Lord Meher by Bhau Kalchuri reports that Meher Chalisa was recited just after Baba spelled out “Avatar Meher Baba ki Jai” for the first time in 1954 at Hamirpur. These verses are now composed in Music by various musicians and sung at Meher Baba Centers regularly.
Meher Chalisa in following youtube video is sung by Meera Kale, eminent Indian classical musician and daughter of Baba’s well known disciple Pankhraj, and daughter-in-law of Murli Kale, old Mandali and New life companion.
Meher Chalisa – Meera and Group (16.16 Minutes / 14.70 MB MP3 Format) | Download
About Meher Chalisa by Kendra Crossen
Among Meher Baba’s many ardent lovers in Hamirpur district in northern India, Keshav Nigam (1909-1987) is one of those known as a “giant in Baba’s cause.” By profession a lawyer, before coming to Baba he had been a follower of Gandhi in the struggle against British rule of India and was imprisoned for political activism. He first heard the name of Meher Baba in 1942 but did not come to accept Baba as the Highest of the High till 1948-49. Among other tireless Baba work, Keshav made translations into Hindi of Baba’s messages, circulars, and discourses. Translating God Speaks at Baba’s order, he completed the work by dictating it to a helper, despite suffering severely from Parkinson’s disease, with shaking hands, impaired memory, and speech difficult to understand. He also translated Jean Adriel’s Avatar into Hindi. (It’s quite amazing how this book by a Western woman brought many Indians to the Avatar present in their own country — thanks perhaps to Keshav’s translation.)
Also at Baba’s order Keshav wrote his own autobiography in English, and Baba said the original was to be published no earlier than 2003. Thus, although written in 1970, My Life Story with Avatar Meher Baba by Keshava Narayan Nigam was published in 2003 by his daughter, Dr. Meher Jyoti Kulshreshtha, Lucknow, in the original English-language version as requested by Baba. (It had been published in Hindi translation in 1988.)
Why Baba does what he does is often a mystery, but could we not suppose that by asking this humble person, unknown to the world, to write his autobiography in English for future publication, Baba showed that he wanted people all over the world (English being widely used as a common language in world commerce and communication) to know about Keshav as an example of a true lover of God? Keshav’s own original Hindi composition, a devotional poem/song titled Meher Chalisa, is already well known to Baba-lovers, and since it pleased the God-Man, surely it will be known to the world in the future.
Why would Keshav Nigam be worthy to go down in history? Keshav Nigam’s birthplace, the village of Mahewa in Hamirpur district, U.P., was where, in 1952, Keshav directed the building of a clay hut for Meher Baba and his mandali to stay in, situated on a raised mound amid densely forested surroundings outside the village. Keshav named the place Meherastana — the Abode of Meher. Baba stayed there for the first time in November 1952. It was at this place, Meherastana, that on February 10, 1954, Baba publicly announced that he is the Avatar of the Age, by spelling out on his alphabet board for Eruch to read out: “Avatar Meher Baba ki Jai” (Victory unto Avatar Meher Baba) — words that will resound from the lips of his lovers for hundreds of years. In an extremely happy mood, Baba “told those gathered that it was the first time in this Incarnation He had openly and clearly declared Himself to be the Avatar. And from that day on, Meher Baba continued to assert His Avatarhood in public and in private” (Bal Natu, Glimpses of the God-Man, Meher Baba, 5: 9).
In a preface to Keshav’s autobiography, Erico Nadel wrote: “It was no accident that Meher Baba first publicly declared himself the Avatar before a small gathering of friends in a remote village by a fire in the middle of a long quiet night just after hearing Keshav’s poem, ‘Meher Chalisa,’ rather than, for example, as a media event on the cover of Time magazine.”
Lord Meher by Bhau Kalchuri reports that Meher Chalisa was recited just after Baba spelled out “Avatar Meher Baba ki Jai” for the first time. But in either case, we can still note that the Meher Chalisa was recited in close proximity to that momentous event, prior to which Baba told Keshav: “You have no idea what gift you are about to receive at this moment.”
Can there be any doubt that Meher Chalisa belongs among the great prayers and hymns to Meher Baba? Keshav Nigam recited the Meher Chalisa before Beloved Baba himself not only in life but also during the seven days when Baba’s body lay in his Tomb prior to interment. According to Dr. H. P. Bharucha’s account, Meher Baba’s Last Sahavas, Keshav stood in the Tomb and recited the forty verses despite his advanced illness.
Here we bring you Meher Chalisa in English translation and in a recording of a Hindi performance of the song by Meera Kale of Jabalpur (also on YouTube). The word chalisa means “forty,” and such forty-verse songs are a traditional type of Hindu prayer often dedicated to a deity (as in Hanuman Chalisa, Ganesh Chalisa, Kali Chalisa, etc.). The verses below are followed by a glossary of names and terms from the poem, arranged by verse number. The notes are important for understanding the verse if one does not know Hindu lore.
