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Roj Hormuz Mah Fravardin, 1394 Yz.
15 August 2024

It was a normal summer evening. The sun had begun its gradual descent into the Arabian sea. The student sat in the large room of the teacher’s house, overlooking this grand vista. Tea and snacks had been served and the empty cups and plates removed. Besides his writing table, the teacher sat, reading through some of his notes. From the shelf above the table, the saintly visage of the teacher’s late father gazed, rather sternly, at us. My eyes fell on the bed nearby. Filled with legal briefs, law books and sundry papers, there was also a small pile of music CDs which caught my attention. In those days, nearly 25 years ago, CDs were still a rarity. We had just about moved on from the humble cassette. Also on the bed was a new CD cum cassette player which we used for our music discussions. As I thumbed through the CDs for some good classical singer, one Album stood out – a collection of qawwalis by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Now I was not really a fan of the qawwali genre – the constant clapping in the background and the disparate voices, each seemingly trying to out-sing the other, was not appealing to me.

Never one to not voice my opinion on all matters, I asked, rather roughly: ‘Kaikhushroo ai su lai aya?’ (What have you got, KND?) He turned around and the characteristic left eyebrow arched up – a sure sign that a strong response was coming: ‘Pehle samaj, pachi lavaro kar!’ (First listen, then ramble!) Seeing that I was hardly convinced, he got up and loaded the CD into the player. The characteristic drone of the harmonium and the rhythmic clapping started. The same tune was repeated a few times to acclimatize the listener, and then the high-pitched voice of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan streamed through the large room. The other 2 support singers also pitched in. As I winced, suddenly Khan Saheb’s voice and tone changed. As he hummed the first notes in a long breath (02:04 in the video), seemingly going on and on, I exclaimed: ‘Ai to Kedar Raag che!’ (This is Raag Kedar!)

The eyebrow went up again – but this time approvingly: ‘Barabar pakadiyu’ (Right you are!) Then to more astonishment, as the first words were sung, I realized that this was not Hindi or Urdu, rather it was pure Persian! As I looked at KND in wonder, he smiled. No more silly questions as to why he had got the CD! But what was he singing? What did the words mean? In those days, my Persian was as good as my Chinese! KND himself knew but a little. Our Persian master, Dosabhai Desai had also passed away. KND explained: ‘He’s singing about someone coming tonight, but that’s as far as I can go. But enjoy the music, the meaning we will find later on.’

Those were the days when we were still using dial-up lines for internet access and Google was unknown. We relished all the songs in the album, some of which were in Awadhi, some in Hindavi and some in Arabic. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s repertoire was wide and his command over all these languages was astounding. I tried to find the meanings but was largely unsuccessful. A friend contacted an Irani colleague but the fellow couldn’t follow what we were trying to find out. As the months passed, the album was replaced by more CDs, our discussions drifted away from the strange Persian qawwali to other things and, like many other topics, this topic was forgotten. So many things to learn and imbibe, so little time! But the title words of the qawwali “Khabaram raseeda im shab” remained in my brain for years together.

About three months ago, the You Tube algorithm worked its magic, or maybe things were just meant to happen. Through my repeated viewing of Indian classical music albums, most of the suggestions in my view list are related to music. While scrolling through them, the large, round, visage of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan attracted my attention. It was a collection of Sufi qawwalis and the heading in the video was those same haunting words: “Khabaram raseeda im shab!” Late in the night I fiddled for my AirPods, much to the irritation of my wife. The magical voice of Nusrat Fateh Ali and the qawwali heard nearly 25 years ago flowed through my body once again. And wonder of wonders! The author of the video had made an English translation of the words! My joy knew no bounds!

Sleep was forgotten as I played the song on endless loop, going through the meanings. Over the next few days, using Google, I checked the net for more meanings, and then the flood started. As the meaning of the words became apparent, and the enormity of what was being sung dawned upon me, a strange feeling of joy and sadness swept through my consciousness. Joy, that at last we had solved the mystery of those Persian lines. And deep, unfathomable sadness that it was too late for me to share it with my teacher.

