‘naya shivala’ was first published in March 1905, in a Lahore magazine called “maKhzan” and also in December 1913 in a Hyderabadi magazine called “shahed-e suKhan”.   During this phase iqbal wrote of universal love with sufi, vedantic and nationalist overtones. iqbal had deep familial/ancestral roots in Kashmiri Saivite Brahminism and has written about it with pride.  The title of this nazm, his translation of gaytri mantr, his ode to swami ramtirth, the description of his encounter with shiva during his imaginary celestial travels, ‘javed naama’ and his many nationalist nazms are all indications of these tendencies. This early phase is in sharp contrast to his later reactionary phase of pan-Islamism and strident religiosity during which he wrote “shikwa”.

It is interesting that in ‘naya shivala’, iqbal identifies religion as the source of evil, caste system and “juNg o jadal”. He identifies the sense of superiority and exclusiveness in religion as the source of discrimination in the caste system of Hinduism and aggressiveness in Islam. iqbal seems to be willing to accept nationalism-patriotism as a force equivalent to “faith” and in fact is declaring his preference for it.

By the time, in 1924, he compiled his early works and published “baaNg-e dara” he was well into his reacationary phase and was also keenly aware of the heavy criticism he had received for ‘naya shivala’ and other similar works.  He edited the 1905 version of ‘naya shivala’ heavily, taking out a lot of the verses with very explicit Hindu imagery.  The edited version is posted as ‘naya shivala 1924’.

naya shivaala (1905) – mohammed iqbal

Click on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion.

verse such kah duN aye barahman gar¹ tu bura na maane
tere sanam-kadauN² ke but³ ho gaye puraane
apnauN se bair⁴ rakhna tu ne butauN se seekha
juNg o jadal⁵ sikhaaya, vaa’ez⁶ ko bhi Khuda ne  1.“agar”, if 2.idol houses, temples 3.idols 4.malice, hostility 5.war and conflict 6.Muslim preacher
I will speak frankly, O Brahmin, if you don’t take offence. The idols in your temples have become irrelevant. You have learnt from idols, contempt for your own people, and god has taught the ways of war and conflict to the Muslim preacher.

kuchh fikr¹ phooT² ki kar, maali hai tu chaman ka
booTauN³ ko phooNk Daala is bis⁴ bhari hava ne
taNg aa ke maiN ne aaKhir dair⁵ o haram⁶ ko chhoRa
vaa’ez⁷ ka vaa’z⁸ chhoRa, chhoRe tere fasaane⁹  1.worry, concern 2.discord, strife 3.young shoots 4.poison 5.temple 6.mosque 7.muslim preacher 8.islamic sermon 9.fables
O, brahmin, show some concern for strife among our people. After all, you are the gardener of this garden. This foul, poisonous air (of communal strife) has killed off many young shoots. Finally, getting tired of all this, I leave both the temple and mosque. I walk away from the sermon of the muslim preacher and leave your fables, O, brahmin.

patthar ki mooratauN¹ meN samjha hai tu Khuda hai
Khaak-e-vatan² ka mujh ko har zarra³ devta⁴ hai 1.idols 2.dust of the homeland 3.particle 4.god, deity
O, brahmin, you think that there is god in stone idols. For me, every particle of dust of the homeland is a diety.

aa Ghairiyat¹ ke parde ek baar phir uTha deN
bichhRauN² ko phir mila deN, naqsh-e-duii³ miTa deN
sooni⁴ paRi hui hai, muddat⁵ se dil ki basti
aa ek naya shivaala is des⁶ meN bana deN 1.otherness, difference 2.separated 3.signs of duality, differences 4.desolate 5.long time 6.country, homeland
Come, let us remove/lift the curtain of differences between us. Let us bring together those who have been separated. Let us erase all signs of duality/difference. For too long now, my heart has been desolate. Let us make a new shivala in our homeland.

