Human existence raises some fundamental questions about individual’s identity, the purpose in life and the nature of human relationships. I love Hakeem Omar Khayyam for he had asked himself these questions. Does the image I see in the mirror describe my true identity ? Unless I define my identity, how it would be possible to describe my relationship with others. If I do not know as to who I am, why should I contemplate on issues such as my purpose in life and my destination? Self-Knowledge is the key to answer questions about existence.
Pankaj Udhas (1951-2024) | The elegiac voice of romance, in letter and spirit
Renowned ghazal singer and Padma Shri awardee Pankaj Udhas, best known for “Chitthi Ayee Hai” and “Aur Ahista Kijiye Baatein”, died on Monday following prolonged illness, his daughter Nayab said. He was 72. His daughter Nayaab Udhas took to Instagram to announce the news and wrote, “With a very heavy heart, we are saddened to inform of the sad demise of Padma Shri Pankaj Udhas on 26th February 2024 due to prolonged illness.”
Udhas died around 11 a.m. at the Breach Candy hospital, a family source said.
The last rites will be held on Tuesday, February 27.
The soulful voice that soothed broken hearts, Pankaj Udhas passed away after a prolonged illness in Mumbai on February 26 at 72. At the cusp of 1980, when the ‘angry young man’ had sucked melody out of our lives, Udhas, following the footsteps of Mehdi Hasan and Jagjit Singh, popularising ghazals among the youth. Breaking away from the classical format, he liberated the romantic form from Persianised Urdu to convey their pain in a simple verse like Deewaron Se Milkar Rona Achcha Lagta Hai and tweaked the plaintive orchestration to create a new, youthful riff that could declare Mohe Aai Na Jag Se Laaj Main Itna Zor Se Nachi Aaj Ki Ghungroo Toot Gaye.
Mujh se Mera Kya Rishta Hai? What is My Relationship with Myself?
What is my relationship with myself ?
I have forgotten all other relationships.
How many mirrors that I have looked into, yet
I have forgotten my face.
Mujh Se Mera Kya Rishta Hai Lyrics
- imaan ko bekaar naa kar doon, ya rab
is jeene ko dushwaar naa kar doon, ya rab
is khoff se har shaam ko pee letaa hoon
main khud se bhee inkaar naa kar doon, ya rab
peene de muje, bhar de mera paimaana
duniyaa to hai ek goonja hua afasaana
jab tak muje maalum naa ye ho jae
main aayaa kahaan se hoon , kahaan hai jaanaa
mujh se mera kya rishta hai?
mujh se mera kya rishta hai?
har ek rishta bhool gaya
itane aaine dekhe hain
apana cheharaa bhool gaya
mujh se mera kya rishta hai?
ab to ye bhee yaad nahin hai
farq tha kithna donon mein
ab to ye bhee yaad nahin hai
farq tha kithna donon mein
us kee baathen yaad rahee
us kee baathen yaad rahee
aur us ka lahaza bhool gaya
itane aaine dekhe hain
apana cheharaa bhool gaya
mujh se mera kya rishta hai?
pyaasi dharti ke honton par
mera naam nahin to kya?
pyaasi dharti ke honton par
mera naam nahin to kya?
main vo baadal ka tukdaa hoon
main vo baadal ka tukdaa hoon
jis ko dariyaa bhool gaya
itane aaine dekhe hain
apana cheharaa bhool gaya
mujh se mera kya rishta hai?
duniyaa waale kuch bhee kahen
raashid apanee majaburi hai
duniyaa waale kuch bhee kahen
raashid apanee majaburi hai
us kee gali jab yaad aayee hai
us kee gali jab yaad aayee hai
ghar ka rastaa bhool gaya
itane aaine dekhe hain
apana cheharaa bhool gaya
mujh se mera kya rishta hai?
har ek rishta bhool gaya
mujh se mera kya rishta hai?
har ek rishta bhool gaya
mujh se mera kya rishta hai?
2.
Beemar Ko Bekaar Na Kardo Ya Rab
Iss Jeene Ko Dushwar Na Kardun Ya Rab
Iss Khaab Se Har Shaam Ko Pee Leta Hoon
Main Khud Se Bhi Inkaar Na Kar Dun Ya Rab
Peene De Mujhe Bhar De Mera Paimaana
Duniya To Hain Ek Uljha Huaa Afsaana
Jab Tak Mujhe Maalum Na Ye Ho Jaaye
Main Aaya Kahan Se Hun Kahan Hain Jaana
Mujh Se Mera Kya Rishta Hai
Har Ek Rishta Bhool Gaya
Itne Aaine Dekhe Hain Ki
Apna Chehra Bhool Gaya
Mujh Se Mera Kya Rishta Hai
Ab To Yeh Bhi Yaad Nahi Hai
Farq Tha Kitna Dono Main
Ab To Yeh Bhi Yaad Nahi Hai
Farq Tha Kitna Dono Main
Us Ki Baatein Yaad Raheen Aur
Us Ki Baatein Yaad Raheen Aur
Us Ka Lehja Bhool Gaya
Itne Aaine Dekhe Hain Ki
Apna Chehra Bhool Gaya
Mujh Se Mera Kya Rishta Hai
Pyasi Dharti Ke Hothon Per
Mera Naam Nahi To Kya
Pyasi Dharti Ke Hothon Per
Mera Naam Nahi To Kya
Main Woh Baadal Ka Tukda Hoon
Main Woh Baadal Ka Tukda Hoon
Jis Ko Dariya Bhool Gaya
Itne Aaine Dekhe Hain Ki
Apna Chehra Bhool Gaya
Mujh Se Mera Kya Rishta Hai
Duniya Wale Kuch Bhi Kahein
Rashid Apni Majboori Hain
Duniya Wale Kuch Bhi Kahein
Rashid Apni Majboori Hain
Uski Gali Jab Yaad Aayi Hain
Uski Gali Jab Yaad Aayi Hain
Ghar Ka Rasta Bhool Gaya
Itne Aaine Dekhe Hain Ki
Apna Chehra Bhool Gaya
Mujh Se Mera Kya Rishta Hai
Har Ek Rishta Bhool Gaya
Mujh Se Mera Kya Rishta Hai
Har Ek Rishta Bhool Gaya.
