Shunya Gadh Shahar by Kumar Gandharva (Lyrics & Meaning)

Pandit Kumar Gandharva, accompanied by Vasundhara Komkali, renders Gorakhnāth's Nirgun song "Shūnya Gadh Shahar, Shahar Ghar Basti". Raag Malkauns(?).
Lyrics & Meaning
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शून्य गढ शहर शहर घर बस्ती कौन सूता कौन जागे है
In the empty fort, a city, In the city, a settlement; Who sleeps? Who wakes?
लाल हमरे हम लालान के तन सोता ब्रह्म जागे है
My Love/red is mine, I am my Love/red's; The body sleeps, the Spirit wakes.
जल बिच कमल कमल बिच कलिया भँवर बास न लेता है
Lotus in water, Buds among lotuses; A bee does not dwell.
इस नगरी के दस दरवाजे जोगी फेरी नित देता है
This city has ten gates; The yogi constantly makes the rounds.
तन की कुण्डी मन का सोटा ज्ञानकी रगड लगाता है
Body as mortar, mind as pestle; He grinds wisdom.
पाञ्च पचीस बसे घट भीतर उनकू घोट पिलाता है
Five & 25 dwell in the body; He gives them the drink.
अगन कुण्डसे तपसी तापे तपसी तपसा करता है
In the pit of fire, the tapasi burns; He does his tapas
पाञ्चो चेला फिरे अकेला अलख अलख कर जपता है
Five disciples roam alone; "Unseen, Unseen" it is chanted
एक अप्सरा सामें उभी जी, दूजी सूरमा हो सारे है
An apsara descends in front; A second appears with drowsy eyes
तीसरी रम्भा सेज बिछावे परण्या नहीं कुँवारी है
A third, Rambha, spreads the bed; Unmarried she is a virgin
परण्या पहिले पुतुर जाया मात पिता मन भाया है
Before marriage a son is born; Mother and father rejoice.
शरण मच्छिन्दर गोरख बोले एक अखण्डी ध्याया है
"Macchinder is Refuge!" says Gorakh "Meditate on the Indivisible One!"
This song has many layers to it, and not obvious meaning is apparent even in Hindi, so to translate it is not very wise; much less to give it a visual interpretation. I would say Gorakh Nath here is describing the scene as he enters a town before the break of dawn about how empty it is. The emptiness could also apply to material life in general. A wake-up call to seek refuge in the Guru and meditate on Oneness (Kaivalya) or Alakh Niranjan (the untainted unseen attribute-less Godhead of the Nath yogis).
He begins.
1) Though the world is asleep (in māyā) the Spirit, the Brahman, the Guru, the Love that is so dear, is always awake.
2) Though there are lovely lotuses in the pond, even lovelier buds, the bee does not dwell. Kumarji sings it in two different ways one of them means that the bee takes a sniff! Similarly even if there are temptations, the yogi does not dwell. A bee - मधुकर a honey collector - is likened to a mendicant as both of them go place to place seeking food and they do not dwell. The body fort has ten gates - passages for temptation - and the yogi should guard them all the time.
3) With the body and mind as mortar and pestle, the yogi constantly grinds for wisdom. Once he gets the potion of true knowledge he gives a taste of it to the indwelling five elements (earth, water, fire, wind & sky) and to the 25 tattvas (mind etc.); so that they be reminded of their true identity, that is divinity.
4) The tapasi - an austere spiritual practitioner - practices 'yoga by fire', the famous pañcāgni - five fire ritual. As the five disciples - the five elements - wait outside for the easy delivery of knowledge from the Guru! "Unseen, unseen" the chant goes on. "Alakh" is also the chant itself!
5) As the yogi mounts his dedication, Māyā mounts temptation too. So a celestial temptress is sent as a distraction. Then a second, even a third - the finest Rambhā - descends as a virgin.
6) Before her marriage a son is born to her - and hence the yogi's austerity is destroyed. A victory for Māyā as the father and mother rejoice the birth of a baby. But Gorakh is wiser, lest he should fall in to any of those traps, he reminds his Guru of the protection he sought and he reminds himself to meditate on nothing but the Ultimate.
Also, there is a cute story of how Guru Matsyendra Nath (Macchinder) gets deluded by a beautiful queen and Gorakh goes to save him, only to realize that he was being tested by the Guru. (see any of the movies named Maya Macchindra)
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This and other songs of Kumar Gandharva are explained in the book "Singing Emptiness" by Prof. Linda Hess amzn.com/190542...

