Song of the Sanyasin Bold
Wake
up the note! the song that had its birth
Far
off, where worldly taint could never reach,
In
mountain caves and glades of forest deep,
Whose
calm no sigh for lust or wealth or fame
Could
ever dare to break; where rolled the stream
Of
knowledge, truth, and bliss that follows both.
Sing
high that note, Sannyasin bold! Say–
“Om
Tat Sat, Om!”
Strike
off thy fetters! Bonds that bind thee down,
Of
shining gold, or darker, baser ore;
Love-hate, good-bad and all the dual throng,
Know,
slave is slave, caressed or whipped, not free;
For
fetters, though of gold, are not less strong to bind;
Then
off with them, Sannyasin bold! Say–
“Om
Tat Sat, Om!”
Let
darkness go; the will-o’-the-wisp that leads
With
blinking light to pile more gloom on gloom.
This
thirst for life, for ever quench; it drags
From
birth to death, and death to birth, the soul.
He
conquers all who conquers self. Know this
And
never yield, Sannyasin bold! Say–
“Om
Tat Sat, Om!”
“Who
sows must reap,” they say, “and cause must bring
The
sure effect; good, good; bad, bad; and none
Escape
the law. But whoso wears a form
Must
wear the chain.” Too true; but far beyond
Both
name and form is Atman, ever free.
Know
thou art That, Sannyasin bold! Say–
“Om
Tat Sat, Om! ”
They
know not truth who dream such vacant dreams
As
father, mother, children, wife, and friend.
The
sexless Self! whose father He? whose child?
Whose
friend, whose foe is He who is but One?
The
Self is all in all, none else exists;
And
thou art That, Sannyasin bold! Say–
“Om
Tat Sat, Om!”
There
is but One–The Free–The Knower–Self!
Without
a name, without a form or stain.
In
Him is Maya dreaming all this dream.
The
witness, He appears as nature, soul.
Know
thou art That, Sannyasin bold! Say–
“Om
Tat Sat, Om!”
Where
seekest thou? That freedom, friend, this world
Nor
that can give. In books and temples vain
Thy
search. Thine only is the hand that holds
The
rope that drags thee on. Then cease lament,
Let
go thy hold, Sannyasin bold! Say–
“Om
Tat Sat, Om!”
Say,
“Peace to all: From me no danger be
To
aught that lives. In those that dwell on high.
In
those that lowly creep, I am the Self in all!
All
life both here and there, do I renounce,
All
heavens and earths and hells, all hopes and fears.”
Thus
cut thy bonds, Sannyasin bold! Say–
“Om
Tat Sat, Om!”
Heed
then no more how body lives or goes,
Its
task is done. Let Karma float it down;
Let
one put garlands on, another kick
This
frame; say naught. No praise or blame can be
Where
praiser praised, and blamer blamed are one.
Thus
be thou calm, Sannyasin bold! Say–
“Om
Tat Sat, Om!”
Truth
never comes where lust and fame and greed
Of
gain reside. No man who thinks of woman
As
his wife can ever perfect be;
Nor
he who owns the least of things, nor he
Whom
anger chains, can ever pass thro’ Maya’s gates.
So,
give these up, Sannyasin bold! Say–
“Om
Tat Sat, Om!”
Have
thou no home. What home can hold thee, friend?
The
sky thy roof, the grass thy bed; and food
What
chance may bring, well cooked or ill, judge not.
No
food or drink can taint that noble Self
Which
knows Itself. Like rolling river free
Thou
ever be, Sannyasin bold! Say–
“Om
Tat Sat, Om!”
Few
only know the truth. The rest will hate
And
laugh at thee, great one; but pay no heed.
Go
thou, the free, from place to place, and help
Them
out of darkness, Maya’s veil. Without
The
fear of pain or search for pleasure, go
Beyond
them both, Sannyasin bold! Say–
“Om
Tat Sat, Om!”
Thus,
day by day, till Karma’s powers spent
Release
the soul for ever. No more is birth,
Nor
I, nor thou, nor God, nor man. The “I”
Has
All become, the All is “I” and Bliss.
Know
thou art That, Sannyasin bold! Say–
“Om
Tat Sat, Om!”
(CW.
Vol.4, Page-392)