duniya ke teerathauN¹ se ooNcha ho apna teerath
daamaan-e-aasmaN² se us ka kalas³ mila deN
phir ek anoop⁴ aisi sone ki moorti⁵ ho
is hardwaar⁶-e dil meN laa kar jise biTha deN 1.place of pilgrimage 2.apron/hem of the sky, horizon 3.dome, spire 4.without example, without equal 5.idol 6.door to god
Let our shrine be taller than all other shrines, its dome/spire kissing the sky. Let us make an idol of gold which has no equal and install it in our hearts which is the door to the divine.

sundar¹ ho us ki soorat, chhab² us ki mohini³ ho
us devta⁴ se maaNgeN jo dil ki hoN muraadeN⁵
zunnar⁶ ho gale meN, tasbeeh⁷ haathh meN ho
y’aani⁸ sanam-kade⁹ meN shaan-e-haram¹⁰ dikha deN 1.beautiful 2.reflection, image 3.heart pleasing 4.deity 5.desires 6.hindu ceremonial thread 7.islamic prayer beads/rosary 8.meaning 9.idol house, temple 10.glory of the mosque
Let his image be beautiful and heart-pleasing. Let us pray to this deity for all our heart’s desires to be fulfilled. Let there be a hindu ceremonial thread on its shoulder and an islamic rosary in its hands. Let us display the glory of the mosque in the temple.

pahlu¹ ko chiir² DaaleN darshan³ ho ‘aam⁴ us ka
har aatma⁵ ko goya⁶ ek aag si laga deN
aaNkhauN ki hai jo gaNga le le ke us se paani
is devta⁷ ke aage ek nahr⁸ si baha deN 1.side, ribs, bosom 2.tear 3.manifestation, view 4.common, available to all 5.soul 6.as if 7.deity 8.river, stream
Let us tear open its bosom, so everyone can see its heart (and the love in it). Let us set every soul on fire (with love). Let us use the tears from our eyes, holy like the waters of the Ganges, to make a stream in front of the deity … I am not sure what this symbolism is, other than poetic flight of fancy.

hindostan likh deN, maathe¹ pe us sanam² ke
bhoole hue taraane³ duniya ko phir suna deN
har subah uTh ke gaa’eN mantar⁴ vo meeThe, meeThe
saare pujariyauN⁵ ko mai⁶ peet⁷ ki pila deN 1.forehead, brow 2.idol 3.songs 4.hymns 5.devotees 6.wine 7.preet, love
Let us write “hindostan” across the brow of the idol and sing long forgotten songs (of love). Let us rise every morning and sing sweet hymns offering wine of love to all devotees.

mandir¹ meN ho bulaana jis dam² pujaariyauN³ ko
aavaza-e-azaaN⁴ ko naaqoos⁵ meN chhupa deN
agni⁶ hai vo jo nirgun⁷, kahte haiN peet⁸ jis ko
dharmauN⁹ ke ye bakheRe¹⁰ is aag meN jala deN 1.temple 2.moment, time 3.devotees 4.sound/call of the azaan (islamic call to prayer) 5.shankh, conch shell 6.fire 7.without qualities, indescribable, absolute, infinite 8.preet, love 9.religions 10.strife, quarrels
When it is time to call devotees to the mandir let us blow the conch shell which has hidden in it the sound of the azaan. That which we call the fire of love, which is absolute, let us burn the differences of all religions in it.

hai reet¹ ‘aashiqauN² ki tan-man³ nisaar⁴ karna
rona sitam⁵ uThaana aur un ko pyaar karna
shakti⁶ bhi shaanti⁷ bhi bhagtauN⁸ ke geet meN hai
dharti⁹ ke baasiyauN¹⁰ ki mukti¹¹ pareet¹² meN hai 1.tradition, ritual 2.lovers, devotees 3.body and heart, heart and soul 4.offer (devotional offering) 5.oppression, cruelty 6.power 7.peace, tranquility 8.devotees 9.earth, world 10.inhabitants 11.deliverance 12.preet, love
It is a long-standing tradition of lovers/devotees that they offer their heart and soul (to the beloved), that they accept all cruelties (of the beloved) and stay steadfast in love. (Divine) power and peace both lie in the songs of the devotees. The deliverance of the people of this world is in love.