I chanced upon the song Bavra Mann sung by Swanand Kirkire from Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (Hindi movie released in 2003) last night thanks to the random mode on my ipod classic. And yet again I have been listening to the same song for the last 4 odd hours after so many years:-) thats a 3 mins song looped over 240 mins!! Such an amazing melody. And hour into it I realized I dont fully understand the lyrics and here I was slightly crying listening to it the 25th time! I searched around for the lyrics on Google (here and here) and then dug around more for the right meaning. Unfortunately no one seems to have even translated these amazing lyrics and song in a proper way! I am no expert in Hindi (in fact I suck at it!) but the contentious point in these translations in the word Bavre/Baawra. Some seem to translate Bavra as be-witched or crazy or wandering.

I think it stands for innocent. Some people in the comments of Ayanwonders are almost right. Especially one by sukhmani (i think the translation bewitched is wrong here. that would be baanwariya. banwara is very difficult to translate but its close to innocent or naive) and another (bawra in this song describes a person with dreams. literal meaning of bawra is one who is mad in the eyes of the world)

Anyway here go the lyrics

Bavra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna
Bavra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna

Bavre Se Mann Ki Dekho Bavri Hain Baatein
Bavre Se Mann Ki Dekho Bavri Hain Baatein
Bavri Se Dhadkaane Hain Bavri Hain Saansein
Bavri Si Karwaton Se, Nindiya Door Bhaage
Bavre Se Nain Chaahe, Bavre Jharokhon Se, Bavre Nazaron Ko Thakna.

Bavra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna

Bavre Se Is Jahan Main Bavra Ek Saath Ho
Is Sayani Bheed Main Bas Haathon Mein Tera Haath Ho
Bavri Si Dhun Ho Koi, Bavra Ek Raag Ho
Bavri Si Dhun Ho Koi, Bavra Ek Raag Ho
Bavre Se Pair Chahein, Baavron Tarano Ke, Bavre Se Bol Pe Thiraknaa

Bavra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna

Bavra Sa Ho Andhera, Bavri Khamoshiyaan
Bavra Sa Ho Andhera, Bavri Khamoshiyaan
Thartharati Louh Ho Maddham, Bavri Madhoshiyaan
Bavra Ek Ghooghta Chahe, Haule Haule Bin Bataaye
Bavra Ek Ghooghta Chahe, Haule Haule Bin Bataaye, Bavre Se Mukhde Se Sarakana

Bavra Mann, Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna

And the meaning according to me (please feel free to add or correct the interpretation):

Bavra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna (2)
The innocent mind is on its way to dream
The crazy mind is on its way to dream

Bavre Se Mann Ki Dekho Bavri Hain Baatein (2)
The innocent mind has some innocent thoughts
See the crazy conversations of the amazing mind

Bavri Se Dhadkaane Hain Bavri Hain Saansein
Crazy are the heart beats, crazy are the breaths
Bavri Si Karwaton Se, Nindiya Door Bhaage
Why does sleep run away due to these maddening twists and turns?
Bavre Se Nain Chaahe, Bavre Jharokhon Se, Bavre Nazaron Ko Thakna
The wandering eyes long to watch some crazy sights, through the amazing closed balcony

Bavra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna

Bavre Se Is Jahan Main Bavra Ek Saath Ho
In this crazy world, I wish I had some innocent companion
Is Sayani Bheed Main Bas Haathon Mein Tera Haath Ho
I wish I had your hands in mine With this evil scheming crowd
Bavri Si Dhun Ho Koi, Bavra Ek Raag Ho (2)
Wish there was an amazing melody to go along with wonderful composition
Bavre Se Pair Chahein, Baavron Tarano Ke, Bavre Se Bol Pe Thiraknaa
My wandering feet have the desire to dance to these amazing tunes of that wonderful song.

Bavra Sa Ho Andhera, Bavri Khamoshiyaan (2)
Let there be a crazy like darkness … crazy silences
Thartharati Lowh Ho Maddham, Bavri Madhoshiyan
Let Shivering flame be stable … crazy intoxication
Bavra Ek Ghooghta Chahe, Haule Haule Bin Bataaye
Bavra Ek Ghooghta Chahe, Haule Haule Bin Bataaye, Bavre Se Mukhde Se Sarakana,
Crazy one veil wishes to slide down slowly from a crazy face without telling anyone

Bavra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna

Howard Cutlerand (some google books by him)

To diminish the suffering of pain, we need to make a crucial distinction between the pain of pain, and the pain we create by our thoughts about the pain. Fear, anger, guilt, loneliness and helplessness are all mental and emotional responses that can intensify the pain

Strange, just realized thanks to wordpress I am reading the quote again and felt like blogging it. Last time it was Jan 30, 2008 – 2 months after I returned from the US! Also had a photo taken of a co-passenger lost in deep thought. Possibly I was still experiencing pain. This time I am out of it (finally after 15 odd months) and would have to say I have experienced the quote truly. Around a year back, I came to the same conclusion on my own Possibly absolute truths are best when self-realised strange uh? deja vu!

One of the quotes that appealed to me today, Arnaud Desjardins

You cannot live sheltered forever without ever being exposed, and at the same time be a spiritual adventurer. Be audacious. Be crazy in your own way, with that madness in the eyes of man that is wisdom in the eyes of God. Take risks, search and search again, search everywhere, in every way, do not let a single opportunity or chance that life offers pass you by, and do not be petty and mean, trying to drive a hard bargain.

