Meher Chaalisa by Keshav Narayan Nigam
Translated in English by: Mani S. Irani and Eruch B. Jessawala
https://avatarmeherbabatrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/My-Life-K.-N.-Nigam.pdf
https://www.meherbabatravels.com/books/authors-of-baba-contents/keshava-n-nigam/
हरि ! परमात्मा ! अल्लाह ! अहूरमज्द ! गॉड ! यज़दान-हू !
जय ‘मेहेर’ साहिबे-जमाँ !
जय जय निराली शान हू !!
Hari! Paramatma! Allah! Ahurmazd! God! Yazdan-Hu!
Hail to Thee Meher, Avatar of the Age!
Hail to Thine unique Glory!
जय भक्त उनके मस्त उनके
खींच लाते जो उन्हें भूलोक पर !
धूल उनकी सिर लगाऊँ, हिये लाऊँ
प्रेम के उनके सहारे ‘मेहेर’ को मैं पाये जाऊँ।
Salutations to Thy Lovers and God-intoxicated ones
Whose Love draws Thee to Earth.
Fain would I apply to my head and to my heart,
the dust of their feet.
Emboldened in the assurance of their Love for Thee
I continue striving to attain Thee, Meher!
जय बाबा ! जय अन्तर्यामी !
जय अनन्त ! जय जगदाधार !
पूरण ब्रह्म सनातन स्वामी,
अखिल विश्व के पालनहार ।।१।।
Hail to Thee, BABA! All-knowing, Infinite One,
Prop of the Universe,
Thou Perfect, Ancient one, Sustainer of all
Creation, hail! (1)
जय सौम्य मूर्ति ! जय शुभ,
पावन ! जय मंगलकारी !
जय भक्त जनन की आस एक,
जय जय अनन्त लीलाधारी ।।२।।
Hail to Thee, Personification of patience and
purity, bestower of peace!
Thou art the sole hope of Thy Lovers, and art
eternally at play with Thine endless Divine Game. (2)
युग के राही धर्म सिपाही,
जय तप के भण्डार हरे !
दरस मात्र से गति सुधरैअरु,
क्षार होंहि अध पुञ्ज खरे ।।३।।
Guide of the age, guardian of true religion,
Thou art the treasure-house of all renunciation
and self-denial.
Just a glimpse of thy true Self would release us
from the grip of illusory bondage. (3)
निराकार साकार रूप,
जय नर-नारायण दोऊ !
भीतर बाहर सरग पतारन,
तुम्हें छोड़ नहिं कोऊ।।४।।
Formless Thou art, enformed – I hail Thee
who art both Man and God!
Without, within, above and below, Thou alone
art – there is none but Thee. (4)
भक्तन के जय ‘बाबा’ ! जय-
जय बाबाजान के ‘मेहेरवान’ !
उपासनी के भण्डारी जय
हे ! सुर-कुल पंकज भानु ।।५।।
Thou art the BABA of Thy Lovers,
the “Merwan” of Babajan,*
the treasurer of Upasni,* the sun
of the Lotus family of all saints and sages. (5)
सिध्द जनन के शहंशाह,
जय दिव्य सनातन ज्योति !
निर्विकार जय धर्म-मूर्ति !
जय शान्ति अखण्ड विभूति ।।६।।
Emperor of realized beings, hail!
Hail, Thou Divine Ancient Light!
Unchanging art Thou, the symbol of peace
and Existence Eternal. (6)
तुम सन प्रीति करे से प्रानी,
तुम समान हुइ जाहीं ।
जनम-जनम के पातक छूटैं,
अंत मेहेरपद पाहीं ।।७।।
The creature that loves Thee
becomes as Thee;
as the layers of deceptive impression fall off,
he is revealed in Thy true image of Godhood. (7)
व्याकुल मानव को हो तुम,
अब पार लगाने आये ।
देश जाती अरु धर्म रंग का,
भेद मिटाने आये ।।८।।
To lead humanity out of its sea of confusion
Thou hast come.