Through the translation, I learnt that this was a famous qawwali written by Amir Khusrau (1253-1325 AD), who lived in Delhi around the tumultuous times of the Delhi Sultanate. Amir Khusrau was a great Sufi mystic and student of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya – the patron saint of Delhi, after whom the Delhi railway station is still named (wonder how they haven’t gotten around to changing that name!) More importantly for us, Amir Khusrau is also considered to be the founder of the Khayal style of singing in India, which broke the rigid and overly strict Dhrupad style and established a new era of Indian classical music in those times. A prodigious genius, Amir Khusrau is also considered to be the father of the qawwali and ghazal styles of singing and is believed to be the inventor of the sitar. His enormous quantity of writings which are preserved till today span Persian, Avadhi, Hindavi, Arabic and he is the author of countless compositions or ‘cheez’ still sung by musicians of various Gharanas in India and Pakistan. Because of these qualities, Amir Khusrau is often called ‘Tuti-e-Hind’ – the Parrot of India.

Amir Khusrau was born of a Turkish father and Indian mother. From a very early age, Khusrau developed a love for Persian, Turkish and Arabic. He started writing poetry at the age of nine and his first collection (Diwan) was ready by the time he was 18. His fame spread, and soon he was appointed to the court of Jalaluddin Khilji, the first ruler of the Delhi Sultanate in around 1290 and bestowed the title ‘Amir’ (Prince or Royal). Once his position was secured, his output grew prodigiously. Jalaluddin was followed by Alauddin Khilji who also encouraged Khusrau.

In 1300, Khusrau lost both his mother and brother. These deaths affected him greatly and his poetry became more inward looking and deep. In his homage to his mother, Khusrau wrote: ‘Wherever the dust of your feet is found, is like a relic of paradise for me.’ These losses soon made him gravitate towards the prominent Sufi mystic and saint of the Chishti Order – Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, more popularly known as Khwaja Sayed. This great soul attempted to break down the borders of religion, caste, creed and seniority in his passage towards union with God. He was not one who felt that prayer was the only way to attain God. He believed in living a more truthful life, whose main aim was to help the poor, the indigent and those placed much lower than his own station in life. In those days of constant warfare, rigid caste and religious hierarchies and a general absence of any social net to look after the poor and downtrodden, Khwaja Sayed ran free kitchens and dispensaries where all were welcome.

Hazrat Nizamuddin’s popularity grew with every passing day and his Khanqah (spiritual lodge) near Ghiyaspur in Delhi became the meeting point for rich and poor alike. Khusrau found his peace with Khwaja Sayed and their bond grew very deep. His writings and many of his cheez in Indian classical music abound with references to ‘Khwaja’, ‘Nizamuddin’ and ‘Auliya’. Prominent singers like Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Firoze Dastur, Ustad Rashid Khan, Pandit Jasraj and many others would respectfully touch their ear and bow down in reverence whenever they sang these compositions honouring Nizamuddin Auliya written by Amir Khusrau. This unique harmony amongst singers of different faiths is a testament to the spiritual legacy of Hazrat Nizamuddin and Amir Khusrau. Khwaja Sayed passed away in April 1325 and was buried in Delhi in the area now called Nizamuddin. Amir Khusrau passed way just six months later in October 1325 and is buried right next to his Spiritual Master. This place is now a Dargah and even today is famous for its daily evening Qawwali recitals by prominent singers.

Whenever evil times dominate and the common man is suppressed, nature makes preparations for the advent of a saviour, or a repairer of the faith. This principle is enshrined in all religions. The famous phrase of ‘yada yada hi dharmasya…’ at the beginning of the Mahabharata serial correctly describes this phenomenon. In Christianity, the second coming of Christ at the end of the world is a common fundamental belief across all the many different forms of their faith, be it Protestant, Roman Catholic or Orthodox. In Islam, the belief in the advent of Imam Mahdi as the saviour of the pious and the punisher of the wicked is dominant in Shia, Sunni and other sects. In Judaism, the Messiah, who is believed to be a descendant of the early Prophet David will come and redeem the Jewish people and re-establish their Monarchy.

