208 - राधा - कृष्ण

कृष्णा की बांसुरी बन होंठ से लग जाऊंगा

पाँव की महावर बन राधा का हो जाऊंगा। 

सुबह शाम साँस-साँस बस एक राधे -श्याम 

भाव-कुभाव उचार भव -सागर तर जाऊँगा। 

रूप-राशि है अनूठी युगल सरकार की मेरे  

देख भला मैं मंत्रमुग्ध कैसे न हो जाऊँगा। 

चलता है उसका ही सिक्का सारे सप्तलोक मे 

कीर्ति गाथा मैं निरंतर गाता उसकी जाऊँगा।

हर रूप में,हर रंग में रहता वो सभी के संग में 

दिल से जो स्वीकार लूँ ,खुद वही हो जाऊँगा। 

207 - राम नाम बड़ा महान

राम नाम बड़ा महान
कैसे करू इसका बखान।
मिल गया कोई तो राम-राम                                                                  
चला गया तो भी राम-राम।
राम से बड़ा नहीं कोई नाम
महादेव भी जपते इसे अविराम।
निर्गुन,सगुन सबका विश्वास
मेरा भी बने श्वांस -प्रश्वांस।
नित नूतन यही एक नाम
मांगता हूँ तुमसे श्रींराम।
सदा का मैं तो अकिंचन
बस यही दिव्य वरदान।

206 - नाम को लेते

साईं वो समय कब आएगा 

जब माया का डर मिट जाएगा। 

चारों तरफ बस अपना नूर 

मुझको तू दिखलायेगा। 

मन हो जाएगा निर्मल 

हृदय "नलिन"मुसकायेगा। 

ये जीवन जो कठिन बड़ा है 

सहज-सरल हो जाएगा। 

नाम को लेते हर छण तेरे 

बुरा वक्त काट जाएगा। 

जब कभी बुलाऊंगा तुझको 

तू दौड़ा-दौड़ा आ जायेगा। 

काम करेगा खुद तू सारे 

नाम  मुझे दिलवायेगा। 

205 -- ग़ज़ल -36

दिल लगा बैठे हैं हम तो उस ऐसे चश्मेनूर से

वज़ूद जिसका हर जगह पर दिखता हैआप से। 

दिल को अच्छा लगा कि तुम चाहते हो दिल से 

क्या करें मज़बूर हैं मगर हम भी अपने दिल से। 

दुनियावी हकीकत से मुश्किल है बहुत उसकी डगर 

इतना तो हम भी जानते हैं,झूठ नहीं कसम ईमान से। 

आलस,कामचोरी की लत लग गयी हमें इस जमाने से 

हर मर्ज़ का इलाज़ ढूँढते हैं महज़ एक अदद रिमोट से। 

मंझे "उस्ताद" भी हैं पीछे उस्तादी में उसके आगे   

पर कबूल ले शायद कभी,चल रहे इस उम्मीद से। 

204-ग़ज़ल -35

एक फ़कीर को चाहना क्यों कर गुनाह हो गया
ये मेरा मज़हब भला क्यों कर बौना सा हो गया।

देश भारत मेरा था कभी सारी दुनिया का गुरु
शायद इसी रंग-ढंग से वो खानों में बँट गया।

वैसे तो एक फ़कीर को मढा जो जेवरात से
जीना उसका इस जहाँ में दूभर बना गया।

वो हर हाल खुश था अपनी टाट और खपरैल से
बेवजह मसला उसे आँख का काँटा बना गया।

द्वैत- अद्वैत से परे कैसा भला ये अहम का बोल
रजअतपसन्द*मगर क्यों कर "उस्ताद"हो गया।

  *जिसे तरक्कीपसंद विचार न आते हों 

203 - KA CHUP SADHI RAHA BALWANA

Pranvau pavan kumar khal ban pavak gyandhan

Jasu hriday agar basahi Ram sar chap dhar.

