Naam Gumm Jayega

“When you reach the end of what you should know, you will be at the beginning of what you should sense.” ― Kahlil Gibrán

Naam gumm jayega

chehra ye badal jayega

Meri awaaz hi pehchan hai

At first glance, this appears to be a straight-forward set of lyrics that proclaim the obvious: one’s name will change over time, one’s face will change until one dies, and one’s voice will easily identify him.

However, upon reflection, you find that the voice too changes, as a child grows into an adult.

So, what did Gulzar, the genius, mean when he said, “meri awaaz hi pehchan hai,“?

Or, Does this song contain contradictions?

Let’s have a look at it.

The philosopher Descartes had proclaimed, “I think, therefore I am”.

Later, Helen Keller, a deaf and blind girl also said, ‘ I lived in a world, where there was a no world until, I discovered “I” & “Me”, And I began to think.’

The core of one’s existence is this aware sense of oneself. It is one’s unconscious cognitive process, which is commonly referred to as the ‘inner voice.’

This inner voice is one’s conscience speaking.

That voice is you.

When Gulzar says, “Meri awaaz hi pehchan hai“, he is referring to that inner voice, also known as “intuition.”

Socrates also claimed to have a divine sign in the form of a voice warning him against committing mistakes; he recognized that voice as a gift from the God.

Gulzar understands that fame is fickle and ephemeral, and that physical attributes change as well, but that the inner voice does not. As a response, he has underlined the need of recognising and listening to one’s conscience.

Budha also highlighted the need for a clear conscience, he saw it as a spiritual power.

But why do we have to recognize our conscience’s voice, and how does it become our identity?

“The Holy Grail is within you – find your Inner Treasure”. – Jay Woodman

Our real identity is expressed through our character, which is mirrored in our actions, which are impacted by our thoughts. The thoughts are formed by the way we react to that silent voice emerging from our core. This voice teaches us what is moral and immoral, what is right and wrong, ethical and unethical.

And, that voice has never failed us.

As one Chinese proverb says, ‘Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words. Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions. Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits. Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character. Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny.’

This inner voice, often known as our “gut feeling,” has an intriguing feature to it; it isn’t a real sound and doesn’t even exist. This is our inner voice that only we can hear. However, if we adhere to it, the entire world will actually listen.

Because of compulsions or incentives, we frequently ignore our inner voice. Even though the inner voice emerges first, the noise around us drowns it out.

Gulzar is well aware of the situation. Thus, in true characteristic manner, he reminds us of the existence of this silent voice with only one word!

He says, ‘meri awaaz hi pehchan hai, Gar yaad rahe…’

Gulzar’s brilliance is that with just one word, ‘Gar‘ (if and only if), he causes a ripple in our mind .

That is, it is your true identity, your true self, if and only if you pay attention and regard to your conscience. This voice would not exist otherwise.

It strikes me as a mark of genius.

Waqt ke sitam kam haseen nahi,

aaj hain yahan kal kahin nahin

Waqt se pare mil gaye kahin

Meri awaaz hi pehchan hai…

“Nothing lasts forever except change.” – Buddha

In life, nothing is permanent; everything is always changing. Nothing, including thoughts, feelings, people, and environments, survives the passage of time. Everything worthwhile that has been thought, done, made, or discovered will be lost. Everything and everyone will be gone one day, regardless of their status.

There are a number of ways to look at this fact. One could be to remain worried and bothered notwithstanding the fact. Another option is to accept and acknowledge it without being upset.

“For after all the best thing one can do when it is raining is to let it rain.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Gulzar says that everything and everyone in the present moment will be wiped away with the passage of time (aaj hain yahan, kal kahin nahin). He calls these misfortunes of time (Waqt ke sitam kam haseen nahin) ‘haseen’ (lovely,beautiful) because that is how one should approach them; just embracing the fact with a lot of acceptance rather than regretting any sorrows in life.

“The soul of a man is immortal and imperishable”.- Bhagwad Gita

Life is an unending process in which souls continue to travel beyond this life. What if we cross paths again in this flow of time, outside the domain of the physical world? A world where we don’t exist in our physical forms, How do we make connections there?

