Vidyara Vilase
Dainya Song 2
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 saḿsāre - for this temporary world.; jīvake - to the eternal soul; karaye gādhā - it turns into an ass.
All the so-called knowledge of this world is born of the flickering potency of Your illusory energy (maya). 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.
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; saḿsārera 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.
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.
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.
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.
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; saḿsāre - 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
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.
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.
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.
All the so-called knowledge of this world is born of the flickering potency of Your illusory energy (maya). 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.
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.
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.
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.