Saturday, January 15, 2011

Infinite Synonyms of 'Death' in Urdu – Experience Certainty!!

Last night I traveled back to my home from Bangalore. In the train, my train of thoughts revolved around the funny people and the funny language of my home town, Byadgi. There, Muslims speak Urdu; it’s actually Dakhani Urdu which is spoken in the southern states of the country (Also called Shivajinagar Hindi in Bangalore, remember Professor Ulfat Sultan? :-)). Its pronunciation and grammar varies slightly from the standard Urdu and it has many words loaned from the regional languages. To my surprise I found that the synonyms (different ways of saying) of ‘He’s dead’ or ‘died’ seemed to be infinite in Urdu in my native. Here goes the list below:

Mar Gaya
Maut Huwi
Jaan Gayi
Saans Gayi
Wafaat Huwi
Inteqaal Huwa
Guzar Gaya
Rooh Qabz Huwa
Jannat Naseeb huwa
Allah Ko Pyara Huwa
Parda Farmaya
Dum Todya
Khallas Huwa
Oopar Gaya
Halaq Huwa
Gaya
Poth Huwa
Out Huwa
Spot Huwa
Death Huwi
Thanda Padhya
Gardan Satya
Uth Gaya
Aankhen Moochya
Hamesha Humna Chhodko Gaya
Mauta Huwa
Aakhri Saans Liya
Gotak Kaya
Dhamaar Huwa
Wicket Gaya
Chhati Phod Liya
Chala Gaya
Rooh Nikal Gayi
Akad Gaya
Duniya Chhodya
Ticket Kadaya
Right Huwa
Soya So Uthyach Nai
Ab Nai Raha
Bachyach Nai
Duniya Chhodya
Alla Ke Paas Gaya
Bejaan Huwa
Kalme Ka Paani Naseeb Huwa
Kalma Padhya
Aunda Huwa
Dola Uthya
Surat Ku Surma Likhe
Munda Mooche
Shaheed huwa
Angothe Bandhe
Kya Bhi Bolyach Nai
So Koch Chhodya
Nas Band Padi
Dhadkan Ruk Gayi
Khatam Huwa
Bachchyan Ko Yateem Karya
Janaze Ki Namaz Padha Liya
Bolyach Nai
Ludak Gaya
Tapak Gaya
Kaam Huwa

And Finally...
Inna Lillahi Wa Ina Ilaihi Rajivoon !

Jesus !! It looks to be never ending !! (There still could be many more which I am not aware of)

Now, while death has so many synonyms, I don’t see many synonyms for ‘Birth’. If a baby is born, I haven’t heard any other usage other than ‘Bachcha Paida Huwa’. As simple as that. It could be true in any other language as well. Is it something to ponder about? Yes.

Well, in our society, ‘death’ is given so much focus or importance while birth is very common phenomenon. I feel the reason being, people fear death, and it runs so much on people’s mind. They get scared about it so much so that majority of the population in the world turns religious when it becomes old. I think there is no point in fearing death at all. No one can escape it. It’s like ‘Experience Certainty’ :-).

I think we should have the heart to face death with dignity and sense of reality and humor. Then only can we relish the beauty and joy of life. Often, people don’t die because of an injury or an ailment; they perish due to the fear of death. Most of the times, I joke about death with my friends and brothers. That’s how I could think about those 60+ synonyms of death. I know, you may complain that I am being so much cozy about death because I have got my 5 million rupees insurance policy active. I guess true, hence I recommend all of you to insure your life at the earliest. Hope your life rules your mind and not your death. LIC's Jeeavan Amulya ki jai!!

By the way when I die, I want people to say, "Vo Zindagi Jee Gaya” :-)

5 comments:

  1. Good One Sajid... "Chal Basa" is one more rt?

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  2. Yes Sathya. It can be added in the list. I thought 'Chal Basa' and 'Gaya' kinda sounded same

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  3. Kya baat hai Sajid! Mujhe tera ye blog post bahut pasand aaya.. ( vaise baaki bhi acche hain :-) ). I especially liked the last part about learning to face death. I have only seen or heard highly self aware and realised beings speak like this on the topic of death. May be this sounds wierd, but You perhaps were a student with such a realised being in some past life. I have only seen such people talk so coolly about death. Everyone else wants to escape the every existence of the fact of Death. So much so, that they dont even want to hear the word 'Death' mentioned in their OWN context !! My master, Bharat Thakur, has often said that the whole purpose of yoga or many of the spiritual practices is to be able to die everyday and by doing so, lose the fear of death completely. So when real death comes, u go very peacefully. Keep writing...and entertaining and enlightening others... :-) Amen to that.

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  4. @Sunder: I have no words. I never expected such a precious comment. Because most of the people, including me think that whatever I write is crap. Firstly I don't follow any Guru/Ulema/Baba/Peer/Saint/Murshad/Master(I respect them if they are scholars). I am not well read too. Basically I draw inspiration from my life and mostly from others lives. Couple of deaths in my own family have taught me a lot. I am so glad to learn that Yoga teaches about death. Sometimes I joke weirdly to my roomies saying "looks like I will die in an accident today" ;-) Thank you for your kind words Sunder. I am always glad to be associated with passionate guys like you/Sathya/Amit/Preethi/Sowmya/Mathad etc :-)

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