In our own faith, the Savior, named as Saoshyant or Astavat Ereta, will emerge at the time of Frashogard and forever end the battle between good and evil. This belief was further explained in greater detail by our Master, Ustad Saheb Behramshah Shroff, who introduced to the community the concept of cyclical phases of time, known as Zravane Daregho Khadata. Ustad Saheb explained that the earth goes through a cycle of birth, expansion, decline and destruction over a recurring period of 81,000 years. Each such cycle sees the establishment of humanity at the North Pole and its gradual migration down towards the tropics. The battle of good and evil begins anew and the Peshdadian Monarchs and their Paladin warriors try to maintain the equilibrium in nature through the practice of the Mazdayasni faith.

As things begin to get bad, Zarathushtra the Yazata sends forth a ray of His Divinity in the form of Prophet Zarathushtra, who descends on earth and establishes the Mazdyasni Zarathushtri Faith and also sows the seeds for the emergence of the different faiths to follow later on. Around 15,000 years into the Zravane Daregho Khadata, which is roughly the time we are currently living in, things once again get very bad. At this time, Ustad Saheb reminded Parsis of the advent of the Rainidar (Restorer of the Faith), whose name is given in our scriptures as Shah Behram Varzavand. Doctor Saheb Framroze Chiniwalla has written extensively on the advent of Shah Behram Varzavand. Many issues of Parsi Avaz and several Khshnoom books have given various dates regarding his advent. As per the astrological tables given in the Nikeez Vehdin volumes, the advent of Shah Behram Varzavand is supposed to be in the thirty year period between 2002 and 2032. Many of our over learned scholars have made fun of this disparity in dates and keep on asking us: When is he going to come? Many of our own Khshnoom followers also keep asking this question again and again.

So it may surprise many of us to know that the same question has been asked even by many mystics, including Amir Khusrau. In his deep meditation sessions with his Master, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Amir Khusrau not only asked this question, but also seemed to grow despondent that his time to pass away was near, yet there was no sign of the Saviour! To be honest, many of us may have also felt the same way, sometime or the other! What then is the answer to this question? What is the resolution of this existential query? When will the Saviour come? Why is he not coming when we need him? Are the dates given by Ustad Saheb, Doctor Saheb and many other Khshnoom writers wrong?

Readers of Frashogard, many of us have wrestled with or are still wrestling with these questions. Most of us have, perhaps, a very simplistic view of the situation. We expect that things will work out the way we want them, at our convenience, at a time and place of our choosing. In some of us, there is a sense of complacency – the Saviour will come and save us – what do we have to do with it? Correct?
But the Path of Truth and Religion is not easy! The great Persian poet and mystic Khwaja Hafez Shirazi (1320-1388 AD), famously wrote in his poem:

‘A-lâ ahiyâ-e us-sâqî adir ka’san wana walha
ki ishq asan nimud avval, vali uftad mushkelha!’
Come fast, O Saki, and pour out for me the elixir of self-annihilation and Patet!
The Path of Love seemed easy at first, what resulted was brutal hardship!

Many of my brothers and sisters in the Khshnoom circle learn this great mystical truth in a hard way. The first few readings and talks of Khshnoom brings about an amazing sense of religious energy and a willingness to do everything as prescribed by the elders. But reading about Khshnoom and integrating the principles of Khshnoom in day-to-day life is a different ball game altogether! But even that difficulty pales into comparison when compared to the difficulty of Keeping the Faith! What does that mean? I have seen several of our most earnest members sometimes in a state of real despair. We huddle together in small groups and invariably the conversation drifts to ‘that question’… ‘evan kyare avse?’ ‘when will He come?’ Most times, this despair is due to the ‘non-arrival’ of Shah Behram Varzavand at certain dates mentioned in Khshnoom literature. Every time a global cataclysmic event occurs, or some war breaks out, a hope arises in the heart of our members – ave to evan avsej! ‘Surely he’ll come now!’

Readers of Frashogard, the advent of Shah Behram Varzavand is not like the ETA of a flight or the timetable of the Indian Railways! It is true that Doctor Saheb has indeed given several dates in different writings. As mentioned earlier, the astrological tables of the Nikeez Vehdin gives the 30-year period between 2002 and 2032 as the most opportune time for his advent. But there is a deeper issue which needs to be examined. Do we Parsis deserve Shah Behram Varzavand? When does a Saviour or Redeemer appear? When all seems to be lost, when the very existence of the community seems to be in question. When the entire community unites and prays for His Advent. Have we reached that state? The simple answer is No.

