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Vaishnava Janato -- Translation

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Mani Varadarajan • May 23, 1994 


Narasinh Mehta's wonderful "Vaishnava Janato" was posted
to rec.music.indian.classical recently. His description
of what it means to be a Vaishnava really strikes a chord
in me.

--

From: tiwarin@nvtcp1.esm.vt.edu (Nachiketa Tiwari)
Newsgroups: rec.music.indian.classical
Subject: Vaishnav Janato - Translation
Date: 23 May 1994 04:48:55 GMT
Organization: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia

Lot of persons have sent me E-mail reg. the meaning of the Bahajan. It  
follows. 

Vaishanav: A follower of Vaishnav school of Hinduism. Strict  
vegetarianism, ahimsa simplicity are the hallmarks of a true vaishnav. The  
Bhajan is in essence a "definition" of "vaishnav".


        Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye je
        [One who is a vaishnav]   
        PeeD paraayi jaaNe re
        [Knows the pain of others] 
        Par-dukhkhe upkaar kare toye
        [Does good to others, esp. to those ones who are in misery]  
        Man abhimaan na aaNe re
        [Does not let pride enter his mind] 
        Vaishnav...
        
        SakaL lok maan sahune vande
        [A Vaishnav, Tolerates and praises the the entire world] 
        Nindaa na kare keni re
        [Does not say bad things about anyone] 
        Vaach kaachh man nishchaL raakhe
        [Keeps his/her words, actions and thoughts pure] 
        Dhan-dhan janani teni re
        [O Vaishnav, your mother is blessed (dhanya-dhanya)]
        
        Vaishnav...

        Sam-drishti ne trishna tyaagi
        [A Vaishnav sees everything equally, rejects greed and avarice]  
        Par-stree jene maat re
        [Considers some one else's wife/daughter as his mother]
        Jivha thaki asatya na bole
        [The toungue may get tired, but will never speak lies]
        Par-dhan nav jhaalee haath re
        [Does not even touch someone else's property]
        Vaishnav...

        Moh-maaya vyaape nahi jene
        [A Vaishnav does not succumb to worldly attachments]
        DriDh vairaagya jena man maan re
        [Who has devoted himself to stauch detachment to worldly  
pleasures]
        Ram naam shoon taaLi laagi
        [Who has been edicted to the elixir coming by the name of Ram]
        SakaL tirath tena tan maan re
        [For whom all the religious sites are in the mind]
        Vaishnav...

        VaN-lobhi ne kapaT-rahit chhe
        [Who has no greed and deciet]
        Kaam-krodh nivaarya re
        [Who has renounced lust of all types and anger]  
        BhaNe Narsaiyyo tenun darshan karta
        [The poet Narsi will like to see such a person] 
        KuL ekoter taarya re
        [By who's virtue, the entire family gets salvation]
        Vaishnav...


Nachiketa