Laxmi Prasad Devkota is arguably the most famous poet of Nepal, often has been given the title as ‘the greatest poet ever of Nepali Literature’. Hence he has been given the title
'Yatri’ translates into Traveler, but is used as 'Piligrim’ here
The sentences are translated line by line LITERALLY as much as possible.
You can just scroll to the end to see what the poem is about.
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TRANSLATION
कुन मन्दिरमा जान्छौ यात्री (kun mandir maa janchau yatri)
कुन मन्दिरमा जाने हो ? (kun mandir ma jane ho)
कुन सामग्री पूजा गर्ने, (kun saamagri puja garne)
साथ कसोरी लाने हो ? (satha ksori laane ho)
= Which temple will you go, Piligrim?
Which temple will you visit?
Which entity will you worship,
(Also) How will you take it together?
.
मानिसहरुको काँध चढी (maanisharu ko kaadh chadhi)
कुन देवपुरीमा जाने हो ? (kun devpuri maa jaane ho)
हाडहरुका सुन्दर खम्बा (haad haru ka sundar khanba)
मांस पिण्डका दीवार! (mangsa pinda kaa diwaar)
= By riding people’s shoulders,
Which God’s city will you visit?
The beautiful pillars (made) of Bone,
The walls of the Human body!
.
मस्तिष्कको यो सुनको छाना, (mastishka ko yo sun ko chana)
इन्द्रियहरुका द्वार! (indriya haru ka dwaar)
नसा नदीका तरल तरङ्ग, (nasa nadi kaa taral taranga)
मन्दिर आफु अपार ! (mandir aafu apaar)
= This golden roof of the encephalon [brain],
(contains) the doorways of the Sense Organs!
The waves of the vein-river [Here, veins are like rivers]
A temple itself (just) unbounded [uncrossable]!
.
कुन मन्दिरमा जान्छौ यात्री, (kun mandir ma janchau yatri)
कुन मन्दिरको द्वार ? (kun mandir ko dwaar)
मनको सुन्दर सिंहासनमा (man ko sundar sanghasan ma)
जगदीश्वरको राज! (jagadishwar ko raaj)
= Which Temple will you go, Piligrim?
Which temple’s door?
In The beautiful throne of the heart,
The Lord reigns!
.
चेतनको यो ज्योति हिरण्मय (chetana ko yo jyoti hiranmaya)
उसको शिरको ताज! (usko sir ko taaj)
शरीरको यो सुन्दर मन्दिर, (sarir ko yo sundar mandir)
विश्वक्षेत्रको माझ! (bishwa chetra ko maajh)
= These Diamond-filled Rays [of light]
(is) The crown of his head!
This beautiful Temple of the body
(is) Amongst the area (available in) the world
.
भित्र छ ईश्वर बाहिर आँखा (bhitra cha ishwar bahira aakha)
खोजी हिँड्छौं कुन पुर? (khoji hidchau kun pur)
ईश्वर बस्तछ गहिराइमा (ishwar bastacha gahirai ma)
सतह बहन्छौ कति दूर? (sataha bahanchau kati dur)
= The Lord is inside, the eye outside
Which city will you tread to (do your) search?
The Lord stays deep inside [In the depths],
How far will you tread the surface (anyways)?
.
खोजी गर्छौ? हृदय लगाऊ, (khoji garchau? Hridaya lagaau)
बत्ती बाली तेज प्रचुर? (batti baali tej parchur)
साथी यात्री बीच सडकमा (sathi yatri bich sadak maa)
ईश्वर हिँड्दछ साथ, (ishwar hidcha saath)
= Will you keep Searching? Wearing the heart {Being dedicated},
Abundant brightness By lighting lights {diyo}?
My friend, the traveller! (Don’t you know that) On the road,
God walks along (with you)
.
चुम्दछ ईश्वर काम सुनौला (chumdacha ishwar kaam sunaula)
गरीरहेको हात, (gariraheko haat)
छुन्छ तिलस्मी करले उसले, (chuncha tilasmi kara le usle)
सेवकहरुको साथ। (sewak haru ko saath)
= The Lord kisses
The hands that do golden work
He touches (others) with his magical [mystical] hands
Along with the doer (of the good work)
.
सडक किनारा गाउँछ ईश्वर, (sadak kinara gaaucha ishwar)
चराहरुको तानामा, (chara haru ko tana ma)
बोल्दछ ईश्वर मानिसहरुको (boldacha ishwar maanis haru ko)
पीडा, दु:खको गानामा (pidaa, dukha ko gana ma)
= In the corners of the streets, God sings
In the tune of the birds,
(likewise) The Lord speaks of Human Being’s
Pain and Sorrow from songs
.
