends, my name is “Willful.”

O Bullah, what has the Beloved done to me?

May you2 be afflicted by the same malady!
Then alone will you administer justice.

O, friends, my name is “Willful.”

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 306-307, poem 141

1. The mullah.
2. The mullah ; Bullah suggests that if the mullah also gets afflicted with
love, he will realize and appreciate my true position.
 202 BULLEH SHAH

DEPARTURE
Death has been compared to the departure of a bride
to the house of her spouse. Just as a woman can endear
herself to her husband and her in-laws by her sweet and
humble nature, so also a man who leaves this world with
love and devotion for the Lord in his heart will be
accepted by Him. In the last stanza Bullah entertains the
hope that despite his ineptitude, the Lord will clasp him
to His heart, for He is love personified.

Tusi ao milo meri pyari

Come and meet me, dear ones!
The time of my departure is come!

All have come to bid me farewell,

My mamis,1 phuphies,2 chachis,3 tais.4
All of them are crying so bitterly!
The time of my departure is come!

All of them tender me this advice:

Always remain modest and humble;
This alone will endear you there.
The time of my departure is come!

They see me off and return to their homes;

I am left alone to proceed on my journey.
I have been separated from a flight of cranes!
The time of my departure is come.

O Bullah, were the Spouse come to my home,

And clasp to His heart His inept bride!
For strange are the ways of my Lord!

The time of my departure is come!

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 75, poem 43

1. Wives of mother’s brothers. 2. Father’s sisters.

3. Father’s Younger brother’s wives. 4. Father’s elder brother’s wives.
 KAFI 203

DESTINY
This short poem depicts the helplessness of man in
shaping events and things. He is subject to the dictates
of his destiny, and destiny cannot be changed. However,
man himself is responsible for his destiny, for it is
determined by the acts of his previous lives. Just as
sparrows come to peck in the spring season, but some
are eaten by hawks, some roasted on skewers, and some
hanged by the noose, so also men in this world think
that they are here to enjoy it, but they become victims of
their fate, which is the result of their own past deeds.

Ai rut shagufiyan wali, chiriyan chuggan aiyan

The season of blossoms has arrived.
The sparrows have come to peck.

Some were caught and eaten by hawks,

Some were hanged by the noose.

Some have hope to return to the nest,

Some were roasted on skewers.

What is within their power, O Bullah,

As be the victims of their destiny?
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 5
204 BULLEHSHAH

DOGS ARE BETTER THAN YOU!

In this short beautiful lyric Bullah admonishes man
by saying that a dog is superior to him in regard to
service, loyalty and obedience. A dog remains awake at
night to keep a watch over its master and his home. It
does not mind sleeping on a heap of rubbish,
notwithstanding the great service that it renders. And,
even if it gets a shoe-beating because of the master’s
annoyance, it does not leave him or his door. At the end,
Bullah advises us to prepare ourselves for our journey to
the hereafter by learning these lessons from the dog.
Otherwise, dogs will have won over men in the game of
love!

Ratin jagen Karen ibadat

They keep awake at night and they serve;
The dogs keep awake at night;
The dogs are better than you!

They do not fail their duty of barking;

Then they go and sleep on a rubbish-heap.
The dogs are better than you!

They do not leave the door of their master,

Even if they get a shoe-beating from him.
The dogs are better than you!

O Bullah, buy some wares for your journey,

Or else the dogs will win the game.
The dogs are better than you!
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 124, poem 63
 KAFI 205

DON’T HIDE BEHIND THE VEIL!

Hiding the face by the beloved after giving a glimps
is tantalizing for the lover. It is a fact that the face of
Reality does not remain open for all time for a disciple.
Its veil is only raised sometimes. In the intervals of
separation, the longing in the lover for a sight of the
beloved becomes sharper. This is the theme of this
poem. The beloved here seems to be the Master, but it
can also be the Lord.
The last two lines pertain to the true home of man.
In this world he is a stranger, and there is an inborn
inner urge in him to return to his true home—“I can
bear the pangs of separation no more. I am a nightingale
of the garden.”

Ghungat ohle na luk sajjana!

Don’t hide behind the veil, my Love!
I am eager to have a sight of you.

Without you I have gone crazy;

I have become a laughing-stock.
If the friend were to be solicitous,
I would then entreat to Him:
Don’t hide behind the veil, my Love!

This slave is being sold free to you!

Come Love, my life is going waste.
I can bear the pangs of separation no more.
I am a nightingale of the garden.

Don’t hide behind the veil, my Love!

I am eager to have a sight of you
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 68
206 BULLEH SHAH

DUST MINGLES WITH DUST

The existence of man ends in dust,1 whether by
cremation or by burial. How false then is his pride and
vanity! Even those he holds most dear will never return
to this world. During their life they cannot live for a
moment without him, and yet at death they forsake him
for ever. The life of one whose dear ones have departed
becomes so vacant, that it is worse then death.
Helplessly man comes to this world, and helplessly
he departs from it. He has no will of his own to
determine where he has to stay. It is incumbent upon
him to gather provisions for his journey. The only
provision that he can take with him is the Lord’s Name.
Nothing of this world can go with him.

Khaki Khak sun ral janan

Made from earth you shall mingle with earth!
How illusive are power and vanity!

They who have gone have gone;

They will not come again—
My comrades, my friends, my darlings, my chums.
Without me they could not live for a moment,
Now, why have they forsaken me for ever?
Made from earth you shall mingle with earth!

I cannot drive away their memory from my mind,

I cannot restrain the sobs that come from my heart.
It is true that I sit among the living,
I am far worse than those who are dead.
Made from earth you shall mingle with earth!

1. Longfellow has aptly said:“Dust thou art, to dust returnest was not
spoken of the soul.” (see also page 40.)
 KAFI 207

There1 the foot-soldiers pursued us,

That is why we were forced to come here.2
Here they do not let us settle;
Where shall we go from here?
Made from earth you shall mingle with earth!

O Bullah, they do not permit us to stay here;

We leave it willy-nilly, weeping and crying.
His Name alone is our provision for the journey;
Not a penny of this world can we carry along.

Made from earth you shall mingle with earth!

How illusive are power and vanity!
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 115, poem 58

1. The other world.

2. This world.

v-
208 BULLEH SHAH

ECSTASY OF LOVE
When a maiden is smitten with love, she loses all
interest in the noise and gaiety of the world. She likes to
keep aloof and revel in the thoughts of her beloved.
After the blossom of love has sprouted in her heart, she
is in a state of ecstasy, and is unwilling either to speak or
to listen to anyone. Bulleh Shah, using the imagery of a
girl engaged in spinning, describes the state of mind of
the girl, when in her reverie, the cotton roll of her
spinning wheel is taken away by a crow. The spiritual
significance of the simile lies in the futility of the search
for God outside in temples, mosques and places of
pilgrimage. In quest of Him, those who go within
themselves are not only saved from the external noise
and religious dissensions, but are also blessed with the
inner bliss of union with the Lord.
In the last stanza, as is his wont, Bulleh Shah, gives a
spiritual turn to the poem and says: “If you love your
Master truly, he will shower on you a thousand
blessings.”

Pyaria sanun mithra na lagda shor

This noise no longer pleases me, O dear;
No longer does it appeal to me.

A fresh flower has blossomed in my house;1

I have experienced new thrills and delights.
You blame me not for aught, O dear.
This noise no longer pleases me.

O mother, I am dying of rapture,

The crow has snatched my cotton roll,

1. This indicates attaining to a joyful spiritual state.

 KAFI 209

I run after him crying:

For God’s sake give back the roll to me.
This noise no longer pleases me.

O Bullah, if you love your Master truly,

He will shower on you a thousand blessings.
You take this vow in all sincerity:
I shall ever abide with my darling.

This noise no longer pleases me, O dear.

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 65, poem 38
210 BULLEHSHAH

EVER FRESH SPRING OF LOVE

Love is ever new, ever fresh. It has a unique glory
every time it makes its appearance. It is antagonistic to
customs and conventions. When it is awakened in a
devotee, he gives up going to worship places such as a
mosque or a temple. His place of pilgrimage becomes his
own body, within which he has a vision of the Lord, and
where he revels in divine melody.
All distinctions of ‘mine’ and ‘thine’ disappear from
his mind. His heart becomes pure, and he sees the Lord
pervade in everyone.
The misguided seeker searches for God outside in
temples and mosques, while He is constantly abiding
within him—“Deluded Heer had sought him in woods,
while beloved Ranjha played in her veil.” The Lord is
experienced within, not only as unstruck melody, but
also as divine light—“Whosoever found, found Him as
Light of lights.”
Stanzas 4, 5, and 6 strongly denounce customs,
rituals and all forms of external observances—“I am
sick of reading Vedas and Qura’ns\ my forehead is worn
off by constant obeisance. God is not found at Hindu
shrines nor at Muslims’ Mecca ... Burn the prayer-mat,
break the lota,1 touch not the rosary, nor the staff.”
Going to places of worship is futile, for what is required
is purity of heart—“You have wasted your life in
mosques. Your heart is still filled with filth.”
In the last stanza Bullah says that in the ecstasy of
love external prostration is forgotten, and the force of
love makes him utter truth, which should perhaps have
been left unsaid—“Love made me forget your adoration
Bullah does his best to keep quiet, but Love compels
him to speak with force!”

1. A small, round pot, made generally of brass or copper.

 KAFI 211

Ishq di navion nauin bahar

Ever new, ever fresh is the spring of love!

When I learnt the lesson of love,

My heart dreaded the sight of mosques.
I then entered the abode of the Lord,
Where resounded a thousand melodies.
Ever new, ever fresh is the spring of love!

When I grasped the hint of love,

I banished ‘mine’ and ‘thine’ from me.
I was cleansed within and without.
Now, wherever 1 look, the Beloved pervades.
Ever new, ever fresh, is the spring of love!

Heer and Ranjha are united at last!

Deluded Heer had sought him in woods,
While beloved Ranjha played in her veil.
Before Him I lost my sense and wits.
Ever new, ever fresh is the spring of love!

I am sick of reading Vedas and Qura’ns\

My forehead is worn off by constant obeisance.
God is not found at Hindu shrines,
nor at Muslims’ Mecca.
Whosoever found, found Him as Light of lights.
Ever new, ever fresh is the spring of love!

Burn the prayer-mat, break the lota,

And touch not the rosary, nor the staff.
The lovers proclaim at the top of their voice:
“Give up halal1 and eat murdar /”2
Ever new, ever fresh is the spring of love!

1. The lawful; having religious sanctions.

2. Literally the dead body: here it means ‘forbidden by orthodox religion.’
212 BULLEHSHAH

You have wasted your life in mosques.

Your heart is still filled with filth.
Never did you realize the unity of God.
Now why do you raise a hue and cry?
Ever new, ever fresh is the spring of Love!

Love made me forget your adoration.

Now why in vain pick up a quarrel?
Bullah does his best to keep quiet,
But Love compels him to speak with force!

Ever new, ever fresh is the spring of love!

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 157-159, poem 76
 KAFI 213

FACE OF THE BELOVED

Using once again the analogy of Heer and Ranjha,

Bulleh Shah reveals that the Lord Himself aroused love
in man for Him. And, if it was He who aroused the
strong longing in man for a union with Him, then He is
the one who will satisfy this longing. Love is a gift from
God himself and is reverberated in the whole universe.
In the last stanza, Bulleh Shah proclaims that love
has made him immortal, and he will live for all time to
come.

Sade wall mukhra mor, ve pyarya

Turn your face to me, my Love !
Turn your face to me !

You yourself fastened your hook1 on me,

And now you yourself pull the string.
Turn your face to me, my Love !

From your heavenly seat you gave out the call,2

And tumult arose in the holy Mecca.
Turn Your face to me, my Love !

The Kheras3 are taking me away in the palanquin,4

I have neither an excuse nor any strength to resist.
Turn Your face to me, my Love !
O mother, if the Kheras are dear to you,
Pray, put someone else into the palanquin.
Turn Your face to me, my Love !

1. At the time of Creation.

2. God’s love for man resounded all over the universe in the form of His
Word.
3. The tribe in which Heer was married against her wishes.
4. It is customary for the bride to be carried in a palanquin.
214 BULLEHSHAH

O Lord of Bullah, I will not die !

It must be someone else who has died.1

Turn Your face to me, my Love !

Turn Your face to me !
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 137-138, poem 67

1. I have become immortal in Your love and it is only my mind which has
been eliminated for ever.
 KAFI 215

FALL NOT IN LOVE

Love entails suffering in its wake. A warning is given
here against making hasty attachments. And yet the
pull of love is so strong that men of strong will and
character have been vanquished before it. Bulleh Shah
counts in this poem a number of classic examples, when
Love brought much pain and suffering to the lovers.
Yusuf, Zulaikha, Majnun, Shams-i-Tabriz, Zakaria and
Mansur had all to pay a heavy price for the love they
cherished in their hearts. The love which is the most
potent in its effect is the one that saints administer to
their disciples. Bulleh Shah calls them the distillers who
prepare the wine of love and knowledge of God, and it
has the most telling effect on those who drink it.
The last stanza has been written in a satirical vein.
Bulleh Shah cynically admonishes the lover not to
trespass orthodox law, to be able to live in peace and
enjoy sound sleep. If he were to get inebriated with the
wine of love like Mansur, he would have to sing love
songs from the scaffold !

Pyaria sanbhal ke niunh la

O dear, beware of falling in love,
Lest you should repent thereafter !

Go, if you must, but retrace not your steps.

In that land, none will care for you.
Even lions' tremble with fear there,
You too will be caught in the net.
O dear, beware of falling in love !

I. Men with high spiritual aims and attainments.

216 BULLEHSHAH

Yusuf was thrown down into a well;

Then he was sold in the market;
For a hank of thread, he was sold, indeed,
You will be sold just for a cowrie.
O dear, beware of falling in love.

Look what Zulaikha got out of love !

Look how lovers suffer agonizing pain!
Even Majnun cried out in pangs of love.
What will you fetch from there, O friend ?
O dear, beware of falling in love.

Skin of some is flayed there;1

With the saw2 where some are slashed;
Some are hanged with a hangman’s noose;3
You, too, will get beheaded there.
O dear, beware of falling in love.
The house of the distillers4 is to your side;
The thirsty come to get drunk there.
They drink the goblets filled to the brim.
You too will be tempted to have a go.
O dear, beware of falling in Love!
To which land have you gone, my Love ?
Who knows what may happen tomorrow ?
Do not mix with the drunk ones,
Lest you too should be called tipsy.
O dear, beware of falling in love.
O Bullah, do not transgress the bounds of law,5
To enjoy a sound, peaceful sleep,

1. Reference to Shams-i-Tabriz.
2. Zakaria.
3. Mansur.
4. Sufi saints who prepare and give the wine of love and knowledge of
God.
5. The poet satirically suggests that those who try to rise above the
outward customs of orthodox religion have to suffer, while those who
conform to its canons have nothing to fear in this world.
 KAFI 217

Do not shout the slogan, “I am the Truth”,

Lest you too are driven to the gallows.
O dear, beware of falling in love,
Lest you should repent thereafter !
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 69-71, poem 41

• •
218 BULLEH SHAH

FALSE KNOWLEDGE
All knowledge other than the realization of God is
ultimately of no avail. In fact, it can be a great hindrance
in the way of God-realization. Instead of employing all
his time in acquiring worldly knowledge, man should
also devote sufficient time in concentrating his attention
on acquiring the knowledge of the unity of God—“All
that you need to know is Alif.”
The second stanza brings out the futility of reading a
large number of books—including scriptures—for what
is needed is practice of what is written, under the
guidance of a Master.
The third stanza dilates upon the life-style of
pedants, who take pride in being considered great
scholars, but who are totally devoid of any spiritual
wealth. At the time of departure from this world comes
to them the realization that they have wasted their time.
But, alas, this realization is too late !
Stanzas 4, 5, and 6 deal with exploitation of ignorant
masses by preachers in the name of religion. There is no
correspondence between what they preach and what
they practice. The motivating force behind their actions
is personal gain and aggrandizement.
The acquisition of mundane knowledge sometimes
takes the form of study of astronomy, in which one not
only gets involved in the calculations of various zodiac
signs, but also in the practice of magic charms and
exorcism.
The other evil effect of such knowledge is that one
remains alienated from moral and spiritual values—
“You capture saints and let go thieves ... You accept a
penny and apply the knife.”
 KAFI 219

Among other complications arising from such

knowledge is doubt and skepticism. It holds the traveler
from progress on the spiritual path. And since the seeker
remains separated from the Lord, his life is miserable.
In stanza 12 there is a reference to Satan, who
tempted Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of the “Tree of
Immortality.”(Qura’n, XX, 116-21). Also, in the conceit
of his knowledge Adam refused to obey the Lord’s
decree to prostrate before man {Quran, XV, 303).
The last stanza is a tribute by Bullah to his Master,
who on the arduous path of love leads him to safety
through all its trials and tribulations.

Ilmon bas karin O yar

Gather no more knowledge, O friend!

This knowledge will be of no avail.

All that you need to know is Alif.1
Life is fleeting, its end uncertain.
Gather no more knowledge, O friend !
You read and read, and pile up a heap;
The Qura’n and other books lie all around you
All around is light, but within you is darkness.
Without the guide there can be no knowledge.
Gather no more knowledge, O friend!

You read and read and become a Sheikh.2

You fill your stomach and sleep like a log.
While departing your eyes are tearful.
You are drowned mid-sea and reach nowhere.
Gather no more knowledge, O friend!

1. Stands for unity of God.

2. Venerable old man.
220 BULLEH SHAH

You read and read and become crazy.

You exploit, you rob the innocent, unlettered.
What a big sham you perpetrate, O friend!
And you never bring this practice to a stop.
Gather no more knowledge, O friend!
You recite prayers to unnecessary length.
You keep yelling at the top of your voice.
You mount the pulpit and declaim sermons.
Your greed has led you to abject ruin.
Gather no more knowedge, O friend !
By constant reading mullahs become qazis\
But God is happy without such knowledge.
Their greed is whetted day after day.
Their acts are aimed at personal gain.
Gather no more knowledge, O friend!

You read and administer homilies daily;

But you eat the food of doubt and suspicion.
You preach one thing and practice another.
True without, you are false within!
Gather no more knowledge, O friend!

You read and read and ponder over astrology;

You count all the various zodiac signs.
You read charms and practice exorcism.
You make amulets and calculate abjad
Gather no more knowledge, O friend!

From such knowledge other problems arise.

Endowed with eyes you are totally blind.
You capture saints and let go thieves.
O, you are disgraced in both the worlds!
Gather no more knowledge, O friend!

1. The name of an arithmetical arrangement of the alphabet, the letters of

which have different powers.
 KAFI 221

Such knowledge produces thousands of hurdles;

The wayfarers are held up on the path.
Afflicted with parting, their hearts break;
And its weight hangs heavy on their heads.
Gather no more knowledge, O friend!

By this knowledge you are called, Good Sir!

You tuck up your trousers and trudge to the market.
You accept a penny and apply the knife.1
You harbor much love for the class of butchers.
Gather no more knowledge, O friend!

Much knowledge was acquired by Satan;

His hearth and home were burnt to ashes.2
A necklace of curses hung round his neck;
And, at long last, he lost the game!
Gather no more knowledge, O friend !
When I learnt the lesson of love,
I was frightened of the sea of unity.
I was caught in its eddies and swirls;
But Shah Inayat helped me to cross it.
Gather no more knowledge, O friend!
Anwar Ali Rohtaki, Qanun-i-Ishq, pp. 277-280, poem 80

1. To kill an animal. There was a custom that the mullah would mutter a
holy verse and authorize killing of an animal, on payment of a penny to
him.
2. See Quran: XV, 30-3; XVII, 61, XXXVIII, 73-74.
222 BULLEHSHAH

FALSE REPENTANCE
There is no conformity between the speech and
actions of men. This is particularly so in the moral and
spiritual aspects of their life—“They repent in words,
not from the heart. . .What repentance is this.”
In their professional life, the main motivating force
is monetary gain, even at the cost of honest dealings—
“You lend one measure to take back a quarter plus.” No
religion allows such dealings, and yet in the name of
religion it is being practiced—“When did Islam impart
such teaching?... You ever pray ‘Forgive me, O Lord’,”
“You falsely swear by holy books.”
In their moral life, people indulge in immoral actions
and utilize others’ property—“You go to places you
should not. You set your heart on things of others.”
They also practice cruelty, for which they have to suffer
grievously in the next life.
In the last stanza Bullah proclaims that the only way
to be saved from all these dangers is to find a guide and
follow his instructions. He himself will be safely ferried
across the ocean of this world by his Master, Inayat
Shah.

Nit parhnaen istoghfar

You ever pray “Forgive me, O Lord!”
What repentance is this, O friend?

You lend one measure,

To take back a quarter plus.
Such illicit profit you corner!
When did Islam impart such teaching?
Such are your deeds!
What repentance is this, O friend?
 KAFI 223

You go to places you should not,

You set your heart on things of others.
You falsely swear by holy books.
Such is your trust!
What repentance is this, O friend?

Fearlessly tyrants practice cruelty,

They perish for their evil deeds.
They repent in words, not from the heart.
They earn disgrace here,
They get disgrace hereafter.
What repentance is this, O friend.

O Bullah, heed to the counsel of the Lord;

The Master alone will impart instruction.
My Master is Shah Inayat;
He will ferry me across the gulf.

You ever pray “Forgive me, O Lord!”

What repentance is this, O friend?
Anwar Ali Rohtaki, Qanun-i-Ishq, pp. 280-281, poem 81
224 BULLEH SHAH

FOR THE SAKE OF MY BELOVED

This lyric is steeped in love and longing. With the
usual analogy of Heer and Ranjha, where Ranjha
denotes the Master or the Lord and Heer stands for the
disciple or the seeking soul, Bullah gives a vivid
description of the state of intense love with the pain of
longing and pining in it, and the contempt with which
the lover takes the taunts and reproaches of the people
of the world.
The surcharged imagination of the lover sometimes
makes him feel that the Beloved is present before him—
“His presence besides my bed is my very life.” And, as
was Heer impervious to public opinion—“Why does
the world remind me of customs?” so is the lover
indifferent to public redicule and insults hurled by
people.
In the last stanza Bullah conveys his wishes and
expresses his hope that the Beloved would come, and the
pangs of separation would end.

Mittar pyare karan ni

For the sake of my Beloved, I put up with the taunts
of people.

The one with whom I have fallen in love,

His presence beside my bed is my very life.
Why does the world remind me of customs?
I cannot survive without a sight of Him.
For the sake of my Beloved, I put up with the taunts
of people.
 KAFI 225

Make me understand a little, brothers;

Why does Ranjha remain hidden from me?
He whose love has made me distracted,
He does not let me rest in peace.
For the sake of my Beloved, I put up with the taunts
of people.

Longing for Him has entered my courtyard.

Forcibly it has enveloped my being.
There is no remedy for my pain except Him.
O, I am going to die without my Beloved!
For the sake of my Beloved, I put up with the taunts
of people.

O Bullah, if Ranjha were to come to my house,

Clasp me, aflame with love, to His heart,
And spend the night in bliss with me,
My subsequent days would pass in bliss.

For the sake of my Beloved, I put up with the taunts

of people.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 237-238, poem 109
226 BULLEH SHAH

FRIENDS, CONGRATULATE ME
Once again using the analogy of Heer and Ranjha,
Bulleh Shah expresses his joy and gratitude in having
found his Master, Inayat Shah—“Friends, offer me
your felicitations, I have found my spouse in beloved
Ranjha!”
The Master has come to this world in the guise of a
vegetable grower, and people do not recognize in him
the Lord Himself—“With a staff in hand and a blanket
on his shoulders, he has assumed the guise of a cowherd.
A crown is being trampled in the cow-shed.”
In the last stanza there is a reference to the suffering
entailed in love. In this bargain, says Bullah, he has not
gained or lost anything, but he has carried a bundle of
sorrows. “Bulleh Shah has struck a bargain, he has
drunk a cup of poison. He has neither gained nor lost
anything, but he carries a bundle of sorrows.” This last
stanza conveys a mood quite opposed to the one
displayed in the first stanza. The opening lines express
only the joy experienced by Bulleh Shah in finding his
Master. The closing lines remind us of the suffering he
had to go through as the price he had to pay in this
arduous search.

Sayyo ni ral dayo vadhai

Friends, offer me your felicitations,
I have found my spouse in beloved Ranjha!

Today has risen as an auspicious day;

Ranjha has entered my courtyard.
With a staff in hand and a blanket on his shoulders,
He has assumed the guise of a cow-herd.
 KAF1 227

A crown is being trampled in the cow-shed;

What value can it have in forests and pastures?
He appears to be a man of God.
Alas! no one knows his real splendor.

Bulleh Shah has struck a bargain;

He has drunk a cup of poison.
He has neither gained nor lost anything,
But he carries a bundle of sorrows.

Friends, offer me your felicitations,

I have found my spouse in beloved Ranjha!
Nazir Ahmed, Kalam-i- Bulleh Shah, pp. 43-44
228 BULLEHSHAH

“GOODNESS” OF OUR FOREFATHERS

This kafi, if it can be called one, is ambiguous in

terms of its detailed meaning. But, in general, it can be
said that the poet is referring satirically to his primal
ancestors, viz. Adam and Eve. For instance, he calls
their transgression or mistake as their “goodness”, and
says that their goodness now “comes down to us.” In
other words, we are suffering the consequences of their
deeds.
He considers them as the original sinners, for they
picked up wheat1 despite forbiddance! As a result we
have been hurled into constant trouble ever since. That
progeny of Adam which is contemporaneous with the
poet, picks up a quarrel, according to him, for a slight
gain out of selfishness. Every family tends to be hostile
to the other.
Such is the result of the seed sown by our ancestors!

Amman babe di bhalyai!

The “goodness” of our forefathers,1 recoils on us!
Mother and father2 were thieves from the beginning;
The son has inherited their greatness,
Women quarrel3 over a grain of wheat,
Struggle and strife rule every home.
These troubles descended on the progeny,
For the wheat picked by their Elders.4

1. The “forbidden fruit” is, in Jewish tradition, mainly mentioned as:

grape, or fig., or wheat. The same and other opinions are found in
Christian and Muslim tradition and other commentaries to Qura’n.
(Encyclopaedia of Islam—page 177)
2. Adam and Eve.
3. Literally, women catch each other’s plaits of hair in a fight.
4. Adam and Eve, when they were expelled from paradise for the original
sin of eating wheat. (Christians claim it was an apple)
 KAFI 229

Khaira eats, and Juma has to pay for it;1

A perverse order so prevails!

O Bullah, parrots have been hunted out;

And, owls have settled in their place.

The “goodness” of our forefathers, recoils on us!

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 27, poem 16

l. One man sins and quite another suffers.

230 BULLEH SHAH

GUILES OF THE BELOVED

In this lyric the vision of the beloved in a dream by

the lover is mentioned. This thought is taken from the
famous classic of Yusuf and Zulaikha, in which Yusuf
had appeared to Zulaikha in a dream. The subsequent
life of Zulaikha became a torture till she was united with
Yusuf. The intervening period was one of intense
suffering of separation. Thus the theme of this poem is
love and the suffering it entails in the separation from
the Beloved.
In the last stanza Bullah rises from the mundane to
the divine by stating that the Beloved is to be found
within oneself. This consummation is to be achieved
through the help rendered by the Master. There is also a
hint in the stanza that before long one feels penitent for
the time wasted in life—time spent without the bliss of
union with the Lord. The poem, as usual, ends with the
happy note that union with the Beloved has at last been
achieved.

Dekho ni pyara mainun sufne mein chhal gaya

Hark, O friends, the Beloved has tricked me
in a dream!

In sleep I was beguiled,

Like Zulaikha I am tortured.
A grievous wound has love inflicted,
Every limb of mine has been shaken.
I called the soothsayers,
I got ausian1 cast by them.

1. A figure is drawn on the ground in the form of a head of a rake by which

a superstitious prediction is made for the visit of a friend/husband.
 KAFI 231

Astrologers gave no assurance.

Tears gushed forth from my eyes.
He does not come near me;
He views me from afar.
His looks strike me with awe.
The Mount Sinai1 2 stands burnt!
In the self He is discovered,
Through Inayat2 is He found.
Repentance comes to one soon.
O Bullah, I have met the Lord today!

Hark, O friends, the Beloved has tricked me

in a dream!
Anwar Ali Rohtaki, Qanun-i-Ishq, p. 162, poem 38

1. Moses wanted to see God face to face. God did not show himself
directly to Moses, but manifested His glory on Mount Sinai and burnt it
to ashes. Moses repented and became the first to believe. See Sura VII
142-145 of the Qura’n.
2. There is a pun on the word “Inayat”, which stands for Bullah’s Master
but literally means favor or grace. The line may also be translated as
“By grace is He found.”

/
232 BULLEH SHAH

GURU IS ALL-POWERFUL
This kafi, is written in praise of the Master, who is
all-powerful. In fact he is the Lord himself in the human
form—“He puts on a garb to become man,” also, “The
Guru is called the Almighty himself.” And, it is in the
form of man that He redeems mankind.
The first stanza refers to the great damage that the
five passions are inflicting on man, without his being
aware of it—“There was a theft in my house. I kept
sleeping and none awoke.” This realization comes
through the grace of the Master—“I found the Guru
and learnt it all.” Not only that, the Guru makes the
disciple acquainted with Nam, by means of which he
triumphs over the five “thieves”
The second and third stanzas deal with the fiat of
creation. In the beginning there was no manifest
existence—“At first He was a hidden treasure. There
prevailed an astonishing void.” He then displayed
himself as a unitary being—“Then He came into the
state of One.” Again, He multiplied himself into
many—“The many were then born out of the One.”
That is how creation proliferated. And, yet, the Lord is
present in a hidden form in everyone of His countless
creatures—“He then hides himself behind the veils. He
adorns himself in countless garbs.” It is the Guru, who
through the instrument of love, makes the Lord
manifest to man.
 KAFI 233

Gur jo Chahe so karda ei

The Guru does whatever he wills.

There was a theft in my house,1

I kept sleeping and none awoke.
I found the Guru and learnt it all.
The lost stock still floats.
The Guru does whatever he wills.

At first He was a hidden treasure.

There prevailed an astonishing void.
Then He came into the state of One.
A fine veil lies between a part and the whole.
The Guru does whatever he wills.
He said, “Let there be, and it became!”
The many were then born out of the One.
He puts on a garb to become man;
Then He enters the mosque to say His prayers.
The Guru does whatever he wills.

He asked of men the day of the pledge:

“Am I not your God?” And they said, “Yes.”
He then hides himself behind the veils.
He adorns himself in countless garbs.
The Guru does whatever he wills.
The Guru is called the Almighty himself.
The Guru is saint, the Guru is prophet.
He makes a home in every heart,
He fills to the brim all empty vessels.
The Guru does whatever he wills.

1. Body
234 BULLEH SHAH

Bullah found in his home the Lord,

Who disguised himself in various forms.
He kept it secret from the world.
He firmly believes in the lesson of love.
The Guru does whatever he wills.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 215-217, poem 99
 K.AFI 235

HE DESERTED ME
The classic love tale employed by Bullah in this kafi
is of Sassi and Punnun. Sassi and Punnun had been
united, but the kinsmen of Punnun were averse to this
union. By a stratagem, they got Punnun in a state of
drunkenness and took him across the deserts of Sind to
their home in Baluchistan. When Sassi found him
missing from her house, she went in search of him and
died in the desert in a state of extreme anguish.
In this poem Bullah seems to refer to the departure
of his Master, whose separation he found hard to bear.
In the last stanza he cherishes the hope that his days of
torture would come to an end, as his Master would
return to him.

Mainun chhadd gaye ap ladd gaye

He left me, and himself departed.1
What fault was there in me?
Neither at night nor in the day do I sleep in peace;
My eyes pour out tears!
Sharper than swords and spears
Are the arrows of love!
There is no one as cruel as love;
This malady no physician can cure.

There is no peace, not for a moment;

So intense is the pain of separation!

1. Reference is to the story of Sassi and Punnun. Punnun left his beloved
Sassi in the deserts of Sind, and she died there in anguish.
236 BULLEHSHAH

O Bullah, if the Lord were to shower his grace,1

My days would radically change!

He left me, and himself departed.

What fault was there in me?
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 264-265, poem 120

I. There is a pun on the word Inayat, which was the name of Bulleh Shah’s
Master, and which literally means grace.
 KAFI 237

HIDE NO MORE

Apparently, the husband of a woman has taken

offence at something and hidden himself from his wife.
She recalls some poignant, memorable experiences she
shared with her husband, and pines for a reconciliation.
She makes all sorts of entreaties to her husband to win
back his affection. Esoterically, the poem signifies that
the Lord is nearer to us than our very breath, but
remains hidden because of our ego and our sins. We can
unite with Him, if we shed our faults, repent for our past
sins, and have a true longing for union with Him.

Bas kar ji hun bas kar ji

No more of this, now no more of this!
Speak a word to me with a smile, O Dear.
You dwell right within my heart;
Why then do You run away from me?
You cast Your spell, You steal my heart;
Where will You run away now?
No more of this, now no more of this!
You stop not slaying already slain.
You treat me like a ball on the ground.
You gag me if I utter a word.
You have shot me through now with a shaft!
No more of this, now no more of this!

You hide yourself, I find You out;

1 have caught you in my tresses;
Still You try to hide from me.
I shall not let You run away now.
No more of this, now no more of this!
238 BULLEH SHAH

O You spouse of Bullah, I am Your slave.

I pine for a glimpse of Your face.
I make hundreds of entreaties,
Now entrench yourself in the cage of my body.

No more of this, now no more of this!

Speak a word to me with a smile, O Dear.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 40-42, poem 25
 KAFI 239

HINT FROM THE BELOVED!

This poem deals mainly with the pain involved in

and the price paid for love. However, in the midst of
such suffering, there is an inner joy, which is known only
to lovers—“They are intoxicated with the wine of
love ... All except the lovers are blind to it.” They would
not forego the pain of love for any price. And yet for
people desirous of worldly pleasures and comforts, it is
expedient to keep away from it—“From the house-top I
proclaim: Do not strike the bargain of love.”
Bullah addresses the poem, as usual, to his Master,
Inayat Shah—“O! fie! He showed such unconcern!
The Thug of Lahore has cheated me.” Yet, he mentions
the names of some other famous lovers who paid a
heavy price for their love, and which occur in a number
of his other kafis. These recurring names are Shirin and
Farhad, Yusuf and Zulaikha, Laila and Majnun, Sassi
and Punnun, Sohni and Mahinwal, and last but not
least, Heer and Ranjha.
The last stanza obviously refers to God, whom no
physical senses can perceive—“O Bullah, none can
behold the Beloved . . . He has no shape, no form, no
color; He has hidden himself like a thief.” Even the one
who realizes Him cannot describe Him—“And whoever
sees Him is not to be counted.”

Wall wah ramz sajan di hor!

Hail ! the hint from the Beloved is different !
All except the lovers are blind to it.

From the house-top I proclaim;

Do not strike the bargain of love,
Never be taken in by its guiles.
240 BULLEH SHAH

It gives not peace in forest or city.

Hail ! the hint from the Beloved is different !

In both the worlds are lovers beguiled.

The blandishments of beloveds take their lives;
One wounded by love never survives.
How ruthlessly does it tear into pieces !
Hail ! the hint from the Beloved is different !

He showed his face and took to his way;

Suddenly a noose slid round my neck.
O ! fie ! He showed such unconcern !
Oh, the beloved Thug of Lahore has cheated me
Hail ! the hint from the Beloved is different !
Pangs of separation comprised Shirin’s food ;
Poor Farhad was forlorn on the mountain.
Yusuf was sold in the bazaars of Egypt.
The blind ones could not see who he was.
Hail ! the hint from the Beloved is different !
Laila and Majnun were both its slaves.
Sohni was drowned in turbulent waters.
Heer had given up all her relatives,
When the Beloved pulled the string.
Hail ! the hint from the Beloved is different !
Lovers keep aloof and roam in silence;
They are intoxicated with the wine of love.
They are entangled in the noose of tresses,
Where no device of release is found.
Hail ! the hint from the Beloved is different !

If the Beloved were to come and meet me,

I would sacrifice my life unto Him.
In form and grace he is the peer of Yusuf,
Whose fame has raised a tumult in the world.
Hail! the hint from the Beloved is different !

1. Inayat Shah lived in Lahore.

 KAFI 241

O, Bullah, none can behold the Beloved;

And whoever sees Him is not to be counted.
He has no shape, no form, no color;
He has hidden himself like a thief.

Hail ! the hint from the Beloved is different !

All except the lovers are blind to it.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 309-311, poem 143
242 BULLEH SHAH

HIS OMNIPRESENCE
A pantheistic strain runs throughout this poem.
Once the Lord has been realized within, He is seen in
everything and in everyone outside. He is as much
present in foes as in friends. He is in Majnun as also in
Laila. He is to be found not only in the Master, but also
in the disciple.
He is no less present in the temple than in the
mosque. Nor does Bullah make a distinction between a
Muslim and a Hindu. And those who get lost in such
parochial differences do so only as a part of His grand
design—“Somewhere He lets himself be lost in a
labyrinth.”
The last stanza ends with a prayer for union with the
Lord, a union which would be everlasting bliss. And this
union can come only through the help of the Master—
“If I were to meet my Master, I would be wedded with
the Lord.”

