Vaishnava Songs

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Durlabha Manava Janma

"Rare Human Birth" — 12. Durlabha Mānava Janma

Humility & Repentance (Dainya, Anutāpa)

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1

durlabha mānaba-janma labhiyā soṁsāre kṛṣṇa nā bhajinu duḥkha kahibo kāhāre

Word for word

durlabha rare; mānaba-janma human birth; labhiyā attaining; soṁsāre in the material world; kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa; nā not; bhajinu I worshiped; duḥkha unhappiness; kahibaḥ will say; kāhāre to whom?

Translation

After attaining a rare human birth in this world, I still did not worship Lord Kṛṣṇa. To whom will I tell my sufferings?

2

soṁsāra soṁsāra ko're miche gelo kāla lābha nā koilo kichu ghaṭilo jañjāla

Word for word

soṁsāra household life; soṁsāra household life; ko're does; miche falsely; gelaḥ gone; kāla in time; lābha attaining; nā not; koilaḥ did; kichu atnything; ghaṭilaḥ was; jañjāla trouble

Translation

I became a householder. A householder! How I wasted my time. I did not gain anything good. All I got was trouble.

3

kisera soṁsāra ei chāyābāji prāya ihāte mamatā kori' bṛtha dina jāya

Word for word

kisera of what kind?; soṁsāra material world; ei this; chāyābāji magic; prāya like; ihate here; mamatā possessiveness; kori' doing; bṛtha useless; dina days; jāya go

Translation

What kind of world is this? It's like a magician's illusion. Again and again claiming, "It's mine!", I wasted my days.

4

e deho patana ho'le ki ro'be āmāra keho sukha nāhi dibe putra-paribāra

Word for word

e this; dehaḥ body; patana falling; ho'le is; ki what?; ro'be will stay; āmāra of me; kehaḥ some; sukha happiness; nāhi not; dibe will give; putra children; paribāra entourage

Translation

When this body collapses, what will still me "mine"? Neither children nor companions will make me happy.

5

gardabhera mata āmi kori pariśrama kā'ra lāgi eto kori nā ghucilo bhrama

Word for word

gardabhera a donkey; mata like; āmi I; kori do; pariśrama hard work; kā'ra of whom?; lāgi touching; etaḥ this; kori I do; nā not; ghucilaḥ destroy; bhrama illusion

Translation

I slave like a donkey. What do I get? My illusions refuse to die.

6

dina jāya micha kāje niśā nidrā-baśe nāhi bhābi maraṇa nikaṭe āche bo'se

Word for word

dina days; jāya go; micha uselessly; kāje in work; niśā at night; nidrā-baśe controlled by sleep; nāhi not; bhābi I think; maraṇa death; nikaṭe near; āche is; bo'se stays

Translation

I waste my days in work and my nights in the grip of sleep. I do not know how death approaches.

7

bhālo manda khāi heri pari cintā-hīna nāhi bhābi e deho chāribo kona dīna

Word for word

bhālaḥ good; manda bad; khāi I eat; heri I see; pari I do; cintā-hīna without anxiety; nāhi not; bhābi I know; e this; dehaḥ body; chāribaḥ will leave; kona some; dīna day

Translation

Sometimes I receive good and sometimes bad. I look about. I don't worry. I do not know that some day this body will collapse.

8

deho-geho-kalatrādi-cintā abirata jāgiche hṛdoye mora buddhi kori' hata

Word for word

dehaḥ body; gehaḥ home; kalatra wife; ādi beginning; cintā worry; abirata without stop; jāgiche awaken; hṛdoye in the heart; mora my; buddhi intelligence; kori' doing; hata destroyed

Translation

Worries about body, home, wife, and others always awaken in my heart. They have destroyed my intelligence.

9

hāya hāya nāhi bhābi anitya e saba jībana bigate kothā rohibe baibhaba

Word for word

hāya alas; hāya alas; nāhi not; bhābi I think; anitya temporary; e this; saba all; jībana life; bigate gone; kothā where?; rohibe will stay; baibhaba glories and opulences

Translation

Alas! Alas! I did not know it would all be destroyed! When my life ends, what will happen to all my glories and opulences?

10

śmaśāne śarīra mama poriyā rohibe bihaṅga-pataṅga tāya bihāra koribe

Word for word

śmaśāne in the cremation; śarīra body; mama my; poriyā falling; rohibe will stay; bihaṅga birds; pataṅga insects; tāya of that; bihāra pastime; koribe will be

Translation

When my body falls in the cremation-ground, the birds and insects will rejoice.

11

kukkura śṛgala saba ānandita ho'ye mahotsaba koribe āmāra deho lo'ye

Word for word

kukkura dogs; śṛgala jackals; saba all; ānandita delighted; ho'ye will be; mahotsaba a great festival; koribe will do; āmāra of me; dehaḥ the body; lo'ye attaining

Translation

All the dogs and jackals will be delighted. They will celebrate a great festival over my body.

12

je dehera ei gati tā'ra anugata soṁsāra-baibhaba āra bandhu-jana jata

Word for word

je which; dehera of the body; ei this; gati destination; tā'ra of that; anugata following; soṁsāra-baibhaba material opulences; āra and; bandhu-jana friends and kinsmen; jata which

Translation

That is the fate of this body. It is also the fate of my friends and kinsmen and all my material glories and opulences.

13

ata eba māyā-moha chāri buddhimāna nitya-tattwa kṛṣṇa-bhakti koruna sandhāna

Word for word

ata eba therefore; māyā-moha the bewilderments of Maya; chāri renouncing; buddhimāna intelligent; nitya-tattwa eternal truth; kṛṣṇa-bhakti devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa; koruna does; sandhāna practice

Translation

Turning away from Māyā's bewilderments, an intelligent person engages in devotional service (sādhana-bhakti) to the Supreme Truth, Lord Kṛṣṇa.

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About Durlabha Manava Janma

At thirteen verses, one of the longer songs in this section, and with five recordings the most performed here. It opens with the claim that a human birth, manava janma, is rare and hard to obtain, durlabha, not to be wasted on sense gratification.

Further reading

Frequently asked

Who wrote Durlabha Manava Janma?

Durlabha Manava Janma was composed by Bhaktivinoda Thakura. It appears in Kalyanakalpataru.

What is the meaning of Durlabha Manava Janma?

After attaining a rare human birth in this world, I still did not worship Lord Kṛṣṇa. To whom will I tell my sufferings?

Where can I listen to Durlabha Manava Janma?

You can listen to 7 recordings of Durlabha Manava Janma on this page, including versions sung by HG Jai Sachinandana Prabhu, HG Swarupa Damodar Prabhu, HG Jai Sachinandana Prabhu (01), ISKCON Devotees (1).

How many verses does Durlabha Manava Janma have?

Durlabha Manava Janma has 13 verses.

Can I download Durlabha Manava Janma as a PPT or PDF?

Yes. A ready-to-display slide deck for Durlabha Manava Janma — verse and translation on each slide — is available to download in both PowerPoint (.pptx) and PDF formats from this page, for use in kirtan or temple programs.

Audio courtesy of ISKCON Desire Tree, ISKCON Devotees. All glories to the devotee singers.