आज मिर्जा़ ग़ालिब की कुछ शायरी पढने का मौका मिला। वैसे उर्दू और हिंदी दौनों मुझे कम आती है, पर दिल से निकले हुए इतने ख़ूबसुरत लफ्ज़ों को अनसुना करने की ताकत नही है मुझ मे। सोचा कुछ शायरी को यहाँ रखा जाये। ताकि सब दोस्त उन्हें पढ़ सके, यह अंग्रेज़ी में लिखी हुई है।
jaan tum par nisar karta hun,
main nahi jaanta dua kya hai.
And this one.....
1. ishq mujko nahi wehsat (solitude) hi sahi
meree wehsat teri shohrat (fame, popularity) hi sahi.
2. kaata kijiye na talluq (relation) hamse,
kucch nahi hai to adaavat (enmity) hi sahi.
3. mere hone mein hai kya ruswaee (embarassment, disgrace),
hai woh majlis (gathering) nahi khalwat (isolation) hi sahi.
4. hum bhi dushman to nahi hai apne
ghair ko tujhse mohabbat hi sahi.
And this one is just too good to resist....
1. Mehrbaan ho ke bula lo mujhe chaho jis waqt,
mein gaya waqt nahi hun ke phir aa bhi na sakun.
2. Zauf (weakness) main tana-e-aghyaar (taunt of an enenmy) ka shikwaa (complaint) kyaa hai? baat kuch sar to nahi hai ki utha bhi naa sakun.
3. zahar milta bhi nahi mujhko sitamgar (oppressor) warna
kya kasam hai tere milne ki ke khaa bhi naa sakun.
I am really kin to read Ghalib's biography, just assuming that such poetry can't come out without some experiential and philosophical convictions. Well, lets finish the thesis first (I have lost my whole Saturday morning to Ghalib, worthwhile though).
Friday 31 August, 2007
Thursday 9 August, 2007
Remembering Devanandan
Now that 'Smash 2007,' a Volleyball tournament at SAIACS, is over, at least one baggage seems reduced from my lean shoulders. Though, it may make no big difference compared to the overwhelming amount of energy and time my thesis-project demands. I felt guilty that I could not contribute anything to e-board during this tournament. It was simply because I thought of giving up blogging for sometime and concentrate more on my thesis.
Today, however, I felt to blog. Reason? - because today is the 45th death anniversary of our own Indian Christian theologian, Paul David Devanandan (1901-1962). Born in Madras to well-educated parents, he developed interest in the political and religious life of India right from his childhood. He was brought up in Western education, but in Indian home; this context was an asset to develop a theologian out of him. This context was perhaps a miniature of the context of India. India was absorbing western values, but was not willing to give up its own cultural heritage. This led to self-pride, nationalism and religious resurgence. The nationalistic feelings ran so high, that everything foreign was looked at with suspicious eyes, and everything 'Indian' as perfect, demanding no criticism. Christianity was, sadly, considered a part of this foreign package.
Devanandan spent a great deal of time studying this situation. He responded to the charges of both Nationalistic and Orthodox Hinduism. However, he supported a group of Hindus that advocated reform within Hinduism and absorbed Christian Western values, like abolition of Caste and Sati. Devanandan saw the hand of God in Hindu reforms, and asked the Christians to be supportive to these reforms. Did he think this was the way to bring the Hindus closer to Christ? May be. Whether this would have worked/ has worked is a question, but he did consider this to be a common ground for all religions - to bring social reforms, uplift the poor and striving for just and equal society. Today's India is passing through similar situation as that of Devanandan, and no Indian Christian would make a mistake in appraising his theology for our times.
Assessing Devanandan, it would be good to quote his own sentence, written in praise of Tagore - "A truly great men have been great because they have completely identified themselves with true humanity.... Here then is the paradox of human work; the greater the man and the farther removed from us of common mould and feeble frame, the closer he comes to the innermost being of ordinary humanity," and so was Devanandan. He stands as a source of encouragement to all those who are excited at the thought of developing Indian Christian theology. Hats off to Devanandan.
For the collection of his writings refer to:
Joachim Wietzke, Paul D. Devanandan, Vol.1 & 2 (Madras: The Christian Literature Society, 1983 & 1987).
Today, however, I felt to blog. Reason? - because today is the 45th death anniversary of our own Indian Christian theologian, Paul David Devanandan (1901-1962). Born in Madras to well-educated parents, he developed interest in the political and religious life of India right from his childhood. He was brought up in Western education, but in Indian home; this context was an asset to develop a theologian out of him. This context was perhaps a miniature of the context of India. India was absorbing western values, but was not willing to give up its own cultural heritage. This led to self-pride, nationalism and religious resurgence. The nationalistic feelings ran so high, that everything foreign was looked at with suspicious eyes, and everything 'Indian' as perfect, demanding no criticism. Christianity was, sadly, considered a part of this foreign package.
Devanandan spent a great deal of time studying this situation. He responded to the charges of both Nationalistic and Orthodox Hinduism. However, he supported a group of Hindus that advocated reform within Hinduism and absorbed Christian Western values, like abolition of Caste and Sati. Devanandan saw the hand of God in Hindu reforms, and asked the Christians to be supportive to these reforms. Did he think this was the way to bring the Hindus closer to Christ? May be. Whether this would have worked/ has worked is a question, but he did consider this to be a common ground for all religions - to bring social reforms, uplift the poor and striving for just and equal society. Today's India is passing through similar situation as that of Devanandan, and no Indian Christian would make a mistake in appraising his theology for our times.
Assessing Devanandan, it would be good to quote his own sentence, written in praise of Tagore - "A truly great men have been great because they have completely identified themselves with true humanity.... Here then is the paradox of human work; the greater the man and the farther removed from us of common mould and feeble frame, the closer he comes to the innermost being of ordinary humanity," and so was Devanandan. He stands as a source of encouragement to all those who are excited at the thought of developing Indian Christian theology. Hats off to Devanandan.
For the collection of his writings refer to:
Joachim Wietzke, Paul D. Devanandan, Vol.1 & 2 (Madras: The Christian Literature Society, 1983 & 1987).
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