Paya hai kujh paya hai

I have seen, verily I have seen;
The Satguru has shown me the Unseen.
Somewhere He is hostile, somewhere friendly.
Somewhere He is Majnun, somewhere Laila.
Somewhere He is a guru, somewhere a disciple.
In all He manifests His own path.
I have seen, verily I have seen.

Somewhere He becomes a robber,

somewhere the robbed.
Somewhere He becomes a Qazi
to preach on a pulpit.
 KAF1 243

Somewhere He is a Ghazi to display His skill in war.

In all He himself points to His ways!
I have seen, verily I have seen.

Somewhere He builds a mosque for prayers.

Somewhere He erects a temple with idols.
Somewhere He takes the form of an anchoret.
Somewhere He comes in the garb of a Sheikhan.1
I have seen, verily I have seen.

Somewhere He is found on the Muslim prayer-mat;

Somewhere He is seen reciting Hindu scriptures.
Somewhere He lets himself be lost in a labyrinth.
In every house He has showered His love !
I have seen, verily I have seen.

O Bullah, I am in need of my Spouse.

If I were to meet my Master,
I would be wedded with the Lord.
The sight of my Beloved would be my cure.
Smitten with His love, I sing His praise.
I have seen, verily I have seen;
The Satguru has shown me the Unseen.
Anwar Ali Rohtaki, Qanun-i-Ishq, p. 206, poem 58

1. Female Sheikh.
244 BULLEH SHAH

I AM FREE
This short poem describes the state of a lover or a
mystic, who is completely free from all worldly
constraints. He is not burdened with any chains or
shackles. He does not quite fit in either the category of
believers or infidels, for he does not merely believe in the
existence of the Lord, but has experience of Him. Nor
can he be put in the class of masters or of servants. He
does not command anyone, nor is he under anyone’s
command. He is not concerned with praise or blame.
There is a glow of moral excellence in his actions
flowing from selfless love for one and all.
Esoterically, the poem describes the true state of the
individual, which is that of a pure soul, unencumbered
by any constraints, such as those of the body, the mind,
the attributes and so on. The soul in its native state, is
immortal and free from all change.
The last line of the poem pertains to the immortal
existence of the soul of Bulleh Shah.

Main beqaid, main beqaid

I am unfettered ! I am unshackled !

I am neither sick nor a physician;

I am neither a believer, nor an infidel;
I am neither a lord, nor a serf.
I move freely in the fourteen realms,
I am not constrained anywhere.
I visit the tavern without praise or blame.
Wherefore do you ask the essence of Bullah?
He is unbegetting and unbegotten.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 76
 KAFI 245

I AM LOST TO MYSELF
In the intense love for the Beloved, the lover forgets
himself. For him the Beloved alone exists. And, he does
not only become oblivious of his surroundings, the
surroundings themselves are transformed, and the
Beloved seems to pervade everywhere. For the mystic
who has attained the introvertive experience of the Lord
within himself, also gets the extrovertive experience of
seeing the Lord everywhere in the outside world. It is to
this realization that Bullah refers in the last line—“Give
not a hint of it to anyone, that Bullah has well realized
the Truth.”

Ni sayyo main gayi guachi

O friends, I am lost to myself;
Lifting1 my veil I dance in the open.

Wherever I look, Him alone I see;

By Him I swear, none else exists.
“He is with you” went round the world,
When the Master read from the scroll.
O friends, I am lost to myself;
Lifting my veil I dance in the open.

O friends, no trace of I-ness is left !

The secret I tell you, do not disclose.
Give not a hint of it to anyone,
That Bullah has well realized the Truth.

O friends, I am lost to myself;

Lifting my veil I dance in the open.
Anwar Ali Rohtaki, Qanun-i-Ishq, p. 348, poem 115

1. Shamelessly; showing scant regard for tradition and world-opinion.

246 BULLEH SHAH

I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT YOU

Separation from his Master is unbearable for Bullah.
In his absence everything acquires a somber color—“I
cannot live, Maharaj, I cannot live without you. There is
no fragrance in these withered flowers, no hope for his
return, who has gone to a foreign land.”
The second stanza gives a warning about the
impending death—“The demon of death hovers over
thee,” and implores us not to waste our precious time in
frivolous activities.
The third stanza harps on the suffering in love.
The last stanza brings about a happy ending by
announcing the arrival of the Beloved—“O Bullah, the
Lord comes from a strange land, with bracelets on wrists
and with outstretched arms.”

Na jiwan maharaj main tere bin

I cannot live, Maharaj,1 I cannot live without you.
There is no fragrance in these withered flowers.
There is no hope of his return,
Who has gone to a foreign land.
My love is no longer with me !
I cannot live, Maharaj, I cannot live without you.
Why do you sleep thus carelessly?
The demon of death hovers over thee.
You never cared to do a virtuous deed.
I cannot live, Maharaj, I cannot live without you.

What have I gained having become yours ?

I lost my eyes by ceaseless tears.

I. An epithet for the Master.

 KAFI 247

My face I wash to repeat your name.

I cannot live, Maharaj, I cannot live without you.

O Bullah, the Lord comes from a strange land,

With bracelets on wrists and with outstretched arms.
My head and my life I sacrifice to your name !

I cannot live, Maharaj, I cannot live without you.

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat.p. 301, poem 138
248 BULLEH SHAH

I TALK OF THE BEYOND

This poem pertains to the time when God alone
existed, and the world had not yet been created. At the
time of Creation, God had made a solemn promise with
the souls that He would come into the world to redeem
them. Now, it seems He has virtually gone back on His
promise,1 since He has created a screen between himself
and the souls, although He abides in everyone. He is,
therefore, responsible for putting men in delusion, as
they search for Him outside in temples and mosques,
and do not look for Him within themselves.
In the second stanza Bullah says that man’s que§t for
God is like an unequal fight in a contest, when the
adversary is too strong—“I have to play a game with the
dominant ruler. Even if I win, I am still declared lost.”
The next stanza deals with the frustration that
follows the futile attempts to find Him. Wasting the
whole life in the practice of rituals and external
observances has been compared to losing all one’s
capital foolishly and then keeping guard after the thieves
leave with the booty. Realization of this folly at the time
of death is futile—“And now every night I do keep a
vigil.” But, perhaps, it was all written in one’s destiny on
account of his past sins—“Such is the price I pay for my
past!”
In the fifth stanza Bqllah laments for having come to
this transient world, full of suffering—“What comfort

I. The Lord always keeps His promise, but while struggling one sometimes
feels that he is forsaken, when actually, He is helping us to get rid of our
load of karmas. This is unbeknown to us until we have gone within and
can see for ourselves what He is doing for us. But with His grace,
through the Master, we are able to face whatever we have to endure.
Thus, we are purified—like gold in a smelter—and can eventually return
to Him and enjoy everlasting peace and bliss.
 KAFI 249

did I get by coming to this world, where neither

destination nor halting places exist?” And, one is not
even aware when death will come—“Wherefore should I
ring the bell of departure? Daily I keep the camel in
readiness to leave.”
In the last stanza Bullah compares the phenomenal
universe to a dreadful ocean, whose depth cannot be
fathomed—“O Bulleh Shah, there is an infinite depth;
none in the two worlds can fathom it.” And one has to
bungle through it without aim and without direction—
“In it I ever flounder without my head and feet!”

Main gall othe di karda han

I talk of there, but I am afraid even of talking.

With the souls you made a false promise:

“You go and I shall soon follow you.”
But here you have created a screen.
And I wander about lost in delusion.
I talk of there, but I am afraid even of talking.

I have to play a game with the dominant ruler.

Even if I win, I am still declared lost.
All my stock is now Your wealth.
Such is the price I pay for my past !
I talk of there, but I am afraid even of talking.
After handing over the stock, like a fool I fretted.
I, then, kept guard after the thieves departed.
Still I did follow the track of the thieves.
And now every night I do keep a vigil.
I talk of there, but I am afraid even of talking.

He does not feel satisfied with me,

Nor is He happy with my entreaties.
When I turn my face, He flees from me.
250 BULLEH SHAH

Again I make my supplication to Him.

I talk of there, but I am afraid even of talking.

What comfort did I get by coming to this world,

Where neither destination nor halting places exist ?
Wherefore should I ring the bell of departure?
Daily I keep the camel in readiness to leave.
I talk of there, but I am afraid even of talking.
O Bulleh Shah, there is an infinite depth;
None in the two worlds can fathom it.
There is no knowledge of this bank or that.
In it I ever flounder without my head and feet!1

I talk of there, but I am afraid even of talking.

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 284-286, poem 132

1. A drowning man can hold to the ground neither with feet nor with head.
Similar is the state of one, drowning in the ocean of existence, until he is
rescued by his Master.
 KAFI 251

IN A NEW ATTIRE
Ranjha, in this lyric, stands as the symbol of God,
and Heer represents the soul. Ever since the soul has
been separated from its source, it has been pining to go
back to it. Notwithstanding all the comforts and luxury
that man might possess in this world, there is an inner
feeling of loneliness, which constantly nags at him. This
feeling will not end till the soul unites back with the
Lord.
It is not that the Lord is unconcerned with the
suffering of man. He is in love with the soul, which
indeed is a part of Him. When God had not manifested
himself, all the souls were united with Him. When they
were separated, there was a covenant between them, that
He would reunite those with Him, who were really
desirous to do so—“Separated from her since the very
first night, He has come in search of union, O girls !” So,
the Lord is as keen to end the period of separation as is
the yearning soul.

Kauri aya paihan libas kure!

Who comes clad in a new attire ?

Ask Him in all frankness, O girls !

A staff in hand, a black blanket on shoulders,

A light aglow in His eyes—
He comes not as a servant, but as one intoxicated.
Make Him sit by you and ask Him, O girls.
Who comes clad in a new attire ?

Do not call Him a cowherd or a servant boy,

He is not without some secret design.
252 BULLEH SHAH

Separated from her since the very first night,

He has come in search of union, O girls !
Who comes clad in a new attire ?

He is by no means a servant or a cowherd;

Nor has He any fancy for buffaloes;
Nor is He fond of milk and curd;
Nor has He any hunger or thirst, O girls !
Who comes clad in a new attire ?

O Bullah, the Spouse has concealed himself

behind a veil.
He reveals not the secret, nor does He
open his mouth.
My father seeks a bridegroom for me
amongst the Kheras;
And my bridegroom is right before me, O girls!
Who comes clad in a new attire ?
Ask Him in all frankness, O girls !
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 191-192, poem 88
 KAFI 253

IN LOVE
In a beautiful short lyric Bullah pours out from his
heart the unbearable pain of separation from his
Beloved. He vividly describes his state, in which he is
constantly restless and is unable to sleep either during
the day or at night. It is a state in which he cannot live,
because the pain of separation is unendurable; but
can he neither die, because he has hope that his Beloved
would relent and come. Apparently, Bullah wrote this
poem when he was away from his Master, and he was
pining for him.

Ab lagan lagi kih kariye

I have been pierced by the arrow of love,
what shall I do ?
I can neither live, nor can I die.
Listen ye to my ceaseless outpourings.
I have peace neither by night, nor by day.
I cannot do without my Beloved even for a moment.
I have been pierced by the arrow of love,
what shall I do ?
I can neither live, nor can I die.

The fire of separation is unceasing,

Let someone take care of my love.
How can I be saved without seeing him?
I have been pierced by the arrow of love,
what shall I do ?
I can neither live, nor can I die.

O Bullah, I am in dire trouble;

Let someone come to help me out.
254 BULLEH SHAH

How shall I endure such torture?

I have been pierced by the arrow of love,
what shall I do ?
I can neither live, nor can I die.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 5-6, poem 3
 KAFI 255

IN LOVE DIVINE

In yet another poem on the theme of love, Bullah

gives a graphic description of the state of one who finds
himself in that condition. Such a one loses all
consciousness of his own existence. And, the experience
of merging in the Beloved is indescribable, just as the
sweet taste of jaggery1 cannot be described by a dumb
person.
The lover is constantly afraid of losing sight of his
Beloved. His eyes ever pursue the eyes of his Beloved.
Although love is beset with difficulties, and is
entailed with suffering, the lover is never prepared to
give it up. In fact, love makes him bold, and he becomes
emancipated from the fear of public opinion. Address¬
ing his Divine Beloved, Bullah pleads to Him to be
merciful. He is in love with Him in whatever form He
appears—“You make me dance in all Your forms.”
In the last but one stanza, Bullah describes the
efforts he has made to reach the Beloved. He withdraws
his soul current from the nine outlets to the tenth to
behold Him—“I have closed my nine doors to sleep;
and I have come to stand at the tenth.”
In the last stanza Bullah poses a question to the
Beloved. He wants to know if He also loves him or if it is
only from his side—“Am I also somewhat dear to you,
or am I alone a sacrifice unto you.”

Main vich main na raih gai rai

Not an iota of self is left in me,
Ever since I fell in love with the Beloved.

1. An Indian sweet.
256 BULLEH SHAH

When union with the Beloved is attained,

It is like the taste of jaggery to the dumb.
I find neither head nor foot of my own.
None other than Him created this “I”.
Not an iota of self is left in me.

The eyes have become slaves of eyes.1

They behold You from hundreds of miles.
Every moment they pursue You out of fear2.
You have offered some bait to charm them!
Not an iota of self is left in me.
Now I have set my abode in the Oneness;
And I dwell there in ceaseless wonder.
Life, birth and death are all eff aced!
Not a bit of my sense and wit remains.
Not an iota of self is left in me.

I had thought love was easy;

It is turbulent as the flow of four streams.
It flares up in flames, it freezes to ice.
The fire of separation ever consumes me !
Not an iota of self is left in me.

Loud, fast beat the drums of love.

Lovers are ever drawn towards them.
Strings of shame have cracked and broken.
Free from shame are the love-struck.
Not an iota of self is left in me.
Stop, stop, Dear, enough is enough!
Love for You sustains my heart.
None is mine other than You,
Mother nor father, sister nor brother.
Not an iota of self is left in me.

1. My eyes have become slaves of Your eyes.

2. Out of fear of losing sight of You.
 KAFI 257

Sometimes You go and sit in the sky;

Sometimes You suffer the pain of this world;
Sometimes You take on the garb of a Master.
You make me dance in ail Your forms.
Not an iota of self is left in me.

In Your separation lies my closet;

I pass my days in much suffering.
Sometimes incline to me, to You I plead.
I am a sacrifice unto You.
Not an iota of self is left in me.

For Your sake I have become thus:

I have closed my nine doors to sleep;
And I have come to stand at the tenth.
O, accept my love for You sometimes!
Not an iota of self is left in me.

O, Spouse of Bullah, I am a sacrifice unto You !

I am a customer for a sight of Your face.
Am I also somewhat dear to You,
Or am I alone a sacrifice unto You?
Not an iota of self is left in me.
Ever since I fell in love with the Beloved.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 289-292, poem 134
258 BULLEH SHAH

LIFT YOUR VEIL! i

This beautiful poem is addressed by Bullah to his

Master as well as to the Lord. The esoteric significance
of the poem written in a state of intense love and
gratitude to Inayat Shah is that the Master is the
manifest form of the Lord, or that the Lord is concealed
behind the facade of the Master. Bullah implores his
Master to let the world know who he really is—“Lift
your veil, My Beloved!” and not to keep it in darkness.
A number of lines in the poem show that there is lack
of visible reciprocation on the part of the Master to the
love of his disciple. But, this does not really mean that
Inayat Shah was indifferent to the intense love that
Bullah had for him. This, in fact, only underlines the
intensity of Bullah’s love, which is expressed in the
language of complaint, which lovers usually employ.

Ghungat chuk O sajjanan

Lift your veil, my Beloved !
Why do you feel bashful now?

Your curly locks' entwine my heart,

They bite me like the serpents.
You do not pity my sad plight,
You look at me with blood-shot eyes.
Lift your veil, my Beloved !
You flung your arrow of two eyes,
Aimed at the breast of poor me !
Inflicting a wound, you hid your face:

1. Esoterically, locks refer to plurality of the Universe. These locks

conceal the beatific face of God. Inayat, like other Sufis, kept long hair.
These are grateful praises of the Murshid, the Master.
 KAF1 259

Who taught you such tricks, my love?

Lift your veil, my Beloved !

The dirk of separation

You aimed with such perfection,
I got disheartened, disillusioned.
You never cared to call on me,
Your promises proved so brittle !
Lift your veil, my Beloved !
With your love, O dear,
You captured my heart.
Never later you showed your face.
This cup of poison I drank myself,
I was indeed an unripe innocent.
Lift your veil, my Beloved !

O king Inayat, these are not empty words,

I sorely look for you on every side.
Steady all through, how can I waver?
Even today I am true to my word.
Lift your veil, my Beloved!
Why do you feel bashful now?
Abdul Majid Bhatti, Kafian Bulleh Shah, pp. 222-224
260 BULLEH SHAH

LONGING
This poem is suffused with longing and love for the
Beloved. It is symbolic of the love of the seeker for the
Lord as also of the love of the disciple for his Master.
An incident occurred in the life of Bullah, when his
Master, Inayat Shah, got annoyed with him, and exiled
him from his presence. Bullah could bear this separation
no longer, so he disguised himself as a dancing girl and
joined the troupe that was to sing and dance at some
function (Qawwali) that would be attended by Shah
Inayat.
During the performance Bullah danced with aban¬
don and sang such soulful songs of pleading with the
Beloved until Shah Inayat, who had pretended not to
recognize him, asked him if he was Bullah. He replied
that he was bhulla (which means the fallen one and is a
pun on the name of Bullah). Shah Inayat was so pleased
with Bullah’s love and humility that he forgave him and
lovingly embraced him.
The last stanza of the lyric suggests that the poem
was written on that occasion.

Akkhan uich dil jani pyaria

In my eyes, my precious, my darling,
What a longing have you aroused !
Between You and me there is no distance;
But You have concealed yourself from me.
The buffaloes have come, but dear Ranjha has not;
The flames of His separation have consumed me.
In my eyes, my precious, my darling,
What a longing have you aroused !
 KAFI 261

I am near, why do you tell me You are far?

O, You have concealed yourself from me !
In the bazaars of Egypt, in the manner of Zulaikha,
You have lifted Your veil and brought me to ruin.
In my eyes, my precious, my darling,
What a longing have you aroused !

O my Master, with a veil over my head,

Your love has made Bullah dance.1

In my eyes, my precious, my darling.

What a longing have you aroused !
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat. p. 24, poem 13

1. This line suggests that the lyric was composed to assuage the feelings of
annoyance of Shah Inayat with Bulleh Shah.
262 BULLEH SHAH

LONGING FOR THE MASTER

This poem is surcharged with love and longing of
Bulleh Shah for his Master. All pleasures of the world
appear insipid to him, because his Master is away. All
his interest is centered in seeing his Master return to
him.
On hearing the discourses of his Master, the pull of
Nam becomes so strong in him that it shoots through
him like a shaft. This leads him to the spiritual practice
of concentrating his soul current and withdrawing it to
the eye center in the arch of the forehead.
The last stanza suggests that Bulleh Shah has
achieved his goal and his heart is overwhelmed with joy.

Ab kyon sajan chir layo re ?

Why have you taken so long, my Love?
What so came into my mind,
That I forgot all joys and sorrows?
I flung into fire my jewelry,
You enkindled such a blaze in my heart!
Why have you taken so long, my Love?

Hearing such words of wisdom from saints,

The shaft of Nam has struck me a mortal blow.
I cry like a koel night after night,
Still you feel no compassion for me !
Why have you taken so long, my Love?

The muezzin of love has given his call;

It is meet that I attend to it fast.
 KAFI 263

Prostrating oft I turn towards home,

With forehead adorned with the arch.1
Why have you taken so long, my Love?

Strange are the ways of the City of Love?

Bloodstained eyes are cups of pleasure.
1 have myself got entangled in the snare;
And have willingly got myself slaughtered.
Why have you taken so long, my Love?

Bullah has fallen in love with the Beloved;

Each bride comes adorned and embellished.
On beholding my Beloved Shah Inayat,
My heart is charmed and beguiled, as ever.
Why have you taken so long, my Love?
Abdul Majid Bhatti, Kafian Bulleh Shah, pp. 16-18

1. To return to the true home by withdrawing the soul current to the third
eye in the arch of the forehead.
264 BULLEH SHAH

LOST IN LOVE

This short kafi is replete with esoteric meaning.

Bullah says that he has realized his true self by shedding
his ego. This has enabled him to get over the false sense
of individuation or separateness from God. He has
succeeded in uniting with the Lord and sees Him
pervading everywhere.

Ab ham aise gum hue

I have got lost in the city of love,
I am trying to know my self.

I cannot lay my hands on the substance.

I have rid myself of ego,
And discovered my true self.
All indeed has ended well.
O Bullah, I find the Lord pervades both worlds,
None now appears a stranger to me.
I have got lost in the city of love,
I am trying to know my self.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 16
 KAFI 265

LOST TO MYSELF
This beautiful poem depicts the state of complete
absorption of the lover in the Beloved. The lover
completely loses his separate identity, and his actions
bespeak of a mad man’s behavior to people of the
world. Once the Lord has been realized within. He is
seen to pervade everywhere—“From head to foot You
are there, and You too are within and without.”
Such a state gives a sense of complete freedom from
all constraints—“I am now free from bondage of this
bank and that; there is neither a river nor a boat.”
The God-man says what He makes him utter—“Dear
Mansur exclaimed, ‘I am the Truth.’ Say, who made him
utter this?” God himself is the lover of one who
completely merges himself in Him.

Mainun kih hoya hurt maithon gai guati main

What has happened to me ?
I am now lost to myself!
I look within me and I do not find myself.
Within myself You abide.
From head to foot You are there,
And You too are within and without.
I am now free from bondage of this bank and that;
There is neither a river, nor a boat.
Dear Mansur exclaimed, “I am the Truth”.
Say, who made him utter this ?
O Bullah, the Spouse is the lover of one,
Who merges his self into Him.

What has happened to me ?

I am now lost to myself.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 270, poem 124
266 BULLEHSHAH

LOVE AND LAW

Love and law are quite alien to each other. “Love

knows no laws,” is a well-known saying. Bulleh Shah, in
this lyric, sings of the intoxicated state of one who has
drunk the cup of love. The lover becomes oblivious of
all except his Beloved, and becomes impervious to the
gibes and taunts of others.
In the second stanza Bullah says that the Lord
pervades everywhere, and in the third stanza he says that
the Master abides within us. Taking the two stanzas
together, it can be inferred that the Lord and the Master
{Murshid) are one. The latter is only the manifest form
of the former.
All pedantic knowledge of logic and grammar and
all rituals and observances of prayers and fasts are of no
avail on the path of love. For, the lover is inebriated with
the love of his Beloved.
Bullah ends the lyric by saying that he has become
tongue-tied in the presence of his Beloved. The intensity
of His presence has driven away all thoughts from the
mind of the onlooker, except the desire to look at Him.

Ni main hun sunya ishq shara kih nata

O friends, it is now that I learn,

How love and law are related.

By drinking a cup of love,

All things are forgotten!
In every house abides the Lord!
I find Him pervading one and all.
Within us abides our Murshid.
When I fell in love, I learnt this.
 KAFI 267

My logic, my grammar, my polemics.

All my knowledge proved futile.
With prayers, with fasts, what has he to do,
The one intoxicated with the wine of love?
The erudition of pundits,
The scholarship of mullahs proved futile.
None of them get at the secret !
Little does he know the worth of silks,
The one who spins only coarse cloth.
Sitting in the presence of the Beloved,
Bullah has become mute and dumb!

O friends, it is now that I learn,

How love and law are related.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 304-305, poem 140
268 BULLEHSHAH

LOVE CHARMS
This is one of the shortest but most powerful of
Bulleh Shah’s poems. The lyric is surcharged with
emotion, the graph of which rises rapidly to touch the
zenith. Unlike the larger poems where the thought
develops and its different shades are exhibited in detail,
this poem portrays a single sentiment which grows in
strength with each succeeding verse. For unity of effect
the poem is unsurpassed.
The poem suggests that the spouse of a young
woman has got into the clutches of her rival, and the
wife is in a greatly agitated state of mind. In order to win
back her husband she resolves to employ all the charms
and spells of magic that she knows. She would use the
thunder and lightning of clouds, the rays of the moon,
the sun, and the stars and her own embellishment and
adornment as counters to work in her game of love, and
change the situation to her advantage. The lover seems
to proclaim that all is fair in love and war. The beloved
must be won back at all costs, be it by charms or fires or
storms. Such expressions just sweep the reader off his
feet. The poem runs with great ease and vigour; its flow
and force are simply enchanting.

Ik tuna
I shall sing a wondrous charm;
I shall coax my offended friend.

This charm I shall read and blow,

And light the fire with rays of the sun.
With collyrium in my eyes,
The sky overcast with dark clouds,
With my eyebrows I shall work a storm.
 KAFI 269

The seven seas asleep in my heart,

I shall stir into a furious storm.
I shall burst into a fierce flash of lightning;
My furious thunder will prove startling.
With love as furnace, stars as harmal,1
I shall make the moon as shroud.
On the footpath to the Transcendent,
I shall sit and play on the conch.
I shall sleep with my Lord, clasped to His neck;
For then alone I shall be called His spouse.
I shall sing a wondrous charm,
I shall coax my offended friend.
Nazir Ahmad, kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p.ll

1. The name of a plant, the seeds of which are burnt, supposedly to drive
away evil spirits.
270 BULLEH SHAH

LOVE CONSUMMATED
Unlike most other poems on love, in which Bulleh
Shah has an attitude of complaint, this one is written in
a mood of gratitude. It does not deal with the pain of
separation, but with the joy of union and the delight of
listening to the divine music of the flute. This
consummation he has achieved through his Master,
Inayat Shah, to whom he pays tribute in the very first
stanza—“The unstruck melody of the flute fascinates. I
have now found the throne of Lahore.”1
The ecstasy that emanates from this divine union is
blissful—“All any dirt and dross stands burnt. . .Now
the cup of bliss has fallen in my hands. . . The whole
world now shines brightly.” The desire for union is no
longer an empty hope, but an actual realization—“No
longer do I rely on the snare of hope. O Bullah, the Lord
has come right unto me. All my wishes have now been
granted.”

Mere ghar aya piya hamra

To my house has come my Lord.

What an uproar the Unity has produced !

The unstruck melody of the flute fascinates.
I have now found the throne of Lahore.
To my house has come my Lord.

All my dirt and dross stand burnt.

I am struck by the blow of true love.
Now I abide under the shelter of my Lord.
To my house has come my Lord.

1. Refers to Inayat Shah, Bulleh Shah’s Master, in his radiant form.

 KAFI 271

No more do I struggle for union with Him.

Now the cup of bliss has fallen in my hands.
Now I forget the existence of my being.
To my house has come my Lord.

Now I am free from all accounting,

For the Beloved has cast a glance on me.
The whole world now shines brightly.
To my house has come my Lord.

No longer do I rely on the snare of hope.

O Bullah, the Lord has come right unto me,
All my wishes have now been granted.
To my house has come my Lord.

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 257-258, poem 116

272 BULLEH SHAH

MELODY OF THE FLUTE

There is a profound mystic significance behind the
symbolism of the flute, usually associated with Lord
Krishna. Here Bulleh Shah has combined it with that of
Ranjha, whose image with the flute is also well-known.
The music of the flute refers to the unstruck melody of a
high spiritual region inside. Everyone talks of the music
of the flute, remarks Bullah, but only that rare one
understands it, who listens to the unstruck melody
within himself.
Whoever works for spiritual realization, attains it—
“Whosoever sought it, surely found it.” Only, one has to
persevere and work in the right direction. Although
various can be the notes in the music played, there is a
single strain—unstruck melody—which runs through
them all—“One strain breathes through them all.”
In the last stanza Bullah reminds that the Lord is not
far from us, if we do not lose contact with the Word—
“Keep ye up your trade steady with the Word.” The
Master will then take care of us in times of crisis such as
death, if contact with the Word is retained.

Bansi achraj kahan bajai

Wondrous music does the Lord play on the flute!1

O, Lord of the flute, cowherd Ranjha,
You are in tune with the whole wide world.
You rejoice but I am drowned in dire misery.
Pray, harmonize my tune with that of yours,
Wondrous music does the Lord play on the flute!

1. Esoterically, music of the flute is audible at a high spiritual stage within.

Rumi commences his great Masnavifrom this stage. Its opening line is:
“Listen to the flute as it narrates its tale, and complains of separation
from its source.”
 KAFI 273

o flute-player, You are called the Lord.

You reveal the peerless cosmic beauty,
Albeit You remain unseen by eyes.
What a mysterious game You play!
Wondrous music does the Lord play on the flute!
Everyone hears and talks of the flute,
Rare is the one who understands its meaning.
Whosoever attains the unstruck melody,
He becomes enamored of the flute.
Wondrous music does the Lord play on the flute!
On hearing the sonorous notes of the flute,
I shriek with joy in the manner of peacocks.
I rejoice in its variegated tunes;
A single note lies behind the entire symphony!
Wondrous music does the Lord play on the flute!
This flute has a lengthy account.1
Whosoever sought it, surely found it.
Simple2 3 is the strain of this flute;
From Existence Absolute it gave birth to attributes.3
Wondrous music does the Lord play on the flute!
This flute has five to seven stops;
Each stop has its distinctive note,
But one strain breathes through them all.
It is this strain which has bewitched me.
Wondrous music does the Lord play on the flute!
O Bullah, all my troubles have blown over.
The Beloved has come and stands at the door.
Keep ye up your trade, steady with the word,
Then your Master will stand as your witness.4
Wondrous music does the Lord play on the flute.!
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 46-48, poem 28

1. Refers to the wide expanse of the Word.

2. Simple means non-dual.
3. Three attributes from which the entire creation came into being.
4. At the court of the Dispenser of Justice, the Negative Power the
Master will be your savior.
274 BULLEH SHAH

MERGING IN THE BELOVED

In the intensity of love, the lover loses his identity in
that of his beloved. In this short lyric, Bullah describes
his state in the love for his Master. He also compares
himself to Majnun, who had merged his own being in
that of his beloved, Laila.
In the last stanza he shows his unconcern with the
taunts of people, as his Beloved has come to him, and he
cares for nothing else.

P\ya piya karte hamin piya hue

Repeating the name of the Beloved,
I have become the Beloved myself;1
Whom shall I call the Beloved now?

Separation and union—I give up both,

Whom should I belong to now?
Like Majnun, the mad one in love,
Become Laila yourself.
O Bullah, the Beloved has come to my house.
Why should I now suffer the taunts of others?

Repeating the name of the Beloved,

I have become the Beloved myself;
Whom shall I call the Beloved now?
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 66, poem 39

1. A similar statement is made by Jesus Christ in the Bible: “At that day ye
shall know that 1 am in my Father, and ye in me, and 1 in you.”(St. John
14:20)
 KAFl 275

MERGING IN RANJHA

This kafi is one of the best known kafis of Bulleh

Shah. Its language is simple but surcharged with emotion.
Mansur had loudly proclaimed, “I am the Truth,”
and long after his departure the world came to accept
the truth of his claim. But this was an occurrence of a
long past age and of an old culture. Heer, on the other
hand, is a simple woman of a Punjab village. She had
not studied the intricacies of philosophy, nor familia¬
rized herself with the ways of piety and abstinence
before finding them both barren and sterile. Right from
the beginning, she had taken to the path of love, and
learnt only one word ‘fidelity’. Because of this she was
impervious to the fear of slander and ill fame. Leaving
all other thoughts aside, repeating the name of Ranjha
and proclaiming “I am Ranjha,” she reached the same
stage which Mansur had reached earlier.
In support of her union with Ranjha she says that a
man’s essence is whatever dwells in his heart. Since
Ranjha alone abided in her heart, so she was not
separate from Ranjha. She was not other than he.
For those who are extra cautious on the path of love,
Heer says that reproof and reproach are the necessary
concomitants of love, and a true lover should not care
about them—“Take off your white sheet, my lass; and
put on the fakir’s coarse blanket. The white sheet will
catch stains, the blanket will get none.”
This poem effectively brings out the Sufi doctrine of
“Fana and Baqa.” It is only by merging his identity in
the Master that the disciple can attain to the stage of
everlasting communion with the Lord.
In the end, Heer desires to leave her own land and go
to the land of Ranjha. For, in her own place all people
276 BULLEH SHAH

have turned against her. It signifies the longing of the

soul for its true home where the Lord abides. This world
is alien and unfriendly to the soul.

Ranjha Ranjha kardi

Repeating the name of Ranjha,
I have become Ranjha myself;
Let no one call me ‘Heer’;
Call ye me Dhidho Ranjha.1
Ranjha is in me, I am in Ranjha;
No other thought exists in my mind.
I am not, He alone is:
He himself amuses himself.
Whatever dwells within us.
That verily is our essence;
The one with whom I have fallen in love,
I have become indeed like Him.

Take off your white sheet, my lass;

And put on the fakir’s coarse blanket.2
The white sheet will catch stains.
The blanket will get none.
O Bullah, take me to Takht Hazara,3
The Syals4 give me no admittance.

1. ‘Dhidho’ was Ranjha’s nick name. He was fondly called ‘Dhidho’ by his
clansmen.
2. White sheet is suggestive of over-sensitiveness to worldly reproof and
condemnation. The coarse blanket is suggestive of the indifference of
true lovers towards such reproach.
3. The native place of Ranjha; here it signifies the abode of the Lord.
4. The caste to which Heer’s husband belonged, here it signifies the world.
 KAFI 111

Repeating the name of Ranjha,

I have become Ranjha myself;
Let no one call me ‘Heer’;
Call ye me Dhidho Ranjha.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 38
278 BULLEH SHAH

MISSIVES
In the absence of the bridegroom, letters are written
to him by the bride to describe the pitiable state of her
mind. The analogy symbolizes the state of the disciple
who leads a forlorn and miserable life in the absence of
his Master.
The pain entailed in love is such that the lover can
neither bear it, nor can he run away from it. It is like a
chain which strongly holds him. It is a calamity full of
pain—even sleep and hunger are gone—and yet the
lover is not prepared to escape from it. The path of love
is arduous, full of dangers and pitfalls, and yet what is
attained at the end is worth much more than the price
paid for it.
Patian likhan main sham nun
I write letters to my Beloved, for I do not see him.
My courtyard has become frightening;
O how shall I pass my night?
I consult all the scholars;
I call soothsayers of the world;
Why find fault with books,
When my destiny itself is adverse ?

O brother astrologer, pray tell me the naked truth.

If I be devoid of good fortune,
You need not hide the fact.

I yearn to renounce everything,

To run away as a mendicant.
Alas, I carry the double, triple and fourfold,
Chain of love round my neck !

To which land has my sleep fled?

Even she has turned a foe.
 kafi 279

Would that I meet him in a dream !

O, where has fled that auspicious sleep?

With ceaseless, doleful heartache,

My pain has become double;
My eyes refuse to shed tears;
Someone has cast on me a spell.

O Beloved, what have 1 gained from my love for you?

I wear a crown of thorns,
But do not find your path.

Let me take abode in the City of Love,

Where my Beloved dwells.
O Bullah, 1 beg of the Beloved just one favor:
Pray, cast on me but one glance !

I write letters to my Beloved, for I do not see him.

Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 23
280 BULLEH SHAH

MY BELOVED FRIEND
In this short cryptic poem Bullah reveals that the
Lord pervades in everyone. He is to be found not only in
Mansur, but also in his executioner, as also the
spectator who stands aside and smiles at the spectacle.
The Lord specifically reveals himself in a Master, who is
none but the Lord himself in the human form.

Behad ramzan dassada ni dholan mahi

Countless secrets He reveals,
my beloved Friend.
He resides behind the veil of ‘mim’,1
my beloved Friend.

He takes on the garb of Mansur,

And reveals the mystery of ‘I am the Truth’.
He makes himself die on the hangman’s noose,
And then, standing close by, he beams a smile,
my beloved Friend.

Countless secrets He reveals,

my beloved Friend.
He resides behind the veil of ‘mim’,
my beloved Friend.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 56, poem 33

1. The letter ‘mim’ ( ( ) or ‘m\ occurs in Ahmad, but is missing from Ahad.
Ahad means unity or the One, which stands for God. Ahmad means
“the most praiseworthy,” which stands for the prophet or the Master.
So, the line means that God is manifest in the Master or the Murshid.
 KAF1 281

MY FASTS, MY PILGRIMAGES!
This delightful kafi is quite clear and simple. With
the attainment of God-realization a radical change
comes over Bullah. No longer does he perform the
rituals of fasts and going on pilgrimages. Nor is he now
interested in logic, learning and scholarship. He now
sees the Lord pervade everywhere, after he has realized
Him within himself.

Roze hajj namaz ni maye

My fasts, my pilgrimages, my prayers, O mother,
My Beloved has made me forget them all!

As soon as I realized the Beloved,

My logic, my grammar were all forgotten !
Such was the unstruck melody that He played !
My fasts, my pilgrimages, my prayers, O mother,
My Beloved has made me forget them all!

When my Beloved came to my house,

I forgot all expositions, all erudition!
In every object is He now seen,
His splendor is visible within and without;
And the deluded people know it not!

My fasts, my pilgrimages, my prayers, O mother,

My Beloved has made me forget them all!
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 39
282 BULLEH SHAH

MY MAD LOVE FOR THE BELOVED

There is a maxim, “Where there is love, there is no
law.” The theme of this poem is the conflict bet weep
these two. If love is sincere and profound, law has to
yield. A true lover has to bear the reproaches and
ridicule of people—“People reproach me time and
again, I do not care to listen to them.” True love
survives, but it has to pay a terrible price fqr it.
Once union with the Beloved has been achieved, the
question of believer and nonbeliever becomes
irrelevant—“From the housetops people proclaim me a
disbeliever. They label me as an infidel. I find no
believer or disbeliever, ever since I entered the Unity.”
We are wedded to evil, taking the Negative Power as
our Lord. We have to free ourselves from his clutches
and attach ourselves to God~“I am most fortunate to
have killed my false husband (mind) ... I am now in
union with my Beloved.” In true love, false shame and
fear of reproach disappear—“In the garden have I laid
my bed, I sleep with him, pressed against his breast.”