I came across a book lying on my Dad’s table. The titled read “what should I do with my life” by Po Bronson. As I been on a break for close to a year and its one question has come across my mind often. I decided to grab and see what special gyan this book was going to help me with. I initially thought it would one of those 10 steps to be a millionaire books . Surprisingly I felt it was worth the read! Po Bronson has written this book in a way that appealed to me. The author has collected around 60 stories after interacting deeply with people who tried answering the question or atleast had the will to go looking got it rather being stuck with existential view of life. Check out the link for some sample stories.

I really loved his final summary. Very appropriate one. It goes as (verbatim from the book):

Some of the important things I have learned:

A calling is not something you know, it’s something you grow into through trials and mistakes. Work shouldn’t just be fun. Work should be like life – sometimes fun, sometimes moving, and defined by meaningful events. Attack your fears, rather than shy away from them. Bring what you do in alignment with who you are. Freedom is the confidence that you can live within the means of something you ‘re passionate about. Failure’s hard but success at the wrong thing can lock you in forever. Don’t be seduced by artificial love. Be open to defining experiences. Don’t mistake intensity for passion. You don’t find your purpose about you neck, you find it below the neck, when you are transformed by what you have witnessed. You can get good at what you need to serve what you believe in . Get your mind 80 per cent of the way there, then go looking for the catalyst. Look backward as much as forward, inward as much as outward. Nothing helps like knowing you are not alone. There’s a powerful transformative effect when you surround yourself with like-minded people. Create an environment where the truth is invited into your life. If you develop the character, the odds are pretty good you can succeed. Success is defined as when you’re no longer held back by your heart, and your character blossoms, and the gifts you have to offer to the world are apparent. Don’t cling to a single scenario, allow yourself many paths to the same destination. Give it a lifetime to pay off. Things you work hardest for are the things you will most treasure.

I used to think life presented a five-page menu of choices. Now I think choice is in whether to be honest, to ourselves, and others, and the rest is more of an uncovering, a peeling away of layers, discovering talents we assumed we didn’t have. I used to treasure the innocence of first love. Now I treasure the hard-fought. I used to want to change the world. Now, I’m open to letting it change me.

I think lot of people in my generation have started thinking about this in India. As the Indian economy has grown and the world has shrunk due to increased connectivity (transport and communication technology) has given way to increased opportunities. Unlike my parent’s generation who were really not able to question traditions and take risks in their work life. Bunch of stories spoke to me personally. The way I look at life now tells me that I need not regret that I feel I will keep doing things in my life (instead of having one specific calling). Keep exploring and solving tough, meaningful problems in life and move on to newer things. Its the journey and not the goal. Till now I have followed my heart and have always given my best in all the work I have done. Luckily I have been only held back by my health. Have a great family that has supported me always and good set of friends I can lean on. I will always cherish the role of serendipity and look at opportunity in every challenge thrown at me And yeah, its never too late!

Over the past 7 years, my biggest learnings have been about emotions. How emotions affect our mind and behaviour !? I have been into one intense relationship and you are surprised as you discover layer of your own personality that you never imagined! Of all the emotions, the one that tops the list in having control is anger! Anger was the root cause for my bipolar manic phase 7 years back … and it has in various ways ruled small important moments of my life after that. I feel I have kind of understood anger 2 years back , came up with a basic model I use to overcome it whenever it enters my mind and then reduce the half-life (the time) anger stays with in the blood (yes you can feel it!).

The acronym I use when I realize that I am angry is ANGER = iME. Its a 3 fold model that helps mediagnosethe problem and then the situation helps adapt to come up with the solution. I have even come to create anger in my mind at some situations so that I can force to be angry and get things or some action done in my life. Yes, it means being manipulative but we all sign up to be manipulative or manipulated in this world in all relationships !

the 3 step process in iME stands for:

inability to understand the situation : Often we don’t have the mindspace or all the information to understand why something has happened or why someone is acting in a specific way. We may subconsciously tend to get anger but we must try to reflect if the response is right after getting all the information!

Mismatch of expectations : sometimes or most often depending on luck things happen or don’t happen according to your expectations. In which case for most people anger is the first mode of response when they realize they are no longer in control! For example : your open the shower knob and there is no water! Typical indian scenario!! You expect your parents to trust in you and many more things

Empathy or lack or it : When we get angry with someone we must be willing to empathize from their perspective before talking or acting on the emotion. We need to try and understand (most difficult part) on why someone acted like that! For examples you need to talk to me over coffee ;P

Apart from these scenarios, sometimes I am very irritable that lowers the threshold to get angry! This is a Physical aspect – less sleep or hunger!

The best way to get over anger is to forget and forgive. The faster you learn to do it the better it is. Sometimes its difficult sometime its not. Very difficult when its you getting angry over yourself for letting yourself get angry Anyway, this was a post I wanted to write for a longtime! Finally it had its moment of flow!

awesome!

One of my friends is getting married next week (you can expect some snaps on that front next week!) I am just returning after having a sunday lunch with her. She was telling she is having marriage blues. On one hand she is looking forward for it but she is also slightly scarred about the commitment thing! what are your thoughts folks?? The above picture is around 25 years old. Its from my parent's wedding in 1980. Look at the happiness in eve … Read More

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