[@see_mayuresh]

शून्य गढ शहर शहर घर बस्ती, कोण सूता कोण जागे है लाल हमारे हम लालन के, तन सोता ब्रह्म जागे है || जल बिच कमल, कमल बिच कलिया, भंवर बास ना लेता है इस नगरी के दस दरवाजे, जोगी फेरी नीत देता है || तन की कुंडी मन का सोटा, ग्यान की रगड लगाता है पांच पचीस बसे घट भीतर, उनकू घोट पिलाता है || अगन कुंडसे तपसी तापे, तपसी तपसा करता है पांचो चेला फिरे अकेला, अलख अलख कर जपता है || एक अप्सरा सामें ऊभी जी, दूजी सुरमा हो सारे है || तिसरी रंभा सेज बिछाये, परण्या नहीं कुंवारा है || परण्या पहिले पुतर जाया, मात पिता मन भाया है || शरण मछिंदर गोरख बोले, एक अखंडी ध्याया है ||

[@bhalchandrakulkarni2741]

Many thanks for providing rare the lyrics/text of the song. It is having deep sense of great fine meaning in between... B.M.Kulkarni.

[@baldevyadav2345]

वाह अद्भुत, जय हो

[@mintubose8668]

Thank you very much.🙏

[@shobhanimbalkar3609]

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@chandrakantsaraf6204]

❤

[@prat_0501]

I feel so lucky to be able to listen to this nurguni Bhajan sung by great great great Kumar ji.......I am just 22 years old and I am listening to this Bhajan from the last two years....this Bhajan has changed my perspective towards life ❤❤

[@shantanurawat7185]

बहुत बहुत आभार । पूरी देह बार बार रोमांचित हो रही है। आज बैरागी बाबाओं के सिद्धलोक की सैर करा दी । पंडित जी को बारंबार प्रणाम।

[@subhajit0]

कुमार गन्धर्व के भजन हमें परमात्मा से जोङते हैं। धन्य है हमारा भारत देश जिसने ऐसे महान गायक को जन्म दिया।

[@ishwarchandraic9418]

Thanks for uploading. Your translation is also good . /हमारी नाथ परंपरा में पूर्ण योगी को अनेक दिव्य अनुभवों के बाद अंत में पहले आकाश का अनुभव आता है , योगी स्वयं आकाश बन जाता है , फिर उसके चारो देह शून्य हो जाते हैं , फिर सब कुछ ही शून्य हो जाता है । इसी का वर्णन श्री गोरखनाथ जी महाराज ने किया है । *डा ईश्वर चंद्र करकरे , चिकित्सक , योग साधक और संगीत साधक।

[@SwatiGawade852]

Thanks

[@amrendrakumarjha8054]

Nath Gorakh maro o jogi maro maran hai mitha ta bidh maro ja bidh mari gorak dekha

[@jkjk295]

ahhaaa...pt..kumarji...na bhuto na bhavishyati....🌷🌷🌷🎹🎹🎹🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@vijaypandhare3905]

अपरोक्षानुभुतीचा उत्कृष्ठ नमुना . अंतरंग साधना explain केली आहे यात . Great कबीर महाराज . Great पंडीत कुमार गंधर्व .

[@milindkhapre5443]

गोरक्षनाथांची रचना आहे, कबीर नाही

[@pritpalsinghsasan2260]

GORAKHNATH'S nirgun bhajan +KUMAR GANDHARVA +MUSIC =PEACE OF MIND= HAPPINESS .

[@1000Vlogs]

परिण्या पहिले पुत्तर जाया , मातापिता मन भाया A child is born even before marriage , the favorite child ( even before fulfilling the desire you think about result , the your favorite result = expectations in nutshell)

[@dhananjayrao4119]

My tears began to flow whie listening.

[@satyendrarao7481]

देवाजी गात आहेत।।

[@pareshgharat1230]

Same here

[@satishmhatre4165]

@@satyendrarao7481 ll

[@gurushembekar559]

🙏🙏🙏

[@umeshgawade3195]

अविस्मरणीय अनुभव आहे काय स्वर्गात गायकी केली असेल देवाची धुंदी उतरली नसेल अजून 🙏

[@balmukund4251]

while listening, I realized myself. Kumar Gandharv jee kee aawaj hame us antaratma ke taho tak le jaati hai, jahan mind se created shor nahi hai.......THANKS EVERY ONE RIGHT FROM MACHHINDER NATH JEE, Gorakh Nath jee, Kumar Gandharva jee, and the one who uploaded it. Thanks from the deep core of my heart.