To wipe out distinction of creed, colour and religion
Thou hast come. (8)
जगती को दिखलाने शक्ति,
भक्ती की फैलाने महिमा ।
प्रगट हुये शीरींमाई से,
सतजीवन की लेकर गरिमा ।।९।।
To reveal to the world Thy Power,
To spread the glory of Love,
To uphold the life of truth,
Thou wert born to Shirinmai.* (9)
मैं गाऊँ क्या तुम्हरी महिमा,
शेष शारदा पार न पाहीं ।
तुम हो अनन्त महिमा अनन्त,
अन्त तुमहिं में सबहि समाहीं ।।१०।।
How can I sing Thy glory
when Shesh* and Sharda* could not fathom it!
Thou art eternal and limitless in Thy immensity,
and in the end all becomes absorbed in Thee. (10)
मर्यादा के राखन हित तुम,
मर्यादा पुरुषोत्तम बन आये ।
होकर अनन्त व्यापी दिगन्त,
मर्यादा में बंध कर आये ।।११।।
Though limitless, Thou hast come to us as God-
Man though infinite, Thou hast bound Thyself
with finiteness in order to uphold and prove the
limitations of the finite. (11)
तुमहिं बने गिरधर मीरा के,
सूरदास के श्याम।
नरसी के थे सामलिया तुम,
तुलसीदास के राम ।।१२।।
Thou alone wast Mira’s “Giridhar,”
Thou the “Shyam” of Surdas.*
None but Thee the “Sanwaliya” of Narsi,*
Thou the “Rama” of Tulsidas.* (12)
‘केशव’ के तुम प्रियतम बाबा,
हिय में आन बिराजे हो ।
अमित कृपादृष्टि सेवक पर,
मन-मंदिर में राजे हो।।१३।।
To Keshav, Thou art “Beloved Baba”
enthroned in his heart.
With Thy sweet glance of grace upon him
Thine image reigns supreme in the temple of his mind. (13)
तुमहिं परस जन्मन को पापी,
आज निहाल भयो रे ।
तुव पद-पंकज पाकर पावन,
त्रय सन्ताप दह्यो रे ।।१४।।
Thou alone art the touch-stone,
transmuting the life of this sinner.
Behold, I have been blessed! This day I have
caught hold of Thy Lotus feet
and the triple sorrows* have burnt to ashes. (14)
चाहूँ नहीं जगत का वैभव,
रिध्दि-सिध्दि नहीं चाहूँ ।
दुनिया दौलत माल खजाना,
तुमहिं पाइ ठुकराऊँ ।।१५।।
I do not want the renown of the world,
I long not for the occult and supernatural.
This world’s treasures and possessions
I would spurn for the dust of Thy feet. (15)
चाहूँ सदा सलोनी मूरत,
यहै देख हरषाऊँ ।
इसको ध्याऊँ इसको पाऊँ,
इस पर बलि-बलि जाऊँ।।१६।।
I long ever for Thy beloved Face.
To see it is my joy.
On it I meditate, in praise of it I sing, and
I offer my obeisance to it
in the offering of my self. (16)
श्रवण सुनैं तौ नाम तिहारो,
रसना तुव गुण गावै ।
छोड़ जगत के फंन्दे मनुवां,
एक तुमहिं को ध्यावैं।।१७।।
If my ears may hear, let it be but the sound of Thy Name.
If my tongue may speak, let it be but to sing Thy praise.
Let my mind relinquish the snares of the world,
and be engrossed only in Thee. (17)
बसौ मोर नैनन में ऐसे,
तुमहिं छोड़ नहिं और लखाई।
सुरति एक रट मेहेर नाम की,
दूजो और न साईं ।।१८।।
So dwell in my eyes, Lord,
that I may see none save Thee.
Sweet is the continuous uttering of Thy Name: “MEHER”!
There is naught else but Thee. (18)
जब जब जन्म धरौं धरनीं में,
सगुण रूप को पाऊँ ।
सेवा भक्ति पूरी करके,
निर्गुण माहिं समाऊं ।।१९।।
Each time I am born,
may I find, O God-Man, Thy Form.
