O re Mana by Bhaktivinoda Thakura - Ananda Lila Das (Ajay Wadekar)

O Re Mana Official Name: Upalabdhi Author: Bhaktivinoda Thakura Book Name: Kalyana Kalpataru Description This Vaishnava Song of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur is from his book “Kalyana Kalpataru”. The song name is “Upalabdhi” meaning realizations of a devotee. The distressed devotee’s mind now realizes that there is only suffering in this material world and there is no other way but to take shelter of Krishna if one wants to cross over this ocean of nescience. He realizes that family, friends and all material possessions are temporary and will never last Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur urges fallen souls to take shelter of lotus feet of “Gurudev”, one’s spiritual master who is “the most well-wisher” and can guide one crossing over this ocean of birth and death to obtain the pure ecstatic love to Krishna. Song Lyrics and Translation (1) ore mana, bhalonahi lage e samsar janama-marana-jara, je samsare ache bhara, tahe kiba ache bol' sar 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? (2) dhana-jana-parivar, keho nahe kabhu ka'r, kale mitra, akale apar jaha raknibare cai, taha nahe thake bhai, anitya samasta binasvar 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. (3) ayu ati alpa-dina, krame taha hoy ksina, samaner nikata darsana roga-soka anibar, citta kore' charakhar, bandhava-bijoga durghatana 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. (4) bhalo ko're dekho bhai, amisra ananda nai, je ache, se duhkher karana se sukher tore tabe, keno maya-dasa habe, haraibe paramartha-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. (5) itihasa-alocane, bheve' dekho nija mane, koto asurika durasoy indriya-tarpana sar, kori' koto duracar, sese labhe marana niscoy 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. (6) marana-samay ta'ra, upay hoiya hara, anutap-anale jvalilo kukkuradi pasu-pray, jiban katay hay, paramartha kabhu na cintilo 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. (7) emon bisaye mana, keno thako acetana, chado chado bisayer asa sri-guru-caranasroy, koro' sabe bhava joy, e daser sei to' bharasa 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 sri guru, your most well-wishing spiritual master.