Shri Krishna

Manus Haun To Vahi Raskhan

मानुस हौं तो वही रसखान, बसौं मिलि गोकुल गाँव के ग्वारन।
जो पसु हौं तो कहा बस मेरो, चरौं नित नंद की धेनु मँझारन॥
पाहन हौं तो वही गिरि को, जो धर्यो कर छत्र पुरंदर धारन।
जो खग हौं तो बसेरो करौं मिलि कालिंदीकूल कदंब की डारन॥

या लकुटी अरु कामरिया पर, राज तिहूँ पुर को तजि डारौं।
आठहुँ सिद्धि नवों निधि को सुख, नंद की धेनु चराय बिसारौं॥
रसखान कबौं इन आँखिन सों, ब्रज के बन बाग तड़ाग निहारौं।
कोटिक हू कलधौत के धाम, करील के कुंजन ऊपर वारौं॥

Meaning

If I am born a man, says Raskhan, let me live among the cowherds of Gokul village. If I am born an animal, though I have no say in it, let me graze every day among Nanda’s cows. If a stone, let it be from that mountain which the Lord held up like an umbrella against Indra’s flood. If a bird, let me nest on the branches of the kadamb on the Yamuna’s bank.

For this stick and this small blanket of the cowherd, I would give up the kingdom of the three worlds. Grazing Nanda’s cows, I would forget the joys of the eight siddhis and nine nidhis. When, says Raskhan, will these eyes see the forests, gardens and ponds of Braj? I would give up millions of golden palaces for the thorny karil bowers of Braj.

About this bhajan

Raskhan was born into a Pathan family and gave his heart so fully to Krishna that, in the account of the “Do Sau Bavan Vaishnavan ki Varta”, he became a disciple of Goswami Vitthalnath in the Pushti Marg and lived out his life in Braj. These two savaiyas ask for nothing but to belong to Braj in any form, man, cow, stone or bird. His samadhi stands at Mahavan near Gokul.

Sujan Raskhan, savaiyas; text as on Kavita Kosh