Madhushala - Rubaiya 36

साकी बन आती है प्रातः
saaki ban aati hai praatah
जब अरुणा उषा-बाला
jab arunaa ushaa-baalaa
तारक-मणि-मंडित चादर दे
taarak-mani-mandit chaadar de
मोल धरा लेती हाला,
mol dharaa leti haalaa,
अगणित कर किरणों से जिसको
aganit kar kirnon se jisko
पी, खग पागल हो गाते;
pee, khag paagal ho jisko
प्रति प्रभात में पूर्ण प्रकृति में
prati prabhaat mein poorna prakriti mein
मुखरित होती मधुशाला
mukharit hoti madhushaalaa

Bachchan continues his description of nature manifesting itself as the madhushala; in this self-explanatory verse, he describes how the dawn becomes the tavern; observe the choice of words, the poetic metre, and the loveliness of the mood he captures.

Madushala - Rubaiya 35

मंद झकोरों के प्यालों में
mand jhakoron ke pyaalon mein,
मधुक्रितु सौरभ की हाला
madhukritu saurabh kee haalaa
भर-भरकर अनिल पिलाता
bhar-bharkar anil pilaata
बनकर मधु-मद-मतवाला,
bankar madhu-mad-matwala,
हरे-हरे नव पल्लव, तरूगण,
hare-hare nav pallav, tarugan,
नूतन डालें, वल्लरियाँ
nootan daalen, vallariyan
new branches, creepers
छक-छक, झुक-झुक झूम रही हैं,
chhak-chhak, jhuk-jhuk jhoom rahee hain,
मधुवन में है मधुशाला
madhuvan mein hai मधुशाला

Bachchan continues his description of various features of nature as representing the madhushala, or the tavern of life. In this verse, he uses the way the wind plays with the flora as his context: this is another very beautifully constructed verse.

Madhushala - Rubaiya 34

प्रति रसाल तरु साकी-सा है
prati rasaal taru saakee-saa hai
प्रति मंजरिका है प्याला,
prati manjarikaa hai pyaalaa,
छलक रही है जिसके बाहर
chhalak rahee hai jiske baahar
मादक सौरभ की हाला,
maadak saurabh kee haalaa
छक जिसको मतवाली कोयल
chhak jisko matwaalee koyal
कूक रही डाली-डाली
kook rahee daalee-daalee
हर माधुत्रतु में अमराई में
har madhukritu mein amraaee mein
जग उठती है मधुशाला
jag utthtee hai madhushaalaa



In continuation of the description of "nature-as-madhushala", Bachchan describes how the cuckoos cry shrilly as they hop from branch to branch, drunk on the nectar of the the flowers on the juiciest trees.


In every piece of flora has the madhushala come alive!

This is one of the verses where there is less "deep meaning" and more lyricism....it is best enjoyed by letting the verse sink in as you savour them, and let it quietly do its work. Read them aloud!!

Madhushala - Rubaiya 33

पौधे आज बने है साकी
paudhe aaj bane hai saakee
ले-ले फूलों का प्याला,
le-le phoolon kaa pyaalaa,
भरी हुई है जिनके अन्दर
bharee hui hai jinke andar
परिमल-मधु-सुरभित हाला,
parimal-madhu-surbhit haalaa,
मांग-मांगकर भ्रमरों के दल
maang-maangkar bhramaron ke dal
रस की मदिरा पीते हैं
ras kee madiraa peete hain
झूम-झपक मद-झंपित होते,
jhoom-jhapak mad jhampit hote,
उपवन क्या है मधुशाला
upvan kyaa hai madhushaalaa


Bachchan continues to describe the various ways in which the world manifests itself as the madhushala. The attempt by the poet is to demonstrate how all natural laws are the laws of the tavern - how the entire world is constructed around the principle of the madhushala.

In this verse, Bachchan compares how the flowers and bees are representative of the principles of the tavern; a truly beautiful verse!!

