Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye
વૈષ્ણવજન તો તેને રે કહીયે
Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye, "call that person a true Vaishnava", is a 15th-century Gujarati bhajan by the poet-saint Narsinh Mehta. It defines a devotee not by ritual but by compassion, humility and honesty, and it was a favourite of Mahatma Gandhi.
- Written by
- Narsinh Mehta (died 1481)
- Music
- Traditional
- In the video
- Lata Mangeshkar
- Context
- Pad of Narsinh Mehta; Mahatma Gandhi's favourite bhajan
- Year
- 15th century
- Language
- Gujarati
Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye lyrics with English translation
Full five-stanza text from the anthology Bhajan Sar Sindhu (pad 117) as transcribed on Gujarati Wikisource. Sung versions use slightly different spellings, such as Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye je.
વૈષ્ણવજન તો તેને રે કહીયે, જે પીડ પરાઈ જાણે રે. પરદુઃખે ઉપકાર કરે તોયે, મન અભિમાન ન આણે રે. — વૈષ્ણવ ૧.
Vaishnavjan to tene re kahiye, je peed parai jaane re Par-dukhe upkar kare toye, man abhiman na aane re — Vaishnav 1
Call that person a true Vaishnava who feels the pain of others, who helps those in sorrow and still lets no pride enter the mind.
સકળ લોકમાં સહુને વંદે, નિંદા ન કરે કેની રે. વાચ કાછ મન નિશ્ચલ રાખે, ધન ધન જનની તેની રે. — વૈષ્ણવ ૨.
Sakal lokmaan sahune vande, ninda na kare keni re Vach kachh man nishchal rakhe, dhan dhan janani teni re — Vaishnav 2
Who bows to everyone in the whole world and speaks ill of no one, who keeps word, deed and mind steady; blessed, blessed is the mother of such a one.
સમદ્રષ્ટિને તૃષ્ણા ત્યાગી, પરસ્ત્રી જેને માત રે. જિહ્વા થકી અસત્ય ન બોલે, પરધન નવ ઝાલે હાથ રે.— વૈષ્ણવ ૩.
Samdrashti ne trushna tyagi, parstri jene maat re Jihva thaki asatya na bole, pardhan nav jhale haath re — Vaishnav 3
Who sees all as equal, has given up craving, and regards another's wife as a mother, whose tongue never speaks untruth, whose hand never takes another's wealth.
મોહ માયા વ્યાપે નહિ જેને, દ્રઢ વૈરાગ્ય જેના મનમાં રે. રામ નામ શું તાળી રે વાગી, સકળ તિરથ તેના તનમાં રે. — વૈષ્ણવ ૪.
Moh maya vyape nahi jene, dradh vairagya jena manmaan re Ram naam shun taali re vaagi, sakal tirath tena tanmaan re — Vaishnav 4
Whom attachment and illusion do not touch, whose mind holds firm detachment, who is absorbed in the name of Ram; all the holy places dwell in that person's body.
વણલોભી ને કપટ રહિત છે, કામ ક્રોધ નિવાર્યા રે. ભણે નરસૈયો તેનું દર્શન કરતા, કુળ ઈકોતેર તાર્યા રે. — વૈષ્ણવ ૫.
Vanlobhi ne kapat rahit chhe, kaam krodh nivarya re Bhane Narsaiyo tenun darshan karta, kul ekoter tarya re — Vaishnav 5
Who is free of greed and deceit, who has set aside lust and anger: says Narsaiyo, by the very sight of such a person, seventy-one generations are saved.
Translation: Lyriccs (original translation). Transliteration: Lyriccs.
The story behind Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye
Narsinh Mehta lived in Junagadh in Saurashtra in the 15th century and is honoured as the adi kavi, first poet, of Gujarati literature. His devotional songs to Krishna are still sung across Gujarat; his dates are uncertain, and he is often said to have lived from about 1414 to 1481.
Mahatma Gandhi included the song in the daily prayers of his ashrams and it appears in his Ashram Bhajanavali. It became closely linked with the freedom movement and with Gandhi himself, and is sung on Gandhi Jayanti, at Rajghat and at state ceremonies.
For Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary in 2018 and 2019, the Indian government promoted recordings of the song by singers from many countries. The linked recording is the well-known version by Lata Mangeshkar.
What Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye means
The song draws a portrait of the true devotee. Such a person feels others' pain as their own and helps the suffering without letting pride enter the mind, respects everyone in the world, speaks ill of no one, and keeps word, deed and thought steady.
The devotee sees all as equal, has given up craving, regards another's wife as a mother, never tells lies and never takes what belongs to someone else. Free of attachment and illusion, absorbed in the name of Ram, such a person carries all the places of pilgrimage within. The last stanza says such a person is free of greed, deceit, lust and anger, and that merely seeing them saves seventy-one generations. The song's ethics of empathy explain why it reaches far beyond one tradition.
Quick facts
- Narsinh Mehta is honoured as the adi kavi, first poet, of Gujarati literature.
- He lived in Junagadh in Saurashtra in the 15th century.
- Mahatma Gandhi made the song part of the daily prayers at his ashrams.
- The song signs off with the poet's name in the form Narsaiyo.