ohe bhāi, mana keno brahma ho'te cāyaki āścarja ko'bo kā'ke sadopāsya bolo jā'ketā'te keno āpane misāya
Word for word
oheO;bhāi,brother;manamind;kenaḥwhy?;brahmaBrahman;ho'tewho;cāyadesiring;kiwhat?;āścarjawonder;ko'baḥwill be;kā'keto which;sadopāsyaalways the object of worship;bolaḥplease tell;jā'keto which;tā'teto that;kenaḥwhy?;āpaneown;misāyamerging
Translation
O my dear brother heart, why do you hanker after the impersonal Brahman? What wonderful thing will you obtain by always worshiping Brahman? Please tell me. Why do you wish to merge with Brahman?
bindua drop;nāhinot;hoyabecomes;sindhuthe ocean;bāmanaa dwarf;nānot;sparśetouches;induthe moon;reṇudust;kiwhether?;bhūdhara-rūpathe form of a mountain;pāyaattaining;lābhaattainment;mātraonly;aparādhaoffense;paramārthathe supreme benefit;hoyais;bādhaobstruction;sāyujya-bādhīrathe obstacle of impersonal liberation;hāyaalas;hāyaalas
Translation
A drop of water cannot become an ocean. A dwarf cannot touch the moon. Can a grain of dust become a mountain? Impersonal liberation is an obstacle. It blocks the true goal of life. It is only an offense.
ethis;henaḥlike;durantamischievous;buddhiintelligence;tyaji'abandoning;koro'do;sattwa-śuddhipurity of existence;anweṣahaseek;pritīraof love;upāyathe means;sājujya-nirbāṇa-ādibeginning with impersonal liberation and nirvana;śāstrein the scriptures;śabdawords;dekhaḥsee;jadiif;sethey;sabeall;bhaktiraof devotional service;aṅgeparts;jāyaattaining
Translation
Turning away from all these horrible misconceptions, please become pure. Seek the path of spiritual love. If you see them in the scriptures, please know that words like "sāyujya" or "nirvāṇa" are meant to describe the stages of devotional service.
kṛṣṇafor Lord Kṛṣṇa;prītilove;phalafruit;moyaconsisting;tat-twam-asi-ādibeginning with the words "tat tvam asi";hoyais;sādhakathe spiritual aspirant;carameat the end;kṛṣṇaKṛṣṇa;pāyaattaining;akhaṇdaunbroken;ānandamoyablissful;bṛndābanaVṛndāvana;kṛṣṇāloyaLord Kṛṣṇa's abode;para-brahma-swarūpathe form of the Supreme Brahman;jānāyamake to experience
Translation
"Tat tvam asi" and other teachings of the scriptures give love for Kṛṣṇa as their final fruit. In the end they bring the devotee to Kṛṣṇa. They make the devotee see Vṛndāvana, Lord Kṛṣṇa's eternal, blissful, spiritual abode.
tā'of Him;ho'teis;kiraṇaof light;jālanetwork;brahma-rūpein the form of Brahman;śobheshines;bhālaḥgood;māyikaof maya;jagatof the world;camatkārawonder;māyā-baddhabound by maya;jībasouls;tāhein that;nirbṛtafree from sufferings;hoitebecome;cāhedesire;sūrjaof the sun;abhābein the absence;khadyoteraof fireflies;prāyalike
Translation
The impersonal Brahman is Lord Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence. It fill's Māyā's world with wonder. The souls in Māyā's prison may sometimes escape into it. As fireflies seem brilliant when the sun does not shine, so the impersonal Brahman is glorious only when Lord Kṛṣṇa's form remains unseen.
jadi kabhu bhāgyodoye sādhu-guru-samāśroyebṛndābana sammukhete bhāyakṛṣṇākṛṣṭa ho'ye tabe khudra-rasa-anubhabebrahma chāri' para-brahme dhāya
Word for word
jadiif;kabhuwhen;bhāgyaof good fortune;udoyearisal;sādhuof the devotees;guruand the spiritual master;samāśroyein the shelter;bṛndābanaVṛndāvana;sammukhetein the presence;bhāyasplendidly manifest;kṛṣṇato Lord Kṛṣṇa;ākṛṣṭaattracted;ho'yeis;tabethen;khudrainsignificant;rasanectar;anubhabein the perception;brahmaBrahman;chāri'renouncing;para-brahmeto the Supreme Brahman;dhāyaruns
Translation
If your good fortune arises, you will take shelter of the spiritual master and the Lord's devotees. Then the world of Vṛndāvana will be splendidly manifest before you. You will attracted to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Turning from the paltry so-called nectar of the impersonal Brahman, you will run to the supreme personal Brahman.
śukādira su-jībana koro' bhāi ālocanae dāsa dhoriche taba pāya
Word for word
śukādiraof the sages headed by Sukadeva Gosvami;su-jībanathe life;koro'do;bhāiO my brother;ālocanaseeing;ethis;dāsaservant;dhoricheholds
Translation
This servant grasps your feet and begs: O my brother, please try to understand Lord Kṛṣṇa, the life of Śukadeva and the sages.
About Ohe Bhāi Mana Keno Brahma Ho'te Cāya
From Updesa, asking why the mind wishes to become Brahman, brahma hote — addressing impersonalist aspiration directly, as a subtler, more philosophically dressed-up version of the same underlying error the section examines throughout.
Ohe Bhāi Mana Keno Brahma Ho'te Cāya was composed by Bhaktivinoda Thakura. It appears in Kalyanakalpataru.
What is the meaning of Ohe Bhāi Mana Keno Brahma Ho'te Cāya?
O my dear brother heart, why do you hanker after the impersonal Brahman? What wonderful thing will you obtain by always worshiping Brahman? Please tell me. Why do you wish to merge with Brahman?
How many verses does Ohe Bhāi Mana Keno Brahma Ho'te Cāya have?
Ohe Bhāi Mana Keno Brahma Ho'te Cāya has 7 verses.
Can I download Ohe Bhāi Mana Keno Brahma Ho'te Cāya as a PPT or PDF?
Yes. A ready-to-display slide deck for Ohe Bhāi Mana Keno Brahma Ho'te Cāya — 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.
