Ore Mana – my dear mind

Ore Mana – Bengali Song by
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura

Book Name: Kalyana Kalpataru (Section:
Upalabdhi: Nirveda-Laksana-Upalabdhi Song 1)

SONG ONE — MATERIAL LIFE IS NOT NICE

TEXT 1
ওরে মন, ভাল নাহি লাগে এ সংসার |
জনম-মরণ-জরা, জে সংসারে আছে ভরা,
তহে কিবা আছে বল্’ সার ॥ ১॥

ore mana, bhāla nāhi lāge e saṁsāra |
janama-maraṇa-jarā, je saṁsāre āche bharā,
tahe kibā āche bal’ sāra || 1||

Listen, my dear mind. I don’t like this material world at all. It is simply filled with the suffering of birth, death, disease and old age. Besides all this suffering, tell me now that good thing could possibly be found here? (1)

TEXT 2
ধন-জন-পরিবার, কেহো নহে কভু কা’র,
কালে মিত্র, অকালে অপর |
জাহা রাখিবারে চাই, তাহা নহে থাকে ভাই
অনিত্য সমস্ত বিনস্বর || ২||

dhana-jana-parivāra, keho nahe kabhu kā’ra,
kāle mitra, akāle apara |
jāhā rākhibāre cāi, tāhā nahe thāke bhāi
anitya samasta binasvara || 2||

Wealth, followers and family members they can never really belong to anyone. For a time they are together, and afterwards they all drift apart. All these relationships which you would love to hold on to, none or them will remain for long, my dear mind. Oh brother, know it for sure that all these temporary things are flimsy and perishable. (2)

TEXT 3
আয়ু অতি অল্প-দিন, ক্রমে তাহা হয় ক্সীন,
শমনের নিকţঅ দর্শন |
রোগ-শোক অনিবার, চিত্ত করে’ ছারখার,
বন্ধব-বিয়োগ দুর্ঘţঅন || ৩||

āyu ati alpa-dina, krame tāhā haya ksīna,
śamanera nikaţa darśana |
roga-śoka anibāra, citta kare’ chārakhāra,
bandhava-biyoga durghaţana || 3||

The lifespan of one living in this world is extremely short, and even that gradually decays more and more until one beholds Yamaraja hovering nearby. Afflicted with continuous diseases and lamenting in heart-broken grief, his consciousness thus degrades more and more. Finally one meets his downfall, and he again suffers the calamity of separation from his dear kinsmen. (3)

TEXT 4
ভালো ক’রে দেখ ভাই, অমিশ্র আনন্দ নাই,
জে আছে, সে দুহ্খের কারņঅ |
সে সুখের তরে তবে, কেন মায়া-দাস হ’বে,
হারাইবে পরমার্থ-ধন || ৪||

bhālo ka’re dekha bhāi, amiśra ānanda nāi,
je āche, se duhkhera kāraņa |
se sukhera tare tabe, kena māyā-dāsa ha’be,
hārāibe paramārtha-dhana || 4||

Just see here, my dear brother. Don’t go for this mixed pain and pleasure of so-called material happiness, for it is actually the source of all your troubles. If this is the real situation, then why have you become the slave of maya just on account of this miserable so-called happiness? Do you realize what you’ve done? If you become the slave of maya then you only rob yourself of the eternal treasure waiting for you, the supreme goal of life. (4)

TEXT 5
ইতিহাস-আলোচনে, ভেবে’ দেখো নিজ মনে,
কত আসুরিক দুরাশয় |
ইন্দ্রিয়-তর্পন সার, করি’ কত দুরাচার,
শেষে লভে মরņঅ নিশ্চয় || ৫||

itihāsa-ālocane, bheve’ dekho nija mane,
kata āsurika durāśaya |
indriya-tarpana sāra, kari’ kata durācāra,
śeṣe labhe maraņa niścaya || 5||

