For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
شوخیِ اِلہاد ۔ منتخب اشعار ۔ آنند نرائن مُلّا
۱
بشر کے ذوقِ پرستش نے خود کیے تخلیق
خدا و کعبہ کہیں اور کہیں صنم خانے
۲
بشر کو مشعلِ ایماں سے آگہی نہ ملی
دھواں وہ تھا کہ نگاہوں کو روشنی نہ ملی
۳
کیوں کسی ایماں سے مانگوں شمعِ راہِ زندگی
کیا بشر کے واسطے حبّ بشر کافی نہیں
۴
کلیم کچھ تو کہو تم معاف گستاخی
وہی مثل ہے کہ گونگے نے خواب دیکھ لیا
۵
سرِ محشر یہی پوچھوں گا خدا سے پہلے
تو نے روکا بھی تھا مجرم کو خطا سے پہلے
۶
تری ہستی سے منکر ہوتے جاتے ہیں جہاں والے
سنبھال اپنی خدائی کو ارے او آسماں والے
۷
تری قدرت پہ حرف آتا ہے میں اِس کو نہ مانوں گا
کہ یہ سارا جہانِ رنگ و بو اک نقشِ باطِل ہے
۸
ہر دیر و حرم سے کترا کر مُلّا آیا مے خانے میں
مُلّا کے سے لیکن دنیا میں سُلجھے ہوئے اِنساں کتنے ہیں
۹
تجھے مذہب مٹانا ہی پڑے گا روئے ہستی سے
ترے ہاتھوں، بہت توہینِ آدم ہوتی جاتی ہے
۱۰
کسی قیمت پہ بھی اِنسانیت ڈھونڈے نہیں ملتی
مگر جِنسِ خدائی اب بھی ارزاں ہے جہاں میں ہوں
۱۱
طاقت کی ہے پرستش اب تیرے معبدوں میں
سونے کے دیوتا ہیں، تیرے صنم کدوں میں
۱۲
کب تک ترتیب یونہی ہوگا ہر ایک فسانہ ہستی کا
اللہ کو نیند آتی ہی رہی، شیطان کبھی آرام نہ لے
۱۳
مجھ کو نہ دیر سے غرض اور نہ کچھ حرم سے کار
میری حیات سے مراد ایک ہے بس تلاشِ یار
۱۴
شک اُس کے کرم پر ہے گناہوں سے جھجکنا
مومن تو وہی ہے جسے رحمت کا یقیں ہے
۱۵
یا یہی کہہ دے کہ راحت تری قسمت میں نہیں
مجھ کو دینا ہے تو دے آج، قیامت میں نہیں
۱۶
نورِ ہستی سامنے ہے چشمِ دل عریاں تو کر
ایک بار اور ڈرنے والے جُراؑتِ عصیاں تو کر
शूख़ी-ए इल्हाद – मुंतख़ब अश’आर – आनंद नरायन मुल्ला
१
बशर के ज़ौक़-ए परस्तिश ने ख़ुद किये तख़्लीक़
ख़ुदा ओ का’बा कहीं और कहीं सनम-ख़ाने
२
बशर को मश’अल-ए ईमां से आगही न मिली
धुआं वो था के निगाहौं को रौश्नी न मिली
३
क्यूं किसी ईमां से मांगूं शम’अ-ए राह-ए ज़िंदगी
क्या बशर के वास्ते हुब्ब-ए बशर काफ़ी नहीं
४
कलीम कुछ तो कहो तुम, मु’आफ़ गुस्ताख़ी
वही मिस्ल है के गूंगे ने ख़्वाब देख लिया
५
सर-ए महशर यही पूछूंगा ख़ुदा से पहले
तू ने रोका भी था मुज्रिम को ख़ता से पहले
६
तेरी हस्ती से मुन्किर होते जाते हैं जहां वाले
संभाल अपनी ख़ुदाई को अरे ओ आस्मां वाले
७
तेरी क़ुद्रत पे हर्फ़ आता है मैं इस को न मानूंगा
के ये सारा जहान-ए रंग ओ बू एक नक़्श-ए बातिल है
८
हर दैर ओ हरम से कतरा कर मुल्ला आया मैख़ाने में
मुल्ला के से लैकिन दुनिया में सुल्झे हुए इंसां कितने हैं
९
तुझे मज़्हब मिटाना हि पढेगा रू-ए हस्ती से
तेरे हाथौं, बहुत तौहीन-ए आदम होती जाती है
१०
किसी क़ीमत पे भी इंसानियत ढूंडे नहीं मिलती
मगर जिन्स-ए ख़ुदाई अब भी अर्ज़ां है जहां मैं हुं
११
ताक़त कि है परस्तिश अब तेरे मा’बदौं में
सोने के देवता हैं, तेरे सनम-कदौं में
१२
कब तक तरतीब युंही होगा हर एक फ़साना हस्ती का
अल्लाह को नींद आती हि रही, शैतान कभी आराम न ले
१३
मुझ को न दैर से ग़रज़ न कुछ हरम से कार
मेरी हयात से मुराद एक है, बस तलाश-ए यार
१४
शक उस के करम पर है गुनाहौ से झिजकना
मोमिन तो वही है जिसे रहमत का यक़ीं है
१५
या यही कह दे के राहत तेरी क़िस्मत में नहीं
मुझ को देना है तो दे आज, क़यामत में नहीं
१६
