SPEAK OUT, MIND

Speak the truth, O Mind!

and tell me straight;

Is supreme joy to be found

in worldly wealth

or in rendering service

to Lord Rama?

Is taste to be found

in curd, butter and milk,

or in meditating upon

and singing the praise

of Dasaratha’s son?

Is supreme joy to be found

in immersing yourself

in the holy Ganges

of sense-control and serenity,

or in wallowing in the mire

of worldly pleasures?

Is supreme joy to be found

in extolling humans

bound by Ego

or in chanting the glory

of the Deity

who is worshipped

by the simple-hearted

Thiagarajan?

[Telugu Kirtan by Sant THIAGARAJA of Tiruvaiyaru (1767 - 1847) rendered into English by Sage TGN]