Bhakti - and Madhushala Rubaiya 32

This verse is reminiscent of those who are on the path of devotion. All they can see is the object of their devotion: be it a beloved or a deity. Everywhere they look, whatever they touch, they experience the object of their devotion.


There is a spiritual-philosophical context to this. Extreme devotion (or what is called Bhakti) makes one see (for example) God everywhere, and in everything. At some point, the devotee asks, "if everything is God, then who am I?" It is at that instant that the observer ceases to exist: there is no devotee loving the Lord; no suitor admiring the beloved. The observer ceases to be, and he is the object of devotion: he is the universe.


The underlying meaning of this verse has to be understood in this context: I, and you, and every one of us, am or are or is the madhushala. The madhushala is all there is...there is nothing that exists outside of it. I am contained in the madhushala and the madhushala is contained in me. I am the universe. As are you.


I decided to write the commentary before the verse this time, in the hope that when you read the verse, you may choose to see it the way I do.


अधरों पर हो कोई भी रस
adharon par ho koi bhee ras
जिहूवा पर लगती हाला,
jihuaa par lagtee haalaa,
भाजन हो कोई हाथों में
bhaajan ho koi haathon mein
लगता रक्खा है प्याला,
lagtaa rakkha hai pyaalaa,
हर सूरत साकी की सूरत
har soorat saakee kee soorat
में परिवर्तित हो जाती,
mein parivartit ho jaati,
आँखों के आगे हो कुछ भी,
aankhon ke aage ho kuchh bhee,
आँखों में है मधुशाला
aankhon mein hai madhushaalaa

Madhushala - Rubaiya 31

तारक मणियों के सज्जित नभ
taarak manhiyon ke sajjit nabh
बन जाए मधु का प्याला,
ban jaaye jab pyaalaa,
सीधा करके भर दी जाए
seedha karke bhar dee jaaye
उसमे सागर-जल हाला,
usme saagar-jal haalaa,
मत्त समीरण साकी बनकर
matt samiranh saaki bankar
अधरों पर छलका जाए,
adharon par chhalkaa jaaye,
फैले हों जो सागर तट-से
failen ho jo saagar tat-se
विश्व बने ये मधुशाला
vishwa bane ye madhushaalaa


Bachchan is building on a theme here that suggests that everything is the tavern: there's the madhushala, and there's nothing else. In this verse, he beautifully weaves the world into a symbol for the madhushala that pervades it: the star-studded sky is the wine-cup, when it is "straightened" and the oceans' water is filled in it like wine, and the "drunk" waves spill this "wine" onto the lips that are the shores, you have the entire world becoming the madhushala!!

Equanimity, disinterestedness, the Gita, and Bachchan's 29th verse

I published my commentary on Verse 29 of the Madhushala earlier in the day today, and thought I'd write an extended commentary on two lines in that verse:

mangal aur amangal samjhe
masti mein kya matwaalaa

Bachchan points out that the man fully engaged in life does not differentiate between good fortune and bad. This is an important point, given that a great emphasis has been placed in almost every religion on the need for equanimity in the face of both good fortune and bad.

I find that most of us understand this to mean that we must practice equanimity; learn and acquire the capacity for unflappability. I, on the other hand, tend to think that such a quality cannot be acquired - you are either unflappable or you are not. This is not to say that if you are prone to excitement and emotional distress, you can't change - I am merely saying that you can't practice and develop disinterestedness; it is not a skill. (Incidentally, just so I'm not misunderstood, I use the word disinterested to imply impartiality, not indifference).

The trick lies in our capacity for complete engagement with life. When you are fully engaged in the moment, fortune or the lack of it is moot: the observer becomes the observed, and the man becomes life itself. He is the fortune or the misfortune, and so neither affect him. He is the universe, so the universe neither hurts him nor favours him.

Therefore, equanimity is the quality of the man who is fully engaged. He the one who lives his moment fully, and dies to it, so that he can be born into the next one - he is the yogi of the Gita. Such a man is naturally unflappable, for he is free. That is the true meaning behind the two lines in this verse, at least in my mind.