What has the above ‘digression’ got to do with the qawwali of Amir Khusrau sung by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan? The questions I have asked in the above paragraph are deeply reflected in this qawwali. The answers we seek for our existential crises, the cries of despair of our Khshnoom brothers and sisters, and the question of Keeping the Faith is beautifully explained in the song by Amir Khusrau. Hence, if we listen to and try to understand what the great mystic has written and left for us, perhaps the blazing fire of despair in our hearts can be conquered and subdued, once and for all. The qawwali begins with a very startling statement:

Khabaram raseedah imshab ke nigaar khwaahi aamad
News I received tonight, that you, the beloved (Promised One) will come!

Amir Khusrau comes straight to the point! The Promised One is coming! But who gave him the news? Why was it received in the night? Who is the beloved? It is an established Sufi tradition that the deep meditation sessions between Master and student take place in the Khanqah (Spiritual Lodge) late in the night. In one such memorable session, where the oft repeated question of ‘when will He come’ was once again raised, the Master has replied! It is also well known fact of Sufi philosophy that the term ‘beloved’, ‘lover’ doesn’t refer to any human or lustful relationship (known technically as Ishq-e-Mizazi, or corporeal love) but rather refers to the One Real Love (Ishq-e-Haqiqi, the Love of God and the longing for Union with God). However, like all replies from Spiritual Adepts, there are levels of understanding. This is explained in the second line of the couplet:

Sar-e-man fidae raahe ke sawaar khwaahi aamad
I sacrifice my head and place it on the Path where you will come riding!

What a strange thing to say! Why would he sacrifice his head? What is the greatest impediment to the union with God of man? The sense of ‘I’, the Ego, the feeling that ‘you may be God, but I am also something!’ In the session, the Master has tactfully explained that the Promised One can come, as soon as tonight, provided the student shuns his ego and sacrifices his feeling of ‘self’, which is actually a ‘false self’, before the Creator!

Readers of Frashogard, how many of us, including this writer, can truly claim that they have made even little progress towards the annihilation of the self? Rather, it is seen that many Khshnoom brothers and sisters have an over inflated sense of ourselves. The very little, miniscule reading of some pages of Khshnoom seems to arouse in us a sense of pride, a feeling of superiority over our co-religionists. It is painful to see some of us talking down to other Parsis, using big words and arcane technical terms, somehow displaying an extreme rudeness which borders on arrogance. Our social media sites are filled with the posts of these people who display a sense of ‘I-know-it-all’, who find something wrong with everything and everyone except themselves, who are unable to share in life’s simple joys but keep on their fire and brimstone lectures. Would a Saviour appear in such an environment?

The message of the Masters is clear: until the community as a whole doesn’t make efforts to kill this inflated ego, this fake feeling of superiority over others, we will have to keep waiting a really long time for the Advent of the Promised One. There is no sense in blaming the dates in the Khshnoom books! The fault lies within each and every one of us!

Hamaah aahuwan-e-sehra sar-e-khud nehaada bar kaf
All the unicorns of the desert are standing, with their heads bowed down!

What a strange line this is! Literally, aahuwan-e-sehra means the sheep of the desert, like the oryx. The peculiar shape of the oryx is such that when looked at from a particular angle from afar, its two horns often appear fused as one, hence being sometimes referred to as the mythical unicorn.

Readers of Frashogard, the desert and the mountains are the safe places of residence for many mystics and advanced souls. Our Master, Ustad Saheb Behramshah was fortunate to come into contact with such a group of Abed Sahebs, due to his past life interactions. When such Abeds need to enter into the normal physical world from their hidden areas, they take the disguise of traders and barter certain items from their secluded area for items of daily use not available there. Hence they may appear as ‘normal men’ or ‘sheep of the desert’. But in reality they are far advanced Spiritual Masters – real unicorns who only the really lucky few like our Master may see and interact with in this life.

The deep meditation of Amir Khusrau with his Master Hazrat Nizamuddin gave rise to this very deeply mystical couplet. The Teacher explained that even the most Spiritually Advanced Masters, who are as mythical as the unicorn, have lined up, with their heads bowed down, to welcome the Promised One! Why?

