ram tirth-mohammed iqbal

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “English” or “Notes” tab.

سوامی رام تیرتھ ۔ محمد اقبال

۱

ہم بغل دریا سے ہے ائے قطرۂ بیتاب تو

پہلے گوہر تھا بنا اب گوہرِ نایاب تو

۲

آہ کھولا کِس ادا سے تو نے رازِ رنگ و بو

میں ابھی تک ہوں اسیرِ اِمتیازِ رنگ و بو

۳

مِٹ کے غوغا زندگی کا شورشِ محشر بنا

یہ شرارہ بجھ کے آتش خانۂ آذر بنا

۴

نفسِ ہستی اِک کرشمہ ہے دِلِ آگاہ کا

لا کے دریا میں نہاں موتی ہے اِلّااللہ کا

۵

چشمِ نابینا سے مخفی معنیِ انجام ہے

تھم گئی جس دم تڑپ سیماب سیمِ خام ہے

۶

توڑ دیتا ہے بُتِ ہستی کو ابراہیمِ عشق

ہوش کا دارو ہے گویا مستیِ تسنیمِ عشق

स्वामी राम तीर्थ – मोहम्मद इक़्बाल

हम-बग़ल दरया से है अय क़तरा-ए बेताब तू

पहले गौहर था बना अब गौहर-ए नायाब तू

आह! खोला किस अदा से तू ने राज़-ए रंग ओ बू

मैं अभी तक हूं असीर-ए इम्तियाज़-ए रंग ओ बू

मिट के ग़ोग़ा ज़िंदगी का शोरिश-ए महशर बना

ये शरारा बुझ के आतिश ख़ाना-ए आज़र बना

नफ़ी-ए हस्ती एक करिश्मा है दिल-ए आगाह का

ला के दरया में निहां मोती है इल्लल्लाह का

चश्म-ए नाबीना से मख़्फ़ी म’आनी-ए अंजाम है

थम गई जिस दम तड़प सीमाब सीम-ए ख़ाम है

तोड़ देता है बुत-ए हस्ती को इब्राहिम-ए इश्क़

होश का दारू है गोया मस्ती-ए तसनीम-ए इश्क़

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. See separate tab for the background for this poem which was written as a tribute to ram tirth upon his death by drowning.
1
hum-baGhal1 darya2 se hai aye qatra3-e betaab4 tu
pahle gauhar5 tha bana ab gauhar-e nayaab6 tu
1.shoulder to shoulder, joined 2.river 3.drop 4.restless 5.pearl 6.rare, unequalled, unobtainable
In sufi lexicon river is god/infinite spirit and drop is the human being. The drop mingling with the river is like becoming one with the beloved/god through ecstacy, devotion etc. You have become one with the river, O restless drop. iqbal characterizes ram tirth as a ‘restless drop’ seeking to become a pearl, seeking union with the beloved. You were a beautiful pearl before, now you have become a rare pearl. Also, in sufi lexicon, god is the ultimate unobtainable pearl. Thus this could mean – you have become one with god and have become that pearl. ram tirth belonged to the vedanta strain which believed that not just spirtual but even bodily ascension/union with god is possible.

2
aah! khola1 kis ada2 se tu ne raaz3-e raNg o bu4
maiN abhi tak huN asir5-e imtiaz6-e raNg o bu   
1.opened, revealed 2.style 3.secret of 4.colour and fragrance, senses – the world which we can sense/see, life 5.prisoner of 6.(ability to) dinstinguish/understand
You revealed the secret of life is such style! I am still a prisoner of (confined by) my ability to understand life. iqbal seems to be envious of ram tirth’s vedanta knowledge and his ability to forget himself in his love of god – so forgetful that he drowned in the river.

3
miT ke GhoGha1 zindagi ka shorish2-e mahshar3 bana
ye sharara4 bujh5 ke aatish-Khaana6-e aazar7 bana   
1.noise 2.tumult 3.day of judgement, doomsday 4.spark 5.extinguish 6.house/temple of fire 7.ibrahim’s father who remained an idol worshipper (fire worshipper) even after his son declared a single divine being
By erasing this “noise of life” you rose to become the tumult of the day of judgement (when everything becomes one with god). Your spark was extinguished but it transformed itself into an immense, eternal fire.

