'Murshid Nainon Beech Nabi Hai' by Madhup Mudgal

In the centre of the eye
A bird shimmers
In the bird
A door
On that door
I put a telescope
And navigate this world-ocean

In this enigmatic song, Kabir points to a space between the eyes, or within the eyes, where the ‘prophet’ resides. The gleaming image of a bird pulsing in the pupil of the eye points to a mysterious doorway. In this song Kabir uses a more explicitly Islamic or Sufi terminology - ‘murshid’ is the spiritual teacher and ‘nabi’ stands for the Prophet.

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Composed and sung by Madhup Mudgal, the song creates a powerful space of interiority. Later in the video, Madhup ji shares a fragment of another song – a delightful composition in which Kabir’s own awareness is the ‘sakhi’, or female friend, who’s on her way to be wedded to her lord, Raam.

(Click on Settings for subtitles in English and Hindi. Click ‘B’ on keyboard to remove the black background in subtitles.)

About Madhup ji, in the words of Vidya Rao:

“From the very first swar he utters, you know you are in the presence of someone who is not just a magnificent singer and scholar, but one who has also meditated deeply upon the meaning of his music. In an era when music has been all but reduced to mere entertainment, Madhup Mudgal is a moving and reassuring example of uncompromising purity.

Son of the late Padma Shree Pandit Vinayachandra Maudgalya, founder-principal of Delhi’s Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Madhup’s initial training was under his father, and thereafter under Shri Vasant Thakar and Pandit Jasraj. … But the abiding influence on his art has been that of his mentor and Guru Pt Kumar Gandharva. This influence has shaped Madhup’s style and approach and given him a deep awareness of, and sensitivity to, the fine balance between tradition and innovation. Today, Madhup is himself a dedicated and exacting teacher, and Principal of the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya.”

We met with Madhup Mudgal in our quest to probe the powerful story of Kumar Gandharva and Kabir, and this interview was edited into the film – Koi Sunta Hai – DVDs of which are available at http://www.amazon.in/dp/B00PJTQURE.

Ajab Shahar is a digital archive of mystic poetry and music drawing from the rich Bhakti and Sufi oral traditions in India and beyond... Explore a world of sung and spoken wisdom at https://ajabshahar.com

Video Credits:
Interview by: Shabnam Virmani & Tara Kini
Camera: Shabnam Virmani
Camera Assistance: Smriti Chanchani
Editing: Sharanya Gautam
Sub-Titling: Shruti Kulkarni & Vipul Rikhi
Collection: Kabir Project

Translation: Shabnam Virmani & Vipul Rikhi

Place of Recording: Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, New Delhi
Date of Recording: 2006