(I bow down to Hanuman, the leader of the knowledgeable, who is akin to wildfire for those who stand like a forest of evil, and in whose heart Lord Ram lives eternally with His bow and arrows.)

The character of Sri Hanuman Ji Maharaj is absolutely amazing. He is such a guileless, humble and dedicated servant of his deity, Lord Ram that it is quite beyond comparison to anyone else’s devotion. This is the reason that Mother Janaki blesses him with these words, ‘Ajar amar gunnidhi sut hohu karahun bahut raghunayak chhohu’ i.e. ‘O son, may you forever be youthful, eternal and treasure of all virtues.’ This is the reason that Sri Hanuman, the son of Anjani and Pawan, an incarnation of Lord Shiva and one among the ‘ashta chiranjeevi’, is worthy of being worshipped by all – children, youth and elderly – owing to his innumerable wondrous leelas.

Today’s modern era is creating a new world altogether. It’s as if the entire world has shrunk to fit a palm. The entire scenario is transforming rapidly due to the influx of multinational companies and massive conglomerates, cut-throat competition and financial disparities. The fundamental ethics and ideals of the mankind are changing their hues akin to a chameleon. It appears as if the scary sketch of Kaliyug as drawn in our ancient texts is about to come alive. Under these tough circumstances, the only entity that can bring awakening to our devotion and wisdom with its midas touch is the ‘Hanumat Tattva’ the element of Sri Hanuman, that’s lying hidden deep inside each one of us. All that’s required is that it be reminded of its own powers. As has been mentioned in the famous verse, ‘Ka chup sadhi raha balwana’, once we realize our abilities, our strength, no task is too tough to accomplish. Again, as it has been said, “kaun so kaj kathin jag mahi”. There is no such thing as a task too tough to be accomplished. Actually speaking, all the ancient religious texts appear to be attempting artistically to awaken the strength and talents hidden deep inside a human being. No doubt, a character as inimitable as Sri Hanuman makes possible a seemingly impossible mission upon hearing the humble and pitiful calls of His devotees. There can be no two options on this. Time and again, the ‘leelas’, the chains of events created by God are a clear example of this fact ‘Bhav vasya Bhagwan’, i.e. the God lies in the feeling. This is indeed a universally accepted thought. Though God does not unveil His supreme presence in front of all and sundry, those facets are revealed only to those who are worthy of beholding it. ‘Soi janeu soi dehu janai, janat tumhhi-tumhhi hoi jaye’ i.e. only he gets to know You, who has been blessed by You’. For once a person knows God, he or she becomes fully and truly aware of his own self.

Even if we are not able to attain the heights that only a true devotee can, we can still attempt to move higher by accepting Sri Hanuman’s character that’s forthright, kind, eager to serve, humble and dignified, as the ideal one. If we do so, we shall certainly discover that our lives are becoming more purposeful, more meaningful with each passing day. We shall also find that our lives are getting imbued with new energy, inspiration and objectives. ‘Karat karat abhyas ke jarmati hot sujan’ i.e. if we practice again and again in small measures, the cup of life will certainly become full to the brim. After all, if we can raise our flag at Himalayan peaks, scan the deepest oceanic chasms and put our footprints at others celestial bodies, we certainly cannot be without a certain amount of cerebral powers. Still it is possible that in our haste to gather worldly achievements onto our lap, we may lose the ability to differentiate between a diamond and a glass shard.

In the same context, one remembers a leela of Sri Hanuman. It occurs when Lord Ram is crowned the king of Ayodhya after His return from the exile. At this hallowed occasion, Lord Ram bestows presents on his courtiers, ministers and monkey-friends. He takes off a necklace of priceless gems from His neck and gifts it to Sri Hanuman. But what’s this? Hanuman is cracking each gem into two with his teeth and is checking their innards. Everyone is surprised. Someone asks, “What are you doing?” Hanuman replies innocently that He doesn’t want these gems as they are devoid of His Lord’s image. He reiterates that He’s a worshipper solely of Lord Ram. Thus Sri Hanuman makes it clear that his goals are absolutely bereft of any worldly attractions whatsoever.

