𑌵𑍈𑌷𑍍𑌣𑌵 𑌜𑌨 𑌤𑍋
वैष्णव जन तो in Grantha · 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥
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Origin & Story
Composed by Narsinh Mehta (Gujarati bhakti tradition); popularised nationally by Mahatma Gandhi · Narsinh Mehta · 15th century
Narsinh Mehta, the foremost poet-saint of Gujarat, distilled the whole of bhakti ethics into this one song: the true Vaishnava is defined by compassion, humility and truth, not by ritual. Centuries later Mahatma Gandhi made it the anthem of his ashram and freedom movement, sung at every prayer meeting — turning a medieval Gujarati bhajan into a hymn of conscience for all India.
✦ As told in scripture
The song's quiet power is moral, not magical: generations have measured their own conduct against its lines. Gandhi held that if a person simply lived the qualities Narsinh lists, they would need no other scripture — and millions who sing it still feel it gently reshaping how they treat others.
Complete Text with Meaning
Tap any line — or the ▶ button — to hear it recited
𑌵𑍈𑌷𑍍𑌣𑌵 𑌜𑌨 𑌤𑍋 𑌤𑍇𑌨𑍇 𑌕𑌹𑌿𑌏, 𑌜𑍇 𑌪𑍀𑌡़ 𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌈 𑌜𑌾𑌣𑍇 𑌰𑍇। 𑌪𑌰 𑌦𑍁𑌃𑌖𑍇 𑌉𑌪𑌕𑌾𑌰 𑌕𑌰𑍇 𑌤𑍋𑌯𑍇, 𑌮𑌨 𑌅𑌭𑌿𑌮𑌾𑌨 𑌨 𑌆𑌣𑍇 𑌰𑍇॥
Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye, je peed parai jane re Par dukhe upkar kare toye, man abhiman na ane re
Meaning:वैष्णव जन उसी को कहिए जो दूसरों की पीड़ा को अपनी पीड़ा जाने; जो दुखियों पर उपकार करे फिर भी मन में अभिमान न लाए।
𑌸𑌕𑌳 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌮𑌾𑌂 𑌸𑌹𑍁𑌨𑍇 𑌵𑌂𑌦𑍇, 𑌨𑌿𑌂𑌦𑌾 𑌨 𑌕𑌰𑍇 𑌕𑍇𑌨𑍀 𑌰𑍇। 𑌵𑌾𑌚 𑌕𑌾𑌛 𑌮𑌨 𑌨𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌚𑌳 𑌰𑌾𑌖𑍇, 𑌧𑌨 𑌧𑌨 𑌜𑌨𑌨𑍀 𑌤𑍇𑌨𑍀 𑌰𑍇॥
Sakal lokma sahune vande, ninda na kare keni re Vach kachh man nishchal rakhe, dhan dhan janani teni re
Meaning:जो सब लोगों को वंदन करे, किसी की निंदा न करे, वाणी, कर्म और मन को निश्चल रखे — धन्य है उसकी जननी।
𑌸𑌮𑌦𑍃𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌿 𑌨𑍇 𑌤𑍃𑌷𑍍𑌣𑌾 𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌗𑍀, 𑌪𑌰𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍀 𑌜𑍇𑌨𑍇 𑌮𑌾𑌤 𑌰𑍇। 𑌜𑌿𑌹𑍍𑌵𑌾 𑌥𑌕𑍀 𑌅𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌯 𑌨 𑌬𑍋𑌲𑍇, 𑌪𑌰𑌧𑌨 𑌨𑌵 𑌝𑌾𑌲𑍇 𑌹𑌾𑌥 𑌰𑍇॥
Samdrishti ne trishna tyagi, parastri jene maat re Jihva thaki asatya na bole, pardhan nav jhale haath re
Meaning:जो समदृष्टि रखे, तृष्णा का त्याग करे, पराई स्त्री को माता समान माने; जिह्वा से असत्य न बोले, पराये धन को हाथ न लगाए।
𑌮𑍋𑌹 𑌮𑌾𑌯𑌾 𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌪𑍇 𑌨𑌹𑌿 𑌜𑍇𑌨𑍇, 𑌦𑍃𑌢़ 𑌵𑍈𑌰𑌾𑌗𑍍𑌯 𑌜𑍇𑌨𑌾 𑌮𑌨𑌮𑌾𑌂 𑌰𑍇। 𑌰𑌾𑌮𑌨𑌾𑌮 𑌶𑍁𑌂 𑌤𑌾𑌳𑍀 𑌰𑍇 𑌲𑌾𑌗𑍀, 𑌸𑌕𑌳 𑌤𑍀𑌰𑌥 𑌤𑍇𑌨𑌾 𑌤𑌨𑌮𑌾𑌂 𑌰𑍇॥
Moh maya vyape nahi jene, dridh vairagya jena manma re Ramnaam shu tali re lagi, sakal tirath tena tanma re
Meaning:जिसे मोह-माया व्यापे नहीं, जिसके मन में दृढ़ वैराग्य हो, जो राम-नाम में लीन रहे — समस्त तीर्थ उसके शरीर में बसते हैं।
𑌵𑌣𑌲𑍋𑌭𑍀 𑌨𑍇 𑌕𑌪𑌟𑌰𑌹𑌿𑌤 𑌛𑍇, 𑌕𑌾𑌮 𑌕𑍍𑌰𑍋𑌧 𑌨𑌿𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌾 𑌰𑍇। 𑌭𑌣𑍇 𑌨𑌰𑌸𑍈𑌯𑍋𑌀 𑌤𑍇𑌨𑍁𑌂 𑌦𑌰𑌸𑌨 𑌕𑌰𑌤𑌾𑌂, 𑌕𑍁𑌳 𑌏𑌕𑍋𑌤𑍇𑌰 𑌤𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌾 𑌰𑍇॥
Vanlobhi ne kapatrahit chhe, kaam krodh nivarya re Bhane Narsaiyo tenu darshan karta, kul ekoter tarya re
Meaning:जो लोभरहित और कपटरहित हो, काम-क्रोध को त्याग चुका हो — नरसिंह कहते हैं, उसके दर्शन से इकहत्तर पीढ़ियाँ तर जाती हैं।
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting वैष्णव जन तो
Mahatma Gandhi's most cherished bhajan — sung at his prayer meetings and at Sabarmati Ashram
Defines the true devotee not by ritual but by compassion, humility and honesty
A moral compass set to melody — loved across India far beyond Gujarat
Sung on Gandhi Jayanti, Republic Day programmes and in schools
Calms and uplifts the heart while teaching the ethics of a devotional life
How to Chant वैष्णव जन तो
Sing it slowly and reflectively, ideally in a group, letting each line's teaching settle. There is no ritual — it is a bhajan of character: read the meaning, then sing, and resolve to live one line of it each day.
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