vaishnava jan to...

i have sung this song many a time, but only now - i am embarrassed to admit - can i claim to understand what the song preaches. whether i can make it my own talisman is another question altogether, but it certainly serves to inspire. i share it with you here:

in gujarati:

Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye je
PeeD paraayi jaaNe re
Par-dukhkhe upkaar kare toye
Man abhimaan na aaNe re
Vaishnav...

SakaL lok maan sahune vande
Nindaa na kare keni re
Vaach kaachh man nishchaL raakhe
Dhan-dhan janani teni re
Vaishnav...
Sam-drishti ne trishna tyaagi
Par-stree jene maat re
Jivha thaki asatya na bole
Par-dhan nav jhaalee haath re
Vaishnav...

Moh-maaya vyaape nahi jene
DriDh vairaagya jena man maan re
Ram naam shoon taaLi laagi
SakaL tirath tena tan maan re
Vaishnav...

VaN-lobhi ne kapaT-rahit chhe
Kaam-krodh nivaarya re
BhaNe Narsaiyyo tenun darshan karta
KuL ekoter taarya re
Vaishnav...

in english:

One who is a Vaishnav
Knows the pain of others
Does good to others, especially to those in misery
Does not let pride into his mind

A Vaishnav tolerates and praises the the entire world
Does not say bad things about anyone
Keeps his/her words, actions and thoughts pure
O Vaishnav, your mother is blessed

A Vaishnav sees everything equally, rejects greed
Considers someone else's wife/daughter his mother
The tongue may get tired but will never speak lies
Does not even touch someone else's property

A Vaishnav does not succumb to worldly attachments
Who has devoted himself to staunch detachment from worldly pleasures
Who has been addicted to the elixir that lies in the name of Ram
For whom all the religious sites exist in the mind

Who has no greed and deceit
Who has renounced lust and anger
The poet Narsi would like to see such a person
By whose virtue the entire family attains salvation