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Srila Bhaktivinode
Thakura Page
A garland of 80 Bengali Songs
Composed in 1893
translation by Dasaratha-suta dasa
published by
SRI GAURANGA QUINCENTENNIAL SERIES
TABLE OF CONTENTS
GITAMALA (A GARLAND OF SONGS)
by Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura
INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
CHAPTER ONE:
"YAMUNA-BHAVAVALI"
The Series of Ecstasies of Sri Yamunacarya, as exhibited in
his prayer "Stotra-ratna".
"SANTA-DASYA-BHAKTI-SADHANA-LALASA"
Eager longing for the performance of devotional service in
the mellow of neutrality and servitude. . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . -27 songs -
CHAPTER TWO:
"KARPANYA-PANJIKA"
Diary of Humble Selfishness for service.
or "VIJNAPTI-NIVEDANA"
Prayer of Solicitation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -46
verse poem-
CHAPTER THREE:
"SOKA-SANATANA" - "SRI-GAURANGA-LILA-CARITA"
The dispelling of Lamentation in His Transcendental
Pastimes.
13 song describing the death of Srivasa Pandita's son during
the performance of kirtana one night.
CHAPTER FOUR:
"SRI SRI RUPANUGA-BHAJANA-DARPANA"
A Mirror Reflecting the Worship Which Follows in the
Footsteps or Srila Rupa Gosvami. . . . .. . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . -29 songs-
CHAPTER FIVE:
"SIDDHI-LALASA"
Intense Eager Longing for the Highest Spiritual Perfection.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-
10 songs-
INTRODUCTION
The unlimited merciful kindness of His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of
the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, has
come down on all of us to allow this publication of Gita-
mala by Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura.
Srila Prabhupada writes in his foreword to "The Songs
of the Vaisnava Acaryas: "...I am greatly pleased to see
this collection of songs composed by Thakura Bhaktivinoda,
Narottama dasa, and other great acaryas of the Gaudiya
Vaisnava sampradaya. Songs composed by the acaryas are not
ordinary songs. When chanted by pure Vaisnavas who follow
the rules and regulations of Vaisnava character, they are
actually effective in awakening the Krsna consciousness
dormant in every living entity. I have advised Sriman
Acyutananda Svami to sing more songs of the Vaisnava
padavali and record them in books so that my disciples and
others in the Western countries may take advantage of this
chanting and thus advance in Krsna consciousness more and
more...We should always remember the danger of maya's
influence and endeavor to save ourselves from her great
power. We must therefore always merge in the transcendental
mellow of kirtana-rasa, for kirtana-rasa is the safest
situation within this material world. Hare Krsna."
So now we are pleased to announce the continuation of
the mellows of kirtana-rasa with the present publication of
Gita-mala, for the pleasure of His Divine Grace Srila
Prabhupada. So far in English we have "The Songs of the
Vaisnava Acaryas", a collection of the most important songs
of different acaryas, and the Bala Books publication of
Bhaktivinoda's Sarangati and Gitavali together in one
volume.
This Gita-mala was composed by Thakura Bhaktivinoda in
1893, the same year as Sarangati and Gitavali. The word
"gitavali" means "a series of songs", which indicates that
the book is a collection of songs of various topics. But the
word "gita-mala" means "a rosary or garland of songs", which
indicates more subtly that it is a connected sting of songs
which are interrelated. So this entire book Gita-mala, from
beginning to end, is all one unit meant o delineate a clean-
cut path of devotional service which progressively (and
quickly!) develops from the most basic moods of devotion
right on up to the topmost ecstasies of the most exalted
pure devotees. The book is like a miniature atom bomb which,
although easily held in the palm of the hand, causes a
tremendous explosion of transcendental bliss which totally
devastates the reader's material attachment to his own
mundane body, mind and words.
Gita-mala contains, in a nutshell, the concentrated
essence of all the literatures of the Gosvamis headed by
Rupa and Raghunatha. The editors sincerely feel that the
study of Gita-mala has greatly helped in understanding the
grave statements contained within Srila Prabhupada's books,
which are themselves like an ever-expanding eternal ocean of
nectarine bliss. Thus one can find each word of each
sentence in Srila Prabhupada's books to be ever-increasingly
pregnant with newer, fresh meanings, which one might not
have previously realized.
BASIC OUTLINE OF GITAMALA
Gita-mala develops systematically, beginning with
"Yamuna-bhavavali", a series of mellow yet directly ecstatic
potent songs based on the primary devotional mood of eternal
servitude and submission to the Lord
Then "karpanya-panjika" injects a very heavy booster
shot of topmost divine seva to Sri Sri Radha and Krishna,
accompanied by very intense pleading prayers borne of pure
spiritual humility.
Then "Soka-satana" bestows the merciful benediction of
the Most Merciful incarnation and yuga-avatara, Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, Whose ecstatic lila depicted therein is
especially meant to dispel all the sufferings of the kali-
yuga victims. Without such mercy from Lord Caitanya, one
cannot fully appreciate or enter into the final goal of
confidential personal service to Radha and Krsna which was
described in the previous chapter.
Then "Rupanuga-bhajana-darpana" presents the complete
detailed science of the transcendental rasa-tattva that
permeates Krsna's eternal divine pastimes, as it is
understood by those who strictly follow Srila Rupa Gosvami.
It is based on Rupa Gosvamis's Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu and
Ujjvala-nilamani. Although very technical at times, a
sincere study of it will crack open a whole new world of
understanding of Srila Prabhupada's most exquisite,
transcendentally delightful presentation of The Nectar of
Devotion. Rupanuga-bhajana-darpana contains, in a nutshell,
all the necessary details of the science of devotion
beginning from the preliminary thirsty greed for rasa all
the way up to the highest peaks of mahabhava which saturate
the Lord's eternal daily asta-kaliya pastimes.
Then the final chapter called "Siddhi-lalasa" presents
the final moods of the topmost swan-like devotees. After a
thorough study of all the details of the science of rasa,
the crystal-clear hearts of the pure devotees then issue
forth such pure desires for eternal service to Srimati
Radharani in their transcendental siddha-deha, or spiritual
body, such as those desires expressed in this chapter of
Siddhi-lalasa, the last word in ultimate ecstatic beatitude.
So, from the very beginning to the very end, Gita-mala
forcibly captures one with all it's delightful charms and
pulls one's eyes open to witness an ecstatic preview of our
final goal in Goloka Vrndavana, which definitely changes the
life of the reader for the better. The Sincere follower can
imbibe such permanent convictions that he will finally be
finished with petty material attachments and sense
gratification for good, and he will only increase his daily
appreciation of the wonderful gifts that Srila Prabhupada
has so kindly given to us. It was Prabhupada's expressed
desire that more songs and books of the Vaisnava padavali be
presented in English, "...so that my disciples and others in
the Western countries may take advantage of this chanting
and thus advance in Krsna consciousness more and more..."
Therefore we pray with all the humility at our command that
this insignificant attempt to invoke the blessings of Srila
Bhaktivinoda Thakura upon us.
We pray that if the Vaisnavas will be merciful to
allow us to serve Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu on this auspicious
occasion of His 500th anniversary, then future volumes of
the Quincentennary Series may be brought out, including the
complete works of Narottama dasa Thakura and other great
acaryas, who all eternally accompany Lord Caitanya as He
continuously benedicts all the universes with swelling
floods of free Krsna-prema. Haribol.
Dasaratha-suta dasa
GITAMALA
CHAPTER ONE
YAMUNA- BHAVAVALI
(The Ecstasies of Sri Yamunacarya
--- 27 songs ---
INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTER ONE
YAMUNA-BHAVAVALI
In this first chapter of Gita-mala, Thakura
Bhaktivinoda has composed all the songs based on Sanskrit
verses from the book "Strota-ratna", which was written by
Yamunacarya, a previous acarya coming in the line of the Sri
sampradaya. The original Stotra-ratna contains 62 slokas,
and Bhaktivinoda Thakura has selected 27 of the most
important ones and expanded them into Bengali verses.
These 27 songs specifically show the function of the
subordinate ecstasies of neutrality and sevitude as being
inseparably interwoven and contained in the superior ecstasy
of conjugal love exspressed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
The following chart shows how the songs correspond to
the original slokas of Trotra-ratna. The titles of the songs
are not part of the original text, but are added in this
publication as an index to the topics of the songs.
1) -Stotra-ratna 3- The glories of the Lord's lotus feet
2) -S.r. 7- The power of the Lord's glance
3) -S.r. 12- The importance of the scriptures
4) -S.r. 13- The Lord's transcendental position
5) -S.r. 15- The Lord's qualities
6) -S.r. 17- The Lord's pastimes
7) -S.r. 18- The liberated mind can see the Lord
8) -S.r. 19- The conditioned soul's fallen position
9) -S.r. 20- The sinful soul is fist for punishment
10) -S.r. 21- The ocean of nescience
11) -S.r. 23- Exclusively dependent shelter of the Lord
12) -S.r. 24- The nectar of the Lord's lotus feet
13) -S.r. 25- A glimpse of His lotus feet
14) -S.r. 26- The effect of one drop of His lotus feet
nectar-ocean
15) -S.r. 27- The self cheated soul
16) -S.r. 43- The soul's position of eternal service
17) -S.r. 45- His lotus feet are the only refuge
18) -S.r. 46- The power of ignorance
19) -S.r. 47- The meaning of "the most merciful Lord"
(Doyamoy)
20) -S.r. 48- Natural eternal surrender
21) -S.r. 49- Surrender transcends bodily designation
22) -S.r. 52- Prayer for the association of devotees
23) -S.r. 53- The qualities of the pure devotee
24) -S.r. 54- Prayer for natural eternal service
25) -S.r. 55- The mood of self-surrender
26) -S.r. 57- Relative positions of the Master and the
servant
27) -S.r. 59- The last hope for deliverance
Song 1 The Glories of the Lord's
Lotus Feet
(1)
hari he!
ohe prabhu doyamoy, tomar carana-dwaya,
sruti-siropari sobha pay
guru-jana-sire punah, sobha pay sata guna
dekhi amar parana juray
Oh my Lord, oh most compassionate Personality! Your two
divine lotus feet are beautifully decorating the summit of
all the scriptures. And when those lotus feet in turn
decorate the heads of all the spiritual masters coming in
the disciplic succession, then their beauty and splendor
increases hundred fold. Seeing this truth, my heart has
become fully satisfied.
(2)
jibamano-ratha-patha tanhi saba anugata,
jiba-banca-kalpa-taru jatha
jiber se kula-dhana, ati pujya sanatana,
jiber carama gati tatha
The desires of all the jiva souls are actually following the
path which leads them to Your beautiful lotus feet, which
are just purpose-trees as much as they bestow the
fulfillment of the most cherished desires of all these
souls. Indeed, Your feet are just like the very wealth of
the dynasty of jivas, and they are the most revered object
of worship for all of ;time to come. Thus they are the
ultimate goal and refuge of all souls.
(3)
kamalaksa-pada-dvoy, parama ananda-moy,
niskapate sebiya satata
e bhaktibinoda cay, satata tusite tay,
bhakta-janer ho'ye anugata
The divine lotus feet of the lotus-eyed Lord, are abounding
in supreme spiritual bliss. Sincerely serving those divine
feet continuously, Bhaktivinoda wants to satisfy them by
remaining as a humble follower of the devotees of the Lord.
Song 2 The Power of the Lord's Glance
(1)
hari he!
tomar iksane hoy, sakala utpatti loy,
catur-dasa bhuvanete jata
jara jiba adi kori', tomar krpaya hari,
labhe janma, ara ko'bo kota
Oh my dear Lord Hari! Merely by Your glance, all creations
throughout the fourteen worlds come into being. By Your
mercy alone, oh Lord, all souls take their birth within this
world of matter. What more can I say than this?
(2)
tahader brtti jata, tomar iksane swatah,
janme, prabhu tumi sarveswara
sakala jantura tumi, swabhavika nitya-swami,
su-hrin mitra praner iswara
When You cast Your glance, then automatically all the souls
awaken into their own different natures, propensities and
activities. Thus You, my dear Lord, are the only Master and
Controller of all. You are by nature the eternal Master of
all living beings, and You are thereby the dearest friend
and Lord of everyone's heart.
(3)
e bhaktibinoda koy, suno, prabhu doyamoy,
bhakta-prati batsalya tomar
naisargika dharma hoy, aupadhika kabhu noy,
dase doya hoiya udar
Now Bhaktivinoda says, please hear me, oh munificent Lord!
The loving affection You show towards Your own devotees is
most natural and eternal. It can never be classified as
being of a temporary, designative nature. Thus, the kindness
You show to Your own eternal servants is most liberal and
magnanimous.
Song 3 The Importance of the
Sriptures
(1)
hari he!
paratattwa bicaksana, vyasa adi muni-gana
sastra bicariya bar bar
prabhu taba nitya-rupa, guna-sila anurupa
tomar caritra sudha-sar
(2)
suddha-sattva-mayi lila mukhya-sastre prakasila,
jiber kusala su-bidhane
rajas-tamo-guna-andha, asura-prakrti manda-
jane taha bujhite na jane
Oh my Lord! All the great sages headed by Srila Vyasadeva
are most experienced and wise regarding the transcendental
truth. This is because they discuss and deliberate on the
revealed scriptures again and again. Thereby they help to
manifest these sacred literatures which reveal Your eternal
personal form abounding in all virtuous qualities, Your
divine character which is the very essence of ambrosial
nectar as well as Your eternal pastimes of pure
transcendental goodness.These principle scriptures thus
prescribe the path of auspicious well-being for all souls.
However, those unfortunate souls who are blinded by the
material modes of passion and ignorance, who harbor the
nature of demons, and who are foolish and dull-minded cannot
possibly understand Your divine form or pastimes which are
described throughout all these scriptures.
(3)
nahi mane nitya-rupa, bhajiya manduka-kupa,
rahe tahe udasina pray
e bhaktibinoda gay, ki durdaiva haya hay,
hari-dasa hari nahi pay
Those who live in this universe but are not interested in
Your eternal form remain completely oblivious just like
ignorant frogs who live in a small, shallow well. Now
Bhaktivinoda sings, alas! What an unfortunate, sorry
situation has arisen here! For it seems that the eternal
servants of Hari have not become fixed up in the service of
their eternal Lord Hari.
Song 4 The Lord's Transcendental
Position
(1)
hari he!
jagater bastu jata, baddha saba
swabhavatah,
desa kala bastu simasraye
tupi prabhu sarveswara, naha sima-bidhi-para,
bidhi saba kampe taba bhoye
Oh my dear Lord Hari! All the things contained within this
universe are by nature conditioned and bound up by the
limits of material time, place and circumstances. But You,
dear Lord, are not subordinate to any such limitation or
even to scriptural injunctions. Indeed, all rules and
regulations are trembling in fear of Your Lordship.
(2)
sama ba adhika taba, svabhavatah asambhava,
bidhi langhi' taba abasthana
swatantra-swabhava dharo, apane gopana koro,
maya-bale kori' adhisthana
It is naturally impossible for any kind of law to be equal
to, or surpass Your Lordship, for Your transcendental
position naturally transgresses all rules and regulations.
You possess the Supremely independent nature, and thus You
reserve the right to conceal Yourself behind the powerful
curtain of maya.
(3)
tathapi ananya-bhakta, tomare dekhite sakta,
sada dekhe svarupa tomar
e bhaktibinoda dina, ananya-bhajana hina,
bhakta-pada-renu-matra sar
Despite this covering screen of maya's illusions, my dear
Lord, Your pure unalloyed devotees have the power to see
You. Indeed, wherever they turn their eyes, they see Your
original personal form there. However, this Bhaktivinoda is
very fallen and is completely bereft of unalloyed devotional
worship. But he has one hope... he has considered the dust
of Your devotees' feet to be the sole essence of his life.
Song 5 The Lord's Qualities
(1)
hari he!
tume sarva-guna-juta, sakti taba basibhuta,
badanya, sarala, suci, dhira
doyalu, madhura, sama, krti, sthira, sarvottama,
krta-jna-laksane punah bira
Oh my Lord Hari! You are invested with all good
qualities, for all energies are fully under Your control.
You are most magnanimous, simple and straightforward, clean,
patient, compassionate sweet, equal to all, successful,
peaceful, You are the best of all, most grateful and the
greatest hero.
(2)
samasta-kalyana-guna ganamrta
sambhavana,
samudra-svarupa bhagavan
bindu bindu guna taba, srva-jiba-su-
baibhava,
tumi purna sarva-saktiman
You are the origin of all immortal nectarine qualities
of auspiciousness, which are each as deep as the ocean, and
You are thus the Supreme possessor of all spiritual
opulences. All souls can each display a small drop from the
ocean of Your unlimited, complete qualities. Thus You are
the full, perfectly complete energetic source of all
potencies.
(3)
e bhaktibinoda char, krtanjali bar bar,
kore citta-katha bijnapana
taba dasa-gana-sange, taba lila-katha-range,
jay jena amar jibana
Now this most fallen Bhaktivinoda prays again and
again with folded hands, and humbly confesses all these
talks from his heart. Oh Lord, I am simply passing my life
absorbed in enjoying all these discussions about Your
transcendental pastimes in the company of Your loving
servitors.
Song 6 The Lord's Pastimes
(1)
hari he!
tomar gambhira mana, nahi bujhe anya jana,
sei mana anusari saba
jagat-udbhava-sthiti- pralaya-samsara-gati,
mukti adi saktir baibhava
Oh, my Lord Hari! Your mind is extremely grave, and
Your deep intentions cannot be understood by any other
person, although all living beings are unconsciously
following Your mind. The opulences of Your magnificent
potencies produce the creation, maintenance and ultimate
destruction of the material worlds, as well as provide for
liberation from these temporary abodes.
