Desert
~ Walk and Burn
No landscape more evocative of viraha’ – the pain of separation from one’s Beloved – than the desert.
Sasui has set off across the desert of Thar in search of her beloved, Punhoon. The dunes, sun, wind, sky, earth, rocks and mountains are her only companions in her tough walk from desolation to self-discovery and freedom.
Sasui’s Brahmin parents abandoned her at birth. A childless Muslim coupe raised her in Bhanbhor. When she grew up, she and Prince Punhoon of Ketch, Balochistan fell in love and planned to marry. Punhoo’s father, King Ari Jaam, incensed with the match, plotted to bring back his son.
Punhoon’s brothers abducted him on the wedding night. Next morning, Sasui, determined as steel, set off alone into this desolate land without any provisions, in the pursuit of her beloved. She eventually perished in the hot sands.
Sasui knows that the path to her Beloved, own true self cannot be withous strife and suffering, as herders know that no journey is without pain. Her walk resonates with the walk of herders. For them, Sasui embodies their commitment to movement, even in the face of the tallest of odds.
O camel-mind, shed your laziness!
The road to the beloved is straight.
It’s not crooked, so give up your groans
Quicken your pace
So that I may meet him tonight
The road to the beloved is straight.
It’s not crooked, so give up your groans
Quicken your pace
So that I may meet him tonight
Oh Camel-Mind, Shed Your Laziness! -Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai
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