Mae na murda ishq diwana

Mother, my mad love does not leave me,
Ever since I lost my heart to the Beloved.

There was a wager between love and law.

I played the bet with all my skill.
People reproach me time and again,
I do not care to listen to them.
“In the courtyard the Devil1 dances,
Beware of it and keep it in leash.”

1. People taunt me by saying that within me resides the Devil They

consider me an infidel.
 KAFI 283

Breaking the law, I won the game,

I walk disgraced in peoples’ eyes.
I was immature, I was lost in childish games,
I was playing with toys of clay.
These games now appear to be stupid.
After I have come to my Lord’s house.

I clap my hands, dancing a jig with my friends,

While the Beloved peeps at me stealthily.
Say, why does he feel bashful ?
Why does he not disclose his secret?

From housetops people proclaim me a disbeliever,

They label me as an infidel.
I find no believer or disbeliever
Ever since I entered the Unity.

I have burnt my bodice and my veil,

And set on fire my hut, igniting unbelief.
Placing my head on my palm,
I have driven out disbelief from my heart.
I am most fortunate to have killed
my false husband (mind),1
By making him drink poison (nectar)2
with my own hands.
I am now in union with my Beloved,
Having lost all sense of shame and reproach.
In the garden have I laid my bed,
I sleep with him, pressed against his breast.
My heart and body are joined to his, O Bullah,
And the Beloved is firmly secured.
Mother, my mad love does not leave me,
Ever since I lost my heart to the Beloved.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 233-234, poem 107

1. Mind, the agent of the Negative Power, which holds the soul under its
sway.
2. The Nectar of the Name of God which redeems the soul, proves fatal for
the evil tendencies of the mind.
284 BULLEH SHAH

MY MAGNIFICENT BRIDEGROOM
Paying a handsome tribute to the Lord~“How
magnificent is my Bridegroom!”, Bulleh Shah reminds
us that we do not take proper steps to realize Him in this
life. Instead, we waste our time and energy in empty
rituals or pedantic learning~“Unconcerned with the
hereafter, you keep studying books.”
The fourth, fifth and sixth lines depict a perverse
state of affairs, in which the good ones suffer and the
wicked thrive-“The truthful get shoe-beating, the liars
revel in wanton play. The good ones are kept at arm’s
length.” In such conditions, says, Bullah, he dare not
speak out the truth, for no one would listen to him-“0
Bullah, if I were to speak out now, who would listen to
me?”

Mere naushauh da kit mol

How magnificent is my Bridegroom!

Unconcerned with the hereafter.

You keep studying books.
The truthful get shoe-beating;
The liars revel in wanton play.
The good ones are kept at arm’s length.
We too had been faultless in our native state.
O Bullah, if I were to speak out now,
Who would listen to me?

How magnificent is my Bridegroom!

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 259, poem 117
 KAFI 285

MY SPINNING WHEEL OUT OF ORDER

The spinning wheel stands for the human frame and
the ironsmith for the spiritual guide or the Master. The
lovelorn girl represents the soul, pining for union with
the Lord. ‘Spinning’ signifies meditation, and without
the proper guidance of the Master, proper meditation or
spiritual practice is not possible.
As elsewhere, the analogy of the spinning wheel has
been used to great effect by Bulleh Shah in this kafi. The
various defects of the spinning wheel signify the various
obstacles that come in the way of spiritual practice.
And, just as the defects in the spinning wheel can be
removed only by a competent ironsmith, so also the
obstacles on the spiritual path can only be overcome
through the guidance of a perfect Master. Ranjha stands
for the Lord here, whereas Heer signifies the aspiring
soul.
The second stanza gives a vivid account of the
intense yearning of the soul for her Lord. The last few
lines strike a happy note. Says Bullah, “I shall deem to
have spun a hundred maunds, if the Beloved were to
clasp me to his heart.”

Dhilak gayi chorkhe di hathhi

The handle of the spinning wheel has slipped down;
I can now spin no more !

The spindle has got many a bend;

Who would now call the ironsmith?
Straighten out the spindle, O ironsmith;
The thread1 gets broken again and again.

1. The thread of attention so essential for proper meditation.

286 BULLEH SHAH

Every now and then it swings;

It does not produce a single hank of yarn.

There is no tape to fix the wheel with;

Its net of threads needs to be stretched tight.
The leather pieces are without any grease.
The band of the wheel begins to wobble.
The handle of the spinning wheel has slipped down;
I can now spin no more !

When will this day pass, the sun is still high?1

When shall I see my Beloved again ?
My Love has gone to graze the buffaloes;
Who can have any interest in spinning ?
Wherever my Love is, there go my eyes;
My heart runs to the pastures.
My friends call me for the spinning party.

His separation has stirred a storm within.

I entreat you to come immediately and meet me,
Whatever excuse you may have to coin.
I shall deem to have spun a hundred maunds,
O Bullah,
If the Beloved were to clasp me to his heart!
When will the day pass, the sun is still high ?
When shall I see my Beloved again ?

The handle of the spinning wheel has slipped down;

I can now, spin no more !
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 37

1. When will this life end, so that I may be united with my Lord ?
 KAFI 287

MYSTERY OF ALIF

This kafi deals with one of Bulleh Shah’s favorite

subjects, the reality and unity of God.
Knowledge is vast in its scope. But, the seeker after
Truth need not go beyond learning the first letter Alif.
This letter signifies Allah or God. Various reasons have
been given by commentators for ascribing this meaning
to the letter Alif. For one thing, it is the first letter in the
word ‘Allah’. For another, it points upwards like the
finger of a witness, that is, it points towards God.
Thirdly, the form of Alif resembles the figure one (1), so
it points to the oneness of God.
The poem says that creation started from the One,
but it multiplied into countless numbers. To know the
One, all book-learning and erudition is in vain. It
achieves nothing except confusion about the nature of
the One.
In the third stanza, Bullah has a dig at the orthodox
priests, who commit to memory the whole of the holy
Quran and recite it to perfection, but whose mind is
engulfed in worldly desires and passions. It wanders like
a mad man and does not become motionless even for a
moment.
In the last stanza Bullah speaks of immortality of the
soul and its transmigration. He gives the example of a
banyan tree, which starts its life from a single small seed.
It grows and spreads to cover a wide area, but in the end
it dies and only seeds remain. The soul takes the form
of a body, which grows in size in course of time, and gets
involved in extensive worldly interests. Ultimately,
however, it has to give up all its material possessions
including its body, to regain its pristine glory as pure
soul.
288 BULLEH SHAH

Ik alif parho chhutkara ei

Deliverance lies in learning but one Alif.\x

One Alif became two, three and four.

The very same one multiplied into millions,
And then it grew into countless multitudes.
The mystery of one Alif is unique!
Deliverance lies in learning but one Alif.

Why do you read cartloads of books,

And carry on your head a bundle of troubles?
You look awful, like an executioner;
The journey ahead is most arduous!
Deliverance lies in learning but one Alif.

You commit to memory the whole of the Qura’n;

You recite it ceaselessly, you recite it to perfection;
But you fix your attention on worldly gifts;
Your mind roams as does a wandering postman.
Deliverance lies in learning but one Alif.

O Bullah, the seed of a banyan tree was sown;

The tree then grew, and it expanded.
When the tree became old and perished,
Only seeds were left behind.1 2

Deliverance lies in learning but one Alif.

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 20-21, poem 11

1. The first letter of the Arabic/Persian/Urdu alphabet.

2. Alif signifies the unity behind all multiplicity; the tree likewise starts
with one seed and would need only one seed to grow into a tree again.

)
 KAFI 289

NEITHER HINDU NOR MUSLIM

This kafi depicts the state of one, who has realized

God within himself, and who then sees God abide in
everyone. He transcends the narrow considerations of
castes, creeds, nations, religious dogmas and the like.
The first line of this poem reminds us of the statement of
Guru Nanak, when he proclaimed after his crucial
mystic experience in the river Bein: “There is no Hindu,
there is no Musalman.”
All truly realized souls rise above the differences
which divide men. They also rise above the level of
morals—differences between good and bad, right and
wrong. Moreover, they become impervious to daily
biological needs—“I am neither hungry, nor satiated; I
am neither naked, nor am I covered.” They are not
easily emotionally affected-“I do not weep, I do not
laugh.” They make no difference between their own and
that of others, between ‘mine’ and ‘thine’, and feel
everywhere at home. And, yet they feel alien in this
world, because it is not their real home—“I am not
settled, I am not homeless.” And, since they see the same
Lord within all, they follow the path of universal good¬
will—“1 take to the path of amity for all.”
The above description of the self applies to the soul
and not to the body or the mind. In the state of ultimate
self-realization, the self is identified with the soul. The
soul transcends all the distinctions mentioned above.
These distinctions are relevant only in the regions of the
body and the mind.
290 BULLEH SHAH

Hindu nahin, no Mussalman

I am neither a Hindu, nor a Muslim.1

I sit in the spinning bee2 forsaking pride.

I am neither a Sunni, nor a Shia ;
I take to the path of amity for all.
I am neither hungry, nor satiated;
I am neither naked, nor am I covered.
I do not weep, I do not laugh.
I am not settled, I am not homeless.
I am neither a sinner, nor a saint;
I know not the path of vice and virtue.
O Bullah! if in the heart dwells the Lord,
One would renounce both Hindu and Muslim.

I am neither a Hindu, nor a Muslim.

Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 83

1. cf. What counsel do you give, O Muslims, for I do not know myself?
I am neither a Christian, nor a Jew, nor a Zoroastrian, nor a Muslim.

Masnavi, Rumi.
2. The gathering of lovers of God, where the thread of God’s Name is
spun.
 KAFI 291

NO RELIANCE ON YOU
This is yet another poem of Bulleh Shah on one of
his favorite themes. No dependence can be put by the
lovers of God on Him. There is always the fear of the
playful Beloved becoming indifferent.
The poem enumerates several great lovers of God,
who had to pay a heavy price for their love for Him!
Abraham was thrown on a burning pyre. King Solomon
was obliged to lead the life of a destitute. Jonah was
made to be swallowed by a whale. Yusuf was auctioned
in the bazaars of Egypt. Zacharias’ head was cut with a
saw. Job’s body was made food for worms. Shams of
Tabriz was skinned alive. Hussain, the grandson of
prophet Mohammed, was made to die of thirst. The
head of John the Baptist was severed with a sword.
After giving this long list of martyrs in the name of
God, Bullah ends the poem by stating that he now
recognizes the Lord in all His guises. However else He
may appear to others, He cannot conceal himself from
Bullah. For the Lord himself is manifest in all His
lovers.

Bharvasa kih ashnai da

What confidence can I have in Your love?
There is always the fear of Your indifference.

You put Abraham on a burning pyre.

You made Solomon light an oven.
You got Jonah swallowed by a whale.
And, You had Yusuf sold in Egypt.
What confidence can I have in Your love?

You had Zacharias’ head cut with a saw.

You made Job’s body food for worms.
You got Suna’n to wear a belt on his neck.
292 bullehsHah

And, some You made to be skinned alive.

What confidence can I have in Your love?

You made the Prophet emanate light,

And You gave that Patriarch the name Hussain,1
Whom Gabriel himself rocked in a cradle.
And, then, You got the thirsty one1
killed with a sword.
What confidence can 1 have in Your love?

You made Zacharias hide in the hollow;

Then, You took his hiding amiss;
And, You got a saw hurled on his head,
As a tree is cut with the smith’s pincers.
What confidence can I have in Your love?

John2 came to be known as Your friend;

For You alone he was inflamed with love.
You showed him the way of religious laws,
And, You got his head severed with a sword.
What confidence can I have in Your love?

O Bullah, I see the Lord now in His true form;

I recognize Him in whatever shape He comes.
I identify Him wherever He comes and goes,
Now He will never conceal himself from me.

What confidence can I have in Your love?

There is always the fear of Your indifference.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 51-53, poem 30

1. This refers to Hussain, a grandson of prophet Mohammed.

2. John the Baptist.
 KAFI 293

OF EARTH

The physical body of man, as also all his possessions

are made of earth. This means that they are all
ephemeral, passing. All the events in man’s life are seen
as a phantom show by Bullah. They have neither
substance nor permanence.
When a man comes to possess much wealth, in his
folly he becomes haughty and egotistic—“The earth
with much earth over it, is the earth full of pride.”
Nothing that is physical and material is free from the
disease of decay and transcience. The glory of spring
flowers is all too fleeting.
In the last stanza Bullah again reminds us emphati¬
cally that in the fun and frolic of our lives we are liable
to forget the fact of death, which is always looming large
before us—“That which laughed and played became
earth again. It now sleeps with legs outstretched.” If this
truth is kept before the mind, no room would be left for
pride and insolence.
Mati kudam karendi yar

Earth makes us swagger, O friend !

The apparel is of earth,

The steed is of earth ;
Of earth is the rider.
The earth makes the earth flee ;
Of earth is all clamor.
Earth makes us swagger, O friend !

Earth is at war with earth ;

Of earth are all weapons made.
The earth with much earth over it,
Is the earth full of pride.
Earth makes us swagger, O friend !
294 BULLEHSHAH

Of earth is the garden, of earth the orchard,

Of earth is all glory of flowers.
Earth has come to look at earth ;
Of earth comes the season of spring.
Earth makes us swagger, O friend !

That which laughed and played became earth again.

It now sleeps with legs outstretched.
O Bullah, if you were to solve this riddle,
You would cast aside your ego and pride.

Earth makes us swagger, O friend !

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 235-236, Poem 108
 KAFI 295

ON UNION WITH THE LORD

All sorrows vanish on meeting the Lord. Employing

the usual analogy of Heer and Ranjha, Bullah conveys
that the world does not understand the true greatness of
the Master. For the world Ranjha is a cowherd, but for
Heer, he is the supreme Lord himself. The world regards
Inayat Shah as a mere vegetable-grower, but for Bullah
he is the ultimate Divine Being.
The last lines of the poem say that He is neither near
nor far. He is not near, because it is difficult to realize
Him. He is not far, for He resides right within us.

Mahi ve tain milyan sab dukh hovan dur

O my Love, on meeting You all my sorrows vanish !

For the people You are a cowherd and a servant.

For me You are my Lord, my Forgiver.
O my Love, on meeting You all my sorrows vanish !

For the sake of meeting whom

My eyes have shed incessant tears,
I have seen Him in His effulgent light,
And gone are my days of separation.
O my Love, on meeting You all my sorrows vanish !

I have now realized His mystery, O Bullah !

He is neither near nor far.

O my Love, on meeting You all my sorrows vanish !

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 232. poem 106
296 BULLEHSHAH \

ONLY RANJHA
The love of the disciple for his Master—of Bulleh
Shah for Shah Inayat—is symbolized by the love of Heer
for Ranjha in this poem. It is also symbolic of the love of
the soul for the Lord, in which case it is primeval, and
existed before creation came into being. There is none
like his Master for a devoted disciple, and he would be
ready to go to any length to please his Master.
The last stanza reveals the profound truth that the
Lord and the Master are one. The only difference
between them is that the Lord assumes the human form
in the Master. He thus enkindles His love in the heart of
the disciple, and leads him back to his eternal Home.

Ik Ranjha mainun lorida

The only one I long for is Ranjha !

My love for him is older than creation

And our love was not a secret affair.
The only one I long for is Ranjha !

Himself he goes to graze the buffaloes ;

Why does he send me back from the pasture ?
The only one I long for is Ranjha !

There is no one like Ranjha to me !

I call him back with repeated prayers.
The only one I long for is Ranjha !

The proud ones have ravishing eyes ;

And crimson is the fair girl’s wrapper.* 2
The only one I long for is Ranjha !

I- Cf.There was not the semblance of the two worlds, when our love
existed”—Hafiz.
2. In these two lines the poet suggests that many seekers are proud of their
piety and meditation, but I have nothing except love to my credit.
 KAFI 297

There is no difference between Ahad and Ahmad,

O Bullah,
There is just the little secret of a turn of the pen.1

The only one I long for is Ranjha !

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat; p. 18, poem 9

1. In writing Ahad and Ahmad in Urdu, there is needed just a little turn of
pen. Its significance is that there is no real difference between the
Master and God.
298 BULLEHSHAH \

PAIN OF LOVE

As intense is the pain of separation from the

Beloved, so is the joy of union with Him. In this lyric,
Bullah describes the pain of separation. Every pore of
the body aches like a wound. Every night of the lover is
a sleepless night. It is passed in shedding tears and
pining for union with Him. The lover would do anything
to please her Beloved, but she does not know what
would please Him. In a reminiscent mood, the lover
remembers those first moments, when the Beloved
captured her heart. It all started casually, but took a
serious turn later.
The poem suggests that there is a fear in the lover’s
mind about some of her actions causing annoyance to
the Beloved. In the last few lines the poet entreats the
Beloved to come back. In return he would sacrifice to
the Beloved his all—body, mind, wealth, and life.

Eh dukh ja kahun kis age

To whom shall I tell my suffering ?
In every pore is a wound of separation
from the Beloved.

I passed the night gasping and sobbing ;

My Beloved knows not my poignant pain.
How to find what pleases my Lord ?
I spent the night in ceaseless crying ;
Starting in fun I was caught in the snare ;
Death and public jeers are my lot.
Daily I solicit His attention to me.
Who else is going to offer me solace ?
Beloved, why have you forsaken me ?
To the one whose Beloved has gone abroad,
Why do people bring their worldly woes ?
 KAFI 299

My Beloved has not come back yet,

To whom shall I go and tell my pain ?
Says Bullah, “Come home, Love !
Even if for a moment’s bliss.
I shall sacrifice mine all for You,
My body, my mind, my wealth, my life !”
To whom shall I tell my suffering ?
In every pore is a wound of separation
from the Beloved.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 36-37. poem 23
300 BULLEH SHAH

PANGS OF LOVE
The inherent pain in love for the Lord is the theme of
this lyric. Bullah gives various similes to describe it. It is
like getting fried in a pan. It is like getting struck by a
spark of fire. It is like getting pierced by a thorn in the
heart. And it is like an arrow sticking in the body, which
no effort can ever remove.
Such love—with all the pain involved in it—has
been there in the soul ever since the world was created
and it separated from the Beloved. And this divine love
stands in a class by itself, for it cannot be combined with
any earthly love.

Ni mainun lagra ishq awwal da

O girls, love was implanted in me from the beginning.
From the beginning, from the day of eternity!

It fries me again and again in a pan,

And fries again what is already fried.

The already dead it crucifies again.

The already bound it again binds.

Like a spark in the straw it sets me afire.

Like a sharp thorn it pierces my heart.

The arrow of love is stuck in my heart;

It does not move despite all shaking.

O Bullah, unique is my love for the Lord !

Its shade and color stand apart.

O girls, love was implanted in me from the beginning,

From the beginning, from the day of eternity!
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 302-303, poem 139
 KAFI 301

PASS YOUR TIME IN SILENCE!

In this kafi, as in some others, Bulleh Shah tenders

advice to keep silent if one has to avoid unpleasant
situations. For, truth is not to the liking of people in
general. They cannot bear to hear the truth, and they
would readily pick up a quarrel with the truthful.
The only exception to this general rule is the lover.
To him truth is not only dear, but also he cannot
restrain himself from speaking it out. And he has often
to pay a heavy price for speaking out truth, as, for
instance, Mansur had to do.
Truth and ritualism are antagonistic to each other.
Truth does not care for any false show and external
observances of orthodox religion. From within the
lover’s heart, truth comes out like a waft of fragrance.
The lover rejects the world as something illusive or
delusive.
Bulleh Shah, in the concluding stanza, once again
emphatically proclaims that the experience of ultimate
Reality transcends the ritualistic and the ethical levels of
religion.

Chup kar ke karin guzare nun

Pass your time by keeping silent.

People can’t bear to hear the Truth, .

You speak the Truth and they pounce on you.
They hate to sit by the truthful,
Truth tastes sweet but to the lover.
Pass your time by keeping silent.

Truth is destructive of all rituals,

It brings joy to the house of the lover.
302 BULLEH SHAH

Truth builds a neat new colony,

After undoing the city of rituals.
Pass your time by keeping silent.

Silence cannot restrain the lover,

He has known the fragrance of Truth,
He offers the garland of union to the Beloved.
Leave this world of illusion alone,
Pass your time by keeping silent.

Bulleh Shah now utters the naked Truth;

He reveals the essence of tariqat1 and shariat.2
He unfolds the secret of the fourth Realm,3
After he has undone the city of rituals.

Pass your time by keeping silent.

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 104-105, poem 54

1. The ethical aspect of religion.

2. The ritualistic aspect of religion.
3. The ultimate Reality. The region beyond the three attributes has gene¬
rally been called the ‘fourth region’ or the ‘fourth state’ by the mystics of
the East.
 KAFl 303

PERFECT LOVE

Perfect love puts the lover in a state of ecstasy and

bliss. He becomes impervious to the joys and sorrows of
the world. For the people of the world such a one
appears to be crazy and off his head, and yet he is not
only self-sufficient, but also earns an honorable place in
the court of the Beloved. With the mystic experience of
being in God’s presence, all his questions and doubts are
resolved. All religious quarrels and disputes become
irrelevant for him. He sees and proclaims the presence of
the Lord in everyone that he perceives, and he revels in
the state of perfect bliss.

Jis tan lagya ishq kamal

Whosoever is stung by perfect love,
He dances out of tune,
He dances out of step!

Let no one vex an afflicted being,

Who has himself invited pain and misery.
He roots out both birth and life,1
And becomes self-contained, he is self-absorbed.
Whosoever is stung by perfect love.

He who has donned the mantle of love,

He wields the decree of the Court Most High.
Having drunk the cup from Him,
All his doubts stand resolved.
Whosoever is stung by perfect love.

In whose heart the Beloved abides,

He loudly proclaims, “Beloved! O Beloved!”

1. Here birth indicates the cycle of birth and death,, and life refers to
the present life.
304 BULLEH SHAH

He needs neither a string1 nor a mode,

He revels in ecstasy of his own accord.
Whosoever is stung by perfect love.
O Bullah, I have found the Lord’s true abode;
All false uproar2 has come to an end.
For the truthful I proclaim the’Truth,
I’ve got the vision of His pristine glory.

Whosoever is stung by perfect love,

He dances out of tune,
He dances out of step!
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 28

1. A musical string.
2. Uproar of religious disputes.
 KAFI 305

PERMEATION

The Lord permeates everyone and He pervades all

places. In the beginning He was wrapped within himself
and nothing else existed. He then created the universe
and projected himself in every part of it. This was a
wonderful game He played.
In the whole of His creation He gave a special place
to man. Out of all species of living beings, it is only in
the human form that He could be realized or the latent
could become the manifest--"You are the crown of all
creation. What a proclamation with the beat of drum!”
In the fourth stanza Bullah says that God abides
within the human body, but man, in his ignorance, seeks
him outside in temples and mosques, in deserts and in
mountains~“He has taken abode in every house; and the
people keep wandering in delusion.”
He is in the lover as well as in the beloved. And, it is
through love that He can be realized. He cannot be
known through logic and reasoning—"He himself
became Laila to steal Majnun’s heart . . . Himself the
lover, He himself is the Beloved. Here logic and reason
have no part to play.”

Kih karda beparvahi je!

What a carefree game He plays!

He said, “Let there be,” and it happened.1

He made the latent turn into the manifest,
Out of the formless He created the form.
What a wondrous game He played!
What a carefree game He plays!

1. Qura «, 2: 117.
306 BULLEH SHAH

When He disclosed the hidden secret,

He lifted the veil from over His face.
Why does He now hide from me?
The Real permeates everyone.
What a carefree game He plays!
He said, “We have honored mankind;
None has been created like you;
You are the crown of all creation.
What a proclamation witji the beat of drum!
What a carefree game He plays!
He himself indulges in these carefree acts;
He himself feels frightened of himself;
He has taken abode in every house;
And the people keep wandering in delusion.
What a carefree game He plays!
He himself aroused longing to become mad in love.
He himself became Laila to steal Majnun’s heart.
Himself He wept, himself consoled himself.
O, what a game of love He plays!
What a carefree game He plays!
Himself the lover, He himself is the Beloved.
Here logic and reason have no part to play.
Bullah rejoices in his union with the Beloved.
Why does He create separation now?

What a carefree game He plays!

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 203-205, poem 94

1. Qura ’n.
 KAFI 307

PERVERSE TIMES

This kafi of Bulleh Shah is important and significant

for various reasons. Revolutions and radical changes
have often occurred at certain crucial times and in the
reign of many kings. Poets have usually given hints of
such events in their compositions. Generally, such hints
point to the usual change of times, and one cannot say
with any certainty to which specific event or period they
refer to. Here, however, it is more than probable that the
reference is to the Moghul rule and its downfall and to
the rise of the Sikhs in the middle of the eighteenth
century, which Bulleh Shah witnessed with his own eyes.
The kafi describes not only the political changes of
the time, but also gives a graphic account of the decline
in social and moral values. Men of merit and virtue had
been thrown into the background, and sycophants and
men lacking in moral stature had come to occupy
positions of power and status.
At the end of the kafi Bulleh Shah states that it was
all a part of the divine design, and no one can find fault
with His command.

Ulte hor zamane aye

Perverse times have come,

The mystery of the Beloved to reveal.

Crows have begun to hunt hawks,

Sparrows have vanquished falcons.
Horses browse on rubbish,
Donkeys graze on lush green.
No love is lost between relatives,
Be they younger or elder uncles.
308 BULLEH SHAH

There is no accord between fathers and sons,

Nor any between mothers and daughters.
The truthful ones are being pushed about,
The tricksters are seated close by.
The front-liners have become wretched.
The back-benchers sit on carpets.
Those in tatters have turned into kings,
The kings have taken to begging.
O Bullah, comes the command from the Lord,
Who can ever alter His decree?
Perverse times have come,
The mystery of the Beloved to reveal.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 14
 KAFI 309

PHYSICAL LOVE

The thesis that love of the physical form of the

Master is a necessary step for attaining love of his
spiritual form is expounded in this kafi. The same theme
has been dealt with by Plato in his “Symposium”.
Someone who has never been seen, never been heard,
never been touched, in-short, who has never been the
object of our perception, can never be the object of our
love.
Love raises the lover to dizzy heights of rapture. He
virtually dies to this world, inasmuch as nothing of this
world affects him.
In another phase of love, the phase in which the
lover is separated from his beloved and he pines for
union, intense restlessness and anguish are in store for
him.
Ultimately, love raises the lover to the transcen¬
dental stage, when the Beloved is seen to pervade in
everyone and everywhere. He then acquires prophetic
powers, and every one of his utterances is a profound
truth. His experience of Reality, transports him into the
realm of supreme blessedness.

Jichar na ishq majazi lage

Unless one falls in physical1 love,
The needle can’t sew without the thread2.

1. Literally ‘unreal’ (majazi), commonly used us ‘physical.’

2. Signifies a form. The line means that unless one is in love with a form,
there can be no love for the Formless One. Love of the physical form is a
necessary prerequisite for love with the Formless One.
310 BULLEHSHAH

Physical love is a giver, a benefactor.

It brings the wealth of blissful rapture.
In whose marrow love gets absorbed,
They die.while they are still alive, i

Love is the father, love is the mother.

It brings joy, it gives ecstasy.
The body of the lover increasingly withers.
I stand under the shadow of the moon-like Beloved,
And watch the fair ones laugh heartily.

Love teaches to transcend all laws; ✓

On whom love mounts its attack,

He is rendered completely helpless.
Each pore of his being gets dead drunk.
It is indeed an open secret,
He sees His presence everywhere.
Bullah, the lover, thus gets redeemed.
He who is mindful of His abode,
He gets salvation on meeting the Lord.
He peeps into his mind, his self,
Which transports him into the beatitude of bliss.
Unless one falls in physical love,
The needle cannot sew without the thread.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 95-96, poem 50

1. Esoterically, it means withdrawing the soul currents from the body to the
eye center, which produces true love for Master (in his astral form.)
 KAFI 311

PINING

One of the most representative of Bulleh Shah’s

poems, this short lyric is marked for a deep and
touching passion, expressed in a simple but moving
strain. Its appeal is as direct as it is powerful. The force
with which the agony of a love-tormented heart is
expressed, touches the finest chords of the human soul.
The poem brings out the intense longing of the lover
for his Beloved, suggesting the profound attachment of
the disciple for his Master. He feels envy for those who
are blessed by the happy and joyful presence of the
Master and laments his own sad plight wrought about
by an unbearable separation.
Like a typical lover he blames the tale-bearers and
back-biters, who he thinks have created a misunder¬
standing in the lover’s heart, and weaned away his mind
from him. The lover cries that the pangs of separation
have driven him mad, and his heart pines to have a
glimpse of his Beloved. Nothing else can extinguish the
sharp merciless fire consuming him.
As a powerful contrast, the last stanza in the poem
forcefully brings out the robust delight of the lover on
his blissful union with the Beloved. The lover exclaims
with ecstasy: “Oh, at long last my dearly Beloved, my
glorious Lord has come home. I clasp him to my heart,
and for ever have all my woes been drowned in the
ocean of this surging joy.”

Dil loche mahi yar nun!

My heart pines for my Love!
There are some who laugh and chat and rejoice;
Some there are who weep and wail and grieve.
312 BULLEHSHAH

Go and proclaim it to the spring in bloom:

My heart pines for my Love!
My wash and bath have all gone waste;1
A knot has settled in my Beloved’s heart.
Oh, set fire to this jewelery and adornment!
My heart pines for my Love!
Tale-bearers have driven me mad;
I am engulfed all over by anguish.
Beloved, come home that I may have
a glimpse of thee!
My heart pines for my Love!

O Bullah, my Beloved has come home,

I have clasped Ranjha close to my heart.
My grief has vanished beyond the sea.
My heart pines for my Love!
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 117, poem

1. It means: I decorated myself with pious deeds but in vain.

 KAFI 313

PLEA FOR PIETY

Man is reluctant to live a saintly life. He perpetrates

various evils during his earthly existence: He is harsh
and cruel to others; he is engulfed in carnal gratification;
he forgets that he is subject to the Law of Karma, that he
shall have to pay for all his actions; and he shows
complete ignorance of the fact that human birth is a rare
opportunity, the only outlet that the Lord has given him
for deliverance from the cycle of birth and death.
Human existence should be availed of for working
hard for God-realization. Its duration is short, the work
to be accomplished is long and difficult, therefore, no
time should be wasted in fruitless activities.
At the time of death one is alone. No relative or
friend can accompany him. And, in general, the grief of
relatives on his death is insincere for they are to inherit
his worldly wealth as his legal heirs.
Death is the greatest calamity, but Bulleh Shah says
that it could be turned into the greatest boon, if one
could learn to die before his death. What he means in
other words is: learn through spiritual practice the art of
withdrawing your soul current from within your body to
the eye center. Such a death is invaluable, and is
devoutly to be wished. Such a death is not only
voluntary and free from pain, but is also the most
blissful experience.
Bullah once again reminds the reader that time is all
too short for achieving his goal. But even now it is not
too late, and messages from the Lord are constantly
coming.
314 BULLEHSHAH

Hijab karen darveshi kolon

Loath to live a saintly life,
How long will you issue commands?
With an alfi1 on your shoulders,
With your head and feet bare,
You will take on a new form tomorrow.
By this wretched carnal greed,
You will get your head shaved.2
The Lord will ask in His court,
The account of your deeds;
What actions will you show to Him?
A heavy burden will befall on your head;
What answer will you make to Him?
Loath to live a saintly life,
How long will you issue commands?

Rights of others you do not respect,

The burden of eating what is theirs will be on you.
You will have to come back to atone for it,
And get your precious field plundered.
Having staked your gamble in this world,
You will lose a winning game.3
Loath to live a saintly life,
How long will you issue commands?

“As you sow, so shall you reap,”

This is the adage of the City of Love;
Here if you put up with hell, dear,
Hereafter you will enjoy the glorious spring.
Sow saffron so that saffron should grow,
If you sow garlic, what will you eat?

1. Alfi is a kind of shirt worn by fakirs: also put on the dead body. It is a
long piece of cloth with a longitudinal cut in the middle through which
the head is passed. It has no sleeves and is not sewn by a tailor.
2. Be brought to disgrace, at the time of death.
3. Earning the Name of God.
 KAF1 315

Loath to live a saintly life,

How long will you issue commands?

Set yourself to earning,1 brother,

For this is the time to earn.
You have the count of seventeen2 3 on the dice.
With such a count to your credit,
You should not lose the game.
When the game is lost, the pawns will go;
The show will be over.
Loath to live a saintly life,
How long will you issue commands?

You eat meat, you chew betels,

You dress up like a dandy;
You wear a tilted turban,
You put on foppish shoes,
You strut about proudly.
Like a lamb, you are being nourished,
To be slaughtered by the Messenger of Death.
Loath to live a saintly life,
How long will you issue commands?

You have but a moment’s stay here,

For your permanent abode is there.
Gather your gifts to send them home.
Now is the right time for this indeed.
There you will get nothing,
You will have to take everything from here. 3
Loath to live a saintly life.
How long will you issue commands?

Learn the lesson of His love.

Why do you drown yourself in vain?

1. Earning the name of God.

2. In the game of chaupat, it signifies the lucky fall of dice with maximum
marks. Here it denotes human birth. .
3. You will have to earn your merit through spiritual practice in the
lifetime.
 316 BULLEHSHAH

You tire your brain by reading tales.

Why do you get stuck in the mire?
The letter1 of love is the only point,
Why carry camel-loads of books?
Loath to live a saintly life,
How long will you issue commands?
Even while dying from hunger,
Utter God’s Name, this alone is apt;
Both the heaps are heavier than stone,2
Hard indeed is going this round!
When you are afflicted with misfortune.
How will you account for it?3
Loath to live a saintly life,
How long will you issue commands?

Why do mother, father and daughter weep?

Why does the son weep, may I ask?
Wives, girls, sisters, brothers,
Come and stand as legal heirs.
It is they not you that rob,
You will be robbed after death as well.
Loath to live a saintly life,
How long will you issue commands?
All by yourself you will have to go,
No one else will go with you;
Near and dear ones will return home midway,
Weeping and beating their breasts.
You will have your abode,4
Outside the city in the wilderness.
Loath to live a saintly life,
How long will you issue commands?

1. Alif is the letter of love. It symbolizes the unity of God. The poet
suggests that love of God alone has value. Heaps of bookish knowledge
or knowledge of scriptures is useless.
2. The responsibilities of both the worlds are heavier than stone.
3. Your misfortunes are the result of your own past actions
4. In the cemetery or the crematorium.
 KAF1 317

I give you sound advice,

If only you were to heed it.
The dead will rise on the day of judgement.
But the lover will never die.
If you die before your death.
You’ll reap the fruit of death.1
Loath to live a saintly life,
How long will you issue commands?
“If you follow the path of law.
The prophet will come to your help.”
The people do say so,
But accomplish little, and come to grief.
Who can wake you from your sleep?
On waking you will sorely repent.
Loath to live a saintly life,
How long will you issue commands?
If you act upon our2 advice,
We shall seat you on the throne.
Whom the whole world seeks,
We shall unite you with Him.
If you practice abstinence,3
You will hold the Lord to heart.
Loath to live a saintly life,
How long will you issue commands?

You have wasted this life of yours;

You have ruined your life to come.
With your insatiable greed,
Your face has acquired a pallor.
Listen even now, if you feel penitent,
You will be called a lover of God.

1. If you are able to withdraw your soul-current to the eye center, you will
reach the entrance to the inner spiritual regions, cf. “I die daily” (St.
Paul) and “Die thou before thy death.” (Qura’n)
2. It refers to the advice of true saints.
3. Renunciation of sense pleasures.
318 BULLEH SHAH

Loath to live a saintly life,

How long will you issue commands?

O Bullah, if you mean to go to the Beloved,

Get going! Why do you tarry?
Why are you now in two minds,
When the message has arrived from Home?
Reading the letter1 you’ve lost your wits,
You will wreck your life by ceaseless weeping.
Loath to live a saintly life,
How long will you issue commands?
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 110-114, poem 57

1. Warrant of death.
 KAFI 319

PRAY MERGE ME WITH YOU

This world has been compared to a dreadful jungle,

infested with ferocious beasts and evil spirits. It is
almost impossible to cross this forest without the care
and the protecting hand of a guide. The disciple who
aims at God-realization needs the constant care and
guidance of his Master. The lure of the world and the
temptations of sense-pleasure are too strong for him to
resist all by himself. So, he strongly pleads to his Master
to make him one with himself.

Apne sang ralain, pyare!

Merge me with you, O my Beloved!
Merge me with you.

At first you loved me with much cheer;

Whether I loved you or you loved me,
Pray keep this love steady for ever.
I am way laid by bands of robbers;
Evil spirits confront me in fearsome jungles.
Cheetahs, leopards and wolves strut my path;
The customs officer1 is demanding;
Countless imps are stalking the river bank.
Terror grips my heart,
Pray take my boat to safety.
I pray to the true Lord,
And may my prayer be granted:
Unveil your kingly face O Lord, to Bullah.

Merge me with you, O my Beloved!

