Vaishnava Jan To (The True Devotee of God)
The immortal 15th-century Gujarati hymn composed by saint-poet Narsinh Mehta, revered globally as Mahatma Gandhi's favourite prayer and an anthem of compassionate humanity.
Verses
Call him alone a true devotee of God who feels the pain and suffering of another as his own; who serves those in distress, yet lets no pride or conceit enter his mind.
Verse 1
He bows in humble respect to everyone in the whole world and speaks ill of no one. Pure and steadfast in speech, conduct, and mind—blessed indeed is the mother who gave him birth!
Verse 2
He views all with an equal eye, having renounced selfish cravings; he regards another's wife as his own mother. His tongue utters no falsehood, and his hands never grasp the wealth of another.
Verse 3
Whom delusion and worldly illusion cannot ensnare, in whose heart firm dispassion abides; who is deeply absorbed in communion with the Name of God—all the sacred pilgrim shrines reside within his very body!
Verse 4
Free from greed and devoid of deceit, having conquered lust and anger—says Narsinh, the mere vision of such a person redeems seventy-one generations of one's lineage!
Verse 5
Worship Guidelines & Chanting Benefits (Phalashruti)
PhalashrutiDaily or auspicious lunar days (Ekadashi, Purnima, Pradosham)
Brahma Muhurta (4:00 AM – 6:00 AM) or Evening Dusk (Sandhya)
Ghee lamp (Deepa), Incense (Dhoopa), Fresh flowers & Water offering
- Peace of mind, spiritual upliftment, and harmonious energy in the home
Background
Composed by the pioneer of Gujarati literature, saint-poet Narsinh Mehta (1414–1481 CE), 'Vaishnava Jan To' revolutionised the definition of spirituality. Rather than measuring piety by ascetic rituals, pilgrimages, or outward sectarian marks, Narsinh declared that a true Vaishnava (devotee of God) is recognized solely by inner ethical purity: one who deeply feels the suffering of another (peed parayi jane), renders selfless help without pride, speaks no untruth, desires no other's wealth, and views all women with the respect due to a mother. In the 20th century, Mahatma Gandhi made it the core morning anthem at his Sabarmati and Sevagram ashrams, inspiring the Indian independence and nonviolent civil rights movements worldwide. Its portrait of the true devotee echoes the Bhagavad Gita (12.13–19), where the Lord's beloved devotee is free of malice, compassionate, and even-minded in pleasure and pain.
About this Text
Composed by: Narsinh Mehta
Source: wisdomlib.org
More from Vishishtadvaita (Sri Vaishnavism)
Did You Know?
Mahatma Gandhi's Daily Anthem
This 15th-century song became the spiritual heartbeat of the Indian freedom movement, sung every morning during prayers at Gandhi's Sabarmati and Sevagram ashrams.
Radical Moral Definition
Rejecting sectarian caste markings and empty rituals, Narsinh Mehta defines a devotee (Vaishnava) solely through ethical conduct—empathy, humility, truthfulness, and self-restraint.
Empathy First
The opening line Peed parayi jane re ('one who feels the pain of another') coined one of the most enduring maxims of compassion in Indian literature.
All Shrines Within the Body
Verse 4 proclaims that for a soul free of greed and attached to the Divine Name, all holy pilgrim shrines (sakala teeratha) abide right inside their own body.
Seventy-One Generations Redeemed
The closing signature verse affirms that the mere sight and company of such a noble soul purifies and redeems seventy-one generations of their ancestral lineage.
Vishnu
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