Sri Hanuman is an outstanding orator and an able envoy. There is no ego or selfishness in Him. His service, His wisdom, His valor, these are all dedicated to the Lord. He considers nothing as his own. Lord Ram sends Sri Hanuman who He considers to be ‘Vidyavan guni ati chaatur’, i.e. ‘knowledgeable, virtuous and cleaver’ as his messenger to Sita while she is being held captive in Ravan’s evil kingdom. Sri Hanuman is able to invoke this confidence in her that Lord Ram has ample power and ability to come to her rescue. On the other hand, He also inspires Lord Ram to liberate Sita from the agonies of their separation as soon as possible. This quality of Sri Hanuman is worthy of being emulated by the representatives of media, an important column of democracy. It is imperative that communication between diverse parties be harmonized in order to do good to the society.

In the wide river of Hinduism flow the smaller rivulets of Vaishnava, Shakta and Shiva traditions. It is an astounding quality of Sri Hanuman’s character that He is able to raise them all to a point of cohesive correlation. Being an incarnation of Lord Shiva, He’s able to attract the followers of Shiva. On the other hand, He is a beloved devotee of Lord Ram, Himself an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Ram is so pleased by Sri Hanuman’s devotion that He says, “Sun kapi tohi saman upkari, nahi koi surnar muni tanudhari” i.e. “O Hanuman, there is no god, human or saint who is as beneficent as you are.” Thus Hanuman is loved by the Vaishnavas as well. Sita represents the Adishakti, the mother of the creation and she loves Sri Hanuman like a son. Therefore Sri Hanuman becomes a deity for the Shaktas too. Thus Hanuman weaves the diverse spiritual filaments into one thread and unites all the different aspects of God.

Sri Hanuman stands first among the knowledgeable. Even as a child, He reaches out to devour the sun believing it to be a fruit. Actually, the significant meaning behind this leela is that He is determined to absorb knowledge from the sun, the symbol of light of knowledge. He holds a boon that the brahmastra shall have no impact on Him. Yet he willingly bears the pain of Meghnad’s brahmastra on His own being, so that the honor and dignity of Brahma be maintained and still the mankind be spared the ill effects of that deadly weapon. Another endearing aspect of His personality is His eagerness to please Lord Ram. When he gets to know from Sita that she applies sindoor on her forehead to please Lord Ram, Sri Hanuman in his childlike innocence rubs sindoor all over his body and thus ascends the highest throne of veneration in the domain of devotion.

Another name of Hanuman is Pawan Putra owing to the role played by the God of wind in His birth. Wind or air is the element that’s also known as the ‘prana tattva’ or the ‘consciousness’. Hanuman is also worshipped as the ‘Panchmukhi’ or the ‘five-faceted one’. Behind that too lies His self-control, His absolute ownership over the physical body that’s composed of the five elements of  ‘kshiti, pavak, jal, gagan, sameera’ i.e. ‘earth, fire, water, sky and air’.

