Vaishnav Jan...Prayers for peace...

One of the best songs in the History of Music.....I am sure all who read the first line will remember the song within 3 seconds.....But hardly anyone amongst us realize the meaning,the message and the reason behind this song....because it slipped from our memories a long back,maybe that bullet from nathuram godse penetrated this song then itself....Still, it is alive in the heart of we ,few but still existing, true Indians.

'Vaishnava jan', the most lovable song to Rashtrapita Mahatma Gandhi, the closest to his heart, the song he sang even his last day, is not actually the Song, its a Mantra, the mantra which transformed Mohandas karamchand gandhi into a saint from a lawyer.This man is said to have used only truth and Ahimsa as a weapon,as far as we all remember about him, but we hardly realize that just accepting the truth never actually changed the world, the metal was always in facing the truth, with courage, with an unbiased perception, and with a message that Baapu gave to the world,''Whatever you do the whole day, just keep in mind how it will effect the most insignifact one of the society...watch your steps and do good to him....then you realize what is to be done''....

Vaishnava jan is a very popular Hindu Bhajan from It was composed by the Gujarati poet-saint Narsinh Mehta in the 15th century.Although it's in the Western Indian language of Gujarati, but is readily understood by those who can understand Sanskrit or Hindi.

Mahatma gandhi and I share this song as a common interest in music and Vaishnava jan remains one of my all time favourite 'Aushadhis'.After all how many times you counteract a medicine that cures,prevents and distributes to others who are in need of it?....Just a small step in translating the verses of this Bhajan, which defined a real man of the God,the true follower of Lord vishnu,

1. vaishnav jan to tene kahiye, je peeD paraaee jaNe re ...
वैष्णव जन तो तेने कहिये जे पीड पराई जाणे रे,
[He is the true Vaishnava who knows and feels another's woes as his own]

par dukkhe upkar kare toye, man abhiman na aaNe re ...
पर दु:खे उपकार करे तोये मन अभिमान न आणे रे,
[Ever ready to serve others who are unhappy, he never lets vanity get to his head]

2. sakaL lok maan sahune vande, nindaa ne kare keni re ...
सकल लोकमां सहुने वंदे निंदा न करे केनी रे
[Bowing to everyone humbly and criticising none]

vaach-kaacch-man nischaL raakhe, dhan-dhan janani teni re ..
वाच काछ मन निश्चल राखे धन धन जननी तेनी रे,
[He keeps his speech, deeds and thoughts pure; blessed is the mother who begets such a one]

3. sam-drushti ne trishNaa tyaagi, parastree jene maat re ...
समदृष्टि ने तृष्णा त्यागी, परस्त्री जेने मात रे,
[He looks upon all with an equal eye. Having rid himself of lust, he treats and reveres every woman as his mother]

jihvaa thake, asatya na bole, par-dhan nava jhaale haath re ...
जिह्वा थकी असत्य न बोले, परधन नव झाले हाथ रे,
[His tongue would fail him if he attempted to utter an untruth. He does not covet another's wealth]

4. moh-maayaa vyaape nahin jene, draDh vairagya jena manmaa re ...
मोह माया व्यापे नहि जेने, दृढ़ वैराग्य जेना मनमां रे,
[The bonds of earthly attachment hold him not. His mind is deeply rooted in renunciation]

raam-naam shu taaLire laagi, sakaL teerath tena tanmaa re ...
रामनाम सुताली लागी, सकल तीरथ तेना तनमां रे,
[Every moment he is intent on reciting the name of the Lord Rama. All the holy places are ever present in his body]

5. vaNa lobhi ne kapat rahit chhe, kaam krodh nivaarya re ...
वणलॊभी ने कपटरहित जे, काम क्रोध निवार्या रे,
[He has conquered greed, deceit, passion (lust) and anger]

bhaNe Narsaiyyon teno darshan kartaun, kuL ekoter tarya re ...
भणे नरसैयॊ तेनु दरसन करतां, कुण एकोतेर तार्या रे ॥
[The sight of such a Vaishnava, says Narsinh, saves a family through seventy-one generations]

Prayers for Peace,

Sakht Jaani