(2)
e saba baidika lila, icchamata prakasila,
jiber basana anusare
] tomate bimukha ho'ye, majilo abidya lo'ye,
sei jiba karma-parabare
These pastimes of creation, maintenance and
destruction are all described in the Vedic scripture. And
You have manifested it all according to Your own sweet will,
in order to fulfill the materialistic desires of certain
souls. When they become averse to You, they then become
drowned in the darkest ignorance within the ocean of
fruitive actions and reactions.
(3)
punah jadi bhakti kori', bhaje bhakta-
sanga dhori',
tabe paya tomar carana
antaranga-lila-rase, bhase maya na parase,
bhaktibinoder phire mana
However, if one again revives his devotional service
to You, and worships You in the association of Your
devotees, then he can attain Your lotus feet. Thus
Bhaktivinoda's mind has been changed back onto the path
towards You by floating in the mellows of Your confidential
pastimes, which maya is not able to touch.
Song 7 The Liberated Mind Can See the
Lord
(1)
hari he!
maya-baddha jataksana, thake to' jiber mana,
jara-majhe kore bicarana
paravyoma jnana-moy, tahe taba
sthiti hoy,
mana nahi pay dasarana
Oh my dear Lord Hari! So long as the minds of the
jivas are conditioned by maya, they simply wander about and
loiter within the world of dead matter. However, You are
permanently situated in the spiritual skies of Vaikuntha and
Goloka, which the material mind has no capacity for
perceiving at all.
(2)
bhakti-krpa-khargaghate, jara-bandha cheda
ta'te,
jay mana prakrtir par
tomar sundara rupa, here' taba
aparupa,
jara-bastu koroye dhikkar
By the causeless mercy of the sharp sword of pure
devotional service, all bondage to matter is severed, and
the mind can then travel far beyond the dull material
energy. Then, upon beholding Your wonderfully beautiful
form, one has no other choice but to condemn all inferior
things which are simply made of matter.
(3)
ananta bibhuti janra, jini doya-parabara,
sei prabhu jiber iswara
e bhaktibinoda dina, sada-suddha-bhakti-
hina
suddha-bhakti mage nirantara
Thus, by devotion one is enabled to see the Supreme
Lord Who is the Master of all souls, Who possesses unlimited
transcendental opulences, and Who is an ocean of compassion.
This most fallen Bhaktivinoda, who is always bereft of pure
devotional service, now begs ceaselessly for this type of
staunch, unalloyed devotion.
Song 8 The Soul's Fallen
Position
(1)
hari he!
dharma-nista nahi mor, atma bodha ba sundar,
bhakti nahi tomar carane
ataeva akincana, gati-hina
dusta-jana,
rata sada apana bancane
Oh my Lord Hari! I don't have the determination to
follow any kind of religious path, nor do I have any
realization of my real self, nor do I have any trace of
lovely devotion to Your lotus feet. Therefor, being
completely bereft of spiritual practices, this wicked,
aimless soul is always fond of cheating himself.
(2)
patita-pabana tumi, patita adhama
ami,
tumi mor eka matra gati
taba pada-mule painu, tomar sarana lainu,
ami dasa, tumi mor pati
Dear Lord, You are known as patita-pavana, the
rescuer of the most fallen, and I am one such fallen soul.
Therefore You are my only hope for deliverance. Now I have
achieved the soles of Your lotus feet, for I have taken
complete refuge in You alone; I am Your eternal servant, and
You are my eternal Master.
(3)
e bhaktibinoda kande, hrde dhairya nahi
bandhe,
bhumi pari bole atahpara
ahaituki krpa kori', ei dusta-jane, hari!
deho pada-chaya nirantare
Now Bhaktivinoda falls upon the ground, weeping
piteously, unable to maintain composure in his heart, and
says, Oh my Lord! Kindly favor this rogue with Your
causeless mercy, and give me the shade of Your lotus feet
forever and ever.
Song 9 The Sinful Soul Fit for
Punishment
(1)
hari he!
heno dusta karma nai, jaha ami kori nai,
sahasra sahasra-bara hari!
sei saba karma-phal, peye abasara bal,
amay pisiche jantropari
Oh my dear Lord Hari! There are not sinful activities
which I have not performed thousands upon thousands of
times! And by the fruits of all these sinful actions, I have
become robbed of all strength, being helplessly taken for an
excruciatingly painful ride on the machine of this material
world.
(2)
gati nahi dekhi ar, kande, hari, anibar,
tomar agrete ebe ami
ja' tomar hoy mane, danda deo akincane,
tumi mor danda-dhara swami
Seeing no other hope for deliverance in sight, I am
now continuously crying before You, my Lord. Please punish
Your insignificant servant as You see befitting, for You are
my Lord and ruling Master.
(3)
klesa-bhoga bhagye jata, bhoga mor hao
tata,
kintu ek mama nibedana
je je dasa bhoga ami, amake na charo swami,
bhaktibinoder prana-dhana
Whatever difficulty my destiny prescribes for me, I
will gladly undergo, but I have just one appeal to make to
You. My dear Lord, no matter what condition I must undergo,
please never gibe me up, for You are the only treasure of
Bhaktivinoda's life.
Song 10 The Ocean of Nescience
(1)
hari he
nija-karma-dosa-phale, pari' bhavarnava-jale
habudubu khai kotakal
santari' santari' jai, sindhu-anta nahi pai,
bhava-sindhu ananta bisal
Oh my dear Lord Hari! By the bad fruits of my past
evil activities, I have slipped and fallen into the waters
of the ocean of nescience, and I have been thus bobbing and
sinking beneath the waves for a very, very long time.
Swimming, I have not been able to reach the shore of this
ocean of material existence, faor it extends for an
unlimitedly vast distance.
(2)
magna hoiunu jabe, dakinu katara rabe,
keho more koroho uddhar
sei-kale aile tumi, tome jani kula bhumi,
asa-bija hoilo amar
Becoming completely submerged and drowned in this
ocean, I have loudly called out with a greatly distressed
voice for someone to come and rescue me. At that time You
came to me, oh Lord. Knowing that You are the safe shelter
at the shore of this fearful ocean has gien me a ray of
hope.
(3)
tumi hari doyamoy, paile more su-niscoy,
sarvottama doyar bisoy
tomake na chari ar, e bhaktibinoda char,
doya-patra paile doyamoy
You, dear Lord, are actually made of compassion. I am
completely convinced that You are the original source of the
highest form of causeless mercy. Noe this most fallen rascal
Bhaktivinoda won't reject You any more... for I, the
befitting object of causeless mercy, have attained the favor
of He Who abounds in causeless mercy.
Song 11 Exclusively Dependent Shelter of the
Lord
(1)
hari he!
anya asa nahi jar, taba pada-padma tar,
charibara jogya nahi hoy
taba padasraye natha, kore sei dinapata,
taba pade tahar abhoy
Oh my dear Lord Hari! He who spends his time under the
shelter of Your lotus feet, oh Lord, becomes completely
fearless. Indeed, he has no ability to neglect Your lotus
feet for he hasn't a pinch of desire to remain under any
other shelter.
(2)
stanya-payi sisu-jane, mata chare krodha-mane,
sisu tabu nahi chare may
jehetu tahar ar, e jibana dhoribar,
mata bina nahiko upay
A mother sometimes neglects her breast-suckling
children out of anger but still the children could never
give up their mother. This is because such small helpless
children are not able to maintain their lives at all without
their mother, being totally dependent on her.
(3)
e bhaktibinoda koy, tumi charo doyamoy,
dekhiya amar dosa-gana
ami to' charite nari, toma bina nahi pari,
kakhan dhorite e jibana
Similarly, Bhaktivinoda says to You, oh Lord Who is
overflowing with compassion, that You may reject me if You
like, seeing all of my offenses. But still, I will never be
able to abandon You, for I cannot maintain my life under any
circumstances without You.
Song 12 The Nectar of the Lord's lotus Feet
(1)
hari he!
taba pada-pankajini, jibamrta-sancarini,
ati-bhagye jiba taha pay
se-amrta pana kori'. mugdha hoy tahe, hari,
ar taha charite na cay
Oh my Lord Hari! Your lotus feet distribute the nectar
of eternal devotional service to the surrender souls, and
only by dint of the greatest good fortune can any soul drink
such nectar. By drinking this rare ambrosia they become
attracted and captivated, and by being completely absorbed
in this transcendental honey of devotion, they will never
want to abandon drinking it.
(2)
nibista hoiya tay, anya sthane nahi jay,
anya rasa tuccha kori' mane
madhu-purna padma-sthita, madhu-brata kadacita,
nahi caya iksu-danda-pane
Being deeply engrossed in this jivamrta, they will
never ever go anywhere else, for they will then consider all
other tastes to be simply insignificant and verily
nauseating. It is just like when a bee is fully satisfied
tasting the sweet honey within the whorl of a lotus flower,
then he won't even consider the inferior sweetness of
sugarcane juice.
(3)
e bhaktibivoda kabe, se-pankaja-sthita ha'be,
nahi ja'be samsarabhimukhe,
bhakta-krpa, bhakti-bal ei duiti su-sambal,
paile se sthiti ghate sukhe
Bhaktivinoda now says that when I become situated at
those lotus-like feet, then I will never again go towards
the material world. And I will happily attain a place at
those lotus feet only due to two most auspicious things...
the causeless mercy of the devotee and the power of
devotion.
Song 13 A glimpse of his Lotus Feet
(1)
hari he!
bhramite samsara-bane, kahbu daiva-samghathane,
konmate kon bhagyavan
taba pada uddesiya, thake krtanjali haya,
ekabar ohe bhagavan
Oh my Lord Hari! While wandering about in the forest
of this material world, some fortunate soul may be able to
get a momentary glimpse of Your lotus feet just once, by
some unseen influence of destiny, and he receives that
visions of Your lotus feet with folded hands.
(2)
sei-ksane ta'r jata, amangala hoy hata,
su-mangala hoy pusta ati
ar nahi ksaya hoy, krame ta'r subhodoy,
ta're deya sarvottama-gati
At that very moment all inauspiciousness becomes
dissipated, and he very much relishes the nourishment of
divine auspiciousness. This never decreases, for You
gradually awaken his eternal well-being by bestowing upon
such a fortunate soul the topmost goal of life.
(3) emon doyalu tumi, emon durbhagaami,
kabhu na korinu paranama
taba pada-padma prati, na jane e dusta-mati,
bhatibinoder parinama
Thus You are such a liberal and magnanimous Lord, but
I have never offered my respectful obeisances unto Your
lotus feet. Therefore my wicked mentality cannot comprehend
anything. This is Bhaktivinoda's resultant unfortunate
position.
Song 14 The Effect of One Drop from His Lotus Feet's Nectar-Ocean
(1)
hari he!
tomar carana-padma, anuraga sudha-sadma,
sagara-sikara jadi pay
kon bhagyavan jane, kon karya-samghatane,
ta'r saba duhkha dure jay
Oh my Dear Lord Hari! If a greatly fortunate soul,
somehow or other, gets a chance to drink just one necatar-
drop sprayed from the rich ocean of love emanating from Your
lotus feet, then all of his miseries are automatically and
instantly repelled to a far distant place.
(2)
se-sudha-samudra-kana, samsaragni-nirbapana,
ksaneke loriya phele ta'r
parama nibrtti diya, tomar carane laya,
deya tabe ananda apar
This single drop from the ocean of nectar completely
extinguishes the blazing fire of material existence and
gives immediate relief. One who drinks such a drop thus
takes hold of Your lotus feet, which bestow upon him
transcendentally liberated peace and unlimeted spiritual
bliss.
(3)
e bhaktibinoda kande, padiya samsara-phande,
bole, nahi kon bhagya mor
e ghatana na ghatilo, amar janama gelo,
brtha roinu ho'ye atma-bhor
Now Bhaktivinoda is weeping and says to You, Oh
Lord... I am most unfortunate, falling into the snare of
this material world. I have never taken a drop of the
necatar of Your lotus feet, and therefore my entire life has
been wasted, uselessly engrossed in the affairs of this
material body.
Song 15 The Self-Cheated Soul
(1)
hari he!
tabanghri kamala-dwoy, bilasa-bikrama-moy,
parabara jagat byapiya
sarvaksana bartamana, bhakta-klesa-abasana,
lagi' sada prastuta hoiya
Oh my Lord Hari! Your twin lotus feet are full of
mighty prowess in performing transcendental pastimes, which
are constantly expanding daily throughout both the material
and spiritual worlds. Such pastimes are eternally being
performed just to mitigate all the sufferings of Your
devotees. For this reason only are Your eight-fold pastimes
enacted.
(2)
jagater sei dhana, ami jaga madhya jana,
ataeva sama adhikar
ami kiba bhagya-hina, sadhane bancita, dina,
ki kaj jibane ar char
Despite the presence of Your pastimes here, which are
the real treasure of this universe, I am still bereft of all
good fortune, for I have cheated myself out of worshiping
Your lotus feet in devotional service. Thus I am most fallen
, and there is no one else quite as fallen as me. What other
activities could possibly be more sinful than those which
were performed by me throughout my entire lifetime?
(3)
krpa bina nahi gati, e bhaktibinoda ati,
dainya kori' bole prabhu-pay
kabe taba krpa pe'ye, uthibo sabale dhe'ye,
heribo se pada-yuga hay
Now Bhaktivinoda, with the utmost humility says to
You, oh Lord... without Your causeless mercy, I have no
other refuge. Alas! When will I get Your kind favor? I will
stand up and forcefully run for You, and then I will behold
Your beautiful lotus feet with my very eyes.
Song 16 The Soul's Position of Eternal Service
(1)
hari he!
ami sei dusta-mati, na dekhiya anya gati,
taba pade lo'yechi sarana
janilama ami, natha! tumi prabhu jagannatha,
ami taba nitya parijana
Oh my dear Lord Hari! I am most fallen, and seeing no
other alternative, I have taken full shelter at Your lotus
feet. Oh Lord! Now I have finally understood that You are
known as Jagannatha, Lord of the Universe, whereas I am but
Your eternal servant.
(2)
sei dina kabe ha'be aikantika-bhave jabe,
nitya-dasa-bhava lo'ye ami
mano-rathantara jata, nihsesa koriya svatah,
sebibo amar nitya-swami
When will that day come when I will take on the mood
and behavior of Your unalloyed eternal servant? Then, all
other distracting desires of my mind will automatically
become totally exhausted, and I will be able to whole-
heartedly render service to my eternal Master.
(3)
nirantara seba-mati, babibe cittete sati,
prasanta hoibe atma mor
e bhaktibinoda bole, krsna-seba-kutuhale,
cirodina thaki jena bhor
My soul will become fully satisfied when that day will
be mine. My heart will be chaste only to You, and it will
exhibit such a service attitude which flows from the core of
the heart with uninterrupted devotion. Bhaktivinoda says
that he will thus live eternally absorbed in such a
delightful flow of ecstatic loving service to Krsna.
Somg 17 His Lotus Feet are the Only Refuge for the Fallen Soul
(1)
hari he!
ami aparadhi jana, sada dandya, durllaksana,
sahasra sahasra dose dosi
bhima bhavarnavodare, patita bisama ghore,
gati-hina fati-abhilasi
Oh my Lord Hari! I have been a great offender to You,
and thus I am just quite fit to receive punishment for all
of my misdeeds. I am sinister and ill-fated, and I am guilty
of committing thousands upon thousands of sins. I have
somehow fallen into the very belly of the terribly deep,
dark, fearsome and horrible ocean of material existence, and
I have no shelter at all in this hellish place. Therefore I
am greatly desirous of finding some way to get salvation
from this dreadful predicament.
(2)
hari! taba pada-dwaye, sarana loinu bhoye,
krpa kori' koro atma satha
tomar pratijna ei, sarana loibe jei,
tumi ta'r raksa-karta natha
Hari! Thus I have taken refuge at Your two lotus feet
out of intense fear, Please be kind to me and make me Your
own property. Your promise is that for whoever takes full
shelter of You, then You will become his protector and
maintainer, Oh Lord.
(3)
pratijnate kori' bhara, o madhava praneswara!
sarana loilo ei dasa
e bhaktibinoda gay, tomar se-ranga pay,
deho dase sebaya bilasa
Completely relaying on Your promise, this servant has
now taken full shelter of You as his last hope, oh Madhava!
Oh Lord of my life! Bhaktivinoda sings this prayer to You
now just to be eternally fixed up in the service of Your two
reddish lotus feet.
Song 18 The Power of Ignorance
(1)
hari he!
abibeka-rupa ghana, tahe dik acchadana,
hoilo ta'te andhakara ghor
tahe duhkha-brsti hoy, dekhi' cari-dike bhoy,
patha-bhrama hoiyache mor
Oh my Lord Hari! Ignorance of You is just like a
menacing raincloud which hovers overhead and covers all
directions, causing the darkness of spiritual blindness to
envelop me. From this cloud of ignorance falls the rains of
material tribulations which strikes fear throughout the four
directions. Thus I have become lost and confused in this
darkness, and I am absolutely unable to find the right path
back to You, dear Lord
(2)
nija abibeka-dose, pari' durdiner rose,
prana jay samsara-kantare
patha-pradarsaka nai, e durdaive mara jai,
daki tai, acyuta, tomare
By my own fault of whimsical behavior, independent of
You, I have become very angry at my fate of falling into the
foul weather of this most difficult time of distress. And my
life is leaving me while I am thus stranded within this
material world, which is just like a dark forest in which
one cannot properly find his way. I have no guide to show me
the way out of here, and by this misfortune I am dying a
slow death. Therefore I now call out to You, Acyuta, oh
supremely infallible Lord!