Ba-umeede aan ke roze ba-shikaar khwaahi aamad
In the hope that You (the Promised One) will hunt them when you come!

Notice the difference from the earlier couplet. For the normal person the head (ego) had to be sacrificed. But for the Spiritually Advanced, there is no ego. Their head is already bowed down, as a mark of absolute humility. But why would the Promised One hunt them? This couplet explains the role of spiritually advanced persons, of all faiths, who will get together when the Promised One appears. The very heavy spiritual load of Shah Behram Varzavand who will revive the earth from its deep ecological, biological and spiritual morass will be shared between Him and the Spiritual Masters of all faiths, who will be assigned specific roles and functions. At that critical time, when the very existence of earth and mankind will be severely threatened, the Saheb Dilan and other Adepts will line up and beseech Shah Varzavand for a role. Their absolute non-selfishness and their spiritual prowess will be such that a large part of the work of saving earth and mankind will be borne by them, under the supervision of Shah Behram. This wonderful working of Nature and all the Divine Government was probably ‘seen’ in the deep meditation sessions of Amir Khusrau and his teacher, which are explained in a very mystical manner in this couplet.

Kashishe ke ishq daarad na guzaratad badinsaan
The attraction of my love won’t leave you unaffected

This couplet seems to be written specially for us! Readers of Frashogard have deep love and respect for Shah Behram. This love permeates the entire Khshnoom community and many other Parsis. For all of us, the advent of Shah Behram is not only a test of our faith and resilience, but a sign of the existence of the Saheb Dilan and their messenger to us, Ustad Saheb Behramshah. But we are all getting on in years! And hence the refrain – will his advent happen before our time to depart this world comes? What will happen then? Will we never be able to lay our eyes on His Divine Face?

Ba-janaazah gar neaayi ba-mazaar khwaahi aamad
If you won’t come at my funeral, surely at my grave you’ll come!

No, no, I’m not asking Parsis to get buried! Amir Khusrau wrote this couplet keeping his community in mind. There is a great promise and spiritual principle explained here. All of us, who are so anxious to see Shah Behram and follow Him back to the Motherland Iran, can rest assured that his Radiant Face will be revealed to us – if not on this earth then definitely at Chinvat! While we would all prefer to see Him in the flesh, for many the time may be too short. But if your heart beats for Prophet Zarathushtra and the Zarathushtri Faith, if you have faith in the Saheb Dilan and Shah Behram, then definitely if not here, his visage will be revealed to us on our journey to the other world.

Ba-labam raseedah jaanam to biya ke zindah maanam
Pas az an ke man namaanam ba che kaar khwaahi aamad

The last of my breaths has reached my lips, please come so that I may stay alive
Afterwards, when I am not here, for what purpose will you come?

Here, Amir Khusrau vocalizes the innermost thoughts of many of us, who are anxiously awaiting the advent of the Promised One. The image invoked of a man on his last breath is not only to be taken literally, but it also signifies the last vestiges of faith that many of us have. Will he really come? This daring thought, always unspoken, but somehow at the back of our minds – that would we be able to maintain our faith in the event of a ‘delay’ in the advent – from the dates we have affixed in our minds based on the reading of Khshnoom books. In a neat twist to show that even a serious student, is, after all full of human frailties and possesses a believed importance of the ‘self’ and the ego, Khusrau’s second line seems to speak of the futility of the Promised One’s coming after he (Khusrau) has ‘passed away’, that is, given up on his faith. But the mission of the Promised One encompasses far more than the saving of our troubled community or the faith and life of any single individual. Hence his advent will happen when the maximum effect of his mission can be given.

Be-yek aamadan raboodi dil-o-deen-o-sabr-e-‘Khusrau’
Your coming once stole away the heart, faith and patience of Khusrau!

The final couplet of the qawwali always contains the name of the poet. Here, Khusrau takes a cheeky shot at His Beloved. He says that the waiting and tension of the advent of the Promised One was so intense that it robbed Khusrau of his ‘dil-o-deen-o-sabr’ – his heart, his faith and his patience. Khusrau’s words are not just a reflection of himself, but also a reflection of all students on the path of mysticism. As Hafez wrote – it all seemed simple and easy in the beginning, but the form love took was one of brutal hardship which shook to the core the many beliefs we had held dear. How many of us feel, in our heart of hearts, that constant complaint – ‘why can’t he just come!’ ‘How long will He make us wait?’ ‘When will all this end?’