For Vibhishan, Sri Hanuman is a sage, without whom the blessings of the Divine Grace is impossible, ‘Binu hari kripa milahi nahi santa’. If Sugreev is safe from Bali, it is due to Sri Hanuman. Lakshman, Sita, Bharat and even Ram acknowledge the debt they owe to Him, “Sun sut tohi urrinn main nahi” i.e. “O son, I cannot repay the debts I owe to you”. It is an extraordinary trait of His personality that He stays as comfortable in His immense enlightened body, kanak bhoodharakar shareera’ i.e. ‘the gigantic, shining golden form’, as He is in His minutest form that’s nearly the size of a mere mosquito, ‘masak saman roop kapi dhari’. Hanuman simply does not have the biased vision that differentiates between a small job and a big one. Whatever He does, He does with full physical and mental absorption. No wonder then that the result too is always cent percent. And then it is His salient feature that He has the amazing humility to term His own ability of making possible the seemingly impossible as ‘So sab tav pratap raghurai’ i.e. ‘it’s all due to the grace of the Lord’. This is the reason that everyone adores the attractiveness of Sri Hanuman’s character. Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Christians – His devotees belong to all faiths. Many Muslims too admire Him from the heart. The history of Lucknow’s Hanuman Temple at Aliganj is a living example of this fact. For believers of astrology, He is the ‘sankat mochak’, the savior, who protects them from the ill effects of malefic planets such as shani, rahu and mangal.

Sri Hanuman is so famous in His ‘ashtasiddhi, navnidhi ke daata’ being that it has been reported that even Barrack Obama, the President of USA too always keeps a small idle of Him nearby. On the other hand, the founder members of Lucknow’s Sardar Bhagat Singh College of Technology and Management have named Him their Chairman, the highest post of the institution.

This on one hand shows Sri Hanuman’s affection towards His devotees and on the other, this is the reflection of the inimitably inherent feeling of service in Sri Hanuman’s personality towards which everyone wants to express gratitude. And this is the reason that people look up to Him as their ideal and seek His blessings for emerging victorious in their lives’ battles. Great indeed is Sri Hanuman, the king of devotees, the treasure trove of virtues.

202 - सदगुरु

सदगुरु  नाम तुम्हारा साईं
लगता सबको प्यारा।
मन से इस नाम को लेकर
हर कोई सब कुछ पाता।
जब भी हमने तुम्हें पुकारा
तू दौड़ा-दौड़ा है आया।
श्रद्धा-सबूरी करता जो प्राणी
वो तो बस तेरा ही हो जाता।
दुनिया के विषम जाल से
तू ही सदा हमें बचाता।
हर प्राणी में तू ही रहता
ऐसा हमको सदा बताता।
जाति-धर्म की तोड़ दीवारें
मानव-प्रेम सिखाता।  

201 - ग़ज़ल 34

एक मासूम सा बचपन हम सबको चाहिए
न हो जीनियस मगर सरल होना चाहिए।                                    

करे न गिट-पिट चाहे विदेशी अंदाज  में
बात करने का सलीका उसे आना चाहिए।

माँ,बहन,बेटी बेगम हो चाहे किसी घर की
इज्जत हमें देना हर हाल सीखना चाहिए।

जाति,मजहब से लगाव कुछ हद तो ठीक है
कौम को ही सर्वप्रथम मगर रखना चाहिए। 

"उस्ताद" बन न सको अगर,कोई बात नहीं
शागिर्द का किरदार बखूबी निभाना चाहिए।

200 - श्री सीता राम

तेरे नाम के साथ जुड़ जाए मेरा नाम
यही कामना का दो मुझको वरदान।
हर तरफ जहाँ हो तेरा गुणगान
वहीँ रहूँ मैं,वो ही हो मेरा घर बार।
चलूँ अगर कभी तो बस उसी तरफ
जिस तरफ सजा हो तेरा दरबार।
सुबह-शाम शीश झुके नित बारम्बार
मेरे प्यारे,युगल चरण श्री सीता राम। 

ग़ज़ल -33

अपनी किस्मत नहीं साथ देती दिखे 

वो तो जब भी मिले रूठे-रूठे दिखे।  

प्यार की बात उनसे हम कह न सके

वो तो गैरों से ही दिल लगाते दिखे।  

दिल में दस्तक हुई पर कहाँ वो मिले 

यूँ गली से आते-जाते,अक्सर दिखे।

प्यार में ख्वाब हमको बहुत हैं दिखे

पर हकीकत ये उनको कैसे दिखे।

प्यार की बात "उस्ताद" हम कैसे करें 

हर कोई यहाँ तो,खुद में गुम सा दिखे। 

गाँवों के हालात

बूढ़े बरगद ने देखे हैं, गाँवों के विषम हालात
उम्र से पहले तभी तो इसका,बूढ़ा हुआ गात।