नूर-ए हस्ती सामने है, चश्म-ए दिल उर्यां तो कर
एक बार और, डरने वाले, जुर’अत-ए इस्यां तो कर
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. panDit anand narain mulla (1901-1997), a kashmiri panDit from lukhnow, a high court judge, member of lok sabha and then of the rajya sabha was a liberal thinker reaching across communal lines with a strong love of urdu. Not only was he a committed secularist, he was an openly declared atheist. This is a collection of his irreverent ash’aar from different Ghazal or qita, full of mischief about the concept of god and about conventional morality.
1
bashar1 ke zauq2-e parastish3 ne Khud kiye taKliiq4
Khuda o k’aaba kahiiN aur kahiiN sanam-Khaane5 1.humans 2.taste, desire 3.devotion, worship 4.create 5.idol-houses, temple
The human instinct/desire for worship alone created gods, sanctuaries and temples here and there.
2
bashar1 ko mash’al-e-imaaN2 se aagahi3 na mili
dhuaaN vo tha keh nigaahoN ko raushni na mili 1.human 2.torch of faith 3.knowledge, awareness
Humanity has not received true knowledge or awareness through the torch of faith. There’s so much smoke around the flame that there isn’t much enlightenment i.e., blind faith obfuscates our vision, meaning reason. Thus, the torch of faith is not very useful.
3
kyuN kisi eemaaN se maaNguN sham’a-e raah-e zindagi
kya bashar1 ke vaaste hubb-e-bashar2 kaafi nahiN 1.human 2.love of fellow human
Why should I seek the lamp of any faith to enlighten my way of life? Isn’t the love of humanity sufficient for a human being?
4
kaliim1 kuchh to kaho tum, mu’aaf2 gustaaKhi3
vahi misl4 hai keh gooNge5 ne Khwaab dekh liya 1.another name for moses 2.pardon 3.impudence 4.example 5.speech impaired, dumb
Moses, pardon my impudence, but say something. Your silence is akin to a dumb person who cannot describe what he saw in a dream. moosa had gone to mount tuur, saw a divine lightning, was supposedly overwhelmed, and fainted. He could not describe what he saw. The poet is being sarcastic, implying that Moses did not see anything.
5
sar1-e mahshar2 yahi poochhuuNga Khuda se pahle
tu ne roka bhi thaa mujrim3 ko Khata4 se pahle 1.head, beginning 2.judgement day 3.criminal, guilty 4.transgression
I will ask this of god on judgment day: Did you even try to stop the sinner/criminal before he committed the transgression? i.e., if everything happens according to god’s will.
6
teri hasti1 se munkir2 hote jaate haiN jahaaN3 vaale
sanbhaal4 apni Khudaaii5 ko arey o aasmaaN vaale 1.person, existence 2.deny, refuse 3.world 4.take care of 5.creation, divinity, reign
The people of this world are increasingly becoming deniers of your existence. You, of the skies/heavens, be mindful of your reign therefore. The reader may wish to see my own ‘talaash-e haq’, under shahed shuru’aat.
