"Bulla Ki Jaana Main Kaun" A humble attempt to interpret Baba Bulleh Shah's masterful mystical poem.

Who Was Baba Bulleh Shah?

Baba Bulleh Shah (1680–1757), born as Syed Abdullah Shah Qadri, was a revered Punjabi Sufi poet, humanist, and mystic. Born in Uch Sharif and later settled in Kasur (in present-day Pakistan), he belonged to a noble Syed family. Despite his scholarly roots, Bulleh Shah chose a mystical path and became a disciple of Hazrat Inayat Shah Qadri.

The name "Bulleh Shah" evolved from his given name "Abdullah": "Bulleh" being a tender, colloquial abbreviation, and "Shah" signifying nobility or spiritual reverence. Together, the name became a symbol of his mystical stature and poetic legacy. His verses continue to inspire seekers across all religions, transcending time, place, and ideology.

Introduction: The Mystical Meditation

"Bulla Ki Jaana Main Kaun" is not just a poem—it’s a spiritual meditation. Penned by Bulleh Shah, this timeless Punjabi kafi explores a profound existential inquiry: Who am I?

Through poetic negation, Bulleh Shah dismantles layers of identity, religion, nationality, and ego to arrive at a space of spiritual unknowing. The line "Bulla Ki Jaana Main Kaun"—Bulla, I do not know who I am—is not a lament of confusion but an invitation to the mystery of being.

Popularized by Rabbi Shergill in the 21st century, this poem has transcended time and geography, continuing to resonate with seekers across generations.

A Line-by-Line Interpretation: Peeling Away Illusion

This poem is no mere list of beliefs, nor the telling of a life—it is a sacred unraveling. A mystical shedding of masks and names, leading us gently toward the silent heart of Being—where all form dissolves, and thought has no claim. Its meaning is vast, an ocean of insight in a single drop of verse; entire volumes could circle it and still fall short. Yet as we move through each line, we may—if only briefly—glimpse the luminous mystery it reveals: the quiet unveiling of the self that has always been, hidden beneath the noise.

💠 “Bulla Ki Jaana Main Kaun”

Translation: Bullah, to me, I do not know who I am.

Deeper Meaning: This is the Sufi’s way of declaring spiritual humility and inner awareness. Everything he thought he was—his faith, culture, thoughts—none of it truly defined him. This echoes the questions asked by sages like Ramana Maharshi (Who am I?) and Rumi (You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop). Bulleh Shah begins his journey in a space of unknowing—the first step to awakening.

🕌 “Na main momin vich maseetan…”

Translation: I am not a believer found in the mosque.

Deeper Meaning: He rejects labels given by organized religion—not because he denies God, but because he refuses to let religious identity define spiritual truth. Even the word “believer” is too small to contain his experience. His connection with the Divine is direct—without intermediaries or institutions.

⚖️ “Na main vich kufar diyan reetan…”

Translation: Nor am I part of the rituals of disbelief.

Deeper Meaning: He does not belong to the “other side” either. The duality of belief vs. disbelief is a false battle. The Divine is beyond such binaries, and Bulleh Shah walks a path above the debate. He sees Truth as something to be lived, not argued

♻️ “Na main paakan vich paleetan…”

Translation: I am neither among the pure nor the impure.

Deeper Meaning: He challenges manmade moral codes. Who decides what is pure or impure? Spiritual truth cannot be measured by social judgment. He recognizes that such concepts are often tools of exclusion rather than compassion..

🧯 “Na main Moosa na Firaun”

Translation: I am neither Moses nor Pharaoh.

Deeper Meaning: This is revolutionary, Bulleh shah negates identification with both the saint and the sinner. He declares, these roles are external and his soul is beyond hero or villain. He refuses the script entirely. The self, as he sees it, is formless and beyond narratives..

📜 “Na main andar bed kitaaban…”

Translation: I (The truth) am not found inside holy books.

Deeper Meaning: Books may point to Truth, but they are not the Truth itself. Divine experience is lived, not merely read. The real revelation is written not in ink, but found inside one's heart.

🎭 “Na main rehnda bhang sharaban…”

Translation: I don’t dwell in intoxication or revelry.

Deeper Meaning: True ecstasy doesn’t come from substances. It flows from spiritual union. Escapism is not the path. Bulleh shah's joy is rooted in conscious awareness, not through achieving altered states by means of external substances.

☯️ “Na main shaadi na ghamnaki…”

Translation: I am neither in joy nor in sorrow.

Deeper Meaning: I stand beyond the fluctuations of emotion, in a state of witnessing—a key Sufi and yogic realization. To Bulleh shah, all emotions are passing clouds; he resides in the sky-like stillness behind them..

🌍 “Na main arabi na lahori… Na main hindi shehar nagauri…”

Translation: I am neither an Arab nor from Lahore. Nor am I from the Indian town of Nagaur

Deeper Meaning: Don’t place me in a religious, cultural, or geographic box—not even a place revered by saints and mystics. My essence is not defined by any land, however holy or historic. My true self cannot be defined by where I was born or what land I belong to. I am not of the East or the West—I am of the Divine. 

He dissolves his identity not only beyond religion or race but beyond place as well (However spiritually significant that may have been). His message: the soul has no borders, no passport, no flag, no homeland but truth. The Divine essence is not confined to geography or nationality. 

🧬 “Na main Adam Hawa jaaya…”

Translation: I am not born of Adam and Eve.

Deeper Meaning: Bulleh Shah is not denying his physical birth or ancestry. He’s not making a biological claim. He is making a mystical declaration:

“My true self—the eternal self—is beyond human origin, beyond genealogy, beyond even the first man and woman.”

This line is a radical rejection of all inherited identity:

• Not just religious or cultural heritage…

• But even the mythic lineage of all humankind.

In Sufi thought, and in other mystical traditions like Vedanta and Buddhism, the “self” that is born and dies is not the true Self. That which is eternal, that which observes all things, has no beginning and no end. He is not merely a biological being but an eternal soul. This line expresses spiritual timelessness. 

🕯️ “Awwal aakhir aap nu jana”

Translation: In the beginning and the end, I only recognized myself.

Deeper Meaning: After seeking through books, rituals, and teachers, Bulleh Shah realized the Divine was within all along. The self and God are not separate. In Sufism, this is the moment of union.

🧡 “Na koi dooja hor pashana”

Translation: I do not recognize anyone else.

Deeper Meaning: In divine union, the illusion of separation disappears. There is no "other"—only One. This is not pride but the ego dissolving into universal Oneness.

🧠 “Mai Ton Na Koi Hor Siyana”

Translation: There is no one wiser than me.

Deeper Meaning: This sounds like ego, but it’s the voice of awakening. Once he knew his true self, he touched the highest wisdom. This echoes the realization of Sufi mystic Mansur Al-Hallaj, who over 1,100 years ago proclaimed “Ana al-Haqq” (I am the Truth). His words, a declaration of divine union, were deemed heretical, and he was executed for them. Even today, humanity struggles to fully accept the power of such mystical truths.

🎯 Final Reflection:

Bulleh Shah is not saying, “I’m lost.” He’s saying:

To truly know who you are, you must first unlearn everything you’ve been told.

Strip away your religion, your name, your caste, your country, your job, your trauma, your story—and in that silence, you might just meet your true self.

You can listen to Rabbi's famous rendition on You tube of Bulla Ki Jaana