पानी,बिज़ली की चक-चक,हर सुबह के साथ
कभी-कभी तो एक निवाला, तरसे देखो हाथ।

कभी बाढ़ तो कभी सूखे की,जब पड़ती है मार
लकदक,चमक कपड़ों में फिर आती सरकार।

सिर फोटुवल,खूब कराते मुल्ला-पंडित हर बार
फिर भी जनता बूझ सके न, इनका कारोबार।

जाने कितने उलटे-सीधे रहते,पंचायत के फरमान
सब करते उन्हें कबूल मानो अल्लाह का वरदान।

कब तक चले यही सिलसिला,अब कुछ तो सोचो यार
गाँव ही तो अपना सदा रहा है,भारत का दृढ आधार।

ग़ज़ल-32

क्या गिला शिकवा अपने हालत से कीजिए                                    

जहाँ रहिए हर-हाल निर्विकार बने रहिए।

ऊँची मीनारों की भी गिर जाती हैं दीवार
हो छोटी कुटिया तो भी मस्तहाल रहिए।

अलहदा है सबका अपना-अपना वज़ूद
मिलजुल के मगर सब साथ रहिए।

हाथों में भी उगा सकते हैं हम सरसों
है सांस जब तक,आस बनाए रहिए।

भेजा है उसने हमें यहाँ अमन चैन के लिए
"उस्ताद"सुख,दुःख में सबके शरीक रहिए।  

ऋतुराज वसंत का स्वागत

ग़ज़ल-99फकीर के पास

फकीर के पास है क्या तेरा दिल बहलाने को।

प्यार,मेहरबानी के सिवा कुछ भी लुटाने को।।

जो आता है चला जाता है छोड़ के यूँ ही सरेआम।
कोई भी कब तलक बढे किसी का हाथ थाम निभाने को।

मिलती हैं राहों में हरेक को बुलंदी या कि गर्दिशें।सो लिखा लकीर का है भला जज्बा किस में मिटाने को।

वक्त से सबक लेते हम अगर तो बात अलग होती।
चिकने घड़ों को मिलेगा "उस्ताद" कौन सिखाने को।। 

@नलिन #उस्ताद

कृष्ण,श्याम,गोपाल,मुरारि

कृष्ण,श्याम,गोपाल,मुरारि
जाने तेरे कितने नाम बिहारी।                                                                      

नटवर-नागर,नलिन-नैन गिरधारी
तेरी लीला पर हर गोपी है वारी।

मुरली,मनोहर रास-रच्चेया हे हरी
अनगिन भक्तों की लाज सदा संवारी।

उर में मेरे रास रचा हर दिन ओ बनवारी
तभी कहूँगा तूने मेरी,आ के मति सुधारी।

माखन-चोर,लाल-यसोदा तू तो है कंसारि
बांकी चितवन ऐसी तेरी,सब जाएं बलिहारी।

दुष्टों की अति से कांपे धरती सारी
अब आजा तू बन कर सुदर्शनधारी। 

संभाले कमान -युवा हिदुस्तान

ग़ज़ल-87 जब से प्यार

जब से प्यार उसका दिल में बसने लगा।
सारी दुनिया की नज़रों में रहने लगा।।

हर तरफ अब तो है बस तू ही तू।                    असर प्यार का खूब दिखने लगा।।

जाने कितने जन्मों के ख्वाब हकीकत हुए।
साथ मुझे मिला तेरा तो मैं चहकने लगा।।

प्यार का बसंत खिलता है अब अंग-अंग।
काँटों का साथ भी फूलों सा लगने लगा।।

बन्दे बसाते हैं प्यार की जो अलग दुनिया।
"उस्ताद" रंग में है उनके अब रंगने लगा।।

@नलिन #उस्ताद 

SEEKING THE GURU’S BLESSINGS

‘Agyan timirandhasya gyananjanshalakya

Chakshurunmeelitam yen tasmaih sri guruvaih namah’

(I bow down in front of such a Guru who brings the light of enlightenment to eyes blinded by the darkness of ignorance by applying kajal of knowledge to them.)