[@banerjeebhanu]

Bal Mukund

[@jitukelkar]

Oh my God!!I feel like I stop a few steps just before realisation , and the frustration is really extreme.You are truly blessed.

[@AkshaySingh-tn6tq]

Hello sir 💖

[@pankajbhugra4426]

@@jitukelkar Frustrated? 🙂A few steps away from realization and frustrated? 🤔🤔

[@vasantiranagnathan6162]

फारच अप्रतिम....माझे फार आवडते गायक....

[@amarkarandikar1257]

sant Gorakhnath's vachan with a fathom of meaning. Aptly justified by none other than pt Kumarji.. a Gandharv in true sense. The life becomes more cheerful with his soulful rendition.

[@sanjeevanic]

Kumarji has rendered this haunting& trance-inducing .Glad heard this now in 2020. Thank you for uploading.

[@ganeshthakur9834]

I don't know whether its power of classical music or Shri Panditji's soulful singing which is empowering and connecting my Antar Atma. thanks a lot @rakeshvarmaji for taking all the efforts and providing us such amazing treasure.

[@neelavanjpe6641]

1111

[@Omkarlomate]

This song has been sung by many.. but no one comes even closer to Kumar ji

[@madhavijoshi9741]

अप्रतिम. ब्रह्मानंदी मन तल्लीन झाले. 🙏🙏

[@krupabhatye5591]

शब्द,अर्थ,आवाज, संगीत सारेच अप्रतिम

[@vishakhapatil8394]

खूपच अप्रतिम

[@deepaknikam11]

opening the inner doors of soul...I am speechless...no words are able to touch the ineffable being within..we are drenching in pure bliss...Deepak Nikam

[@ChanderSingh-n5b]

जितने अच्छे बोल उतनी मधुर आवाज पंडित जी की साधु साधु

[@pratikraut8005]

I know it takes alot of Hardwork to edit and upload videos, Very thanks to you @rakeshvaram for taking efforts and making this Heavenly Voice available for us.

[@anilchavan2]

Such a nice composition from Guru Gorakshnath ! Proud to be a follower !!! Adesh, Adesh, Adesh !!!!

[@vaibhavshivhare]

Mesmerising and a very rare recording. It will move you from within, shat shat naman to the maestro for this timeless classic. We are lucky to have witnessed this riveting performance

[@lateshkumar1950]

Blessed to Hear This Masterpiece of Classic Song with Divine Music. A creation By Our Extraordinary Guru's Of Sanatan Parampara Recited By Legend Pandit Jee, Immortality Redefined.. KOTI KOTI PRANAM TO ALL THE CONTRIBUTORS OF THIS IMMORTAL CREATION. ✨✨🌺🌺🙏🙏

[@1000Vlogs]

तन की कुंडी मन का सोता ।ज्ञान की रगड़ लगाता है कुंडी = कटोरा / सांकल दरवाजा बंद करने की सोता = स्त्रोत ( source/ small water fall) Mind is unlimited the body has its own limits , with help of both one gets the knowledge .

[@pradeepkumarm944]

Koti koti pranam!!

[@mallikarjunaihy9437]

The great Kumara Gandharva create new wave in alaap which made unique classic for ever, My sincere appreciation for uploading. Many thanks, Very Nostalgic,,,,,,,..

[@purnimashrivastava2942]

Kabeer das ki adbhut geet Rachna ase bhavishya se dharti ki prem aur indriya sanyam ki adbhut vivechna is geet ko kayi bar suna kumar Gandharva dhakad gayak ko naman.

[@father_wise]

Gorakhnath ki hai kabir ki nahi

[@purnimashrivastava2942]

Sorry sirgorakhnath aur guru macchindar ki alakh aapke batane ke liye shukriya.jag machhindar gorakh aaya nirantar jagriti ka sandesh hai.purane samay ke guruvani ko sadar naman

[@laxmidascmandrekar289]

Divine singing by Panditji of a lyrics by Shri Nath Goraksha.

[@medhashas]

Thank you Very much to the curator for uploading such a deeply spiritual rendition by Kumarji. 🙏🙏

[@digrajsinghsharma3812]

इस अनुवाद के लिये धन्यवाद।

[@girishkurlekar-yd6cv]

Thanks 🙏 to pandit ji & Pranam Sri Sadguru Goraknath Prabhu

[@subeernadgonde16]

Rendition of KumarJi and his Bandish, probably the epitome of meditation. I dont see anything beyond this.

[@trimurtyspinningmillspvtlt7090]

Today I read the song in Maharashtra Times i.e. 11/03/2017 about the song. So I search and listen it.

