INTERPRETING A COUPLET OF MIR TAQI MIR ( 1723-1810)

                                            

INTERPRETING A COUPLET OF   MIR TAQI MIR ( 1723-1810)

Mir Taqi Mir's poetry is a reflection of life's complexities. Exploring themes of love, loss, and the human condition, his verses are a blend of emotional depth and philosophical insight. Through his verses, Mir invites readers to introspect and seek truth. He was one of the principal poets of the Delhi School of the Urdu Ghazal and is often remembered as one of the greatest poets of the Urdu language. Ghalib considered him a great master when he said," Rekhte ke tum hi ustaad nahin ho Ghalib, Kehte hain agle zamaane mein koyi Mir bhi tha ". Mir spent the latter part of his life in the court of Nawab  Asaf-ud-Daulah in Lucknow. Let me take up the couplet for interpretation through various prisms of thought.

Bekhudi le gayi kahaan hum ko

Der se intezaar hai apna  ......Mir Taqi Mir 

(The selflessness  brought by  this intoxication  has brought me to a strange place, 

While I am  waiting since long time to meet my real self.)

Bekhudi" denotes a state of being lost in the external world, resulting in the forgetfulness of one's true Self , rather than mere intoxication. Urdu poetry employs "Bekhudi" with varied connotations; for instance, Mir's interpretation appears to lean towards longing, whereas Ghalib's treatment is more nuanced, and Iqbal's perspective differs from both. The multiple interpretations of "Bekhudi" in Urdu poetry underscore the complexity of this concept within various traditions. Mir Taqi Mir's couplet "Bekhudi le gai kahaan humko, Der se intezaar hai apna" resonates profoundly with the philosophical underpinnings of Advaita Vedanta and the Upanishads.

Mir's usage of "Bekhudi" captures the jiva's (individual self) immersion in worldly experiences, leading to the obscuration of its true nature (Atman), and the consequent yearning to reconnect with it ("apna"). This aligns with the Advaita Vedantic notion of realising one's true Self (Atman) as non-dual Brahman.

The couplet captures the human condition of being lost in the external world (māyā) and forgetting one's true Self (Atman), only to yearn for it later. In Advaita Vedanta, this true Self (Atman) is identical with the ultimate reality, Brahman. The jiva's (individual self) journey is to transcend ignorance (avidya) and realize its true nature.

The Upanishads, foundational texts of Advaita Vedanta, proclaim "Tat Tvam Asi" (Thou art That), emphasising the non-dual nature of Atman and Brahman. Mir's "apna" signifies this inner Self, the Atman, which is beyond the realm of duality and the influences of maya. The longing for "apna" reflects the soul's innate desire to reconnect with its true, supreme nature.

In Advaita, this realisation dawns through knowledge (Gyana) and renunciation (vairagya). As Shankaracharya, a key proponent of Advaita, states, "Brahma satyam jagan mithya" (Brahman is real, the world is unreal). The jiva's search for "apna" is essentially the search for Brahman, the ultimate reality.

Nagarjuna, the founder of Madhyamaka Buddhism, would perhaps view this couplet through the lens of emptiness (shunyata). He might say that the concept of "apna" (self) is also empty of inherent existence, and it's this very emptiness that allows for the possibility of liberation. The longing for "apna" is a manifestation of the fundamental drive towards realising the ultimate truth, which is beyond all conceptual frameworks.

The Mundaka Upanishad (2.2.11) describes the Atman as "akshara" (imperishable) and "para" (supreme), the essence of all beings. Mir's couplet echoes this Upanishadic truth, capturing the tension between ignorance and self-realisation. The realisation of the non-dual Atman brings liberation (moksha) from the cycle of birth and death (samsara).

The couplet's beauty lies in its expression of the soul's yearning for self-realisation, a theme central to Advaita and Upanishadic philosophy.

( Avtar Mota )

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