As per the Advyatarak Upnishad, ‘gu’ means darkness and ‘ru’ means light. The Guru is neither male nor female. Guru is beyond the bounds of gender. Guru is actually not a physical being but a process, a work, a principal who propels us towards higher consciousness, God or our own self. Standing on the gateway of eternal life, he with one hand pulls up the struggling soul and with the other hand, brings us the experience of permanent joy of divine rapture. Thus the Guru is pure, sacred, simple and natural. He is beyond the sata, raja and tama (satvik, rajasik and tamasik), the three aspects of nature. As Swami Vivekananda has said, “A human being never chooses his Guru or leader. Whoever becomes a Guru or a leader, is born with the right to gurutva.’

As a famous couplet goes,

‘Guru Govind donu khade kake lagoon payan,

Balihari Guru aapne jin Govind diyo batay’

The one who introduces us to Govind i.e. God, is indisputably entitled to the first veneration. Actually he is the Sakshat Brahm, the ocean of ecstasy, knowledge and kindness. Yet it is said, ‘Samjhui khag khaghi kai bhasha’ i.e. a human being can learn better from another human being. Thus in a way, God dons the garb of a Guru to impart knowledge. Therefore, a Guru’s job is difficult indeed. He has the physical body of a human being but brims over with divine virtues. If one is fortunate enough to find the protection of a kind and beneficent Guru, his life becomes blessed. But there is no need to wander here and there to locate such a Guru. All we need is the deep thirst to seek our true Guru. We should pray, ‘O God, help me meet someone who knows where thou are to be found and who can take me to thee.’ When our thirst grows, the true Guru will find us at his own initiative. God will definitely send him to guide us. In the Indian spiritual philosophy, it has been stated implicitly that the Guru himself discharges the responsibility of seeking his disciples. Actually he himself stays eager to initiate a disciple. The Guru awaits the right time to take this step so that he may do the work entrusted to him by the God’s reign and take it further.

In our shastras, the balance of harmony between the teacher and the taught has been well established. As has been quoted in the Tattriya Upnishad, ‘Sah nau yasham, sah nau brahmvarchasvam’ i.e. may the glory and the glow of divinity of us both, the Acharya and shishya, grow together. Truly speaking the Guru and the disciple complement each other. The Guru has only good wishes for his disciple. He desires his disciple to gain a glory greater than his own, and also wants him to do good to a greater number of people. On the other hand, the disciple’s focus is ever on dedication. His aim is to please his Guru. He wants to leave no stone unturned – body, mind or soul in his quest.

In this reference, Guru Purnima or the day of Guru’s veneration is the day of joy for a true disciple. Enraptured by the mere thought of the hope of venerating his beloved Guru, the disciple awaits this occasion with a sense of eagerness and devotion. Only the Guru embodies the power that can dissolve the bonds of illusionary attachment. On this day, the disciple aspires to make his human birth a success by presenting gifts, doing the utmost service he is capable of and by worshipping, all at the feet of his Guru. Also on this day, the Guru initiates or gives ‘deeksha’ to a new disciple in order to endow him with a blissful future. The initiated disciple thus moves forward on the path of attaining purity, of undoing all the bonds and ties of his life, by becoming a propagator of the tradition of his Guru. An initiation endowed by the Guru opens all the inlets of the ever-flowing grace. On the other hand, the old traveler of this road, the older disciple recharges himself anew under the guidance of the Guru. Also the disciple attains innocent purity all over again by washing away all those knowingly and unknowingly earned desires and actions that can become hindrances on his path to his true destination, with the blessing of his Guru. On this day under his own benign guidance, the Guru also imparts his nectar-like and useful teachings to the disciple. Guru Purnima is extremely important in this context as well. Actually, in a disciple’s way of life, remembrance and veneration of the Guru go on continuously with each and every breath, each and every second. This is quite essential. Thus for a true disciple every single day is akin to Guru Purnima. Yet on this appointed day, he wants to express his gratitude, bow down in front of the Guru’s aura (physical and beyond) and thus attain salvation.