Then, with my devotion and service unto Thee
at last fulfilled, be re-absorbed into Thy
Formlessness. (19)
मैं चरनन को दास तिहारो,
निशदिन यह मनाऊँ।
करो कृपा ऐसी ठाकुरजू ,
तुव सेवा को पाऊँ।।२०।।
I am a slave at Thy feet.
Night and day I long for naught else
save Thy grace to so descend upon me, Lord,
that I may serve Thee. (20)
जब जब धरनि माहिं तुम आओ,
अधम उधारन स्वामी ।
मोहिं अधम को भूल न जाना,
हौं तुम्हार अनुगामी ।।२१।।
O Redeemer of sinners!
Whenever Thou shalt descend on earth,
forget not this sinful one,
for I too am Thy follower. (21)
तुव सेवा भक्ति दर्शन हित,
मैं हूँ नर तन पाऊँ ।
पाइ प्रकाश तुम्हारो प्रभुवर,
लीला देख जुड़ाऊँ ।।२२।।
In each Avataric Advent
may I be blessed with human form,
so that I may see Thee, love Thee, serve Thee;
Having seen Thy Light, O Lord Supreme,
I will then be content to watch Thy Shadow-game. (22)
तुलसी की मैं पाऊँ भक्ति,
मीरा की वह मस्ती पाऊँ ।
झूम-झूम कर नाचूँ सन्मुख,
प्रेम के आँसू बहाऊँ ।।२३।।
I long for the devotion of Tulsidas,
and for the divine madness of Mira,
so that whirling in the intoxication of ecstasy
I may dance before Thee and shed tears of love. (23)
भूल जगत सुध तन मन हू,
श्रीचरण टेक रह जाऊँ ।
तुम्हीं साध्य आराध्य बनो मम,
और कछू नहिं चाहूँ ।।२४।।
Let me curl up at Thy feet
and lose all remembrance of the world and self.
Be Thou the worshipped and the worshipper in
me – I cherish no other desire. (24)
सूरदास की पाऊँ रसना,
लीला तुव नित गाऊँ ।
निबल जान जो बाँह छुडाओ,
हिये बाँध रह जाऊँ ।।२५।।
Endowed with the tongue of Surdas
may I continually sing Thy glory!
And, should Thou reject me for my failings,
let me lock Thee all the more securely in my heart. (25)
कबीरदास की मिलै फकीरी,
निसदिन अलख जगाऊँ ।
जतन जतन से ओढ़ चदरिया,
जस की तस धर जाऊँ ।।२६।।
Grant me that detachment which was Kabir’s, Lord,
that I may keep the Unseen ever vigilant
in His care o’er me.
May my mortal sheet cover me ever so lightly
that when relinquished it shall be untainted as new. (26)
देह तजौं तो काज तिहारे,
गती जटायू पाऊँ ।
शान्तिमयी तुव गोद मिले,
फिर धाम तिहारे जाऊँ ।।२७।।
When my body is dropped, let it be for Thee,
that I may rank with Jatayu* and repose
peacefully in the folds of Thy embrace.
Then might I seek entrance to Thy abode. (27)
शबरी के मैं बेर खिलाऊँ,
साग बिदुर का लाऊँ ।
खाओ प्रभु जी उसी प्रेम से,
वारी तुम पर जाऊँ ।।२८।।
I will feed Thee the wild berries of Shabri*
and procure for Thee the vegetables Thou didst eat at
Vidur’s.*
I would die a thousand deaths in joy
wert Thou to relish them with that self-same love! (28)
तरी अहिल्या गणिका सदना,
तरेउ अजामिल भागी ।
बाल्मीकि हू पार भये,
जिन ‘मरा-मरा’ रट लागी ।।२९।।
By the grace of Thy touch and name,
Ahilya* and Ganika* and Sadna* were redeemed.
So was blessed Ajamil.*
Valmiki* who repeated “Mara-Mara”
in place of “Rama-Rama” too gained emancipation. (29)
ऐसहि भाग्य मिले मोहिं बाबा,
एक यहै वर चाहूँ ।
बन निषाद चरणोदक पाऊँ,
युग-युग हेतु जुड़ाऊँ ।।३०।।
May that same destiny be reserved for me, O Baba!
this boon I ask of Thee.