दर्शन किन्तु कही दिँदैन, (darshan kintu kahi didaina)
चर्मचक्षुले कानामा। (charmachaksu le kana ma)
कुन मन्दिरमा जाने यात्री, (kun mandir ma jane yatri)
कुन नवदेश बिरानामा? (kun nawadesh birana ma)
= He blesses nowhere else,
(and) Charmachaksu (says it) in the ears*
Which Temple will you go, Piligrim?
Which new country’s unknown place?
.
फर्क फर्क हे! जाऊ समाऊ, (pharka pharka he! Jau samaau)
मानिसहरुको पाउ! (manis haru ko paau)
मलम लगाऊ आर्तहरुको, (malam lagaau aarta haruto)
चहरारहेको घाउ, (chaharaareko ghau)
मानिसहरु भै - इश्वरको त्यो (mani haru bhai ishwar ko tyo )
दिव्य मुहार हसाउँ (dibya muhaar hasau)
= Return! Return! Go and hold
The feet of people!
Apply ointment to the injured,
To their bruised Wounds
By being human, make that god’s
Divine face smile
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VOCABULARY
मन्दिर (mandir) = Temple
यात्री (yatri) = Traveler; (here) Piligrim
सामग्री (samagri) = Item; Entity; Thing
कसोरी (kasori) = Variation of kasari (how)
काँध (kaadh) = Shoulder
देवपुरी (devpuri) = God’s City
हाड (had) = Bone
खम्बा (khamba) = Pillar
मांस (mangsa) = Flesh
पिण्ड (pinda) = Mass
दिवार (diwar) = Wall
मस्तिष्क (mastiska) = Brain
छाना (chana) = Roof
इन्द्रिय (indriya) = Sense Organ
द्वार (dwar) = Door
तरल (taral) = Liquid
अपार (apaar) = Uncrossable
सिंहासन (sinhasan) = Throne
जगदीश्वर (jagadiswar) = God; Omnipresent
राज (raaj) = Regime; Reign; Rule
चेतना (chetana) = Awareness
हिरण्मय (hiranmaya) = Diamond-Filled
शरीर (sharir) = Body
विश्वक्षेत्र (bishwakshetra) = World - Area
पुर (pur) = City
गहिराइ (gahirai) = Depth
सतह (sataha) = Surface
हृदय (hridaya) = Heart
तेज (tej) = Light
प्रचुर (prachur) = Abundant
सुनौला (sunaula) = Golden
तिलस्मी (tilasmi) = Magical; Mystical; Divine
कर (kar) = (here) Hand
सेवक (sewak) = One who serves
ताना (tana) = Song; Voice; Rhythm
पीडा (pida) = Pain
चर्मचक्षु (charmachakshu) = The 'sense-organ’ that sees the subjects on the physical surface
काना (kana) = Ear
नवदेश (navadesh) = New Country (nava= New)
बिराना (birana) = Alienated; Unknown
पाउ (pau) = Feet
मलम (malam) = Ointment
आर्त (aarta) = Those in pain/ Hurt
घाउ (ghau) = Wound
दिव्य (divya) = Light-filled; (used as divine face)
मुहार (muhar) = Face
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MEANING
Short: The only way to make god happy is by helping those in need, not by worshipping him.
Long: Here, the poet is asking which temple the pilgrim will visit to worship which entity. He asks about the pilgrim’s motives when he visits the pilgrimage site riding on people’s shoulders. He then says that the human body itself is a temple, the bones being the pillars, the flesh being the wallas and the brain being the golden roof housing the doorways of the sense organs. He then says that God doesn’t reside in temples, but in the heart, where he reigns. The rays of light emerging from his crown shines like a diamond. The human body is also a temple, amongst the world. God is within everywhere, it is just that our eyes are outside and we cannot see him inside, so it is futile to search various cities in search of him. Lighting hundreds of lights is useless, for god walks along with us. The god kisses the hands that do good work, and God speaks with us in the voices of the birds and the songs of pain. Rather put ointment in the bruised, injured people’s hands than worship Idols of God, for God will be the happiest if we do that. God wants you to help the needy people, for that is the best form of worship, rather than going to various Churches and Temples and offering prayer there. By doing good, you will bring a smile to his divine face. He doesn’t need to be worshipped, for serving people itself is the greatest worship.
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QUESTION
How can we make god Happy?
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NOTE
* Non-literal translation
