Payoji Maine Ram Ratan Dhan Payo
Meera Bai
This bhajan celebrates Shri Ram's name as wealth that no thief can take and no spending can exhaust. Sung in daily worship and bhajan gatherings, it gives thanks for the Guru's kindness and rejoices in a treasure that keeps growing.
Full lyrics
पायो जी मैंने राम रतन धन पायो॥
Payo ji maine Ram ratan dhan payo.
Also sung as 'Payo ji main to Ram ratan dhan payo' or 'Payo ji mhe to'.
वस्तु अमोलक दी मेरे सतगुरु, किरपा कर अपनायो॥१॥
Vastu amolak di mere satguru, kirpa kar apnayo.
Some versions sing 'Di mhare satguru'.
जनम जनम की पूँजी पाई, जग में सभी खोवायो॥२॥
Janam janam ki poonji payi, jag mein sabhi khovayo.
खरचै नहिं कोई चोर न लेवै, दिन दिन बढ़त सवायो॥३॥
Kharachai nahin koi chor na levai, din din badhat savayo.
Often sung as 'Kharach na khootai chor na lootai'.
सत की नाव खेवटिया सतगुरु, भवसागर तर आयो॥४॥
Sat ki naav khevatiya satguru, bhavsagar tar aayo.
मीरा के प्रभु गिरधर नागर, हरख हरख जस गायो॥५॥
Meera ke Prabhu Giridhar Nagar, harakh harakh jas gayo.
Also sung as 'Harash harash jas gayo'.
Meaning, verse by verse
पायो जी मैंने राम रतन धन पायो॥
I have received the jewel of Shri Ram's name. This is the wealth I rejoice in.
वस्तु अमोलक दी मेरे सतगुरु, किरपा कर अपनायो॥१॥
My true Guru has given me this priceless treasure. With compassion, the Guru has accepted me.
जनम जनम की पूँजी पाई, जग में सभी खोवायो॥२॥
I have gained the spiritual wealth of many lifetimes. All that I had gathered in the world has been lost.
खरचै नहिं कोई चोर न लेवै, दिन दिन बढ़त सवायो॥३॥
No spending can exhaust this wealth, and no thief can take it. It keeps growing, day after day.
सत की नाव खेवटिया सतगुरु, भवसागर तर आयो॥४॥
Truth is the boat, and the true Guru steers it. With this support, I have crossed the ocean of worldly existence.
मीरा के प्रभु गिरधर नागर, हरख हरख जस गायो॥५॥
Meera sings the glory of her Lord, Giridhar Nagar, with great joy.
About this hymn
This pad is attributed to Meera Bai and appears as pad 287 in Meera Brihat Padavali, with Asa/Mand as its raag designation. The Belvedere Shabdavali has a closely agreeing text. Meera Bai's songs have passed through oral singing and manuscripts, so their wording varies. Sing the opening as the refrain between the verses. Meera Brihat Padavali also contains a different pad, numbered 529, with a similar opening. It should be read separately.
The story behind it
Goswami Tulsidas also praises the Name in Ramcharitmanas: रूप बिसेष नाम बिनु जानें। करतल गत न परहिं पहिचानें॥ सुमिरिअ नाम रूप बिनु देखें। आवत हृदयँ सनेह बिसेषें॥३॥ (Ramcharitmanas, Bal Kand, chaupai 3 before doha 21.)
Without knowing its name, we may fail to recognise even a form held in our hand. When we remember the Lord's name without having seen His form, that form comes into the heart with special love. Tulsidas describes the bond between name and form. The bhajan expresses the joy of receiving the Name.
What it teaches
The hymn calls the Lord's Name a wealth that no thief can take and that grows each day. Money can be stolen or spent. Remembering Shri Ram does not use up His Name, and singing it with others leaves us with no less of it. This wealth needs no locked door. As we return to the Name, our love for the Lord has room to grow, even in the midst of the work and concerns of an ordinary day.
Meera Bai gives thanks for the Guru's grace. The joy of receiving this treasure leads her to sing the Lord's praise. We may sing with a distracted mind or feel little devotion on some days. There is no need to force a feeling. Today, we might sing the refrain once, slowly, letting Shri Ram's name hold our attention for a few moments. If the mind wanders, we can gently return to His Name.
Questions people ask
What does Payoji Maine Ram Ratan Dhan Payo mean?
It means, "I have received the jewel of Shri Ram's name as my wealth."
Who wrote Payoji Maine Ram Ratan Dhan Payo?
The pad is traditionally attributed to Meera Bai. This attribution should not be treated as certain authorship.
When can I recite Payoji Maine Ram Ratan Dhan Payo?
You can sing it during daily worship, with others in a bhajan gathering, or whenever you wish to remember the Lord.
What are the devotional benefits of singing this bhajan?
The bhajan invites gratitude for the Guru's grace and love for the Lord's name. It offers words with which to remember Shri Ram while we pray or do our daily work.
Where do the words of Payoji Maine Ram Ratan Dhan Payo come from?
This bhajan belongs to the devotional song tradition associated with Meera Bai. It is separate from Ramcharitmanas. The familiar sung wording "खरच न खूटै चोर न लूटै" varies from "खरचै नहिं कोई चोर न लेवै" in the printed pad.
Also written as: Payoji Maine Ram Ratan Dhan Payo · Payo Ji Maine Ram Ratan Dhan Payo · Payo Ji Main To Ram Ratan Dhan Payo · Paayo Ji Maine Ram Ratan Dhan Paayo · Ram Ratan Dhan Payo Meera Bhajan · पायो जी मैंने राम रतन धन पायो · पायो जी मैं तो राम रतन धन पायो · पायो जी म्हे तो राम रतन धन पायो
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