08 Feb 2005
[A cinema song like ‘Churaliya Hai…’ does not have any pious meaning. How can it be a Gayatri mantra simply when modified slightly and diverted to God?]
You are mocking a person travelling on the donkey towards the goal. But you are travelling on a pig covered by silk cloth. Then how can you mock at the donkey? You sing the Ashtapadi song to please God, which has a very vulgar meaning in Sanskrit i.e., “Gopi Peena Payodhara Mardana Chanchala Karayuga Shaali”. This means that Lord Krishna is pressing the breasts of Gopikas. Don’t you think that our cinema song has a more polished meaning than this? Just because the Ashtapadi is in Sanskrit and you don’t know its meaning, you sing it very loudly and boldly.
On the other hand see this line from a movie-song. I have modified it only slightly. Churaliya Hai Tumne Jo dilko, Nazar Nahi Churaana Hare The word ‘Sanam’ [beloved] is replaced by the word ‘Hare’ [Lord] and the song is diverted to Lord Krishna. Therefore whatever may be the nature of the vehicle, if it is turned towards God, it is pious. The Gopikas reached and pleased the Lord through romance as told in the Bhagavatam. Since it is diverted to the Lord, such romance is a pious spiritual path. An atheist may do social service but it is only a sinful service. Any quality diverted towards the Lord is good and any quality diverted towards the world is bad. You may know Vedic hymns but if you pray to the Lord with Vedic hymns to achieve something in return from the Lord, you are travelling by a good horse in the opposite direction. You are getting further and further away from the Lord. A pig or donkey traveling towards the direction of the Lord is better than a horse travelling in the opposite direction.