Yesterday Bhai Harpreet Singh sang a beautiful bandish in Raag Gond in Darbar Sahib. Luckily I was listening live and had my recording software ready. This is bhagat Namdev's shabad. It is difficult to hear Gond too often although it is a simple raag; so it was a pleasure to hear this rendition. I also include a bandish from Bhai Avtar Singh that I found on the web herewith:
Listening to Paati Torai Maalini in Kafi - by Bhai Bakshish Singh Ragi. I have been singing this for several years. I have fond memories of singing this at the only kirtan competition I sung at when I was 8 or 9 (I didn't know what I was doing but I did win). The shabad has stayed with me over time and I have composed it in Raag Asa. Hopefully I will get a chance to share a recording sometime ...
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Āsā sarī Kabīr jīo ke pancẖpaḏe 9 ḏuṯuke 5
Aasaa, Kabeer Jee, 9 Panch-Padas, 5 Du-Tukas:
Ikoaʼnkār saṯgur parsāḏ.
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
Pāṯī ṯorai mālini pāṯī pāṯī jīo.
Jis pāhan kao pāṯī ṯorai so pāhan nirjīo. ||1||
You tear off the leaves, O gardener, but in each and every leaf, there is life.
That stone idol, for which you tear off those leaves - that stone idol is lifeless. ||1||
Bẖūlī mālnī hai eo.
Saṯgur jāgṯā hai ḏeo. ||1|| rahāo.
In this, you are mistaken, O gardener.
The True Guru is the Living Lord. ||1||Pause||
Barahm pāṯī bisan dārī fūl sankarḏeo.
Ŧīn ḏev parṯakẖ ṯorėh karahi kis kī seo. ||2||
Brahma is in the leaves, Vishnu is in the branches, and Shiva is in the flowers.
When you break these three gods, whose service are you performing? ||2||
Pākẖān gadẖ kai mūraṯ kīnĥī ḏe kai cẖẖāṯī pāo.
Je eh mūraṯ sācẖī hai ṯao gaṛĥaṇhāre kẖāo. ||3||
The sculptor carves the stone and fashions it into an idol, placing his feet upon its chest.
If this stone god was true, it would devour the sculptor for this! ||3||
Bẖāṯ pahiṯ ar lāpsī karkarā kāsār.
Bẖoganhāre bẖogiā is mūraṯ ke mukẖ cẖẖār. ||4||
Rice and beans, candies, cakes and cookies -
the priest enjoys these, while he puts ashes into the mouth of the idol. ||4||
Mālin bẖūlī jag bẖulānā ham bẖulāne nāhi.
Kaho Kabīr ham rām rākẖe kirpā kar har rāe. ||5||1||14||
The gardener is mistaken, and the world is mistaken, but I am not mistaken.
Says Kabeer, the Lord preserves me; the Lord, my King, has showered His Blessings upon me. ||5||1||14||
Singing oneness!
