A Lullaby – Biography Sain Kanwarram
A Lullaby – Biography Sain Kanwarram
DR. S. K. PUNSHI
“Lolee” – is a pure Sindhi word meaning Lullaby. A Sindhi mother when cradling her child sings a song in a soft tunes and this heart moving song asking the angles of sleep to rest cozily on the eyelids of the child is so moving that the child sweetly go into a most welcome sleep of course. Nowadays with the rush of western music and instruments, this soft music (except the Lori sung by Lata Mangeshkar, which can be hear on Cylon Radio at night) has been completely lost. Now the child wants to hear film music. Kanwarram used to receive many requests from loving mothers for a “Lolee” to be sung by him to their off springs, thinking that if a God’s Goodman like Kanwar takes the child in his hands and gave him/her a “Lolee” it will be a blessing and a benediction for the child right or wrong, rationalism or irrationalism. However, it is a question of faith. As the Bible says, “faith can move the mountains” – the mother were sure that child would grow and glow by the grace of Kanwar. It is a known fact that head and heart love and logic have never reconciled to each other.
It is said that once Kanwarram was singing his devotional song at Shikarpur, a town well known in Sindh. During that evening, the only child of a widow expired. She was extremely poor. Her only solace in this vast world was that child. She became very disconsolate and cried bitterly. The neighbors gathered but could not help in her agony. She could not be consoled. She would not allow her child to be buried. One old man out of the assembled people said to her, Saints can make miracles we ordinary worldly cannot do anything. If you want back your child, cover its body with a muslin cloth take it to Saint Kanwarram who is having his ‘Bhajans’ at a particular place and beg his mercy and ask him to give “Lolee” to the dead child enwrapped in cloth. If he wills, he can put life in the child with his spiritual power none else can do. Mind that do not tell him that the child is dead, but only pray for a lullaby for your child and when he returns the child, do not accept the dead one. Make clamor and ask for a living one. The mother pinned her faith in his advice, stopped her wailings. Early next morning at 4 O’clock, she took her dead child and went to the place where Kanwar was singing and asked for the “Lolee”. Kanwar took her child in his arms, compiled with the request, sung the “Lolee” asked her to take it back. She refused to take back the still child saying that her child had life. Kanwar was non-pulsed but what could he do? He wept like a child for he could not escape working a miracle, which he disliked the most. He repeated a sweet lullaby (His Master’s Voice record No. 6990 in Hindi) entreating his Guru Swami Satramdas to put life in the child and save him from the dishonor. The lullaby ended and child began to weep. The audience was surprised the joy of the widow, knew no bounds to get back her child alive. She blessed Swami Kanwarram Sahib with all her heart and returned home merrily. After this incident Kanwarram would ascertain that the child was alive before he would take it for a lullaby.
Long back Acharya P.K. Atre wrote about Gadge Baba, which I quote:
“Like a lump of butter Gadge Baba melts at the sight of miseries in the world. He is the very incarnation of God who holds to his bosom those hapless beings that have none to protect those wipes tears in their eyes and blows gently over their wounds. For half a century, this great social reformer is wearing him. Out like a Sandal wood and effacing every tissue of his body for the well being of the people Gadge Baba has no truck what so ever with miracles. But he himself is at the present moment a moving miracle in India”.
These above lines very well fit in with the life of Saint Kanwarram also. Today Mother Teresa – the Noble Laureate, is carrying out the work of Saint Kanwarram and Gadge Baba.