Chapter 8. Give up Deceit

সরল মনে গোরাভজন

sarala mane gora-bhajana

Serving Gora with a sincere heart

গোরা ভজ, গোরা ভজ, গোরা ভজ ভাই ।
গোরা বিনা এ জগতে গুরু আর নাই ॥১॥

gorā bhaja, gorā bhaja, gorā bhaja bhāi
gorā vinā e jagate guru āra nāi [1]

bhaja–Serve gora–Gora! bhaja–Serve gora–Gora! bhaja–Serve gora–Gora! bhai–Brother, nai–there is no guru–Guru e jagate–in this world vina ara–other than gora–Gora. [1]

Translation:

Serve Gora! Serve Gora! Serve Gora! Brother, there is no Guru in this world other than Gora.

যদি ভজিবে গোরা সরল কর নিজ মন ।
কুটীনাটিই ছাড়ি’ ভজ গোরার চরণ ॥২॥

yadi bhajibe gorā sarala kara nija mana
kuṭīnāṭi chhāḍi’ bhaja gorāra charaṇa [2]

yadi–If bhajibe–you want to serve gora–Gora, kara–make nija–your mana–heart sarala–sincere. chhadi’–Give up kutinati–deceit [and] bhaja–serve gorara–Gora’s charana–feet. [2]

Translation:

If you want to serve Gora, make your heart sincere. Give up deceit and serve Gora’s feet.

মনের কথা গোরা জানে ফাঁকি কেমনে দিবে ।
সরল হলে গোরার শিক্ষা বুঝিয়া লইবে ॥৩॥

manera kathā gorā jāne phā̐ki kemane dibe
sarala hale gorāra śikṣā bujhiyā la-ibe [3]

gora–Gora jane–knows [your] manera katha–thoughts. kemane–How pha̐ki dibe–will you cheat [Him]? sarala hale–When you are sincere, bujhiya la-ibe–you will understand gorara–Gora’s siksa–teachings. [3]

Translation:

Gora knows your thoughts, so how will you cheat Him? When you are sincere, you will understand Gora’s teachings.

আনের মন রাখিতে গিয়া আপনাকে দিবে ফাঁকি ।
মনের কথা জানে গোরা কেমনে হৃদয় ঢাকি ॥৪॥

ānera mana rākhite giyā āpanāke dibe phā̐ki
manera kathā jāne gorā kemane hṛdaya ḍhāki [4]

giya–Going rakhite–to satisfy mana–the minds anera–of others, pha̐ki dibe–you will cheat apanake–yourself. gora–Gora jane–knows [your] manera katha–thoughts, [so] kemane–how dhaki–will you hide [your] hrdaya–heart [from Him]? [4]

Translation:

If you go to satisfy the minds of others, you will only cheat yourself. Gora knows your thoughts, so how will you hide your heart from Him?

গোরা বলে, «আমার মত করহ চরিত ।
আমার আজ্ঞা পালন কর চাহ যদি হিত» ॥৫॥

gorā bale, «āmāra mata karaha charita
āmāra ājñā pālana kara chāha yadi hita» [5]

gora–Gora bale–says, «charita karaha–«Behave amara mata–like Me [and] palana kara–follow amara–My ajna–instructions yadi–if chaha–you want hita»–good fortune.» [5]

Translation:

Gora says, «Behave like Me and follow My instructions if you want good fortune.»

কপট ভজন

kapata bhajana

Deceitful service

«গোরার আমি, গোরার আমি» মুখে বলিলে না চলে ।
গোরার আচার, গোরার বিচার লইলে ফল ফলে ॥৬॥

«gorāra āmi, gorāra āmi» mukhe balile nāhi chale
gorāra āchāra, gorāra vichāra la-ile phala phale [6]

mukhe balile–You may say aloud, «ami–I [am] gorara–Gora’s. ami–I [am] gorara»–Gora’s», [but this] nahi chale–does not do. la-ile–When you follow gorara–Gora’s achara–practices [and] gorara–Gora’s vichara–conception, [then] phala–the result phale–manifests. [6]

Translation:

Just saying, «I am Gora’s! I am Gora’s!» does not do. Only when you follow Gora’s practices and Gora’s conception will you get the proper result.

লোক দেখান গোরা ভজা তিলক মাত্র ধরি ।
গোপনেতে অত্যাচার গোরা ধরে চুরি ॥৭॥

loka dekhāna gorā bhajā tilaka mātra dhari’
gopanete atyāchāra gorā dhare churi [7]

loka-dekhana–You show the world [you] bhaja–serve gora–Gora matra–simply dhari’–by wearing tilaka–tilak [but] gopanete–secretly you atyachara–misbehave. gora–Gora dhare–will catch [you, you] churi–thief! [7]

Translation:

You show the world you serve Gora simply by wearing tilak but secretly you misbehave. Gora will catch you, you thief!

