Vaishnava Jana To

Vaishnava Jana To (Gujarati: વૈષ્ણવ જન તો) is a Hindu bhajan, written in the 15th century by the poet Narsinh Mehta in the Gujarati language.[1] The poem speaks about the traits and the ideals of a Vaishnava jana (a follower of Vaishnavism).

"Vaishnava Jana To"
Song by Several artists like
Amirbai Karnataki
Lata Mangeshkar
K.S.Chithra
Gotuvadyam Narayana Iyengar
Jagjit Singh
M. S. Subbulakshmi
LanguageOld Gujarati
Published15th century
GenreBhajan, devotional poetry
Songwriter(s)Narsinh Mehta

Influence

This devotional hymn became popular during the life time of Mahatma Gandhi and was rendered as a bhajan in his Sabarmati Ashram by vocalists and instrumentalists like Gotuvadyam Narayana Iyengar. It was popular among freedom fighters throughout India. It embodies the philosophy of the poet, Narsinh Mehta. According to the scholar Vasudha Narayanan, this poem is a traditional example of the concept of jiva-daya, a form of ahimsa that comprises experiencing the pain of others and associating it with bhakti, which is devotion to God.[2]

Lyrics
Gujarati Devanagari IAST Transliteration Translation

વૈષ્ણવ જન તો તેને કહિયે જે
પીડ પરાઈ જાણે રે
પર દુ:ખે ઉપકાર કરે તો યે
મન અભિમાન ન આણે રે. ॥ધૃ॥

वैष्णव जन तो तेने कहिये
जे पीड परायी जाणे रे ।
पर दुःखे उपकार करे तो ये
मन अभिमान न आणे रे ॥

vaiṣṇava jana to tene kahiye
je pīḍa parāyī jāṇe re,
para duḥkhe upakāra kare to ye
mana abhimāna na āṇe re

Call those people Vaishnava who
Feel the pain of others,
Help those who are in misery,
But never let self-conceit enter your mind.

સકળ લોકમાં સહુને વંદે,
નિંદા ન કરે કેની રે
વાચ કાછ મન નિશ્ચલ રાખે
ધન ધન જનની તેની રે. ॥૧॥

सकळ लोकमां सहुने वंदे,
निंदा न करे केनी रे ।
वाच काछ मन निश्चल राखे,
धन धन जननी तेनी रे ॥

sakaḷa loka māṁ sahune vande,
nindā na kare kenī re,
vāca kācha mana niścala rākhe,
dhana dhana jananī tenī re

They respect the entire world,
Do not disparage anyone,
Keep their words, actions and thoughts pure,
The mother of such a soul is blessed.

સમદૃષ્ટિ ને તૃષ્ણા ત્યાગી
પરસ્ત્રી જેને માત રે
જિહ્વા થકી અસત્ય ન બોલે
પરધન નવ ઝાલે હાથ રે. ॥૨॥

समदृष्टि ने तृष्णा त्यागी,
परस्त्री जेने मात रे ।
जिह्वा थकी असत्य न बोले,
परधन नव झाले हाथ रे ॥

sama-dṛṣṭi ne tṛṣṇā tyāgī,
para-strī jene māta re,
jihvā thakī asatya na bole,
para-dhana nava jhāle hātha re

They see all equally, renounce craving,
Respect other women as their own mother,
Their tongue never utters false words,
Their hands never touch the wealth of others.

મોહ માયા વ્યાપે નહિ જેને,
દૃઢ વૈરાગ્ય જેના મનમાં રે
રામ નામ શુ તાળી રે લાગી
સકળ તીરથ તેના તનમાં રે. ॥૩॥

मोह माया व्यापे नहि जेने,
दृढ़ वैराग्य जेना मनमां रे ।
रामनाम शु ताळी रे लागी,
सकळ तीरथ तेना तनमां रे ॥

moha māyā vyāpe nahi jene,
dṛḍha-vairāgya jenā manamāṁ re,
rāma-nāma śu tāḷī lāgī,
sakaḷa tīratha tenā tanamāṁ re

They do not succumb to worldly attachments,
They are firmly detached from the mundane,
They are enticed by the name of Rama,
All places of pilgrimage are embodied in them.

વણ લોભી ને કપટ રહિત છે,
કામ ક્રોધ નિવાર્યાં રે
ભણે નરસૈયો તેનું દર્શન કરતાં
કુળ એકોતેર તાર્યાં રે. ॥૪॥

वणलोभी ने कपटरहित छे,
काम क्रोध निवार्या रे ।
भणे नरसैयो तेनुं दरसन करतां,
कुळ एकोतेर तार्या रे ॥

vaṇa-lobhī ne kapaṭa-rahita che,
kāma krodha nivāryā re,
bhaṇe narasaiyo tenuṁ darasana karatāṁ,
kuḷa ekotera tāryā re

They have forsaken greed and deceit,
They stay afar from desire and anger,
Narsi says: I'd be grateful to meet such a soul,
Whose virtue liberates their entire lineage.

See also

References
  1. Dalal, Roshen (2010). The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths. Penguin Books India. p. 262. ISBN 978-0-14-341517-6.
  2. Narayanan, Vasudha (2020-04-16). The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Religion and Materiality. John Wiley & Sons. p. 405. ISBN 978-1-118-68832-8.
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