Becoming as Nishad* I would drink the water
that bathed Thy feet;
and achieve the aim of many lifetimes. (30)
ड्यूढ़ी का मैं बनूँ पहरुआ,
निसदिन गश्त लगाऊँ ।
अञ्जनि सुत सम करुँ चाकरी,
तुव दर्शन नित पाऊँ ।।३१।।
Would that I were a sentinel at Thy gate,
Keeping watch day and night.
As the son of Anjani* so would I serve Thee,
and gain Thy darshan each day. (31)
देव दनुज मानव ॠषि मुनि सब,
द्वार तिहारे आवैं ।
नारद मुनि वीणा से पावन,
नाम तिहारो गावैं ।।३२।।
Sages, Rishis, Rakshasas, humans,
all come to Thy door;
and the Muni-Narada* sings, to the strains of his lute,
Thy Name that sanctifies. (32)
तू ही ब्रह्मा तू ही विष्णु,
शिव अनादि तू ही मैं जानूँ ।
तू ही इन्द्र बृहस्पति तू ही,
त्रिभुवननाथ तुम्हीं को मानूँ ।।३३।।
Thou art Brahma;* thou art Vishnu;*
In Thee I recognize the beginningless Shiva,*
and Indra* and Brahaspati.*
Thou alone art Lord of the three worlds.* (33)
जय सृष्टि के कर्ता धर्ता,
जय प्रतिपालक त्रिभुवन के ।
दीनबन्धु हे दयासिन्धु,
जय भक्त तुम्हारे तुम भक्तन के ।।३४।।
Hail to Thee, O Creator and Upholder of the Universe!
Thou art the Friend and hope of the down-trodden
of the three worlds. Thou art the Ocean of mercy.
Thou art for Thy lovers and Thy lovers are for Thee. (34)
जय प्रेममूर्ति ! जय शान्तिमूर्ति !
जय दिव्यमूर्ति हे बाबा ।
जय पतितपावन भक्तवत्सल,
जय शक्तिपुञ्ज हे बाबा ।।३५।।
Hail to Thee, Personification of Love!
Hail to Thee, the Source of Peace!
Hail to Thee, Embodiment of Divinity!
Redeemer of the fallen, Slave to the love of Thy lovers;
Thou art all Power. (35)
जय अधम-उधारन विपद-विदारन,
तेज पुंज अविनाशी ।
पावन मूर्ति पूर्ण मर्यादा,
जय घट-घट के वासी ।।३६।।
Saviour of sinners I hail Thee!
Symbol of purity Thou dwelleth in each form.
Thou art Light eternal, dispelling the darkness of suffering.
Though limitless, Thou art perfect in
the limitations assumed by Thee. (36)
ऐसी कृपा होइ मो ऊपर,
विनय करौं कर जोरी ।
मन-मन्दिर मम छोड़ न जाना,
शरण पड़ा हूँ तोरी ।।३७।।
With folded hands I beseech Thee,
so shower Thy grace on me that
Thou art never absent from the temple
of my mind and heart. To Thee I have surrendered. (37)
अटल रहे मम श्रद्धा भक्ति,
अटल रहे यह प्रेम की ज्वाला ।
जरत-जरत यामें जर जाऊँ,
बुझे तभी यह पावन ज्वाला ।।३८।।
Grant that my faith and devotion for Thee abide unshaken.
Grant that the flame of my love for Thee remains unwavering –
may it be extinguished only when I have burnt
away my very self in it. (38)
जो ज्वाला प्रहलादहिं दीन्हीं,
भनैं सन्त सब कोई ।
गिरि से गिरेउ अग्नि में डारेउ,
साँच को आँच न होई ।।३९।।
Such a flame of Thy love didst Thou give to Prahlad,*
as all Saints have proclaimed. Prahlad was flung from
the mountain top, and thrust into raging fire,
but Love and Truth triumphed, unshaken, unimpaired. (39)
ध्रुव सम निष्ठा अचल मिले,
जिन साक्षी है ध्रुवतारा ।
अमर मिलन हो प्रियतम तुमसे,
छूटे यह जग सारा ।।४०।।
Bless me with that rock-like faith of Dhruva*
to which stands witness the Dhruva-tara* (Pole Star).