The Indian culture is innately fragrant with the greatness of the Guru. Gyan or knowledge only makes man the best amongst all living beings. Be it spirituality or self-awareness, literature or music, arts or sports, hard work and dedication only take a human being forward. There are no two options about it. Yet those who sit under the benign shadow of their Guru and receive his blessings and pleasure by undertaking hard labor in diverse fields, they only are truly able to express the innate essence of their chosen field. Actually, a Guru has the experience and the ability to foresee the future. And most importantly, a Guru has the capability of recognizing his disciple’s potential and select the most appropriate field for him.

Truly speaking, the sole objective of one’s life is to experience the grace of the Guru and that grace can be experienced only by surrendering oneself totally. The Guru has just one expectation from his disciple that he be obedient in order to attain salvation as early as possible. In this context, Sufi Saint Bulle Shah compares himself to a faithful dog who inspite of being kicked or pushed away by his master, invariably comes back to his master’s door and stays around him. The grace of the Guru depends upon the thirst, the enthusiasm and the commitment of the disciple. Undoubtedly above all these are the patience and the devotion for one’s Guru which have been termed as ‘shraddha and saboori’ by Sai Baba. Sai gives the reassurance, “I shall fulfill all the desires of your heart but only that person will succeed who has faith in me.”

According to Anandmayi Maa, a saint in the form of a Guru can be compared to a tree that stands much higher than the rest and yet provides shade and shelter to everyone. The heart of the Guru is softer than butter. He undergoes the pain of deliverance, far severer than a mother’s labor pains, so that we receive the new birth of self-recognition. The Guru suffers more than a father does in order to teach us the knack of balancing the practical aspects of life. No wonder that we sing these lines, ‘Guru bin gyan kahan se paoon’. Isn’t it impossible to express the Guru’s compassion, kindness and love by the means of mere words. Our shadow accompanies us only in light, but our Guru walks with us even in darkness, holding our immature fingers, removing the thorns and spikes from our path and takes us to the glowing destination of enlightenment and purity.

The importance of Guru

The word ‘Guru’ has been described in many ways in our ancient texts.

a)      Garati sinchati karnyogyarmritam iti guruh   

He who irrigates the ears of a disciple with the nectar of knowledge is a Guru.

b)      Girati agyanandhakaram iti guruh

He who dispels the darkness of ignorance from around a disciple with his good teachings, is a Guru

c)      Girinati dharmadirahasyam iti guruh

He who reveals true meanings of religious and other topics, is a Guru.

Some Renowned Guru-Disciple Pairs

S.No.	Field	Guru	Disciple
1.	Spirituality	Ramkrishna Paramhans	Vivekanand
2.	Vocal music	Swami Haridas	Tansen
3.	Tabla	Pandit Kandhe Maharaj	Pandit Kishan Maharaj
4.	Shehnai	Ustad Ali Baksh	Bismillah Khan
5.	Sitar	Ustad Allauddin Khan	Ravishankar
6.	Kathak	Achchan Maharaj	Birju Maharaj
7.	Cricket	Ramakant Achrekar	Sachin Tendulkar
8.	Politics	Samarth Guru Ramdas	Chhatrapati Shivaji

