Gujarati

બોલ્યા શ્રી હરિ રે, સાંભળો નરનારી હરિજન;

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સર્વે દિવ્ય છે રે, ત્યાં તો જોયાની છે જુક્ત... ૨

મારું ધામ છે રે, અક્ષર અમૃત જેનું નામ;

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અતિ તેજોમય રે, રવિ શશી કોટિક વારણે જાય;

શીતળ શાંત છે રે, તેજની ઉપમા નવ દેવાય... ૪

તેમાં હું રહું રે, દ્વિભુજ દિવ્ય સદા સાકાર;

દુર્લભ દેવને રે, મારો કોઈ ન પામે પાર... ૫

જીવ ઈશ્વર તણો રે, માયા કાળ પુરુષ પ્રધાન;

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અગણિત વિશ્વની રે, ઉત્પત્તિ પાલન પ્રલય થાય;

મારી મરજી વિના રે, કોઈથી તરણું નવ તોડાય... ૭

એમ મને જાણજો રે, મારાં આશ્રિત સૌ નરનારી;

મેં તમ આગળે રે, વાર્તા સત્ય કહી છે મારી... ૮

હું તો તમ કારણ રે, આવ્યો ધામ થકી ધરી દેહ;

પ્રેમાનંદનો રે, વા’લો વરસ્યા અમૃત મેહ... ૯

Transliteration

Bolyā Shrī Hari re, sāmbhaḷo narnārī harijan;

Māre ek vārtā re, sahune sambhlāvyānu chhe man..1

Mārī mūrti re, mārā lok, bhog ne mukta;

Sarve divya chhe re, tyā to joyānī chhe jukt..2

Māru Dhām chhe re, Akshar Amrut jenu nām;

Sarve sāmrathī re, shakti guṇe karī abhirām..3

Ati tejomay re, ravi shashī koṭik vārṇe jāy;

Shītaḷ shānt chhe re, tejnī upmā nav devāy..4

Temā hu rahu re, dvibhuj divya sadā sākār;

Durlabh devne re, Māro koī na pāme pār..5

Jīva Īshwar taṇo re, māyā kāḷ purush pradhān;

Sahune vash karu re, sahuno prerak hu Bhagwān..6

Agaṇit vishvanī re, utpatti pālan pralay thāy;

Mārī marjī vinā re, koīthī tarṇu nav toḍāy..7

Em mane jāṇjo re, mārā āshrīt sāu narnārī;

Me tam āgaḷe re, vārtā satya kahī chhe Mārī..8

Hu to tam kāraṇe re, āvyo Dhām thakī dharī deh;

Premānandno re, vā’lo varasyā amrut meh..9

Meaning

Ah! Thus spoke Shree Hari:
Listen, O devoted men and women.
I have a desire to tell you all,
About the truth related to Me.

My figure and My worlds,
My sporting and My muktas.
Are all divine in themselves,
If you have the art to see.

Ah! My eternal Mansion,
Is known as Akshar Dham.
Rich with all the riches,
Beauteous with vital charm.

Brighter than the brightest,
Honoured by the suns and moons.
Yet cool and quiet is light,
Beyond all words to compare.

Ever in human form divine,
I’m always dwelling there.
Gods find it hard to come,
To me, as hard I am to see.

Under My command are all the souls,
Ishwar, Maya and Kaal.
and also Purush Pradhan,
As God I inspire them all.

Endless are the universes,
Created, nursed and smashed.
But once can pluck a blade of straw,
Until I will for that.

O, men and women, My followers,
You should all know Me thus.
Thus I have laid before you,
The truth about Myself.

But I came here for you,
In form as I am there.
In Mansion-Divine, Premanand says:
Dear Lord rained nectar of words.

The Celestial Song

Those were the days when large number of princely states were there in India. Quite a few of them used to promote music, art etc. in their courts. Once a group of musicians visited Junagadh, one of the important states in Saurashtra region of Gujarat. The Nawab of the state said to the musicians : “Ever since I have listened to the heavenly music and devotional songs of saints of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, I do not like, nor approve any other music.” He advised them to visit Bhagwan Swaminarayan, who was residing at Gadhada.

Accordingly they went to Gadhada and met Bhagwan Swaminarayan and informed Him that they had come to listen to the music of His disciple saints and requested Him to fulfill their desire. Bhagwan Swaminarayan called for His musician saints – Swami Premanandji, Swami Brahmanandji, Swami Muktanandji, Swami Manjukeshanandji. All of them arrived, set before Him and tuned their instruments and asked the Lord what they should sing. The Lord was in a different mood. He suggested a raga which was apparently not appropriate for the time of the day. It was afternoon and yet He suggested to sing a morning raga. The saints were most dedicated, loyal and they never had even an iota of doubt about the appropriateness of singing a morning raga in the afternoon and they started with the suggested raga. Slowly, as the music and singing proceeded, the atmosphere got transformed and the signs of early dawn started having an impact on everybody around. The birds started chirping as they do in the early morning and they started heralding the morning. The group of musicians from the Nawab, got extremely impressed by the divinity and depth of the singing of the devotional songs in praise of the Lord.

All these musician – saints were devoted disciples of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and were also composing songs of their own. The songs they have composed are marvelous pieces of abounding love and devotion. They had taken a vow that they would compose at least four stanzas of a song everyday.

Accordingly, one day Swami Premanandji started composing a song. He described with utmost love and ever-fresh devotion how the Lord came to His place, His inner-most self, what beauty it was, what pleasant mood it created. He described what were the vestments and ornaments that the Lord had put on to grace the devotees. How pleasing He was, how jubiliating He was, how blissful He was! Swami Premanandji composed two stanzas of the song describing the beautiful figure of the Lord and Lo! He was lost! What next? He went on searching for words and he ran into the blank, as if the words were escaping him.

He could not complete his pre-set target of four stanzas, he was so much upset, he did not go for his lunch. His absence at the time of lunch was noticed by the Lord. He called for Swami Premanandji and when he came, the Lord started telling how divine He was. It was sudden downpour of absolute Bliss.

Whatever Lord Swaminarayan told, Swamiji put it in the song and four stanzas were completed. He was extremely happy. Lord Himself told and explained His own Divinity. It was the flow of His divine Grace, His Divine bliss, His Divine Self. It was the Divine Monologue! Master’s Monologue!