অধঃপতন হবে ভাই কৈলে কুটীনাটি ।
নাম-অপরাধে তোমার ভজন হবে মাটি ॥৮॥

adhaḥ-patana habe bhāi kaile kuṭīnāṭi
nāma-aparādhe tomāra bhajana habe māṭi [8]

bhai–Brother, kutinati kaile–if you act deceitfully adhah-patana habe–you will fall down. nama-aparadhe–Because of offences to the Name tomara–your bhajana–service mati habe–will be ruined. [8]

Translation:

Brother, if you act deceitfully, you will fall down. Because of offences to the Name, your service will be ruined.

নাম লঞা যে করে পাপ হয় অপরাধ ।
এর মত ভক্তি আর আছে কিবা বাধ ?॥৯॥

nāma lañā ye kare pāpa haya aparādha
era mata bhakti āra āchhe kibā bādha? [9]

ye–Those who lana–chant nama–the Name [and] papa kare–sin aparadha haya–commit offence. kiba ara–What greater badha–obstacle achhe–is there era mata–than such bhakti–‘devotion’? [9]

Translation:

Those who chant the Name and sin commit offence. What greater obstacle is there than such ‘devotion’?

নাম করিতে কষ্ট নাই নাম সহজ ধন ।
ওষ্ঠ-স্পন্দ-মাত্রে হয় নামের কীর্ত্তন ।
তাহাও না হয় যদি হয় নামের স্মরণ ॥১০॥

nāma karite kaṣṭa nāi nāma sahaja dhana
oṣṭha-spanda-mātre haya nāmera kīrtana
tāhāo nā haya yadi haya nāmera smaraṇa [10]

nai–There is no kasta–difficulty karite–in chanting nama–the Name. nama–The Name [is everyone’s] sahaja–natural dhana–wealth. ostha-spanda-matre–Simply by moving your lips, namera kirtana haya–you chant the Name. yadi–If haya na–you cannot do tahao–even that, [then] namera smarana haya–you can remember the Name. [10]

Translation:

The Name is everyone’s natural wealth, and chanting the Name is not difficult: simply by moving your lips you can chant the Name. If you cannot do even that, then you can remember the Name.

তুণ্ডবন্ধে চিত্তভ্রংশে শ্রবণ তবু হয় ।
সর্ব্বপাপ ক্ষয়ে জীবের মুখ্য ফলোদয় ॥১১॥

tuṇḍa-bandhe chita-bhraṁśe śravaṇa tabu haya
sarva-pāpa kṣaye jīvera mukhya phalodaya [11]

tunda-bandhe–The mute [and] chita-bhramse–the deranged tabu–still sravana haya–hear [the Name, and this alone] ksaye–destroys sarva-papa–all sins [and] jivera mukhya phalodaya–gives rise to the true fortune of the soul. [11]

Translation:

Even the mute and the deranged can still hear the Name, and this alone destroys all sins and gives rise to the true fortune of the soul.

বহুজন্ম অর্চ্চনেতে এই ফল ধরে ।
কৃষ্ণনাম নিরন্তর তুণ্ডে নৃত্য করে ॥১২॥

bahu-janma archchanete ei phala dhare
krṣṇa-nāma nirantara tuṇḍe nṛtya kare [12]

bahu-janma–Many lifetimes archanete–of Deity worship dhare–bear ei phala dhare–this result: krsna-nama–the Name of Krsna nirantara–constantly nrtya kare–dances tunde–in [your] mouth. [12]

Translation:

Many lifetimes of Deity worship bear this result: the Name of Krsna constantly dances in your mouth.

কর্ম্মজ্ঞানযোগাদির সেই শক্তি নহে ।
বিধিভঙ্গদোষে ফলহীন শাস্ত্রে কহে ॥১৩॥

karma-jñāna-yogādira sei śakti nahe
vidhi-bhaṅga-doṣe phala-hīna śāstre kahe [13]

sastre–The scriptures kahe–say [that] karma-jnana-yogadira nahe–worldly action, knowledge, yoga, and so on, do not have sei–such sakti–power, [and that] vidhi-bhanga-dose–by the fault of breaking [their] rules, [they become] phala-hina–fruitless. [13]

Translation:

The scriptures say that worldly action, knowledge, yoga, and so on, do not have such power, and that when the rules for practising them are broken, they bear no fruit at all.

