Gorakh speaks of an unbounded country, a 'begam des', a place beyond constructs. When all the familiar gods and their mythologies fail, all material certainties dissolve, what is left then? How can one go to this un-goable place?
If you go looking for the meaning of the word 'गम'/gam you will find yourself lost in its myriad possibilities. This little root word which often gets suffixed as 'agam', 'durgam' 'guru gam' etc. simultaneously means मार्ग/रास्ता (way/path), प्रवेश/पहुँच (entrance/reach), पता/इल्म (location, knowledge), and दुःख/शोक/रंज (pain/sorrow/sadness). So this offers the listeners of this song a chance to imagine a different quality of this 'be-gam des' with every refrain. This country is pathless, unreachable, ungraspable and also without any sorrows.
This idea of 'begam des' finds an echo in the iconic song of Sant Ravidas called 'Begumpura'. 'बेगमपुरा शहर कौ नांउ, दुखू अंदोह नहीं तिहिं ठांउ' (The name is Begumpura, A city without conflicts and sorrows). Ravidas' radical and utopic imagination of Begumpura has influenced several anti-caste crusaders (including Dr B R Ambedkar) and continues to inspire several movements for social justice and a striving for a better world.
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Find lyrics/translation of this song at: ajabshahar.com/songs/details/2...
Discover a universe of Bhakti, Sufi, Baul poetry and music at www.ajabshahar.org.
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In 2011 we invited Mahesha Ram and his troupe to Bangalore for a 4-day ‘Learning with Kabir’ workshop designed as an immersive retreat for educators and artists. Mahesha ji would draw the participants into the spirit of satsang in the early mornings and late evenings. Rest of the day, some of us sat with him and recorded new and old songs from his very deep repertoire.
(Click on Settings for subtitles in English & Hindi.)
Meditative and mesmeric - these are the qualities of Mahesha Ramji’s music. Unhurried and not in an eager rush to please the public, Mahesha Ramji slows you down, and compels you to step into his rhythm. He belongs to Chhatangadh village near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, and represents the folk style of the Meghval community, who are the traditional carriers of the poetry of many bhakti poets including Kabir, keeping it alive through a powerful oral tradition. Contact Mahesha Ram at +91 99298-76095
This is one of a series of uploads for Ajab Shahar, a webspace dedicated to mystic poem and song, created by the Kabir Project team (www.ajabshahar.org ; www.kabirproject.org).
Song Credits:
Vocals & Tambura: Mahesha Ram
Manjiras & Second Vocals: Amolak Ram & Prabhu Ram
Dholak: Anwar Khan
Translation: Prashant Parvataneni
Video Credits:
Camera: Rebana John
Sound Recording & Facilitation: Gopal Singh Chouhan & Namrata Kartik
Editing: Radha Mahendru
Sub-Titling: Prashant Parvataneni
Collection: The Kabir Project
Place of Recording: School for Ancient Wisdom, Bangalore, India
Date of Recording: 18-21st, May, 2011