[@RamanSingh-mr9ge]

trually spiritualistic, meditational, realistic, heart touching, mentally healing, no words to praise

[@shobhitarora5731]

Excellent upload ...Thanks to Rakesh ji for a great effort.Pt. ji master rendition og Gorakh nath song with deep rooted meaning.

[@ashutoshjain6719]

Divine! Mesmerizes you every time you listen to it. This Bhajan gives a glimpse of the infinity and makes you feel as a drop in the vast ocean of spirituality! 🙏

[@sumanniv]

Truly a great unique & rare upload- thanks a million! Appreciate your offer of the mystic lyric.

[@vinayak251180]

Kahi gaani only gayakachi astat. Tase he gaane keval Pt ji che aahe. Ha feel asa kuthech yet naahi, konachyahi awajat. Adbhut!

[@Manoj-ke2bc]

Rakeshji what a work you have put in ...humble pranaams🙏🙏🙏 .hearing a soul singing is such a experience

[@ranjinijois1018]

The best singer ever

[@mihir1963]

Awesome gandharva gaan by aaderniya kumar gandharva ji jai sachchidananda

[@ravjibhaimakwana7900]

બહુ સરસ ગાયુતમામને વંદન

[@anjanaoak9591]

सगळीच गाणी अप्रतिम खूप श्रवणीय

[@MyAnny09]

It's really appreciate that you mentioned lyrics and it's meaning in brief... helping to understand in deep... wow it's amazing , create more interest in classical music .. Hats off effort...!!! Thanks a lot n keep it up

[@shantanurawat7185]

अद्भुत, अलौकिक, अकल्पनीय।

[@shyamgopakundapurkar]

Thank you for posting. Also, thank you for including "Gorakh Gadh" in your video ....

[@ashwanipal2301]

उत्कृष्ट रचना, अप्रतिम गायन 🙏

[@anupambansal1696]

Uncomparable music and lyrics...though I don't understand entirely I can feel the divine in this rendition.

[@cmsane5120]

मात पिता मन भाये हैं Makes me cry. In memory of my parents

[@proliferonuncensoreduncens1009]

Borrowing from friend @1000Vlogs - "परिण्या पहिले पुत्तर जाया , मातापिता मन भाया A child is born even before marriage , the favorite child ( even before fulfilling the desire you think about result , the your favorite result = expectations in nutshell)" This bhajan has crazy ultibani!

[@sanjayvani5091]

Thanks! Synchronized pictures flow well with the meaning of the Bhajan! Good to see Macchindragad!!

[@vishaalk2526]

superb awesome gandharvji is legend n so our saints namaskram

[@girishpantoji4510]

Thanks for such a wonderful music. This music asks an individual to search peace within ourselves.... so meaningful !!

[@sameermarwa5271]

Kumar handcarts nirgun

[@purnimashrivastava2942]

Mahatma kabeer ki yah rachna jise shri Kumar Gangharv ji ne gaya mujhe goodh arth ko samjhne k bad yug parivartan ki sambhavna lagti hai is samay ki bhavishya

[@vilasdixit4922]

🙏साहेब बंदगी जी🙏

[@francescapanettamcphillips1142]

Beautiful music!!!

[@yashasvisharma7641]

saraswati putra aadarniya kumar gandharv.

[@hbmanvi]

Wonderful! Simply superb!! By giving lyrics and meanings, Rakeshji has lent further dimension to the unparalleled rendering by Kumarji. Thanks a lot for obvious pains taken for uploading this video.

[@suransh6773]

koti pranams to all!!!

[@nikhilthatte64]

Thanks for this upload and for the link to Linda Hess's book!

[@anilamrit2013]

I am loving this... Its by gorakhnath and not by kabeer. Video is illustrative.... not going with song... tan ki kundi mann ka sota..... When words are metaphors.. images are too be metaphor. not literal...Apologies if I have hurt the one who posted

[@thisisfakeahe8158]

Anil Amrit who said its by kabir? no need to be smart. its already described already by uploader that its writter by Gorakhnath.

[@prafullikhite7785]

ui8889

[@prafullikhite7785]

..

[@vivekkhadpekar]

Revisiting this upload after a gap of three years, I am saddened to note a change in some of the visuals (mostly new colour photographs) which jar with the subtle spiritual layers of meaning of the text by replacing symbolic with literal imagery. The most ridiculous example of this is the interior view of the red-upholstered interior of one of our modern trains at 1:22-1:24. The comments (see under "SHOW MORE") following the post also include a detailed stanza-by-stanza translation and interpretation of the several meanings, which is lost in the line-by-line subtitles.

