ભક્તિ એવી રે ભાઈ એવી

નાદબ્રહ્મ પદ-૮૫૩, રાગ-ઓખા હરણની ચોપાઈ
Nādbrahma pada - 853, rāga - okhā haran-ni chopā-ii

ભક્તિ એવી રે ભાઈ એવી, જેમ તરસ્યાને પાણી જેવી!
એક ગોધન ચારવાને જાય, એની સુરતા વાછરડાં માંય;
ચરણે ફરવું ને ચોદિશ ચરવું, એવું હરિચરણે ચિત્ત ધરવું ...    ૧
bhakti evi re bhā-ii evi, jem tarasyā-ne pāni jevi
ek godhan chārvā-ne jāy, eni suratā vāchhardā māňy
charane farvu ne chodish charvu, evu hari-charane chitt dharvu … 1

એક યુવતી જળ ભરવાને જાય, સામી સખીઓથી વાતો થાય;
માથે બેડું ને લે છે તાળી, મૂખે હશે છે વારી વારી;
બેડું ચિત્તથી નથી રે વિસરવું, એવું હરિચરણે ચિત્ત ધરવું ...    ૨
ek yuvati jal bharvā-ne jāy, sāmi sakhi-o-thi vāto thāy
māthe bedu ne le chhe tāli, mukhe hashe chhe vāri vāri
bedu chitt-thi nathi re visarvu, evu hari-charane chitt dharvu … 2

એક ભ્રમર કમળમાં રહે છે, તેને વાસના કેવી ગમે છે;
સાંજ પડે ને કમળ બિડાયું, અકળાયો ને ક્યાંય ના જવાયું;
એને કમળની પ્રીતે રે મરવું, એવું હરિચરણે ચિત્ત ધરવું ...    ૩
ek bhramar kamal-māň rahe chhe, tene vāsanā kevi game chhe
sāňj pade ne kamal bidāyu, aklāyo ne kyāňya nā javāyu
ene kamal-ni prite re marvu, evu hari-charane chitt dharvu … 3

એક મૂઢપતિ નર જેહ, પરનારીની સાથે સ્નેહ;
જાય છે અધમ અધમ ડગ ભરતો, પરનારીની પૂંઠે ફરતો;
એને શુળીની પેરે રે ડરવું, એવું હરિચરણે ચિત્ત ધરવું ....    ૪
ek muDHpati nar jeh, parnari-ni sāthe sneh
jāy chhe adham adham dag bharto, parnarini puňthe farto
ene shuli-ne pere re darvu, evu hari-charane chitt dharvu … 4

એક માછલી જળમાં વસે છે, એને પાણીનો પ્રવાહ ગમે છે;
કો પાપીએ બારણે કાઢી, તલ તલ જીવ થયો રે ઉદાસી;
એને જળ વિનાનું રે મરવું, એવું હરિચરણે ચિત્ત ધરવું ...    ૫
ek māchhali jal-māň vase chhe, ene pāni-no pravāh game chhe
ko pāpi-e bārane kāDHi, tal tal jiv thayo re udāsi
ene jal vinā-nu re marvu, evu hari-charane chitt dharvu … 5

એક ગણિકા નૃત્ય કરે છે, મનગમતા શણગાર સજે છે;
એક આંખ આંજી અણિયાળી, નખશિખ નિરખે છે નારી;
પારકું ચિત્ત પોતાનું કરવું, એવું હરિચરણે ચિત્ત ધરવું ....    ૬
ek ganikā nrutya kare chhe, man-gamtā shangār saje chhe
ek āňkh āňji aniyāli, nakh-shikh nirakhe chhe nāri
pārku chitt potānu karvu, evu hari-charane chitt dharvu … 6

એક ચોર તે ચોરી કરે છે, પર મંદિરે ફેરા ફરે છે;
વળી માઝમ રાત અંધારી, મૂરખ નથી ડરતો રે લગારી;
પારકું ધન પોતાને રે હરવું, એવું હરિચરણે ચિત્ત ધરવું ...    ૭
ek chor te chori kare chhe, par maňdire ferā fare chhe
vali mājham rāt aňdhari, murakh nathi darato re lagāri
pārku dhan potāne re harvu, evu hari-charane chitt dharvu … 7