(3)
ek-bar krpa-drsti, koro ama-prati brsti,
tabe mor ghucibe durdina
bibeka sabala ha'be, bhaktibinoda tabe,
dekhaibe patha samicina
If You would just shower the rain of Your kind glance
moist with causeless mercy in my direction just once, oh
Lord, then that glance would instantly terminate this period
o great distress for me. Then my understanding of Your
spiritual reality will become fixed-up, and then this
Bhaktivinoda will be able to properly see the path which
leads back to You.
Song 19 The meaning of "The Most Merciful Lord (Doyamoy)"
(1)
hari he!
agre ek nibedana, kori, madhu-nisudhana!~
suno krpa koriya amay
nirarthaka katha noi, migudhartha-moy hoy,
hrdoy hoite bahiray
Oh my dear Lord Hari! I have just one appeal to make
before You, oh killer of the Madhu demon! Please be kind
enough to hear it from me. It is certainly not a useless
talk for wasting time, for it is full of very deep meaning.
Indeed, it is welling up from the very depths of my heart.
(2)
ati apakrsta ami, parama doyalu tumi,
taba doya mor adhikar
je jata patita hoy, taba doya tata tay,
ta'te ami su-patra doyar
I am most degraded, and You are most merciful;
therefor I have full rights to stake a claim for Your mercy.
For no matter how fallen I could possibly be, Your mercy
easily extends to that degree; therefore I am quite a
suitable candidate for receiving Your causeless mercy.
(3)
more jadi upeksibe, doya-patra kotha pabe,
'doyamoy' namati ghuca'be
bhaktibinoda koy, doya koro doyamoy,
jasah-kirti cirodina pa'be
If You were to neglect my appeal, then Your famous
name as "the Most Merciful" would become null and void. And
then where else could this recipient go to find the same e
kind of mercy? Bhaktivinoda says, please be merciful, oh
Most Merciful! If You would do this, then Your fame and
glories will go on unblemished for all of time to come.
Song 20 Natural Eternal Surrender
(1)
hari he!
toma chadi' ami kabhu, anatha na hoi, prabhu,
prabhu-hina dasa nirasroy
amake na nile satha, kaiche tumi ha'be natha,
doyaniya ke tomar hoy
My dear Hari! I will never, ever abandon Your shelter,
oh Lord, for if I were to do that, I would become utterly
helpless without my Master. When a faithful servant becomes
bereft of his Master, then he remains helplessly lost and
confused, with no shelter from any quarter. However, if You
do not accept me into Your association, then how will You be
known as my Master, and who else besides me will be a
suitable recipient of Your mercy?
(2)
amader e sambandha, bidhi-krta su-nirbandha,
sa-bidhi tomar guna-dhama
ataeva nibedana, suno he madhu mathana!
chara-chari nahe kon kama
This is our eternal relationship which is unavoidably
fixed up by our destiny, and which reflects Your abode of
good qualities. Please hear my appeal to You now, oh Lord
Who bestows nectar upon those that You punish! For there is
no possibility whatsoever of separating us from our eternal
relationship of being the Master (You) and the servant (me).
(3)
e bhaktibivoda gay, rakho more taba pay,
palo more na charo kakhan
jabe mama pao dosa, koriya ucita rosa,
danda diya deo sri-caran
Now Bhaktivinoda sings to You his appeal, dear Lord:
Please keep me always under the shelter of Your lotus feet,
always protect me, and never abandon me at any time.
Whenever You find me deviating slightly from the shelter of
Your feet, then I request You to please manifest suitable
anger and punish me in a befitting way by mercifully kicking
some sense into me with those same divine lotus feet.
Song 21 Surrender Transcends Bodily Designation
(1)
hari he!
stri-purusa-deha-gata, barna-adi dharma jata,
tahe punah deha-gata bheda
sattva-rajas-tamo-guna, asrayeche bheda punah,
eirupa sahasra prabheda
Oh my Lord! I know that all bodily distinctions
between female and male, as well as the divisions of the
varnasrama system namely brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra,
brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa are all
simply materialistic distinctions based on bodily
consciousness. All these fall under the jurisdiction of the
modes of goodness, passion and ignorance, and thus all these
bodily discriminations multiply into thousands of different
complicated classifications.
(2)
je-kon sarira thaki, je-kon abastha rakhi,
se-sab ekhan taba pay
sanpilam, pranesvara! mama boli' atahpara,
ar kichu na rohilo day
Whatever type of body I happen to live in, and
whatever circumstantial position surrounds this particular
body, I now offer all these things unto Your lotus feet, oh
Lord of my life! From now on, I am no longer responsible for
anything related to my very existence.
(3)
tumi prabhu rakho mor, sab taba adhikar,
achi ami tomar kinkar
e bhaktibinoda bole, taba dasya-kautuhale,
thaki jena sada sebapar
Therfore, please protect and maintain me, oh Lord, for
I am but Your eternal humble servant. Bhaktivinoda is just
informing You that I am living always absorbed in the
curious amusement of the transcendental loving service
attitude.
Song 22 Prayer for the Association of Devotees
(1)
hri he!
beda-bidhi-anusare, karma kori' e samsare,
punah punah jiba janma pay
purba-krta-karma-phale, tomar ba iccha-bale,
janma jadi labhi punaray
Oh my Lord Hari! By working fruitively according to
the Vedic injunctions in this material world, the soul
continuously takes birth again and again.If I also have to
take birth once again according to Your will, due to the
results of my previous fruitive reactions, then I have just
one request to make to You, oh Lord...
(2)
tabe ek katha mama, suno he purusottama!
taba dasa-sangi-jana-ghare
kita-janma jadi hoy, tahateo doyamoy,
rohibo he santusta antare
So then kindly hear me, oh Purusottama! I have only
one petition to submit before You. If I can only take my
next birth even as an insignificant insect within the home
of Your loving servant, then I would become completely
satisfied, oh Most Merciful Lord.
(3)
taba dasa-sangi-hana, je grhastha arbacina,
ta'r grhe caturmukha-bhuti
na hao kakhan, hari! kara-dwaya yoda kori',
kore bhaktibinoda minati
Please never , never let me take birth in the home of
a foolish householder who is bereft of the association of
Your eternal servant, even if his household opulences rival
those of Lord's Brahma's. This is the only humble prayer
that Bhaktivinoda is making now with folded hands.
Song 23 The Qualities of the Pure Devotee
(1)
hari he!
tomar je suddha-bhakta, tomate se anurakta,
hukti mukti tuccha kori' jane,
bareka dekhite taba, cidakara-sri-baibhava,
trna boli' anya sukha mane
Oh my Lord Hari! Your pure unalloyed devotee, who is
uncompromisingly devoted and attached to You only, considers
any type or material enjoyment or liberation to be
insignificant. Simply by beholding the beauty and opulences
of Your form made of eternity, knowledge and bliss, such a
pure devotee considers all other forms of so-called
happiness to be just like small pieces of straw which one
sees strewn here and there in the gutter.
(2)
se-saba bhakter sange, lila koro nana-range,
biraha sahite nahi par
krpa kori' akincane, dekhao mahatma-gane,
sadhu bina gati nahi ar
You always perform different types of sportive
pastimes in the company of pure devotees of this calibre,
for You are not able to tolerate separation from them even
for a moment. Please show Your gracious favor to me and
reveal to me who these great souls are, for I can find no
purpose for living without the shelter of their company.
(3)
se-bhakta-carana-dhana, kabe pa'bo darasana,
sodhibo amar dista mana
e bhaktibinoda bhane, krpa ha'be jataksane,
mahatmar ho'be darasana
When will I get the vision of the rare treasure-like
feet of all these pure devotees? If I could just catch a
glimpse of their lotus feet, then that would completely
purify me and rectify my sinister mind.Bhaktivinoda narrates
this prayer to You, oh Lord: I will be able to get the
audience of such great souls only if Your causeless mercy
comes upon me by Your own sweet will.
Song 24 Prayer for Natural Eternal Service
(1)
hari he!
suno he madhu-mathana! mama ek bijnapana,
bisesa koriya boli ami
tomar sebatwa mama, swakiya baibhavottama,
ami dasa, tumi mor svami
Oh my dear Lord Hari! Please hear me now, oh Lord Who
gives honey to those who You trample upon! I am revealing
this specific confession unto You. The topmost wealth of my
own ultimate service attitude is this... I am Your servant,
and You are my Master.
(2)
se-bibhava-bahirbhuta, hoite hoile he acyuta!
ksana-matra sahite na pari
deho, prana, sukha, asa, atma-prati bhalabasa,
sarva-tyaga korite bicari
Oh Acyuta, infallible Lord! I am not able to tolerate
even a split second of life outside the purview of this
divine wealth of Your eternal service. Therefore I have now
decided to renounce everything that is near and dear to the
illusioned soul such as the body, the life, material
pleasures as well as all hopes for future sense
gratification.
(3)
e saba jauka nasa, sata-bar sri-nibasa,
tabu thaku dasatva tomar
e bhaktibinoda koy, krsna-dasa jiba hoy,
dasya bina kiba ache ar
Oh Residence of the Goddess of Fortune! Let all these
things be neglected by me and fall into abject ruination
hundreds of times; I don't mind, for I will still remain
immutably fixed in Your eternal service. Bhaktivinoda says
that the soul is irrevocably the eternal servant of Krsna,
and except for this eternal service there is no other
reality.
Song 25 The Mood of Self-Surrender
(1)
hari he!
ami nara-pasu-pray, acara-bihina tay,
anadi ananta su-bistar
ati-kaste pariharya, sahajete anibarya,
asubher aspada abar
Oh my Lord Hari! I am simply a two-legged animal,
completely bereft of proper behavior. I have been suffering
great difficulties unlimitedly since time immemorial. And
moreover, I have unavoidably become the repository of all
types of sinful activities.
(2)
tumi to' doyar sindhu, tumi to' jagad-bandhu,
asima batsalya-payonidhi,
taba guna-gana smari, bhava-bandhu cheda kori',
nirbhika hoibo nir badhi
You are certainly an ocean of compassion, and You are
the only real friend of the universe. Your affection is just
like a boundless, unfathomable sea of loving relationships.
Simply by remembering Your wonderful qualities, my material
bonds are being severedm and I will become eternally
fearless.
(3)
ei iccha kori'mane, sri-jamuna-carane,
gay bhaktibinoda ekhan
jamuna-bipina-bidhu, sri-caranabja-sidhu,
ta'r sire, karuna arpan
Now Bhativinoda sings about all these desires which he
has within his mind while prostrated at the lotus feet of
Sri Yamunacarya. And he begs Sri Yamunacarya to kindly
bestow upon his head the quintessence of the fragrant
immortal nectar which flows from the lotus feet of that moon-
like person Who glows within the forrests on the bank of the
river Yamuna in Vraja.
Song 26 Relative Position of the Master and the Servant
(1)
hari he!
tumi jagater pita, tumi jagater mata,
dayita, tanaya, hari tumi
tumi suhrn-mitra, guru, tumi gati, kalpataru,
twadiya sambandha-matra ami
Oh my Lord Hari! You are the Father of the ;universe,
You are the Mother of the universe, as well as the Lover and
son of all beings. You are the most dearly beloved friend of
the heart, the spiritual master of all, the ultimate refuge
and the divine purpose-tree that fulfills everyone's
desires...
(2)
taba bhrtya, parijana, gati-prarthi, akincana,
prapanna tomar sri-carane
taba sattva, taba dhana, tomar palita jana,
amar mamata taba jane
...But my relationship with You is simply that of
;Your insignificant menial servant, Your humble attendant,
always praying for Your shelter, surrendered at Your divine
lotus ;feet. I am simply Your plaything, Your property, Your
protected servant; my only identification is my prsonal
attachment to being Your devotee.
(3)
e bhatibinoda koy, ahamta-mamata noy,
sri-krsna-sambandha-abhimane
sebar sambandha dhori', ahamta mamata kori,
taditare prakrta bidhane
Bhaktivinoda says that there is no relationship of "I
and mine" other than this true conceptiuon of being related
to Krsna as His eternal servant. Maintaining this position
of eternal service, he thus accepts the real principle of "I
and mine" which is the natural, unchangeable relationship
with Krsna and all His devotees. Anything besides that would
just be material and temporary.
Song 27 The Last Hope for Deliverance
(1)
hari he!
ami to' cancala-mati, amaryada, ksudra ati,
asuya-prasaba sada mor
papista, krtaghna, mani, nrsamsa, bancane jnani,
kama-base thaki sada ghor
Oh my dear Lord Hari! I am most fickle-minded,
completely bereft of proper etiquette and extremely
insignificant. I always radiate an intense effulgence of
jealousy and malice. I willingly perform sinful acts, I love
to do harm to my well-wishing benefactors, and I am
unnecessarily puffed up with false prestige. Ferociously
vicious like a barbarian, I am vastly learned in the art of
deceiving others. I am always obsessed under the control of
lusty motives, which are my very breath of life.
(2)
e heno dujana ho'ye, e duhkha-jaladhi bo'ye,
caritechi samsara-sagare
kemone e bhavambudhi, para ho'ye nirabadhi,
taba pada seba mile more
Being such a sinful rogue, I am completely submerged
in this ocean of material tribulation as I aimlessly wander
here and there in the vast ocean of birth and death. How
will I ever be able to cross over this deep ocean of
nescience and enter into the eternal service of Your divine
lotus feet??
(3)
tomar karuna pai, taba to' toriya jai,
ami e duranta sagara
tumi prabhu sri-carane, rakho dase dhuli-sane,
nahe bhaktibinoda katara
Only if I get Your causeless mercy, then I can
certainly cross over this miserable ocean of suffering. Now,
my dear Lord, Bhaktivinoda is humbly requesting You to
kindly keep this servant as just one of the many particles
of dust under the safe shelter of Your beautiful lotus
feet... then I'll be fully satisfied.
THUS END THE FIRST CHAPTER OF "GITA-MALA", entitled "YAMUNA-
BHAVAVALI" (The Series of Ecstasies of Yamunacarya)
By Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura
GITA-MALA
CHAPTER TWO
KARPANYA-PANJIKA
(Diary of Selfish Umility)
- OR -
VIJNAPTI - NIVEDANA
(Prayer for Solicitation)
--- a 46 verse poem ---
INTRUDUCTION TO CHAPTER TWO
KARPANYA - PANJIKA
This 46 verse Bengali poem by Srila Bhaktivinoda
Thakura is actually based on one stotra composed by Srila
Rupa Gosvami found within his book Stava-mala. The original
Karpanya-panjika-stotra consist of only 45 slokas, and
Bhaktivinoda's Bengali verse translation has one extra verse
at the very end which reveals the siddha-deha (spiritual
bodies) of both himself and Srila Rupa Gosvami. In this
final verse, the Thakira states that the original author of
the stotra is none other than Sri Rupa Majaari, the personal
attendant maidservant of Srimati Radharani. Bhaktivinoda
also reveals his own eternal identity as Sri Kamala manjari,
also a maidservant in Lalita's camp and subordinate to Sri
Rupa Manjari. For more detail aof his eternal service.
please see chapter five of ;this book intitled "Siddhi-
lalasa". However, such confidential spiritual topics are
;not meant for anyone and everyone. Therefore discretion
should ;be excercised by the reader to prevent such high
topics from being taken cheaply.
The word "karpanya" means "humility". It also means
"greediness, selfishness", etc. So this stotra is a diary of
one's humble mood of supplication to the Lord which is also
pervaded with intensely greedy selfish motives, or laulyam,
but only for the sake of rendering eternal service. This
laulyam is described in the Nectar of Devotion as being the
only price to pay to purchase entrance into the kingdom of
God. Therefore Srila Rupa Gosvami indicates such a mood in
this Karpanya-panjika-stotra, which has been further
embellished and ;intensified by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's
Bengali rendering.
The English translation has incorporated some fine
points of the original Sanskrit stotra which may not be so
visible within the Bengali verses or word-for-word
explanations, so the reader is advised to welcome any
statements which appear to be expanded from the Bengali
vocabulary.
The following list of the topics expressed within this
stotra has been compiled as an aid to understanding the flow
of the prayers.
SONGS TOPICS
1) Prayer revealing the mind
2) Radha-Krsna's complexions
3) Their dresses
4) ???
5 They surpass Vaikunta
6) Their fragrances and music
7) Their facial expressions
8) Their joking
9) Their qualities
10) Prayer
11) Taking shelter
12) Begging for mercy
13) Maha-lila
14) Description of Maha-lila
15) Offensive mentality
16) Glimpse fo the holy Name
17) Their quality of forgiveness
18) Lamentation
19) Begging harder for mercy
20) Intense mourning
21) Crying out for help
22) Petition for compassion
23) Determined prayers
24) Description of the topmost love
25) Maidservant to Their lotus feet
26) Prayer for personal service
27) Begging for eternal service
28) Witnessing Their meeting
29) The sound of Their anklbells
30) Seeing Their footprints
431) Vision of Their lotus feet
32) Result of the vision
33) Vision of conjugal pastimes
34) Bringing the news during separation
35) Reward for reuniting Them
36) Gambling match quarrel
37) Massaging Their feet on flower bed
38) Restringing a broken necklace
39) Re-decorating Their ruffled hair
40) Re-decorating Their foreheads with fresh tilaka
41) Offering fresh farlands and mascara
42) Making and offerng tambula
43) Their sweetness causes me to speak all this
44) Prayer for eternal service along with the sakhis
45) The final thirsty appeal
46) The ultimate thirst-quencing siddhi
(1)
ami ati dinamati, braja-kunje nibasati,
radha-krsna-jugala-carane
kandiya kandiya aj, chadi' sab loka-laj
nibedibo jata ache mane
I am most distressed and miserable within the core of
my heart. Therefore today, living in my grove at Vraja-
bhumi, I will submit to the lotus feet of the divine couple,
Sri-Sri-Radha-Krsna. Weeping and weeping today at Their
lotus feet, I now give up all shyness and fear of public
opinion, and I will reveal to Them all the outpourings of
the inner core of my heart.