Let the world lose its grip over me, and eternal union
with Thee take place, O Beloved! (40)
NOTES:
(5)
Babajan: One of the five Perfect Masters of this Avataric age.
She gave to Meher Baba the realization of his Godhood,
and used to refer to Him by His name Merwan.
Upasni Maharaj: Another of the perfect Masters. He helped Meher Baba to regain gross consciousness.
(9)
Shirinmai: The mother of Meher Baba.
(10)
Shesh: The great Serpent of the thousand tongues, on whom the god Vishnu reclines.
Sharda: Goddess of wisdom.
(12)
Mira, Surdas, Narsi: Unique in their devotion to Lord Krishna.
Tulsidas: Lover of Lord Rama.
(14)
The triple sorrows: Pertaining to the body, the world, and fate.
(27)
Jatayu: The bird that got killed while trying to rescue Sita from the clutches of Ravana.
(28)
Shabri: A girl of low caste who loved Rama, and for years daily gathered berries for Him in the hope that He would come by her hut someday in the course of His exile. He did, and accepted with love the berries she had tasted to ensure their sweetness.
Vidur: A poor devotee whose love-imbued dish of Saltless vegetable Lord Krishna relished more than the feast at the palace.
(29)
Ahilya: Through a curse she had been turned to stone. She was reinstated to human form at the first touch of Lord Rama’s feet, during his wanderings in exile.
Ganika: A prostitute who had a pet parrot whom she taught to say the name of the Avatar, “Rama.” In the process of teaching the parrot she continually and inadvertently repeated the Name which caused her Emancipation.
Sadna: A butcher who, despite the daily slaughtering of animals as demanded by his trade, received salvation through his steadfast honesty with the scale, inspired by his devotion to God.
Ajamil: Although a non-believer and bird-hunter and considered a great sinner, he
nevertheless gained liberation because he called out with his last breath his son’s name “Narayan” which is also the Name of God.
Valmiki: A dacoit by profession until he met the Guru who changed his life. The Guru told him to sit in one spot in the forest indefinitely and repeat God’s Name: Rama, Rama. For long years Valmiki was unable to do so; instead he found himself repeating in reverse: “maramara”. Finally he gained Enlightenment, and wrote the Ramayana, which is known as Valmiki Ramayana.
(30)
Nishad: A boatman who used to ferry back and forth across the Ganges. During exile
Lord Rama came to this river and engaged Nishad to ferry him across. Nishad, recognizing the divinity of Rama, cried: “Only if first Thou dost allow me to wash Thy feet lest I lose my means of livelihood, for dust of Thy feet might turn the wood of my vessel into a human being, as it did the stone that became Ahilya!” The boon was granted him. He washed Lord Rama’s feet with water, then took that sacred water with his whole family, and happily ferried Lord Rama across the Ganges.
(31)
Son of Anjani: Hanuman, the “monkey-god” whose devotion to Rama is considered
unequalled.
(32)
Narad: Matchless among deva Rishis as declared by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, who had access to the three worlds.
(33)
Brahma (Creator), Vishnu (Sustainer) and Shiva (Dissolver): Personifications of the three aspects of the Almighty — creation, preservation, dissolution.
Indra: Vedic deity, the king of Heaven.
Brahaspati: Vedic deity, also regarded as a Teacher of the gods.
The three worlds: gross, subtle, mental. Referring sometimes also to heaven, earth and hell.
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Prahlad: A youngster whose father hated him for his devotion to God, and whose every effort to destroy the boy was frustrated by divine intervention in response to the child’s unwavering faith.
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Dhruva: A prince, who as a child left home and his father’s kingdom, determined to
pursue severe penance in the forests in order to find God.
Dhruva-tara: The North or Pole Star, regarded as the “Seat” offered to Dhruva. Appearing in the same place throughout the night, it symbolizes the unchanging state which Dhruva gained through the grace of the god Vishnu.
Meher Songs 