"Hey Mr.Smart Aleck ,you're just an Ass ! "

[krsna 3]

Knowlede of this world makes an ass of the eternal soul

 

 

 

(2)1.bidyara bilase katainu kala,

parama sahase ami

tomara carana, na bhojinu kobhu,

ekhona sarana tumi

 

2. porite porite, bharasa barilo

jnane gati habe mani

se asa bifala, se jnana durbala

se jnana ajnana jani

 

3. jada-bidya jato, mayara vaibhava,

tomara bhajane badha

moha janamiya, anitya somsare,

jibake karaye gadha

 

4. sei gadha ho’ye, somsarera ‘bojha,

bhavinu aneka kala

bardhakye ekhona, sakti na abhave,

kichu nahi lage bhalo

 

5. jibana jatana, hoilo ekhona,

se bidya abidya bhelo

abidyara jwala, ghatilo bisama,

se bidya hoilo selo

 

6. tomara carana, bina kichu dhana,

 

somsare na ache ara

bhakativinoda, jada-bidya chari

tuwa . kare sara

 

Translation

 

Confidently,

I spent my time in the pleasures

of mundane learning

and never worshiped Your Lotus feet, O Lord.

Now You are my only shelter.

 

Reading on and on, my hopes grew,

for I considered material knowledge

to be life’s true path.

How fruitless was that hope,

and how feeble that knowledge proved to be.

I know now that all such knowledge is ignorance.

 

Knowledge of this world is knowledge

born of Your illusory energy (maya).

It impedes devotional service

and makes an ass of the eternal soul

by encouraging his infatuation

with this temporary world.

 

Here is one such ass

who for so long has carried on his back

the burden of material existence.

Now in my old age,

for want of the power to enjoy,

nothing pleases me.

 

Life has become agony now,

my knowledge has proven itself worthless,

and ignorance has penetrated my heart

with the intolerable, burning pain

of a pointed shaft.

 

O Lord, I seek no other treasure

in this world

than Your lotus feet.

Bhaktivinoda abandons everything

to make them

the sum and substance of his life.