Keno Hare Krsna Nam

"Oh Why While Chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa...?" — 26. Keno Hare Kṛṣṇa Nām

Holy Name Krishna Songs

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5 versions

HG Jai Sachinandana Prabhu more by this singer
HG Badahari Prabhu more by this singer
HG Sivarama Prabhu more by this singer
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Audio courtesy of ISKCON Desire Tree. All glories to the devotee singers.

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Script

Text

1

pakhi nā jāni kon aparādhe mukhe hare kṛṣṇa nām bolo nā

Word for word

pakhi—the bird of my heart; nā jāni—I do not know; kon aparādhe—by some offense; mukhe—with the mouth; hare kṛṣṇa nām—the names of Hare Kṛṣṇa; bolo nā—does not chant

Translation

The bird of my heart does not know what past sinful activities it has committed to cause this inability to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa properly.

2

baner pakhi re dhare rāklām hṛdoy mandire madhu mākhā ei hari nām pakhi re śikhaile śikhe

Word for word

baner pakhi—a bird of the forest; re—O!; dhare—holding; rāklām—I have kept; hṛdoy mandire—in the temple of my heart; madhu mākhā—smeared with honey; ei—this; hari nām—name of Lord Hari; pakhi re—O bird!; śikhaile—upon being instructed; śikhe—learns

Translation

O forest bird! I have kept something for you very carefully within the cottage of my heart—the holy name of Lord Hari, which is overflowing with pure sweet honey. O bird, you could learn the chanting of this name if you were taught.

3

pakhi sakal nām bolte paro keno hare kṛṣṇa nām bolo na keno hare kṛṣṇa nām hari bole mano prāṇ kāṅde nā

Word for word

pakhi—a bird; sakal nām—all names; bolte paro—is able to speak; keno—why?; hare kṛṣṇa nām—the names of Hare Kṛṣṇa; bolo na—does not chant

Translation

A bird is easily able to speak all names, why then does this bird of my heart refuse to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa? Oh, why does my heart not weep from chanting the holy names Hare Kṛṣṇa?

4

chalo pakhi rūper deśe jāi je deśete maner mānuś āsā jāoyā nāi

Word for word

chalo—please go; pakhi—O bird!; rūper deśe—to the land of true beauty; jāi—I go; je deśete—at which place; maner mānuś—the mentally imagined man; āsā jāoyā—comes and goes (as in repeated birth and death); nāi—not

Translation

O bird! Come, let us go to the spiritual world, the land of true and everlasting beauty. It is the place where the imaginary man of my mind will never again come and go on the revolving cycle of birth and death.

5

pakhi re tor maraṇa kālete carabi vāser dolāte ore cār janete kandhe kore loye jābe smaśan ghāṭete

Word for word

pakhi re—O bird!; tor—your; maraṇa kālete—at the time of death; carabi—you will be placed; vāter dolāte—on the funeral stretcher made from slips of bamboo; ore—oh!; cār janete—by four persons; kandhe kore—placing on the shoulder; loye—carrying; jābe—will proceed; smāśan ghāṭete—to the cremation landing

Translation

O bird! At the time of death, your body will simply be placed upon a funeral stretcher, lifted on the shoulders of four persons and carried to the cremation grounds.

6

ore o tor mukhe āguna jihve tule ki korobi tāi bolo nā

Word for word

ore o—alas!; tor—your; mukhe—in the mouth; āguna—fire; jihve—the tongue; tule—obliterate; ki korobi—what can you do?; tāi—at that; bolo nā—you do not speak

Translation

Alas! The cremation fire will then enter your mouth and totally consume your tongue. There will be nothing you can do to save yourself, for at that time it is too late-you will be unable to speak any more.

Frequently asked

Who wrote Keno Hare Krsna Nam?

Keno Hare Krsna Nam was composed by Bhaktivinoda Thakura. It appears in More Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas.

What is the meaning of Keno Hare Krsna Nam?

The bird of my heart does not know what past sinful activities it has committed to cause this inability to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa properly.

Where can I listen to Keno Hare Krsna Nam?

You can listen to 5 recordings of Keno Hare Krsna Nam on this page, including versions sung by HG Jai Sachinandana Prabhu, HG Badahari Prabhu, HG Sivarama Prabhu, HH Suhotra Swami.

How many verses does Keno Hare Krsna Nam have?

Keno Hare Krsna Nam has 6 verses.