राम नाम मनि दीप

राम नाम मनि दीप धरू जीह देहरी द्वार। 
तुलसी भीतर बाहेरहुँ जो चाहसि उजिआर।।                                 

भीतर,बाहर मन के हर कोने-कोने
उज्जवल,शुद्ध,निर्मलता को पाने
राम-राम रट रसना,तू राम-राम रट बस।

राम रतन को जिव्हा में धर कर
आलोकित कर ले सारा संसार
राम-राम रट रसना,तू राम-राम रट बस।

दिव्य चेतना को आधार बना कर
तन-मन तू प्रभु को अर्पित कर
राम-राम रट रसना,तू राम-राम रट बस।

सूर,चैतन्य,मीरा,तुलसी ने,खुद को एकाग्रचित्त कर
नित ध्याया हरि को जैसे,तू भी तो ध्यान लगाया कर
राम-राम रट रसना,तू राम-राम रट बस।  

राम कहिये

राम कहिये,भग्न दीमक लगे
साथ ही,धूल,तम से सने
ह्रदय निकेतन में मेरे
गृह-प्रवेश कब,कैसे करेंगें ?
यद्यपि कष्ट होगा,आपके लिए 
जानता हूँ आराध्य मेरे
लेकिन प्रभु ये भी तो समझिये
आप जहाँ हैं रहने लगते,या
श्री-चरणों की छाप छोड़ देते
आलोक वहां नित चॅवर डुलाते।
ऋद्धि-सिद्धि सब पग पखारने
सदा ही आतुरता दिखाते।
फिर भला कहिये,कैसे नहीं होगा
उर-उजाड़ का काया-कल्प मेरे।
तो आ जाइए,बस शीघ् आ जाइए
मुझको अधिक न भटकाइए
ह्रदय मेरा शीघ्र्र,अब अपना
प्रभु,धाम-साकेत बनाइये।

बलिहारी गुरु के चरणारविन्द की

बलिहारी गुरु के चरणारविन्द की 

ग़ज़ल - 31[खटराग]

एक रोज सलाम बजाने जो हम न घर गए  

आँखों की किरकिरी हुज़ूर की बन गए।                                        

गुरुर पे अपने उनको बड़ा गुरुर था 

हमें इल्म कहाँ,गाज़ हमपे गिरा गए। 

लोकतंत्र के नाम पर तानाशाही नवाब की 

हमारी जीतोड़ मेहनत पर पानी फिरा गए।

योगियों से उठवाते हैं पालकी अपनी भोगी 

उस पर तुर्रा चाल हमारी दोषी बता गए। 

कहीं मसाज,तो कहीं एक्यूप्रेशर की है तैयारी 

सवारी निकली,सब सजदे में झुकने लग गए।  

हरी दूब हूँ मैं,असर न होगा कुछ भी मुझे  

सूखे दरख़्त खैर मना,तूफाँ सामने आ गए। 

साजिन्दे जवां थे,साज़ भी दुरस्त थे 

राग मगर "उस्ताद"के खटराग हो गए। 

कार्टूनिस्ट प्राण को श्रद्धा सुमन

भारतीय संस्कृति को घुट्टी बना कर

खूब पिलाया आपने नौनिहाल को। 

क्या खूब रचा अदभुत किरदार 

प्राण साहब,चाचा चौधरी को। 

और भला कहाँ सीमित बच्चों तक 

मन भाया हर किरदार,हर उम्र को। 

बचपन में हमारे "प्राण"निहारते 

पिंकी,साबू,बिल्लू से किरदार को। 

गर्मियों की छुट्टियां तो रहती समर्पित 

बस एकमात्र इन ढेर सी कॉमिक्स को। 

कभी दोस्त से बचा खटिया के नीचे,फर्श पर 

तो पढ़ते कभी साथ,बंद कर स्टोर रूम को।   

वो यादें,वो चित्र सारे हमारे बालपन के 

करते हैं सजदा "प्राण"से "उस्ताद"को।