vishnubhajannarsinh-mehtagandhi

𑌵𑍈𑌷𑍍𑌣𑌵 𑌜𑌨 𑌤𑍋

Vaishnav Jan To in Grantha · 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

🕉️ hindu·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 Morning or evening prayer, on Gandhi Jayanti, or any time as a reflection on right living·📜 Composed by Narsinh Mehta (Gujarati bhakti tradition); popularised nationally by Mahatma Gandhi

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ English සිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

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.

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Complete Text with Meaning

Tap any line — or the ▶ button — to hear it recited

Verse 1

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:Call that one a true Vaishnava who feels the pain of others as their own; who serves those in distress yet never lets pride touch the mind.

Verse 2

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:Who bows to all and speaks ill of none; who keeps speech, conduct and mind steadfast — blessed is the mother who bore them.

Verse 3

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:Who sees all equally, has renounced craving, and reveres another's wife as a mother; whose tongue never speaks untruth and whose hand never takes another's wealth.

Verse 4

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:Whom delusion and attachment cannot touch, whose mind is firmly detached, ever absorbed in Rama's name — within their body live all the holy places.

Verse 5

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:Without greed and without guile, having banished lust and anger — Narsinh says, the sight of such a one redeems seventy-one generations.

Word-by-Word Meaning

Click any word to hear its pronunciation

𑌵𑍈𑌷𑍍𑌣𑌵 𑌜𑌨 𑌤𑍋 𑌤𑍇𑌨𑍇 𑌕𑌹𑌿𑌏🔊Vaishnav jan to tene kahiyeCall that person a true Vaishnava (devotee of God)

𑌜𑍇 𑌪𑍀𑌡़ 𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌈 𑌜𑌾𑌣𑍇 𑌰𑍇🔊je peed parai jane rewho feels the pain of others as their own

𑌪𑌰 𑌦𑍁𑌃𑌖𑍇 𑌉𑌪𑌕𑌾𑌰 𑌕𑌰𑍇🔊par dukhe upkar karewho helps those in sorrow

𑌮𑌨 𑌅𑌭𑌿𑌮𑌾𑌨 𑌨 𑌆𑌣𑍇 𑌰𑍇🔊man abhiman na ane reyet lets no pride enter the mind

𑌸𑌮𑌦𑍃𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌿 𑌨𑍇 𑌤𑍃𑌷𑍍𑌣𑌾 𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌗𑍀🔊samdrishti ne trishna tyagieven-eyed to all, free of craving

𑌪𑌰𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍀 𑌜𑍇𑌨𑍇 𑌮𑌾𑌤 𑌰𑍇🔊parastri jene maat rewho regards another's wife as his mother

𑌰𑌾𑌮𑌨𑌾𑌮 𑌶𑍁𑌂 𑌤𑌾𑌳𑍀 𑌰𑍇 𑌲𑌾𑌗𑍀🔊Ramnaam shu tali re lagiabsorbed in the name of Rama

𑌕𑍁𑌳 𑌏𑌕𑍋𑌤𑍇𑌰 𑌤𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌾 𑌰𑍇🔊kul ekoter tarya retheir very sight redeems seventy-one generations

Benefits of Chanting Vaishnav Jan To

✦

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 Vaishnav Jan To

Repetitions1times

Best TimeMorning or evening prayer, on Gandhi Jayanti, or any time as a reflection on right living

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Vaishnav Jan To written in the Grantha script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

The 15th-century Gujarati saint-poet Narsinh Mehta. It became world-famous as Mahatma Gandhi's favourite bhajan, sung daily at his prayer meetings.

That a true devotee of God is known not by outward ritual but by character — feeling others' pain, serving without pride, speaking truth, conquering greed, lust and anger, and remaining absorbed in God's name.

Because it captured his ideal of an ethical, compassionate life. It was sung on the Dandi March and at Sabarmati Ashram, and remains a national hymn of conscience in India.

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Read the full Vaishnav Jan To with verse-by-verse meaning, or explore more sacred texts

Full Vaishnav Jan To (Devanagari)All Mantras Find by Purpose