Merge me with you.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 8, poem 5

I. Dharam Raj, the Dispenser of Justice.

320 BULLEH SHAH

RADIANCE OF LOVE
The knowledge, that emanates from love, is spir¬
itually so uplifting that it demolishes all barriers of
religion and nationality. Bullah proclaims that he is
neither a Hindu nor a Muslim, but only a lover. And, it
is only through love that the Lord can be realized.
In the second stanza Bullah denounces the orthodox
preacher, who entraps innocent people in the net of
rituals and customs. His machinations are exposed by
the lover of God, because it is he alone who has realized
Him.

Aisa jogya gyan palita

Such knowledge has been ignited in me,
A Hindu or a Muslim I have ceased to be.
Love alone is acceptable to me,
The lover alone realizes the Lord.
Such knowledge has been ignited in me!
Look, how the thugs have raised a tumult!
They have formed rituals of birth and death.
The deluded ones fall into their trap.
The lover alone exposes their guiles.
Such knowledge has been ignited in me!

O Bullah, unique is the state of the lover!

Those endowed with love so relish it.
The foolish worldling is all befuddled.
Wisdom lies in keeping silent.

Such knowledge has been ignited in me!

A Hindu or a Muslim I have ceased to be.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 34, poem 21
 KAFI 321

RANJHA IS MY KA’BA

The holiest of the holy places for a Muslim is Ka’ba.

And, it is the devout wish of every Muslim to go there
on pilgrimage at least once in his lifetime. Bullah, using
the analogy of Heer and Ranjha, proclaims that his
Ka ba is his Master, his Ranjha, and the greatest
pilgrimage for him is to go to see his Murshid. He says
that people prostrate before Ka’ba but he would make
obeisance before his Master. He entreats his Master to
overlook his faults, because in his native state as the
Lord he had given the pledge on the day of Creation to
redeem all sinners. In the last stanza he reaffirms that
the Savior, in His matchless compassion, would come to
his aid.

Main Kyon kar Jawan ka’be nun ?

Wherefore should I go to Ka’ba?
My heart pines for the throne of Hazara.1

People prostrate themselves before Ka’ba,

I offer my prostrations to my Beloved.

Do not forsake me for my sins, O Ranjha!

Recall to mind that Covenant!2

I am a novice, I know not swimming.

As the Savior, my drowning will be to your shame!

I have not found your peer;

1 have searched the whole world.

1. The native place of Ranjha, Hazara is in the Jhang District of Pakistan.

2. Made between God and the soul on the day of Creation that He would
himself come to redeem the soul.
322 BULLEH SHAH

O Bullah, machless is my Lord’s love!

He redeems all sinners like me.

Wherefore should I go to Ka’bal

My heart pines for the throne of Hazara.
Faqir Mohd. Kulliyat, pp. 271-272, poem 125
 KAFI 323

RANJHA IS MY MECCA

Bulleh Shah has used the folklore of Heer and

Ranjha to express his love for his Master. Among
Muslims, the holiest place is Mecca, but for Heer it is
Ranjha, and for Bulleh Shah it is his Master, Inayat
Shah. One line in the poem signifies that God abides
within the human body and not in holy places built with
brick and mortar—“My house with my Bridegroom is
my Mecca.” Among those pious Muslims who go to
Mecca are also some who are thieves and burglars, but
there is no such impurity in Bullah’s love for his Master.
The whole poem is steeped in the ecstasy of love.

Haji lok makke nun jande

The hajis go to Mecca, my Mecca is dear Ranjha;
My friends, I am crazy!

Betrothed, I belong to Ranjha, my father

is being stubborn.
The hajis go to Mecca;
my house1 with my Bridegroom2 is my Mecca.
Within the house are hajis3 and ghazis3
as also thieves and shop-lifters.
The hajis go to Mecca, I go to the throne of Hazara.4

1. Body.
2. The Lord.
3. Warriors, who fight against infidels. The mystics maintain that the
virtues residing in the body are the true friends of man (Hajis and Ghazis)
who keep him company on his pilgrimage to the Ultimate. The evil
passions are the thieves and robbers who rob him of his wealth of
spirituality.
4. The native place of Ranjha.
324 BULLEH SHAH

Whichever side the Beloved is, that way the Ka’ba is,
You may check it up with all the four1 books.

The hajis go to Mecca, my Mecca is dear Ranjha;

My friends, I am crazy!
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 108-109, poem 56

I. The Torah, the Talmud, the Bible and the Qura’n.

 KAFI 325

REVEL WITH THE LORD

This poem is full of mystic import. The window of

the courtyard signifies the eye center or the third eye.
Here the aspirant or the practitioner of yoga has a vision
of the Lord. The courtyard stands for the body, which
has nine sense organs—“This courtyard has nine
doors.” The tenth outlet is the third eye, which is
hidden—“And the tenth has been kept hidden.” This is
the point from where the true spiritual journey commen¬
ces. The revolution of the wheel denotes repetition of
the holy names, for it is this repetition which leads
to withdrawal of the soul current from within the
body and leads one to realization of God within orfeself.
The main obstacle in this process is the mind—“The
small elephant,” which refuses to get concentrated and
remains restless—“In this courtyard is a small elephant...
it does not leave in peace even those who keep vigilant.”

Khed lai vich vehhre ghumi ghum!

Play thou in the courtyard with joy!

In this courtyard is a delightful niche;

In the niche is a window.
I spread my bed in the window,
And revel in play with my Beloved.

This courtyard has nine doors,

And the tenth has been kept hidden.
I do not know the value of the lane,
In which comes the gracious Lord.

In this courtyard is a lovely wheel,

In the niche is a window.
I remember my Beloved,
With every revolution of the wheel.
326 BULLEH SHAH

In this courtyard is a small elephant,

Which battles with its chains.
O Bullah, it does not leave in peace,
Even those who keep vigilant.1

Play thou in the courtyard with joy!

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 193, poem 89

1. The more vigilant a practitioner becomes, the greater is the strength with
which his mind tries to create obstacles in his inward and upward
spiritual path.
 KAFI 327

SEEKING CURE
Love has been called a malady in this poem. And the
poet is seeking a cure for this malady. However, it is not
the intense feeling in love, which is painful but the
suffering which follows in its wake because of the
absence of the Beloved. In other words, it is the
separation from the Beloved which causes suffering, and
its cure would lie in union with Him.
In love there is complete elimination of the ego. The
beloved alone exists for the lover. In this identification
there is such bliss, that the lover would never like to
return to his own separate entity.

Tusi karo asadi kari!

Pray, work your remedy on me!
How grievous has become my malady!

He came to abide in my house;

He came to delude me with his guiles.
Ask Him if it was magic or a dream.
Get all the truth revealed from Him.
Pray, work your remedy on me!

He dwells within my heart;

He sits and laughs with me.
If I make a query, He gets up and flees;
And, He takes to flight as does a hawk.
Pray, work your remedy on me!

I have entered the deep waters of love;

I am being swallowed by the turbulent waves;
I am caught in the whirlpool to spin;
The rain is in torrents, the night pitch dark.
Pray, work your remedy on me!
328 BULLEH SHAH

Such are the magician’s tricks He plays,

That He conceals all stars under the kharas,'
And the ropes of munj1 2 He turns into snakes!
I am a sacrifice to His charms and spells.3
Pray, work your remedy on me!

This flute which the Lord has played,

Has inflicted a grievous wound on my heart.
I smart in pain and cry out in anguish,
And I shed bitter and copious tears.
Pray, work your remedy on me!
My mad love has brought disgrace on me;
It has produced a deep and wide chasm.
Like a lamb I am in the stranglehold of love,
I am ever under the grip of fear.
Pray, work your remedy on me!
This imperious love can never be concealed;
Entrenched inside, it dances on house-tops.
O, bring me a message from the True One;
Let someone come and relieve my suffering.
Pray, work your remedy on me!

What do I know of the kindness of love?

Even my friends inflict cruelty and rancor.
My love gives me galgal,4 not the watermelon.
O, is there no physician or apothecary for me?
Pray, work your remedy on me!

1. Baskets made of reeds, used at weddings. Both the bride and the
bridegroom sit on them and bathe, according to marriage customs.
2. A plant, the finer leaves of which are made into mats, and the more coarse
ones are woven into ropes and sandals.
3. This stanza is full of philosophical import. The poet wants to convey the
idea that God is a magician who has hidden Reality behind the veil of
phenomena. It is all due to an illusion, that a rope appears as a snake.
4. A. crude species of lime or lemon, a citron .used mainly in preparing
pickles.
 KAF1 329

My Bridegroom is like the bamboo tree of Bareilly ,l

I am a branch broken from that tree.
I weep bitterly and pine for my Spouse.
Let someone go and assuage His feeling.
Pray, work your remedy on me!

O Bullah, if I were to go to my Bridegroom,

I would not find my head and body2 again.
If I were to reach there, I would never return;
I have wasted my life here all in vain.

Pray, work your remedy on me!

How grievous has become my malady!
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 77-81, poem 44

1. Bareilly is famous for its bamboo trees.

2. 1 would become free from my ego.
330 BULLEH SHAH

SEPARATION

The poet has drawn the picture of a lovelorn bride. It

is the symbol of the disciple or the lover, who is
separated from his Master or his Lord, and is pining to
be united with Him. The last stanza brings the happy
tidings of the call of the Beloved from above, who would
welcome the lover from this world of suffering, where
our stay, in any case, is not long.

Sajanan de vichhore kolon

In separation of my Beloved,
I strain the blood of my body.

Pains and thorns have all combined against me.

Neither my parent’s nor my-in-laws’ house
is there for me.
Pain-stricken I am lying at your door.
You are the cure for the afflicted one!
In separation of my Beloved,
I strain the blood of my body.

I take out my heart and cut it into pieces,

This too is not worth presentation.
I have nothing more to offer.
So remain content with a glass of water.
In separation of my Beloved,
I strain the blood of my body.

Why do my despondent eyes shed tears now?

Did they not fall in the snare, of themselves?
Now it is hard indeed for them to be free!
What help is there for this miserable wretch?
In separation of my Beloved,
I strain the blood of my body.
 KAFI 331

O Bulleh Shah, the Lord now thunders!

The drums of love roar overhead. <
For the brief four days we halt here;
Then comes the clarion call for our departure.

In separation of my Beloved,
I strain the blood of my body.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 145-146, poem 71
332 BULLEH SHAH

SHAH INAYAT
This poem is a tribute by Bulleh Shah to his Master,
Shah Inayat, for whom He has intense love. In a lover’s
plaint he expresses sorrow at not being able to see his
Master often enough—“Sometimes he comes, and
sometimes not. Thus does he raise a fire in my heart!”
He begs of him not to deprive him of the boon of seeing
Him.
The second stanza brings out the courage that
emanates from love--“I run to the river in pitch dark
night. The wilderness of which all are frightened, I
willingly go and search for Him there.”

Vekho ni Shauh Inayat Sain

Look, what tricks He plays on me,
My Master and Lord, Shah Inayat!

Sometimes He comes, and sometimes not:

Thus does He raise a fire in my heart!
Pray, bring the message of the Name of God.
O, starve me not of a glimpse from you!
Look, what tricks He plays on me,
My Master and Lord, Shah Inayat!

O Bullah, how I am smitten in His love!

I run to the river in pitch dark night.
The wilderness of which all are frightened,
I willingly go and search for Him there.

Look, what tricks He plays on me.

My Master and Lord, Shah Inayat!
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 321, poem 149
 KAFI 333

SPIN AND ROAM NOT AIMLESSLY

The poem serves as a warning and a reminder to
man. It warns that the time at his disposal is short to
attain the objective of his life; and it is a reminder that
he should not waste his time in useless pursuits. The
symbol of the spinning wheel, as already mentioned,
stands for the human body. And, spinning signifies
meditation which leads to withdrawal of the soul current
to the eye center. The wedding day points to the time of
death and when the soul is expected to encounter the
Lord. The parents’ house for the girl to be married
means this world, where her stay is short—“The days are
few, you waste your time. You will not come again to
your parents’ house.”
In the second stanza the word “dowry” stands for the
spiritual wealth gained through meditation. Without
any spiritual preparation one will have a hard time in
the hereafter—“If you go to your in-laws without a
dowry, you will not be liked by anyone there.”
The third stanza reminds us that others have made
an adequate preparation for the next world, but we are
quite neglectful of our duty.
The last stanza signifies that all worldly attainments
in the form of wealth, status, power and the like are
useless, if they are not accompanied by spiritual merit in
us—“O Bullah, only if the spouse came to my house,
would the bracelets and the betel leaf be pleasing. If I
have any virtue, he would clasp me to his heart; or else I
shall weep bitter tears of blood.”

Katt kure na vatt kure

Do your spinning, O girl, roam not aimlessly.
Take off the hank of yarn, put it in the basket.
334 BULLEH SHAH

Your parents have fixed your wedding day.

And you are still unmindful of it.
The days are few, you waste your time.
You will not come again to your parents’ house.
Do your spinning, O girl, roam not aimlessly.

If you go to your in-laws without a dowry,

You will not be liked by anyone there.
How will you ever please your Spouse?
Take counsel from the fakirs, O girl.
Do your spinning, O girl, roam not aimlessly.

Your companions have got their garments

dyed for dowry.
They have bright red clothes on their persons.
Why have you set your feet in the wrong direction?
When you reach there, you will discover the truth.1
Do your spinning, O girl, roam not aimlessly.
O Bullah, only if the Spouse came to my house,
Would the bracelets and the betel leaf be pleasing.
If I have any virtue, he would clasp me to his heart,
Or else I shall weep bitter tears of blood.

Do your spinning, O girl, roam not aimlessly.

Take off the hank of yarn, and put it in the basket.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, pp. 50-51

i. The expression suggests that at the time of death you will come to know
the reality, which will make you repent for missed opportunities.
 K.AFI 335

STAY O LOVE !

In the mood of a lover’s plaint, Bullah accuses the

Lord of being unkind to His lovers. He gives a long list
of lovers of God who had to pay a heavy price for their
love. In most cases, they had to lose their very lives.
And, whenever the lovers lost their way or went astray,
the Lord himself was responsible—indirectly, if not
directly—for making them go awry. For instance, He
forbade Adam to taste wheat,1 but then He sent Satan in
pursuit to tempt him.
Others mentioned in the poem include Jesus, Noah,
Moses, Ishmael, Jonah, Yusuf, Solomon, Abraham,
Job, Mansur, Rahab, Zacharias, Sarmad, Shams and
Shah Sharaf. Among pairs of classical lovers he has
mentioned Laila and Majnun, Heer and Ranjha, Mirza
and Sahiban, and Sassi and Punnun. He has also
referred to the heroes of the epics of Ramayan and
Mahabharat who had to go through untold suffering.
Among those conceited rulers, who claimed divinity and
asked their subjects to worship them instead of God, are
mentioned Nimrod, Pharaoh and Harnakash. So,
Bullah seems to complain that God gave suffering to
those who were His loyal and steadfast lovers—
apparently to test them—as also to those who were His
rebels—to'punish them.

Raho raho oye ishqa maryai!

Stay, stay, O love, you have ruined me !

Say, whom did you ever ferry across?

1. The “forbidden fruit” is, in Jewish tradition, mainly mentioned as :

grape, or fig, or wheat. The same and other opinions—such as referring
to it as the apple—are found in Christian and Muslim tradition, and
other commentaries to Qura’n. (Encyclopaedia of Islam, page 177)
336 BULLEH SHAH

You forbade Adam to taste wheat,

You yourself set Satan after him;
You cast him out in disgrace from heaven,
What curious troubles did you create!
Stay, stay, O love, you have ruined me!

You made Jesus begotten without a father;1

You raised the deluge to harass Noah;
You made the son fight against father.
You have been the undoing of them both!
Stay, stay, O love, you have ruined me!

You made Moses climb up Mount Sinai;2

Ruthlessly You got Ishmael slaughtered;
You had Jonah swallowed by a fish;
Oh, to what a station You raised them all!
Stay, stay, O love, you have ruined me!

Zulaikha you made to see a dream;

Yusuf You got thrown into a well;
His brothers You got blamed for it;
Thus did you lift him to such honor!
Stay, stay, O love, you have ruined me!

You made Solomon work on the furnace;

You had Abraham thrown on a pyre;
You infested the body of Job with worms;
You killed Hasan by giving him poison;
Stay, stay, O love, you have ruined me!
You put Mansur on the gallows;
You got Rahab’s gall bladder extracted;

1. Christians believe so.

2. Moses wished to see God face to face. The Lord manifested His
effulgence on Mount Sinai, and it turned into dust. Moses repented and
became the first to believe. See Sura 111, 142-145 of the 'Quran.
 KAFI 337

You got Zacharias’ head cut with a saw;

Oh, what help did you render them all?
Stay, stay, O love, you have ruined me!

You got the throat of Sarmad slashed;

You made Shams utter the fatal words;
You made him declare “By my command rise up.”
And, You flayed him alive from head to foot.
Stay, stay, O love, you have ruined me!
This love creates many a trouble;
Love cannot be concealed within or without;
Love turned Shah Sharaf into a wandering monk;
You made him shiver twelve years in a river,
Stay, stay, O love, you have ruined me!

You raised much noise on Laila’s love;

You made Majnun fix his eyes on her;
You made him suck the milk of love,
When he spent a full year in the well.
Stay, stay, O love, You have ruined me!
Love then turned its aim at Heer,
And made Ranjha his ears1 get pricked.
When Mirza came to be wed to Sahiban,
He paid the price of love with his head.
Stay, stay, O love, you have ruined me!

Sassi You made wander on sand-dunes.

You made Sohni drown on an unbaked pitcher;
You brought misery and suffering to Rodda,
When he was cut into pieces to take his life.
Stay, stay, O love, you have ruined me!

You made the armies of brothers2 killed;

You made water-skins eaten by rats.

1. He became a yogi for his love.

2. Hasan and Hussain, the grandsons of the prophet, lost water in the battle
of Karbala.
338 BULLEH SHAH

O Lord, what great power You wield!

My head is sacrifice unto you.
Stay, stay, O love, you have ruined me!
You made Kauravas and Pandavas fight a war;
Eighteen Khunis1 were destroyed in it.
You made real brothers kill each other.
What justice did you bring off there?
Stay, stay, O love you have ruined me!
Nimrod made himself called Almighty;
He hurled an arrow at God himself.
You got him killed by a mosquito.
You got Croesus buried under the earth.
Stay, stay, O love, You have ruined me!

When You made Pharaoh call himself God,

You made him enter the river Nile.
And, verily, this brought calamity to him.
You made him die of his own egotism.
Stay, stay, O love, you have ruined me!
You invaded Lanka and blew Your conch;
Y ou made Lanka ruined by Rama.
You made Harnakash build a heaven,
And, You got him killed on the threshold.
Stay, stay, O love, you have ruined me!
When poor Sita was carried away by Ravan,
You made Hanuman set Lanka on fire.
The palace of Ravan was thus ruined;
You also got him killed at last.
Stay, stay, O love, You have ruined me!
What discretion did you use with the gopisl
You got their butter plundered by Krishna.

l. A large army unit consisting of foot, horse, elephant and chariot corps.
 KAFI 339

King Kansa was seized and brought before him;

Caught by his hair he was dashed to the ground.
Stay, stay, O love, you have ruined me!

You yourself raised the Patriarch1

And then You made him fight against Yazid.
A tumult arose in the fourteen vaults;
You made his head stick on a spear.
Stay, stay, O love, You have ruined me!

You made the Moghuls drink cups of poison;

You turned beggars, wearing tatters, into kings.
The gentry had to seal their lips.
With what finesse You have reproved them all!
Stay, stay, O love, You have ruined me!

Bulleh Shah is a humble fakir;

He leaves the world, proclaiming loud:
My name will remain bright in the world.
You created me from the fount of light!

Stay, stay, O love, You have ruined me!

Say, whom did you ever ferry across?
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pages 126-134, poem 65

1. Hasan, one of the grandsons of prophet Mohammed.

340 BULLEH SHAH

SWEEPERESS OF THE LORD

The analogy of the sweeperess is used in this kafi for
cleansing oneself from the lower passions. Bulleh Shah
calls himself a sweeperess of the Lord, as he sweeps
away the dirt of lust and anger with contemplation and
spiritual knowledge. These two serve him as his
winnowing device and his broom. And his service of the
Lord as HiS sweeperess is not forced service but labor of
love. In fact, he suffers from the fear that his service
might be terminated—“Day and night I beg: ‘Send me
not away from Your Court’.
In the last line Bullah pays a tribute to his Master,
saying that it is through him that he can attain union
with the Lord.

Main churetri han sache sahib di sarkaron

I am a sweeperess in the service of the true Lord.
With the chhajli1 of contemplation and the broom of
knowledge,
I sweep off the chaff of lust and anger.
I am a sweeperess in the service of the true Lord.
Let the Qazi know! Let the judge mark!
I am free from all forced labor.
Day and night I beg: “Send me not away
from Your Court.”
I am a sweeperess in the service of the true Lord.
Besides You there is none who is mine;
to whom should I cry for help?
“For the sake of my Spouse Inayat, pray give me
a share of Your sight,” entreats Bullah.
I am a sweeperess in the service of the true Lord.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 282, poem 130

I. A winnowing implement for separating grain from chaff.

 KAFI 341

SWINGS OF LOVE

This poem depicts joy and delight of union with the

Lord. It is quite different from most other kafis of
Bulleh Shah, in which he complains to the Lord for
being unkind to His lovers.
In essence all men are equal. In fact, they are drops
of the same ocean of divinity. All differences between
castes and creeds, between Shias and Sunnis, between
yogis with long hair and munis with shorn hair are
superficial.
God is near the royal vein (Shah Rag), and to realize
Him one has to withdraw his soul current to that
point—“My aim is fixed on T am near the royal vein’.”
The last stanza speaks of the bliss in which Bullah
revels at the vision of the pristine beauty of the Lord.
And, unlike human beings, the Lord does not forget His
lovers even for a moment.

Mainun ishq hulare denda

I revel in the swings of love.
Ever on my lips, my Beloved beckons me.
What do you ask about my essence and traits?
I have the same essence as had Adam.
My aim is fixed on “I am near the royal vein,”1 /
Where the mystery of the Lord thrills.
I revel in the swings of love.

Somewhere there is a Shia, somewhere a Sunni',

Somewhere there is a long-haired one,
somewhere a shorn one.
But I am free from all these constraints.

1. A verse from the Quran : 50 : 16

342 BULLEH SHAH

Whatever I ask the Beloved, He grants.

I revel in the swings of love.
O Bullah, He has come from a long distance;
The Beloved’s face has enchanted me.
He has made his pure beauty manifest.
I do not forget Him even for a moment.

I revel in the swings of love.

Ever on my lips, my Beloved beckons me.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 267-268, poem 122
 KAFI 343

THE ALL-PERVADING BELOVED

In this poem Bulleh Shah sees the Lord manifest in
his Master, Inayat Shah. Not only is he enamored of the
physical appearance and external qualities of his
Master— “Hail, You Beauteous One, wondrous is Your
gait! What coquetry with which You walk !”, but he sees
him pervade in everyone, as is the Lord omnipresent—
“You yourself are manifest, You yourself hidden ..You
yourself are the preacher, You yourself the judge ... You
put the sacred thread of the infidel round Your neck,
and go and sit in the idol-temple. You raise an uproar
and a tumult in the whole wide world !”
In the last stanza Bullah expresses his gratitude to
his Master for the many boons he showers on him—
“You are of a noble birth, O Ranjha, You protect the
honor of those who love You. O Bullah, my Lord Inayat
graces me with a glance every moment.”

Wah sohnian teri chal ajaib !

Hail, You Beauteous One, wondrous is Your gait!

What coquetry with which You walk!

You yourself are manifest, You yourself hidden,
and You yourself conceal yourself.
You yourself are the preacher, You yourself the judge,
and You yourself are the teacher.
Hail, You Beauteous One, wondrous is Your gait!

You put the sacred thread of the infidel

round your neck,
And go and sit in the idol-temple.
You raise an uproar and a tumult
in the whole wide world!
Hail, You Beauteous One, wondrous is Your gait!
344 BULLEH SHAH

You are of a noble birth, O Ranjha,

You protect the honor of those who love You.
O Bullah, my Lord Inayat graces me
with a glance every moment.

Hail, You Beauteous One, wondrous is Your gait!

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 312, poem 144
 KAF1 345

THE ASSEMBLAGE

The poem refers to a practice among an order of

fakirs to gather together for reveling in a feast of music.
The esoteric significance of this poem lies in adulation of
the transcendental unstruck melody. This melody can be
heard only when one is able to withdraw his soul current
to the eye center, behind the two eyes. And, this music
has the characteristic of uniting the listener to the Lord.
Once this experience of hearing the sound current has
been achieved, all hatred and malice disappear from the
individual’s mind, because he begins to see the same
Lord manifest in all beings. Bullah impresses upon the
members of the assemblage that without hearing this
divine music and without union with the Lord, the
assemblage is futile. And Yet this goal is not easy to
attain, because it demands of the mind to become
absolutely motionless.

Ao faqiro mele challie

Come fakirs, let us go to the assemblage,
And listen to the music of the mystic.

Listen to the many-splendored Unstruck Melody,

Renouncing the colored robes of the ascetic.
The unstruck music emanates from the orifice1
of the head,
It is all-uniting,2 enemy to none.
Without the union the assemblage is barren,
Your capital and interest both go down the drain.

1. The opening in the center behind the two eyes, the third eye or the eye
center.
2. Union with the Unstruck Melody.
346 BULLEH SHAH

Hard is mendicancy and the path of the lover,

For you have to still the mind in that music.
Such a lover1 becomes God from man,
But Bullah has remained where he was.
Come fakirs, let us go to the assemblage,
And listen to the music of the mystic.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 29, poem 18

1. Such a lover as practices the Unstruck Melody.

 KAFI 347

THE BELOVED DEPARTS

This love lyric paints a picture of an assembly of
persons, in which the Beloved occupies the pivotal
position. When the time comes for the beloved to leave,
the poignancy of the pain of separation which
characterizes the heart of the lover is vividly described.
It seems to point to a specific gathering, in which Inayat
Shah was present, and Bullah felt the pangs of
separation when his Master, along with some other
followers, rises to leave.
Some scholars, however, have interpreted the poem
quite differently. For them the departure of the loved
one signifies his departure from this world or his death.
All relatives, friends and dear ones of the departed soul
wring their hands in despair, because his departure is
forever, and he will never come back to this world.

Utth challe auandhon yar

The Beloved is about to leave my neighborhood;
O Lord, what shall I do?
He has risen and will stay no more;
His companions are ready to go with him;
O Lord, what shall I do?
On all sides are rumors of his departure;
From every direction rises a tumult,
O Lord, what shall I do?
Burning throbs rise from my heart;
Without seeing him there is no peace;
O Lord, what shall I do?
348 BULLEH SHAH

O Bullah, away from the dear Master,

I am neither on this shore nor across.1
O Lord, what shall Ido?

The Beloved is about to leave my neighborhood;

O Lord, what shall Ido?
Nazir Ahmad., Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 8

1. It suggests that the life of the disciple who has made no effort at spiritual
progress, will be miserable both here and in the hereafter.
 KAFI 349

THE CRUCIAL POINT

Two interpretations are possible of this kafi, the

general and the esoteric. In the general interpretation,
the central point for God-realization is brought out in
the last stanza. The key to the spiritual quest of the
aspirant lies in finding the spiritual guide—“Catch hold
of your Master, for therein lies God’s worship.” All else
required for reaching the destination would follow of
necessity. Once the perfect Master has been found, the
heart of the seeker will be cleansed, his passions and
carnal desires will leave him, and he will come to know
the true method of meditation.
Bulleh Shah enumerates the various practices that
spiritual aspirants resort to, but which are all futile.
Such practices may be briefly mentioned as prostrations
on the ground, forty days’fasts, austerities, and arduous
journeys to holy places. Zealous pilgrims to Mecca rub
their forehead on the ground so repeatedly that a dark-
colored arch is formed on it. This is considered by them
as a sign of great piety. And, when they return from the
pilgrimage, they put on blue cloaks to show that they
have attained much religious merit. Other devout
Muslims in order to 3hare some of their piety pay sums
of money to the Mecca-returned pilgrims: “They sell the
merit of their pilgrimage.”
Esoterically, however, the term ‘point’ is said to
signify the point in the center behind the two eyes, the
third eye or what Jesus Christ called ‘the single eye.’
Muslim mystics have called it Nuqta-i-Suvaida (the
Black Spot). The real merit of meditation lies in
concentrating the soul, vacating it from the body, and
bringing it to the eye center. This process has been
 350 BULLEHSHAH

described in mystic or spiritual literature as “dying while

living.” This gives the one who practices it immense
power and profound knowledge. The real spiritual
journey is said to commence from this point.

Ik nuqte uich gall mukdi ei!

Wisdom is contained in a single point!1

Grasp the point, leave alone all calculations.2

Tear off all accounts of heresy and doubt,3
Forget the torments of grave and hell.
Cleanse Your heart of all desires.
Truth comes home in the profound saying:
Wisdom is contained in a single point!

In vain you rub your forehead on earth,

And show a long arch formed on it.
Your false note in the recital of Kalma,
Makes you a laughing stock of people.
You do not know the art at all,
By which to bring the Kalma in the heart.
Can Truth be kept hidden for ever?
Wisdom is contained in a single point!
Many there are who return from Mecca as pilgrims.
They put on blue garments to impress the world.
They sell the merit of their pilgrimage.
And thereby earn an ample amount.
Wlio would approve of such a fraud ?
Can Truth be silenced for long?
Wisdom is contained in a single point!

1• Findlng of a true master (brought out in the last stanza). Esoterically it

signifies the point behind the two eyes, known as Nuqta-i-Suvaida (The
Black Spot).
2. Counting the beads of the rosary, etc.
3. All doubts disappear at the eye center.
 KAFl 351

Some retire to forests;

Some journey across the oceans;
Some live on a grain a day;
The fools tire their bodies senselessly,
And they return home weak and sick.
In vain do some waste their life in forty days’ fasts.
Wisdom is contained in a single point!
Catch hold of Your Master,
For therein lies God’s worship.
In Your Master’s love.
You are carefree and in raptures.
In his love you attain freedom
From alluring desires and possessions;
Your heart is rid of all impurities.
O Bullah, how long can you hold back the-truth?
Wisdom is contained in a single point!
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 22-23, poem 12
352 BULLEH SHAH

THE DELICATE SECRET

The Lord is within us, and He pervades in everyone
and all places. This is the delicate secret that Bullah has
unraveled. He is, however, reluctant to disclose it, as it
would create many complications in the world and in
the lives of the orthodox.
He is to be found not only in the mosque, but also in
the temple—“He offers prayers in the mosque, then
enters the temple adorned with idols.” Indeed, He is
residing within every man as his Master—“He is One,
and the houses are many; but He is the master of every
house.”
He is present not only in His lovers, but also in His
enemies. He seems to take delight in becoming two and
in fighting with himself—“He created Moses as well as
Pharaoh. Becoming two, why does He fight with
himself?”
In the last stanza Bullah reiterates the truth that one
has to pay a heavy price to win His love—“O Bullah,
separation in love is a wolf! It drinks blood and it eats
flesh.”

Kih karda ni kih karda ni!

See, what He does, see, what He does, friends !
Let someone ask, “What does the Beloved do?”

To dwell joyfully together in the same house,

It does not behove to draw a screen in between.
He offers prayers in the mosque,
Then enters the temple adorned with idols.
He is One, and the houses are many;
He is the master of every house.
 KAFI 353

Wherever I look, I find Him present;

He is ever in the company of all.

He created Moses as well as Pharaoh ;

Becoming two why does He fight with himself?
He is present everywhere and sees everything;
Then whom does Chuchak1 take away?

Why should I reveal such a delicate secret ?

I can neither speak it out, nor bear it.
O Bullah, separation in love is a wolf!
It drinks blood and it eats flesh.

See, what He does, see, what He does, friends!

Let someone ask, “What does the Beloved do?”
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 200-202, poem 93

I. Father of Heer. He took Heer away to poison her.

354 BULLEHSHAH

THE DIVINE RANJHA

The symbol of Ranjha has been used in this poem for
the Lord. It was on His command that divine light and
sound came into Inayat Shah—“From the luminous
throne came the call, and it was heard at the throne of
Lahore.” Bulleh Shah discloses the secret in this poem
that love for the Lord by the seeker emanates from the
Lord himself—“Ranjha, the Lord of the throne of
Hazara, has now run away from there like a thief.” It is
the Lord who is seeking His admirer by leaving His
celestial home and coming to this world in the guise of
man as a Master.
The last two lines state that divine love makes one
immortal—“O Bulleh Shah, I shall not have to die;
someone else will now go into the grave.”

Mera Ranjha hun koi hor

My Ranjha now is someone else.

From the luminous throne came the call.

And, it was heard at the throne of Lahore.
The lovelorn roam about in the manner,
As does cattle wander in the forest.

Ranjha, the Lord of the throne of Hazara,1

Has now run away from there like a thief.
O Bulleh Shah, I shall not have to die;
Someone else will now go into the grave.
My Ranjha now is someone else.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p.263. poem 119

I. The native place of Ranjha.

 KAFI 355

THE ESSENCE OF LOVE

In this beautiful love lyric Bullah describes the

nature of love in the words of Heer for Ranjha. In his
love, Heer forgets not only her household chores, but
also becomes unaware of her surroundings. She can
neither sleep nor can she keep awake. Outwardly, she
flings curses at Ranjha, but in her heart of hearts she
prays for him. In such language of love she wishes to put
the people off the scent.
In the last line Bullah discloses that the Beloved is
not far. He is not to be found in forests and jungles. He
resides right within the lover himself.

Bullah kih janen zat ishq di kauri

O Bullah, What do you know1
what the essence of love is!

I am oblivious of what goes on around me;

I know not what chores I have to accomplish;
Sleep and wakefulness have both forsaken me.
I hurl curses at Ranjha,
In my mind I offer prayers for him.
Ranjha and I are one;
Only people I put to test.
I am a sacrifice unto that wilderness,
Where abides my Beloved.
“Run not to forests,” says Bullah,
“Leave not your Lord aside.”

O Bullah, What do you know

what the essence of love is!
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 43, poem 26

1. The implied meaning is that people do not know the reality of love.
356 BULLEHSHAH

THE FLEETING FOUR DAYS !

Our existence on this earth has been called a “four
days’ stay” to signify its transitory nature. Man should
realize this, and prepare himself for his inevitable
journey to the hereafter. He should give up acting
cruelly and foolishly. Instead, he should acquire
compassion and wisdom. He should gather the wealth of
good deeds to be of use to him in the next world. None
will accompany him there, and he will have to be on his
own to face his destiny.
In the last stanza, Bulleh Shah invokes the grace of
the Lord to fight and vanquish his mighty enemy, his
own mind. By himself he is too weak to win this fight.

Pyare bin maslahat utth jono

Dear, without achieving anything you will depart;
It is high time that you learnt some wisdom.

You may make merry for the fleeting four days,

You will at last be humbled, for sure.
You act cruelly, You inflict suffering on people;
Give up tormenting and agonizing others.
Dear, without achieving anything you will depart.

All those in whom you take such pride,

None of them will ever go with you.
Ever keep in view the city silent,
In that very city all have to abide.
Dear, without achieving anything you will depart.

The mighty one takes away boatsful of people.

The boatman called the Angel of Death.
People here are imperious, proud;
I am the only humbled one, the only sinner.
Dear, without achieving anything you will depart.
 KAFI 357

Oh Bullah, the enemy1 confronts you

in the wilderness,
Muster thou all your strength to vanquish him.
May the Divine Beloved come to your help;
May He relieve you of the fear of death.

Dear, without achieving anything you will depart;

It is high time that you learnt some wisdom.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 67-68, poem 40

1. The mind, which is the main obstacle in spiritual realization.

358 BULLEH SHAH

THE GREAT TRICKSTER

The Lord comes to the world in disguise. He comes
in the form of a Master. The reference in this kafi is
obviously to Inayat Shah, the Master of Bullah.
Love entails much pain. But the lover would never
give up this pain for any price. For, to be devoid of love
is to be devoid of life. There is pain in love, but para¬
doxically there is pleasure in this pain.
Bulleh Shah says that he was born as a very sinful
person, but through the practice of Nam and through
the grace of his Master, he was able to wash away all his
sins. Nam is the only treasure which man is able to take
with him after death. All worldly goods one has to leave
behind. He has, however, to keep a watch on the
machinations of the Negative Power, who is ever on the
lookout to lead him astray.
After realizing God within oneself, He is seen to
pervade everywhere and in everyone. Such a realized
soul makes no distinctions between castes and creeds.
All parochial considerations cease to exist for him. Nor
does he see any evil in any man, for he sees the divine
behind every facade.
Bulleh Shah, then, brings out the functions of the
ritualistic, the ethical, the metaphysical and the mystic
aspects of religion.
Strange as it may seem, although the aim of human
life is to attain spiritual realization, yet the one who
attains it is forbidden to disclose the secret to others.
The one who violates this principle meets the fate which
Mansur met.
Great effort and sacrifice are the necessary pre¬
requisites for attaining union with God. All those who
 KAF1 359

attained it had to practice the withdrawal of the soul

from the body, and had to labor hard on the path. No
one ever attained the great treasure without paying the
requisite price for it.
At the end, Bulleh Shah once again reveals the Truth
that for the one who has realized God within himself,
the whole world is transformed. For, he begins to see
God also in the world outside. In such a state only God
exists, and the finite being with his own ego ceases to be.

