PRABHU HO SAB PATITAN KO TIKA - HINDI POEM

   

         प्रभु हौं सब पतितन कौ टीकौ |

और पतित सब दिवस चारि के, हौं तौ जनमत ही कौ |
बधिक अजामिल गनिका तारी और पूतना ही कौ |
मोहिं छाँड़ि तुम और उधारे, मिटै सूल क्यौं जी कौ |
कोऊ न समरथ अघ करिबे कौं, खैंचि कहत हौं लीको |
मरियत लाज सूर पतितन में, मोहुँ तैं को नीकौ ! 

Prabhu I am among all sinners on the top like a crown. All other sinners are of four days, others are just beginners, from the  very birth I have been so. You saved Badhik *(the hunter), Aajamil *(Ajmal), Ganika* (the Courtesan) and Putana* ( putana) also. Leaving me you  have granted deliverance to others from suffering. How can it be withstood none is  to make me down I say with confidence that people are saying Surdas is dying of shame among sinners more than me who else is the greater sinner.

*Badhik : After the Mahabharata war was over, one day Krsna was reclining under  a tree in a lonely place at Pravabhas Kshetra. He was mis takingly and fatally shot at by huntsman. When the hunter understood his mistake, bitterly lamenting he begged pardon for his deed. Krsna forgave him and granted a place in Vaikuntha.

*Ajmal: Ajamila was a fallen brahmin whose sins were erased and who was transported to teh realm of Vishnu simply because he called for his son on his death bed and his son's name happened to be Narayana.

*Ganika : Jivanti, a courtesan had a pet parrot which was taught to say the name of God Rama; together they would repeat the name. After death she and the parrot were transported to the abode of Vishnu.

* Putana : Putana was appointed by King Kamsa to kill child Krsna the living at Braja. She took the guise of  a beautiful motherly woman attracted the child for taking milk from her breast made deadly poisonous before hand. Child Krsna understood the plan and sucked her to death. However as she played the role of a mother (Though with ill motive) she was pardoned.

In the poem PRABHU HO SAB PATITAN KO TIKA poet Surdas sights examples of Lord's forgiving nature and benefits of  chanting Lord 's Name (Nama mahima) along with the list of beneficiaries.

Born in a village near Delhi in the mid of 15th century Surdas was a worshipper of Krsna. Legend goes that being blind one day Surdas fell into well and could not get out for seven days untill was rescued by Krsna Himself.

Reading his poetry one gets a strong and clear impression of a lively world which is specially his own. It is in many ways patterned on the external; but it is his inner world that is invariably marked with colours and beauty of his Master. It is completely devoted to Krsna and His LiLas.

The worship of Krsna is the core of Surdas's lifelong creations. Krsna the LOrd, friend and companion.  Also a naughty child of Nanda and Yashoda He is ,as well as the object of love and worship of girls and Gopis (women) in Brndavan.

A very commonly quoted verse about poet Surdas in the tradition of Hindi poets says: "Sur Sur, Tulsi Shashi.... (Surdas is the sun and Tulsidas the moon) thus giving him the rank even above poet Tulsidas, the doyen of Hindi Literature, the creator of the famous Rama Charit Manas and many other literary works including well known Bhajans. 

(This blogpost is a part of BlogChatter's Half -Marathon 2023)