He Rom Rom Men Basnevāle Rām
by Ananya Tripathi
Film: Neel Kamal 1968
Director: Ram Maheshwari
Actors: Waheeda Rehman (1938-Present), Manoj Kumar (1937-Present)
Singer: Asha Bhosle (1933-Present)
Music: Ravi Shankar Sharma (1926-2012)
Lyricist: Sahir Ludhianvi (1921-1980)
Link to clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDTQLznBf5A
Introduction
“He Rom Rom men Basnevāle Rām” is a devotional song from the 1968 Bollywood film Neel Kamal, directed by Ram Maheshwari. This song, written by poet Sahir Ludhianvi and sung by playback singer Asha Bhosle, progresses the film’s themes of conflict and devotion.
Ludhianvi was a famous Urdu poet and a prominent figure in the Progressive Writers Movement (PWM). A legendary writer, he shifted from poetry to Hindi cinema, where his work captured a vast array of audiences with meaningful and timeless lyrics. He was passionate about the topic of world peace. His works often conveyed such philosophical themes, which we can see reflected in the lyrics of this song, through the lens of devotion and spiritual surrender.
Bhosle is a famous playback singer with a career spanning over seven decades, recording over 10,000 songs across multiple genres. Known for her versatility, she brings a lot of emotion into the song through her voice, tying into the song’s themes of emotional conflict and divinity.
The movie Neel Kamal focuses on the protagonist Sita’s internal struggle between her marriage to Ram and the spirit of Chitrasen, her lover from a past life. In the face of immense conflict in her life, Sita turns to Lord Ram for strength, guidance, and peace. This song is a portrayal of her desire for peace and surrender to the Lord.
Waheeda Rehman, who portrays Sita in the film, is known for her graceful and expressive performances, and she brings these qualities for a unique portrayal of Sita’s emotional conflict in this song. Rehman won as Best Actress in the 16th Filmfare Awards for her role in Neel Kamal. The film also received 8 other nominations, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Story.
Lyrics, Transliteration, and Translation
हे रोम रोम में बसने वाले राम । मैं तुझसे क्या माँगूँ ॥ | he roma roma men basne vāle rām, jagat ke svamī he antaryāmī, main tujhse kyā māngūn. | O Rama, who dwells in my every pore Lord of the world, who dwells inside my heart, What could I ask of you? |
आस का बंधन तोड़ चुकी हूँ । तुझपर सबकुछ छोड़ चुकी हूँ ॥ नाथ मेरे मैं क्यों कुछ सोचूँ । तू जाने तेरा काम ॥ | ās kā bandhan toḍ cukī hūn, tujhpar sabkuch choḍ cukī hūn. nāth mere main kyon kuch socūn, tū jāne terā kām. | I have broken this bond of hope and have surrendered everything to you. My Lord, why should I worry about anything? You know how to do your work. |
तेरे चरण की धूल जो पाए । वो कंकड़ हीरा हो जाए ॥ इन चरणों में धाम ॥ | tere caraṇa kī dhūl jo pāye, vo kaṅkaḍ hīra ho jāye. bhāg mere jo main ne pāyā in charaṇon men dhām. | Touched by the dust from your feet, pebbles turn into diamonds. This is my fate that I found a place to stay at your feet. |
भेद तेरा कोई क्या पहचाने । जो तुझसा हो, वो तुझे जाने ॥ भले बुरे का नाम ॥ | bhed terā koī kyā pahacāne, jo tujh-sā ho vo tujhe jāne. tere kiye ko ham kyā deven, bhale bure kā nām. | Who can recognize your secret? Only someone like you will know you. How can we judge what you have done As good or bad? |
(Gratefully acknowledging https://allbhajanlyrics.com/hey-rom-rom-mein-basne-wale-ram-lyrics/)
Wordlist
रोम rom [S.], adv. with, or in or from, every fibre or pore of (one's) body or being.
बसना basnā [vasati], 1. to dwell, to reside. 2. to be settled, populated. 3. to be cultivated (land). 4. to settle, to lodge; to camp; to roost. 5. to be set up (a household). 6. to prosper (as a household).
जगती jagatī [S.], m. the surface of the earth; the earth.
स्वामी svāmī [S.], m. 1. owner, proprietor. 2. master, lord; king. 3. title of the supreme being (esp. as Viṣṇu or Śiva). 4. head of a religious order. 5. title given to a renowned sage or devotee (as ~ Śaṅkarācārya, ~ Nanddās). 6. husband; lover.
अंतर्यामी antaryāmī, adj. & m. controlling the mood or heart (the supreme being); knowing the inner thoughts or feelings; the supreme being.
आस ās [āśā-], f. hope
बंधन bandhan [S.], m. 1. fastening, tying together. 2. a tie, fastening; knot. 3. joint (of the body). 4. bond, fetter; transf. obligation. 5. tie(s) (as of affection, duty). 6. confinement, captivity. 8. established rule or custom; daily practice, observance
चरण caraṇ [S.], m. 1. usu. pl. and hon. foot; feet. 2. a quarter; section; phase, stage. 3. a foot (of verse); single line (of verse). 4. fig. proximity; attendance; dependence.