બપૈયાને વરસાદ વ્હાલો, એવી પ્રેમભક્તિ તમે ઝાલે;
ચકોર ચિત્ત ચંદ્ર ઘાલે, અણપેખતાં દૃષ્ટિને બાળે;
કહે કલ્યાણ એથી ન ઉતરવું, એવું હરિચરણે ચિત્ત ધરવું ...    ૮
bapaiyā-ne varsād vahalo, evi prem-bhakti tame jhāle
chakor chitt chandra ghāle, anpekhtā drashti-ne bāle
kahe kalyān ethi na utarvu, evu hari-charane chitt dharvu … 8

YouTube Video(s):
1. Shree Ramkabir Mandir Bhajan Mandal - April 13, 2017

English translation (by AI):
1. O brother, devotion should be just like that—like water to a thirsty person!
When a cow goes out to graze with the herd, her deep awareness remains fixed on her calf;
While her feet move and she grazes in all four directions, focus your mind on Hari’s (God's) feet in the exact same way.

2. A young woman goes to fetch water, and on her way, she chats with her friends who meet her;
With the water pot balanced on her head, she claps her hands and smiles joyfully over and over again;
Yet, the water pot is never forgotten by her inner mind; in the exact same way, focus your mind on Hari’s (God's) feet.

3. A bumblebee resides inside a lotus flower, for how deeply it loves the flower's fragrance!
As evening falls, the lotus closes its petals; the bee becomes trapped, grew anxious, and could go nowhere;
It prefers to die out of its deep love for the lotus; in the exact same way, focus your mind on Hari’s (God's) feet.

4. Just like a foolish, infatuated man who falls in love with another's wife;
He walks with wicked, stealthy steps, constantly following and trailing behind her;
He lives in constant fear of the impaling stake (execution), yet his mind remains fixed; in the exact same way, focus your mind on Hari’s (God's) feet.

5. A fish lives inside the water, and how deeply it loves the flow of the current!
If some cruel person pulls it out of the water, its soul grows deeply sorrowful, suffering moment by moment;
It ultimately dies without the water; in the exact same way, focus your mind on Hari’s (God's) feet.

6. A courtesan performs her dance, adorning herself in the most beautiful, alluring ornaments;
Lining her eyes beautifully to make them sharp, the woman examines herself closely from head to toe (from her nails to the crown of her head);
Her entire purpose is to completely capture and win over the minds of others; in the exact same way, focus your mind on Hari’s (God's) feet.

7. A thief sets out to commit a robbery, pacing back and forth around another person's home;
Moreover, it is the pitch-black darkness of midnight, yet the foolish man does not feel even a single shred of fear;
His only desire is to steal and claim another's wealth as his own; in the exact same way, focus your mind on Hari’s (God's) feet.

8. The Bapeeya bird loves only the rain; grasp and hold onto that exact kind of loving devotion (Prem-Bhakti);
The Chakor bird fixes its entire consciousness (Chitt) upon the moon, burning its own vision if it cannot behold it;
Kalyandas says: never fall or lower yourself from this high state of devotion; in the exact same way, focus your mind on Hari’s (God's) feet.

The core message of this bhajan can be summarized in a single spiritual formula: Perform your duties with your hands, but keep your heart and mind anchored in God.

It teaches that true devotion (Bhakti) is not a ritual performed at a specific time; it is a continuous, unbroken state of inner awareness (Chitt) maintained during everyday life.

The bhajan delivers three essential spiritual truths:

•    Spirituality is an Inside Job: You do not need to renounce society, your family, or your daily work to find God. Like the water-bearer balancing a pot while talking to friends, you can perfectly navigate worldly responsibilities while keeping your inner focus unshakeable.
•    Turn Obsession into Devotion: Human beings naturally possess the capacity for intense focus, fearlessness, and absolute dedication—traits we often waste on temporary worldly desires (like a thief seeking wealth or a lover chasing infatuation). The bhajan challenges us to redirect that exact same intensity toward the Divine.
•    God is a Necessity, Not a Luxury: True devotion reaches its peak when God becomes as vital to your survival as water is to a dying, thirsty man or a fish pulled out of the sea. It is a state of total surrender where living without divine consciousness feels impossible.

In short, the bhajan teaches the art of spiritual multitasking—living fully in the material world externally, while remaining completely absorbed in the Divine internally.