Just become a little thoughtful for once and reflect back on your own life story, how many demoniac temptations you were motivated by. Simply to get a little sense gratification, how many unlimitedly sinful acts have you committed? So now just see the result, the only gain in the long run is your certain death. (5)

TEXT 6
মরņঅ-সময় তা’রা, উপায় হৈয়া হারা,
অনুতাপ-অনলে জ্বলিল |
কুক্কুরাদি পসু-প্রায়, জীবন কাতায় হায়,
পরমার্থ কভু না চিন্তিল || ৬||

maraņa-samaya tā’rā, upāya haiyā hārā,
anutāpa-anale jvalila |
kukkurādi pasu-prāya, jībana kātāya hāya,
paramārtha kabhu nā cintila || 6||

Alas! Never having once considered the purpose or goal of human existence, such a person wastes his entire life just like a dog or a pig. Then at the time of death, being bereft and cheated out of any means of deliverance, he laments bitterly and burning the fire of repentance. (6)

TEXT 7
এমোন বিষয়ে মন, কেনো থাক অচেতন,
ছড ছড বিষয়ের আশা |
শ্রী-গুরু-চরņআশ্রয়, কর‘ সবে ভয় জয়,
এ দাসের সেই ত‘ ভরসা || ৭||

emona biṣaye mana, keno thāka acetana,
chaḍa chaḍa biṣayera āśā |
śrī-guru-caraņāśraya, kara‘ sabe bhaya jaya,
e dāsera sei ta‘ bharasā || 7||

My dear mind, so tell me why you remain stupefied and unconscious absorbed in this useless temporary sense gratification? I want you to give it up right now, and give up all hopes for future sense gratification as well. For the expectation of this humble servant is that you will be able to conquer over this miserable material existence by being firmly situated under the protection offered by the lotus feet of Śrī Guru, your most well-wishing spiritual master. (7)

———————–

GERMAN TRANSLATION

Mein lieber Geist
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura

1) Mein lieber Geist, bitte höre mir zu. Ich mag diese materielle Welt ganz und gar nicht. Sie ist nur voll des Leides von Geburt, Tod, Krankheit und Alter. Sag mir also, was könnte es neben diesen Leiden noch Gutes geben?

2) Reichtum, Anhänger und Familienmitglieder – nichts davon gehört einem wirklich. Eine Zeit lang sind sie da, doch schon bald entschwinden sie alle wieder. Keine dieser Beziehungen, die du so gerne aufrecht erhalten möchtest, wird lange halten, mein lieber Geist. Bruder, wisse, diese zeitweiligen Dinge sind nur oberflächlich und dem Untergang geweiht.

3) Die Spanne eines Lebens ist sehr kurz, ja sie schwindet mehr und mehr, und bald wirst du Yamarāja, dem Herrn des Todes, gegenüber stehen. Von ständigen Krankheiten heimgesucht und von herzzerreißendem Kummer geplagt, wird das Bewusstsein mehr und mehr erniedrigt. Und am Ende kommt der Verfall und wieder leidet man unter dem Elend der Trennung von seinen Geliebten.

4) Schau, mein lieber Bruder. Strebe nicht nach dieser Abwechslung von Leid und den Freuden so genannten weltlichen Glücks, denn eigentlich ist gerade dies die Ursache deiner Schwierigkeiten. Wenn das die wahre Lage ist, warum bist du dann dieses elenden Glückes wegen zum Sklaven von der materiellen Illusion geworden? Merkst du, was du getan hast? Wenn du zum Sklaven der Illusion wirst, beraubst du dich nur selbst des Schatzes, der auf dich wartet, des höchsten Ziels im Leben.

5) Komm nur einen Augenblick zur Besinnung und denke über deine Lebensgeschichte nach. Wievielen teuflischen Versuchungen bist du erlegen! Wieviel sündhafte Taten hast du vollbracht für ein wenig Sinnesgenuss? Sieh nur, wohin dich das geführt hat – auf lange Sicht ist dein einziger Gewinn dein sicherer Tod.