Mrs. Meera Kale, a superb vocalist trained in Indian classical music, is the daughter of Meher Baba’s old disciple R. P. Pankhraj. Her husband, Niket Kale, is the son of Murli Kale (one of the Prem Ashram boys, who later became Meher Baba’s New Life Companion), and the grandson of Kalemama (a member of Baba’s mandali from 1926). Niket writes on his site TrustMeher.org, where this recording is available for free download: “The Meher Chalisa is widely sung amongst Indian Meher Baba Centers and homes, along with Baba’s Aarti. This composition was always sung before Meher Baba and Baba liked it very much. It is presumed that Meher Chalisa … [is] sung in the same tune as have been sung before Baba.”
मेहेर चालीसा
( श्री केशव नारायण निगम द्वारा रचित )
हरि ! परमात्मा ! अल्लाह ! अहूरमज्द !
गॉड ! यज़दान-हू !
जय ‘मेहेर’ साहिबे-ज़माँ !
जय जय निराली शानहू !!
जय भक्त उनके मस्त उनके
खींच लाते जो उन्हें भूलोक पर !
धूल उनकी सिर लगाऊँ, हिये लाऊँ
प्रेम के उनके सहारे ‘मेहेर’ को मैं पाये जाऊँ।
जय बाबा ! जय अन्तर्यामी ! जय अनन्त ! जय जगदाधार !
पूरण ब्रह्म सनातन स्वामी, अखिल विश्व के पालनहार ।01।
जय सौम्य मूर्ति ! जय शुभपावन ! जय मंगलकारी !
भक्त जनन की आश एक, जय जय अनन्त लीलाधारी ।02।
युग के राही धर्म सिपाही, जय तप के भण्डार हरे !
दरस मात्र से गति सुधरैअरु, क्षार होंहिं अघ पुञ्ज खरे ।03।
निराकार साकार रूप, जय नर-नारायण दोऊ !
भीतर बाहर सरग पतारन, तुम्हैं छोड़ नहिं कोऊ ।04।
भक्तन के जय ‘बाबा’ ! जय- जय बाबाजान के ‘मेहेरवान’ !
उपासनी के भण्डारी जय हे ! सुर-कुल पंकज भानु ।05।
सिध्द जनन के शहंशाह, जय दिव्य सनातन ज्योती !
निर्विकार जय धर्म-मूर्ति ! जय शान्ति अखण्ड विभूति ।06।
तुम सन प्रीति करे से प्रानी, तुम समान हुइ जाहीं ।
जनम-जनम के पातक छूटैं, अन्त मेहेरपद पाहीं ।07।
व्याकुल मानव को हो तुम, अब पार लगाने आये ।
देश जाति अरु धर्म रंग का, भेद मिटाने आये ।08।
जगती को दिखलाने शक्ती, भक्ती की फैलाने महिमा ।
प्रकट हुये शीरींमाई से, सत् जीवन की लेकर गरिमा ।09।
मैं गाऊँ क्या तुम्हरी महिमा, शेष शारदा पार न पाहीं ।
तुम हो अनन्त महिमा अनन्त, अन्त तुमहिं में सबहिं समाहीं ।10।
मर्यादा के राखन हित तुम, मर्यादा पुरुषोत्तम बन आये ।
होकर अनन्त व्यापी दिगन्त, मर्यादा में बंधकर आये ।11।
तुमहिं बने गिरधर मीरा के, सूरदास के श्याम।
नरसी के थे सामलिया तुम, तुलसीदास के राम ।12।
‘केशव’ के तुम प्रियतम बाबा, हिय में आन विराजे हो ।
अमित कृपादृष्टि सेवक पर, मन-मंदिर में राजे हो ।13।
तुमहिं परस जन्मन को पापी, आज निहाल भयो रे ।
तुव पद-पंकज पाकर पावन, त्रय सन्ताप दह्यो रे ।14।
चाहूँ नहीं जगत का वैभव, रिध्दि-सिध्दि नहिं चाहूँ ।
दुनिया दौलत माल खजाना, तुमहिं पाइ ठुकराऊँ ।15।
चाहूँ सदा सलोनी मूरत, यहै देख हरषाऊँ ।
इसको ध्याऊँ इसको गाऊँ, इस पर बलि-बलि जाऊँ ।16।