कंकड़ kaṅkaṛ [cf. karkara-2], m. 1. a nodule of limestone. 2. a stone; pl. stones, gravel. 3. a hard piece, fragment. 4. an uncut jewel.
हीरा hīrā [hīraka-], m. 1. a diamond. 2. Pl. HŚS. a tulsī bead (as worn by ascetics). 3. adj. invaluable.
भाग bhāg [S.], m. 1. part; share; division; section. 2. math. fraction. दो बटे पाँचवाँ, m. two-fifths. 3. degree (of angle). 4. math. division. ~ देना, to divide (into, में, by, का). 5. fate, lot (= भाग्य). 6. ? distribution, apportionment.
धाम dhām [S.], m. 1. dwelling, abode. 2. splendour, radiance. 3. place of pilgrimage. 4. fig. the body
भेद bhed [S.], m. splitting, separating: 1. difference, distinction; peculiarity. 2. kind, species. 3. discrimination (between, में; against, के साथ). 4. secret matter, mystery. 5. division (as between allies); breach, rupture (in relations). 6. fissure.
भला bhalā [cf. bhalla-1], adj. & m. & interj. 1. adj. good; excellent. 2. honest, righteous. 3. kind, kindly. 4. in good health. 5. m. welfare. 6. advantage, benefit. 7. interj. well! how lucky! 8. indeed, in truth.
बुरा burā [*bura-], adj. & m. 1. adj. bad; wicked, evil; disaffected (the heart); depraved; base. 2. hurtful, injurious; disagreeable. 3. ugly. 4. m. evil, wrong. 5. an evil person.
Song Analysis
This devotional song features many nuances that we may miss at first glance. The first thing we can see, from the wordlist above, is that every word in the song is derived from Sanskrit, which helps to establish a traditional bhajan-like tone. This is particularly interesting considering Ludhianvi was well-known for being an Urdu poet. Yet in this song, he chose to incorporate almost exclusively tatsama and tadbhava (Sanskrit-derived) words. Some examples of tatsama (Sanskrit loan) words in the song include rom (pore), jagatī (world), svāmī (lord), bandhan (bond), and caraṇ (feet). Similarly, tadbhava (Sanskrit-derived) words like basnā (Sanskrit: vasati) and hīrā (Sanskrit: hīraka) add to the song's devotional mood. These choices reflect Ludhianvi’s goal to reflect the character’s spirituality.
The lyrics also contain several figures of speech. First, we see the use of exaggeration or atishayokti, in the line “the dust of your feet turns a pebble into a diamond,” which conveys a transformative power of the Lord. Another figure of speech, rūpaka or metaphor, appears in “ās kā bandhan,” as the song refers to a metaphorical tie, not a literal one. Third, the phrase “jo tujh-sā ho vo tujhe jāne” is an example of ananvaya or self-comparison, where an object is compared to its own ideal, which shows Sita’s acceptance of whatever the Lord had determined for her. Finally, the repetition of rom rom, and subsequent anuprāsa (alliteration) with Rām, adds to the rhythm of the song.
The song displays many rasas, based on its meaning. The primary rasa is the devotee’s bhakti (devotion), focused on Lord Ram. In response, Karuna (compassion) is also shown, as the main character emotionally requests divine support. Finally, adhbuta (wonder) rasa comes out through the picturization of the Lord ‘s deeds throughout the song.
In the course of the song several religious scenes are evoked through beautiful and grand statues and architecture, that add to its theme of spirituality. Throughout the song, the main character is shown at Lord Ram’s feet, in a pose of humility, which depicts surrender to the Lord. It seems to create the idea of finding peace at Ram’s feet. Further, throughout the song, bas reliefs showing various stories of Ram are featured, adding to the sense of the Lord’s grandeur and kindness. Some key picturizations include the following:
1:38 – Sita’s Agnipariksha or her trial by fire, which she undertook after being rescued from Ravana, demonstrating her purity, her innocence, and devotion to Lord Ram.
2:43 – Shabari, a woman from a lower caste offering to Lord Ram and Lakshman during their exile the sweetest berries, which she tasted first to ensure they were sweet. Lord Ram accepted these berries, showing an appreciation for loving devotion over social status.
3:55 –Sita in Ashok Vatika, where she was held captive by Ravan.
3:56 –Narada Muni, a messenger-sage who guided the characters in the Ramayana through revealing important information.
These visual elements, when taken alongside the lyrics, create a sense of devotion and spirituality, found by surrendering to the Lord.
Discussion Question: What is the significance of the symbol of Ram in this song? How does this symbol reflect Sita’s emotional state?
Sources/ Further Reading
Parsi, Venkat. 2021. “Sahir Ludhianvi: Master of Magic.” Indian Literature 65 (2.322): 160–68. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi.
Rajadhyaksha, Ashish. 1994. Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. London: British Film Institute; New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
Databases:
https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/atishayokti (last accessed on April 17, 2025)
https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/ananvaya (last accessed on April 17, 2025)