(2)
tumi krsna nilamani, nava-megha-prabha jini',
brajananda koro bitarana
tumi radhe nava-gauri, gorocana-garva hari
braje hara krsna-candra-mana
You are Lord Krsna, and Your deep translucent bluish
huelike sapphires is putting to shame the luster of a fresh
new rain cloud. You are distributing the blissful mood of
Vraja to everyone. And You, Sri Radhe, are forcibly taking
away the pride of brilliant yellow gorocana dye with Your
fair complexion, which is decorating Your fresh blooming
youth.Thus You are attracting and stealing the mind of Your
moon-like Krsna in Vraja.
(3)
tumi krsna pitambare, parajiya kartasware,
braja-bane-nitya-kelirata
tumi radhe nilambari, palaser garva hari,
krsna-keli-sahaya satata
You, my dear Lord Krsna, are conquering the radiant
luster of pure gold with Your dazzling yellow garments. You
are always very fond of performing Your amorous sports
within the transcendental forests of Vraja. And You, my dear
Radharani, are wearing a brilliant blue sari which is taking
away the pride of the palasa flower, which is also blue with
a white whorl in the center. You are always gracefully
present as the chief companion during all the amorous games
played by Krsna.
(4)
tumi krsna harinmani, juvabrinda-siromani,
radhika tomara praneswari
brajangana-sirahsobha, dhammila-mallika-prabha,
tumi radhe krsna-priyankari
You, dear Lord Krsna, like a rare, radiant emerald,
are the crest jewel amongst all the youthful boys of
Vrndavana. And Srimati Radhika is the Mistress of Your life.
And You, Radhe, are the topmost resplendent personality
amongst all the women of Vraja. You radiate an effulgence
like the fragrant white jasmine blossoms which are woven
within the braided hair of all those beautiful young women,
and You are the most amiable and affectionate maidservant of
Krsna.
(5)
rama-pati-sobha jini', krsna taba rupakhani,
jagat mataya braja-bane
rama-jini' brajangana- gana-madhye susobhana,
tumi radhe krsna-cittangane
Dear Krsna, Your beauty and sweetness far surpasses
that of Lord Visnu, the husband of the Goddess of Fortune.
And that form which You are displaying within the forests of
Vrndavana is making the entire universe go mad.
And You, Radhe, are likewise surpassing the Goddess of
Fortune Laksmi herself with Your supreme splendor which
radiates outstandingly amongst all the damsel of Vraja. Thus
it is only You who is dwelling in the beautiful courtyard of
Krsna's heart.
(6)
taranga-saurabha-kana, bamsi-gita anuksana,
ohe krsna! radha-mana hare
radhe! anga-gandha taba, tomara su-bina-raba
krsna-citta unmadita kore
Oh Krsna! You are abducting Radharani's mind with the
enchanting songs of Your flute as well by Your sweet bodily
fragrance, which are both blowing like waves incessantly in
the wind. Oh Radhe! You are likewise exciting and sending
Krsna's mind wild with Your fragrant bodily aroma and the
sweet sound of Your vina.
(7)
tomara capaleksana, hare radha-dhairya-dhana,
tumi krsna cora-siromani
banka drsti-bhngi taba, sri-krsna-hrdayasaba,
tumi radhe kalavati dhani
You, My dear Krsna, are the crest jewel of all
thieves, for You forcibly rob Radharani's patience when You
gaze upon Her with Your special fickle, amorous expression.
And You, dear Radhe, like to sting Krsna's lotus heart
when You look back at Him with Your crooked, falsely
unfriendly expression which is just like a ? (N0TE from the
typer: A word is missing, I can't read it). He becomes
maddened by Your slanted behavior. And You are also a
beautiful, young maiden who is well-versed in all the
classical arts such as music, dancing, singing, etc.
(8)
parihase radhikar, katha nahi sare jar,
tumi krsna nata-kula-guru
krsna narma-ukti suni', romancita tanukhani,
taba radhe rasa-kalpataru
You, Krsna, are indeed the Master and instructor of
all those who are learning dancing. Sometimes You simply
cannot utter a word in reply to the confidential joking
statements of Srimati Radharani.
You, Radhe, then experience intense thriving
jubilation throughout Your entire body when You hear Krsna's
soft, amusing retort. Thus You are like a wish-fulfilling
tree of transcendental mellows.
(9)
aprakrta-gunamani, binirmita-giri-sreni,
tumi krsna sarva gunamoy,
umadi ramani-jana, bancaniya gunagana,
radhe! taba swabavika hoy
You, dear Krsna, are also abounding in all good
qualities. Indeed, Your super-excellent transcendental
qualities stand out just like a multitude of mountain ranges
made of rubies.
Oh Radhe! You naturally possess all the good qualities
that are desired by all the beautiful young women headed by
Goddess Uma.
(10)
ami ati manda-mati, kori he kakuti nati,
niskapate e prarthana kori
brndavana-adhiswara, tumi krsna praneswara,
tumi radhe! braja-banesvari
I am extremely dull-minded and wicked; therefore I bow
down pitifully before You, and offer You this humble prayer
in all sincerity. You, my dear Lord Krsna, are the Supreme
Master of Vrndavana and the Lord of my life!
And You, dear Radhe, are the proprietress of all the
transcendental forests of Vraja!
(11)
tomader krpa pai, erupa jogyata nai,
jadio amar braja-bane
dunhe maha-krpamoy, jani' kainu padasroy,
krpa koro e adhama jane
I am certainly not at all fit to receive the mercy of
You both in Vrndavana. However, I have still taken refuge at
Your lotus feet for I know that You both are the topmost
merciful personalities.Please be kind to this most fallen
soul.
(12)
kevala ajogya nahi, aparadhi ami hoi,
tathapi koroho krpa dan
loke krpavista jana, ksame aparadha-gana,
tumi dunhe maha-krpavan
Bot only am I unfit and undeserving, but I am actually
an offender to Your lotus feet. Nevertheless, I still beg
You Both now to bestow Your kind favor. Just as a great soul
is very tolerant of the general public, compassionately
forgiving their offenses, similarly You Both are certainly
the most supremely sympathetic Personalities.
(13)
krpa-hetu bhakti-sar, lesabhasa nahi ta'r,
krpa-adhikari nahi ami
inhe maha-lilesvara, hana sei lilapara,
krpa koro braja-jana svami
The most essential result of Your mercy is to finally
get devotional service. However, I do not possess even a
fraction of a drop of devotion, for I have no right to
receive Your mercy. In this world, You are the Supreme
Master of the greatest pastime... the rasa dance. So I ask
You now to please be merciful to me when You are performing
this most unlimited pastime within this universe, oh Lord of
the Brijbasis.
(14)
su-dusta abhakta jane, sivadi devata-gane,
prasanna hoilo krpa kori'
mahalila sarvesvara, dunhu mama pranesvara,
doya koro dosa parihari'
You have shown Your supreme rasa dance to all in this
world, including all the demigods headed by Lord Siva, and
even to the most wicked persons and non-devotees. Thus You
pleased all the living entities within the universe. You
Both are the Masters of this maha-lila, the Lords of all
Lords, and the Lords of my life. Please show Your leniency
by disregarding all of my past offenses.
(15)
adhame uttama mani, mudha, vijna, abhimani,
dusta hana sista-abhimana
ei dose dosi hana, gelo cirodin bana,
na korinu bhajana-bidhana
Some of my offenses are as follows: I have accepted my
most degraded self to be the best man of all. Even though I
am foolish like an ass, I consider myself to be very wise
due to my false sentimentality. Thus I have actually become
most polluted and mischievous underneath my false conception
of being gentle and good-natured. Being guilty of these
offenses, i have spent many days without ever worshiping
You.
(16)
tathapi e dina-jane, jadi nama uccarane,
namabhasa korilo jibane
sarva-dosa-nibarana, dunhu-nama-samjalpana,
prasade prasida dui jane
In spite of all these offenses, I pray that if ever in
my life this most fallen soul has once accidentally uttered
just a faint glimpse of Your holy name, without offence,
then kindly mitigate all of my faults and allow me to chant
Your name simply for the pleasure of You Both.
(17)
bhakti-lava-matre ksaya, sarva aparadha hoy,
ksamasila dunher krpay
e asa mane dhori', carane prarthana kori,
sodha dosa ksamiya amay
Even the most minute trace of devotion can completely
destroy all offensive faults, for I know that the causeless
mercy of You Both is most forgiving by nature. Keeping this
in mind as my last hope, I offer this humble prayer at Your
lotus feet. Please forgive me and rectify all of my
offenses.
(18)
sadhana-sampatti-hina, ohe ei jiva dina,
ati-kaste dhrstatara char
dunhu-pada-nipatita, prarthana koroye hita,
prasannata hauk donhar
Alas, this most fallen soul is completely bereft of
the priceless treasure of devotional service. I am so
degraded, and I remain in great difficulty due to my
shameless arrogance. Falling down and grasping the lotus
feet of You Both, I now pray simply for the benefit of
seeing You become satisfied by my prayers.
(19)
dante trna dhori' hay, kanditeche ubharay,
e papi kampita sarira
'ha nath! ha nath! 'boli', ho'ye aji krtanjali,
prasada arpiya koro sthira
Alas! This sinner's whole body is trembling, and
clutching clumps of straw between his teeth, he weeps and
wails piteously at the top of his voice, "Oh my Lord! Oh
Nath! Today, with folded hands, i beg that You pacify me by
bestowing Your kind favor!"
(20)
e durbhaga ha ha sware, prasad prarthana kore,
anutape gadagadi jay
he radhe! he krsna-candra! suno mama kakuvada,
tunhu krpa-bina prana jay
This most unfortunate, miserable soul now prays for
mercy, crying out in a piteous, remorseful voice while
rolling on the ground in repentance. Oh Radhe! Oh Krsna-
candra!, please hear my mournful prayers, for my life is
departing without the causeless mercy of You Both!
(21)
phutkar koriya kande, aha aha kakunade,
bole hao prasanna amay
ei to' ajogya jane, krpa koro nija-gune,
koruna-sagara rakho pay
Please become pleased with me, for I am sobbing aloud
and crying, alas, alas! in a great pitiful uproar just to
petition You. By Your own divine qualities, please favor
this most unworthy and undeserving soul and keep me always
at Your lotus feet. You are Both just like an ocean of
compassion.
(22)
mukhete angusta diya, uccoihsvare arta hana,
kandite kandite bole, nath!
koruna-kanika-dane, raksa koro mor prane,
koro ei dine atmasath
Now I am biting my thumb to try to check my crying
from making a public disturbance. But still, being most
aggrieved, i am weeping and weeping in a loud voice just to
call on You, oh Lord! Please give me just one small grain of
Your mercy in charity and thus save my life. Kindly capture
this lowly soul and make me Your very own.
(23)
e taba mudha jana, dina-bakye sa krandana
prarthana koroye drdha-mane
he koruna-sunidhan! anugati koro dan,
korunormicchata braja-bane
Thus Your most ignorant, foolish devotee prays to You
in great determination with humble, distressed words while
sobbing and weeping. Oh treasure-house of compassion! Please
award me with personal service to You and thus display Your
splendrous shining rays of that compassion in Vrndavana!
(24)
bhava citta-sukhakara, jata ache su-madhura,
prakataprakata lila-sthale
radha-krsna-prema-sara, sakaler saratsara,
sei bhava jen-i krpa-bale
All the places of Krsna's manifested and unmanifested
transcendental pastimes are the repository of various
conscious pleasure-giving ecstasies, which are all super-
sweet. Out of all of these ecstasies, the quintessence of
ecstatic love between Radha and Krsna is definitely the
best, the topmost expression of pure love. And that ecstasy
is worshiped by a rare, great personality only on the
strength of Their mercy.
(25)
jadi e dasir prati, prasanna koruna-mati,
dunhu-pada-seva koro dana
ar kichu nahi cai, jugala carana pai,
sitala hauk mor prana
If You Both are ever pleased with this maidservant,
then kindly manifest Your favorable inclination towards me
by granting me the service of Your four lotus feet. There's
really nothing more that I want than to get those two pairs
of lotus feet, so I request You to please grant this favor
and thus soothe my heart.
(26)
anatha-batsala tumi, adhama anatha ami,
tvadiya saksat-dasya magi
e prasada koro dan, rakho anather pran
chadi' sab taba dasya magi
I know that You are most kind and affectionate to
those who are helpless without their master. I am actually
such a fallen soul who is also berft of my Master, and
feeling so helpless. Therefore i am now begging for Your
persona service. Please grant this favor just to save the
life of this helpless orphan. Giving up everything else, I
am now begging only for Your service.
(27)
sirete anjali dhori'. o-pade bijnapti kori,
amar abhista nibedana
ek-bar dasya diya, sitala koro he hiya,
tabe mani sarthaka jibana
Clasping my head with both hands, I am lying flat
before those lotus feet making this request... my most
cherished prayer. Please, Please soothe my heart by giving
me Your service just once only. Then and then only will I
consider this life to be successful.
(28)
kabe dunhe ei bane, bilokibo sammilane,
amulyanga, parimala-ghrana
amar nasika-dvare, pravesiya citta-pure,
acaitanya koribe bidhana
When will i be able to wistfully observe You Both
encountering each other within the transcendental forest?
The sweet nectarine fragrance produced by the meeting of
Your precious forms will pass through my nostrils and,
entering into my heart, will immediately knock me
unconscious.
(29)
dunhar nupura-dhvani, hamsa-kantha-swara jini'
madhura madhura mama kane
prevesiya kon ksane mama citta-suranjane,
mataibe seba-rasa-pane
The tinkling sound of both fo Your anklebells
together, surpasses the sweet sound produced by the swan. It
is transcendentally sweet; so sweet that immediately upon
entering my ears, my heart will become so charmed that I
will go ragingly wild to drink more of the liquid nectar-
mellows of Your service.
(30)
cakradi saubhagyaspada, bilaksita dunhu-pada,
cihna ei brndabana-bane
dekhiya e dasi kabe, bhasibe anandatsave,
dunhu-krpa peye samgopane
The nineteen most auspicious marks of the wheel,
conch, lotus ??? etc., which are unique to both of Your
lotus feet, are visible on the ground all throughout the
forests of Vrndavana. Whenever this maidservant sees those
marks, she becomes overflooded and immersed in a festival of
bliss, due to secretly receiving the mercy of You Both in
this way.
(31)
sakala-saundaryaspada, nirajita dunhu-pada,
he radhe! he nander nandana!
mamaksi-gocare kabe, sarvadbhuta mahotsave,
koribe ananda bitarana
Oh Radhe! Oh son of Maharaja Nanda! The lotus feet of
You Both are fit for being worshiped wit all kinds of
suitable paraphernalia, and they are indeed worshiped by the
highest excellence of beauty itself. When, oh when will my
eyes behold the wonderfully astonishing pastimes performed
by Your lotus feet, which will give me a great festival of
happiness?
(32)
pracinasa, phala-purti, tunhu padambuja-sphurti,
sei dunhu-jana-darasana
e janme ki ha'be mama, e utkantha su-bisama,
bicalita kore mama mana
Just a glimpse of Your lotus feet fulfills all of
one's most cherished longings; this is the real benefit for
one who has Your vision. But i am worrying now that, without
Your audience, what will become of my life now? The suspense
of this unbearable anxiety has greatly perturbed my mind.
(33)
kabe ami brndabana-kunjantare darasana,
koribo sundara dunhu jane
surata-lilaya rata, ama hoite adurata,
preme magna ha'bo darasane
When will I ever have the vision of Your two exquisite
forms within a bower in Vrndavana? Observing Your most
intimate pastimes of conjugal love being enacted so close
by, i will become overwhelmed and drowned in ecstatic love
at such a sight.
(34)
ghatanabasatah kabe, dunhu-yoga asambhare,
paraspara sandesa aniya!
badaibo dunhu sukha, jabe tabe manodukkha,
bedaibo anande matiya
In the course of Your transcendental pastimes,
sometimes You are separated from each other, and thereby
fell great distress. When will I ever be allowed, at that
time, to act as a messenger and bring Your secret messages
back and forth to each other? Since such messages contain
news of the rare,uncommon union of You Both, hearing them
will only increase Your happiness and dispel the distress of
being separated from one another. Thus I will carry these
messages to and fro, and in so doing I will excitedly stroll
along, completely besides myself and overwhelmingly absorbed
in great delight.
(35)
kabe ei brndabane, dunhu dunha adarsane
phire jabo dunhe anvesiya
sammilana koraibo, hara-padakadi pabo,
paritusta dunhare koriya
In Vrndavana, sometimes You Both are deprived of the
vision of each other. When will wander all over the forest
in search of You Both? I will bring You together again, and
You will be so pleased with me that You will reward me by
giving me some ornaments that You had used such as Your
anklebells, toe-rings, necklaces, lockets, etc.
(36)
dunhe hara dhori'pane, dyuta-krida-samapane,
'ami jayi', 'ami jayi' boli'
koribe kalaha tabe, hara-samgrehete kabe,
ami taha dekhibo sakali
During another pastime, You Both place a wager on a
necklace and being gambling over it, placing different kinds
of bets with the rolling of dice. When the game is over,
each of You separately exclaims, " I WIN, I WIN!". Then
there is a big quarrel as You Both struggle together, each
attempting to collect the necklace at stake. When will I
ever be able to witness all of these wonderful sports?
(37)
aha kabe dui jane, kunja-ajhe su-sayane,
kusuma-sayyaya biramibe
se samaye dunhu-pada samvahana-su-sampada,
e dasira saubhagya milibe
Oh, when will I behold You two Divine Personalities
reclining and lounging leisurely upon a beautiful bed of
flowers within a forest grove? Taking the opportunity at
that time, i will massage the most auspicious treasure of
Your lotus feet, and in this way shall this maidservant meet
with her good fortune.