श्रवण सुनैं तौ नाम तिहारो, रसना तुव गुण गावै ।
छोड़ जगत के फंन्दे मनुवाँ, एक तुमहिं को ध्यावै ।17।
बसौ मोर नैनन में ऐसे, तुमहिं छोड़ नहिं और लखाई।
सुरति एक रट मेहेर नाम की, दूजो और न साईं ।18।
जब जब जनम धरौं धरनी में, सगुण रूप को पाऊँ ।
सेवा भक्ति पूरी करके, निरगुण माहिं समाऊँ ।19।
मैं चरनन को दास तिहारो, निसदिन यहै मनाऊँ।
करौ कृपा ऐसी ठाकुरजू , तुव सेवा को पाऊँ ।20।
जब जब धरनि माहिं तुम आओ, अधम उधारन स्वामी ।
मोहिं अधम को भूल न जाना, हौं तुम्हार अनुगामी ।21।
तुव सेवा भक्ती दर्शन हित, मैं हू नर तन पाऊँ ।
पाइ प्रकाश तुम्हारो प्रभुवर, लीला देख जुड़ाऊँ ।22।
तुलसी की मैं पाऊँ भक्ती, मीरा की वह मस्ती पाऊँ ।
झूम-झूम कर नाचूँ सन्मुख, प्रेम के आँसु बहाऊँ ।23।
भूल जगत सुध तन मन हू, श्रीचरण टेक रह जाऊँ ।
तुम्हीं साध्य आराध्य बनो मम, और कछू नहिं चाहूँ ।24।
सूरदास की पाऊँ रसना, लीला तुव नित गाऊँ ।
निबल जान जो बाँह छुड़ाओ, हिये बाँध रह जाऊँ ।25।
कबीरदास की मिलै फ़कीरी , निसदिन अलख जगाऊँ ।
जतन जतन से ओढ़ चदरिया, जस की तस धर जाऊँ ।26।
देह तजौं तौ काज तिहारे, गती जटायू पाऊँ ।
शान्तिमयी तुव गोद मिले, फिर धाम तिहारे जाऊँ ।27।
शबरी के मैं बेर खिलाऊँ, साग विदुर का लाऊँ ।
खाओ प्रभु जी उसी प्रेम से, वारी तुम पर जाऊँ ।28।
तरी अहिल्या गणिका सदना, तरेउ अजामिल भागी ।
बाल्मीकि हू पार भये, जिन ‘मरा-मरा’ रट लागी ।29।
ऐसहि भाग्य मिले मोहिं बाबा, एक यहै वर चाहूँ ।
बन निषाद चरणोदक पाऊँ, युग-युग हेतु जुड़ाऊँ ।30।
ड्यूढ़ी का मैं बनूँ पहरुवा, निसदिन गश्त लगाऊँ ।
अञ्जनि सुत सम करुँ चाकरी, तुव दर्शन नित पाऊँ ।31।
देव दनुज मानव ॠषि मुनि सब, द्वार तिहारे आवैं ।
नारद मुनि वीणा से पावन, नाम तिहारो गावैं ।32।
तू ही ब्रह्मा तू ही विष्णू , शिव अनादि तू ही मैं जानूँ ।
तू ही इन्द्र ब्रहस्पति तू ही, त्रिभुवननाथ तुम्हीं को मानूँ ।33।
जय सृष्टी के कर्ता धर्ता, जय प्रतिपालक त्रिभुवन के ।
दीनबन्धु हे दयासिन्धु, जय भक्त तुम्हारे तुम भक्तन के ।34।
जय प्रेममूर्ति ! जय शान्तिमूर्ति ! जय दिव्यमूर्ति हे बाबा ।
जय पतितपावन भक्तवत्सल, जय शक्तिपुञ्ज हे बाबा ।35।
जय अधम-उधारन विपद-विदारन, तेज पुञ्ज अविनाशी ।
पावन मूर्ति पूर्ण मर्यादा, जय घट-घट के वासी ।36।
ऐसी कृपा होइ मो ऊपर, विनय करौं कर जोरी ।
मन-मन्दिर मम छोड़ न जाना, शरण पड़ा हूँ तोरी ।37।
अटल रहे मम श्रद्धा भक्ती, अटल रहे यह प्रेम की ज्वाला ।
जरत-जरत यामें जर जाऊँ, बुझे तभी यह पावन ज्वाला ।38।
जो ज्वाला प्रहलादहिं दीन्हीं, भनैं सन्त सब कोई ।
गिरि से गिरेउ अग्नि में डारेउ, साँच को आँच न होई ।39।
ध्रुव सम निष्ठा अचल मिले, जिन साक्षी है ध्रुवतारा ।
अमर मिलन हो प्रियतम तुमसे, छूटे यह जग सारा ।40।
( श्री केशव नारायण निगम द्वारा रचित )
English Translation of Meher Chalisa
TAGS: MEHER CHALISA OF MEHER BABA COMPOSED BY KESHAV NARAYAN NIGAM AND SUNG BY MEERA KALE |
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