Tuk bujh kaun chhup aya ei

Guess a little who has come in disguise !
How the trickster has put on a mask !

She who knows not the fact of pain,

Has never glanced into the city of love.
She is virtually dead, her life all waste.
O, why was she born of her accursed mother?
Guess a little who has come in disguise!
You have created me in the likeness of a canvas.
On it You have inscribed the cast of my figure;
You have shown me on it with my face
all blackened.
And, what a deep black You have used
in Your coloring!
Guess a little who has come in disguise !

The Name of the Lord alone is the treasure;

It is with the virtuous, as with the wicked.
His Name is bestowed through His own grace;
But with it also is fear of the watchman.»
Guess a little who has come in disguise !

I. Satan, the Devil, Kal.

 360 BULLEHSHAH

Remove duality and do away with disputes.

Are Hindus and Muslims other than He?
Deem everyone virtuous, there are no thieves;
For, within every body He himself resides.
Guess a little who has come in disguise !

Why do you invent all kinds of stories?

Why do you quote ‘Gulistan’1 and ‘Bostan’?1
Why do you quarrel without rhyme or reason?
Who has taught you the Vedas2 perversely ?
Guess a little who has come in disguise !

Remember that Shariyat3 is our midwife;

And Tariqat4 5 is like our mother;
Then comes the part played by Haqiqat3
But, the real reward comes from Marfat6.
Guess a little who has come in disguise !

I have a rare secret to disclose;

You have to treasure it in your heart.
Is there a way to know it?
Why has the Lord made it a mystery?
Guess a little who has come in disguise !

It is necessary to get this knowledge;

But it is forbidden to disclose it.
Whosoever revealed it, became a Mansur;
He was seized and put on the gallows.
Guess a little who has come in disguise !

I made no effort to work, to think and to discern.

Bayazid attained mystic wisdom with much travail.
He became the Quran incarnate through meditation.

!• Famous Persian classics of Sheikh Sa’di.

2. Sacred books of the Hindus.
3. The ritualistic aspect of religion; literally, the law.
4. The ethical aspect of religion; literally, the path, the way.
5. The metaphysical aspect of religion; literally, the essence, the truth
6. The mystical aspect of religion; literally, knowledge.
 KAFI 361

None has realized Him without labor.

Guess a little who has come in disguise !

How long will you flee from this pain?

How long will you sleep before waking?
You will then cry when you wake up.
What ignorance has induced such slumber?
Guess a little who has come in disguise !

The form of Ain[ and Ghain1 2 is the same;

There is the difference of only one dot.
If you can remove this dot from the heart,
You will realize ‘Ain’through ‘Ghain’.
Guess a little who has come in disguise !

So long as the other occupies the heart,

Who can say: “I have conquered my ego ?”
Inayat3 has filled my entire being,
And then come to be called Bullah.

Guess a little who has come in disguise !

How the trickster has put on a mask !
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 86-92, poem 48

1. & 2. In the Arabic/ Persian/Urdu script they are written as £ and t ,

with the difference of just a dot. The esoteric meaning of the line is that
the Lord will be seen pervading the whole universe.
3. Inayat Shah, the Master of Bulleh Shah.
 362 BULLEH SHAH

THE INTOXICATED ONE

The Master is called in this kafi as the Intoxicated

One, for he is intoxicated with the wine of divine love.
Bulleh Shah calls his companions to meet his Master,
who dyes everyone in the wine of divinity. He, then,
adds that the Lord is not far. He abides right within us,
near Shah Rag or the royal vein. To attain Him, one
must withdraw his soul current from within the nine
outlets and concentrate it at the eye center. The physical
world is false and transient, and is the abode of
sufferings. One must, therefore, try to escape from it,
with the help of a Master, without whose aid one is lost
in this labyrinth. The Master’s helping hand has the
support and the protection of the hand of the Lord.

Chalo dekhiye os mastanare nun

Let us go and see that Intoxicated One,
Whose fame has spread in the assemblages!
He is a dyer who dyes in the wine of union;
He does not ask to what caste you belong.
Whose tumult fills four corners of the world,
He is not distant. He is ever close.
He says: “I am near you through the royal vein.”1
“Within you are My signs; won’t you heed them?”2
Leave this world of falsehood and delusion;
Plant within you the ecstasy of love.
They attain to the vision of the Beloved,
Who become blind, deaf and dumb.3

1. Sayings from the Qura’n

2. Ibid
3. Who have turned away from the world; esoterically, those who have been
able to withdraw their soul current from the body (nine outlets of
sensation) to the eye center.
 KAFI 363

It belongs not to you, it belongs not to me;

This world is transient, full of quarrels.
Who can lead you out of this mire,
Except the guide, the perfect Master?
Read, “I shall keep you, and you should keep me,
in mind.”1

O Bullah, this mystic hint is of great import.

Those embedded with the longing for His glimpse,
They come to know the home of the great Hawker.2
“The hand of God is above your hand.”3

Let us go and see that Intoxicated One,

Whose fame has spread in the assemblages!
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat. pp. 106-107, poem 55

1. Sayings from the Quran.

2. The Lord.
3. The Master has the support of the Lord. This also is a saying from the
Qura’n.
364 BULLEH SHAH

THE JEWEL MERCHANTS

Saints and masters have been metaphorically called

the jewel merchants. They come to give precious stones
to the world, but few are the customers who are
prepared to buy them. The price for such jewels is the
‘head’ or life. Esoterically, it means that only those who
are prepared to die while living can acquire this spiritual
wealth. The process of dying while living is the process
of withdrawing the soul current from within the body to
the eye center. One who is afraid of a pin-prick, how can
he be willing to withdraw the entire current of the soul
from within the body—“I had not borne the prick of a
needle, whereas they asked me for my head.” The
underlying idea is that people want to attain God-
realization without paying any price for it—the price is
the spiritual practice.

Sai vanjare aye ni maye

Those merchants1 have come. O mother.
Those merchants have come.
They trade in gems;
They give a loud call to the customers.
I heard the call,
It came to my mind to buy some rubies.
I would put them in my ears,
And display them to the people.
I was raw.
I went to purchase them,
I knew not the intricacies of such a deal.

Saints and Masters, who come to the world to give people the wealth of
themsdves.3 1ZatI°n N° m°ney 1§ involved’ as they accePt nothing for
 KAFI 365

Without any money, without much experience,

I went to acquire them.

When I asked them the price, they quoted it high.

I had not borne the prick of a needle,
Whereas they asked me for my head (ego).
Whosoever went to buy such precious merchandise,
Had to pay for it with his life.

Those merchants have come, O mother,

Those merchants have come.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 42
366 BULLEH SHAH

THE JOY OF DEATH

Renouncing all pleasures of life, Bullah takes to the
life of a mendicant; but what he begs in alms is darshan1
of his Beloved, his Master. No worldly attachments or
temptations lure him any longer. The muezzin of love,
and the arch before which he bows is the arch of his
forehead, the seat of Nuqta-i-Suvaida or the Third Eye.
Death, says Bullah, which is terrible for the uninitiated
is a source of joy for him. For, he has mastered the
knack of vacating the body of his own will, and of
coming back into it, which is tantamount to dying while
living. On vacating the body he enjoys the delights of the
astral world and the astral form of his Master. At the
end of the poem he expresses his gratitude to his Master,
Inayat Shah, through whose grace he was able to
accomplish his task.

Aisi man mein ayo re

It so came into my mind,
That I bade good-bye to pleasure and pain.

Casting into fire all jewelry and brocades,

I put on a cloak to cover my body.
Despite such wisdom from sages and saints,
I miss the goal of Nam, but aim at other targets.
I coo like the koel night after night,
And still you have no compassion for me.
With deer skin round my neck,
And a faqir’s vessel in my hand,
I set out to beg the alms of darshan.

1. A sight of, or vision of the Master.

 KAFI 367

And people, in error, call me a jogan,'

For 1 besmear my body with ash.

The muezzin of love has given his call.

It’s meet for me to hear his cry.
I prostrate myself in all sincerity,
With my face turned to the holy arch.1 2
Strange are the ways of the love-city;
I pass through death, filled with delight.

I myself got entangled in the snare;

Smilingly 1 got slain in pleasure.
O Bullah, in my deal of love with the Beloved,
I have offered my body and soul as advance.
I am beholden to my Master, Shah Inayat.
He captivates my heart with his guiles.

It so came into my mind,

That I bade good-bye to pleasure and pain.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 38-39, poem 24

1. A female jogi.
2. Arch of the forehead; refers to the third eye.
368 BULLEH SHAH

THE LORD IN DISGUISE

This world is compared to a fair, and the Lord in
disguise comes to it as a Master. Bullah gives a call to
people io recognize Him, and derive whatever benefit
they can, while He is still here in flesh and blood.
In the last stanza Bullah urges the disciple not to be
over-awed by public opinion, but openly acclaim the
Master as the Lord.

Sain chhup tamashe nun aya!

The Lord has come to the fair in disguise!
Get together and meditate on His Name.

Longing for the Lord cannot remain a secret,

The whole world is burning in His love.
Do not go far from yourself to seek Him.
The Lord has come to the fair in disguise!
Get together and meditate on His Name.
Come friends! Form a spinning party;
Go and sit in a secluded corner;
And sing together praises of the Lord.
The Lord has come to the fair in disguise!
Get together and meditate on His Name.

O Bullah, this indeed is rather queer;

Why this veil when you’ve begun to dance?1
Remove the cover from over your eyes.

The Lord has come to the fair in disguise!

Get together and meditate on His Name.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 139-140. poem 68

1. This is a typical Punjabi idiom. The dancer cannot sport a veil. Similarly
a !rue l°ver the Lord should be above all worldly considerations or
criticisms.
 KAFI 369

THE LOVER

Bullah gives some criteria and some examples of a

true lover in this lyric.
Love leads the lover to lose his identity in that of the
Beloved. The lover is lost to himself, but he finds the
Beloved, who is reached through the royal vein.
God is omnipresent. The same Lord is to be found in
Heer as in Ranjha; but very few realize this truth. For
those rare few who realize this, all quarrels and disputes
disappear.
The mystic realization of the truth that the Lord
pervades in everyone, comes to those who work hard at
their meditation in early hours of the morning. (In the
Adi Granth early morning time is called amritvela or the
time for the dispensation of nectar of true Name.) They
are bestowed the gift of divine light.
It was the Lord himself who made Mansur proclaim
that he had become the Lord. By himself Mansur would
never have made this declaration. And, then the Lord
came in the form of orthodox priests to behead him.
In the last stanza Bullah states that the world in
general judges the merit of people in terms of
performance of rituals and customs, but God is happy
only with the true spirit of religion and not its external
observances. And it is through the grace of God that this
realization can dawn on man.

Partalyo hun ashiq kehre ?

Have You now judged who Your true lovers are?

In the rapture of love I lost my senses,

But I found how near You are to me!
370 BULLEH SHAH

Near indeed You are through the royal vein.

Have You now judged who Your true lovers are?

Having come as Heer, I have again become Ranjha;

Rare is the one who knows this truth.
All disputes and wrangles stand resolved.
Have You now judged who Your true lovers are?

Fortunate are the ones who wake at night;1

On them is bestowed the luminous light,
Compare their state with our sad plight.
Have You now judged who Your true lovers are?

You yourself made him proclaim: “I am the Truth,”

Mansur himself did not disclose this secret.
The priests strut towards him for nothing.
Have You now judged who Your true lovers are?

Bullah, rituals and customs act as judges;

But You, O Lord, are happy with the Truth.
In every house You settle disputes.

Have You now judged who Your true lovers are?

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 63-64, poem 37

1. In the love of the Lord; in meditation.

 KAFI 371

THE MESSAGE-BEARER
In this love lyric, it seems, that the damsel was not
satisfied by only giving a letter to be conveyed to her
lover. This lovelorn girl apparently accompanies the
messenger for some distance, and continues to impress
upon him not to forget to mention this fact and that.
She likes to make sure that he would not feel shy in
describing her condition in detail. He can take her lover
to one side and explain to him everything, and then
return soon with his reply.
The poem successfully produces a vivid image of the
situation.

Pandhya ho !
Bring soon the news of his well-being,
O message-bearer.

I have grown lean, I am bent with grief;

Narrate to him my long doleful tale,
The whole tale of my suffering,
O message-bearer.

I wander all around,

With dishevelled hair on my cheeks,
With the Pranda1 in my hands —
Do not feel shy to describe my state to him.
O message-bearer.

With the blood of my heart,

I’ve written this inscription;
Explain it to him in a secluded corner,
O message-bearer.

1. Parti-colored yarn used by women for tying up their hair.

372 BULLEHSHAH

O Bullah, may the Beloved retrace his steps;

Take to him soon this letter of mine,
O message-bearer.

Bring soon the news of his well-being.

O message-bearer.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 21
 KAFI 373

THE NIGHT OF UNION

It is one of the few lyrics of Bulleh Shah, which is

steeped in joy and bliss of union. It seems to be written
soon after his attainment of mystic union with the Lord.
And, he prays that the duration of this period should
never end, or at least it should be indefinitely
prolonged—“May I live with Him for millenia!” He has
achieved this end after much endeavor and tribulation.
The second stanza speaks of the celestial music
emanating from the Lord, which is all-enchanting. After
hearing such a melody, all rituals and ceremonies lose
their relevance~“Prayers and fasting are all forgotten.”
The fourth stanza brings out the ecstatic joy of the
mystic union, which makes the mystic oblivious not only
of his surroundings, but even of himself—“I have no
knowledge even of myself. What do I know where I’ve
reached!”
The simile used and sustained throughout in the lyric
is that of the newly-wedded bride and her nuptial union
with her spouse. The bride says: “How to extend the
length of this night? Place a wall against the day!”
Marvelous in effect, the expression is so novel in
conception!
The lyric builds an atmosphere of deep peace and
profound bliss. It portrays a vivid picture of the mystic’s
state of trance, when he meets the radiant form of his
Master and revels in the enchanting melody of the Word
of God.

Gharyali dayo nikal ni

Turn away the watchman, O friends!
Today my Precious, my Beloved has come home.
374 BULLEHSHAH

Again and again he strikes the gong,

And cuts he short the night of union.
If he were to find my heart’s desire,
He would throw away the gong, O friends!
Turn away the watchman, O friends!

The unstruck melody resounds sweetly.

The Musician is accomplished, the tune enchanting,
Prayers and fasting are all forgotten,
When the Distiller offers the cup, O friends!
Turn away the watchman, O friends!

Wondrous is the sight of His face!

The pain of my heart has all vanished,
How to extend the length of this night?
Place a wall against the day, O friends!
Turn away the watchman, O friends!

I have no knowledge even of myself;

What do I know where I’ve reached!
How can this fact remain a secret?
Now has descended the perfect grace!
Turn away the watchman, O friends!

I resorted to many a love-charm;

Magicians of great renown did I call.
Now the Beloved has come to my house.
May I live with Him for millenia!
Turn away the watchman, O friends!

The nuptial bed of the Spouse is dear.

O friends, the Savior has redeemed me!
With what an anguish my turn has come!
Now it is hard ever to leave Him.
Turn away the watchman, O friends!

Today my Precious, my Beloved has come home.

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 228-230, poem 104
 KAFI 375

THE PAIN OF MY MAD LOVE

This short poem deals with the poignant pain

involved in love. A lover is restless in separation from
his beloved. Using the analogy of Heer and Ranjha,
Bulleh Shah brings out the intensity of pain the disciple
feels in separation from his Master. He implores upon
his Master to forgive his faults and to end the period of
separation~“Come, dear Ranjha, cast a glance at me,
and forgive me my faults.” The Master is not unaware of
this pain felt by his disciple. In fact it comes as a gift
from the Master—“From the throne of Hazara set out
Ranjha, the master of artless Heer.” The last two lines
are in the form of a lover’s complaint—“The Bridegroom
visits the homes of all others, what is the flaw that
bedevils Bullah?”

Mainun dard awallare di pir

I suffer from the pain of my mad love.

Come, dear Ranjha, cast a glance at me,

and forgive me my faults.
I suffer from the pain of my mad love.

From the throne of Hazara set out Ranjha,

the master of artless Heer.
I suffer from the pain of my made love.

The Bridegroom visits the homes of all others,

what is the flaw that bedevils Bullah?

I suffer from the pain of my made love.

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 266, poem 121
 376 BULLEH SHAH

THE REVERSE DIRECTION

There is a deep esoteric meaning hidden in this
poem. The river Ganga signifies the soul, which, coming
down from the eye center spreads in the whole body,
down to the extremities. Now, in the process of medita¬
tion, the soul current is to be withdrawn to its source—
“Reverse the direction of the flow of Ganga,1 O Sadho!”
From the eye center upwards the real spiritual journey
commences, which culminates in the merger of the soul in
the Lord. Repetition of holy names and contemplation
on the form of the Master are instrumental in reaching
the eye center, and holding the attention there. The whole
practice should be done with love and devotion— “Take
the cotton roll of love in your hand, and let not any knot
be formed in it.” The Negative Power will create obstacles
in the way, but they should be overcome with resolute¬
ness.— “Kill the ten-headed monster.” The help of the
Master is indispensable for reaching the spiritual
destination—“This blessed state you will attain through
the grace of your Master.”

Ulti ganga bahao re sadho!

Reverse the direction of the flow of Ganga, O Sadho!

Reverse the direction of the flow of Ganga, O Sadho,

for then you will behold the Lord.
Take the cotton roll of love in your hand,
let not any knot be formed in it.
The spindle of knowledge and the wheel
of contemplation are to move backwards.

I. Reverse the direction of the attention, up to the eye center.

 KAFI 377

If Kumbh Karan1 were to retrace his steps,

he would find the secret of Lanka.2
Kill the ten-headed monster3 and save the life of
Lakshman,
Then the unstruck melody will ring.

When you attain to this blessed state,

with the grace of your Master,
Then alone will you deserve to be called his disciple.
He will grant you the region of nectar,
as will merge you in Him for ever.

Reverse the direction of the flow of Ganga, O Sadho,

for then you will behold the Lord.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 26, poem 15

1. Kumbh Karan, a character in Ramayan, who used to sleep for six months
at a stretch. Here, it signifies the long inactivity of man in doing his
meditation.
2. Lanka here stands for the human body.
3. Ravan, the ten-headed villain of the epic Ramayan. Here he stands for
the ten senses, which have to be tamed to realize God.
378 BULLEHSHAH

THE SAFFLOWER BLOSSOMS

The safflower stands here for worldly wealth and

luxuries, and attachments to our relatives and friends.
These flowers are beautiful to look at, but have no
fragrance. In fact, Sheikh Farid has written that they
give a burning sensation to the hand which touches
them. Also, the thorns surrounding them have been
called fine, meaning that our attachments to our
relatives are seemingly beautiful, but hide the suffering
entailed in them. They are collected with great hardship
and effort. But they become worthless at the time of
death, because they do not accompany the dying man to
the next world. Even during his lifetime they often bring
pain and suffering in the form of strife and disease. They
inflatne our lower passions, and we become their slaves.
Since they make us act in a sinful way, we suffer severe
punishment at the hands of Kal and his agents—mind
and the angels of death.
In the spirit of humility, Bullah states that others
were tempted by only a few worldly pleasures (picked a
few blossoms), but he fell prey to all (filled the whole of
my basket).
In the last stanza Bullah strikes a happy note, and at
the same time pays a handsome tribute to his Master,
Inayat Shah. He says that despite his innumerable
faults, his Master has saved him and made him worthy
of the Lord.
 KAFl 379

Main kussumbra chun chun hari!

I am sick of picking safflower blossoms!

The thorns of this safflower are fine and sharp,

Again and again they tear my veil.1
The lord2 of this safflower is grim and stern;
And his accounts officer3 is a tyrant.
I am sick of picking safflower blossoms!

Four headmen4 control this safflower;

And they demand a heavy tax.
Others have picked a few blossoms;
I have filled the whole of my basket.
I am sick of picking safflower blossoms!

Picking incessantly I have built up a pile;

And many a merchant5 has come to buy.
The valley is steep, the journey is hard;
And I have a heavy load on my head.
I am sick of picking safflower blossoms!
“Am I not?”6 You said, when You set Your eyes
on me!
Why, O Beloved, have You now forsaken me?
We lived in the same house7 in mutual joy;
Why have I now been left deserted?
I am sick of picking safflower blossoms!

1. Stands for body. The line signifies that the body becomes wrinkled in old
age because of worries and sorrows.
2. Kal, the Negative Power.
3. Dharam Raj, the Dispenser of Justice, Kals, viceroy. .
4. Manas (mind), chit (reasoning faculty), buddhi (intellect that discrimi¬
nates), ahankar (ego, individuality, pride).
5. Business men who deal in virtuous deeds and actions of high moral value.
They found that I had only safflower or worldly deeds, so they discarded
my goods which I had to carry myself. .,
6. At the time of creation, God said, “Am I not your Lord . The soul said,
“Yes”.
7. Before the creation of the world the soul of man was with God.
380 BULLEH SHAH

I am mean, I am inept, I am ugly,

I am indeed devoid of all virtues;
I am not worthy of the Lord, O Bullah;
But my spouse, Inayat, has redeemed me!

I am sick of picking safflower blossoms!

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 273-274, poem 126
 KAFI 381

THE SPELL OF LOVE

It is yet another of the lyrics of Bullah in which he

has used the story of Heer and Ranjha to express his
miserable state of separation from his Master.
In the first stanza Heer complains that after all his
professions of steadfast love, Ranjha forsook her in her
hour of trial (when her parents were forcibly marrying
her to another man). When she is rebuked and ridiculed
by her relatives, she pleads that she might be turned out
of the house, if she is so undesirable.
In the second stanza there is a reference to the
appearance of Ranjha in the guise of a yogi at the house
of her in-laws. This brought about a union between the
two lovers, although it was for a short time.
In the concluding stanza Bullah complains to the
Lord for treating cruelly His unwavering lovers like
Mansur. At the end of the stanza he declares that he is
no longer affected by the sarcastic remarks of his
critics— “...removed the blanket from his face.”

Dekho ni ki kar gayo mahi!

Look, what the Beloved has done to me !
Exchanging hearts, he has forsaken me.

My mother scolds me, my father beats me;

My brothers inflict taunts on me.
Yes, I am bad ! I am wicked, O people !
Turn ye out this perverse woman !
Look, what the Beloved has done to me !
382 BULLEH SHAH

He sounded the conch at the door;1

I lost my sense, my reason.
By God I swear, God only knows,
In fun I was caught in the snare !
Look, what the Beloved has done to me !

Stay, O Love, what a game you play !

The like of Mansur2 you put on the gallows.
The same fortune has befallen Bullah,
He has removed the blanket from his face.3

Look, what the Beloved has done to me !

Exchanging hearts, he has forsaken me.
Anwar Ali Rohtaki, Qanun-i-Ishq, p. 133, poem 19

1. Reference is to the story of Heer and Ranjha. When the parents of Heer
married their daughter to Saida and she went to the Kheras at Rangpur,
Ranjha went there in the guise of a yogi, sounded his conch there, and
managed to take her with him.
2. Mansur uttered the famous words “Analhaqq ,” “I am the Truth,” for
which he was executed.
3. This is a typical Panjabi idiom, suggesting complete indifference to the
taunts of the world. To remove blanket from the face, is to become
shameless.
 KAFI 383

THE SPINNING WHEEL

Perhaps in the whole poetry of Bulleh Shah the most

important symbol he employs is that of the spinning
wheel. It stands for the physical frame of man; and
spinning signifies the spiritual practice through which
the soul is vacated from this frame to be collected at the
eye center. For, it is only then that experience of the
Divine is possible.
Using the analogy of the spinning wheel, Bullah
graphically portrays the picture of an unmarried girl,
whose mother admonishes her for her lack of interest in
spinning. Since she got the wheel free, she does not
realize its immense value (human birth is the only one
out of 84 lakh species, in which union with the Lord can
be attained. )The mother further impresses upon her not
to idle away the precious opportunity in frivolous play,
but to prepare herself for the house of her husband (the
Lord), where she has to live permanently. Her parents’
house (this world) is meant only for a short stay.
Continuing her advice, the mother says that if she
cannot spin all the cotton herself, she should get the help
and guidance of her master (get it spun). Bullah, then,
shifts to the analogy of the dowry and gives counsel to
the girl to prepare her dowry properly—“Get Your
wedding clothes dyed,” so that she should not have to
feel penitent when she reaches her husband’s house.
Coming back to spinning. Bullah emphasizes on
hard work—“Keep awake throughout the night, and
work tirelessly on your wheel.”
At the end, Bullah, in gratitude to his Master,
declares that despite all his faults, the Master will safely
ferry him across this phenomenal world at the time of
departure from this world.
384 BULLEH SHAH

Kar kattan wall dhyan kure

Put your mind in spinning, O girl!

Your mother ever counsels you,

Why do you roam thus aimlessly ?
Do not forsake your modesty.
Heed the counsel, O ignorant girl!
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!
The spinning wheel you have got free.
You have paid nothing to obtain it.
You do not realize with what effort you got it,1
When your task has become so easy.2
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!
This wheel is made for your sake.
Restrain a little your urge for play.
You are not going to grow further.
Do not act foolishly, O girl!
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!

Your wheel is of various colors;

It is the envy of the whole tribe.
Spin it while the going is good;
Get settled in your own house, O girl!
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!

This wheel has a heavy price !

Ye stupid, you know not its value.
You are haughty, you strut in conceit,
Lost in vanity, in pelf and pride.
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!

I shout, I cry with uplifted arms:

Do not at all be careless !

1. Human body is the reward of meritorious deeds of countless lives.

2. When the time for release from the “wheel of eighty-four” has become
possible.
Listen to me and understand !
Never will such a wheel be fashioned
By any other craftsman, 0 girl!
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!

Why let you such a wheel go waste?

Why throw it on a heap of dust?
Ever since it came your way,
You never plied it, O foolish girl!
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!
I advise this silly, stupid girl,
This foolish, queer and crazy girl,
When misfortunes overtake this hapless one,
You will lament in despair, O girl!
Put your mind in spinning, O girl !

You have been ever ill-provided,

Never did you spin a roll with attention.
Why do you now roam sad and dejected?
On whom do you pin your hopes, O girl?
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!

You do not get your spindle straightened;

Nor do you get the wheel-string tightened.
Time and again why stop you spinning?
You work your own ruin, O girl!
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!

Get your curved spindle straightened.

Quickly get your wheel-string fixed.
Set it to work, somehow or other.
Do not be negligent, O girl!
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!

You have fresh cotton in the house today.

You should quickly work the pin-rolls.
Take the rolled cotton to get it whiffed.
386 BULLEH SHAH

Tomorrow you can’t go there, O girl!

Put your mind in spinning, O girl!

When you return with whiffed cotton,

With friends you will spin cotton rolls.
You will be liked by one and all,
In the whole wide world, O girl!
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!
In your spinning party have all your friends.
Spun their cotton rolls and finished their work.
You sit idly, they goad you to spin.
Why do you keep sitting, and look at them dazed?
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!

Light the lamp lying near you;

Spin the cotton, put it in the basket;
Keep awake throughout the night,
And work tirelessly on your wheel, O girl!
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!
The reign in your parents’ house is of four days.1
Do not waste it all in frivolous play,
Do not remain idle, do some work.
Let not your home go to ruin, O girl!
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!
Do not pass the night in slumber;
You will not come here the second time,
And sit again in this spinning party,
With friendly girls, of your age, O girl!
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!

You will not stay in the parental house for ever;

Nor always sit beside your fond mother.

1. Very short time.

 You will bear the fire of separation one day,
And face your mother-in-law and sister-in-law
O girl!
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!
Spin your yarn or get it spun.
Get your threads set in the warp.
Get your wedding clothes dyed.
Then alone will you earn respect, O girl!
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!

When you get to the house of strangers,1

You will not copie back again from there.
You will feel repentant on reaching there.
Make some provision forehand, O girl!
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!
You have still so much to do !
Why have you grown so carefree ?
What will you do at the last moment,
When the guests2 reach your house, O girl?
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!

When all your friends have departed,

They will not return from there at all;3
They will not set their wheels to spin.
Your spinning house will remain deserted, O girl
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!

Be not proud of your beauty and youth;

Tourists do not settle in a foreign land.4
Of this false, transient world.
No name or trace will be left behind.
Put your mind in spinning, O girl!

1. Strangers are people of the bridegroom’s house.

2. Angels of death.
3. They will not return to this world after death.
4. This world is a foreign land for the soul.
388 BULLEH SHAH

Your testing time1 will surely come,

When all near and dear ones will desert you.
But, at that time the Sultan2 of Bullah
Will help you to be ferried across.

Put your mind in spinning, O girl!

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 183-190, poem 87

1. The time of death.

2. The Master.
 KAFI 389

THE STORY OF CREATION

This lyric is reminiscent of the famous hymn of Guru

Nanak, in which he has propounded his theory of
Creation. (Arbad narbad dhundukaara):1 “Through
uncountable ages complete darkness prevailed over
utter vacancy.” In the same strain Bulleh Shah
proclaims that in the beginning the One or the Absolute
alone existed. He then manifested himself as God, who
became an object of worship and adoration. Later still,
He manifested himself as a Master or a Murshid in the
form of a human being. However, in an unmanifest
form He pervades His entire Creation. He is the essence
of all that exists. If He were to withdraw himself from
the universe, all this Creation would disintegrate and
cease to exist.
The sixth stanza is reminiscent of another well-
known hymn of Guru Nanak, in which he says: “At
God’s gate there dwell thousands of Mohammeds, thou¬
sands of Brahmas, of Vishnus, and of Shivas .. ,”2Bullah
also says: “The pirs and prophets are His slaves. Men
and angels prostrate themselves before Him.”
In the last stanza, Bulleh Shah, paying a tribute to
his Master, Inayat Shah, states that the above mystery
would never be unraveled without the indispensable
help of a Master.
Hun main lakhpa sohna par
I have now seen the fair Beloved,
Whose beauty shines through His creation.

1. Maru pp. J035-1036.

2. Bhai Banno’s/Id* Gram/i, as translated by M. A. Macauliffe in The Sikh
Religion, 1:40.
 390 BULLEH SHAH

When the One existed all alone.1

No light of His was manifest.
Nor did God or His prophets exist,
Nor the Omnipotent or the Dominant.
I have now seen the fair Beloved.

He was without a peer, without an equal.

He was without a form, without a second.
He was without a color, without a design.
He now sports a thousand forms.
I have now seen the fair Beloved.

The Dear One comes in different garbs.

He has given himself the name of Adam.2
From the One He has become Ahmad,
The Chief of the prophets.
I have now seen the fair Beloved.

He said “Be” and caused to be said, “It is.”3

Out of the formless He created the form.
He inserted ‘m’4 into Ahad,5
And brought the universe into existence.
I have now seen the fair Beloved.

I relinquish the mosque, I relinquish the temple.

I know not the Hindu nor the Muslim fasts.
I have forgotten ablutions and dogana6 prayers.
I sacrifice my life unto You.
I have now seen the fair Beloved.

1. Ahad = One, the Absolute.

2. The Absolute had not yet manifested Himself as God.
3. The first man. He is considered by Muslims as the first prophet
4. Refers to the Day of Creation : Quran 2: 117.
5. The insertion of m into Ahad (One) forms Ahmad. This means that the
One became manifest as human, and then by the fiat of God the universe
came into being.
6. Bowing the body twice in prayers; a form of prayer among Muslims.
 KAFI 391

The pirs and prophets are His slaves;

Men and angels bow before Him.
They place their head on His feet.
He is the greatest of all the lords.
I have now seen the fair Beloved.

He who wants to meet the Lord,

None can do so without a guide.
Inayat Shah revealed the secret;
All the mysteries stood resolved.

I have now seen the fair Beloved,

Whose beauty shines through His creation.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 326-327, poem 152
392 BULLEH SHAH
\

THE TORMENT OF SEPARATION

It is another of Bulleh Shah’s kafis depicting the
state of torment in separation from the Beloved. One
has to pay a heavy price for love. He has to offer his
head as earnest money, says Bullah.
Those who have done their spiritual practice are able
to cross the ocean of this world. The Lord in His grace,
redeems the sinners also.
In the last stanza, there is a powerful appeal to the
Lord to grant the one who has forsaken his relatives and
friends, His union.

Kadi a mil birhon satai nun!

Come some time and meet the one,
tormented in your separation !

If you were to fall in love, you would weep and cry.

- What do you know of the pain of others ?
Whoever seeks to strike the bargain of love,
He should first offer his head as earnest.
The doers1 have all crossed one by one;
My honor is in the hands of the Beloved.
The flood of grief, the waves of distress—
In what a calamity you have thrown me !
My parents I forsook! My friends I ignored !
I am a sacrifice to you! For God’s sake, come !
Come some time and meet the one,
tormented in your separation !
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 176, poem 83

1. Those who practiced meditation and spiritual concentration.

 KAFI 393

THE WAGES OF LOVE

The underlying idea of the poem is Bulleh Shah’s
favorite theme of the high price one has to pay for love.
The pain of love cannot be described; it can only be
experienced—“He alone knows who has experienced
love.” In the mood of love’s complaint, Bullah asks
himself if he gained anything out of love—“Rebukes
within and taunts without: Such is the comfort I found
in love!” The second stanza continues in the same
strain—“My eyes are engaged in pouring out tears! It
brings me death and the people’s reproach. Helplessly
caught in the grip of yearning, O, I’ve become a wretch
by ceaseless weeping.”
The third stanza rises to spiritual heights, in which
Bullah compares his achievement to that of Mansur~“I
have drunk the cup of that Truth, which Mansur had
quaffed to the dregs.” This happy change in mood
continues in the fourth and fifth stanzas, where the pain
of separation melts away into the bliss of union. The last
two lines are a tribute to his Master, who has been the
instrument for bringing about his union with the Lord.

Mere mahi kyon chir /aya ei ?

O, my Beloved, why do You tarry?
Narrate now, O Bullah, your love story.
He alone knows who has experienced love.
Rebukes within and taunts without:
Such is the comfort I found in love!
O, my Beloved, why do You tarry?
My eyes are engaged in pouring out tears!
It brings me death and the people’s reproach.
 394 BULLEH SHAH

Helplessly caught in the grip of yearning,

O, I’ve become a wretch by ceaseless weeping.
O, my Beloved, why do You tarry?

I have drunk the cup of that Truth,

Which Mansur had quaffed to the dregs.
When I had a glimpse of the Ascension,1
With water from the fountain21 made ablutions.
O, my Belqved, why do You tarry?

The muezzin of love has given his call.

He has brought the news of the coming of the Lord.
I too have come to prostrate before Him.
O friends, I kiss the pedestal of the Lord.3
O, my Beloved, why do You tarry?

O Bullah, cherish the fragrance of the Lord.

And embellish yourself when you go to Him.
Come and let me behold you, my Master,
You, who have made me one with my Spouse.
O, my Beloved, why do You tarry?
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 248-249, poem 114

h The ladder upon which the souls ascend when they vacate the body.
2. Chashma-i-Khizr, the fountain of life.
3. The Imam leads the prayers in the mosque, and all others look towards
the niche in the wall.
 KAFI 395

THE WAY OF LOVE

It is another of the many kafis of Bulleh Shah, which

recounts the trials and tribulations that the famous
lovers of God had to suffer. Job was made to lose not
only his wealth and worldly possessions, but also his
health. He was stricken with a foul disease, and his body
was infested with worms. Satan offered to restore
everything to him, if he gave up his love for the Lord,
but Job firmly declined. Zacharias’ head was cut off
with a saw as the price of his love of God. The head of
John the Baptist was severed with a dagger. Mansur al
Hallaj was made to mount the Cross. Solomon who held
sway even over the fairies and was called The Wise, was
made to lose the signet ring which gave him the magic
power. He had to put fagots into the oven of a grain-
parcher. He suffered all these hardships for the sake of
love.
In the last stanza Bullah says that it is better to keep
one’s mouth shut and not boast of one’s bravado in the
face of all that these great lovers of God suffered.

Es niunh di ulti chal!

Perverse is the way of this love!

When Job was inflamed with love,

See, what the Beloved had in store for him!
Within every vein he had worms crawling.
Such is the Will of the Omnipotent!
Perverse is the way of this love!

When Zacharias made the mighty revelation,

When love was proclaimed with the beat of drum,
396 BULLEH SHAH

Then a sharp saw was placed over his head,

And it came down with a heavy thud!
Perverse is the way of this love!
When John1 had vision of the Beloved within,
The hint of love worked the dagger;
Though God gave a glimpse of His own effulgence,
The dagger was stained red with his blood!
Perverse is the way of this love!
When the Lord made a sign with His eyes,
Then drank Mansur the wine of love.
When mounting the gallows he saw the Beloved,
Then love had reached its consummation!
Perverse is the way of this love!
When Solomon was visited by love,
He lost the signet ring from his hands;
The throne of the fairies then never came.
He fed the oven with fagots and lay restless.
Perverse is the way of this love!

O Bullah, you better keep silent now,

And do not brag about your valor!
You cannot convince the world on this,
Leave all debate and argument alone!

Perverse is the way of this love!

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 32-33, poem 20

1. John the Baptist.

 KAFI 397

THE WONDROUS SADHU

Enamored of the mystic who has realized the Lord,
Bullah does not know how to describe him adequately.
He calls him ‘the wondrous Sadhu,’ because he
transcends the parochial distinctions of caste and creed.
For him there is no difference between the Muslim and
the Hindu, because each of them becomes sublime by
listening to the unstruck divine melody, although each
gives it a different name. Such a one sees the Lord
pervade everywhere and in everyone.