(38)
kandarpa-kalahodgare, chindibe kanther hare,
lata-grhe padibe khasiya
se hara ganthite kabe, e dasi niyukta ha'be
dunhu-krpa-ajna sire pana
Sometimes, during the struggle of contending with
Cupid, one of Your necklaces accidentally becomes broken,
and the pieces fall and scatter all over the creeper-shaded
bower. When will this maidservant take Your merciful order
upon her head, and be appointed to re-string that very same
necklace?
(39)
keli-kalloler jabe, dunhu-kesa srasta habe,
du-janar ingita paiya
sikhi pinca kore dhori', kuntala-mandita kori',
ami rabo anande dubiya
Sometimes, due to the restless sporting of Your
amouros games, Your hair will fall loose. Heeding Your
gesture towards me, I will then com Your hair with a peacock
tail comb and thus redecorate Your lovely tresses. In this
way I will remain submerged and drowned in pure ecstasy.
(40)
kandarpa-kridaya jabe, dunhu-srak srasta ha'be,
tabe ami dunhu-ajna pana
ubhaya-lalata-majhe, koribo tilaka-saje,
matta ha'be se sobha dekhiya
Sometimes, due to being jostled about during Cupid's
amorous games, Your flower garlands, necklaces, earrings,
crowns and other decorations may become ruffled and
disarrayed out of place. At that time, upon receiving Your
order, I will rearrange all those scattered ornaments, and
then redecorate Your foreheads with fresh tilaka. Thus I
will go mad just seeing Your splendors beauty.
(41)
krsna! taba bakse ami, bana mala diya svami!
radhe! taba nayane kajjala
kunja-majhe kona dina, pa'bo sukha samicina,
preme citta ha'be talamala
Oh! I will get enough happiness to satisfy my longings
when I am placing a garland of fresh forest flowers upon
Your chest! Oh Radhe! And likewise when I am re-applying
black mascara around Your lotus eyes! When will that day be
mine when I can render such services within a bower in
Vrndavana? Then my heart will throb in ecstatic love for You
Both.
(42)
kabe jambunada-barna, loiya tambuliparna,
sirasunya karpuradi-yuta
bitika nirmmana kori, dunhu mukhe dibo dhori'
preme citta ha'be paripluta
When can I make first-class pan for You Both to chew?
Picking fresh cold-??? betel leaves, I will remove the stems
and add fragrant spices and camphor, Then, rolling the
leaves into a cone shape and thus making it nice, I will
take them and place them int Your lotus mouths. At that
moment my heart will become flooded and saturated with
ecstatic love for You.
(43)
kotha e durasa mor, kotha e duskarma ghora,
e prarthana, jadi bolo keno
he radhe! he ghanasyama! dunhu-jana-gunagrama,
madhuri bolaya more heno
Why am I revealing such far-off,impossible dreams in
these prayers when i am in reality so deeply sunk into the
dark well of sinful materialistic activities? Oh Radhe! Oh
Ghanasyama! Your own maddening sweetness is actually making
me speak all these things about Your transcendentally
glorious qualities!
(44)
dunhar je krpa-gune, painu dhama-brndabane,
se-krpa abhista purana
koruna amaya natha! pana tunhu-sakhi-satha,
kunja-seba pai anuksana
By Your supreme transcendental quality of mercy i have
attained residence in the spiritual abode of Sri Vrndavana,
and this mercy has fulfilled all of my most cherished
longings. Oh Lord! Now please let me have eternal service in
Your pleasure-gardens in the company of Your most beloved
girlfriends and maidservants!
(45)
ohe radhe! ohe krsna! sei braja-rasa-trsna,
karpanya-panjika-katha-chale
jalpana koroye sada, ta'r banca-purti tada,
koruna dunhu krpa-bale
Oh Radhe! Oh Krsna! On the plea of narrating this
diary of my greedy, selfish desires for Your humble service
(karpanya-panjika), I have thus revealed my incredible
thirst for all these liquid mellows of Vraja. All of these
thirsty longins are just bottled up inside my heart, and I
am incessantly cherishing the constant churning of these
hopes within my mind. Please, I beg You Both, please
therefore fulfill all these spiritual desires for Your
service. I am appealing to You now on the strength of Your
own causeless mercy.
(46)
sri-rupa-manjari-pada, sire dhori' su-sampada,
kamala-manjari kore asa
sri-godruma-braja- bane, dunhu-lila-sandarsane,
purna hao raser pipasa
Holding upon her head her most treasured possesion
(the lotus feet of Sri Rupa Manjari), this Kamala Manjari
hopes that by thus observing Their eternal pastimes going on
within this transcendental forest of Vraja at Godruma,
Navadvipa, then her craving thirst for such mellows will
finally be quenched.
THUS ENDS THE SECOND CHAPTER OF "GITA-MALA", entitled
"KARPANYA PANJIKA (Diary of Humble Selfishness for
Service).
By Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura
GITAMALA
CHAPTER THREE
SOKA - SATANA
(The Dispelling of Grief)
--- 13 songs ---
INTRUDUCTION TO CHAPTER THREE - SOKA-SATANA
This chapter consists of thirteen songs describing one
pastime of Lord Caitanya as follows:
Once, during an all-night kirtana performed by the
Lord in Srivasa Pandita's courtyard, one of the five sons of
Srivasa died within the house due to some disease. All the
household ladies began to cry loudly in lamentation, which
was heard by Srivasa as he was chanting and dancing with
Lord Caitanya out in the courtyard. Entering the house, he
pacified the distressed ladies with sweet spiritual
instructions and then returned to the kirtana as if nothing
had happened. In the morning the kirtana finally stopped,
and Lord Caitanya inquired if anything was wrong in the
house, for He was not getting the usual ecstasy from His all-
night kirtana. Being informed of the fate of the boy, the
Lord became severely afflicted with loving separation and
asked that the body be brought out into the courtyard. Then
asking the dead boy why he had died, The Lord manifested the
jiva soul back into the body, and the boy spoke many
transcendental truths very similar to those spoken by the
dead son of King Citraketu in the 16th chapter of the 6th
canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam. Afterwards Lord Caitanya,
accompanied by all the devotees, celebrated the funeral
ceremony of the boy in great ecstasy, being joined by the
personified Ganges, Sri Jahnavi devi herself.
This pastime is mentioned only briefly by Srila
Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami in the Caitanya-caritamrta, (Adi-
lila 17. 227-229). However, it is described more elaborately
by Srila Vrndavanadasa Thakura in the Caitanya-bhagavata,
Madhya-lila chapter 25, entitled "The description of
transcendental truth by the dead body". Within this chapter
the lila is described in less than 70 verses, and the
conversations are very brief, giving basic outline to the
whole story. However, Bhaktivinoda Thakura picks up and
expands all the detailed elements of the lila and philosophy
in 13 songs, totaling 91 verses. This greatly elaborates on
the character of the Lord as well as His dealings with the
devotees through the format of simple Bengali songs of
varying meters. Thus the entire chapter is very wonderful
for singing in various ways, as well as for tasting a richly
condensed version of Lord Caitanya's transcendental
character and teachings.
The individual headings to all the songs, also listed
below, were apparently not part of the original composition,
but were added sometime later during subsequent Gaudiya Math
reprints of Gita-mala.
SONG TOPICS
1) Lord Gaurahari's performance of congregational
chanting in Srivasa Pandita's courtyard; the death of
Srivasa's son.
2) Srivasa gives solace to his family members.
3) Statement about dedication of the soul surrendered to
Krsna.
4) Srivasa forbids th crying,being fearful of disrupting
Mahaprabhu's kirtana.
5) Manifestation of symptoms of separation by Bhakta-
vatsala (Lord Caitanya) due to the death of His dear
devotee.
6) The affectionate inclinations of Sri Gaurahari towards
His own devotee.
7) The manifestation of various absolute truths from the
mouth of the dead boy.
8) The bound soul takes different types of births
according to its different fruitive reactions.
9) Birth in the house of a devotee only by dint of one's
great fortune
10) The Lord praises the glories of His devotees.
11) Remembrance of the Lord is actual wealth, and
forgetfulness of Him is actual calamity.
12) Sri Gaurahari performs the funeral ceremony along with
His associates.
13) Prayer unto all the hearers of this story.
GITAMALA--- CHAPTER THREE "SOKA-SATANA" (The Dispelling of
Grief), "Sri-Gauranga-lila-caritra" (The Character and
Activities of Lord Gauranga's Transcendental Pastimes).
--- Lord Gaurahari's Performance of Congregational
Chanting
in Srivasa Pandita's Courtyard
(1)
pradosa-samaye, sribasa-angane,
sangopane goramani
sri hari-kirtane, nace nana-range,
uthilo mangala-dhvani
In the evening twilight, within the privacy of Srivasa
Pandita's courtyard, the cream-lustered jewel, Lord
Gauramani, raised a most auspicious vibration by His
chanting of Hari-kirtana, which He personally accompanied by
dancing in various playful moods.
(2)
mrdanga madala, baje karatala,
majhe majhe jaya tura
prabhur natana, dekhi' sakaler,
hoilo santapa dura
Accompanied by the paying of the mrdanga drum and
karatalas, and amidst occasional victorious shouts of "Jaya!
Jaya!", the dramatic dance of the Lord dispelled the grief
of all those who witnessed it.
(3)
akhanda premete, matala takhan.
sakala bhakata-gana
apana pasari, goracande gheri',
nace gaya anuksana
Then, becoming madly intoxicated in supreme ecstatic
love, all the assembled devotees completely forgot
themselves and incessantly began to dance and chant wildly,
surrounding Lord Gauracandra.
The Death of Srivasa Pandita's son
(4)
emona samaye, daiva-vyadhi-joge
srivaser antahpure
tanaya-bijoge, nari-gana soke,
prakasalo uccoihsware
At this time, within the inner chamber of Srivasa's
house, one of his sons suddenly died due to some disease,
as ordained by the will of Providence. Due to separation
from the boy, all the women of the household began to lament
and cry out in a loud voice.
(5)
krandana uthile, habe rasa-bhanga,
bhakatibinoda dare
sribasa amani, bujhilo karana,
pasilo apan ghare
Now Bhaktivinoda fears that the transcendental mellows
of the Lord's kirtana will be disturbed by the uprising of
such loud crying sounds. However, Srivasa Pandita has now
understood the cause of this sound, and has personally
entered the house.
Song 2 --- Srivasa Gives Solace to His Family Members
(1)
prabesiya antahpure, nari-gane santa kore,
sribasa amiya upadese
suno pagalini-gana, soko koro akarana,
kiba duhka thake krsnabese
Entering into the inner chamber, Srivasa began to
pacify all of the women there by giving them spiritual
instructions that were as sweet as nectar. He said, "Look
here, you crazy ladies, you all lament uselessly, for what
kind of unhappiness can there possibly be in ecstatic love
for Krsna?"
(2)
krsna nitya suta ja'r, soka kabhu nahi tar,
anitya asakti sarva-nasa
asiyacho e samsare, krsna bhajibara tare,
nitya-tattve koroho vilasa
"Whoever has Krsna for his eternal Son never has to
lament for anything, although if one becomes attached to
that which is temporary, then everything is lost. You have
all come into this material world for the purpose of
worshiping Krsna, so now you should all becomes situated
again in the eternal absolute truth.
(3)
e dehe javat sthiti, koro krsna-candre rati,
krsna jano dhana, jana, prana
e-deho-anuga jata, bhai bandhu pati suta,
anitya sambandha boli' mano
"As long as you are existing in this body, you should
all cultivate love and attachment for Lord Krsna, knowing
Him to be your real wealth, real friend and your very life
and soul. All of the followers of this body namely brothers,
friends, husbands and sons should be accepted as being only
temporary relationships.
(4)
keba ka'r pati suta, anitya-sambandha-krta,
cahile rakhite nare ta're
karama-bipaka-phale, suta ho'ye baise kole,
karma-ksaye ar raite nare
"Whoever wants to hold onto husbands or sons will not
be able to keep them, for all these relationships are only
temporary. Even if your son is sitting in your very lap, you
still cannot protect him, for when his bad fruitive
reactions fructify, then his present karma is finished, and
he will not be able to remain here any longer."
(5)
ithe sukha duhkha mani', adhogati labhe prani,
krsna-pada hoite pade dure
soka sambariya ebe, namanande maja' sabe
bhakatibinoda-banca pure
"By accepting this type of temporary happiness and
distress, many other living entities are now being degraded
into lower species of life, falling far, far away from
Krsna's lotus feet. Therefore you should all give up your
temporary lamentation right now, and just become absorbed in
the bliss of the Lord's holy names."
All of Bhaktivinoda's desires are now being fulfilled
by hearing Srivasa speak such nice eternal truths.
Song 3 --- Statement about Dedication of the Soul Surrender
to Krsna
(1)
dhana, jana, deha, geha krsne samarpana
riacho, suddha-citte koroho smarana
"Offering all of your ealth, relatives, body and
entire household unto Krsna in dedication, just remember Him
always with a purified heart."
(2)
tabe keno 'mama suta' boli' koro duhkha
sna nilo nija-jana tahe ta'r sukha
"So then why are you xclaiming, `my son, my son!' in
grat sadness? Krsna has simply taken His own devotee,just to
suit His own happiness.
(3)
krsna-iccha-mate sab ghataya ghatana
tahe sukha-duhkha-jnana abidya-kalpana
"Krsna is causing all things to take place just
according to His own sweet will. In light of that, all your
ideas of happiness and distress are simply ignorant mental
concoctions.
(4)
jaha iccha kore krsna, tai jano bhalo
tyajiya apan iccha ghucao janjala
"Whatever Krsna's desire is, you must accept only that
as actually good. Renouncing all of your separate personal
desires, relieve yourselves of this unnecessary
botheration."
(5)
deya krsna, neya krsna, pale krsna sabe
rakhe krsna, mare krsna, iccha kore jabe
"Krsna gives you everything, Krsna takes everything
away, Krsna maintains everyone or kills everyone whenever He
likes, according to His own sweet will.
(6)
krsna-iccha-biparita je kore basana
tar iccha nahi phale, se pay jatana
"If someone maintains some desire that is contrary to
Krsna's desire, then her wish does not become fruitful.
Indeed, she only gets trouble and anguish."
(7)
tyajiya sakala soka suno drsna-nama
parama ananda pabe, purna habe kama
"Therefore, rejecting all of your lamentation, just
listen to the chanting of Krsna's holy name which is going
on now out in the courtyard. From this you will get the
topmost transcendental bliss, and all of your desires will
be fulfilled."
(8)
bhakatibinoda mage sribasa-carane
atma-nibedana-sakti jibane marane
Thus Bhaktivinoda begs at Srivasa Pandita's lotus feet
for the power to completely surrender his soul to Krsna in
life or in death.
Song 4 --- Srivasa Forbids the Crying, Being Fearful of
Disrupting Mahaprabhu's Kirtana
(1)
sabu meli' balaka-bhaga bicari'
chodabi moha soka citta-bikari
Srivasa continued, " All of you together should
consider the real fate of the boy, and you should
immediately discontinue any bewilderment and grief that may
be in your disturbed hearts."
(2)
caudda-bhubana-pati nanda-kumara
saci-nandana bhelo nadiya-abatara
"The Supreme Lord of all the fourteen worlds is the
youthful Son of Nanda Maharaja, and now He has become the
Son of Mother Saci by personally descending in Nadia."
(3)
sohi gokulacanda angane mor
nacai bhakta-saha ananda-bibhor
"This very same Gokula-canda is now dancing in my
courtyard with His most confidential devotees, all
completely overwhelmed with ecstatic bliss."
(4)
sunata nama-gana balaka mor
chodalo deha hari-priti-bibhor
"My boy has given up his body while hearing the
singing of the Lord's holy names coming from the kirtana out
in the courtyard. Therefore he certainly has died while
overwhelmed with love for the Lord."
(5)
aichana bhaga jaba bhai hamara
tabahun hao bhava-sagara-para
"If I would be so fortunate as to get such an
auspicious death as this, them I will certainly be able to
easily cross over the ocean of material existence."
(6)
tunhu sabu bichari ehi bicara
kanhe korobi soka citta-bikara
"All of you together just consider this one judgement
... what will your lamentation and disturbed hearts do to
help the situation?"
(7)
sthira nahi haobi jadi upadese
bancita haobi rase avasese
"If you all do not become pacified by these
instructions, then you will only cheat yourselves out of
tasting transcendentally ecstatic mellows in the long run.
(8)
pasibun hama suratatini-mahe
bhaktibinoda pramada dekhe tahe
"Not only will you cheat yourself, but you will induce
me to leave this world by plunging myself into the waters of
Ganga."
Thus Bhaktivinoda is witnessing all this calamity in
progress.
Song 5 Manifestation of Symptoms of Separation by Bhaktavatsala
(Lord Caitanya) due to the Death of His Dear Devotee
(1)
sribasa-bacana, srabana koriya,
sadhwi pati-brata-gana
soka parihari', mrta sisu rakhi',
hari-rase dilo mana
Hearing these words of Srivasa Pandita, all those
chaste and faithful ladies gave up their lamentation for the
dead son, because Srivasa had satisfied their minds by
informing them of the transcendental mellows of Lord Hari.
(2)
sribasa takhan, anande matiya,
angane ailo punah
nace gora-sane, sakala pasari,
gaya nanda-suta-guna
Then Srivasa again came out into the courtyard and,
overwhelmed with joy, resumed dancing with Lord Caitanya and
loudly sang the glories of the Son of Nanda Maharaja,
completely forgetting about what had just happened.
