keno mana kāmere nacāo prema-prāyacarma-māṁsa-moya kāma joḍa-sukha abirāmajoḍa-biṣayete sadā dhāya
Word for word
kenaḥwhy?;manaO my heart;kāmereby lust;nacāaḥmade to dance;prema-prāyalike love;carmaskin;māṁsaflesh;moyaconsisting of;kāmalust;joḍamaterial;sukhahappiness;abirāmawithout stop;joḍa-biṣayetein material sense objects;sadāalways;dhāyarunning
Translation
O my heart, why, pushed by lust to dance, do you think you dance in spiritual love? Your desires always go to this body of skin and flesh. You yearn for dull material pleasures without stop. You always chase the objects of the senses.
jībera swarūpa dharma cit-swarūpe prema-marmatāhāra biṣaya-mātra harikāma-ābaraṇe hāya prema ebe supta-prāyaprema jāgāo kāma dūra kori'
Word for word
jīberaof the soul;swarūpaoriginal;dharmanature;cit-swarūpe;prema-marmathe heart of love;tāhāraof that;biṣayathe object;mātraonly;hariKṛṣṇa;kāmaof lust;ābaraṇethe covering;hāyais;premalove;ebenow;suptaasleep;prāyalike;premalove;jāgāaḥawaken;kāmalust;dūrafar away;kori'do
Translation
The soul's nature is spiritual. In the soul's heart is pure love (prema), love for Kṛṣṇa alone. Now the soul is covered with lust. Now that original love for Kṛṣṇa sleeps. Chase the lust far away. Waken the spiritual love.
śraddhā hoite sādhu-saṅge bhajanera kriyā-raṅgeniṣṭhā-ruci-āsakti-udoyaāsakti hoite bhāba tāhe prema prādurbhābaei krame prema upajoya
Word for word
śraddhāfaith;hoiteis;sādhu-saṅgein the association of devotees;bhajaneraof worship;kriyā-raṅgeactions;niṣṭhāfaith;rucidelight;āsaktiattachment;udoyaarisal;āsaktiattachment;hoiteis;bhābaecstays;tāhein that;premalove;prādurbhābamanifested;eithis;kramesequence;premalove;upajoyamanifested
Translation
From faith comes the association of devotees, and from joyful engagement in the practices of bhajana arise niṣṭhā (steadiness), ruci (taste), and āsakti (attachment). From āsakti comes bhāva, and in that bhāva prema appears. In this sequence love of Godhead (prema) is born.
ihāte jatana jā'ra sei pāya prema-sārakrama-tyāge prema nāhi jāgee-krama-sādhane bhoya keno koro' durāśoyakāme prema kabhu nāhi lāge
Word for word
ihātein this;jatanaeffort;jā'raof whom;seihe;pāyaattains;prema-sāratrue spiritual love;kramaof the sequence;tyāgein the rejection;premaspiritual love;nāhinot;jāgeawakens;e-krama-sādhanein this sequence of sadhana-bhakti;bhoyafear;kenaḥwhy?;koro'you do;durāśoyaO wicked one;kāmein lust;premain love;kabhuwhen;nāhinot;lāgeattain
Translation
One who works in this way will attain true spiritual love for Kṛṣṇa. One who rejects these stages will not awaken that love. O wicked heart, why do you fear these stages of sādhana-bhakti? By cultivating lust you will never attain spiritual love.
nāṭakaof an actor;abhinoyathe pretense;prāyalike;sa-kapaṭacheating;premalove;bhāyais manifested;tahein that;mātraonly;indriyaof the senses;santoṣasatisfaction;indriya-toṣaṇasatisfaction of the senses;chāraa pile of ashes;sadāalways;koro'do;parihārarejection;chāraḥreject;bhāiO brother;aparādhā-doṣaoffenses
Translation
Your cheating so-called "spiritual love" is only the pretending of an expert actor. It is only sense gratification. Sense gratification is worthless like a pile of ashes. Reject it. O my brother, reject these offenses.
About Keno Mana Kāmere Nacāo Prema Prāya
The closing song of Updesa, asking why the mind makes lust, kamere, dance, nacao, in a manner resembling love, prema-praya — a final, sharp distinction between genuine devotional love and its counterfeit before the book turns to Upalabdhi.
Keno Mana Kāmere Nacāo Prema Prāya was composed by Bhaktivinoda Thakura. It appears in Kalyanakalpataru.
What is the meaning of Keno Mana Kāmere Nacāo Prema Prāya?
O my heart, why, pushed by lust to dance, do you think you dance in spiritual love? Your desires always go to this body of skin and flesh. You yearn for dull material pleasures without stop. You always chase the objects of the senses.
How many verses does Keno Mana Kāmere Nacāo Prema Prāya have?
Keno Mana Kāmere Nacāo Prema Prāya has 5 verses.
Can I download Keno Mana Kāmere Nacāo Prema Prāya as a PPT or PDF?
Yes. A ready-to-display slide deck for Keno Mana Kāmere Nacāo Prema Prāya — 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.