Eh achraj sadhu kaun kahave ?

What shall we call this wondrous sadhu?
Moment after moment he takes on a new form.

He talks of Mecca and Lanka, and reveals

the same secret behind both!
O yogi, when you’ll unite with the Lord,
the bang1 and tttfdLTvilLmean the same.
To know the meaning of devotion and devotee,
He indeed is a devotee who pleases His heart.
See the Lord manifest everywhere,
Wherefore do you read the Vedas, O pundit?
Look attentively, there is none an infidel,
Whether you call him a Hindu or a Muslim.
Wherever I look, Him alone I see.
O Bullah, He pervades in every color.

What shall we call this wondrous sadhu?

Moment after moment he takes on a new form.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 35, poem 22

1. He removes the difference of both, which mean unstruck sound.

398 BULLEH SHAH

THE WORKS OF LOVE!

This is another of the poems of Bullah in which the
cruelties perpetrated on lovers of God are enumerated.
Mention is made here of Abraham, Zacharias, Yusuf,
Sheikh Suna’n, Shams of Tabriz and Mansur of Hallaj.
“Is it now my turn?” asks Bullah.
In the last stanza the counsel is given to the lover to
make his body a furnace and his mind an anvil for hard
blows to be given on it by the hammer of love to melt the
iron heart.

Kyon ishq asan te ay a ei ?

Why, O love, have you come to me?

You have come to me! I have found you out!

You made Abraham to be thrown onto the pyre;

You made Zacharias’ head to be put under the saw;
You made Yusuf to be sold from shop to shop.
Say, now, what are your designs upon me?
Why, O love, have you come to me?

You made Sheikh Suna’n to graze pigs.

You made Shams to be flayed alive.
You made Mansur to climb the gallows.
And, now, with outstretched hands
you advance towards me;
Why, O love, have you come to me?

Whichever house you designed to visit,

It was reduced to a heap of ashes.
When the ashes blew you felt pleased.1
Say, what do you aspire in your plans?
Why, O love, have you come to me?

1. It is said that the ashes of Mansur, after execution, were blown away by
high winds.
 KAFI 399

O Bullah, for the sake of your Beloved,

Make your body a furnace and your mind an anvil;
Then give blows with the hammer of love;
The iron heart will melt with the heat of fire!

Why, O love, have you come to me?

You have come to me! I have found you out!
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 198-199, poem 92
400 BULLEH SHAH

THE WORLD AS A FAIR

There is a custom among Muslims to gather at the
grave of a holy man and play on drums and other
musical instruments to celebrate his memory. Such a
gathering is called chhinj or a durbar. The sports-
tournament where side by side wrestling bouts and other
competitions are held, where drums are beaten and
other musical instruments are played, is also called
chhinj.
The different verses of the poem are not particularly
well-related. But, in general, we can understand from
the kafi, that the world is a fair or a bazaar, where
people assemble to make merry. But, the metaphor
changes, and the world is likened to a farm, where
people sow good and bad seeds in the form of good and
bad deeds. This metaphor points to the theory of
karmas, according to which we reap the award of our
deeds in this world.
The poet does not find this bazaar worth staying in,
for everything in it is inclined to change and perish: the
young man perishes, the old man perishes. He cherishes
the hope that in the world to come~“look for another
bazaar” the state of affairs would be quite different and
much better.

Khalq tamashe ai yar /

People have come to this pleasure-ground, O friend!
What have you done today? What will you
do tomorrow?
What use has been your coming?
What a field you have sown, that the sparrows
have all ruined it!
 KAFI 401

On the one hand, there is reproach from the Friend,

on the other, there is the world;
Disrepute and disgrace will remain in the world;
Take off your turban1 and hurl it on the ground.

The young man perishes, the old man perishes,

each in his own turn.
Whether it be the mistress or her maid,
The washer-woman or the inn-keeper’s wife,
each will perish.

Bullah goes to see the Lord who himself provides

an excuse.
He kneads clay to make pots, and then He breaks
them into pieces.
Having seen this display, move on,
and look for another bazaar2.
What an uproar of din and gaiety in this durbar!

People have come to this pleasure-ground, O friend!

Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 35

1. Turban is a sign of respect. Here the expression means that you should
give up the false fear and regard of society.
2. The world hereafter.
402 BULLEHSHAH

THIEF IN THE FOLD OF MY CLOAK

That the Lord is within, and people in ignorance
seek Him outside, is the theme of this poem. They
identify themselves with the religious groups in which
they happen to be born, and thereby imprison
themselves in narrow, parochial rituals—“Somewhere
He is Ram Das, somewhere Fathe Mohammed. This
indeed is the ancient uproar!” The external observances
of different religious groups are different, and people
belonging to them quarrel over these superficial
differences— “The Muslims are averse to being cremated;
the Hindus are loath to be buried. Both die quarreling
over this wrangle.” When they discover the Lord within
themselves, their foolish wrangles come to an end. For,
then they see the same Lord abiding within everyone.
The fifth stanza reveals that his Master, Inayat Shah,
belonged to the Qadiri group of Sufis, and the first
Master came from Baghdad—“The Master of masters
belonged to Baghdad.”

Men bukkal de vich chor

In the fold of my cloak hides the beloved Thief,
To whom shall I complain?

Stealthily He escaped,
And a tumult arose in the world.

The Muslims are averse to being cremated;

The Hindus are loath to be buried.
Both die quarreling over this wrangle.
Such is the cause of enmity between them!
 KAFI 403

Somewhere He is Ram Das, somewhere

Fateh Mohammed,
This indeed is the ancient uproar!
Their quarrel came to an end,
When someone else made His appearance.

Calls came from the resplendent heavens;

They were heard at the throne of Lahore.'
King Inayat has fixed the net
And, on the sly, pulls the cord.

Whosoever searched for Him, found Him.

He did not have to suffer dejection.
The Master of masters belonged to Baghdad;
My own Master adorned the throne of Lahore.

O ye, all, join me to shout:

He himself the kite, He is himself the string;
I disclose His whereabouts, you go and catch
The beloved Thief belonging to Bulleh Shah.

In the fold of my cloak hides the beloved Thief.

To whom shall I complain?
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 260-262, poem 118

1.Where Inayat Shah lived.

404 BULLEH SHAH

TO ADMONISH BULLAH

There are few examples in literature, where a classic

poem depicts a true incident of life. This one is an
exception, for it is not only good poetry, but is also
related to an important episode in Bullah’s life. When he
became a disciple of Inayat Shah, his relatives, proud of
their high caste, considered it not only an insult to
themselves, but also to the Prophet and his apostle Ali,
from whom they traced their descent.
The only answer that Bullah gave to the complaints
and taunts jf his relatives, was that he was prepared to
forfeit his right to be called a high caste Sayyiad, and
would prefer to be called an Arain, the so-called low
caste of his Master. Nevertheless, he advises his critics to
treat this incident as an act of God’s Will. What Bullah
really wishes to convey is that God in His supreme Will
can bestow the gift of divine knowledge to anyone He
likes. He showers at times such honor on people of low
worldly status, and keeps men of high position away
from Him.

Bulleh nun samjhawan ayian bhainan te bharjaian

To admonish Bullah came his sisters and sisters-in-law.

“Abide by our advice, and leave the hem of the

Arain’s1 skirt.
Why have you brought disgrace to the Prophet
and to the progeny of Ali?”

I. A caste among Muslims employed in gardening, especially vegetable

gardening. Here it refers to his Master.
 KAFI 405

“Let anyone who calls me a Sayyiad be punished

with the tortures of hell;
And let him revel in the pleasures of heaven,
who labels me an Arain."

Arain, the Lord, pervades everyone,

and He is all-powerful.
He casts away the fair ones, and clasps to His heart
the meritless ones.

If you seek the pleasures of the spring,’

become ye a slave of the Arain.
Wherefore do you ask the caste of Bullah?
Be contented in His Will.

To admonish Bullah came his sisters and sisters-in-law.

Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 19

1. Here spring season is indicative of supreme spiritual bliss, which is

attained only through the perfect Master.
406 BULLEH SHAH

TRANSIENT LIFE
This poem is in the nature of a warning to man about
the transitory character of life. During the short span of
human existence, it is incumbent upon man to
accomplish the task for which the human form has been
given to him. The world has been compared to a
caravanserai, where the duration of stay is only for a
night.
The third stanza serves as a reminder about the
divine nature of man. He comes from God, “who is our
home”, and he should not commit the blunder of
making this mundane world as his permanent abode.
The last stanza holds out the assurance that the goal
to be achieved by man is not as difficult, as he falsely
believes.

Tain kit par paon pasara ei?

On what have you spread your feet?

It will last but a fleeting moment.

For the winking of an eye, this fair will last;

Do something, your time is short.
This day, this minute, is a rare occasion.
On what have you spread your feet?
This is a caravanserai;
The stay here is for one night.
In vain it is to bluster,
In this short, brief respite.
Tomorrow the departure call will come.
On what have you spread your feet?

You have come from that origin divine,

Why do you stay here as a mortal?
 KAFI 407

Bid good-bye to this assembly;

What concern have you with it?
On what have you spread your feet?

You harbor under a grave delusion,

You carry a huge mountain on your head.
This is not the road, the path,
O Bullah, to your destination.

On what have you spread your feet?

It will last but for a fleeting moment.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 84-85, poem 47
408 BULLEH SHAH

TRUE LOVE HAS BEGUILED ME

The contrast between love and reason as paths
leading to God-realization is the theme of this poem.
Love gives a direct experience of God and of the bliss it
entails. Learning and reason, on the other hand, lead to
confusion, and are devoid of immediate knowledge.
They also lack the intensity of direct experience—“All
this leaves me devoid of Him!”
Also, rituals, customs and external observances are
quite futile in the path of God-realization—“Of what use
are fasts and prayers to them, who have drunk deep
from the font of love?”
The last stanza stresses the importance of the
presence of the Master, which acts as the liberating force
from the sorrows of life—“Sitting in the company of the
Spouse, Bullah is free from all rituals.”

Ishq haqiqi nein muthhi kure

True love has beguiled me, O friend!
Reveal to me the land of my Beloved.

At my parents’ I was an innocent maid.

With His love He robbed me of my heart!
Take me to the land of my Beloved,
O, lead me to the realm of my Lord.
Logic, grammar and my store of knowledge —
All this leaves me devoid of Him!
Show to me the land of my Beloved;
O, take me to the place of my Lord.

Of what use are fasts and prayers to them,

Who have drunk deep from the font of love?
Disclose to me the land of my Beloved;
O, lead me to the realm of my Lord.
 KAFI 409

Sitting in the company of the Spouse,

Bullah is free from all rituals.
Show to me the land of my Beloved,
O, take me to the realm of my Lord.
True love has beguiled me, O friend!
Reveal to me the land of my Beloved.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 160, poem 77
410 BULLEHSHAH

TRUTH CANNOT BE WITHHELD

This is one of the best known kafis of Bulleh Shah. It
is indeed one of his greatest poems. To declare what is
true, and to remain steadfast on it with all courage, is
the main theme of this kafi. The obstacles that one
encounters in speaking out truth~“If I speak out the
truth, there is a blaze,” out of fear and expediency, have
hardly ever been expressed with such force by any other
poet. The reluctance to express himself through fear and
expediency has been well expressed by him in the words
“Haltingly my tongue speaks out.”
It is another matter that the truth on which Bulleh
Shah insists, is the truth that the Creator and His
creation are not separate~“0 Bullah, the Lord is not
apart from us,” and that He resides within man himself—
“Enter within and see who is there.” Apart from this
basic spiritual truth, Bulleh Shah emphatically asserts
the moral principle that notwithstanding all the
difficulties involved in the declaration of truth, one
should not hesitate to do so.
This world is characterized by darkness of ignorance,
and is called a “slippery courtyard” because its alluring
temptations are a constant danger in the path of
God-realization.
As in many other poems of his, Bulleh Shah sees, in
the present kafi too, the Lord to be present in everyone—
“Somewhere You display grace and elegance. Some¬
where as a prophet You effect union. Somewhere You
come in the form of a lover. Somewhere You endure the
pangs of parting.”
 KAFI 411

Munh ai bat na raihndi ei

Words that come on my tongue cannot be held back.

If I tell a lie, something is left out;

If I speak out the truth, there is a blaze.
My mind fears both the alternatives;
But haltingly my tongue speaks out.
Words that come on my tongue cannot be held back.

Respect and regard to all is essential,

But I know the inner reality of all.
In everyone there dwells the form of the Lord.
In some it is manifest, in some it is latent.
Words that come on my tongue cannot be held back.

Whosoever found the secret from the mystic,

He searched for the path within himself.
He is a blissful dweller of that temple,
Which knows neither rise nor fall.
Words that come on my tongue cannot be held back.

Here, in this world, darkness prevails.

This world is a slippery courtyard.
Enter within and see who is there.
In vain do the foolish seek Him without.
Words that come on my tongue cannot be held back.

Here the world has been made manifest.1

It has a strange secret of its own.
From a single Form a flash bursts forth,
Even as a spark ignites gunpowder.
Words that come on my tongue cannot be held back.

Somewhere You display grace and elegance.

Somewhere as a prophet You effect union.
Somewhere You come in the form of a lover.

1. Literally, here the account has spread its feet.

412 BULLEH SHAH

Somewhere You endure the pangs of parting.

Words that come on my tongue cannot be held back.

When the Light made itself manifest,

Mount Sinai was burnt to ashes.
Then Mansur mounted the gallows.
Neither You nor I can dare to boast.
Words that come on my tongue cannot be held back.
If I were to unravel the mysteries,
People would forget all disputation.
They would then kill our friend Bullah,
For only a veiled expression befits here.
Words that come on my tongue cannot be held back.

We have acquired much verified knowledge,

But only one letter1 is true in it.
All other disputation is futile.
In vain does the world raise a tumult!
Words that come on my tongue cannot be held back.
O Bullah, the Lord is not apart from us.
Other than the Lord none does exist.
Alas! we do not have the seeing eye.2
That’s why life is a tale of suffering.
Words that come on my tongue cannot be held back.
Anwar Ali Rohtaki, Qanun-i-Ishq, pp. 246*249, poem 70

1. Alif, the letter for Allah. It symbolizes the unity of God.

2. The inner or the third eye.
 KAFI 413

TRUTH SUBMERGED

The truth about God is the Experience of God

within. Customs, rituals and external observances that
grow around an institutionalized and organized religion
take man away from true religion. And, yet, religion is
generally practiced in terms of its customs and rites.
Since they differ from religion to religion, they have
produced divisions and factions among men. On the
other hand, the mystic experience, being identical in all
men, has brought men close to God and to one another.
If the same Divine Being is perceived within everyone,
no scope is left for rift and strife~“Through the Royal
Vein God is not far. People have for nothing raised a
turmoil.” All those who seek God outside in temples and
mosques, they waste their time-“In vain pursuits life has
been wasted”

Gall raule lokan pai ei

People have drowned the truth in din.

Tell the truth, O mind; why do you fear?
With this truth you will swim across.
Truth always leads to joy and prosperity.
Truth comes as a wondrous thing.
People have drowned the truth in din.

Through the Royal Vein God is not far.

People have for nothing raised a turmoil.
Who can settle all these quarrels?
In vain pursuits life has been wasted.

People have drowned the truth in din.

Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 65
414 BULLEH SHAH

TURN TO ME
This poem suggests some incident which annoyed
Bulleh Shah’s Master with him. It is full of entreaties for
his forgiveness, for any lapse he may have committed.
He is not quite aware of the fault, but he makes it clear
that he cannot bear the separation—and annoyance—of
his Master—“When will he quench the fire raging within
me?”
The decorated bride who fails to catch the attention
and win the favor of her husband is symbolic of a man
with worldly position and wealth, but without any love
for God and grace from Him--“My adornment, my
embellishment has gone waste.”

Kadi mor muharan dholya

Turn your bridle to come to me. Love.
My life is a sacrifice unto your path.
My adornment, my embellishment has gone waste;
A knot has been twined in my Beloved’s heart.
Did I utter something outrageous?
Turn your bridle to come to me, Love.
My life is a sacrifice unto your path.

O Bullah, when will the Beloved return home?

When will he quench the fire raging within me?
Anguish has opened its mouth to devour me.

Turn your bridle to come to me. Love.

My life is a sacrifice unto your path.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 177, poem 84
 KAFI 415

UNITY IN DIVERSITY

The multiplicity of things and forms in this world is

superficial. For, behind the many there is the One that
pervades them all. The multiplicity that one perceives is
only appearance. The unity that is realized behind it is
Reality.
Bullah has used three analogies in this kafi to convey
this truth. The first one is of cotton. There is a variety of
cloth and garments and they are in different colors. But
they are all made from the same fiber of cotton. The
second example is of silver. Various are the ornaments
that are made from silver, and which adorn women, but
the reality of them all is silver. Lastly, Bullah gives a hint
that all prophets come from God, though they come in
different forms. Jesus Christ came as a shepherd,
Mohammed came as the protector of camels, and
Krishna came as a cowherd. Not only the external form
of these redeemers of mankind was different, but also
the appearance of all human beings varies. However the
reality hidden behind them all is the same. They are all
sparks of the same Divinity.

Sab ikko rang kapahin da

There is only one thread of all cotton.

The warp, the woof, the quill of the weaver’s shuttle,

The shuttle, the texture of cloth, cotton shoes
and hanks of yarn,
All are known by their respective names.
And they all belong to their respective places,
But there is only one thread of all cotton.
/
Cloth with four to five hundred threads in its width,
Coarse cotton cloth as well as fine cotton cloth.
416 BULLEHSHAH

Muslins fine and exquisite, are all made of one Yarn.

And, when for the mendicant it comes out of the roll.
It takes on the form of ocher-colored garb for him.
But there is only one thread of all cotton.
The hands of girls are embellished with rings of silver,
All ornaments have their own respective names,
But call them all by the one name of silver,
Be they bracelets for forearms or bangles for wrists.
There is only one thread of all cotton.

The one who tends and grazes goats and sheep,

Also comes to protect camels and buffaloes.
He, then, begins to feed donkeys on rubbish-heaps,
And, he is the one who becomes a herdsman of cows.
There is only one thread of all cotton.

O Bullah, why should you ask

the caste of the Spouse?
You should be grateful in whatever He deigns to will.
If you wish to seek the joys of spring,
Become a slave of the Arain.1

There is only one thread of all cotton.

Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 143-144, poem 70

1. Inayat Shah, the Master of Bulleh Shah. Arain literally means a

vegetable grower or a cultivator of lands. Inayat Shah was Arain by
caste—much inferior to Sayyiads. Bullah was a Sayyiad. But,
regardless of his high descent from the Prophet, he became a disciple
of Inayat Shah.
 KAFI 417

WAKE UP, DEAR TRAVELER

This poem forcefully brings out the transitory nature

of this world. People come in and go from this world, as
if it were a wayfarers’ inn. The cycle of transmigration is
unending. Those who die give a clarion call to others,
that their turn is coming. But they pay no heed, thinking
that death is meant for others and not for them.
Bulleh Shah stresses that the human body is full of
invaluable treasures including the Lord himself, and yet
man suffers from colossal ignorance. He searches for
Him outside—in temples and mosques—when He is
right within him.
In the last stanza Bulleh Shah impresses on the
seeker the indispensability of a living Master, without
whose help and guidance the precious opportunity of
human life will be irretrievably lost without realizing the
Lord.

Rain gai latke sah tare!

The night is over! The stars have waned!
Wake up at least now, you dear traveler!

This is your camping place in a caravanserai,

Where people come and go ceaselessly.
All your fellow travelers are ready to leave;
Still you do not hear the clarion call.
Wake up at least now, you dear traveler!

Act now, it’s time for action today;

For you will not come here another day.
Your companions give you repeated calls;
Wake up at least now, you dear traveler!

Everyone runs to his land,

Whether a rich or a poor man.
 418 BULLEHSHAH

But you should secure the profit of Nam.

Wake up at least now, you dear traveler!
Pearls, jewels and the philosopher’s stone.
All of these are so near you.
Near you is the ocean vast and wide,
And you are still dying of thirst.
Open your eye, and sit ye up O beggar.
Wake up at least now, you dear traveler!
Fall at the feet of Your Master, O Bullah.
Leave indolence aside, and set yourself to work.
Without your waking, without your vigilance,
The deer1 will lay waste your fields.
Wake up at least now, you dear traveler!
Anwar Ali Rohtaki, Qanun-i-Ishq, pp. 85-86,poem 2

1, ‘Deer’ stands for time which is nimbly grazing the field of life.
 KAFI 419

WALK INTO MY COURTYARD

The poem is an entreaty by the disciple to his Master

to come to his house, whether he knows the miserable
state of his mind or does not know it. Bulleh Shah using
the analogy of Heer and Ranjha points out that just as
Ranjha was only a herdsman in the eyes of the world, but
he was the very life and breath of Heer, so also Inayat
Shah was a mere vegetable grower for the world, but
he was all in all for Bullah. And, just as Heer left her
parents for the sake of Ranjha, similarly Bullah would give
up the world to secure Inayat Shah.

Bhanven jan na jan

Whether you know it or not, pray walk
into my courtyard!
I am a sacrifice unto you, pray walk
into my courtyard!
There is no one like you for me;
I have searched forests, jungles and deserts.
Indeed, I have searched the whole world ;
Pray walk into my courtyard!
For the common people you are a herdsman;
I call you Ranjha in the presence of others;
But, you are my very faith and creed, Beloved;
Pray walk into my courtyard!
I abandoned my parents to hold your hand,
O my beloved king Inayat.
Now honor this bond of love,
for I am entirely in your hands.
Pray walk into my courtyard!
I am a sacrifice unto you, pray walk
into my courtyard!
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p.55, poem 32
420 BUELEH SHAH

WEARY OF SPINNING
The central idea of this poem is that a maiden has
become weary of spinning, and she is thoroughly bored
with it. When the thread while spinning gets broken,
she is happy, for it gives her a welcome excuse to leave the
monotonous chore of spinning and indulge in the
pleasures of love.
The esoteric significance of the poem is that the seeker
of God loses interest in his worldly activities, and
becomes immersed in the love of the Lord. It may also
mean that mere rote repetition or a sheer mechanical
meditation, devoid of love and devotion, is of no interest
to the practitioner.
The poetic beauty of the kafi comes out in the vivid
description of how sometimes one and sometimes another
part of the spinning wheel gets out of order, when the
heart of the spinner is not in the job.

Bhainan! main katdi katdi hutti

Sisters! I have got tired of spinning.

My straw basket and my pihrix have been left behind

in the backyard;
In my hands has remained a pair of cotton rolls.
In front of me is the spinning wheel, behind me
is the low stool;
And the thread has snapped in my hands.

While spinning, the spindle has fallen,

The leather-rests have got entangled,
and the thread is broken.
It’s well that my spinning wheel is broken;
My life has been spared the torture.

I. A kind of low seat without a back, a low stool.

 KAF1 421

Of what interest is dowry to one,

who holds the cup of love in her hand?
O Bullah, the Beloved has made me dance,
And the tempo of the dance increased
with every step.

Sisters! I have got tired of spinning.

Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 20
422 BULLEH SHAH

WHAT DO I KNOW OF SOMEONE?

The ‘Someone’ in this kafi could either be God or the
Master. The first line of the first stanza seems to point to
God; the second line would fit better with the Master or
the Murshid.
The second stanza hints at the fact that life is full of
pain and suffering. And, this suffering will end only when
death comes.
The third stanza brings out the helplessness of man in
shaping his life and affairs. All is in the hands of God, and
man should cheerfully accept what comes as his destiny.
The fourth stanza points to the pain involved in
separation from the Beloved. The lover, in his intense
longing, suffers like a sheep in the hands of a butcher.
In the last stanza, Bullah expresses gratitude to the
Lord, who bestowed on him His love, and who sent
Inayat Shah to the world as his Master.

Kih janan main koi!

What do I know of Someone, O friend?

What do I know of Someone?

The One who speaks within me,

He indeed is my essence.
I have become verily like Him.
With whom I have fallen in love.

The ring-dove coos, the fawn does wail;

They have collars round their necks.
They cease not from cooing and wailing;
In death alone their suffering will end.

Whatever happens, ‘tis the will of God;

In it the poor mortals have no say.
 K.AFI

What is written on my forehead as destiny,

I am contented and grateful for it all.

In separation from the Beloved,

The lover, in his intense longing,
Suffers like a sheep in the hands of a butcher.

O Bullah, the Lord has been merciful;

He has favored you with the wine of love.
Through His grace you have been released
From suffering by His coming as Inayat.1

What do I know of Someone, O friend?

What do I know of Someone?
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 212-214, poem 98

1. Bulleh Shah’s Master.

424 BULLEH SHAH

WHIMS OF LOVE
This poem is said to be related to a specific occasion.
Bulleh Shah, in a moment of indiscretion, displeased his
Master. To win him back, Bullah danced in the guise of a
woman in a group of qawwals.1
In a mood of playfulness Bullah complains that not
much faith can be put in the reciprocity of love from the
Beloved. No longer can he boast of such steadfast love,
because the Beloved can forsake him at will.
That the ways of the Beloved are strange and
inscrutable, is expressed by Bullah in the words: “You
ferry across the vain and the conceited, and You ignore
those who follow You in spite of the insults and disgrace
You hurl at them.” Again, “You dance with those who are
soiled, and shun those who are adorned with jewelry.”
So, says Bullah, “who can understand Your ways?”
And yet in the midst of these complaints, the longing
of Bullah for the Beloved does not decrease—“Today,
only for tonight, stay in my house, O Friend,” he says
“Undo the knots of Your heart and let the old love revive.
You had promised to come; do not tax my faith in Your
promise.”
The last two lines denote a change of mood. Bullah
gets a call from the house of the Lord to have His vision.
These lines are supposed to point to the moment of
conciliation, the moment when Inayat Shah recognizes
Bullah in the guise of the dancing girl, and forgives him
for his lapse.

1. Literally, a qawwal means one who speaks well or fluently. Here it

stands for a kind of musician who sings, usually accompanied by
an instrument. Generally, there is a group of qawwals with one of them as
its leader.
 KAF1 425

Vatt na karsan man Ranjhete yar da ue arya!

Never again shall I boast of the beloved Ranjha,

O friend!

Love is the essence of the Lord;

It is taunts of the people.
Before whom should I wail?
None will live for ever.
His secret He alone knows;
Who else can vaunt, O Friend !
Never again shall 1 boast of the beloved Ranjha,
O friend!

Today, only for tonight,

Stay.in my house, O Friend!
Undo the knots of your heart
And laugh with me, O dear!
O dear Friend, you had made a promise to me.
What trust can I put in the Beloved, O friend?
Never again shall I boast of the beloved Ranjha,
O friend!
I have sacrificed my life,
Still you do not disclose the secret, O Friend!
I have sought you several times,
Every time you run away from me, O Friend!
The friends together go about inquiring,
If the time for spinning has arrived; O Friend!
Never again shall I boast of the beloved Ranjha,
O friend!
Some are vain and self-conceited,
Those you ferry across, O Friend!
Some, insulted and disgraced, follow you;
You burn the burnt over again, O Friend!
426 BULLEH SHAH

O my beautiful, beloved Friend,

What faith can I have in your love?
Never again shall I boast of the beloved Ranjha,
O friend!

You dance with those

Who are soiled with mud, O Friend!
I have adorned myself with a string of pearls,
You flee from me, O Friend !
Says Bullah, “Pray, come home, my Beloved;
It is time I had your vision, O Friend!”

Never again shall I boast of the beloved Ranjha,

O friend!
 KAFI 427

WHITHER YOUR DESTINATION?

This kafi registers a protest against the excesses
perpetrated by high government officials and other men
of influence over common people. Bullah warns these
tyrants that life is transient, and they should not strut
with pride, treating people with callousness and disdain.
The day they will be confronted by the courier of death is
not distant. The eventuality of death cannot be avoided.
At the end Bullah, in all humility, declares that he himself
is the greatest sinner of all.

Apna das tikana; kidhron aya, kidharjana?

Which is your abode? Whence did you come?

Whither are you going?

The high office of which you are prideful

will not go with you.
You perpetrate tyranny and oppress people;
You have taken to the profession of looting.
You can strut and swagger for a while;
In the end you shall have to depart.
You will take abode in the city of the silent,
Where the whole wide world retires.
He, the relentless one, carries boat-loads ol men.
This boatman is known as the Angel of Death.
From amongst all of His countless creatures,
Bullah is the primal sinner of them all.

Which is your abode? Whence did you come?

Whither are you going?
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 6
 428 BULLEH SHAH

WHO AM I?

This is one of the most famous of Bulleh Shah’s kafis.

In his quest for the nature of his self, it has a special place.
Our philosophers and poets have often asked, “As a man,
where have I come from, and where am I going?” But, it
has rarely been asked, “Who is this T who comes and
goes?” .
In answer to the question “Who am I?” Bullah says
that he does not belong to any particular group or class.
He is neither a pious worshipper and a believer, nor is he a
member of the group of profligates. He is not committed
to the Vedas nor to any other holy book. He is neither
fully awake, nor fully asleep. He is neither affected by joy,
nor by sorrow. He is neither among the wicked, nor
among the virtuous. All these are contingent facts,
dependent on something; but his essence is necessary,
independent of everything.
He goes on to say that he is neither made of water nor
of earth, neither of fire nor of air. He belongs neither to
one country nor to another, neither to this religion nor to
that. In fact, in regard to religion, he does not believe in
its institutional and organized form. All the material
elements of which man is made are perishable, but his
essence is everlasting.
It is only in the last stanza that we get a clue as to what
he really is, and from what source he comes. His reality is
neither his body nor his mind, but his soul. The individual,
shorn of all coverings, is left with only the soul as its
essence. The soul is immortal, and is not subject to the
laws of time and space. It is free from the constraints of
birth and death, of growth and decay. It is a spark of the
Absolute, and will ultimately merge back into Him. It is
 KAF1 429

in this sense that Bulleh Shah claims that he is the

beginning as well as the end, and that he recognizes none
except the One Lord.

Bullah kih janan main kaun ?

O Bullah, what do I know who I am?

I am not among believers seen in mosques;

Nor am I versed in the traditions of unbelief. ,
I am not among the pious, nor among the sinful;
I am neither Moses, nor am I a Pharaoh.
O Bullah, what do I know who I am?

Iam not in the Vedas, nor in the holy books;1

Iam not among hemp-eaters or wine-drinkers;
Iam not among profligates, nor among libertines.
Iam neither among the awake,
nor among the sleeping.
O Bullah, what do I know who I am?

I am impervious to joy as well as sorrow;

I am not among the virtuous, nor among the wicked;
I am neither of water, nor of earth;
I am neither of fire, nor of air.
O Bullah, what do I know who I am?

I am not from Arabia, nor from Lahore;

I am not from India, nor from Nagore.
I am not a Hindu, nor a Muslim from Peshawar.
Nor do I reside in the city of Nadaun.
O Bullah, what do I know who I am?

I have not solved the mystery of religion;

Nor am I a progeny of Adam and Eve;
Nor have I a specific name of my own;

1. By books he means the Torah, the Talmud, the Bible and the Qura 'n.
430 BULLEH SHAH

I am neither among the settled,

nor among the roaming.
O Bullah, what do I know who I am?

I take myself to be the beginning and the end;

I do not recognize any one else.
There is no one who is wiser than 1.
O Bullah, who is the Lord standing there?

O Bullah, what do I know who I am?

Faqir, Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 44-45, poem 27
 KAFI 431

WHO CAN NOW RECOGNIZE ME?

The theme of this well-known poem is the radical

transformation that love brings in a person. It is love for
the Master that reveals to the disciple the glory and
beauty of the Lord. Having realized Him within, He is
now manifest everywhere—“The Lord is now seen within
and without.” And, the identity of the lover who expe¬
riences this state is completely lost in that of the
Beloved— “No name or trace of me is left.”
The last stanza says that the resplendent beauty of the
Lord acts as a divine intoxicant on His lovers. Bullah too
has come under the spell of that grace and beauty. His
changed condition could now be compared to that of a
swan transformed from that of a crow.

Hun mainun kaun pachhane?

Who can now recognize me?
Now I have become a different being.

My Guide taught me a lesson.

No stranger has admittance there.
He showed me the beauty of the Absolute Essence.
And His Unity raised an uproar!
Who can now recognize me?

Having kept himself transcendent at first,

The Lord is now seen within and without.
No name or trace of me is left.
All debate and dissent is over!
Who can now recognize me?

The Beloved himself displays His charm.

And makes the drinkers intoxicated !
432 BULLEH SHAH

Beholding the graceful pace of swans,1

Bullah has forgotten the gait of crows.2

Who can now recognize me?

Now I have become a different being.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 334, poem 155

1. Saints, whose sustenance is divine nectar.

2. Men of the world, who take pleasure in sense-gratification.
 KAFI 433

WHY THE VEIL?

There are many types of human beings in this world,

but within them all is the same Lord. Superficially they
are all different; in essence they are all the same. This
awakening comes only after man has realized God
within himself. After this inner realization, God is seen
to pervade His entire creation.
In the fifth stanza Bullah once again brings out the
mystic truth that to realize God one has to master the art
of dying while living—“Whosoever goes in quest of You,
he has to die before his death.” The expression “dying
before one s death” signifies the process of withdrawing
the soul from within the body to the eye center where
one can contact His light.
In the sixth stanza there is a mention of Krishna,
Rama and the devout Muslim pilgrim to Mecca,
through all of whom the Lord manifests himself.
In the last stanza, Bullah reiterates that he has learnt
to recognize the Lord in all His various forms, and that
he would make no more mistakes. He would never again
be misled by superficial extraneous distinctions between
man and man.

Hun kis thin ap chhupai da ?

Now, from whom do You hide yourself?

Somewhere You come to be known a Mullah;

Somewhere You teach the moral code,
Somewhere You raise the cry of Rama.
Somewhere You apply the tilak1 on Your forehead.
Now, from whom do You hide yourself?

I The ceremonial mark the Hindus sport on their forehead.

434 BULLEH SHAH

Whether this “I” is mine or yours,

In the end it is but a heap of ashes.
From this heap it has now become white earth.
And You make this heap dance to Your will.
Now, from whom do You hide yourself?

Somewhere You put on round bangles,

Somewhere You wear gorgeous apparel;
Somewhere You come as Adam and Eve.
Can I ever fail to recognize You?
Now, from whom do You hide yourself?

You set Your camp in full view,

You announced Your coming with the beat of drums.
You made yourself manifest in the world.
And then You rushed to the house of Abdulla.
Now, from whom do You hide yourself?

Whosoever goes in quest of You,

He has to die before his death.1
Even though dead, he fears You still,
Lest You should kill the already killed.
Now, from whom do You hide yourself?

In Bindra Ban You graze the cows.2 3

In Sri Lanka You sound Your trumpet.2
In Mecca You put on the garb of a pilgrim.4
O, wonderful are the guises You wear!
Now, from whom do You hide yourself?

Bullah has now rightly come to know You;

In every form he finds You out.

1. To realize God within oneself, one has to withdraw the soul current to
one’s eye center. This process is akin to dying, and is called “dying
while living” or “dying before one’s death.”
2. Refers to Lord Krishna.
3. Refers to Lord Rama.
4. The reference may well be to prophet Mohammed.
 KAFI 435

Somewhere You come, somewhere You go.

He can never fail to recognize You.

Now, from whom do You hide yourself?

Anwar Ali Rohtaki, Qanun-i-Ishq, pp. 310-311, poem 90
436 BULLEH SHAH

WITHOUT HABITATION
The Lord is said to be an entity beyond space and
time. Bulleh Shah, in this kafi, says that He is present at
all places. The essence of every living being and every
object is the Lord. In fact, the whole creation came into
existence by His command. And He put himself into His
creation as its essence, in the form of love.
As in many other poems of Bullah, there is a
pantheistic undercurrent running throughout the present
one. He himself is the speaker and himself the listener—
“You yourself hear and You make others listen.” He is
in the executed, the executioner and the spectator who
watches—“You make Mansur ascend the gallows; and,
then, stand aloof with unconcerned smile.” He assumed
the form of Yusuf and came in a dream to Zulaikha to
rob her of her peace of mind—“You became Yusuf, and
coming in a dream, You snatched away the heart of
Zulaikha.” He is in the pious as also in the profligate.
In the last stanza, Bullah in his usual style, pays
tribute to his Master, Inayat Shah. He says he is not
worthy of his name being associated with his Master’s,
who is like the philosopher’s stone, when he himself is
only base iron.

Kihnun lamakani dassade ho ?

Whom do You tell that You are without habitation?

You abide in every form, in every color.

You yourself ordained, “Let there be.”1
Who other than You came into being?
You made everything emanate from love.

I. Refers to the time of Creation. Qura 'n 2 : 117.

 KAFI 437

You abide in everyone as the lover.

Whom do You tell that You are without habitation?

Say, who brought Adam into this world?

Whence did he come, whither does he go?
Who can put any hindrance in Your way?
You yourself taste the grain and depart.
Whom do You tell that You are without habitation?

You yourself hear and You make others listen.

You yourself sing and You yourself play.
With Your own hand You play the melodies.
Somewhere You run away as an ignoramus.
Whom do You tell that You are without habitation?

Your oneness, You alone can understand.

You yourself move the string of: “I am the Truth.”
You make Mansur ascend the gallows;
And, then, stand aloof with unconcerned smile.
Whom do You tell that You are without habitation?