6) Ach! Wer kein einziges Mal auf den Sinn des Lebens geachtet hat, hat sein Leben gerade so verschwendet wie ein Hund oder ein Schwein. Und in der Todesstunde jammert man dann bitterlich und das Feuer der Reue lodert, weil man aller Mittel zur Befreiung beraubt ist.

7) Mein lieber Geist, sag mir also, warum bleibst du weiterhin so betäubt und so unbewusst vertieft in dieser nutzlosen zeitweiligen Sinnesbefriedigung. Ich möchte, dass du auf der Stelle damit aufhörst und auch alle Hoffnungen auf künftige Sinnesbefriedigung aufgibst. Denn dieser bescheidene Knecht erwartet, dass du in der Lage bist, dieses elende materielle Dasein zu bezwingen, indem du einen festen Platz findest im Schutz von Śrī Guru, deinem äußerst gönnerhaften spirituellen Meister.

Comments

  1. Sudarsana Das Vanacari says:

    Far removed from the banter of ”modern popular materialistic” music with it’s moods of trivia and mundane hysteria and emotion Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur’s musical pieces are uplifting and transcendental. Because they emanate from the soul of an Uttama Adhikari, Vaisnava Acharya in our Guru Varga, they bring tears of spiritual bliss and touch our hearts with devotional mellows. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur’s trancendental soundscapes are highly melodic and beautiful while at the same time, taking us on a spiritual journey which ever increases our desire to progress towards the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna. He is also a master wordsmith who’s powerful, meaningful, shastric lyrics transcend the material modes of tamas, rajas and sattva gunas (ignorance, passion and material goodness) bringing us to the platform of pure goodness (suddha sattva).

    All glories to Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur!

    Daso Smi
    Sudarsana

  2. I like it when Srila Bhaktvinoda Thakur writes from the point of view of a fallen conditioned soul (while of course he’s not). He describes my situation perfectly!

    • Balaram das says:

      Hare Krsna LW & Sudarsana prabhus.

      How wonderful that all of our spiritual grandfathers are available to us via the causeless mercy of Srila Prabhupada and the Brahma Madhva Gaudia Parampara..

      Srila Bhaktivinoda’s beautiful translation of SB 1/1/3

      “Oh Ye, who are deeply merged in the knowledge of the love of God and also in deep thought about it, constantly drink, even after your emancipation, the most tasteful juice of the Srimad Bhagavatam, come on earth through Sri Shukadeva Goswami’s mouth carrying the liquid nectar out of the fallen and, as such, very ripe fruit of the Vedic tree which supplies all with their desired objects.

      Srila Thakur Satchidananda Bhaktivinode ki jaya!

      Your humble street-sweeper,
      Balaram das (Aust).

  3. “In the following entry from Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinoda, who had all pure divine qualities, takes the role of a conditioned soul to teach us how to advance in Krishna consciousness:

    ‘You should always absorb your mind in attentively chanting Krishna’s glories. By performing Krishna kirtana you’ll gain mastery over the mind. Give up all false pride. Always think yourself to be worthless, destitute, lower and more humble than straw in the street. Practice forgiveness like the tree. Giving up all violence toward other living beings, you should maintain them. Throughout your life you should never give anxiety to others. But do good to them, make them happy, and forget about your own happiness.

    ‘Thus when you become a pious good soul by possessing all good qualities, you should give up desires for fame and honor. And just make your heart humble. Knowing that Lord Sri Krishna lives within all living beings, you should respect and honor everyone at all times. You will attain virtue by being humble, merciful, respecting others, and renouncing desires for fame and honor. In such a state, you should sing the glories of the Supreme Lord. Weeping, Bhaktivinoda submits his prayer at the lotus feet of the Lord. ‘0 Lord, when will You give me such qualities as these?'”

    Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura ki jaya!

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