4
nafi-e hasti1 ek karishma2 hai dil-e aagaah3 ka
laa4 ki darya meN nihaaN5 moti hai illallah6 ka 
1.denial of existence, making being into non-being 2.miracle 3.all knowing heart 4.negation, no 5.hidden 6.except allah
This is a play on la ilaha illallah – there is go god but allah. Thus your all knowing heart, denied its being (merged its individuality into the infinite). In the river of non-being is hidden the pearl of unity or one-ness of god.

5
chashm-e naabina1 se maKhfi2 ma’ani3-e anjaam4 hai
tham5 gayii jis dam taRap6 seemab7 seem8-e Khaam9 hai
1.blind/ignorant eye 2.hidden 3.meaning of 4.final result 5.stopped 6.restlessness 7.mercury 8.silver 9.defective, raw
The theme of constant motion/struggle is a recurrent theme in iqbal’s compositions. The restlessness of a drop of mercury is often used as a metaphor for restlessness/search and endeavour. When this restlessness/motion stops then you know that it is not mercury but “defective/raw/ore of silver”.The meaning of the final result is hidden from the unseeing/ignorant eye. The implication is that there is no “final result” only continuous struggle to become one with the beloved and when you achieve this one-ness you go into non-being. Editorial comment – I relate strongly to the concept of continuous struggle but I am not sure I understand “becoming one and going into non-being”. I am just mouthing words that are mysterious to me.

6
toR deta hai but-e hasti1 ko ibrahim-e ishq2
hosh3 ka daaru4 hai goya5 masti6-e tasneem7-e ishq  
1.idol of being 2.ibrahim (messenger) of love 3.awareness, sobriety 4.cure, remedy 5.as if 6.intoxication 7.river in heaven
Biblical and Quranic beliefs are that ibrahim/Abraham taught the concept of a formless god and forbade idol worship. Here iqbal equates the formlessness of god with love of god and calls it ibrahim-e ishq, meaning the teacher/messenger of love. Thus it is the messenger/message of love (true message) that breaks the idol (false god) of “being” (meaning all existence is majazi/illusory, only the existence of god is real and everything is one with the creator). The intoxication of the river of love is the cure for the (disease of) awareness/knowledge/reason (hosh).

See separate tab for the background for this poem which was written as a tribute to ram tirth upon his death by drowning.  mohammed iqbal (1877-1938) attended various colleges in lahore (1893-1899) and then taught until 1905.   gossain tirth ram (1873-1906) was born in moraliwala (now in pakistan).  He was a brilliant student, got a master’s degree in mathematics and taught at Forman Christian College.  In 1899, he left his family, profession and belongings to adopt the life of a ‘sanyasi’, took the name swami ram tirth and began teaching vedanta philosophy in and around lahore (1899-1902).  Thus there is a complete overlap with iqbal’s brief teaching career in lahore.  There is some evidence that iqbal attended some of his lectures, although I could not find any evidence of any meetings.  ram tirth spent two years (1902-1904) in Japan and the US teaching vedanta philosophy.  He returned and continued lecturing/teaching in India.  In 1906, still very young, he went into the river and never came back.  His body was not found.  In many writings, admiring this act (drowning to my rationalist mind) is termed as “giving up his body”.   iqbal writes about ram tirth in profuse admiration.
1
hum-baGhal1 darya2 se hai aye qatra3-e betaab4 tu
pahle gauhar5 tha bana ab gauhar-e nayaab6 tu

1.shoulder to shoulder, joined 2.river 3.drop 4.restless 5.pearl 6.rare, unequalled, unobtainable

In sufi lexicon river is god/infinite spirit and drop is the human being.  The drop mingling with the river is like becoming one with the beloved/god through ecstacy, devotion etc.  You have become one with the river, O restless drop.  iqbal characterizes ram tirth as a ‘restless drop’ seeking to become a pearl, seeking union with the beloved.  You were a beautiful pearl before, now you have become a rare pearl.  Also, in sufi lexicon, god is the ultimate unobtainable pearl.  Thus this could mean – you have become one with god and have become that pearl.  ram tirth belonged to the vedanta strain which believed that not just spirtual but even bodily ascension/union with god is possible.
2
aah! khola1 kis ada2 se tu ne raaz3-e raNg o bu4
maiN abhi tak huN asir5-e imtiaz6-e raNg o bu

