Bullhe Shah : If the divine is found through ablutions

Religions call for various forms of purification, whether through a visit to the Ganges, the ablutions required for Muslim prayer, or the ritual of baptism. Here is an ecstatic comment on the subject by the Punjabi mystic Bullhe Shah (1680-1757 CE). For more about Bullhe (also Bulleh or Bullha) Shah, see this earlier post.

If the divine is found through ablutions
surely frogs and fish would find him first
if the divine is hidden in jungles
the cattle would have discovered him by now
O Bulleh, the divine is found by those
with pure and true heart

Translation Fuad Usman Khan

3 Replies to “Bullhe Shah : If the divine is found through ablutions”

  1. huma

    What a relief!
    I spent years looking for the the perfect place to be
    But now here
    a train passes by
    railway tracks to the Infinite
    sound ,forms ,light and colors
    all speak only of The name
    that no one knows

    Reply
  2. Mary Neil

    One thread, one thread only!
    Warp and woof, quill and shuttle,
    countless cloths and colors,

    a thousand hanks and skeins —
    with ten thousand names
    ten thousand places.

    But there is one thread only. Bullhe Shah

    Reply
  3. Mary Neil

    One Thread Only
    by Bullhe Shah

    English version by Ivan M. Granger

    One thread, one thread only!
    Warp and woof, quill and shuttle,
    countless cloths and colours,

    a thousand hanks and skeins —
    with ten thousand names
    ten thousand places.

    But there is one thread only.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.