Category Archives: Music

Tu Hi Sagar Hai – Song on Non-duality

The song, “Tu hi sagar hai” sung by Sulakshana Pandit written by Kaifi Azmi is one example of creative work based on non-duality in Indian cinema. The lines, “Tu hi sagar hai tu hi kinara dhoondhata hai tu kiska sahara” mean that you yourself are the ocean and you yourself are the shore, whose support do you seek.
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Allah Ke Bande

The punch line in the lyrics of the song, “Allah ke bande” written by Vishal Dadlani according to me is, “Khoke apne par hi to usne tha udna seekha”. The meaning of this line is related to, “A blessing in disguise” idiom and spirituality.

Context: The lyrics mention about a bird falling from the sky to the ground losing its wings making it incapable of flying again. But the bird is not feeling low at all. On the contrary, it is quite optimistic.

Meaning: Khoke apne par hi to usne tha udna seekha means after losing the wings the bird learnt to fly. Nobody wants problems. But, sometimes problems are good as they make us look at the things from a completely different perspective and new solutions emerge. The spiritual meaning of the line is that you find the real You when you lose the false you (doer). Kabir says, “Jab mein tha tab Hari nahin, jab Hari hai mein nahin” which means when I (doer) was there God was not, when God is there I (doer) am not. Hari is pure consciousness and not someone sitting above the sky.

Seeking Infinity

We always want more. Since more never ends, it seems that what we want is infinity. It is said by many saints that the source is within us. Kabir said this nicely in, “Moko kahan dhoondhe re bande” (My Vocals + Guitar version for the same is embedded below. For vocals only version, please refer this. ).

Kabir has said the same thing in different ways. For example the following essentially mean the same:

ज्यों नैनों में पुतली, त्यों मालिक घट माहीं
मूरख लोग न जानहिं बाहिर ढूंढ्न जाहीं

पानी में मीन प्यासी, मोहे सुन सुन आवे हासी
आत्मज्ञान बिना नर भटके, कोई मथुरा कोई काशी
जैसे मृग नाभी कस्तूरी, बन-बन फिरत उदासी
कहत कबीर सुनो भाई साधो, सहज मिले अविनासी

Jesus has also said that the kingdom of heaven is within you. Instead of looking outside for it, one needs to look inside.