(3)
cari danda ratre, marilo kumara
angane keho na jane
sri-nama-mangale, trtiya prahara,
rajani atita gane
The boy had expired only 1-1/2 hours after dark, but
out in the courtyard no one had known anything due to the
loud kirtana. Then for 9 hours there was continuous chanting
of the auspicious holy names. Thus the entire night had
elapsed in this ecstatic singing.
(4)
kirtana bhangile, kohe gaurahari,
aji keno pai duhkha
bujhi, ei grhe, kichu amangala
ghatiya harilo sukha
Then the kirtana stopped, and Lord Gaurahari said,
"Why am I feeling some unhappiness today? i can understand
that something inauspicious has happened in this house which
has robbed Me of My bliss."
(5)
tabe bhakta-jana, nibedana kore,
sribasa-sisur katha
suni' gora raya, bole, hay hay!
marame painu byatha
Then the devotees related to the Lord the story of the
death of Srivasa'son. Hearing this news, the Lord loudly
exclaimed, "Oh no! What has happened? Now the core of My
heart has become pierced with so much unbearable pain!"
(6)
keno na kohile, amare takhan,
bipada-sambada sabe
bhakatibinoda bhakata-batsala-
snehete majilo tabe
"Why didn't you inform Me of this calamity when it had
just happened?" Now, Bhaktivinoda has completely lost
himself in the affection that he Lords shows to His own
devotees.
Song 6) The Affectionate Inclination of Sri Gaurahari
Towards His Own Devotees.
(1)
prabhur bacana, takha suniya,
sribasa lotana bhumi
bole, suno natha! taba rasa-bhanga,
sahite na pari ami
Then, hearing these words of the Lord, Srivasa Pandita
began rolling on the ground, crying out, "Please hear me, oh
Lord! I am simply not able to tolerate any disturbance or
interruption of the ecstatic mellows of Your kirtana!"
(2)
ekati tanaya, mariache,natha,
tahe mor kiba duhkha
jadi sab mare, tomare heriya,
tabu to' paibo sukha
"Only one of my sons has died, oh Lord, and has that
really made me upset? Even if all of my sons die, then I
will certainly get more than enough happiness by seeing
You."
(3)
taba nrtya-bhanga hoile amar,
marana hoite hari
tai ku-sambada, na dilo tomare,
bipada asanka kori
"I would certainly die on the spot if I were to
interrupt Your dancing, oh Lord. That is why I did not
inform You of this bad news. for I was dreading the calamity
of disturbing Your ecstasy."
(4)
ebe ajna deho, mrta suta lo'ye,
satkara karuna sabe
eteka suniya, gora dwija-mani,
kandite lagilo tabe
"Lord, if You will kindly grant us Your permission
now, then we shall all take the boy's body and perform the
proper funeral rites." Hearing this much from the mouth of
Srivasa Pandita, the jewel of the twice-born, Lord
Gaurasundara, then broke down and began to weep piteously on
the spot.
(5)
kemone e sab, chadiya jaibo,
parana bikala hoy
se katha suniya, bhakatibinoda,
manete pailo bhoy
Crying and crying, the Lord thought within Himself,
"How could I possibly abandon such loving servitors and go
elsewhere by taking sannyasa? If I were to do so, my heart
would certainly split." Hearing this type of talk,
Bhaktivinoda's mind become somewhat fearful.
Song 7) The Manifestation of Various Absolute Truths from the
Mouth of the Dead Boy
(1)
goracander ajna peye grha-basi-gana
mrta suta anganete ane tataksana
Then the Lord ordered the household members to bring
the boy's body out into the courtyard, and they immediately
complied.
(2)
kalimalahari gora jijnase takhan
"sribase chadiya, sisu jao ki karana?"
Then the merciful Lord Gaura, Who removes the gloomy,
dirty influence of the age of Kali, began to question the
body by saying, "Please tell Me, my dear boy, what ever
prompted you to leave here so suddenly, thus giving up your
loving father Srivasa Pandita?"
(3)
mrta-sisu-mukhe jiba kore nibedana
"loka-siksa lagi'" prabhu tab acarana
Being thus questioned by the Lord, the soul again
manifested in the dead body by the mercy of the Lord, and he
began to offer very nice prayers which were meant to be
instructive to all persons.
(4)
tumi to' parama tattwa ananta adwaya
para sakti tomar abhinna tattwa hoy
The dead boy said, " My dear Lord, You are without a
doubt the Supreme Absolute Truth, unlimited and one without
a second. Since You are the Supremely energetic, all of Your
transcendental energies are certainly non-different from
You."
(5)
sei para sakti tridha hoiya prakasa
taba icchamata koraya tomar bilasa
"This transcendental potency of Your manifests itself
in three different ways, and it assists in the performance
of Your eternal pastimes in different ways according to Your
own sweet will."
(6)
cicchakti-svarupe nitya-lila prakasiya
tomare ananda dena hladini hoiya
"The original form of the cognizant potency (cit-
sakti) is manifesting Your eternal pastimes in the spiritual
world, and just to give You pleasure it becomes the pleasure-
giving potency known as hladini."
(7)
jiba-sakti hana taba cit-kiranacaye
tatastha-swabhave jiba-gane prakataye
"Secondly,becoming the jiva-sakti, the potency
produces the multitudes of fine, conscious particles which
make up the glowing effulgence of Your transcendental body.
All of these souls are thus manifest with a natural marginal
characteristic of minute independence."
(8)
maya-sakti ho'ye kore prapanca srjana
bahirmukha jibe tahe koroya bandhana
"Thirdly, becoming the maya-sakti, the potency crates
the innumerable material universes, and within them she
captures and binds all the souls who choose to remain averse
to You, dear Lord."
(9)
bhakatibinoda bole aparadha-phale
bahirmukha ho'ye achi prapanca-kabale
Hearing these prayers offered to Lord Caitanya by the
dead boy, Bhaktivinoda says at this point that he himself
has also become averse to the Lord due to his offences, and
has become swallowed up by maya in the material world.
Song 8) The Bound Soul Takes Different Types of Births
According to its Different Fruitive Reactions
(1)
purna-cidananda tumi, tomar cit-kana ami,
swabhavatah ami tuwa dasa
parama swatantra tumi, tuya paratantra ami,
tuwa pada chari' sarva-nasa
The dead son continued: "You, dear Lord, are
completely full in transcendental bliss. I am simply a tiny
conscious particle of You; therefore by nature I am Your
eternal servant. Only You are supremely independent, whereas
I am totally dependent on You. Indeed, neglecting Your lotus
feet, I have now become completely ruined."
(2)
swatantra ho'ye jakhan, maya prati koinu mana,
swa-swabava chadilo amaya
prapance mayar bandhe, padinu karmer dhandhe,
karna-cakre amare phelaya
"As soon as I chose to be independent of Your
Lordship, I became inclined toward maya's illusory benefits.
Thus I have given up my natural spiritual characteristics.
Falling down due to the dazzling bewilderment of fruitive
gain, I have become captured by maya within this mundane
world. Now as a result I am being forcibly thrown into the
revolving wheel of binding fruitive actions and reactions."
(3)
maya taba iccha mate, bandhe more e jagate,
adrsta nirbandha lauha-kare
sei to' rirbandha more, ane sribaser ghare,
putra-rupe malini-jathare
"Thus I am bound up by Maya in this world according to
Your will, being firmly clenched in the iron-like grip of my
predestined fate. And according to this fate, I have now
come into Srivasa's home by taking birth as the son of
Malini."
(4)
se nirbandha punaraya, more ebe lo'ye jaya,
ami to' thakite nari ar
taba iccha su-prabala, mor iccha su-durbala
ami jiba akincana char
"Now, again according to my predestined fate, I must
leave this place; I cannot remain here any longer, even if I
wanted to. Your desire is most powerful, dear Lord, whereas
my desire is most feeble, for I am simply an insignificant,
humble soul."
(5)
jathaya pathao tumi, abasya jaibo ami,
ka'r keba putra pati pita
jader sambandha sab, taha nahi satya-laba,
tumi jiber nitya palayita
"Wherever You send me next, oh Lord, I must certainly
go to become someone's son or husband or father. However, I
know that all these material relationships do not possess
even one speck of eternal truth, for only You, dear Lord,
are the eternal friend and guardian of all souls."
(6)
samjoga-bijoge jini, sukha-duhkha mane gani,
taba pade chadena asraya
mayar gardabha ho'ye, majena samsara lo'ye,
bhaktibinoder sei bhoy
"Only one who foolishly neglects the eternal shelter
of You two lotus feet considers the union and separation of
all these temporary family relationships to be separation of
all distress. This just shows how much one has actually
become absorbed in the bodily concept of life, being crammed
and stuffed into the womb of illusion."
Hearing all these truths about the fate of the bound
soul has now made Bhaktivinoda become extremely frightened.
Song 9) Birth in the House of a Devotee by Dint of
One's Great Fortune
(1)
bandhilo maya, jedina ho'te,
abidya-moha-dore
aneka janma, labhinu ami,
phirinu maya-ghore
The dead boy continued, "Thus I have been captured and
bound by maya. Due to being tied tightly by her ropes of
ignorance and bewilderment, I have undergone many, many
births since that time, simply wandering here and there in
the ghastly darkness of maya's illusions."
(2)
deba danaba, manaba pasu,
patanga kita ho'ye
svarge narake, bhutale phiri,
anitya asa lo'ye
"Sometime I become a demigod, sometimes a demon, and
sometimes I get the body of a man, an animal, a bird or an
insect. Sometimes i wander up to heaven, sometimes down to
hell, and sometimes on earth, being carried away the whole
time by innumerable materialistic hopes and aspirations."
(3)
na jani kiba, sukrti bale,
sribasa-suta hoinu
nadiya-dhame, carana taba
darasa-parasa koinu
" I have no idea of what kind of wonderful pious
credit I have earned to be born here in this life as the son
of Sri Srivasa Pandita within the holy abode of Navadvipa.
Thus I myself am amazed that I have had the great fortune of
actually being able to see and touch Your lotus feet, oh
Lord."
(4)
sakala bare, marana-kale,
aneka duhkha pai
tuwa prasange, parama sukhe,
ebara ca'le jai
"Usually, whenever I have to die, I always experience
great pain and distress upon leaving the particular body I
happen to be in. But this time, I am only experiencing great
happiness by discussing all these topics related to Your
glories. However, my time is now up, so I must take Your
leave."
(5)
icchaya tor, janama jadi,
abara hoiu, hari!
carane taba, prema-bhakati,
thake, minati kori
"If it is Your desire that I should take another
birth, oh Lord, I pray and humbly request Your Lordship to
kindly allow me to be always situated in the transcendental
loving service of Your divine lotus feet."
(6)
jakhan sisu, niraba bhelo,
dekhiya prabhur lila
sribasa-gosthi, tyajiya soka,
ananda-magana bhela
Saying this, the boy then fell silent. Seeing this
wonderful pastime of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srivasa
Pandita's whole family gave up all of their lamentation and
became absorbed in grat transcendental happiness.
(7)
gaura-carita, amrta-dhara,
korite korite pana
bhaktibinoda, sribase mage,
jaya jena mor prana
Thus the transcendental character and activities of
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are just like a continuous shower of
ambrosia. Bhaktivinoda is thereby losing his vital life
force simply begging Srivasa Thakura to allow him to drink
more of this nectarean ambrosia.
Song 10) The Lord Praises the Glories of His Devotees
(1)
sribase kohena prabhu, tunhu mor dasa
tuwa-prite bandha ami jagate prakasa
Then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to speak to Srivasa
with very affectionate and sweet words. He said, "My dear
Srivasa, you are actually My very old servant. Indeed, i am
staying in this world only due to your unalloyed love for
me."
(2)
bhakta-gana-senapati sribasa pandita
jagate ghusuka aji tomar carita
"You, Srivasa Pandita, are factually the commander-in-
chief of all of My devotees. Today your glorious character
will be acclaimed throughout the three worlds."
(3)
prapanca-kara-raksini mayar bandhana
tomar nahiko kabhu, dekhuk jagajjana
"You are never subject to the imprisoning bondage of
Mayadevi, the proprietress of this prison-like material
world. Indeed, this fact is attested to by all the people of
the world."
(4)
dhana, jana, deha, geha, amare arpiya
amar sebaya sukhe acho sukhi hana
"You have dedicated unto Me all of your wealth,
followers, body and household paraphernalia, and thus you
have become most joyful by being so nicely situated in My
eternal service."
(5)
mama lila-pusti lagi' tomar samsara
sikhuka grhastha jana tomar acara
" The whole of your existence in this world is only
for the purpose of nourishing My eternal pastimes. Thus your
ideal behavior as a transcendental family man is exemplary
for instructing all the materialistic householders."
(6)
taba preme baddha achi ami, nityananda
ama dunhe suta jani' bhunjaha ananda
"Sri Nityananda Prabhu and I are so much obliged to
you due to your pure love for Us. Indeed, We know that you
enjoy great happiness by considering Us to be your very own
sons."
(7)
nitya-tattwa suta jara anitya tanaya
asakti na kore sei srjane pralaye
"We are truly your eternal sons, for We see that you
are not at all attached to your temporary sons, who are
allsubject to the material conditions of creation and
destruction."
(8)
bhaktite tomar rni ami cirodina
taba sadhu-bhave tumi ksama mor rna
"Because of your pure devotion i am eternally indebted
to you. And because of your saintly character you are also
quite deserving of My indebtedness."
(9)
sribaser paya bhaktibinoda kujana
kakuti koriya mage gauranga-carana
Hearing these loving words of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
this rascal Bhaktivinoda now begs at the feet of Srivasa
Thakura in humble supplication to receive the lotus feet of
Lord Gauranga.
Song 11) Remembrance of the Lord is Actual Wealth, and
Forgetfulness of Hid is Actual Calamity
(1)
sribaser prati, caitanya-prasada,
dikhiya sakala jana
jaya sri caitanya, jaya nityananda,
boli' nace ghana ghana
Seeing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu show such favorable
grace to Srivasa Pandita, all the devotees present there
began to dance ecstatically, and they repeatedly shouted,
"Jaya Sri Caitanya! Jaya Nityananda!" with resounding
voices.
(2)
sribasa-mandire, ki bhava uthilo,
taha ki barna hoy
bhava-yuddha sane, ananda-krandana,
uthe krsna-preme-maya
It is simply not possible to describe the ecstatic
mood that arose in Srivasa's house at that time, indeed, it
was just like a great war of transcendental emotions was
taking place within the battlefield of tears of joy, all
arising due to ecstatic love for Krsna.
(3)
cari bhai padi', prabhur carane,
prema gadgada svare
kandiya kandiya kakuti koriya,
gadi' jaya prema-bhare
Then the four brothers of the dead boy came over and
fell down at Lord Caitanya's lotus feet and began weeping
and wailing with piteous voices choked with ecstatic love.
Then they began rolling on the ground, overflowing with pure
love while humbly petitioning the Lord as follows.
(4)
ohe praneswara, e heno bipada,
prati-dina jeno hoy
jahate tomar, carana-jugale,
asakti badite roy
They said, "Oh Lord of our lives! If calamities like
this would happen every day, then that would only increase
our deep loving attachment to Your lotus feet!"
(5)
bipada-sampade, sei dina bhalo,
je dina tomare smari
tomar-smarana-rohita je dina,
se dina bipada, hari
"This calamity of losing our brother today is actually
our great fortune, for on this day we are remembering Your
Lordship. If, on some other day, we are bereft of Your
remembrance, then that day is actually the real calamity for
us, oh Lord."
(6)
sribasa-gosthir, carane padiya
bhakatibinoda bhane,
tomader gora, krpa bitariya,
dekhao durgata jane
Falling down at the feet of Srivasa Pandita's entire
family, Bhaktivinoda thus narrates how their Lord
Gaurasundara is bestowing His causeless mercy upon all
distressed souls.
Song 12) Sri Gaurahari Performs the Funeral Ceremony
Along with His Associates
(1)
mrta sisu lo'ye tabe bhakatabatsala
bhakata-sangete gaya sri-nama-mangale
(2)
gaite gaite gela jahnavir tire
balake satkara koilo jahnavir nire
Lord Caitanya, Who is so affectionate to His own
devotees, then took the dead boy and, along with all the
devotees, began to chant the most auspicious sound vibration
of the holy names. Thus singing and singing, they all
arrived on the bank of the Ganga (the Jahnavi). Then they
performed the proper funeral rites with some water from the
Ganga.
(3)
jahnavi bolena, mama saubhagya apara
saphala hoilo brata chilo je amara
The personified Gangamayi, Sri Jahnavi-devi, then
appeared herself and said, "Such unlimited auspicious
fortune has become mine today! Now I have achieved the
successful fruits of all the vows and penances I had
undertaken!"
(4)
mrta sisu dena gora jahnavir jale
uthali' jahnavi devi sisu loy kole
Then Lord Caitanya personally put the boy's body into
the river. Immediately thereafter, Jahnavi Devi picked up
the body and took him on her lap.
(5)
uthaliya sparse gora-carana-kamala
sisu-kole preme devi hoy talamala
Bringing the dead boy out of the water, she touched
the lotus feet of Lord Gaura. With the body still on her
lap, she began to tremble in ecstatic love for the Lord.
(6)
jahnavir bhava dekhi' jata bhakta-gana
sri-nama-mangala-dhwani kore anuksana
Seeing such an ecstatic mood being exhibited by Sri
Jahnavi Devi, all the assembled devotees there immediately
began chanting the auspicious holy names incessantly.
(7)
swarga hoite deve kore puspa barisana
bimana sankula tabe chailo gagana
From the heavens, the demigods began to shower flowers
like rainfall. They crowded in the sky, almost blocking out
the sunlight with their innumerable airplanes.
