Vaishnava Songs
Nandgram Dham
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Samudrena Phena Yena

samudrena phenā yena kṣaṇe ṣṛṣti kṣaṇe laya māyāra saṁsāre khelā seibhāve haya
Word for word
samudrena of the ocean; phenā foam; yena like; kṣaṇe momentarily; ṣṛṣti created; kṣaṇe in one movement; laya destroyed; mayara illusory; saṁsāre material world; khelā play; seibhāve like; haya is
Translation

Ocean foam is created in an instant by the action of the waves. Just as abruptly the foam is also disintegrated after a momentary existence. The “game” of illusory material family life and its affairs is like that, suddenly beginning and then terminating after a short existence.

keha nahe pitā-mātā ātmiya-svajana sabāi phenāra mato thāke alpakṣaṇa
Word for word
keha nahe no one is; pitā-mātā father or mother; ātmīya-svajana relative; sabāi all; phenāra mato like the foam; thāke remain; alpakṣaṇa a short time
Translation

In truth, no one can actually be said to be a “father,” “mother,” “relative,” or dear “friend,” since everyone remains, as do the bubbles of foam in the ocean, for just a very short period of time.

samudrera phenā yemana samudre miśaya pañchabhūtera deha tathā haye yāya laya
Word for word
samudrera of the ocean; phenā form; yemana just as; samudre in the ocean; miśaya mixes; pañchabhūtera made of five material elements; deha body; tathā in the same way; haye being; yāya goes; laya destruction
Translation

As a ocean foam finally merges back into the ocean water from where it came, similarly material bodies, which are temporary products of the material energy made of the five gross material elements (earth, water, fire, air, and sky), are also eventually destroyed by the actions of the material energy, and finally the elements of the dead body merge again with the total material elements. The temporary material body is certainly not the real person, nor even alive.

kata deha eibhāve dharaye śarīrī anitya śarīre mātra ātmiya tāhāri
Word for word
kata many; deha bodies; eibhāve in this way; dharaye accepts; śarīrī the possessor of the body, the soul; anitya impermenant; śarīre in the body; mātra only; ātmīya bodily relations; tāhāri his
Translation

There is a living spiritual force present in the body that is not the body, but which makes each body “alive”. That living force is the real self, the eternal spirit soul, which for the short period of one life temporarily possesses a particular material body, then leaves that body at “death” and enters into a new body and is born again, repeating

About Samudrena Phena Yena

Verses
4

Frequently asked

Who wrote Samudrena Phena Yena?

Samudrena Phena Yena was composed by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It appears in Vrindavane Bhajan.

What is the meaning of Samudrena Phena Yena?

Ocean foam is created in an instant by the action of the waves. Just as abruptly the foam is also disintegrated after a momentary existence. The “game” of illusory material family life and its affairs is like that, suddenly beginning and then terminating after a short existence.

Where can I listen to Samudrena Phena Yena?

You can listen to 1 recording of Samudrena Phena Yena on this page, including versions sung by HG Ananda Lila Prabhu.

How many verses does Samudrena Phena Yena have?

Samudrena Phena Yena has 4 verses.

Can I download Samudrena Phena Yena as a PPT or PDF?

Yes. A ready-to-display slide deck for Samudrena Phena Yena — 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. All glories to the devotee singers.