Yuhi Chala Chal Raahi by Penn Masala

Lyrics and translation:

Yunhi chala, chal raahi
Kitni haseen hai ye duniya
Phool saare jamele, dekh phoolon ke mele
Badi rangeen hai duniya
Rum tum taana na nak tum tum taana na bhaiya

keep roaming thus oh traveler
how beautiful this world is
forget all your turmoil and enjoy the profusion of flowers
how colorful this world is

Ye raasta hai keh raha ab mujhse
Milne ko hai koyi kahin ab tujhse

these pathways call out to me and say
somewhere someone’s waiting for you

Dil ko hai kyun ye betaabi
Kis se mulaaqaat honi hai
Jis ka kabse armaan tha
Shaayad wahi baat honi hai

why is the heart restless
who is it going to meet
what the heart most desired
maybe that’s about to happen

Yunhi chala, chal raahi
Jeevan gaadi hai samay paiya
Aansoon ki nadiya bhi hai
Khushiyon ki bagiya bhi hai
Rasta sab tera takke bhaiya

keep roaming thus oh traveler
life is the vehicle and time is the wheel
you fimd a flood of tears
and a garden of happiness
everyone is waiting for you, fellow

Yunhi chala, chal raahi
Kitni haseen hai ye duniya
Phool saare jamele, dekh phoolon ke mele
Badi rangeen hai duniya

keep roaming thus oh traveler
how beautiful this world is
forget all your turmoil and enjoy the profusion of flowers
how colorful this world is

Mann apne ko kuch aise halka paaye
Jaise kandho pe rakha boj hat jaaye
Jaise bhola sa bachpan phirse aaye
Jaise barson mein koyi ganga nahaaye

the heart feels lightened
like a burden lifted from the shoulders
lke the innocent childhood has come back
like bathing in the ganges after a long time

Khul sa gaya hai ye mann
Khul sa gaya har bandhan
Jeevan ab lagta hai paawan mujhko

man my heart feels pure
now bonds are strengthened
now life is fresh and new

Jeevan mein preet hai, honton pe geet hai
Bas yehi jeet hai sun le raahi
Tu jis disha bhi jaa, tu pyaar hi loota
Tu deep hi jala, sun le raahi

life is filled with love and the lips have a song at it’s tips
this is your victory oh traveler
wherever you go always spread love
and blaze a path oh traveler

Yunhi chala, chal raahi
Kaun ye mujhko pukaare
Nadiya pahaad jheel aur jharne, jangal aur waadi
In mein hai kiske ishaare

keep roaming thus oh traveler
who calls out to me?
river, mountain, stream and lake, forest and valley
who’s beckoning hand do i see there?

Yunhi chala, chal raahi
Kitni haseen hai ye duniya
Phool saare jamele, dekh phoolon ke mele
Badi rangeen hai ye duniya

keep roaming thus oh traveler
how beautiful this world is
forget all your turmoil and enjoy the profusion of flowers

Photograph by Sara Delić
Lyrics and translation by M ystique Bodha

Reflection

This week's song is dedicated to a dear spiritual elder Satish Kumar who is celebrating his 80th birthday by undertaking a 80 km peace pilgrimage with friends near London. May his feet keep leading this Earth Pilgrim to where his heart is!

This summer, I was blessed to bask in Satish Kumar's presence for two whole days as he was visiting Mumbai for a series of talks. Seeker at birth, Satish became a wandering Jain monk at age 8 and inspired by Gandhian ideals of service as a pathway to God, he joined the Bhoodaan movement at 18. In his mid-twenties, he read a newspaper article about 90 year old Bertrand Russell being jailed for a peace protest against nuclear armaments. This stirred young Satish and his friend Menon to undertake an epic money-less 8000 mile journey on foot from Gandhi's grave in Delhi to JFK's grave in Washington to spread the message of world peace and disarmament.

Known to be an impassioned speaker on ecology his presence in Mumbai attracted multiple circles and countless ripples emerged around Satish as he kept on giving of himself untiringly to one and all. One morning, we were on a walk at the beach and inspired by the rising sun, right then and there he gifted me one of the most important lessons on "journey" which I will always be grateful for.

"Prepare for death as you would prepare for a pilgrimage. Fast regularly so that at time of passing away you can choose Sallekhana. Everyday, meditate a few minutes on impermanence of life and journey after death. We are afraid of death, because it is unknown. Befriend the idea of death as an exciting new adventure. Be ready to go at any moment. Death is not the end of a cycle, it is the renewal.

At the end of his earthly existence, my teacher Vinoba would call his students every night and inform them “If I don’t wake up tomorrow, continue doing whatever good you do. Don’t worry about me. Be well”. He prepared them for his passing with such simple techniques.

If you want to take a walking pilgrimage, you start training for it by building up your daily walking capacity. Likewise when you prepare for a marathon, you build up your stamina. Why not also prepare for death, by allowing some time everyday to explore the unknown."

As one who considers myself a pilgrim@heart, I humbly received this message and bowed in gratitude. With a twinkle in his eye, and deep maitri in his voice, he blessed me saying "Udaar charita vasudhaiva kutumbakam" (Walk with a generosity of heart and expansive consciousness that embraces everything.)

Yuhi Chala Chal Raahi

Reflection

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