What is my relationship with myself ?
I have forgotten all other relationships.
How many mirrors that I have looked into, yet
I have forgotten my face.
The above lines are an attempt by me to translate into English the ‘ghazal’ titled “Mujh se Mera Kya Rishta Hai” by Mumtaz Rashid. The ‘ghazal’ is included in the music audio cassette(11/98), “Rubayee” (Volume 1). The singer is India’s famous ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas. The cassette was released by Music India, Polygram India Ltd. The cassette includes “Rubayees” of Hakim Omar Khayyam translated into Indian language Urdu by Janab Zameer Kazmi and Janab Irteza Nishat. I would particularly invite all Farsi speakers to listen to these songs and appreciate the connection between Persian language and Urdu. This melodious Indian language Urdu represents a bridge that connects the people of Iran with the people of India.
Who am I? From Where I have Arrived? Where am I Going?
Human existence raises some fundamental questions about individual’s identity, the purpose in life and the nature of human relationships. I love Hakeem Omar Khayyam for he had asked himself these questions. Does the image I see in the mirror describe my true identity ? Unless I define my identity, how it would be possible to describe my relationship with others. If I do not know as to who I am, why should I contemplate on issues such as my purpose in life and my destination? Self-Knowledge is the key to answer questions about existence.
The Challenge of Self-Discovery
In 1965, while I was a student of Human Anatomy at Kurnool Medical College, I had the opportunity to know about Dr. J. C. B. Grant (1886-1973), the author of Grant’s Atlas of Anatomy. The 5th Edition of his Atlas was published in 1962 and was available in India in our Medical College Library.
Born in Loanhead (south of Edinburgh) in 1886, Grant studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh Medical School and graduated with an M.B., Ch.B. degree in 1908. While at Edinburgh, he worked under the renowned anatomist Daniel John Cunningham. Grant became a decorated serviceman of the Royal Army Medical Corps during the First World War before moving to Canada. He established himself as an ‘anatomist extraordinary’ at the University of Toronto, publishing three textbooks that form the basis of Grant’s Anatomy. The textbooks are still used in anatomy classes today, and made unforgettable memories for those who found themselves in his classes nearly a century ago. One of Grant’s many accomplishments was establishing a division of histology within the department.
As a medical student, I used Grant’s Atlas of Anatomy, the seminal work of Scottish-born Dr. John Charles Boileau Grant, who would become the chair of Anatomy at the University of Toronto in 1930 and retired in 1965.
Students continue to use Grant’s textbooks today, and for the more artistic anatomist there’s even a Grant’s Anatomy Coloring Book, published in 2018.
At the University of Toronto, Dr.McMurrich, Chair of Anatomy was succeeded as chairman in 1930 by Dr. John Charles Boileau Grant. Dr. Grant wrote three text books, of which “An Atlas of Anatomy” (published in 1943) rapidly gained international prominence and is still, one of the most widely used anatomical atlases in the world. It is now known as “Grant’s Atlas of Anatomy” and is in its tenth edition. The atlas was based on a series of elegant dissections done either by Grant or by others under his supervision. Many of these dissections are currently housed in Grant’s Museum at the University of Toronto.
The Rudi-Grant Connection is about knowing the man, the building blocks and the structural units and organization of the human body. To defend the human existence, the Rudi-Grant Connection lays the emphasis on knowing the person who is at risk apart from knowing the agent posing the risk.
The Identity of Multicellular Human Organism:
Daniel John Cunningham was born on 15 April 1850 in Scotland. After his initial schooling at his home town, Crieff, he took up the study of medicine at the University of Edinburgh and passed with honours. He is best known for the excellent series of dissection manuals, namely Cunningham’s Dissection Manuals. Cunningham’s Manual of Practical Anatomy has provided me the learning tools to know and understand Man’s External and Internal Reality and its Identity as described by Cells, Tissues, Organs,and Organ Systems.
I learned about the human body while dissecting the body in a systematic manner. The Manual of Practical Anatomy which guides us through this entire process was published in England. The author Dr. Daniel John Cunningham prepared the Manual while dissecting cadavers of British or Irish citizens. He had never encountered cadavers of Indian citizens. At Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India, where I was a student, the Department of Anatomy obtains dead bodies from Government General Hospital Kurnool and most of the deceased are the poor, illiterate, and uneducated people of that region. None of the deceased had the chance to know this man called Cunningham and Cunningham had no knowledge about the existence of these people who arrive on our dissection tables. But, as the dissection of the human body proceeds, inch, by inch, we recognize the anatomical parts as described by Cunningham. The manual also lists some anatomical variations and we very often exchange information between various dissection tables and recognize the variations mentioned. The dissections also involve slicing the organs and studying them, both macroscopically, and microscopically. We did not miss any part of the human body. So what is the Identity of this Human person or Human subject? How does the living Human organism maintain its Identity and Individuality? Apart from the Cultural Traditions of India, several Schools of Religious Thought claim that the Human Individual and its Identity is represented by Human Soul. Where does this soul exist in the human body? What is the location if the soul is present in the living person? Does man have a soul? How does the human organism acquires Knowledge about its own structures and the functions they perform?
Sir, Who are you?
Whole Dude - Whole Concept 