7
teri qudrat1 pe harf2 aata hai maiN is ko na maanuuNga
keh ye saaraa jahaan3-e raNg-o-buu4 ek naqsh5-e baatil6 hai 1.power, ability 2.harf aana – disrepute 3.world 4.colour and fragrance – material world 5.sketch, illusion 6.false, fictitious, illusion
I cannot agree that this material world is mere illusion (which we should reject, just biding our time), because it maligns your ‘all knowing’ nature i.e., this does not make any sense at all.
8
har dair1 o haram2 se katra3 kar, mulla4 aaya maiKhaane5 meN
mulla4 ke se laikin duniya meN, suljhe6 hue insaaN kitne haiN 1.temple 2.mosque 3.avoid 4.pen-name of the poet 5.tavern 6.balanced, wise
Avoiding every temple and mosque, mulla arrived at the tavern. But how many enlightened people like mulla are there in the world? A tavern is symbolically a secular, liberal space open to all, but visiting one is frowned upon.
9
tujhe mazhab miTaana hi paRega roo1-e hasti2 se
tere haathauN bahut tauheen3-e aadam4 hoti jaati hai .face of 2. life/existence/earth 3. insult of 4. Adam, humanity
You (god, or possibly fellow humans) will have to erase religion from the face of the earth. Humanity continues to be insulted at your hands (because of religious differences).
10
kisi qeemat1 pe bhi insaaniyyat2 DhoonDe nahiN milti
magar3 jins4-e Khudaaii5 ab bhi arzaaN6 hai jahaaN maiN huN 1.price 2.the quality of being human, humaneness 3.but 4.commodity 5.godliness 6.plentiful, cheap
Humanism/humaneness is very hard to find at any price, yet the pervasiveness of faith in divinity is plentiful and cheap where I happen to be.
11
taaqat1 ki hai parastish2 ab tere maa’badoN3 meN
sone ke devta haiN, tere sanam-kadoN4 meN 1.power 2.worship 3.places of worship, mosques 4.idol houses, temples
The motive for worship is power nowadays in your places of worship. In your temples of worship, there are idols of gold (meaning wealth is worshipped). Probably addressed to muslims and hindus, in each misra.
12
kab tak tartiib1 yuNhi hoga, har ek fasaana2 hasti3 ka
allaah ko niind aati hi rahi, shaitaan kabhi aaraam na le 1.arrangement 2.story 3.life
How long would this pattern go on for every aspect of life, where god keeps falling asleep while satan never tires (of mischief)?
13
mujh ko na dair1 se Gharaz2 na kuchh haram3 se kaar4
meri hayaat5 se muraad6 ek hai, bas talaash7-e yaar8 1.temple 2.demand, ask 3.mosque 4.use 5.life 6.purpose 7.searching, seeking 8.beloved, god
I have no use for a temple or a mosque. The goal of my life is just one – the search for my beloved. The beloved is either god or humanism.
14
shak1 us ke karam2 par hai gunaahoN3 se jhijakna4
momin5 to vahi hai, jise rahmat6 ka yaqiiN7 hai 1.doubt 2.benevolence 3.sin, transgression 4.hesitate 5.believer 6.kindness 7.certainty
Hesitating to commit transgressions is parallel to a disbelief in god’s benevolence. The poet is being sarcastic. A true believer is one who is certain of god’s forgiveness.
Sarcastic. Hestitating to commit transgressions is like not believing in god’s benevolence. A true believer is one who is certain of god’s forgiveness.
In another Ghazal, mulla writes …
us ke karam pe shak tujhe zaahid zuroor tha
varna tera qusoor na karna, qusoor tha
Said muzaffar Khairabaadi …
mere gunah ziyaada haiN ya teri rahmateN
kariim tu hi bataa de hisaab kar ke mujhe
Said amiir miinaaii …
bandaa navaaziyoN pe Khudaa-e karim thaa
kartaa na maiN gunah to gunaah-e aziim thaa
Said s’aeed shaheedi …
us ki rahmat ka azal hi se bharosa tha sa’eed
maiN ne daaman ko gunaahoN se bachaaya hi nahiN
15
yaa1 yahi kah de ke raahat2 teri qismat3 meN nahiN
mujh ko dena hai to de aaj, qayaamat meN nahiN 1.either 2.comfort, peace, tranquility 3.fate 4.day of judgement
Either tell me clearly that peace and tranquility is not in my fate, or else bestow it to me now, not on the day of judgement. The poet is being sarcastic, implying that god, the writer of fate, is playing games with his future promise of peace and tranquility.