সে সব ছাড় ভাই নাম কর সার ।
অতি অল্পদিনে তবে জিনিবে সংসার ॥১৪॥

se saba chhāḍa bhāi nāma kara sāra
ati alpa-dine tabe jinibe saṁsāra [14]

bhai–Brother, chhada–leave behind se saba–all of them [and] nama sara kara–accept the Name as all-in-all. tabe–Then jinibe–you will conquer samsara–the world ati alpa-dine–very soon. [14]

Translation:

Brother, leave them all behind and accept the Name as all-in-all. Then you will conquer samsara very soon.

কবি কর্ণপূর

kavi karnapura

Kavi Karnapur

ধন্য কবি কর্ণপূর স্বগ্রামনিবাসী ।
নামের মহিমা কিছু রাখিল প্রকাশি’ ॥১৫॥

dhanya kavi karṇapūra sva-grāma-nivāsī
nāmera mahimā kichhu rākhila prakāśi’ [15]

dhanya–The glorious kavi karnapura–Kavi Karnapur [is] sva-grama-nivasi–a resident of my village. prakasi’ rakhila–He revealed and recorded kichhu–some namera–of the Name’s mahima–glories. [15]

Translation:

The glorious Kavi Karnapur is a resident of my village. He revealed and recorded some of the Name’s glories.

গৌর যারে কৃপা করে, বিশ্বে সেই ধন্য ।
সপ্তবর্ষে বয়সে হৈল মহাকবি মান্য ॥১৬॥

gaura yāre kṛpā kare, viśve sei dhanya
sapta-varṣe vayase haila mahākavi mānya [16]

sei yare–Those whom gaura–Gaura krpa kare–blesses [become] dhanya–glorious visve–throughout the world, [and] manya haila–Kavi Karnapur was honoured mahakavi–as a great poet sapta-varse vayase–at the age of seven. [16]

Translation:

Those whom Gaura blesses become glorious throughout the world, and Kavi Karnapur was honoured as a great poet when he was only seven years old.

ধন্য শিবানন্দ কবি-কর্ণপূর-পিতা ।
মোরে বাল্যে শিখাইল ভাগবত-গীতা ॥১৭॥

dhanya śivānanda kavi-karṇapūra-pitā
more bālye śikhāila bhāgavata-gītā [17]

dhanya–The glorious sivananda–Sivananda Sen, kavi-karnapura-pita–Kavi Karnapur’s father, sikhaila–taught more–me bhagavata-gita–Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita balye–in my youth. [17]

Translation:

The glorious Sivananda Sen, Kavi Karnapur’s father, taught me Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita in my youth.

নদীয়া লইয়া মোরে রাখে প্রভুপদে ।
শিবানন্দ ত্রাতা মোর সম্পদে বিপদে ॥১৮॥

nadīyā la-iyā more rākhe prabhu-pade
śivānanda trātā mora sampade vipade [18]

la-iya–Sivananda brought more–me nadiya–to Nadia [and] rakhe–kept [me] prabhu-pade–at the feet of the Lord. sivananda–Sivananda [is] mora–my trata–saviour, sampade vipade–in good fortune and in bad. [18]

Translation:

Sivananda brought me to Nadia and kept me at the feet of the Lord. He is my saviour, in good fortune and in bad.

তার ঘরে ভোগ রান্ধি’ পাক-শিক্ষা হইল ।
ভাল পাক করি’ শ্রীগৌরাঙ্গ-সেবা কৈল ॥১৯॥

tāra ghare bhoga rāndhi’ pāka-śikṣā haila
bhāla pāka kari’ śrī-gaurāṅga-sevā kaila [19]

paka siksa haila–I learned to cook [and] bhoga randhi’–prepared offerings tara ghare–in his home, [and] paka kari’–by cooking bhala–well, sri-gauranga-seva kaila–I served Sri Gauranga. [19]

Translation:

I learned to cook and prepare offerings in his home, and by cooking well, I served Sri Gauranga.

জগাই বলে, «সাধুসঙ্গে দিন যায় যার ।
সেই মাত্র নামাশ্রয় করে নিরন্তর» ॥২০॥

jagāi bale, «sādhu-saṅge dina yāya yāra
sei mātra nāmāśraya kare nirantara» [20]

jagai–Jagai bale–says, «matra–«Only sei yara–those whose dina–days yaya–pass sadhu-sange–in the association of sadhus namasraya kare–take shelter of the Name nirantara»–constantly.» [20]

Translation:

Jagai says, «Only those whose days pass in the association of sadhus take shelter of the Name constantly.»