[@gaurikavi369]

So true... the images of the baby sleeping and also of the red flower are so baseless... the video editor needs to look inside himself for understanding the real meaning of the words...

[@adityagupta7727]

No I have been visiting since past 5 yrs images are all the same

[@medhashas]

You have spoken my exact same feeling. Jarring images some - disturb and break the serenity of Kumarji's melodious voice

[@SwatiGawade852]

Translation is not there

[@vedashankarveda5487]

Greatest singer ever

[@pravinasakhare5572]

Thanks for sharing

[@sapnamukherjee4648]

Soulful...... merges with my thoughts completely !!!!

[@prakashhirlekar7426]

Excellent.Great effort.Grateful to rakeshvaramji..

[@ashokyog]

Excellent presentation of the great master classical singer Kumar Gandharva with the Gorakhnath's lyric and its meaning in english

[@shaileshdude3251]

Tann sota bramha jage...... Great ........

[@bharathrajaguru6235]

Devine voice

[@varunchitnis9915]

You even have Gorakh gad in there. :). Thanks for the attempt at the meaning. I think of the 3 apsaras as past, future and present or day (wakefulness), night (sleep), and dream...who knows for sure.

[@pankajpandey2708]

Koti Pranaam....Divine Song

[@yoggitasingh]

kabir has already shown way to reach thoughtless awareness

[@thisisfakeahe8158]

yoggita singh thats gorakhnath

[@gkrishn2]

I have a far more effective way to reach thoughtless awareness calming the stressful thoughts of even the highest intensity within at max 5 min and solving the problem of harmful habits like internet distraction also. Will share in future next month after 10th February on my page facebook.com/gopalonmission. No, it is not a scam to make money - does the word gopalonmission in my facebook page name rings something 😊😊😊 - everyone is not a crooked person in this world! Some are as innocent-minded as babies. Cheers!

[@prachi5899]

Such a profound impact.. Truly mesmerizing..

[@rmhosamani]

Amazing spellbinding voice. Incomparable. Has he sung in kannada? Has he sung any vachanas?. Curious about this although he has spent his most of the time in Maharastra and Madhya Pradesh. He is kannadiga and lingayat by birth ie Karnataka state. 💐🙏

[@ManojSharma-cx7gp]

शिव गोरक्ष❤🙏🙏🙇🙇

[@ashwindaptardar]

खूपच सुंदर, धन्यवाद!

[@shantanurawat7185]

अद्भुत ... अनुपम ... अलौकिक... !!!

[@manoharkulkarni1934]

दिव्य अनुभूति❤

[@ashishkulkarni210]

Share केल्याबद्दल मनःपूर्वक धन्यवाद! Speechless...

[@santoshpawar7328]

बहोत ही सुंदर काव्य रचना. कुमार गंधर्व जी की सुमधुर सुरोंमे

[@sujayanarula3913]

Soulful. Thanks for sharing

[@patelvinay3503]

Love these bhajan, thanks uploader please keep uploading nirgun bhajans.

[@MilAnnSas]

Kumar ji is divine!!

[@jayrajsinhchudasama8482]

Sublime.Thank you, sir ji.

[@manisharma5082]

आचार्य प्रशांत सरीखा कोणी नहीं याचा अर्थ ते सांगू शकते

[@purnimashrivastava2942]

Agyat hai shareer ke bheetar kewal hawa hai mati ka ghat hai Agni ki tap se jivan hai sab jap hi hai is samay ka aadhar bhagwan ki ak prithvi hai ve hi sabki raksha karte

[@kushalbhabra]

Thank you so much!! please share live performance video if you have ..

[@Kaloo_mustafa]

Namn 🙏

[@jayantilalbora83]

very nice I am fond of kumaraji

[@rajinderkumarnagpal9847]

Kya hi बात सब दूर है

[@truptipawar5264]

अप्रतिम

[@kantibhanushali]

beautiful upload rakeshji. nice video, have taken quite an effort to sync the pics with the song

[@aloksom3211]

if there is hindi yrnslation

[@aloksom3211]

there is hindi translation of pl show

[@dr.nishantsingh8330]

One of the best song ever.

[@rajshreethakur3616]

Voice of soul ❤️❤️

[@varadpawar8242]

This 14 minute video makes special space in my heart 😍🤗

[@mamtatrivedi4610]

Pure , Divine 🙏

[@AjaySardesai]

My God . ❤️

[@entc610]

Brilliant!

[@dewalkiran1580]

Its presents the god,in fect पण्डित जी relly dimond