(8)
ei rupe nana bhave hoiya magana
satkara koriya snana koilo sarva-jana
In this way, everyone on all sides was absorbed in
various ecstasies. After performing the funeral rites, they
all took their bath in the Ganga.
(9)
parama anande sabe gelo nija ghare
bhakatibinoda maje gora-bhavabhare
In great happiness, everyone then returned to their
respective homes, and Bhaktivinoda is now completely
immersed in the transcendental ecstasies of Lord
Gaurasundara.
Song 13) Prayer Unto all the Hearers of This Story
(1)
nadiya nagare gora-carita amrta
piya soka bhoy chado, sthira koro cita
The activities and behavior of Lord Gaurasundara
within the villages around Nadia District are just like
sweet ambrosial nectar. By drinkink this nectar, just give
up all of your material lamentations and fears, and make
your heart become thus fixed up.
(2)
anitya samsara bhai krsna matra sara
gora-siksa mate krsna bhaja anibara
Within this temporary material world, my friends, the
only substantial essence of Absolute truth is Lord Krsna.
Therefore,kindly take heed of Lord Caitanya's advice, and
just worship Krsna constantly.
(3)
gorar carana dhori' jei bhagyavan
braje radha-krsna bhaje sei mor prana
Whoever understands this and thereby firmly grabs hold
of Lord Caitanya's lotus feet is most fortunate. And if he
worships Sri Sri Radha-Krsna in Vrndavana, then I will
accept him as my very life soul.
(4)
radha-krsna goracanda na' de brndabana
ei matra koro sara pabe nitya dhana
Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha-Krsna are none other
than the selfsame Lord Gauracandra, and Sri Navadvipa-dhama
is that very same Vrndavana-dhama. If you consider this as
the only essential point, then you will rightfully receive
some eternal treasures.
(5)
bidya-buddhi hina dina akincana chara
karma-jnana-sunya ami sunya-sadacara
Actually I am completely devoided of any real
knowledge or good intelligence. Indeed, I am most lowly,
insignificant and contemptible. I am also certainly without
the slightest trace of good karma or philosophical
understanding, and I am completely bereft of any proper
virtuous behavior.
(6)
sri-guru-baisnaba more dilena upadhi
bhakti-hine upadhi hoilo ebe byadhi
All the assembled Vaisnavas, who I consider to be just
like my spiritual master, have given me this title of
Bhaktivinoda, but because I am actually totally devoid of
any trace of devotion, this title has simply become like a
painful disease for me.
(7)
jatana koriya sei byadhi nibarane
sarana loinu ami baisnaba carane
Taking great care to chekck the spreading of this
disease, I have taken refuge at the lotus feet of all the
Vaisnavas.
(8)
baisnaber pada-raja mastake dhoriya
e soka-satana gaya bhaktibinodiya
Taking the dust of the lotus feet of all the Vaisnavas
upon my head, this lowly Bhaktivinoda thus sings this story
called soka-satana, (The Dispelling of Grief).
THUS END THE THIRD CHAPTER OF GITAMALA, entitled "SOKA-
SATANA" (The Dispelling of Grief).
GITAMALA
CHAPTER FOUR
SRI SRI
RUPANUGA - BHAJANA - DARPANA
A Mirror Reflecting the Worship Which Follows Srila Rupa
Gosvami
--- 29 songs ---
INTRUDUCTION TO CHAPTER FOUR
"RUPANUGA - BHAJANA - DARPANA"
This chapter is based on the teachings outlined in the
final portions of Bhaktivinoda's other books, Jaiva Dharma
and Caitanya-siksamrta. These two books are written in
Bengali prose and are themselves based on Srila Rupa
Gosvami's Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu and Ujjvala-nilamani. The
latter two books are celebrated as the most important and
authoritative books ever written on rasa-tattva. So what
Bhaktivinoda has done is to take the most essential points
of Srila Rupa Gosvami's two books and put them into an easy
story format,like a novel, in Jaiva Dharma, and then put the
same into a simple explanatory format especially meant for
Westerners (or those acquainted with Western philosophy) in
Caitanya-siksamrta. Then he finally puts the same points
again into Bengali verses, as this chapter of Gita-mala, Sri
Sri Rupanuga-bhajana-darpana. He explains the principles in
a very lucid and clear-cut way, so that the reader can get
the gist of Rupa Gosvami's books Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu and
Ujjvala-nilamani without having to labor through their
voluminous texts.
As explained in the Introduction to this book,
Rupanuga-bhajana-darpana gives a synopsis of the detailed
science of the rasa-tattva by which Krsna's pastimes
continuously function. This is most essential for those who
desire an intellectual study of the scientific
transcendental root foundations of Krsna consciousness that
practically everything one sees or experiences in this world
can be traced back to its original tattva from which it has
reflected. In other words, by knowing the details of Krsna's
eternal lila, then one can see everything here as being the
reflection of some particular part of Krsna's character, or
of a pastime, or an associate, or as a reflection of some
part of His eternal Vrndavana-dhama. If one can do this,
then he will automatically lose his desire to try to enjoy
any of the dull things of this material world, for all these
things will be insignificant in comparison to the bliss he
feels by experiencing Krsna's daily pastimes. (See Yamuna-
bhavavali, song 7, verse 2)
Anyway, such things! Actually, an explanatory
commentary can be written on this whole book to fully
clarify the details of its deep sutras, but then its size
would increase unlimitedly. Therefore we'll leave it at
that, and in future publications the works of Narottama dasa
Thakura, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, Krsna dasa Kaviraja
and other great acaryas can be brought out, and thus the
matters can be dealt with there for anyone who cares for it.
SONGS TOPICS
1) INVOCATION
2) THE PURPOSE OF THIS "MIRROR"
3) THE PROCESS OF SRADDHA (DEVOTIONAL FAITH)
4) DEFINITION OF BHAKTI (DEVOTIONAL SERVICE TO KRSNA)
5) TWO TYPES OF REGULATED DEVOTION DUE TO TWO DIFFERENT
TYPES OF FAITH
6) THE NECESSITY OF KNOWLEDGE THAT DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN
MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL RASA
7) THE ORIGINAL ROOT CAUSE OF ALL MELLOWS IS "STHAYI
BHAVA" (THE BASIS OF PERMANENT ECSTASY)
8) THE CONJUGAL MELLOW IS CERTAINLY THE BEST MELLOW OF
ALL
9) CAUSES FOR THE APPEARANCE OF SWEET AFFECTION (MADHURA
RATI) IN CONJUGAL LOVE
10) THE GRADUALLY INCREASING STAGES OF THE STHAYI BHAVA AS
MADHURA RATI OR SWEET CONJUGAL AFFECTION
11) VIBHAVA (SPECIAL ECSTATIC STIMULANTS AND FOUNDATIONS
WHICH CAUSE LOVE FOR KRSNA TO APPEAR
12) THE TWO ALABANA (FOUNDATIONS) OF VIBHAVA WITHIN THE
CONJUGAL MELLOW
13) THE QUALITIES OF SRI KRSNA, THE CROWN JEWEL OF ALL
HEROES
14) THE LORD'S LOVING CONSORTS
15) THE EIGHT DIFFERENT SERVICE-SITUATIONS OF THE HEROINES
16) DESCRIPTION OF THE GIRLFRIENDS OF SRIMATI RADHARANI,
THE CHIEF HEROINE
17) SOME TYPICAL SERVICES RENDERED BY THE SAKHIS
18) THE PROCESS OF BECOMING ONE OF RADHA'S GIRLFRIENDS
19) THE MUTUAL RELATIONSHIP SHARED AMONGST ALL THE SAKHIS
20) STIMULANT OF THE AWAKENING OF CONJUGAL ATTACHMENT
WITHIN WRAJA (UDDIPANA)
21) ANUBHAVA (RESULTANT ECSTATIC SYMPTOMS DISPLAYED UPON
STIMULATION)
22) SATTVIKA BHAVA (SPECIALLY DEVASTATING ECSTATIC
SYMPTOMS
23) VYABHICARI or SANCARI BHAVA (TRANSITORY ASSISTING
EMOTIONS)
24) THE TOPMOST STATE ACHIEVABLE BY THE STHAYI-BHAVA: MAHA-
BHAVA
25) VIPRALAMBHA (SYMPTOMS OF LOVE-IN-SEPARATION)
26) SAMBHOGA (ENJOYMENT IN UNION)
27) THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SAMBHOGA
28) PASTIMES SHELTERED WITHIN THE CONJUGAL RASA
29) THE PASTIMES OF VRAJA ARE THE BEST OF ALL
ONE --- INVOCATION
Glorifying the lotus feet of Sri Guru, Sri
Gauracandra, the Youthful Couple of Vrndavan as well as of
all the residents os Vraja, with a cheerful mind this
Bhaktivinoda will now narrate the description of the mirror
which reflects the worship of those who strictly follow in
the footsteps of Srila Rupa Gosvami.
TWO --- THE PURPOSE OF THIS "MIRROR"
By the influence of extremely good fortune accrued for
many, many births, the desire awakens within the heart of a
fortunate soul to taste the sweetness of eternal
transcendental mellows. Then, a strong inclination toward
such a desire forcibly brings that soul to Sri Vrndavana-
dhama, where he becomes absorbed in the worship of Lord
Krsna which strictly follows the process outlined by Srila
Rupa Gosvami.
Srila Rupa Gosvami has so kindly given us his valuable
opinion and taught the essential techniques for properly
worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Whoever tries
to worship Krsna without being aware of these methods will
simply waste his entire life in useless labor.
Just for the sake of those who really want to
understand this worship, I have taken great care to humbly
present this mirror of bhajana, although I am insignificant.
If any of you are actually serious andenthusiastic to render
eternal service to Sri Sri Radha-Krsna in the transcendental
realm of Vraja, then I request you now to please hear this
narration with great happiness.
If one has intense greed and selfish eagerness for
this process, presented herein, then gradually his faith,
then taste, and then full attachment in love will all
increase very, very quickly. One who has attained this
platform of worship in his own natural love and attachment
has no need at all to bother with scriptural rules and
regulations, although in the primary, beginning stage such
practices are mandatory.
Brothers, it is just like the affection of a mother
for her son, which is naturally fixed in her heart. She is
inclened to care for her son by instinct. But if someone
else cares for the same child, they may not be as attentive
as the mother, so they might sometimes need to be reminded
of their duty. So love for Krsna is just like that. It is
natural ans wonderful for the nitya-siddha souls, whereas it
is completely unmanifested and beyond the range of the nitya-
baddha souls who are outside the purview of devotion.
However, if one cultivates these spiritual
instructions, then the flow of his natural attachment and
affection for the Lord is released. And when this attachment
reawakens and grows, then all the material bondage which
entraps the soul becomes severed, and this natural spiritual
attachment will make him dance in the transcendental
ecstastic bliss of Vraja consciousness.
ONE
sri-guru-sri-gaura-candra, brndabane juva-dvandva,
braja-basi-jana-sri-carana
bandiya praphulla mane, e bhaktibinoda bhane
rupanuga-bhajana-darpana
TWO
bahu-janma-bhagya-base, cinmoy madhura rase,
sprha janme jiber hrday
sei sprha lobha haya, braja-dhame jiba laya,
rupanuga-bhajane matay
bhajana-prakara jata, sakaler sar mata,
sikhailo sri-rupa gosayi
se bhajana na janiya, krsna bhajibare giya
tuccha kaje jibana katai
bujhibare se bhajana, bahu jatne akincana,
biracilo bhajana-darpana
braje radha-krsna-seba, korite utsuka jeba
sukhe tenha koruna srabana
lobhete janama pai, ati sighra bari' jai,
sraddha rati, tabe hoy priti
sahaja bhajana rati, nahi caya siksa-mati,
tabu siksa prathamika-riti
putra-sneha jananir, sahaja hrdoye sthira,
dusita hrdoye siksa cai
krsna-prema sei-rupa, nitya-siddha aparupa,
baddha-jibe aprakata bhai
tabei sahaja rati, paiyache apagati,
siksanusilana jadi pay
se rati jagiya uthe, jiber bandhana chute
vrajananda tahare nacay
THREE --- THE PROCESS OF SRADDHA (DEVOTIONAL FAITH)
Any type of yoga exercise or external religious
ceremony is completely useless and is no help at all... for
genuine faith is the only real substance. Whoever has such
sincere faith in his heart tastes one drop of transcendental
nectar, and then he gradually gains the right of admission
into the entire ocean of ecstatic devotional mellows (the
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu)
By faithfully worshiping the gods and goddesses who
bestow knowledge and fruitive results, with great care and
attention, one gets only insignificant material knowledge.
On the other hand, by hearing the narration of topics
concerning Krsna with rapt attention in the company of
virtuous devotees, one's transcendental conviction becomes
completely fixed-up.
My friends! I call this type of fixed-up conviction
"sraddha", which I continuously sing about and glorify in
various ways. This sraddha is actually the bhakti-lata-bija
(the seed of the creeper of devotion). The fruitive workers
and the mental speculators have their own idea about what is
sraddha, which they advertise and proclaim again and again,
but in my opinion, their definition is without a doubt a
misconception, and does not constitute the real,
transcendental sraddha.
Whenever I hear such foolish disputes and
misconceptions over mere names from such unauthorized
persons, it burns me up because that is just like mistaking
iron to be gold. iron always remains iron, and can never
become gold unless and until it is touched by a
transcendental touchstone.
This touch-stone is actually pure devotional service
to Lord Krsna. By the mere touch of this transcendental gem,
the iron-mine of faith in fruitive action and philosophical
wrangling turns into golden ecstatic loving faith in the
Lord. The wight of this type of gold certainly outweighs all
materialistic delusions. This is the real power of the touch-
stone of Krsna-bhakti.
FOUR --- DEFINITION OF BHAKTI (DEVOTIONAL SERVICE TO KRSNA)
Srila Rupa Gosvami, after intensely studying all the
devotional scriptures, has made the following conclusive
definition of pure devotional service: Giving up all desires
for fruitive reward or philosophical jugglery, one should
execute favorable devotional service to Krsna for his
pleasure only.
The divisions of regulated devotional service are:
1)hearing the glories of the Lord, 2) chanting His holy
names, 3) remembering Him within the core of the heart, 4)
serving His lotus feet, 5) worshiping His Deity form, 6)
becoming His menial servant, 7) offering prayers to Him
revealing the mind, 8) entering into a friendly relationship
with Him, and 9) ultimately surrendering one's whole
existence in full dedication by mind, body and words. The
practicing neophyte devotees continuously perform all of
these nine processes joyfully in the association of saintly
persons who are adept in hones devotional dedication.
By the strength of the above-mentioned ninefold
practices of regulated devotional service, the devotion
thereafter fructifies into an ecstatic emotional service
attitude, and after that one reawakens his original pure
ecstatic love of Godhead. In such transcendental love, the
soul whole-heartedly worships Krsna, constantly immersed in
tasting the ecstatic mellows of devotion to Him. This is the
delicious mellow that Srila Rupa Gosvami is teaching us
about.
THREE
joga jaga saba char, sraddha sakaler sar,
sei sraddha hrdoye jahar
udiyache ek bindhu, krame bhakti-rasa-sindhu
labhe tar hoy adhikar
jnana karma deva devi, bahu jatanete sevi'
prapta-phala hoilo tuccha jnana
sadhu-jana-sangabese, sri-krsna-kathar sese,
bisvasa to' hoy balavan
sei to' bisvase bhai, sraddha boli' sada gai,
bhakti-lata bija boli tare
karmi, jnani jane jare, sraddha bole bare bare,
sei brtti sraddha hoite nare
namer vivada matra, suniya to'jvale gatra,
lauhe jadi boloho kancana
tabu lauha lauha, roy, kancana to' kabhu noy,
mani sparsa nahe jataksana
krsna-bhakti cintamani, tanra sparse lauhakhani,
karma-jnana-gata sraddha-bhava
haya jay hema-bhara, chariya to' ku-bikara,
se kevala manir prabhava
FOUR
chari' anya abhilasa, jnana-karma-sahabasa,
anukulya krsnanusilana
suddha-bhakti boli tare bhakti-sastra su-bicare,
sri-ruper siddhanta-bacana
sravana, kirtana, smrti, sebarcana, dasya, nati,
sakhya, atma-nibedana hoy
sadhana bhaktir-anga, sadhaker jahe ranga,
sada sadhu-jana-sanga-moy
sadhana-bhaktir bale, bhava-rupa bhakti phale,
taha punah prema-rupa pay
preme jiba krsna bhaje, krsna-bhakti-rase maje,
sei rasa sri-rupa sikhay
FIVE --- TWO TYPES OF REGULATED DEVOTION
DUE TO TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF FAITH
The presiding deity of devotional faith called Sraddha
Devi, and she has two principle characteristics... one is
executed according to rules, and the other according to
tastes. First of all , when devotional faith arises due to
fear of the rules and regulations given in the revealed
scriptures, then that type of faith is known throughout the
Vedas as "vaidhi sraddha", or faith situated in regulation.
Secondly, sometimes one's faith flourishes in a
similar way as that of the residents of Vraja, who all
render service to Krsna with a purely spontaneous service
attitude. Faith that concentrates on Krsna exclusively with
such intense greed to satisfy Him is the most chaste form of
faith. Such a pure, spontaneous service attitude is called
"raganuga sraddha", and a practicing devotee who worships in
this way attains the most auspicious spiritual position.
Due to different types of faith, these different
divisions of devotional service exist. Thus the four Vedas
sing of these two types of devotion... regulative service
and spontaneous service. According to these different types
of sadhana, one accordingly attains different perfections,
which are all mentioned comprehensively in the revealed
scriptures of devotional service.
