Vidyara Vilase

Vidyāra Vilāse — (from Śaraṇāgati)

Surrender & Saranagati

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HG Jai Sachinandana Prabhu more by this singer
HH Achyutananda Swami more by this singer
HG Jai Sachinandana Prabhu (01) more by this singer

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

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Script

Text

1

vidyāra vilāse, kāṭāinu kāla, parama sāhase āmi tomāra caraṇa, nā bhajinu kabhu, ekhona śaraṇa tumi

Word for word

vidyāra vilāse—in the distractions of mundane learning; kāṭāinu kāla—I passed the time; parama sahase—with great confidence; āmi—I; tomāra caraṇa—Your lotus feet, O Lord; nā bhajinu—I did not worship; kabhu—ever; ekhona—but now; śaraṇa tumi—You are my only shelter

Translation

With great enthusiasm I spent my time in the pleasures of mundane learning, and never worshiped Your lotus feet, O Lord. Now You are my only shelter.

2

poḍite poḍite, bharasā bārilo, jñāne gati habe māni' se āśā biphala, se jñāna durbala, se jñāna ajñāna jāni

Word for word

poḍite poḍite—reading on and on; bharasā bāḍilo—my hope grew; jñāne—material knowledge; gati—life's true goal; habe—will be attained; māni'—I considered; se āśā—that hope; biphala—was fruitless; se jñāna—that knowledge; durbala—proved feeble; se jñāna—that knowledge; ajñāna jāni—I know now to be ignorance

Translation

Reading on and on, my hopes grew and grew, for I considered the acquisition of material knowledge to be life's true goal. How fruitless those hopes turned out to be, for all my knowledge proved feeble. Now I know that all such erudition is actually pure ignorance.

3

jaḍa-vidyā jata, māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā moha janamiyā, anitya saṁsāre, jīvake koraye gādhā

Word for word

jaḍa-vidyā—mundane knowledge; jata—all; māyāra vaibhava—is the power of the illusory energy; tomāra bhajane—to Your service; bādhā—an impediment; moha janamiyā—bringing about infatuation; anitya saṁsāre—for this temporary world; jīvake—to the eternal soul; karaye gādhā—it turns into an ass

Translation

All the so-called knowledge of this world is born of the flickering potency of Your illusory energy (māyā). It is an impediment to the execution of devotional service to You. Indulgence in mundane knowledge verily makes an ass of the eternal soul by encouraging his infatuation with this temporary world.*

4

sei gādhā ho'ye, saṁsārera bojhā, bahinu aneka kāla bārdhakye ekhona, śaktira abhāve, kichu nāhi lāge bhālo

Word for word

sei gādhā ho'ye—here is one such ass; saṁsārera bojhā—the burden of material existence; vahinu—I have carried on my back; aneka kāla—for a long time; bārdhakye—in my old age; ekhano—now; śaktira abhāve—for want of the power to enjoy; kichu nāhi—absolutely nothing; lāge bhālo—pleases me

Translation

Here is one person who has been turned into such an ass, who for so long has carried on his back the useless burden of material existence. Now in my old age, for want of the power to enjoy, I find that nothing at all pleases me.

5

jīvana jātanā, hoilo ekhona, se vidyā avidyā bhelo avidyāra jwālā, ghaṭilo biṣama, se vidyā hoilo śelo

Word for word

jīvana jātanā hoilo—life has become agony; ekhano—now; se vidyā—that knowledge; avidyā bhelo—has become ignorance; avidyāra jvālā—the burning pain of ignorance; ghaṭilo viṣama—has become intolerable; se vidyā—that knowledge; hoilo śelo—has become a pointed spear

Translation

Life has now become agony, for my so-called erudite knowledge has proven itself to be worthless ignorance. Material knowledge has now become a pointed shaft and has pierced my heart with the intolerable, burning pain of ignorance.

6

tomāra caraṇa, binā kichu dhana, saṁsāre nā āche āra bhakativinoda, jaḍa-vidyā chāḍi,' tuwā pada kore sāra

Word for word

tomāra caraṇa—Your lotus feet; vinā—besides; kichu dhana—any treasure; saṁsāre—in this world; nā āche āra—there is none else; bhakativinoda—this Bhaktivinoda; jaḍa-vidyā chāḍi'—giving up all mundane knowledge; tuyā pada—Your lotus feet; kore sāra—makes the sum and substance of his life

Translation

O Lord, there is no treasure worth seeking in this world other than Your lotus feet. Bhaktivinoda abandons all his mundane knowledge and makes Your lotus feet the sum and substance of his life.

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Frequently asked

Who wrote Vidyara Vilase?

Vidyara Vilase was composed by Bhaktivinoda Thakura. It appears in Songs of Vaishnava Acaryas.

What is the meaning of Vidyara Vilase?

With great enthusiasm I spent my time in the pleasures of mundane learning, and never worshiped Your lotus feet, O Lord. Now You are my only shelter.

Where can I listen to Vidyara Vilase?

You can listen to 3 recordings of Vidyara Vilase on this page, including versions sung by HG Jai Sachinandana Prabhu, HH Achyutananda Swami, HG Jai Sachinandana Prabhu (01).

How many verses does Vidyara Vilase have?

Vidyara Vilase has 6 verses.