16
noor1-e hasti2 saamne hai, chasm3-e dil uryaaN4 to kar
ek baar aur, Darne vaale, jur’at5-e isyaaN6 to kar 1.light, brilliance 2.being (divine) 3.eye 4.naked, unveil, open 5.daring 6.sin, transgression
The light of the divine is in front of you, open your eyes and look. O you who is scared, dare to commit a sin one more time. This is either sarcasm or a challenge. Perhaps it harks back to aadam’s original sin, or perhaps it is a challenge to humans to defy god by relying on his kindness/ forgiveness.
panDit anand narain mulla (1901-1997), a kashmiri panDit from lukhnow, a high court judge, member of lok sabha and then of the rajya sabha was a liberal thinker reaching across communal lines with a strong love of urdu. Not only was he a committed secularist, he was an openly declared atheist. This is a collection of his irreverent ash’aar from different Ghazal or qita, full of mischief about the concept of god and about conventional morality.
1
bashar1 ke zauq2-e parastish3 ne Khud kiye taKliiq4
Khuda o k’aaba kahiiN aur kahiiN sanam-Khaane5
1.humans 2.taste, desire 3.devotion, worship 4.create 5.idol-houses, temple
The human instinct/desire for worship alone created gods, sanctuaries and temples here and there.
2
bashar1 ko mash’al-e-imaaN2 se aagahi3 na mili
dhuaaN vo tha keh nigaahoN ko raushni na mili
1.human 2.torch of faith 3.knowledge, awareness
Humanity has not received true knowledge or awareness through the torch of faith. There’s so much smoke around the flame that there isn’t much enlightenment i.e., blind faith obfuscates our vision, meaning reason. Thus, the torch of faith is not very useful.
3
kyuN kisi eemaaN se maaNguN sham’a-e raah-e zindagi
kya bashar1 ke vaaste hubb-e-bashar2 kaafi nahiN
1.human 2.love of fellow human
Why should I seek the lamp of any faith to enlighten my way of life? Isn’t the love of humanity sufficient for a human being?
4
kaliim1 kuchh to kaho tum, mu’aaf2 gustaaKhi3
vahi misl4 hai keh gooNge5 ne Khwaab dekh liya
1.another name for moses 2.pardon 3.impudence 4.example 5.speech impaired, dumb
Moses, pardon my impudence, but say something. Your silence is akin to a dumb person who cannot describe what he saw in a dream. moosa had gone to mount tuur, saw a divine lightning, was supposedly overwhelmed, and fainted. He could not describe what he saw. The poet is being sarcastic, implying that Moses did not see anything.
5
sar1-e mahshar2 yahi poochhuuNga Khuda se pahle
tu ne roka bhi thaa mujrim3 ko Khata4 se pahle
1.head, beginning 2.judgement day 3.criminal, guilty 4.transgression
I will ask this of god on judgment day: Did you even try to stop the sinner/criminal before he committed the transgression? i.e., if everything happens according to god’s will.
6
teri hasti1 se munkir2 hote jaate haiN jahaaN3 vaale
sanbhaal4 apni Khudaaii5 ko arey o aasmaaN vaale
1.person, existence 2.deny, refuse 3.world 4.take care of 5.creation, divinity, reign
The people of this world are increasingly becoming deniers of your existence. You, of the skies/heavens, be mindful of your reign therefore. The reader may wish to see my own ‘talaash-e haq’, under shahed shuru’aat.
7
teri qudrat1 pe harf2 aata hai maiN is ko na maanuuNga
keh ye saaraa jahaan3-e raNg-o-buu4 ek naqsh5-e baatil6 hai
1.power, ability 2.harf aana – disrepute 3.world 4.colour and fragrance – material world 5.sketch, illusion 6.false, fictitious, illusion
I cannot agree that this material world is mere illusion (which we should reject, just biding our time), because it maligns your ‘all knowing’ nature i.e., this does not make any sense at all.
8
har dair1 o haram2 se katra3 kar, mulla4 aaya maiKhaane5 meN
mulla4 ke se laikin duniya meN, suljhe6 hue insaaN kitne haiN
1.temple 2.mosque 3.avoid 4.pen-name of the poet 5.tavern 6.balanced, wise
Avoiding every temple and mosque, mulla arrived at the tavern. But how many enlightened people like mulla are there in the world? A tavern is symbolically a secular, liberal space open to all, but visiting one is frowned upon.