Gulzar emphasises that inner voice being the voice of the soul, will guide you in that space where time does not exist. In that space beyond time, the soul will lead to another soul (Waqt se pare mil gaye kahin…). We don’t have to mask ourselves when we meet there, and we have no regrets because we had just followed the voice of our conscience.

This statement (Waqt se pare mil gaye kahin...) also implies that there is no strain on one’s soul if one is in harmony with one’s conscience. Since it has only followed the purest of voices, the soul remains spotless!

Jo guzar gayi, kal ki baat thi,

umr to nahin, ek raat thi

Raat ka sila agar, phir mile kahi,

Meri awaaz hi pehchan hai…

“Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” — American Proverb

The last moment becomes the past with each passing moment. That time has come and gone, and no matter how hard we try, it will never return.

Time moves in just one direction.

Many times, we wish we had done things differently in retrospect, but no amount of pondering can undo what has already been done.

We often prefer to live in the past because it is familiar territory. Gulzar explains how to view the past in a wonderful way. He claims that one cannot dwell in the moment gone by because it has long passed (Jo guzar gayi, kal ki baat thi). Any given moment is only a little fraction of one’s life; it does not represent one’s complete life (umr to nahin, ek raat thi).

A single life cannot be represented by a single moment.

Our current acts are shaped by our past experiences. The consequences of past actions can leave us feeling disappointed, enraged, or even remorseful.

Gulzar suggests an easy method for dealing with high emotional states when we are faced with such consequences (Raat ka sila agar phir mile kahin). We don’t have to worry about the consequences, if our actions were in sync with our conscience. The advantages of listening to and following one’s inner voice is that it never leads us astray because, it originates from our deepest unconscious core.

Din dhale jahan raat paas ho,

Zindagi ki lau, unchi kar chalo

Yaad aaye gar kabhi, ji udaas ho,

Meri awaaz hi pahachaan hai…

“Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending”. – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

In every aspect of life, how one ends is more important than how one begins, though it is generally difficult to maintain pace near the finish. To finish it on a high note, it’s vital to keep a positive mindset and a high level of energy during the last lap. Maintaining a positive attitude to ‘Finish it Strong’ is a great way to achieve happiness and success.

Gulzar emphasises the importance of ending on a high note. ‘Din dhale‘ represents life at dusk, when it’s almost time to wrap things up. The ‘Raat‘ is the end of the human life cycle, when the lights will be permanently shut off (Din dhale jahan raat paas ho). This is the time when the energy level is low, just like that lamp which has been lit all night and, the wick is almost burnt out; no longer producing the same amount of light. To make the wick brighter, it must be dragged up, causing the newer wick to light more, until it runs out. Similar to that wick, one must have a positive attitude & high spirits at that time of dusk (Zindagi ki lau, unchi kar chalo).

Gulzar highlights the significance of not stopping playing, as George Bernard Shaw once stated, “We don’t stop playing because we get old; we become old because we stop playing.”

That is the time when life brings forth the memories, both pleasant and unpleasant ones. Remorse for distinct memories is also possible (Yaad aaye gar kabhi, ji udaas ho). According to Gulzar, even at that moment, the voice of our conscience will serve as a guiding beacon. That voice functions as a moral compass. There is no cause to have any regrets about anything if one has lived following it.

Your true identity has always been your conscience, not your fame or physical attributes.

This song by Gulzar is more akin to a life lesson. It guides us not only through specific times, but also throughout our lives.

According to Vincent Van Gogh, the voice of conscience is God’s greatest gift and, anyone who listens finds in it a friend at last and is never alone!

The voice of a clear conscience can never be wrong; all we need is the ability to hear it.

Because,

It is our inner voice speaking. And,

It is our true voice, our true self.

“There is a voice inside of you, that whispers all day long,

‘I feel this is right for me, I know that this is wrong.’

No teacher, preacher, parent, friend Or wise man can decide

What’s right for you; Just listen to the voice that speaks inside.” – Shel Silverstein

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX5bLCWzotc