Daily Sūtra 5—Durlabha Mānava Janma (This Rare Human Birth)
Channel: Consciousness Research Centre
Date: 2021-12-15

This is a Bengali devotional song by Bhaktivinod Thakur, my ādi-guru’s great-great guru. Download the track here: https://audius.co/AdyashaktiSwami/durlabha-manava-janma

(1) durlabha mānava-janma labhiyā saṁsāre
ātmā nā vichāra-duḥkha—kahibo kāhāre?

The human form of life is the rarest opportunity for attaining spiritual perfection. But now I am lamenting: although somehow or other I've been born with such an opportunity, I wasted it by never inquiring into who I really am. O, to whom shall I tell the tale of my misery?

(2) durlabha mānava-janma 
‘saṁsār’ ‘saṁsār’, ko’re miche gelo kāl
lābha nā koilo kichu—ghaṭilo jashjāl

The human form of life is the rarest opportunity for attaining spiritual perfection. But having married and entered into the entanglements of materialistic family life, I passed my time in vain. I never got any tangible gain or permanent benefit—only trouble and botheration.

(5) durlabha mānava-janma 
gardabher mata āmi kori pariśram?
kā’r lāgi’ eto kori—nā ghucilo bhram!

The human form of life is the rarest opportunity for attaining spiritual perfection. But I work hard just like an ass every day, and now I am wondering: why am I working so hard? I am still surrounded by so many illusions!


(8) durlabha mānava-janma 
deho-geho-kalatrādi-cintā avirata
jāgiche hṛdoye mor buddhi kori’ hata

The human form of life is the rarest opportunity for attaining spiritual perfection. But my poor heart is plagued by constant anxieties about the maintenance and daily turmoil created by my body, my house, my wife, my family members and my social obligations. All these anxieties are pinching me and destroying my intelligence.

(12) durlabha mānava-janma 
je deher ei gati, tā’r anugata
saṁsār-vaibhava ār bandhu-jana jata

The human form of life is the rarest opportunity for attaining spiritual perfection. But just see, the ultimate destination of this material body is destruction. And the most amazing thing is that all of my material opulences, house, family and friends have exactly the same destination.

(13) durlabha mānava-janma 
ataeva māyā-moha chāḍi’ buddhimān
nitya-tattva devī-bhakti koruna sandhān

The human form of life is the rarest opportunity for attaining spiritual perfection. Therefore I beg anyone who has any sharp intelligence: kindly give up all of these temporary illusions presented by māyā, and search for the means to get pure devotion to Śrī Devī, for this is the only really tangible eternal truth.