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Tatala Saikate

Kahe Visaya Mana

"Scorched on the Sandy Beach" — 47. Tātala Saikate

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1

tātala saikate, bāri-bindu-sama, suta-mita-ramaṇī-samāje tohe visari mana, tāhe samarpala, ab majhu habo kon kāje

Word for word

tātala—burned; saikate—on the sandy beach; bāri-bindu-sama—like a drop of water; suta-mita-ramaṇī—children, friends, and women; samāje—in the society; tohe visari—forgetting You; mana—my mind; tāhe—unto them; samarpala—I have offered; ab—now; majhu—my; hobo—will be; kon kāje—by what action (to remedy the situation)

Translation

O Lord, completely forgetting You, I have offered my mind unto the society of women, children, and friends—but this experience has been just like offering a drop of water unto the burning hot sands of the beach. How can I possibly be relieved of this great misery?

2

mādhava! hāma pariṇām nirāśā tuhuṅ jaga-tāraṇa, dīna doyā-moy, ataye tohāri viśoyāsā

Word for word

mādhava—O Lord Mādhava!; hāma—I; pariṇām—in consequence; nirāśā—despondent; tuhuṅ—You; jaga-tāraṇa—savior of the universe; dīna doyā-moy—merciful to the helpless; ataye—therefore; tohāri—in You; viśoyāsā—my only hope

Translation

O Mādhava! As a consequence, I am rendered totally despondent. You are the savior of the universe, and are merciful to the helpless souls. Therefore I place my hope only in You.

3

ādha janama hāma, ninde goyāyaluṅ, jarā śiśu koto-dina gelā nidhuvane ramaṇī, rasa-raṅge mātala, tohe bhajabo kon belā

Word for word

ādha janama—half alive; hāma—I; ninde—in disrepute; goyāyaluṅ—I have spent; jarā—in old age; śiśu—as a child; koto dina—so many days; gelā—have passed; nidhuvane—in romantic adventures; ramaṇī rasa-raṅge—in the pleasure of sporting with women; mātala—I have been intoxicated; tohe bhajabo—I will worship You; kon belā—at what opportunity

Translation

Wandering about in a half-alive condition, I spent my life in utter disgrace. Uncountable days passed as a frivolous child and a useless old man. I have been intoxicated by the pleasure of sharing romantic adventures with beautiful young women. When will I ever get a chance to worship You?

4

koto caturānana, mari mari jāota, na tuyā ādi avasānā tohe janami puna, tohe samāota, sāgara-laharī samānā

Word for word

koto—how many; catura-ānana—four faced Brahmās; mari mari jāota—have died one after another; na—not; tuyā—Your; ādi avasānā—beginning or end; tohe—in You; janami—they take birth; puna—and then; tohe—in You; samāota—they are absorbed; sāgara-laharī—the waves of the ocean; samānā—like

Translation

Numberless Brahmās have died one after another, whereas You are without beginning or end. All of them take birth from You and are again absorbed into You, just like waves in the ocean.

5

bhaṇaye vidyāpati, śeṣa śamana-bhoy, tuyā vinā gati nāhi ārā ādi-anādika, nātha kahāyasi, bhava-tāraṇa bhāra tohārā

Word for word

bhaṇaye vidyāpati—Vidyāpati narrates; śeṣa—at the end of his life; śamana-bhoy—fear of Yamarāj; tuyā vinā—other than You; gati—shelter; nāhi ārā—there is no other; ādi-anādika—beginning and beginningless; nātha—Lord; kahāyasi—You are called; bhava-tāraṇa bhār—the responsibility of deliverance from the material world; tohārā—is Yours

Translation

Vidyāpati confesses that now, at the end of his life, he is fearful of death. O Lord! There is no shelter other than You. You will always remain celebrated as being the Lord of both the beginning and the beginningless. Now the responsibility for my deliverance from the material world is entirely Yours.

About Tatala Saikate

'Scorched on the sandy beach' is a celebrated verse quoted by Ramananda Raya to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the Chaitanya-charitamrita, likening earthly life without Krishna to a drop of water evaporating on hot sand — traditionally traced to the poet Vidyapati.

Frequently asked

Who wrote Tatala Saikate?

Tatala Saikate was composed by Vidyapati. It appears in More Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas.

What is the meaning of Tatala Saikate?

O Lord, completely forgetting You, I have offered my mind unto the society of women, children, and friends—but this experience has been just like offering a drop of water unto the burning hot sands of the beach. How can I possibly be relieved of this great misery?

Where can I listen to Tatala Saikate?

You can listen to 1 recording of Tatala Saikate on this page, including versions sung by Srila Prabhupada.

How many verses does Tatala Saikate have?

Tatala Saikate has 5 verses.

Can I download Tatala Saikate as a PPT or PDF?

Yes. A ready-to-display slide deck for Tatala Saikate — 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.