’Kaahe Re’/Baul has Buddhist Roots, by Parvathy Baul

How we are rocked on the pendulum of life, swinging between hope and dread, fear and desire! This song asks a simple but fundamental question - Why? Oh seeker, why are you caught in this place between craving and aversion, lurching, reeling, swinging up and down, never at peace? *** Find lyrics/translation of this song at &title=Kaahe-Re Discover a universe of Bhakti, Sufi, Baul poetry and music at . *** This poem by Bhusuku is an example of ‘sandhya bhasha’ (twilight language) employed by Tantric Buddhist masters, who Parvathy says were wiped out by dominant religions but are the progenitors of Baul poetry and practice as we know it today. The language is a mix of early Bengali, Pali and Maithili. (Click on Settings for subtitles. Available in Hindi in full, and in English & Bengali [in Roman transliteration] only for the song.) If there is an embodiment of intensity, Parvathy is it. As our friend, as an advisor, as a fiery challenger, she has brought us into deeper touch with ourselves. This recording was made as part of our week-long immersion with Parvathy at her home and akhada on the outskirts of Trivandrum in September 2011. She warmly welcomed us, housed us, fed us, sang for us and spoke to us with great depth and insight about the Baul path and about life itself. An experience that we still carry with us. Parvathy Baul is a Baul singer and saadhika, painter and storyteller from Bengal and has been a disciple of Shashanko Goshai and Sanatan Das Baul. She divides her time between her home in Trivandrum, Kerala and the Baul ashram she has built near Shantiniketan in Bengal. () This is one of a series of uploads for Ajab Shahar, a webspace dedicated to mystic poem and song, created by the Kabir Project team ( ; ). Song Credits: Ektara, Duggi and Vocals: Parvathy Baul Composition: Parvathy Baul Translation Credits: English & Hindi song translations: Vipul Rikhi Translation guidance: Parvathy Baul Hindi interview translation: Vipul Rikhi & Maitreyee Chakravarty Video Credits: Cameras: Smriti Chanchani & Aarthi Parthasarathy Editing & Sound: Aarthi Parthasarathy Sub-Titling: Maitreyee Chakravarty, Anand Baskaran & Vipul Rikhi Collection: The Kabir Project Date of Recording: September, 2011