Even as Alexander was drawn to Naushaban,1

You became the apostle and brought the book.
You became Yusuf and coming in a dream,
You snatched away the heart of Zulaikha.
Whom do You tell that You are without habitation?

Somewhere You are in a Turk,

somewhere an Ethiopian;
Somewhere You are in a hat-wearing Englishman;
Somewhere You are in a drunkard in a tavern;
Whom do You tell that You are without habitation?

The Spouse of Bullah, Inayat, is all-knowing;

He is the captor of my heart, and the Master
of my soul.

Alexander went to bring Queen Naushaban. See Sikandar Nama.

438 BULLEH SHAH

I am iron, and he is the philosopher’s stone;

You, O Lord, are ever in touch with him!
Whom do You tell that You are without habitation?
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 194-196, poem 90
 KAF! 439

WOES OF SEPARATION

This poem is full of poignant longing of Bulleh Shah

for his Master, Inayat Shah at the time of the invasion
of Punjab by Bahadur Shah Durrani. In those times of
destruction and chaos in Punjab, Bulleh Shah, who had
been separated from his Master, pined for an early
reunion with him. In the last stanza Bulleh Shah is quite
hopeful that his Master would come and his pangs of
separation would end.

Sanun a mil yar pyarya!

Come and meet me, my Love!

You have gone far away from me;

And, You have stayed On there forever.
What is my fault? Why have You forsaken me?
Come and meet me, my Love!

There is a peerless Beloved of mine;

It is with him that I am in love.
O you with a vast family,1 know my state betimes.
Come and meet me, my Love!

When everyone is engulfed in selfishness,

The daughter comes to rob her own mother.
The twelfth2 century has opened its mouth wide.
Come and meet me, my Love!

The gate to torment of doomsday is opened;

The region of Punjab is in a terrible mess;3
Fear of the agonies of hell has killed me!
Come and meet me, my Love!

1. Here ‘vast family’ is indicative of Inayat Shah’s large following.

2. According to the Muslim Calendar.
3. Refers to the invasion of Bahadur Shah Durrani.
440 BULLEH SHAH
\

O Bullah, the Spouse will come to my home;

And quench the fire aflame in my heart!
I remember Inayat with every breath.
Come and meet me, my Love!
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 141-142, poem 69
 KAFI 441

WOUNDS OF LOVE
This lyric depicts the suffering involved in separation
from the Beloved. The lover is not only miserable in
being away from his Beloved, but has also to bear the
taunts and reproofs from people. In all probability,
Bullah is referring to the time when he was away from
his Master, Inayat Shah. Also, he was the target of
people’s ridicule, because Inayat Shah belonged to a low
caste and practiced what was considered a mean
profession of growing vegetables, whereas Bullah was a
Sayyiad, the caste to which the Prophet belonged.
In the third stanza Bullah gives a hint that he is still
immature in love, as he cries and gives out his love for
his Beloved. The wise lover would keep the treasure of
love as a closely guarded secret. He would keep his lips
sealed and would never complain.
In the last stanza, Bullah, as usual, ends with the
prayer for the grace of his Beloved and union with him.

lshq asan nal kehi kiti

What tricks has love played on me!
I am the target of people’s taunts!

No one knows my heartache,

In this land of heartless strangers.
The one who relishes the Word,
He alone knows the Truth.
The climb to this peak of love is arduous,
He truly knows who ascends it.
What tricks has love played on me!
The fire of separation has in a moment consumed me.
I go crying in the world,
Because of this grievous burn of love.
442 BULLEHSHAH

He who suffers such affliction,

He alone knows the pang of separation.
What tricks has love played on me!

I am ignorant, what do I know of love?

Only the wise know its secret.
I am a sacrifice unto this Beloved,
Who has no peer in the world.
His form and beauty are unique,
May he enjoy his fullsome prime!
What tricks has love played on me!
Mad in Your separation,
I am called the distracted one.
I pass my time as deaf, dumb and blind.
Cast on me Your merciful glance, O Master!
Test not Your strength on me, O dear!
What tricks has love played on me!

Your cheerful memory is calling me,

I cling to it all the while.
Pangs of separation torture me,
With every passing moment.
Day and night I weep, recalling
The good old days which are no more.
What tricks love has played on me!

Separation in love, like a butcher, has so struck me,

That I have completely lost my senses.
Love ignited my chest with a brand,
And did not turn to have a peep.
With numerous pretexts I weep on the sly,
I keep my secret from my parents,
Holding fast to it as my life.
What tricks love has played on me!
In every way, in every manner,
Your grace I seek at every moment.
 K.AF1 443

O Bullah, if I were to meet my Beloved,

Grateful I would be a million times!

What tricks has love played on me!

I am the target of people’s taunts!
Abdul Majid Bhatti, Kafian Bulleh Shah, pp. 158-161
 444 BULLEH SHAH

YEARNING

This popular kafi of Bullah is replete with love and

longing for his Master. He is eagerly expecting him to
come, and he makes all entreaties to the Master not to
make any further delay in coming.
Not being able to bear the separation of his Beloved
any longer^ he is in search of a suitable messenger to
convey his miserable condition and to plead to him to
come immediately.
People go to Mecca on pilgrimage, but Bullah
professes that his Mecca or his pilgrimage is Inayat
Shah, his Master. He laments at the cruelty of love.and
for being forsaken by his Beloved. He then takes some
solace in the realization that he is not the only one in
trouble, because all his friends had also been the target
of love—“Every head was enkindled with a blaze.” With
all their keen search for God, people leave this world
without attaining union with Him—“all left, consumed
in fire.”
The rare few who do attain God-realization pass a
happy life in this world too—“Those who are honored
at the bridegroom’s house are accepted in their parents’
house too.”

Main udikan kar rahi kadi a kar phera!

I am waiting for you, pray come some time!

I plead with you to send me a message.
Come, rest in my eyes and dwell in my heart!
Come with your dangling gait, my King Inayat!
I am waiting for you, pray come some time!
 KAFI 445

Who is such as can give you this message?

What fault is there in me? I am your slave!
Who is mine except you? Do not break my heart!
I am waiting for you, pray come some time!

I have searched the whole city;

whom should I send as my messenger?
On riding in the palanquin of love
my heart palpitates.
Come, Inayat Qadiri, my heart yearns for you!
I am waiting for you, pray come some time!

The first rung of love is like the Sirat1 bridge.

The Hajis go to Mecca for pilgrimage;
but I seek to see your face.
Come, Inayat Qadiri, come and hold my hand!
I am waiting for you, pray come some time!

Consumed in your love I heave sighs,

but you have a heart of stone.
Casting your hook of love you pulled my heart.
There is nothing that comes between you and me
except your own veil.
I am waiting for you, pray come some time!

Having adorned my arms with bracelets

and my wrists with bangles,
And round my neck a nine-colored cloak,2
I have been tricked by Ranjha to be left forsaken.
New sorrows have besieged me like a garland
of thorns around my neck.
I am waiting for you, pray come some time!

1. In Muslim tradition it refers to the bridge across the infernal fire, which
is described as finer than a hair and sharper than a sword, and is beset
on each side with hooked thorns. The righteous pass over it with the swiftness
of lightning, but the wicked miss their footing and fall into the fire of
hell.
2. Esoterically, the human body with nine outlets.
 446 BULLEH SHAH

I thought only I was in trouble,

but my friends were also affected.
Every head was enkindled with a blaze;
all left, consumed in fire.
Now that misfortunes have befallen me,
my quarrels with others are over.
I am waiting for you, pray come some time!

Those who are honored at the bridegroom’s house

are accepted in their parents’ house too.
The one to whom the bridegroom is inclined,
sleeps blissfully in his bed.
Empty is that courtyard, where the husband
does not speak.1
I am waiting for you, pray come some time!

O Bullah, in the longing for my Beloved,

fires blaze in my heart.
Arduous is the path of love,
my pain does not decrease.
My heart is in throbs, my boat is in a storm!
I am waiting for you, pray come some time!
Anwar Ali Rohtaki, Qanun-i-Ishq, pp. 127-128, poem 16

1. Futile is that life in which God has not been realized.

 KAF1 447

YOU ALONE EXIST

That the lover and the beloved, the disciple and the
Master are two bodies but one soul, is the subject of this
highly effective kafi. The disciple has to reduce himself
to zero, and completely merge his will in the will of his
Master. In this poem the disciple says that his soul
constantly revolves round his Master. His relationship
with his Master is so intimate and deep that his waking,
his sleeping, his speech and his silence have become
common with those of his Master.
The expression, “shadow of a house in ruins”
occurring in the poem, has been interpreted differently
by different commentators. Some understand by it that
wheel which revolves round the fulcrum of the Persian
well. Some others are of the view that it refers to that
house, whose roof has fallen and whose shadow revolves
according to the movement of the Sun. Still others
interpret it as a deserted house, which is haunted by a
disembodied soul.

Tuhion hain main nahin, Sajna!

You alone exist, I do not, O Beloved!
You alone exist, I do not!
Like the shadow of a house in ruins,1
I revolve in my own mind.
. If I speak, You speak with me;
if I am silent, You are in my mind.
If I sleep, You sleep with me;
if I walk, You are along my path.

1. A house in ruins, of which only the walls stand ; the shadow of theSun
revolves only within the walls.
448 BULLEH SHAH
\

O Bullah, the Spouse has come to my house;

My life is a sacrifice unto Him.

You alone exist, I do not, O Beloved !

You alone exist, I do not!
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bul/eh Shah, p. 25
 Baran Maha

There has been a general practice among Indian

poets in the past to compose poem-cycles on the twelve
months, called BA RAN MAHA. They described diff¬
erent moods of man in the background of nature. They
have had the purpose to draw certain lessons—moral
and spiritual—and convey them to their readers. In
general, each month represents a human birth, which
should not be wasted in idle pursuits, but should be
utilized for the real purpose for which it has been given,
viz., spiritual realization.
In this selection two months have been taken, the
month of Spring and the month of Rain.
In the month of Spring nature is radiant in all its
glory. It appears as a decorated bride, pleasing every
mind. Girls are in a buoyant mood and they play Holi,
the festival of color, to express their joy. And, yet in this
cheerful atmosphere, the wife whose husband is away
feels forlorn, and life is unbearable for her.
The last stanza brings out the invincibility of destiny,
which cannot be changed by human endeavor. It ends
with entreaties to the Lord for granting union with Him.
In the month of Rain there is an all-pervading
atmosphere of mirth and joy. Here the poet sings of the
delight of meeting his beloved Master, Inayat Shah. All
his past suffering is over, and he is grateful to God for
granting him the great boon of his Master.
450 BULLEH SHAH

THE SPRING SEASON

Phaggan phule khet jiun

In spring the fields bloom;

Even as women adorn themselves with ornaments.
Every branch is laden with blossoms;
Every bough is garlanded with flowers.

The girls are engaged in playing Holi,1

While streams of tears flow from my eyes.
It is hard to pass the days of my life,
When the shafts of love pierce my heart.
And Hpli is on.
Whatever was to happen from eternity,
None could erase the writing of His pen.
The slings and arrows of suffering
have found their target in me.
O Bullah, convey this to the Beloved,
in whose separation I shed copious tears.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 90

1. The Indian festival of colors.

 BARAN MAHA 451

THE RAINY SEASON

Savan sohe mainghala, ghatt sohe kartar
The rainy season is pleasing if there are clouds;
The heart is pleasing where resides the Lord.
“At every place abides Inayat,” calls the cuckoo.

The melodies of Malhar1 give delight

throughout Savan.2
The sorrows which had afflicted me have vanished.
The boys are playing, the girls are singing,
And my mirthful Beloved has come to my house.
My hopes have been fulfilled.
God has made me realize my dreams.
My friends have come to felicitate me.
I have set my eyes on my Beloved;
Shah Inayat has dyed me.
My hopes have been fulfilled.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 91

1. Classical Raga connected with rainy season.

2. The month of rainy season.
 The Week

Some Indian poets have composed poem-cycles on

seven days of the week, in the manner of poem-cycles on
the twelve months of the year. They also depict different
moods of the poet. In The present selection two days,
Saturday and Thursday, have been chosen.
The mood pervading in the piece on Saturday is one
of confusion. It is a blend of hope and despair. The lover
gets news of the Beloved and goes in search of him. The
search is extensive as well as intense. It is spread over
hills, jungles and barren lands. It continues at midnight
and at all odd hours of the day. The second stanza
depicts the pain involved in the anxious expectation—
“In my heart rankle rapiers of pain.”
The mood displayed in the piece on Thursday is
quite the opposite. It is the mood of joy, as the Beloved
has come in sight of the lover. The beloved Lord has
assumed the form of man and come to this world—
“Wearing our garb, the Beloved has come to the fair.”
He has distributed the wine of love to His seekers and
made them tipsy with the wine. In the rapture of union
with Him, the poet forgets his very existence—“The
goblet came into tipsy hands. I became oblivious of my
very being.”
The last stanza is a denunciation of sorcery and
spiritism1—“Let not people cause me trouble; let priests

I. The opposite of spirituality.

 THE WEEK 453

be summoned to prescribe a charm; and spirits be called

in the name of God, and bring Shah Madar to a state of
frenzy.”

SATURDAY

Chhanichhar var utavale dekh sajjan di suh

On Saturday, getting the news of the Beloved;
I have become impatient.
I shall not come back home, happen what may.
O, what tangles you’ve created, Saturday?

I am distracted with the pain of separation.

I seek him in wastelands, wilderness and jungles,
I seek him at midnight and at odd hours.
O, I am engulfed by the pain of separation.
Every minute, every moment 1 wait for you.
While sleeping, I fight lions in nightmares.
I climb on to the roof and shriek and cry.
In my heart rankle rapiers of pain.
O my Love, I am ever yours!
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat. p. 339
454 BULLEH SHAH

THURSDAY
Jumerat suhavani dukh dard na aha pap
Thursday is pleasing. No sign of pain or sin is there!
Wearing our garb1 the Beloved has come to the fair.

And then came the good Thursday!

Vats of wine2 fell to my lot.
The goblet came into tipsy hands.
1 became oblivious of my very being.
O, I’m in ecstasy!

Let not people cause me trouble,

Let priests be summoned to prescribe a charm-.
And spirits be called in the name of God;
And bring Shah Madar3 to a state of frenzy.
But I keep quiet.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 344

1. As a human being.
2. This wine refers to the spiritual nectar within.
3. The pir of Madaria fakirs, whose tomb is near Kanpur.
 The Knots

There is a practice in our villages that for an

important function, people put as many knots in a string
as there are days left for the inauguration of that
function. Then, every morning they untie a knot, and
thereby find out how many days remain for the function
to come. Obviously, when the last knot is unfastened,
that is the day of the function.
Some Sufis observe a period of forty days for certain
purposes. The number forty has come to acquire a
special significance for them. Thus, in the beginning of
the poem, a bride-to-be (signifying a disciple) counts
forty days till the arrival of her bridegroom in the
marriage party. These forty days she is to spend in her
parents’ house (in this world), making preparations
(by meditation) for going to the house of her in-laws
(the hereafter);
The poem continues thus: The girl, impatiently
waiting for union with her Spouse, unfastens a knot
every day and describes her mental condition of that
day. At last the fortieth and the last knot is also untied,
and her Beloved (her Master or God) along with the
marriage party, arrives to take her. At the time of union
the bride’s self merges in that of her spouse—“She who
is in love with the Spouse becomes the Spouse herself.”
In the last verse the metaphors of the marriage party,
etc., have been given up, and there is a direct mention of
the relationship between God and man—“You become
one with Him and stay not as His creature.”
456 BULLEH SHAH

Kaho surti gall kaj di main gandhan kityan payan

Tell me, my wise friend, “How many knots shall I tie?

On the wedding day the procession would come,
so forty would do.”
My father came and told me, “You will go to the
house of your in-laws.
Their ways and customs are different. You will not
come back again.”
I untied the first knot and sat down, prating:
After all, I have to leave, I should get
my dresses dyed.
I looked towards the market and saw people
move away.
My purse was empty, they all began to flee from me.

Invoking the name of God I opened the forty knots.

The one who relinquishes her self
merges in the Spouse.
The marriage party pleases my mind,
He comes with dangling arms.
She who is in love with the Spouse
becomes the Spouse herself.
She leaves her sense and reason behind
to go away with the Spouse.
There is no thought in my mind now
except that of my Love.
Recite “We belong to God and to God we return,”1
and behold:
That you become one with Him and remain not
Abdulla.2
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Buileh Shah, p. 92

1. An abbreviation of a saying from the Qura’n.

2. The full name of Bullah ; here it signifies a creature of God.
 Couplets and Excerpts
1. Jaisi surat ain di, vaisi surat ghain
As is the form of ain,1 so is the form of ghain.1
There is just the difference of a dot,
And the world with squinted eyes wanders in delusion.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 2

2. Us ka mukh ik jot hai, ghunghat hai sansar

His face is a light, the world is its veil.
He hath concealed himself in the veil,
Covering His face with its hem.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p.I3 and 25

3. Bhatth nomazan, chikkar roze . . .

Accursed be prayers, to hell with fasts,
And let profession of faith be damned.
Bullah! I have found the Lord within,
And the world wanders in delusion.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 20

4. Chal Bullah! chal othe chaliye, jithe sare anneh

O Bullah, let’s go where only the blind live.
There no one would care for our caste;
There none would hold us in esteem.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 18

1. In Arabic script they are written-as E. andT. Its import seems to be that
the Lord and the Murshid are the same except for the human form.
The Creator is reflected in His creation. The world in its ignorance considers
the two quite apart.
458 BULLEHSHAH

5. Itt kharke, dukkar vajje, tatta howe chullha

Where the brick strikes, the tambourine sounds,

and the oven is hot,
Where fakirs come and eat, there Bullah is happy.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 27

6. Bullah pi sharab te khah kabab

Drink wine1 and eat roasted meat,2 O Bullah,

But make thine own bones as fuel for the fire.
Be a thief and break into the house of God,3
And rob thou that Robber of all robbers.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 41

7. Makke gayan gall mukkadi nahin

By going to Mecca the mystery is not solved.

So long as the ego is not annihilated.
By going to Ganga4 the mystery is not solved.
Though you may take a hundred dips into it.
By going to Gaya the mystery is not solved,
Though you may offer many rice-cakes5 at funerals.
O Bullah, the mystery will be solved only
When the “I” is completely eliminated.
Qanun-i-Ishq. p. 272
8. Bulleh nun lok mattin dende

People advise Bullah, “Go and sit in the mosque.”

He asks, “What happens by going to the mosque.
If the prayer does not come from the heart?

1. The wine of love.

2. The meat of one’s own ego.
3. This means, by meditation as directed by the Satguru, quietly, like a
thief, enter into the house of God (within yourself) and take that trea¬
sure, which He has kept waiting for you.
4. The river Ganges.
5. A ball of rice is offered at funeral rites (Shradhas) to the deceased’s
relatives, according to Hindu customs.
 COUPLETS AND EXCERPTS 459

What use are external washings of the person.

If the filth in the heart is not removed?”
Without meeting the perfect Master, O Bullah,
All your prayers and prostrations are futile.
Qanun-i-Ishq, p. 275

9. Alif, andyan ton main sadakkare han

I welcome those who come, I bless those who depart,

But not for a moment can I part from my Beloved,
with whom I am in strange sweet love.
My bones have gone stiff, my hands have drawn ‘aunsian’1
and I have scared the crows.2
O Bullah, I am mad in love with my Spouse.
Sleeping or awake I call for the Beloved.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 16

10. Apne tan di khabar nahin, sajan di khabar Have kaun?

I am not aware of my own person,

who will bring news of the Beloved?
I am neither of earth, nor of fire, nor water, nor air;
O Bullah, the Lord permeates every being,
as does salt in flour.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalarp-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 7

11. Dharmsal dharvai vasde thakar duare thug

In shrines dwell robbers, in idol-houses thugs.

In mosques live vagabonds, the lovers remain aloof.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 44

1 A kind of figure drawn on the ground in the form of the head of a rake,
by which a superstitious ceremony is performed to prognosticate the visits
of friends. . . ■ . ,
2. A superstitious act aimed at bringing friends to one s house.
460 BULLEHSHAH

12. Ashiq hoyon rabb da, hoi mulamat lakh

You have become a lover of God,

and reaped a thousand reproaches.
They go on calling you an infidel,
you keep on saying, “Yes, I am.”
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 54

13. Gall samajh lai te raula kih

Having understood, why raise all the storm?

What is in the names Allah, Ram and Rahim?
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 64

14. Pa parhyan ton nassada han

I run from the semi-literate; Oh, how I run from them!

O ye, my scholar brothers, the semi-literate
have befuddled me.
I run from them, Oh, how I run from them!
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 83

15. Mullah te mashalchi donhan ikko chit

The mullah and the torch-bearer

hail from the same stock;
They give light to others, and themselves
are in the dark.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 85

16. Hor nein sab gallarian, Allah Allah di gall

All else is mere chatter, talk only of God.

Some confusion comes from books, some from scholars.
Nazir Ahmad, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 87

t
 COUPLETS AND EXCERPTS 461

17. Vare jayie onhan ton jehre maran gapp sharapp

I am a sacrifice unto them who indulge in tall talk.

They return a cowrie if found, but clutch at a sack.
Nazir Ahmad. Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah, p. 87

18. In ko mukh dikhlaye hai

He shows His face to them, with whom He is in love.

Only by those is He found, who are His friends.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 365

19. Munh dikhlave aur chhupe

He shows His face and then hides it.

He plays hide and seek with the world.
He lives quite near and is not to be found.
Various are the guiles He plays!
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 365

20. Bulleha vare jayie unhan ton jehre gallin

O Bullah, I am a sacrifice unto them,

who charm me with mere talk.
They give a sewing needle in charity,
but an anvil they conceal.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 366

21. Na khuda masite labhda na khuda vich kabe

God is not found in mosques, nor in the ka’ba.

He is not in the Quran, nor found in prayers.
Faqir Mohd., kulliyat, p. 366

22. Na khuda main tirath dithha ainve painde jhage

I did not see God in pilgrim-places;

In vain did I ford long distances.
462 BULLEH SHAH

O Bullah, when the Master was found,

It was the end of all disputes.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 366

23. Bulleha ghain gharurat sar sutt

O Bullah, burn your ego to ashes,

And throw your pride in the well.
Forget your body and mind;
He will himself come to your house.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 367

24. Bulleha hijrat vich Islam de

O Bullah, I ever find special comfort in departure;

I daily die and I daily come to life;
I am daily in transit.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 367

25. Bulleha ishq sajan de aye ke

O Bullah, the love for the Beloved has made me a doom.1

Our Lord is bountiful, but my service to Him is niggardly.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 367

26. Bulleha painde pare prem ke kya painda avagaun

O Bullah, I have taken to the path of love.

What is the cycle of birth and death before it!
If a blind man meets another sightless one,
Who will show the way?
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 367

1. A caste of Muslim musicians and bards ; sometimes used in contempt for

a miser.
 COUPLETS AND EXCERPTS 463

27. Bulleha man manjula munj da

O Bullah, your mind is a bundle of munj;1

Sit in a corner and beat it to a pulp.
This treasure is a gift from heaven;
Seize it with all care and caution.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 367

28. Bulleha cheri Musalman di Hindu ton qurban

O Bullah, I am a slave of a Muslim,

And I am a sacrifice unto Hindus.
Be thou in amity with both.
And leave the rest to the Lord.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 368

29. Bulleha chal sunyar de

O Bullah, let’s go to the goldsmith,

Who malleates lacs of ornaments.
They have all different shapes,
Though they are all made of one metal.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 368

30. Bulleha achhe din to pichhe qaye

O Bullah, the good days are left behind,

When you had no love for God.
What use is regretting now,
When the sparrows have ruined the fields?
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 368

1. The sheath of the seed of the plant ‘sar’, used for making ropes.
464 BULLEH SHAH

31. Bulleha kanak kaudi kamini

O Bullah, wheat,1 wealth, and woman

are all sharp as swords.
You had come to meditate on Nam,
and on the way you were slain by them.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 369

32. Arba’ anasar mahal banayo

You made a palace with the four elements,2

And then yourself entered to reside in it.
You yourself are the bride,
You yourself are the bridegroom,
And You yourself are the parents.
You yourself put yourself to death,
You yourself come back to life,
And You yourself begin to mourn.
O Bullah, whatever is His creation,
He is within it all, as its Mover.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 370

33. Bulleha rang mahallin ja charhyon

O Bullah, you have climbed on to the apartment

for festivities;
People are apprehensive about your welfare.
What we have earned from the world is a blackened face
and bruised feet.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 371

1. Signifies food.
2. The four elements are: earth, water, fire, and air.
 COUPLETS AND EXCERPTS 465

34. Bulleha je tun ghazi banana ein

O Bullah, if you wish to be a conqueror,
Arm yourself with a sword;
First kill the egotist,1 and then kill the infidel.2
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 371

35. Kanak kaudi kamini tinon kaih talwar

•\

Wheat, wealth and woman—take them all as swords.

The purpose for which you came to this world
has all gone into oblivion.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 373

36. Bulleha dharamsala vich nahin

Bullah, He is not to be found in the temple,
Where the faithful make offerings to idols;
Nor is he found in the mosque,
Where the devotees are pushed and the priest frowns.
Those blest with wealth have placed mace-bearers
at the gates of their mansions.
O, catch hold of the door of the true Lord,
from where suffering and anguish vanish.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 372

37. Bulleha qazi razi rishvate

O Bullah, the judge is happy with bribe,
And the priest happy with death.
The lover is happy with the Melody,
Whose enjoyment never declines.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 372

1. Within yourself.
2. Mind, which teaches love of the world instead of love of the Lord.
466 BULLEH SHAH

38. Bulleh Shah oh kaun hai

O Bulleh Shah, who is He,

That Supreme Friend of yours?
He holds the Quran in His hand,
And dons the sacred thread round His neck.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 369

39. Bulleha harmandir mein aye ke

O Bullah, the Lord in His temple

Asked people to render their accounts.
He sent away from Him the pedant and the pedagogue.
And He beckoned the simpletons to sit by His side.
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 371

40. Bulleha khah haram te parh shukrana

Bullah, eat thou the forbidden fare,

Thank the Lord, and give up all repentance.
Leave thou the mosque and turn aside,
Your life will be released from torment.
Abide not by the word of love,1
And save yourself from torture.
O Bullah, let’s go to that place.
Where they do not stop from drinking.2
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, p. 371

1. Written in a sarcastic vein.

2. The wine of Unity.
 Acrostic
-A Selection

THE FIRE OF LOVE

In this selection of the first six letters of Bulleh

Shah’s acrostic there is a continuous theme of love and
the suffering it entails. And when this love turns towards
God, the price it demands becomes manifold—“Whoso¬
ever has God as his Beloved, his face becomes pallid, his
eyes shed tears of blood. He washes his life off his hands,
who burns in the fire of longing.” The second and the
third stanzas continue in the same strain. In the fourth
stanza he pleads with his Beloved to show mercy on him.
In the fifth and sixth stanzas he gives reasons for his
entreaties— “I have become estranged from the world.
Since I fell in love, I have become a beggar... I make
all endeavor to have a glimpse of Him, for my heart
is pierced with the shaft of love.”

Lagi re lagi haun bal jaun

O, I am being consumed in the fire of love !
Who can extinguish this fire from within me ?

Whosoever has God as his Beloved,

His face becomes pallid, his eyes shed tears of blood.
He washes his life off his hands,
Who burns in the fire of longing.
O, I am being consumed in the fire of love !
 468 BULLEH SHAH

I have become your firewood.

Love has surged on me for a glimpse of You;
My eyes shed tears without respite.
How He sprinkles salt on my wounds!
O, I am being consumed in the fire of love !

I have fallen in love with You;

I have staked my life in the bargain.
I suffer like a lamb in the hands of a butcher.
O, I am being consumed in the fire of love !

Since I am steadfast in my love for You,

To whom else should I cry for succor?
In the middle of the night I get up abruptly,
I shriek and cry in the manner of the crane.
O, I am being consumed in the fire of love !

I have become estranged from the world.

Since I fell in love, I have become a beggar.
With the mustard I have become an apothecary;1
And the world pesters me with its taunts.
O, I am being consumed in the fire of love !

In perturbation there is no peace.

I bewail and bemoan, within and without,
I make all endeavor to have a glimpse of Him,
For, my heart is pierced with the shaft of love.

O, I am being consumed in the fire of love !

Who can extinguish this fire from within me?
Faqir Mohd., Kulliyat, pp. 377-379, Acrostic

1. Here the expression is rather obscure. May be the lover says that he
sells the mustard of love but the world taunts him.
 APPENDIX

LITERARY STYLE
Most of the compositions of Bulleh Shah are written
in the form of kafis. It was the current form of poetry
among Sufis in the times of Bulleh Shah, A kafi
resembles a hymn written by a saint, usually in the spirit
of devotion. In it the poet takes up a spiritual topic
—often love and longing for the Master or the Lord—and
deals with it in a simple, plain style. Kafi is generally
written for being sung, mostly by qawwalsK Some of the
Sufis have composed their kafis for being sung in
classical music, but the language used, as a rule, has
been simple and is easily understood even by village
folk.
Some of the kafis written by Sufis are interspersed
with Arabic and Persian words, as also references from
Islamic scriptures. However, simple language with a
flavor of the local idiom dominates the linguistic form of
the kafis.
Bulleh Shah has also composed the Baran Maha
(The Twelve Months), the Atthwara (The Week),
Siharfi (The Acrostic), Gandhan (The Knots) and
Dohre (The Couplets). The Baran Maha is a poem-cycle
on the twelve months. It draws images from the
different seasons of the year and conveys moral and

1. Literally, a qawwal means one who speaks well or fluently. Here it stands
for a kind of musician who sings, usually accompanied by an instrument.
Generally, there is a group of qawwals with one of them as its leader.
470 BULLEH SHAH

spiritual lessons to the readers. In Bulleh Shah’s Baran

Maha, the dominant theme dealt in the background of
the various months is one of love and longing. The three
Siharfis of Bulleh Shah are replete with the pain of
separation and the desire for union with the Beloved. In
them also are disclosed some profound, spiritual secrets,
in a simple though subtle language. In the Atthwara,
too, in every day of the week, the poignant feeling of
separation and yearning for the Beloved is conveyed in
different shades of the main color. In the couplets, the
poet dwells on some specific subject. Bulleh Shah’s
couplets are powerful and are marked with a boldness of
expression rarely to be found elsewhere. They deal
mostly with the futility of ritualism, and are often
directed against mullahs, qazis, pundits and the so-
called learned and the scholarly. In some of the
couplets, hints of subtle spiritual truths are given in a
simple but highly effective language.
Like other Sufi-saints of Punjab, Bulleh Shah has
employed many symbols in his compositions from the
everyday life of village folk. The most frequently used
among them are: the spinning wheel, the cotton rolls,
the ball of carded cotton, the spindle, the spinning party
comprising girls or women, the quay,the boat-load, the
well-rope, and the clay-pot. He has also called this world
as the parents’ home and the hereafter as the father-in-
law’s house. The relationship between the Lord and the
soul has been described as one between man and
woman, husband and wife, or bridegroom and bride.
Often, borrowing from classical or folk love tales, he has
called this relationship as one between Heer and
Ranjha, Sassi and Punnun, Yusuf and Zulaikha, Laila
and Majnun and the like. He has not only used the
symbols of the nightingale, the rose-garden, the chief of
 APPENDIX 471

the Magis (Pir-i-Mughan), the wine-cellar, the wine, the

cup and the goblet in the tradition of Persian mystics,
but also those of Krishna, Kahan (an epithet of
Krishna), cows, Vrindaban (the place to which Krishna
belonged), the flute, Rama, Ravan (the ten-headed
monster King of Ceylon), and Lanka. Likewise, to
convey the meaning of Kalma, Bulleh Shah has used the
words Shabd, Nam, Anhad Shabd, Flute of the Anhad,
the Sound of Anhad and so on. For the Master, he has
used the terms Guru and Satguru besides that of
Murshid. He has called the human body “The Temple of
God” (Harmandir) and “Abode of the Lord” (Thakur-
duara). From this it is obvious that his objective was to
make his message reach the people. Language and
diction were only of secondary concern with him. He
used a mixed diction only to be easily understood both
by Hindus and Muslims.
The language used by Bulleh Shah in his composi¬
tions is generally Punjabi, but some of his kafis and
couplets are written in a mixed language. In Baran
Maha too, he has employed a mixed language of
Punjabi and Hindvi. His whole attitude in regard to
language was quite liberal. His main purpose was the
correct interpretation of his ideas by the readers.
Whichever language appeared to him to be more suited
to convey his thoughts, he used it. Variation of language
could also be attributed to the nature of the audience,
which he addressed at different places. A mystic’s
message being cosmopolitan, he refuses to remain
circumscribed within the bounds of a specific religion or
a particular place.
Anwar Ali Rohtaki writes in his Qanun-i-lshq, that
it has become a general practice in Punjab and the
surrounding areas to read and recite the poems of the
472 BULLEH SHAH

perfect man, Hazrat Bulleh Shah. Since they deal with

the unity of God, and since their concern is with
ultimate, spiritual Reality, and since they are filled with
pearls and gems in simple, attractive language of
Punjab, they have a powerful appeal for the true seekers
of God. They produce such an overwhelming effect on
these lovers, that a blazing fire of love is enkindled in
their hearts. This fire, in fact, is the food which sustains
true lovers.1
He says elsewhere that in order to awaken people
from their slumber of ignorance, Sufi-saints fill their
compositions with secrets of Reality. Their writings
strike blows on their hearts in such a way, that they
become aware of their state of colossal ignorance.2
Bulleh Shah’s writings fall in the same category. They
have the effect of lightning. On his listening to them, the
listeners are shpcked and stunned. This eventually leads
them to a return to God.3
Bulleh Shah does not believe in saying something in
round-about ways. He has no faith in saying it with tact
or with diplomatic niceties. Whatever he has to convey,
he conveys it by hitting the nail on the head. His poems
are marked not only by plain speaking, but also by
bluntness. This produces a poignancy of feeling together
with a depth of insight, which puts all artifice to shame.
Bulleh Shah’s simplicity is natural and spontaneous. It is
not the result of effort and practice* If it is rustic, it is
also powerful.
One important feature of his composition is satire.
Sometimes it is subtle like the prick of a pin, but
sometimes its blow falls like a thunderbolt. Its target is

1. Qanun-i-Ishq, p.6.
2. Qanun-i-Ishq, pp. 63-64.
3. Ibid.
 APPENDIX 473

generally the mullah, the qazi and the pundit. It is also

directed against the so-called abstemious and the
abstinent; Some examples from his writings are given
below :

1. By this knowledge you are called “Good Sir”!

You tuck up your trousers
and trudge to the market.
You accept a penny and apply the knife.1
You harbor much love for the class of butchers.
Gather no more knowledge, O friend !

2. I am a sacrifice unto them

who indulge in tall talk.
A cowrie found they return,
but they clutch at a bag.

3. I am a sacrifice unto them

who delude people with pretty talk.
They give a needle in alms,
but hide back an anvil.

In the writings of Bulleh Shah can be seen a

frolicsome wantonness together with a subtlety of
thought rarely to be found elsewhere. In his kafi “Now
from whom do You hide yourself?” he says that the
Lord himself puts on the garb of a cowherd of Bindra
Ban (Lord Krishna), He as Lord Rama, then comes to
sound the battle-cry in Ceylon, and then comes in the
guise of a pilgrim (Prophet Mohammed) to Mecca.

In Bindra Ban You graze the cows!

In Lanka You sound your trumpets of triumph !

1. Commit a murder.
474 BULLEH SHAH

In Mecca You put on the garb of a pilgrim !

O, how wonderfully You disguise yourself!

The tradition of going on a pilgrimage to Mecca was

established after the departure of prophet Mohammed
from this world, but Bulleh Shah has called the coming
of the Lord in the garb of the prophet to Mecca as the
coming of the pilgrim of Mecca. What a matchless way
of description!
Continuing further, he teasingly says to the Lord:
Happen what may, now I shall no longer remain away
from You. I shall share Your secrets, and then I shall see
how You can flee from me. One rarely comes across a
lover of God, who does not only taunt and twit, but also
throws challenges and ultimatums at the Lord:

Now I shall always live with You.

I shall no longer run away in despair.
*1 shall share Your secrets;
Why do You flee from my embrace?

Likewise, he calls his Master or the Lord, “beloved

Thief in the cloak.” A thief is dangerous as such, but a
thief hiding in the cloak or in the same house is even
more dangerous. The Master or the Lord has been
called “thief of the heart,” because He pulls the heart
stealthily towards Him, and if an attempt is made to
catch Him, He cannot be caught. The soul is like a fish
caught in the net and the Master is the fisherman, who
pulls the net without being seen:
/

O mystics, before whom shall I complain?