When Ustad Saheb first spoke about the advent of Shah Behram and when those words were amplified later on by Doctor Saheb and Jehangirji, they also added a corollary – He will come, but His coming will be a test of our patience, our faith and our belief in Prophet Zarathushtra and the Saheb Dilan. More than 700 years before Ustad Saheb, Amir Khusrau articulated the same thoughts in this couplet.

Che shawad agar badeensaan do-se baar khwaahi aamad!
What a disaster it would be if you were to come twice or thrice!

What a mischievous line! Khusrau says it was more than enough of an experience to await your advent. That event itself caused great harm to the heart, faith and patience of Khusrau. Now imagine what would happen if this waiting and anxiety were to be repeated twice or thrice! It would be an absolute calamity! In other words, it is good enough for a man to have this experience once in his life. But any more and he would probably die due to the anxiety and worry! It is apt to point out there that there is no disrespect meant in these lines. Sufi mystics often attach very human feelings to the yearning for Union with God. The very idolism of wine, the tavern, the cupbearer, and the drunkard are all deeply mystical elements, each of which can be expanded at length, but that is not the crux of our article here.

There are also several significant elements of Indian classical music which can be discussed when we are hearing the qawwali. Since the audience for that is very restricted I have not gone into that aspect. I will only point out here the interesting choice of the Raag used, which is Kedar. This Raag is identified primarily with Lord Shiva. Its characteristic glides (meend) from Dha to Ma, passing through Pa gives it instant recognition. This ‘wavy’ form of singing is also attributed to the wave like locks of Lord Shiva’s hair (jataa). The Raaga, which is sung in the early part of the night, is also believed to produce thermal energy when sung properly. It is considered a branch of the Raaga Deepak, which was famously sung by Tansen to light the lamps in the court of Akbar. Kedar is also one of the accepted Raagas in the Sikh tradition and is used in many compositions of their Holy Book. Kedar is also believed to be a favourite Raag of Lord Krishna and was used by him while playing the flute.

In this manner, this short qawwali of Amir Khusrau, written over 700 years ago and sung by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (and by a few other singers too) leaves us with some important lessons about our own faith and our belief in the advent of Shah Behram Varzavand. Some may take a cynical view that the poem does not directly refer to Shah Behram. That is absolutely correct. But the meaning and the depth of feeling which the song conveys can always be juxtaposed into our modern day life and the circumstances we find our community in. Here is a link to the YouTube video of the qawwali.

Nearly 25 years have passed since I and KND first listened to this qawwali. Today he is not here to share some unique facet or add another insight into the song which his own reading and training would have given him. In his later years, KND deeply read about Sufi philosophy, especially the Persian masters Hafez and Rumi. Many of his articles contain couplets and poems of these great mystics. Doctor Saheb has himself written a fascinating article on Hafez and his Zoroastrian Masters – ‘Pir-e-Moghan’ in the old Frashogard magazine. Mysticism and Khshnoom never arouse feelings of hatred towards other faiths, while always maintaining the Truth that we should follow the Tarikats and Manthras of only the faith we were born into in order to progress towards Tan Pasin and Frashogard.

As we step into the new Yezdezardi year 1394, it is my hope and desire that by reading about this qawwali and its esoteric explanation offered above, we may all re-energize and revitalize our faith in Prophet Zarathusthra and our Zarthoshti Din, and offer respectful thanks to the Abed Saheb-e-Dilan for their continuous protection of our troubled community. It is also an opportune day to remember our departed Khshnoom leaders and offer a small prayer for the onward progress of their Ruvans and a request that they continue to guide and inspire us from their celestial stations. And as we visit Agiaries and Atash Behrams for the New Year, it will be an apt gesture to bow our heads in front of the Atash Padshah Sahebs and pray not just for the early advent of our Saviour Shah Behram Varzavand! Rather, we may request: May He come, tonight!

Ervad Marzban J Hathiram

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