Ghei Chand Makarand....

 Ghei Chand Makarand....

This song has created many more ripples and whenever rendered it used to pump in adrenaline in us. There are two versions of this song and of course both the versions are a feast to ears. In the Natak, there comes a dialog – Our Throat (vocal-cord) lies between Head (brain) and Heart (Consciousness). Unless all these three align in a straight line, no song gets complete. So, which version is complete? I was wondering.

घेई छंद, मकरंद, प्रिय हा मिलिंद; मधुसेवनानंद स्वच्छंद, हा धुंद

मिटता कमलदल होई बंदी भृंग; परि सोडिना, ध्यास, गुंजनात दंग

Literal Meaning: It is about a honey-bee in the process of extracting honey from a flower. Let us paraphrase the line thus: हा स्वच्छंद, मिलिंद घेई मकरंद, धुंद मधुसेवनानंद छंद – A care-free (स्वच्छंद) honey bee (मिलिंद) extracts honey (घेई मकरंद) from the flower. It is so engrossed (धुंद) with the pleasure the bee used to get from the process of extracting honey. (मधुसेवनानंद) that it almost gets addicted to this activity, and in this process, forgets that it has to get out of the lotus flower before sunset or else, it will get trapped in the flower.

कमलदल मिटता गुंजनात दंग (झालेला) भृंग बंदी होई, परि ध्यास सोडिना: At sunset, the lotus flower closes itself (कमलदल मिटता). However, the honey-bee is so engrossed that it doesn’t realize (or despite realising it still didn’t want to get rid of extracting the nectar - परि ध्यास सोडिना) the sun is setting and the petals will be closed soon, it's going to remain trapped inside (भृंग बंदी होई), with no possible escape route before the next sunrise. It keeps on doing the same thing and eventually dies!

Untold Meaning: Honey bee = Living creatures; Nectar = the things we chase, the things or people we love or care for - all things that allure us; Sunset - end of work-life (retirement); Closing of the flower - end of life

A common life in this materialistic world is described here. Each of us is so much attached to our worldly belongings, that we don't realize we will remain trapped if we keep doing the same things without detaching ourselves. We all chase money in our entire life process and we get so engrossed in it, that we forget every other essential of life.

In all fairness, the honey bee would still extract the nectar, get out of the flower in time and come back the next day for another experience. This would mean that we should still chase our goals - career, wealth generation, etc., we should still care for our loved ones - but we should be detached from them. When the time comes, we should be able to let go all these things.

The sunset here implies the fag end of life, let us say retirement age. This is when one is supposed to seclude oneself from the worldly attractions, failing which, the being can't escape - it has to be reborn (the next sunrise) with the hope that it realizes there's an escape route from the nectar before the sun sets again. If it doesn't realize this, it will again engross itself in the nectar and be trapped there forever (i.e. the soul will keep stuck in the cycles of birth and death).

This song/ kriti is sung in two different perspectives in this Natak. One sung by the Panditji and the other version is by Khan-saheb. The tune on which Panditji sings this song, gives an impression that he's feeling bad for the honey bee, whereas when Khansahab sings it, he gives an impression of being loaded with emotions as the honey bee itself.

Panditji sings this song from the perspective of an outsider. He feels pity for the honey-bee who got trapped inside the flower and lost its life while it is busy in the process of extracting honey. He sings this song in SalagVarali but lacing with a vivaadhi swar of Prati-madhyama giving it an impression of Ahir-Todi. It is full of Karuna-ras. In the film, Shankar sings it in Vilambit kaal. The version of Shankar is good as long as you listen to Deepashree Kale which is better. The best is when you listen to Jitendra Abhishekiji’s version.. Class indeed.

Khan Saheb sings this song from the perspective of the honey-bee itself. He is enjoying, bubbling with happiness, joy, bundle of emotions galore with enthusiasm at full sprint! AS they say, more than the destination, the journey gives you utmost pleasure. Khan-saheb is not worried about the destination, but the journey. He is not bothered about the result but the processes. He enjoys it. Just as stream of water gushes out, the emotions tumble out. In the bhimplasi version sung by Rahul in the film is good. However, Chandrakant Limaye does better justice and not to mention, when Vasantrao dada Deshpande (grandfather of Rahul) sings, it is ultimate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib0BtnkANuo – Deepashree Kale

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdlLqzs9LKk – Pt Chandrakant Limaye

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHXPVWJbkm4 – Jitendra Abhishekiji

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIpEFqyv9YE – Vasantrao dada

Intentionally I have not added the links of the film. It did not appeal to me much.

In the Natak, there comes a dialog – Our Throat (vocal-cord) lies between Head (brain) and Heart (Consciousness). Unless all these three align in a straight line, no song gets complete. So, which version is complete? I was wondering. Then, I came to know that this poem has got another stanza. Let us see that.

बिसतंतू मृदु होति जणु व्रजबंधस्वरब्रम्ह आनंद ! स्वर हो सुगंध - If we take the literal meaning, it appears as if the poet is trying to glorify music here. However, it is not just that – the poet is comparing the swaras to the ‘Sugandha’ (pleasant smell) of the flower. He says – swaras are like brahma-anand (heavenly pleasure). So instead of engulfing itself in the ‘nectar’ for which the honeybee had to dive inside the flower, it could have enjoyed the smell from outside and then stayed safe (here the poet implies – instead of getting dirty in the earthly pleasures of the world, one should detach oneself and view things as a third party, as an observer. The joy and happiness obtained this way is way purer than the one you get otherwise).

Thus, when the Panditji sings from the perspective of an outsider (third party), it is obvious for me, which version is complete. How about you? Please comment.