The Seven Stages Of Love

The Seven Stages Of Love(इश्क़ के सात मक़ाम)

Arabic literature and sufi traditions describes seven stages of love and after the movie 'Dedh Ishqiya' all of us also knew that these seven stages of love are दिलकशी (Attraction),उन्स (Attachment),मोहब्बत (Love),अक़ीदत (Trust/Reverence),इबादत (Worship),जूनून (Madness) and मौत (Death). At this time of the year ( Valentine Week) when the Love is in the air   I am sharing my couplets (शेर ) which are based on these seven stages of love written at different times. I hope you will like my effort and share anything related to these seven stages of love at the comment section of this post. The best couplet ( शेर ) will be posted with your name on my Facebook page ( Fans Of Poetry ).

1. दिलकशी (Attraction) : The first stage of love where eyes meet,spark is initiated and the journey of love begins.

वो मेरी तरफ देख कर गुज़र गए,

ना कुछ कहा ना बात की,

ना रुक के मुलाकात की,

डाल कर मुझपर बस एक नज़र गुज़र गए,

वो मेरी तरफ देख कर, देख कर गुज़र गए।

 For Full Ghazal click here.

2.उन्स (Attachment) : The second stage starts with fondness where a feeling of strong connection comes.

 आज की बारिश थी या की उनका प्यार था,

  जो बरसता ही गया मेरी चाहत की तरह,

यूँ तो लबों से न कभी उसने किया इकरार था,

    उनकी आँखों को मगर समझा में होंटों की तरह।

For Full Ghazal click here.

3.मोहब्बत (Love) : The most blissful of all stages. Here you started feeling at top of the world unaware of other things in life just lost in thoughts of your beloved.

यूहीं रात दिन जगूं,

पीछे तेरे आके मै रुकूँ,

तुझसे कभी मगर,ये कह भी न सकूं,

To read this lyrical song complete click here.

4.अक़ीदत (Trust/Reverence) : This stage initiates the process in love which ultimately leads to death. Here one started trusting someone more than anything and anyone. After this there is no turning back in love.

मोहब्बत में इतना ही हासिल किया है,

कि खुद को मिटाकर भी हस्ते हैं हम। 

For full Ghazal click here.

5.इबादत (Worship) : In this stage love reaches at the extend of worshiping the beloved where nothing can be wrong with the object of worship.Here love not ends even after a denial by the beloved instead leads to the next stage of love.

तुझसे मोहब्बत करता रहूँगा,तू मिले या न मिले।

तुझपे ही मरता रहूँगा तू मिले या न मिले।

For Full Ghazal click here.

6.जूनून (Madness) : In this stage one finds his own identity incomplete without beloved thus his urge to have love reaches to the level of obsession and madness. 

तू ही दिल है,तू ही आरज़ू है।

हर जगह है बस तू ही तू ,तू ही तू ......

For Full Ghazal click here.

7.मौत (Death) : The final stage of love now the self identity is completely lost. Here the existence of lover depends on the existence of beloved. 

तू मैं,मैं तू हो गया,

मैं जिस्म हूँ ,तू रूह मेरी,

कहने को अब है क्या बचा,

न तू मुझसे न में तुझसे जुदा।

For Full Ghazal click here.

We can link all this stages of love with a person's quest to find god. One's mere attraction towards god leads him to the level of love where is own identity becomes the identity of his loved god. This attaches this concept of love to sufi traditions.

इश्क़ का मौसम है,वक़्त भी है प्यार का,

आज कहदो जो दिल में है,मौका सही है इज़हार का। 

Ishq ka mausam hai,Waqt bhi hai pyaar ka,

Aaj kehdo jo dil mein hai,mauka sahi hai izhaar ka.