1.opened, revealed 2.style 3.secret of 4.colour and fragrance, senses – the world which we can sense/see, life 5.prisoner of 6.(ability to) dinstinguish/understand

You revealed the secret of life is such style!  I am still a prisoner of (confined by) my ability to understand life.  iqbal seems to be envious of ram tirth’s vedanta knowledge and his ability to forget himself in his love of god – so forgetful that he drowned in the river.
3
miT ke GhoGha1 zindagi ka shorish2-e mahshar3 bana
ye sharara4 bujh5 ke aatish-Khaana6-e aazar7 bana

1.noise 2.tumult 3.day of judgement, doomsday 4.spark 5.extinguish 6.house/temple of fire 7.ibrahim’s father who remained an idol worshipper (fire worshipper) even after his son declared a single divine being

By erasing this “noise of life” you rose to become the tumult of the day of judgement (when everything becomes one with god).  Your spark was extinguished but it transformed itself into an immense,  eternal fire.
4
nafi-e hasti1 ek karishma2 hai dil-e aagaah3 ka
laa4 ki darya meN nihaaN5 moti hai illallah6 ka

1.denial of existence, making being into non-being 2.miracle 3.all knowing heart 4.negation, no 5.hidden 6.except allah

This is a play on la ilaha illallah – there is go god but allah.  Thus your all knowing heart, denied its being (merged its individuality into the infinite).  In the river of non-being is hidden the pearl of unity or one-ness of god.
5
chashm-e naabina1 se maKhfi2 ma’ani3-e anjaam4 hai
tham5 gayii jis dam taRap6 seemab7 seem8-e Khaam9 hai

1.blind/ignorant eye 2.hidden 3.meaning of 4.final result 5.stopped 6.restlessness 7.mercury 8.silver 9.defective, raw

The theme of constant motion/struggle is a recurrent theme in iqbal’s compositions.  The restlessness of a drop of mercury is often used as a metaphor for restlessness/search and endeavour.  When this restlessness/motion stops then you know that it is not mercury but “defective/raw/ore of silver”.The meaning of the final result is hidden from the unseeing/ignorant eye.  The implication is that there is no “final result” only continuous struggle to become one with the beloved and when you achieve this one-ness you go into non-being.  Editorial comment – I relate strongly to the concept of continuous struggle but I am not sure I understand “becoming one and going into non-being”.  I am just mouthing words that are mysterious to me.
6
toR deta hai but-e hasti1 ko ibrahim-e ishq2
hosh3 ka daaru4 hai goya5 masti6-e tasneem7-e ishq

1.idol of being 2.ibrahim (messenger) of love 3.awareness, sobriety 4.cure, remedy 5.as if 6.intoxication 7.river in heaven

Biblical and Quranic beliefs are that ibrahim/Abraham taught the concept of a formless god and forbade idol worship.  Here iqbal equates the formlessness of god with love of god and calls it ibrahim-e ishq, meaning the teacher/messenger of love.  Thus it is the messenger/message of love (true message) that breaks the idol (false god) of “being” (meaning all existence is majazi/illusory, only the existence of god is real and everything is one with the creator).  The intoxication of the river of love is the cure for the (disease of) awareness/knowledge/reason (hosh).

Key Search Words:  cross religious, sant piir guru kaaba kaashi kaaba-kaashi

mohammed iqbal (1877-1938) attended various colleges in lahore (1893-1899) and then taught until 1905.   gossain tirth ram (1873-1906) was born in moraliwala (now in pakistan).  He was a brilliant student, got a master’s degree in mathematics and taught at Forman Christian College.  In 1899, he left his family, profession and belongings to adopt the life of a ‘sanyasi’, took the name swami ram tirth and began teaching vedanta philosophy in and around lahore (1899-1902).  Thus there is a complete overlap with iqbal’s brief teaching career in lahore.  There is some evidence that iqbal attended some of his lectures, although I could not find any evidence of any meetings.  ram tirth spent two years (1902-1904) in Japan and the US teaching vedanta philosophy.  He returned and continued lecturing/teaching in India.  In 1906, still very young, he went into the river and never came back.  His body was not found.  In many writings, admiring this act (drowning to my rationalist mind) is termed as “giving up his body”.   iqbal writes about ram tirth in profuse admiration.