Durlabha Mänava Janma

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Durlabha Mänava Janma

"Rare Human Birth"

by Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura

(from "Kalyäëa Kalpataru")

 

 

Text 1

durlabha mänava-janma labhiyä saàsäre

kåñëa nä bhajinu-duùkha kahibo kähäre?

 

durlabha-rare; mänava-janma-human birth; labhiyä-attaining; saàsäre-in the

material world; kåñëa-Lord Kåñëa; nä bhajinu-I have not worshipped;

duùkha-the misery; kahibo-I will speak; kähäre-to whom?

 

Although the human form of life is the rarest opportunity for

attaining spiritual perfection, I am now lamenting bitterly. This is because

somehow or other I have been born with such an opportunity, but have simply

wasted it by never worshiping Lord Kåñëa. Oh, to whom shall I tell the tale

of my misery?

 

 

Text 2

'saàsär' 'saàsär', ko're miche gelo käl

läbha nä koilo kichu, ghaöilo jaïjäl

 

saàsär saàsär-nothing but worldly affairs; ko're-doing; miche-uselessly;

gelo käl-the time has passed; läbha-gain; nä koilo-there has not been;

kichu-anything; ghaöilo-happened; jaïjäl-anguish.

 

Having married and entered the entanglements of materialistic family

life, I passed my time in vain. I never got any tangible gain or permanent

benefit, but only trouble and botheration.

 

 

Text 3

kiser saàsär ei chäyäbäji präy

ihäte mamatä kori' båthä dina jäy

 

kiser-what type of; saàsär-world; ei-this; chäyäbäji-shadow-theater;

präy-just like; ihäte-in this; mamatä-false sense of possession;

kori'-doing; båthä-fruitlessly; dina jäy-the days have passed.

 

What kind of world is this? It seems to be just like a magic lantern

show, wherein so many shadows and optical illusions dance magically before

my eyes. I feel great attachment and identification with such a world, and

thus day after day passes without any purpose whatsoever.

 

 

Text 4

e deho patana ho'le ki ro'be ämär?

keho sukha nähi dibe putra-parivär

 

e deho-this body; patana ho'le-upon falling (dying); ki ro'be-what will

remain; ämär-mine; keho-some; sukha-happiness; nähi dibe-will not give;

putra-parivär-sons and family.

 

When this body drops dead on the ground, what will then remain mine?

At that moment, all of my sons and dearest loved ones will not be able to

give me any happiness.

 

 

Text 5

gardabher mata ämi kori pariçram

kä'r lägi' eto kori, nä ghucilo bhram

 

gardabher mata-just like an ass; ämi kori-I perform; pariçram-labor; kä'r

lägi'-on behalf of whom?; eto kori-I work like this; nä ghucilo-it has not

removed; bhram-my bewilderment.

 

I work hard just like an ass every day, and now I am wondering: For

whom am I working so hard? I am still surrounded by so many illusions.

 

 

Text 6

dina jäy micha käje, niçä nidrä-baçe

nähi bhävi-maraëa nikaöe äche bo'se

 

dina jäy-the day passes; micha käje-in trivial endeavors; niçä-the night;

nidrä-baçe-under the control of sleep; nähi bhävi-I do not think;

maraëa-death; nikaöe äche-is just before me; bo'se-waiting.

 

I waste every day in useless, insignificant work, and I waste every

night controlled by sleep. And in every twenty-four hours I never consider

that cruel death is always sitting right in front of me.

 

 

Text 7

bhälo manda khäi, heri, pari, cintä-héna

nähi bhävi, e deho chäòibo kon dina

 

bhälo-very much; manda-or a little; khäi-I eat; heri-I see; pari-I wear;

cintä-héna-carefree; nähi bhävi-I do not think; e deho-this body; chäòibo-I

will leave; kon dina-some day.

 

I imagine that I live a very carefree life-style, sometimes eating a

lot, or eating a little if I feel like it. Sometimes I see nice things

around the town, or sometimes I do not go out at all. Sometimes I wear

opulent clothing, or if I'm in the mood, I'll wear something simple. I live

so carefree that I never consider that one day I will have to give up this

body.

 

 

Text 8

deho-geho-kalaträdi-cintä avirata

jägiche hådoye mor buddhi kori' hata

 

deho-the body; geho-the home; kalatra-the wife; ädi-and so forth;

cintä-concern; avirata-incessantly; jägiche-awakening; hådoye mor-in my

heart; buddhi-intelligence; kori' hata-is crushed.

 

But in actuality my poor heart is plagued by constant anxieties

regarding the maintenence of my body, my house, my wife, my family members,

and my social obligations. All these anxieties are pinching me sharply and

truly destroying my intelligence.

 

 

Text 9

häy, häy! nähi bhävi-anitya e saba

jévana vigate kothä rohibe vaibhava?

 

häy häy-alas! alas!; nähi bhävi-I do not think; anitya-temporary; e saba-all

of this; jévana vigate-when the life runs out; kothä-where; rohibe-will

remain; vaibhava-these opulences.

 

Alas, alas! What a remorseful situation has arisen! I am engrossed

with all this trouble, but I never consider that all these things are

temporary and subject to perish very soon. After I'm dead and gone, what

will remain of all my material opulences?

 

 

Text 10

çmaçäne çarér mama poòiyä rohibe

bihaìga-pataìga täy bihär koribe

 

çmaçäne-at the crematorium; çarér mama-my body; poòiyä-falling flat;

rohibe-will remain motionless; bihaìga-pataìga-birds and bugs; täy-there;

bihär koribe-will frolic.

 

When my body is thrown into the pit at the cremation grounds, it

will simply lie there motionless. Then many crows, vultures, ants, and worms

will come and playfully sport there.

 

 

Text 11

kukkur sågäl sab änandita ho'ye

mahotsava koribe ämär deho lo'ye

 

kukkur-dogs; sågäl-and jackals; sab-all; änandita ho'ye-becoming ecstatic;

mahotsava-great festival; koribe-will be; ämär deho-my body; lo'ye-taking.

 

All the stray dogs and jackals will become very much delighted, and

in great ecstasy they will make a festival ground out of my body and have a

huge feast.

 

 

Text 12

je deher ei gati, tä'r anugata

saàsär-vaibhava är bandhu-jana jata

 

je deher-of which body; ei gati-this end; tä'r anugata-its followers;

saàsär-vaibhava-opulence of the material world; är-and; bandhu-jana-friends;

jata-all.

 

Just see, such is the ultimate destination of this material body.

And the most amazing thing is that all material opulences-my house, family

and friends-have exactly the same destination.

 

 

Text 13

ataeva mäyä-moha chäòi' buddhimän

nitya-tattva kåñëa-bhakti koruna sandhän

 

ataeva-therefore; mäyä-moha-the bewilderment of illusion; chäòi'-rejecting;

buddhimän-a wise person; nitya-tattva-eternal truth; kåñëa-bhakti-devotion

to Kåñëa; koruna sandhän-please seek.

 

Therefore I advise those of you who have keen intelligence: "Please

give up all these temporary illusions presented by Mäyä, and search after

the means to get pure devotion to Lord Kåñëa, for this is the only eternal

truth."