जसोदा हरि पालनैं झुलावै।
हलरावै दुलराइ मल्हावै जोइ-जोइ कछु गावै॥
मेरे लाल कौं आउ निंदरिया काहैं न आनि सुवावै।
तू काहैं नहिं बेगहिं आवै तोकौं कान्ह बुलावै॥
कबहुँ पलक हरि मूँदि लेत हैं कबहुँ अधर फरकावै।
सोवत जानि मौन ह्वै कै रहि करि-करि सैन बतावै॥
इहिं अंतर अकुलाइ उठे हरि जसुमति मधुरैं गावै।
जो सुख सूर अमर-मुनि दुरलभ सो नँद-भामिनि पावै॥
Jasoda Hari palnain jhulavai,
halravai dulrai malhavai joi-joi kachhu gavai.
Mere lal kaun au nindariya kahain na ani suvavai,
tu kahain nahin begahin avai tokaun Kanh bulavai.
Kabahun palak Hari mundi let hain kabahun adhar pharkavai,
sovat jani maun hvai kai rahi kari-kari sain batavai.
Ihin antar akulai uthe Hari Jasumati madhurain gavai,
jo sukh Sur amar-muni duralabh so Nand-bhamini pavai.
Meaning
Yashoda rocks Hari in the cradle. She swings him, pets him, coos over him and sings whatever comes to her.
“Come, sleep, to my darling! Why don’t you come and put him to sleep? Why don’t you hurry? Kanha is calling you.”
Sometimes Hari closes his eyelids, sometimes his lips quiver. Thinking he is asleep she falls silent and makes signs to the others to keep quiet.
Just then Hari stirs and wakes, restless, and Yashoda begins to sing sweetly again. Sur says: the joy that is rare even for devas and munis, Nanda’s wife has.
About this bhajan
A lullaby that is also a scene: the mother calling sleep by name, the baby’s eyelids drooping, the silent hand signals to the household, then the sudden waking and the song starting over. On Janmashtami night, after the midnight birth, Pushti Marg temples and many homes place Bal Gopal in a decorated palna and sing this pada as they rock it. Every mother who has sung a child to sleep knows each line.
Sursagar, Dasham Skandh (balleela), raga Dhanashri; text as on Kavita Kosh