Geeta in Bollywood: Dekho O Deewano...

February 18, 2011


I have discussed Geeta in Bollywood through the movie Sanyasi before. Today, I'll look at the Dev Anand's movie 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna'. The hit movie released in 1971 had many popular songs. I'll focus on one in particular "Dekho O Deewanon...". The YouTube version can be seen below (thanks to my buddy Sree from the US for this tip).

The lyrics below are sourced from here (the link also contains an audio version by the blogger himself)
Dekho O Deewano Tum Ye kaam Na Karo
Ram ka naam badnaam na karo.....2
Hare Krishna hare ram

Ram ko samjho Krishna ko jaano
Nend se jaago O mastano…..2
Jeet lo man ko padkar geeta
Man hi haara to kya jeeta, to kya jeeta
Jeevan ko nashe ka tum ghulam na karo Ram ka naam badnaam na karoo…2
Hare Krishna hare ram

Ram ne hanskar sab sukh tyaage
Tum sab dukh se dar ke bhage...2
Krishna ne karm ki rit sikhayi
Tum ne farz se aankh churayi
O ram duhaayi
Hare Krishna hare ram
Jeevan naam hai kaam ka
Aaram na karo Ram ka naam badnaam na karo
Hare krishna hare ram

For the totally uninitiated i.e. who haven't seen this classic Hindi movie, the background of the movie is set at a time when a large number of hippies gravitated towards India leaving broken families and repressed childhoods. Some of these hippies put on a spiritual garb and chant the famous Hare Rama Hare Krishna mantra. The mantra does not interfere with smoking grass or induling in free sex. (Hey I am just telling you what I heard, I didn't actually get to do any of this).

There is no question, the lyric is catchy and hummable, even if somewhat preachy as is obvious from the line "Jeevan ko nashe ka tum ghulam na karo" (Do not make your life a slave to intoxicants). In fact, in the early 70s, you couldn't go past a Ganesh utsav or navaratri celebration without this song (and others from the movie) blasting away from large speaker. In the first verse, the poet, Anand Bakshi, gets right to the point which ties in nicely with our blog. The lines "man hi haara to kya jeeta" (what is gained, if the mind be lost) is the running theme in all commentaries on the Bhagavad Geeta. Indeed, Arjuna follows up on this thought with a question in chapter 6.
योऽयं योगस्त्वया प्रोक्तः साम्येन मधुसूदन |
एतस्याहं न पश्यामि चञ्चलत्वात्स्थितिं स्थिराम् ||६-३३||
yo.ayaM yogastvayaa proktaH saamyena madhusuudana .
etasyaahaM na pashyaami cha~nchalatvaatsthiti.n sthiraam.h .. 6-33..
This YOGA of Equanimity, taught by Thee, O slayer of Madhu, I see not its enduring continuity, because of the restlessness (of the mind) 6-33.


In the next verse, "Ram ne hanskar sab sukh tyaage / Tum sab dukh se dar ke bhage" (Raama smilingly renounced all luxury, you have run away from sorrows) is a riff on what every Indian parent have told their children for thousands of years. I can say honestly that yes, my mother has used those lines on me and I have done the same for my son, except by God's grace, he has not yet needed to abandon his "sorrows" (or I so I hope).

I love the "jeevan naam hai kaam ka/aaram na karo" (life is another name for work, don't be a slacker) which is again a riff on Krishna's chapter 3 declaration "None can ever remain, even for a moment, without performing action" (न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् , na hi kashchitkShaNamapi jaatu tishhThatyakarmakR^it.h).

Of course, lets not forget what pissed off Dev Anand in the first place, "Ram ka naam badnaam na karo" (Do not spoil Raama's name) by the misuse of the Hare Rama Hare Krishna mantra which is the motivation for the entire movie.

Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post.

PS: For all of you, who are not familiar with this blog, please see the link "Notes on Sources, Transliteration"