Bhajah Re Mana r Nanda-nandana

by Govinda Dsa Kavirja

Text One
bhajah re mana r-nanda-nandana
abhaya-cararavinda re
durlabha mnava-janama sat-sage
taroho e bhava-sindhu re
SYNONYMS
bhajahjust worship; re manaO mind!; r-nanda-nandanaof the son of Nanda;
abhaya-cararavindathe lotus feet which make one fearless; reO!; durlabha
mnava-janamathis rare human birth; sat-sagein the association of saintly persons;
tarohocross over; e bhava-sindhuthis ocean of worldly existence; reO!
TRANSLATION
O mind, just worship the lotus feet of the son of Nanda, which make one fearless.
Having obtained this rare human birth, cross over this ocean of wordly existence
through the association of saintly persons.
Text Two
ta tapa bta bariaa
e dina jmin jgi re
biphale sevinu kpaa durajana
capala sukha-laba lgi' re
SYNONYMS
tathe cold; tapathe heat; btathe wind; bariaathe rain; ethis; dinathe day;
yminthe night; jgiI remain sleepless; reO!; biphaleuselessly; sevinuI have
served; kpaa durajanamiserly and wicked men; capalaflickering; sukha-lavaa
fraction of happiness; lgi'for the purpose of; reO!
TRANSLATION
Day and night I remain sleepless, suffering heat and cold, wind and rain. For a bit of
flickering happiness I have vainly served wicked and miserly men.
Text Three
e dhana, yaubana, putra, parijana
ithe ki che paratti re
kamala-dala-jala, jvana alamala
bhajah hari-pada nti re
SYNONYMS
ethis; dhanawealth; yauvanayouthfulness; putrasons; parijanafamily members;
ithein these; ki chewhat is it?; parattiunderstanding; reO!; kamala-dalaon a

lotus petal; jalalike a drop of water; jvanathis life; alamalais tottering; bhajahyou
should always worship; hari-padathe divine feet of Lord Hari; ntithe practice; reO!
TRANSLATION
What assurance of real happiness is there in all of one's wealth, youthfulness, sons,
and family members? This life is tottering like a drop of water on a lotus petal;
therefore you should always serve and worship the divine feet of Lord Hari.
Text Four
ravaa, krtana, smaraa, vandana,
pda-sevana, dsya re
pjana, sakh-jana, tma-nivedana
govinda-dsa-abhila re
SYNONYMS
ravaahearing the glories of Lord Hari; krtanachanting those glories; smaraa
constantly remembering Him; vandanaoffering prayers to Him; pda-sevanaserving
the Lord's lotus feet; dsyaserving the Supreme Lord as a servant; reO!; pjana
worshiping Him with flowers and incense and so forth; sakh-janaserving Him as a
friend; tma-nivedanaand completely offering the Lord one's very self; govinda-dsaabhila(these nine processes of devotion are) the desire and great longing of
Govinda dsa; reO!
TRANSLATION
It is the desire and great longing of Govinda Dsa to engage himself in the nine
processes of bhakti, namely hearing the glories of Lord Hari and chanting those
glories, constantly remembering Him and offering prayers to Him, serving the Lord's
lotus feet, serving the Supreme Lord as a servant, worshiping Him with flowers and
incense and so forth, serving Him as a friend, and completely offering the Lord one's
very self.