Song Name: Asalo Katha Bolte

Author:  Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Book Name: Baul Sangit (Songs of the Madman) (Section: Song 3)

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 (1)

āsalo kathā bolte ki

tomār kenthā-dhorā, kapni-āṅṭā-saba phāṅki

(2)

dharma-patnī tyaji’ ghare, para-nārī-saṅga kore,

artha-lobhe dvāre dvāre phire, rākhle ki bake

(3)

tumi guru bolcho vaṭe, sādhu-guru niṣkapaṭe,

kṛṣṇa-nām deno karṇa-puṭe, se ki emon hoy meki?

(4)

jebā anya śikṣā dey, tā’ke ki ‘guru’ bolte hoy?

dudher phal to’ ghole noy, bheve’ citte dekho dekhi

(5)

śama-dama-titikṣā-bale, uparati, śraddhā ho’le,

tabe bheko cāṅda-bāul, bole, eṅcaḍe peke habe ki?

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TRANSLATION

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1) O you have so much to say about being genuine! You are seen to be wrapped in an old tattered blanket and wearing a simple loincloth, just like a renounced ascetic -- but in actuality all of this is simply pretentious.

2) Leaving your legally married wife at home, you go off and keep the company of the wives of others. In your greed for acquiring more and more wealth, you wander like a poor beggar from door to door, and you secretly keep so many surpluses stored away.

3) You are quite confident in presenting yourself as a saintly spiritual master, and thus you are busily engaged in initiating innocent people by reciting Krishna-nama into their ear -- is this behavior not a great charade?

4) Can anyone be called a "guru" simply because he gives advice to others? A cook can never use whey in a recipe that calls for milk. Now think about this and just see what I see.

5) On the strength of the true qualities of peacefulness, sense control, and tolerance, one's mundane desires are renounced as true spiritual faith arises. That being the case, the renunciant Chand Baul says, "What will become of your premature imitation of spiritual perfection?"

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