Jeena yahaan marna yahaan

What’s a song lyric that has stuck with you forever?

There are songs we enjoy and admire. And then there are songs that quietly become a part of our life.

For me, that song is “Jeena Yahan Marna Yahan”, sung so soulfully by Mukesh in Mera Naam Joker, starring Raj Kapoor.

“Jeena yahan, marna yahan, iske siwa jaana kahan…”

As a young man, I heard these words as beautiful poetry. Today, with the passage of time, I hear them as the truth of life.

These simple lines seem to say that perhaps there is no heaven somewhere far away, no hell hidden in another corner of the universe. Whatever heaven or hell we experience is created right here, on this earth, by the way we live our lives.

So often we spend our lives worrying about the next birth, the afterlife, or what lies beyond death. In doing so, we sometimes forget to truly live the life that has been placed in our hands today.

Heaven is in the love we give.
Hell is in the hatred we nurture.
God resides in compassion, gratitude and kindness.

The choice is ours.

Another part of the song has always moved me deeply:

“Kal khel mein hum ho na ho, gardish mein taare rahenge sada… Bhoologe tum, bhoolenge woh, par hum tumhare rahenge sada…”
Every time I hear these lines, my eyes become moist.

Our lives are not ours alone. They are the cumulative result of the sacrifices, struggles, blessings and unconditional love of our parents, grandparents and countless ancestors.

We stand where we do because they quietly carried us on their shoulders, often without expecting anything in return.

As I now watch the elders in my own family grow frail, I notice something extraordinary. Their bodies may have become weak, but their eyes still sparkle with the same love and silent blessings. Without speaking, they seem to say:
“Bhoologe tum… par hum tumhare rahenge sada.”

Those words have begun to acquire a new meaning as I myself grow older and watch the younger generation spread their wings to fly.

One day, we too shall become memories.

One day, our children and grandchildren will remember us through little habits, familiar smiles, old stories and values we unknowingly passed on.

Perhaps we too shall become those metaphorical stars that continue to shine long after we are gone, silently blessing those who walk after us.

Isn’t this the essence of Hindu wisdom?
Life does not truly end. Relationships are eternal. Souls continue their journey. They may meet again in different forms, in different times, under different circumstances.

Whether rebirth happens exactly as we imagine, none of us can say with certainty. We have heard of heaven and hell. We have heard of gods. We may never have seen them.

But we have seen our parents.
We have seen families.
We have experienced love, sacrifice, forgiveness and blessings.

Perhaps that is where heaven resides.
Perhaps that is where God reveals Himself.

More than forty years have passed since this timeless song was first released, yet every time Mukesh’s soulful voice begins to sing, it still sends goosebumps down my spine. My eyes still become moist. Few songs possess such timeless power.

Some songs entertain us.
Some songs stay with us.
And a rare few become life’s philosophy.
For me, “Jeena Yahan Marna Yahan” will always be one of them.