CHINAR SHADE : WHAT DOES KABIR BHAJAN "JHEENI JHEENI BHEENI CHADARIYA "CONVEY ?

JHEENI JHEENI BHEENI CHADARIYA ........ KABIR

( SUBTLE AND FINE WAS THE CLOTH THAT THE MASTER WOVE )

Kabir’s Jhheeni Jhheeni Chadariya is another Bhajan that moves you as you listen it. The moving words and the blissful message is a treat . According to Kabir , our body ( Shareera ) is like a shawl or a blanket. By body he does not mean the physical body alone . It implies the Being or the Existence or the Life as such that was granted to us . A transparent object like the finely woven shawl ,blanket or sheet of cloth that has no dualism. No superficial covering that hides from the sight the true nature of the object. So beautiful and so pure handed over to us . A cloth for which weaving was done on a spinning wheel( Charkha ) made of eight lotus flowers . Yes subtle and subtle or Jheeni and Jheeni . So pure and done to perfection after balancing it through three Prana channels ( Ida, Pingla and Sushman) by the master in its warp and weft . Five essential elements ( Panch Tatva ) were also brought into shape and create it . And the master finished it in 10 months ( Almost equivalent to the period during which life takes shape from Mother’s womb ) . The sages and saints too wore it and so did the common man . Some soiled and defiled it. Soiled and defiled it by misuse or abuse of three boons that were meant to preserve it. How poorly we understood these three boons of Thought , Word and Deed . An apparel or shawl or blanket , so delicate and subtle that needed to be preserved and kept as it was granted got stained in the process. What shall we return to the master at the end ? And Kabir ,who wore it skillfully with great effort now returns this Chaddar or shawl back to his master in a state in which he had received it. What a grand viewpoint !

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Many singers have sung this great Nirguna Bhajan in different Ragas . The one that is my favourite is the soulful rendering by Kumar Gandharva . After listening to Kumar Gandharva’s rendering , one feels as if Kabir is himself singing at Varanasi Ghat .

I am rendering this great Bhajan to simple English relying on the lyrics used by Pandit Kumar Gandharva ..

"Jheeni Jheeni Bheeni Chadariyaa.
kah ke Tana, kah ke Bharni,
Kaun Taar se Bheeni Chadariyaa
*Ingla Pingla Taana Bharni,
Sushumna Taar se Bheeni Chadariyaa.
Ashta kamal Dal Charkha Doley,
Paanch Tatvaa, Gun Tini chadariya
Saiin ko siyat maas duss laagey,
Thonk-Thonk ke Bheeni Chadariya.
So Chaadar Sur, Nar Muni odhi,
Odhi ke Mailee keeni Chadariya
Daas Kabir Jatan Kari odhi,
Jyon ki Tyon Dhar Deeni Chadariya."
( Kabir )

This is how I understand the Nirguna Bhajan :-

( Delicate and delicate is the weave of this cloth !
What is the warp ?
What is the weft ?
What thread did the master put to use in its making ?
In the weave,
the master passed it through
Ingla ,Pingala
and Sushman Nadis
Creating the warp and the weft.
with subtle threads .
The Charkha ( Spinning Wheel ) spun *eight Lotuses
*five elements and *Three traits together in this cloth.
My master took ten months to finish its weaving,
And he kept compressing the cloth for this taut weave.
Sages , Men and Saints draped this fabric around them.
Alas! Some soiled and defiled it.
Kabir wore it with care and concern
And Lo ! He returns it back
untarnished as he received it from his master.)

( Avtar Mota )

*Lotus flower has a spiritual , philosophical and religious significance across various cultures. This flower grows in muddy water, but in spite of growing in mud and filth, it never has even a drop of mud on it. The lotus flower represents purity and non-attachment, and is a symbol of Bhakti or love.The Mahayana sect of Buddhism maintains that all souls emerge from a lotus. The eight-petal lotus seen in Buddhist ,Mandalas represents cosmic harmony.
Ashta -Kamal also appears in Sri- Yantra . One of the eight auspicious symbols of Indian classical art, the Puran-Kalasa symbolizes abundance and creativity, and depicts overflowing foliage consisting of lotus buds, lotus flowers and lotus leaves .In Vedic texts , eight also refers to Eight Adityas or Solar gods like Mitra , Varuna Aryaman, Amiya , Bhaga ,Dattar , Indra and Vivsvant.

For Hindus , the Lotos is also linked with Brahma , Vishnu and lakshmi. The Vedas say:-

“Oh, human! This life of yours is balanced on the lotus leaf and your lifespan is just alike a drop of water running down that leaf, which may fall any minute.”

The flower is known to have great significance in ancient Egyptian culture and Egyptian legend. The lotus flower is often featured in Egyptian religious art and architecture In Japanese culture, the lotus flower is considered a sacred symbol representing enlightenment and purity. It has symbolic relevance in Christianity , Taoism and the native American religious beliefs .
Running alongside the sushumna nadi, on either side of the spine, are the ida and pingala nadis. Ida refers to the chandra energies of the moon while pingala refers to the surya (yang) energies of the sun. Ida and pingala represent the two opposite forces flowing within us. Ida is passive nadi, flowing from the left side of the mooladhara (root chakra) in spirals, passing through each chakra and pingala is an active nadi, which flows from the right side of root chakra forming a criss- cross pathways, mirroring ida nadi.They correspond to the two aspects of the autonomic nervous system. Pingala coincides with sympathetic and ida with parasympathetic nervous system.Ida is what Kabir calls Ingla.

As per Hindu Mythology, Human body (Called Pinda ) is composed of Panch-Tatva or Five elements . These are: Prithivi ( Earth), Jal ( Water), Agni ( Fire), Vayu (Air) and Aakaash (Space). These five elements are linked to our five senses which are the senses of smell, taste, hearing, touch and sight.The Three traits that Kabir comments in this Bhajan are ; Thought , Word and Deed that affect and define the conduct of an Individual in this world.