9
tujhe mazhab miTaana hi paRega roo1-e hasti2 se
tere haathauN bahut tauheen3-e aadam4 hoti jaati hai
1.face of 2. life/existence/earth 3. insult of 4. Adam, humanity
You (god, or possibly fellow humans) will have to erase religion from the face of the earth. Humanity continues to be insulted at your hands (because of religious differences).
10
kisi qeemat1 pe bhi insaaniyyat2 DhoonDe nahiN milti
magar3 jins4-e Khudaaii5 ab bhi arzaaN6 hai jahaaN maiN huN
1.price 2.the quality of being human, humaneness 3.but 4.commodity 5.godliness 6.plentiful, cheap
Humanism/humaneness is very hard to find at any price, yet the pervasiveness of faith in divinity is plentiful and cheap where I happen to be.
11
taaqat1 ki hai parastish2 ab tere maa’badoN3 meN
sone ke devta haiN, tere sanam-kadoN4 meN
1.power 2.worship 3.places of worship, mosques 4.idol houses, temples
The motive for worship is power nowadays in your places of worship. In your temples of worship, there are idols of gold (meaning wealth is worshipped). Probably addressed to muslims and hindus, in each misra.
12
kab tak tartiib1 yuNhi hoga, har ek fasaana2 hasti3 ka
allaah ko niind aati hi rahi, shaitaan kabhi aaraam na le
1.arrangement 2.story 3.life
How long would this pattern go on for every aspect of life, where god keeps falling asleep while satan never tires (of mischief)?
13
mujh ko na dair1 se Gharaz2 na kuchh haram3 se kaar4
meri hayaat5 se muraad6 ek hai, bas talaash7-e yaar8
1.temple 2.demand, ask 3.mosque 4.use 5.life 6.purpose 7.searching, seeking 8.beloved, god
I have no use for a temple or a mosque. The goal of my life is just one – the search for my beloved. The beloved is either god or humanism.
14
shak1 us ke karam2 par hai gunaahoN3 se jhijakna4
momin5 to vahi hai, jise rahmat6 ka yaqiiN7 hai
1.doubt 2.benevolence 3.sin, transgression 4.hesitate 5.believer 6.kindness 7.certainty
Hesitating to commit transgressions is parallel to a disbelief in god’s benevolence. The poet is being sarcastic. A true believer is one who is certain of god’s forgiveness.
Sarcastic. Hestitating to commit transgressions is like not believing in god’s benevolence. A true believer is one who is certain of god’s forgiveness.
In another Ghazal, mulla writes …
us ke karam pe shak tujhe zaahid zuroor tha
varna tera qusoor na karna, qusoor tha
Said muzaffar Khairabaadi …
mere gunah ziyaada haiN ya teri rahmateN
kariim tu hi bataa de hisaab kar ke mujhe
Said amiir miinaaii …
bandaa navaaziyoN pe Khudaa-e karim thaa
kartaa na maiN gunah to gunaah-e aziim thaa
Said s’aeed shaheedi …
us ki rahmat ka azal hi se bharosa tha sa’eed
maiN ne daaman ko gunaahoN se bachaaya hi nahiN
15
yaa1 yahi kah de ke raahat2 teri qismat3 meN nahiN
mujh ko dena hai to de aaj, qayaamat meN nahiN
1.either 2.comfort, peace, tranquility 3.fate 4.day of judgement
Either tell me clearly that peace and tranquility is not in my fate, or else bestow it to me now, not on the day of judgement. The poet is being sarcastic, implying that god, the writer of fate, is playing games with his future promise of peace and tranquility.
16
noor1-e hasti2 saamne hai, chasm3-e dil uryaaN4 to kar
ek baar aur, Darne vaale, jur’at5-e isyaaN6 to kar
1.light, brilliance 2.being (divine) 3.eye 4.naked, unveil, open 5.daring 6.sin, transgression
The light of the divine is in front of you, open your eyes and look. O you who is scared, dare to commit a sin one more time. This is either sarcasm or a challenge. Perhaps it harks back to aadam’s original sin, or perhaps it is a challenge to humans to defy god by relying on his kindness/ forgiveness.
Thought-provoking.