In the fold of my cloak hides the beloved Thief.
Shah Inayat has spread the net.
And, on the sly, pulls it towards himself.
 APPENDIX 475

The way in which Bulleh Shah has taunted and

reproached his Master and the Lord as his Beloved, it
has come to make his poetry spontaneous and natural.
His Beloved ceases to be a far-off entity like the pole
star, and becomes one like a close relative or friend.
Bulleh Shah’s poetry is marked by deep sincerity of
feeling. It rises spontaneously from the depths of his
heart, even as a fountain spouts from the depths of the
earth. His poetry has a kind of abandon, which
produces an intoxicating effect on the reader. It also
inspires one to sing and dance. No wonder, it has always
been a favorite choice for the group of singers, called
qawwals.
■
 NOTES

1. Abdullah Name of Prophet Mohammed’s father.

2. Abel The second son of Adam, slain by his elder
brother, Cain. Genesis 4:2
3. Abraham The first patriarch and progenitor of the Hebrew
people; father of Isaac. Genesis 11:25
4. Adam The first man and progenitor of mankind.
Genesis 2:7
5. Arain A caste among Muslims employed in gardening,
especially vegetable gardening. Bulleh Shah’s
Master belonged to this caste.
6. Bayazid Born in Bistam in north-eastern Persia, and
Bistami where he died in 877 A.D. His mausoleum stands
there in honor of his memory. His grandfather
was a Zoroastrian, but he himself was the founder
of the ecstatic school of Sufism. He is famous for
the boldness of his expression and of the mystic’s
complete absorption in God.
7. Bostan A famous Persian classic of Sheikh Sa’di.
8. Chenab A river in Pakistan, which Sohni used to cross
every night to meet her lover, Mahinwal.
9. Chuchak Heer’s father.
10. Croesus The famous miser who hoarded forty treasures.
11. Eve The first woman and wife of Adam. Genesis 3:20
12. Farhad The lover of Shirin, who was the wife of Khusraw
Parvez, King of Persia. Farhad was promised
Shirin as his reward, if he could cut through the
rock and bring a stream on the other side of the
valley. When Farhad was on the point of
completing the project, Khusraw Parvez, fearing
to lose his wife, sent the false message of her
death to Farhad. On hearing this stunning news,
he killed himself with the axe he was working
with.
13. Gabriel An archangel who acts as one of the messengers of
God in the Bible.
478 BULLEH SHAH

14. Ganga or The most sacred river of India.

Ganges
15. Ghazi A Muslim warrior who has fought successfully
against infidels.
16. Gopis The milk-maids, with whom Lord Krishna sported
17. Gulistan A well-known Persian classic of Sheikh Sa’di.
18. Hanuman The monkey-god in Ramayana, known for his
loyalty and devotion to Lord Rama.
19. Harnaksh A character from a tale in Indian mythology.
Harnaksh, the father of the great devotee of God,
Prahalad, had proclaimed himself as God in the
manner of Nimrod and Pharaoh. He had
obtained assurance from a holy man that he
would neither die during day-time, nor at night,
that he would neither die on earth nor in the sky,
that he would neither die inside nor outside, and
that he would neither die at the hands of man nor
by beast. These assurances had convinced him
that he was the Lord Almighty. He had',
therefore, issued orders to all in his kingdom to
worship him and not God. When his son
Prahalad refused to comply with his orders, he
was made to clasp a burning hot pillar. It is said
that the pillar became cool with the touch of
Prahalad, and this infuriated Harnaksh. In a fit
of anger he hit the pillar with a mace, and a
strange creature called Narsingh, came out of it.
He had the head of a lion and the body of a man.
He caught hold of Harnaksh, put him on his lap
and sat down within a door. It was dusk time,
when it was neither day nor night. Just before
killing Harnaksh, Narsingh pointed out to him
that he was being killed neither inside nor
outside, neither on earth nor in the sky, neither
during day nor during night and neither by a man
nor by a beast.
20. Hasan One of the two grandsons of prophet
Mohammed, who died because of thirst in the
battle of Karbala.
 NOTES 479

21. Hazara The native place of Ranjha.

or Takht
Hazara
22. Heer The beloved of Ranjha in the folklore of Punjab.
She was married against her will to Saida, whom
she always avoided and was pining to meet
Ranjha. Eventually she met Ranjha, who came in
the guise of a Yogi.
23. Hussain One of the two grandsons of prophet Mohammed,
who died because of thirst in the battle of
Karbala.
24. Inayat The Master of Bulleh Shah.
Shah
25. Ishmael Son of Abraham by Sarah’s handmaid, Hagar.
Genesis 16:1-16.
26. Jalali In the folklore of Punjab, Jalali was the beloved
of Rodda, who had been asked by a savant to get
the first lesson of love through love for a woman,
before he could be fit to be a lover of God.
27. Job It is said that God gave a severe test to Job to
judge the steadfastness of his love for Him. He
was not only denuded of all his abundant riches
but also deprived of his children, who were killed
by the fall of his house. Notwithstanding all this,
he continued to serve God in a spirit of devotion
and thankfulness, even when he was struck with a
foul disease. His body was filled with worms,
which gave him such an offensive smell that none
could bear to come near him. Satan appeared to
his wife to restore everything to him, but Job
firmly declined.
28. John the Son of Elizabeth and Zacharias, cousin of Jesus,
Baptist whom he baptized; executed by Herod Antipas.
29. Jonah An Old Testament prophet who was thrown
overboard during a storm at sea caused by his
disobedience to God. He was swallowed by a
great fish and disgorged unharmed three days
later.
480 BULLEH SHAH
\
30. Kauravas The fighters who lost in the battle of Kurukshetra
in the Indian epic of Mahabharat.
31. Kheras The tribe in which Heer, the beloved of Ranjha,
was married against her wishes.
32. Khizr The prophet Khizr, who discovered and drank the
water of life, whereby he became immortal.
According to tradition, he acts as guide for those
who have lost the way.
33. Kumbh A character in the famous Indian epic, the
Karan Ramayana. He used to sleep for six months at
a stretch.
34. Laila Laila was the beloved of Majnun, whose original
name was Qais. Laila’s father did not approve of
their love, as he intended to marry his daughter to
one far more rich and higher in social status.
35. Lanka Stands for Sri Lanka, previously known as
Ceylon. In some of Bulleh Shah’s kafis it
symbolizes the human body.
36. Maha- The famous Indian epic, in which the Pandavas
bharat with the support of Lord Krishna triumph over the
mighty Kauravas.
37. Mahinwal In-the folklore of Punjab,Mahinwal was the lover
of Sohni. She was drowned in the river Chenab,
while trying to cross it on an unbaked pitcher to
meet her lover.
38. Majnun The lover of Laila. His original name was Qais. In
his love for Laila he became mad and came to be
known as Majnun, meaning “the mad one.” Death
at last put an end to his suffering, and his faithful
mistress soon followed him.
39. Malki Heer’s mother.
40. Mansur al- The most controversial figure in the history of
Hallaj Islamic mysticism. He was born in the province of
Fars, Iran in 858 A. D. He traveled widely to
various countries including India, and eventually
settled in Baghdad. His bold preaching of union
with God and his assertion “I am the Truth,”
caused him to be condemned to death. He was
cruelly executed on the 28th of March, 913
A.D.
 NOTES 481

41. Mirza In Punjabi folklore, Mirza was the lover of

Sahiban. They eloped but Mirza was killed by the
brothers of Sahiban.
42. Mount The mountain in the southern Sinai peninsula in
Sinai Egypt. Moses wished to see God face to face. The
Lord manifested His effulgence on Mount Sinai,
and it turned into ash. Moses repented and became
the first to believe. See Sura III. 142-145 of the
Qura ’n
43. Nimrod According to Muslims, he was the son of Canaan.
He asserted himself against God, but was killed by
a gnat. See Qura’n II: 260 and XXI: 68-69.
According to Christians, he was a mighty hunter,
and was Noah’s great grandson. See Genesis 10:8-10
44. Noah The patriarch chosen by God to build the ark, in
which he, his family and many animals were saved
from the flood. Genesis 5: 9.
45. Paltu A revolutionary saint of Northern India, who lived
in the 18th century. He raised his voice against the
ritualistic practices of the day, and carried a tirade
against orthodoxy. He propagated the Nam Marg
(the path of the Word)
46. Pandavas The fighters who won in the battle of Kurukshetra
in the Indian epic Mahabharat.
47. Pharaoh A tyrant king of ancient Egypt. Like Nimrod,
Pharaoh also proclaimed himself as God.
48. Punnun In the folklore of Sind, Punnun was the lover of
Sassi. Her kinsmen, not approving of their love
removed him at night from her house by drugging
him with liquor.
49. Qasur A city in the Punjab province of Pakistan, where
(Kasur) Bulleh Shah had lived.
50. Rahab An Indian Muslim saint.
51. Rama The hero of the Indian epic Ramayana. He fought
against the demon king Ravan of Sri Lanka
(Ceylon) to retrieve his kidnapped wife, Sita.
52. Ramayana The famous Indian epic in which Lord Rama tri¬
umphs over the ten-headed monster king Ravan.
482 BULLEH SHAH
s
53. Ranjha In Punjabi folklore the lover of Heer knownfor his
intense love for her. He assumed the guise of a
Yogi to meet her, after she had been married to
Saida against her will.
54. Ravan The villain of the epic Ramayana. He was the king
of Sri Lanka (Ceylon), said to be a monster with
ten heads. He kidnapped Sita, the wife of Lord
Rama, who had to go to war against Ravan to
retrieve her.
55. Rodda In the folklore of Punjab, Rodda who was a
devout lover of God, was asked by a savant to get
the first lesson of love through love for a woman.
He then fell in love with a girl named Jalali. The
relatives of Jalali strongly disapproving of this
love, cut him into pieces.
56. Rumi The greatest mystic poet of Iran, born in the 13th
Jalal-ud- century A. D. His Masnavi, in six volumes, has
din been translated in various languages of the world.
57. Sahiban In Punjabi folklore the beloved of Mirza. They
eloped, but the brothers of Sahiban who pursued
them killed Mirza.
58. Sar Bachan The holy book written by Seth Shiv Dyal Singh of
Agra, founder of the Radha Soami Faith.
59. Sarmad An Armenian saint who had settled in India. It is
said that he used to go about naked in the streets
of Delhi. He was put to death for his unorthodox
ways by Shah Alamgir in 1661. His tomb is close
to the Jama Masjid in Delhi.
60. Sassi In the folklore of Sind, Sassi was the beloved of
Punnun. At night, the kinsmen of Sassi drugged
Punnun with an intoxicating drink, and took him
away. On waking, Sassi found him missing, and
went in search of him in the desert of Sind, and not
finding him, died in anguish of his separation.
61. Sayal The caste to which Heer’s father belonged.
62. Shah The pir of Madaria fakirs, whose tomb is near
Madar Kanpur (U.P.)
63. Shah An Indian Muslim saint.
Sharaf
 NOTES 483

64. Shams-i- A Saint from Tabriz in Persia. He was the Master

Tabriz of Jalal-ud-Din Rumi, the greatest mystic poet of
Persia. Shams-i-Tabriz was flayed alive for pro¬
claiming himself to be God (I am the Truth.)
65. Shia The principal minority sect of Islam, composed of
the followers of Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of
Mohammed, who regard the heirs of Ali as the
legitimate successors to the Prophet and reject the
other Caliphs and the Sunnite legal and political
institutions.
66. Shirin The beloved of Farhad and the wife of Khusraw
Parvez, a king of Persia. Farhad was promised
Shirin as his reward, if he could cut through the
rock and bring a stream on the other side of the
valley, when the project was about to be comple¬
ted, the king sent a false message of her death to.
Farhad. On hearing this, Farhad killed himself
with the axe with which he was working.
67. Sohni In the folklore of Punjab, Sohni was the beloved
of Mahinwal. She was drowned in river Chenab
while crossing it on an unbaked pitcher that
cracked. The turbulent waters of the river could
not deter her from trying to cross it in order to
meet her lover.
68. Solomon King of Israel in the tenth century B. C.; son of
King David. Solomon is noted for his wealth and
wisdom. Also, the reputed author of three books
on the Bible.
69. Sunni The great branch of Islam following orthodox
traditions and accepting the first four Caliphs as
rightful successors of Mohammed.
70. Yazid The Caliph in Damascus, whose soldiers killed
Hasan and his family.
71. Yusuf Yusuf was the son of Jacob, who lived in Palestine.
(Joseph) Jacob had twelve sons, Yusuf being the Youngest
but one. He was the favorite of his father. His
other step-brothers felt jealous of him. They
wanted to slay him but at the request of the eldest
brother Reuben, they cast him into a pit. The
484 BULLEH SHAH

Midianite merchantmen lifted up Yusuf out of the

pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty
pieces of silver. They brought him into Egypt,
where he was further sold to Potiphar, an officer
of Pharaoh. Zulaikha, the wife of Potiphar, fell in
love with him and wanted to tempt him, but he
stood firm and was sent to prison on account of
the false accusation brought against him by
Zulaikha. Zulaikha earlier had a dream in which
she had seen Yusuf as the paragon of beauty, and
had fallen headlong in love with him. See Jami:
Yusuf and Zulaikha, Chapter 3, pp. 14-15,
Octagon Press, London, 1980, translated by David
Pendlebury.
72. Zakarias The husband of Elizabeth and father of John the
Baptist. Luke 1:5.
73. Zulaikha Wife of Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh. She fell in
love with Yusuf, who was a slave in their house.
She wanted to tempt Yusuf, but he stood firm. For
* some time he was sent to prison on account of the
accusation brought against him by Zulaikha.
Earlier, Zulaikha had a dream in which she had
seen Yusuf as the paragon of beauty, and had
fallen headlong in love with him. See Jami: Yusuf
and Zulaikha, Chapter 3, pp. 14-15. Octagon
Press, London, 1980, translated by David
Pendlebury.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Abdul Majid Bhatti —Kafian Bulleh Shah.

2. Anwar Ali Rohtaki —Qanun-i-Ishq.

3. Atam Singh —Songs of Bullah.

4. Athar Abbas Rizvi (Saiyid) —A History of Sufism in India.

(2 Vols.)

5. Bankey Behari —Sufis, Mystics and Yogis of India.

6. C.F. Usborne —Bulleh Shah, Mystic and Poet of the Punjab.

7. Diwan Singh and Bikram Singh Ghuman —Bulleh Shah da Kav

Lok.

8. Faqir Mohammad (Dr.) —Kulliyat-i-Bulleh Shah.

9. G.L. Sharma —Bulleh Shah—Vivechan te Rachna.

10. Gurdev Singh (ed.) —Kalam Bulleh Shah

11. J.R. Puri & T.R. Shangari —Sain Bulleh Shah

12. J.R. Puri & V.K. Sethi —Tulsi Sahib, saint of Hathras

13. Jit Singh Sital —Bulleh Shah —Jiwan te Rachna

14. Kirpal Singh —Bulleh Shah Ank, Panjabi Dunia, Bhasha Vib-
hag, Punjab, Patiala.

15. Lajwanti Ramakrishna —Punjabi Sufi Poets.

16. Manager, Satsang Press, Teliwara, Delhi —Kafian

17. Maula Bakhsh Kushta —Punjabi Shairan da Tazkara

18. Nazir Ahmad (Dr. Sayyiad) —Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah

19. Puran Singh —Spirit of Oriental Poetry

20. Pyara Singh Padam —Kafian Sain Bulleh Shah

21. Sunder Singh Narula —Sain Bulleh Shah (ed.)

22. Taufiq Rafat —Bulleh Shah — A Selection (Published 1982)

 .

*
• ’ 1

* .

.
'

. . , -
 BOOKS CONSULTED
1. Abu Ismail Abdulla Ansari —The Persian Mystics.

2. Adi Granth (S.G.P.C., Amritsar), 4 Volumes.

3. Encyclopaedia of Islam (New Edition).

4. Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics.

5. J.R. Puri —Guru Nanak — His Mystic Teachings.

6. John A. Subhan —Sufism, Its Saints and Shrines.

7. Muhammad Dara Shikoh —Risala-i-Haq-Numa.

8. Najm Hussain Syed —Recurrent Patterns in Punjabi Poetry.

9. Qura’n

10. R.A. Nicholson —Studies in Islamic Mysticism.

11. Religion and Philosophy of the Vedas, Harvard and Oriental

Studies.

12. Seth Shiv Dyal Singh —Sar Bachan (Chhand Band)

13. The Bible (Old and New Testament)

14. Titus Burchkardt —An Introduction to Sufi Doctrine.

 INDEX
Punjabi First Lines of Kafis Page

1. A mil yara sar lai, meri jan dukhan ne gheri (N.A. p. 15) 187
2. A sajan gal lagg asade, kiha jhera layoi? (F.M. p. 16) 189
3. Ab ham aise gum hue (N.A. p. 16) 264
4. Ab kyon sajan chir layo re? (A.M.B. p. 16) 262
5. Ab lagan lagi kih kariye? (F.M. p. 5) 253
6. Ai rut shagufiyan wali, chiriyan chuggan aiyan (N.A. p. 5)203
7. Aisa jagya gyan palita (F.M. p. 34) 320
8. Aisi man mein ayo re (F.M. p. 38) 366
9. Akkhan vich dil jani pyaria (F.M. p. 24) 260
10. Alif Allah nal ratta dil mera (F.M. p. 1) 196
11. Amman babe di bhalyai! (F.M. p. 27) 228
12. Ao faqiro mele challie (F.M. p. 29) 345
13. Ao sayyo ral dayo ni wadhai (F.M. p. 30) 161
14. Apna das tikana; kidhron aya, kidhar jana? (N.A. p. 6) 427
15. Apne sang ralain, pyare ! (F.M. p. 8) 319
16. Bansi achraj kahan bajai (F.M. p. 46) 272
17. Bas kar ji hun bas kar ji (F.M. p. 40) 237
18. Behad ramzan dassada ni dholan mahi (F.M. p. 56) 280
19. Bhainan ! main katdi katdi hutti (N.A. p. 20) 420
20. Bhanven jan na jan ve, vehre a var mere! (F.M. p. 55) 419
21. Bharvasa kih ashnai da (F.M. p. 51) 291
22. Bullah kih janan main kaun ? (F.M. p. 44) 429
23. Bullah kih janen zat ishq di kaun (F.M. p. 43) 355
24. Bulleh nun samjhawan ayian (N.A. p. 19) 404
25. Chalo dekhiye os mastanare nun (F.M. p. 106) 362
26. Chup kar ke karin guzare nun (F.M. p. 104) 301
27. Dekho ni ki kar gaya mahi (A.A.R. p. 133) 381
28. Dekho ni pyara mainun sufne mein (A.A.R. p. 162) 230
29. Dhilak gayi charkhe di hathhi (N.A. p. 37) 285
30. Dhola admi ban aya (F.M. p. 119) 167
31. Dil loche mahi yar nun! (F.M. p. 117) 311

N.A.—stand for Nazir Ahmed, Kalam-i-Bulleh Shah.

A.M.B.—stand for Abdul Majid Bhatti, Kafian Bulleh Shah.
A.A.R.—stand for Anwar Ali Rohtaki, Qanun-i-lshq.
490 BULLEH SHAH

Page

32. Eh achraj sadhu kaun kahave? (F.M. p. 35) 397

33. Eh dukh ja kahun kis age? (F.M. p. 36) 298
34. Es niunh di ulti chal! (F.M. p. 32) 395
35. Gall raule lokan pai ei (N.A. p. 65) 413
36. Gharyali dayo nikal ni (F.M. p. 228) 373
37. Ghungat chuk o sajjanan (A.M.B. p. 222) 258
38. Ghungat ohle na luk sajjana! (N.A. p. 68) 205
39. Gur jo chahe so karda ei (F.M. p. 215) 233
40. Haji lok makke nun jande (F.M. p. 108) 323
41. Hijab karen darveshi kolon (F.M. p. 110) 314
42. Hindu nahin, na Mussalman (N.A. p. 83) 290
43. Hun kis thin ap chhupai da? (A,A.R. p. 310) 433
44. Hun main lakhya sohna yar (F.M. p. 326) 389
45. Hun mainun kaun pachhane (F.M. p. 334) 431
46. Ik alif parho chhutkara ei (F.M. p. 20) 288
47. Ik nukta yar parhaya ei (F. M. p. 19) 150
48. Ik nuqte vich gall mukdi ei! (F.M. p. 22) 350
49. Ik Ranjha mainun lorida (F.M. p. 18) 296
50. Ik tuna achanba gavaq gi (N.A. p. 11) 268
51. Ilmon bas karin o yar (A.A.R. p. 277) 219
52. Ishq asan nal kehi kiti, lok marende tane (A.M.B. p. 158) 441
53. Ishq di navion ndvin bahar (F.M. p. 157) 211
54. Ishq haqiqi nein muthhi kure (F.M. p. 160) 408
55. Jichar na ishq majazi lage (F.M. p. 95) 399
56. Jind kurikki de munh ai (F.M. p. 99) I7g
57. Jis tan lagya ishq kamal (N.A. p. 28) 393
58. Jo rang rangya guhra rangya (N.A. p.31) 198
59. Kadi a mil birhon satai nun ! (F.M. p. 176) 392
60. Kadi a mil yar pyarya (F.M. p. 182) 186
61. Kadi apni akh bulaoge (F.M. p. 178) 174
62. Kadi mor muharan dholya (F.M. p. 177) 414
63 Kar kattan wall dhyan kure (F.M. p. 183) 384
64. Katt kure na vatt kure (N.A. p. 50) 333
65. Kaun aya paihan libas kure? (F.M. p. 191) 251
66. Khaki khak sun ral janan (F.M. p. 115) 206
67. Khalq tamashe ai yar! (N.A. p. 35) 400
68 Khed lai vich vehhre ghumi ghum ! (F.M. p. 193) 325
 INDEX 491

Page

69. Kih janan main koi? (F.M. p. 212) 422

70. Kih karda beparvahi je! (F.M. p. 203) 305
71. Kih karda ni kih karda ni! (F.M. p. 200) 352
72. Kihnun lamakani dassade ho? (F.M. p. 194) 436
73. Kyon ishq asan te aya ei? (F.M. p. 198) 398
74. Kyon ohle baih baih jhaki da? (F.M. p. 206) 162
75. Mae na murda ishq diwana (F.M. p.233) 282
76. Mahi ve tain milyan sab dukh hovan dur (F.M. p.232) 295
77. Main beqaid, main beqaid (N.A. p. 76) 244
78. Main churetri han sachhe sahib di sarkaron (F.M. p. 282) 340
79. Main gall othe di karda han (F.M. p. 284) 249
80. Main kussumbra chun chun hari! (F.M. p. 273) 378
81. Main kyon kar jawan ka’be nun? (F.M. p. 271) 321
82. Main puchhan shauh dian vatan ni (F.M. p. 287) 151
83. Main udikan kar rahi kadi a kar phera! (A.A.R. p. 127) 444
84. Main vich main na raih gai rai (F.M. p. 289) 255
85. Mainun chhadd gaye ap ladd gaye (F.M. p. 264) 235
86. Mainun dard awallare di pir (F.M. p. 266) 375
87. Mainun ishq hulare denda (F.M. p. 267) 341
88. Mainun kih hoya hun maithon gai (F.M. p. 270) 265
89. Mati kudam karendi yar (F.M. p. 235) 293
90. Mera Ranjha hun koi hor? (F.M. p. 263) 354
91. Mere ghar aya piya hamra (F.M. p.257) 270
92. Mere mahi kyon chir laya ei? (F.M. p. 248) 393
93. Mere naushauh da kit mol (F.M. p. 259) 284
94. Meri bukkal de vich chor (F.M. p. 260) 402
95. Mian main katdi katdi muthhi (A.A.R. p. 324) 184
96. Mittar pyare karan ni (F.M. p. 237) 224
97. Munh ai bat na raihndi ei (A.A. R. p. 246) 411
98. Murli baj uthhi ajghatan (A.A.R. p. 331) 182
99. Na jiwan maharaj main tere bin na jiwan (F.M. p. 301) 246
100. Ni kutichal mera nan (F.M. p. 306) 200
101. Ni main hun sunya ishq shara’ kih nata (F.M. p. 304) 266
102. Ni mainun lagra ishq awwal da (F.M. p. 302) 300
103. Ni sayyo main gayi guachi (F.M. p. 348) 245
104. Nit parhnaen istaghfar (A.A.R. p. 280) 222
105. Pandhya ho! (N.A. p. 21) 371
492 BULLEHSHAH

Page
106. Pani bhar bhar gayyan sabbhe apni apni var (N.A. p. 22) 159
107. Parda kis ton rakhida? (F.M. p. 61) 165
108. Partalyo hun ashiq kehre? (F.M. p. 63) 369
109. Patian likhan main sham nun (N.A. p. 23) 278
110. Paya hai kujh pay a hai (A.A. R. p. 206) 242
111. Piya piya karte hamin piya hue (F.M. p. 66) 274
112. Pyare bin maslahat utth jana (F.M. p. 67) 356
113. Pyaria sanbhal ke niunh la (F.M. p. 69) 215
114. Pyaria sanun mithra na lagda shor (F.M. p. 65) 208
115. Raho raho oye ishqa maryai! (F.M. p. 126) 335
116. Rain gai latke sab tare ! (A. A.R. p. 85) 417
117. Ranjha jogira ban aya (F.M. p. 121) 169
118. Ranjha Ranjha kardi (N.A. p. 38) 276
119. Ratin jagen karen ibadat (F.M. p. 124) 204
120. Roze hajj namaz ni maye (N.A. p. 39) 281
121. Sab ikko rang kapahin da (F.M. p. 143) 415
122. Sada main sahaurian ghar janan (F.M. p. 147) 171
123. Sade wall mukhra mor ve pyarya (F.M. p. 137) 213
124. Sai vanjare aye ni maye (N.A. p. 42) 364
125. Sain chhup tamashe nun aya ! (F.M. p. 139) 368
126. Sajanan de vichhore kolon (F.M. p. 145) 330
127. Sanun a mil yar pyara ! (F.M. p. 141) 439
128. Sayyo ni ral dayo vadhai (N.A. p. 43) 226
129. Tain kit par paon pasara ei? (F.M. p. 84) 406
130. Tangh mahi di jalian (F.M. p. 72) 193
131. Tere ishq nachayian (N.A. p. 26) 191
132. Tuhion hain main nahin, sajna ! (N.A. p. 25) 447
133. Tuk bujh kaun chhup aya ei (F.M. p. 86) 359
134. Tusi ao milo meri pyari (F.M. p. 75) 202
135. Tusi karo asadi kari! (F.M. p. 77) 327
136. Ulte hor zamane aye (N.A. p. 14) 308
137. Ulti ganga bahao re sadho (F. M. p. 26) 376
138. Utth challe guandhon yar (N.A. p. 8) 347
139. Utth jag ghurare mar nahin (F.M. p. 9) 115
140. Vekho ni Shauh Inayat Sain (F.M. p.321) 332
141. Vatt na karsan man Ranjhete yar da (A.A.R. p. 174) 425
142. Wah sohnian teri chal ajaib ! (F.M. p. 312) 343
143. Wah wah ramz sajan di hor! (F.M. p. 309) 239
 INFORMATION AND BOOKS
ARE AVAILABLE FROM:

The Secretary
Radha Soami Satsang Beas
RO. Dera Baba Jaimal Singh 143204
District Amritsar, Punjab, India

CANADA
Dr. J. Khanna, 5550 McMaster Road, Vancouver V6T 1J8, B. C.
Mr. Reginald S. Davis, R. R. 1 Crapaud, Prince Edward Island,
COA 1J0

U.S.A.
Dr. Vincent Savarese, 3507 St. Elizabeth Rd.. Glendale, CA 91206
Dr. Gene Ivash, 4701 Shadow Lane, Austin, TX 78731
Mr. Roy Ricks, 651 Davis St., Melrose Park, IL 60160
Dr. John Teinpler. 114 Verdier Rd., Beaufort, SC 29902
Dr. Frank Vogel, 7 Pelham Terrace. Arlington, MA 02174

MEXICO
Mr. Jorge Angel Santana, Cameta 2821, Jardines Del Bosque,
Guadalajara, Jalisco

SOUTH AMERICA
Dr. Gonzalo Vargas N., P.O. Box 2666, Quito, Ecuador
Mr. Leopoldo Luks, Ave. Maracay, Urb. Las Palmas,
Qta. Luksenburg, Caracas, Venezuela
Mrs. Rajni B. Manglani, % Bhagwan’s Store, 18 Water Street,
Georgetown, Guyana

WEST INDIES
Mr. Thakurdas Chatlani, 2A Gittins Avenue, Maraval, Trinidad
Mr. Sean Finnegan, P.O. Box 2314, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Mr. Bhagwandas Kessaram, % Kiddies Comer, Swan Street,
> Bridgetown, Barbados
494 BULLEHSHAH

ENGLAND
Mrs. F. E. Wood, Willow Cottage, Worple Road,
Leatherhead, Surrey.

SWEDEN
Mr. T. Gunther, Skakeltorp 6018, 441 00 Alingsas

DENMARK
Ms. Inge Gregersen, Askevenget-15, 2830 Virum

HOLLAND
Mr. Jacob Hofstra, Geulwijk 6, 3831 LM Leusden

WEST GERMANY
Mr. Rudolf Walberg, Falkenstr. 18, D-6232 Bad Soden/Taunus

AUSTRIA
Mr. Hansjorg Hammerer, Sezenweingasse 10, A-5020, Salzburg

SWITZERLAND
Mr. Olivier de Coulon, Route de Lully, 1111 Tolochenaz

FRANCE
Count Pierre de Proyart, 7 Quai Voltaire, 75007 Paris

SPAIN
Mr. H. W. Balani, Balani’s International, PO. Box 486, Malaga

PORTUGAL
Mr. Alberto C. Ferreira, R. Machado dos Santos 20, 2775 Parede

GIBRALTAR
Mr. Aijan M. Thadani, Radha Soami Satsang Beas, P.O. Box 283

ITALY \
Mr. Ted Goodman, Via Garigliano 27, Rome 00198

GREECE
Dr. Constantine Siopoulos, Thrakis 7, 145 61 Kifissia

CYPRUS
Mr. Hercules Achilleos, Kyriakou Matsi 18,
Pallouriotissa—T. K. 9077, Nicosia
 LOCAL ADDRESSES 495

WEST AFRICA
Mr. Krishin Vaswani, Vaan-Ahn Enterprise Ltd., P.O. Box 507,
Monrovia, Liberia
Mr. Nanik N. Balani, Kewalram (Nig.) Ltd., P.O. Box 320, Lagos,
Nigeria
Mr. J.O.K. Sekyi, P.O. Box 4615, Accra, Ghana

EAST AFRICA
Mr. Sylvester Kakooza, P.O. Box 31381, Kampala, Uganda
Mr. Sohan Singh Bharj, P.O. Box 47036, Nairobi, Kenya
Mr. D. N. Pandit, United Timber Traders Ltd., P.O. Box 1963,
Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
Mr. David Bowskill, P.O. Box 11012, Chingola, Zambia
Mr. Vernon Lowrie, P.O. Box 690, Harare, Zimbabwe

SOUTH AFRICA
Mr. Sam Busa, P.O. Box 41355, Craighall, Transvaal 2024
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MASCARENE ISLANDS
Mr. D. S. Sumboo, 9 Bis Harris Street, Port Louis, Mauritius

ISRAEL
Mrs. H. Mandelbaum, P.O. Box 2815, Tel Aviv-61000

U. A. E.
Mr. Jiwatram Lakhiani, P.O. Box 1449, Dubai

KUWAIT
Mr. & Mrs. Ghassan Alghanem, P.O. Box 25549, Safat, Kuwait

AFGHANISTAN
Mr. Manak Singh, % Manaco, P.O. Box 3163, Kabul

SRI LANKA
Mr. D. H. Jiwat, Geekay Ltd., 33 Bankshall Street, Colombo-11

NEW ZEALAND
Mr. Tony Waddicor, P.O. Box 5331, Wellesley St. P.O., Auckland 1

AUSTRALIA
Dr. John Potter, Long Wood Road, Heathfield, South Australia 5153
Mr. A. J. Walker, 8/445, Canning Highway, Melville,
Western Australia 6156
496 BULLEHSHAH

INDONESIA
Mr. G. L. Nanwani, Yayasan, Radhasoami Satsang Beas,
JL. Kelinci Raya No. 32A, Jakarta Pusat
Mr. Bhagwan N. Chugani, % Jl. Coklat 20-22, Surabaya

SINGAPORE
Mr. Bhagwan Asnani, 1806 King’s Mansion, Singapore-1543

MALAYSIA
Mr. N. Pal, % Muhibbah Travels Agency, Sdn. Bhd.,
46 Jalan Tanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur 01-07

THAILAND ^
Mr. Harmahinder Singh Sethi, Sawan Textile Ltd. Part.,
154 Serm Sin Kha Sampheng, Bangkok 10100

HONG KONG
Mrs. Cami Moss, Hongkong Hilton, G.P.O. Box 42
Mr. Gobind Sabnani, G.P.O. Box 3906

PHILIPPINES
Mr. Kay Sham, P.O. Box 2346 MCC, Makati, Metro Manila

Mr. L. H. Parwani, Radha Soami Satsang Beas, 2—18 Nakajimadori

1-Chome, Aotani, Fukiai-ku, Kobe-651

*******

FOR OTHER FOREIGN ORDERS WRITE TO:

Mr. Krishin Babani, Buona Casa Bldg., 2nd Floor, Sir P. M. Road,
Fort Bombay-400 001, India
Addresses changed since this hook was printed:
 BOOKS ON THIS SCIENCE
Soami Ji Maharaj
1. Sar Bachan

Baba Jaimal Singh

2. Spiritual Letters (to Huzur Maharaj Sawan Singh:
1896-1903)

Huzur Maharaj Sawan Singh

3. Discourses on Sant Mat
4. Philosophy of the Masters (Gurmat Sidhant), 5 vols.
(an encyclopedia on the teachings of the Saints)
5. My Submission (introduction to Philosophy of the Masters)
6. Philosophy of the Masters (abridged)
7. Tales of the Mystic East (as narrated in satsangs)
8. Spiritual Gems (letters: 1919-1948)
9. The Dawn of Light (letters: 1911-1934)

Sardar Bahadur Jagat Singh Maharaj

10. The Science of the Soul (discourses and letters: 1948-1951)

Maharaj Charan Singh

11. Die to Live (answers to questions on meditation)
12. Divine Light (discourses and letters: 1959-1964)
13. The Path (first part of Divine Light)
14. Light on Saint Matthew
15. Light on Sant Mat (discourses and letters: 1952-1958)
16. Quest for Light {letters: 1965-1971)
17. Light on Saint John
18. Spiritual Discourses
19. Spiritual Heritage (from tape-recorded talks)
20. The Master Answers (to audiences in America: 1964)
21. Thus Saith the Master (to audiences in America: 1970)
22. Truth Eternal (a discourse)
498 BULLEH SHAH

Books about the Masters

1. Call of the Great Master—Diwan Daryai Lai Kapur
2. The Living Master—Katherine Wason
3. With a Great Master in India—Dr. Julian P. Johnson
4. With the Three Masters, 3 vols.—from the diary of
Rai Sahib Munshi Ram
5. Heaven On Earth—Diwan Daryai Lai Kapur

Books on Sant Mat in general

1. A Soul’s Safari—Netta Pfeifer
2. In Search of the Way—Flora E. Wood
3. Kabir, The Great Mystic—Isaac A. Ezekiel
4. Liberation of the Soul—J. Stanley White, Ph.D.
5. Message Divine—Shanti Sethi
6. Mystic Bible—Dr. Randolph Stone
7. Mysticism, The Spiritual Path, 2 vols.—Prof. Lekh Raj Puri
8. Radha Soami Teachings—Prof. Lekh Raj Puri
9. Ringing Radiance—Sir Colin Garbett
10. Sant Mat and the Bible—Narain Das
11. Sarmad, Jewish Saint of India—Isaac A. Ezekiel
12. Teachings of the Gurus—Prof. Lekh Raj Puri
13. The Inner Voice—Colonel C. W. Sanders
14. The Mystic Philosophy of Sant Mat—Peter Fripp
15. The Path of the Masters—Dr. Julian P. Johnson
16. Yoga and the Bible—Joseph Leeming

Mystics of the East Series

1. Saint Paltu—Isaac A. Ezekiel
2. Saint Namdev, His Life and Teachings—J. R. Puri and
V. K. Sethi
3. Tulsi Sahib, Saint of Hathras—J. R. Puri and V. K. Sethi
4. Tukaram, Saint of Maharashtra—C. Rajwade
5. Dadu, The Compassionate Mystic—K. N. Upadhyaya, Ph.D.
6. Mira, The Divine Lover—V. K. Sethi
7. Guru Ravidas, Life and Teachings—K. N. Upadhyaya, Ph.D.
8. Guru Nanak, His Mystic Teachings—J. R. Puri
9. Kabir, The Weaver of God’s Name—V. K. Sethi
10. Bulleh Shah—J.R. Puri and T.R. Shangari
 Prof. J.R. Puri was head of the
Department of Philosophy at the
Punjabi University, Patiala from
1969 to 1976. Earlier, he was head of
the post-graduate Department of
Philosophy, Mahendra College,
Patiala for more than a decade.
After his retirement as a teacher of
philosophy for more than thirty-five
years, his present interest centers
mainly on the sfudy and practice of
mysticism.

Dr. T.R. Shangari is head of the

post-graduate Department of Punjabi
in D. A. V. College, Jullundur. Among
other Sufi poets of the Punjab, he
has been lecturing on Bulleh Shah
for the last many years to his classes.
He has also made a deep study of the
major religions of the world.
When I grasped the hint of love,
I banished “mine” and “thine” from me.
I was cleansed within and without.
Now, wherever I look, the Beloved pervades.
Ever new, ever fresh, is the spring of love!
—p. 211

People advise Bullah, “Go and sit in the mosque.”

He asks, “What happens by going to the mosque,
If the prayer does not come from the heart?
What use are external washings of the person,
If the filth in the heart is not removed?”
Without meeting the perfect Master, O Bullah,
All your prayers and prostrations are futile.
— p. 458

The mullah and the torch-bearer

Hail from the same stock;
They give light to others,
And themselves are in the dark.
—p. 460

Bulleh Shah