Vaidhi bhakti progresses very slowly toward the goal,
but raganuga bhakti moves extremely fast, and enables one to
be quickly situated in the tasty transcendental mellows. By
following the path of spontaneous devotional service, real
taste awakens in one's mind, and he runs and chases after
that current which flows from the lotus feet of Srila Rupa
Gosvami
-ref. N.O.D. Chapter Two
FIVE
sraddhadevi nama jar, duiti svabhava tar,
bidhi-mula-ruci-mula-bhede
sastrer sasane jabe, sraddhar udoy ho'be,
baidhi sraddha tare bole bede
braja-basi sebe krsne, sei sraddha-seba drste,
jabe hoy sraddhar ydoy
lobhamayi sraddha sati, raganuga sraddha mati,
bahu bhagye sadhaka labhoy
sraddha-bhede bhakti-bheda, gaitheche catur-beda,
baidhi raganuga bhakti-dvoy
sadhana-samoye jaiche, siddhi-kale prapti taiche,
ei-rupa bhakti-sastre koy
baidhi bhakti dhira gati, raganuga tivra ati,
ati sighra rasavastha pay
ragavartma-su-sadhane, ruci hoy jar mane,
rupanuga hoite sei dhay
SIX--- THE NECESSITY OF KNOWLEDGE THAT DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN
MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL RASA
Whoever has a longing to understand the essential
truth of the reality of rupanuga, then for him it is
necessary to have some basic knowledge of transcendental
mellows. And such spiritually blissful conscious mellows
influence and control all other subordinate truths, for they
are the hidden treasure of the supreme, absolutely
undividable Truth of all Truths.
In pursuit of this same spiritual mellow, the
philosophical speculators search for fusing themselves with
the impersonal Brahman effugence, not understanding the real
import of the Vedic conclusion. And all the desired boons of
the yogis are simply shadow reflections of this rasa. On the
plea of this taste, the karmis execute all their fruitive
activities.
The permanent basis of ecstatic mellow is called
"stayi bhava", and is abounding in eternal, conscious bliss.
It becomes the topmost relishable euphoria when it mixes
into a beautifully delicious combination with these four
elements:
1) Vibhava (specific stimulants and supporting
characters)
2) Anubhava (thirteen resultant ecstatic symptoms)
3) Sattvika (eigth especially disruptive ecstatic
symptoms)
4) Sancari (thirty-three transitory accompanying
emotions)
When rasa is expressed in the material world, it is
praised throughout the materialistic literature of the
world, but that is only a perverted reflection of this
supreme mellow. It is temporary and is just like an
imitation copy of the real thing, similar to a mirage which
appears to be water in a desert.
-ref. N.O.D. Chapter 20
SIX
rupanuga tattva-sara, bujhite akanksa janra,
rasa-jnana tanra prayojana
cinmoy ananda rasa, sarva-tattva janra basa
akhanda parama tattva-dhana
janra bhane jnani jana, brahmaloy-anvesana,
kore nahi bujhi' beda-marma
janra chayamatra bare, jogi-jana jogakore,
jar chale karmi korekarma
vibhava anubhava ar, sattvika sancari car,
sthayi bhave milana sundara
stayi bhave rasa hoy, nitya cidananda-moy,
parama asvadya nirantara
je rasa prapanca-gata, jada-kavye prakasita,
parama raser asamurti
asamurti nitya noy, adarser chaya hoy
jena maricika jal-sphurti
SEVEN--- THE ORIGINAL ROOT CAUSE OF ALL MELLOWS IS "STHAYI
BHAVA"
(THE BASIS OF PERMANENT ECSTASY)
The heart of one who is a receptacle for rasa is just
like a holding tank which is filled with this liquid mellow.
The specific symptoms of such a rasa laden heart is that it
fosters the gradual manifestation of ecstatic emotion, which
evolves gradually from the beginning as sraddha (faith),
then nistha (steadiness), then ruci (taste), then finally
bhava (firm attachment to Krsna). This is the definition of
what is known as rati, or affection within the scope of the
transcendental loving mellow.
The constantly flowing undercurrent and cause of all
mellows is called "stayi-bhava" or basic permanent ecstasy.
It is the primary root origin of all mellows, and it is
eternally existing in great beauty and splendor. As the
fountainhead of rasa, it fuses all subordinate mellows and
subjugates them all under its own control. Thus, it exhibits
the topmost manifestation of its own supreme power, which
contains all inconceivable, sinultaneously favorable and
opposing ecstasies.
In considering the differences in the various ecstatic
loving moods of this permanent ecstasy (sthayi bhava), we
see that there are two divisions of subjects which fall
into: 1) five direct or primary mellows, and 2) seven
indirect or secondary mellows. The five principle types of
affection are called santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and
madhura, or neutrality, servitude, friendship, parental
affection and conjugal love, respectively.
The seven indirect affections are known as: 1) hasya
(devotional laughing attachment), 2) adbhuta (devotional
attachment fixed in wonder and astonishment), 3) vira
(chivalrous attachment with charitable and merciful
tendencies), 4) karuna (attachment in compassion with
lamentation), 5) raudra (devotion mixed with anger), 6)
bhayanaka (devotion mixed with fear), and 7) bibhatsa
(attachment enjoyed by the devotee which develops in an
abominable way). All of these mellows are found in great
abundance within the realm of devotional service to Krsna,
and all these different types of attachments exist eternally
as beautiful decorations of the all-consistent sthayi bhava.
-ref. N.O.D. Chapters 32, 33, 34
SEVEN
raser ahara jini, tanra citta rasa khani,
sei citter abastha bisese
sraddha-nistha-rucyasakti, krame hoy bhava-byakti,
rati name tanhar nirdese
biruddhabiruddha bhava, sarvopari swa prabhava
prakasiya loy nija-base
sakaler adipati, haya sobha pay ati,
sthayi bhava nama pay rase
mukhya-gauna-bhede tar, paricoy dvi-prakar,
mukhya panca, gauna sapta-bidha
santa, dasya, sakhya ar, batsalya madhura sar,
ei panca rati mukhyabhida
hasyadbhuta, bira, ar, karuna o raudrakar,
bhayanaka-bibhatsa-bibhede
rati sapta gauni hoy, sab krsna-bhakti-moy,
sobha pay raser prabhede
EIGHT --- THE CONJUGAL MELLOW IS CERTAINLY THE BEST MELLOW
OF ALL
According to the particular type of attachment that
attracts one to love Krsna, the devotee becomes attached to
that degree in one of the five direct mellows. besides
to this direct attachment, there are occasional
manifestations of the seven indirect mellows, which follow
the direct attachment. Thus the seven indirect attachments
remain subjugated under the shelter of the ecstatic emotions
presented by the more predominant direct mellow.
Oh brothers! Now listen as I sing of the glories of
the madhura rasa, the sweet conjugal mellow, for it is said
to be the best and most powerful rasa amongst all the five
direct mellows. Indeed, it is just like the king of all
mellows. All the transcendental qualities of the other
mellows are fully present in this topmost of all rasas, and
therefore it is most powerful because of the combined
potencies of all the other mellows contained within it.
And also, the other mellows individually become more
powerful when they are within the madhura rasa than they are
when they stand on their own.
All the seven indirect mellows give transitory
stimulation to the madhura rasa (also called srngara rasa).
They also circulate to nourish and supplement the ecstasies
of the conjugal mellow. Those devotees who develop
attachment for the worship that follows in the footsteps of
Srila Rupa Gosvami become situated and firmly established
only in this conjugal mellow.
The madhura rasa is known as the most brilliant
mellow, and its main subject is Sri Krsna, the Son of the
King of Vraja. Indeed, He actually lets Himself be
controlled and subjugated by this loving mellow. The
majestic opulences of the Lord (aisvarya) are covered over,
and the powerful maddening influence of its transcendental
sweetness (madhurya) is the sole refuge of all the assembled
devotees, who are the object of this mellow.
- ref. N.O.D. chapter 44 -
EIGHT
jei rati janme jar, sei mata rasa tar,
rasa mukhya panca-bidha hoy
gauna-sapta-rasa punah, hoy ratir anuguna,
ratir sambandha bhavasroy
panca mukhya madhye bhai, madhurer guna gai,
sarva0sresta rasaraja boli
guna anya rase jata, madhurete ache tata,
ar bahu bale hoy bali
gauna rasaache jata, saba sancarir mata,
haya srngarer pusti kore
sri ruper anugata, bhajane je hoy rata,
sthiti tar kevale madhure
madhura ujjvala rasa, sada srngarer basa,
braja-raja-nandana bisoy
aisvarya su-gupta ta'te, madhurya-prabhave mate,
tahar asroy bhakta-coy
NINE --- CAUSES FOR THE APPEARANCE OF SWEET AFFECTION
(MADHURA RATI) IN CONJUGAL LOVE
Madhura rati, or conjugal affection is the stayi bhava
of the madhura rasa. Now please hear with rapt attention as
I explain the sequence of its development. The seven causal
ingredients are:
1) Abhiyoga (expression of heartfelt emotions as joking
complaints)
2) Visaya (the five sense perceptions of Krsna, namely
sound, touch, form, taste and smell)
3) Sambandha (Krsna's relatives and family members)
4) Abhimana (the feeling that Krsna is one's own)
5) Tadiya Visesa (Krsna's personal specialities, like His
footprints, favorite pastures, etc.)
6) Upama (poetic comparison of Krsna to other things)
7) Svabhava (love that arises naturally without external
stimulus)
Rati develops in the heart of the practicing devotee
when all these features act together under the shelter of
the 7th ingredient svabhava, and thus the conjugal mellow
becomes nourished. However, all the Vraja gopis have natural
rati as their svabhava, so for them there is no need of
stimulation by the first six above-mentioned ingredients
headed by abhiyoga.
The natural, spontaneous transcendental rati of the
gopis is so strongly fixed up that they merely take help
from the above-mentioned six ingredients, instead of
depending on them for stimulation. Except for Krsna's
service, there is no question of their ever performing any
other endeavor. Indeed, it is verily impossible for them to
strive for their own personal happiness at any time, even to
the slightest degree.
When this type of pure attachment becomes most
matured, then the final stage it attains is called maha-
bhava . . . the most exalted, sublime form of transcendental
ecstasy. There is no comparison anywhere to such bliss.
Their desire for this type of selfless union is the most
wonderful thing to observe, and it really makes one
astonished even to think of it. Therefore, I can certainly
find no suitable words to describe the manifestation of this
topmost divine grace called maha-bhava.
- ref. Ujjvala-nilamani chapter 14 -
NINE
madhurer sthayi bhava, labhe jate avirbhava,
boli taha suno ekamane
abhijoga o bisoy, sambandhabhimana-dvoy,
tadiya bisesa upamane
svabhava asraya kori', citte rati abatari,
srngara raser kore pusti
abhijoga adi choy, anye rati-hetu hoy,
braja-devir tahe nahi drsti
svatah-siddhi rati tanre, sambandhadi-sahakare,
samartha koriya rakhe sada
krsna-seba bina tanra, udyama nahiko ara,
sviya sukha-cesta nahi kada
ei ratipraudha hoy, mahabhava dasa pay,
jar tulya prapti ar nai
sarvsbhuta camatkar, sambhogeccha e prakar,
barnibare bakya nahi pai
TEN --- THE GRADUALLY INCREASING STAGES OF THE STHAYI BHAVA
AS MADHURA RATI OR SWEET CONJUGAL AFFECTION
The development of ecstatic love of Godhead gradually
thickens and intensifies as it manifests in seven stages of
ecstasy known as:
1) Prema (general ecstatic love for the Personality of
Godhead)
2) Sneha (personal affection borne of a softened and
melted heart)
3) Mana (pouting counter-love due to confidential
familiarity)
4) Pranaya (mutually intimate love devoid of shyness or
hesitation)
5) Raga (highly involved attachment that disregards any
offense)
6) Anuraga (the constant presence of supplementary
attachments that ripple and twinkle in waves of mutual
charms)
7) Bhava (the stage of wildly relishable exhilaration in
a transparently pure yet supremely inflamed love-passions)
All these stages of the sthayi bhava are spotlessly free
from any material impurities.
The above mentioned symptoms are all-together known as
prema (love of Godhead). According to the particular
ecstatic emotions that one develops for Krsna, then to that
degree Krsna reciprocates, and this level of secret mellow
indeed continues eternally.
Being seated on the throne of the devotee's heart, the
stayi bhava behaves like the King of all ecstasies. Rooted
in the hladini pleasure potency, whose distilled extract is
pure devotional service and, it is conspicuously present in
the form of transcendental emotional ecstasies.
By bringing the four principles of ecstasy, namely
vibhava, anubhava, sattvika, and sancari under its control,
the hladini manifests all mellows. These mellows are the
eternal truth of bliss, eternally perfect, the best state of
purified existence; all this displays itself widening and
blooming within the core of the spirit soul's heart.
ref. Ujjvala-nilamani chapter 14
TEN
rati, prema, sneha, mana, pranaya o ragakhyana,
anuraga, bhava ei sata
rati jata gadha hoy krame sapta nama loy,
sthayi bhava sada avadata
snehadi je bhava choy, prema name paricoy,
sadharana janer nikate
je bhava krsnete janra, sei bhave krsna tanra,
e rahasya rase nitya bate
bhakta-citta-simhasana, ta'te upavista hana,
sthayi bhava sarva-bhava-raja
hladini je para sakti, tanra sara suddha-bhakti
bhava-rupe tanhar biraja
vibhavadi bhava-gane, nijayatte anayane,
korena je raser prakasa
rasa nityananda-tattva, nitya-siddha sarasattva,
jiva-citte tahar vikasa
ELEVEN --- VIBHAVA (SPECIAL ECSTATIC STIMULANTS AND
FOUNDATIONS
WHICH CAUSE LOVE FOR KRSNA TO APPEAR)
All the things which cause one to taste his attachment
to the Lord are called vibhava (special stimulants). The two
divisions of these causes are called: 1) alambana (the
persons who are foundations of support, and between whom
love appears reciprocally), and 2) uddipana (the exciting
factors which stimulate the awakening of love). There are
also two sides to the alambana foundations. . . 1) visaya
the subject of love: Krsna) and 2) asraya (the object of
love: Krsna's devotee).
Lord Krsna Himself is full of all good qualities, for
He is the most outstanding Hero amongst all heros. He is the
eternal reservoir of all virtuous qualities, and is the
Supreme Greatest of the greatest. There are many, many
devotees who are very much attached to Krsna in ecstatic
love. These devotees are also full of transcendental
qualities themselves. Some of them are known as siddha
(spiritually perfect), whereas others are sadhaka (neophyte
practitioners).
All the things which stimulate the awakening of
ecstatic emotions are called uddipana. This includes Krsna's
enchanting smile, His sweet bodily fragrance, His buffalo
horn, His flute, His conchshell, His place of residence, the
buzzing of the bees in Vraja, the marks on the soles of His
lotus feet, His ankle bells, and the soft sweet sound of His
voice and flute.
Other causes are the association of Srimati Tulasi
Devi, the various symbols and practices of devotional
service, and the vision of the Lord's bona fide
representatives and devotees. In this way, there are many
factors to stimulate ecstatic love. And all these causes,
which induce one to taste the mellow of devotion, have been
clearly described by Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana
Gosvami.
ref. N.O.D. chapters 20, 25, 26
ref. Ujjvala-nilamani chapter 1
ELEVEM
ratuasvada hetu jata, vibhava namete khyata,
alambana uddipana hoy
bisoy-asroy-gata, alambana dui mata,
krsna krsna-bhakta se ubhoy
nayaker siromani, svayam krsna gunamani,
nitya guna-dhama paratpara
tanra bhave anurakta, gunadhya jateka bhakta,
siddha ek, sadhaka apara
bhava uddipana kore, uddipana nama dhore,
krsner sambandha bastu saba
smitasya, saurabha, srnga, bamsi,kambu,ksetra, bhrnga,
padanka, nupura, kala raba
tulasi, bhajana cina, bhakta jana-darasana
eirupa nana uddipana
bhakti-rasa-asvadane, ei saba hetu-gane,
nirdesila rupa-sanatana
TWELVE --- THE RWO ALAMBANA (FOUNDATIONS) OF VIBHAVA
WITHIN THE CONJUGAL MELLOW
The delightful Son of Nanda Maharaja considers all His
loving consorts, the gopis, to be His most valued treasure.
Both He and they are the foundations of the mellow of
conjugal love. This mellow flows back and forth between them
all in these two ways: 1) when the rati (affection) flows
toward the gopis and takes shelter in their hearts as the
object, then Krsna becomes the one and only subject of their
love, and 2) when the rati flows toward Krsna and takes
shelter in His heart as the object, then the gopis become
the one and only subject of His love. In this manner
affection flows mutually within the sthayi bhava (the
permanent ecstasy) because of the combination of both the
subject and object, without which there is no possibility of
genuine love existing.
Thus there is the necessary functioning of this
combination of foundation which contain this love for Krsna,
and these mellows are the eternal and topmost goal of all
existences. Thus within Vraja, Krsna is known as Gopinatha,
the Lord of the gopis. And the most highly valued treasure
of this Madana-Mohana is all the cowherd maidens of Vraja,
the gopis. Krsna is their dearmost lover, their sweet
relisher, and the Lord and Master of Srimati Radharani.
Lord Madhava thoroughly enjoys Himself in full eternal
bliss as He tastes the internal mellows contained within the
principles known as sviya (love within marriage) and
parakiya (unwedded love). And one who also become one of
these basic foundations for sharing these loving exchanges
is most fortunate, for she also tastes the maddening wine of
these supremely transcendental mellows along with Krsna
Himself.
- ref. Ujjvala-nilamani chapters 1, 2 -
TWELVE
sri-nanda-nandana dhana, tadiya ballabha-gana,
madhura-raser alambana
gopi gata rati jahan, gopi-cittasroy tahan,
krsna-matra bisoy takhan
jahan rati krsna-gata, ratyasroy krsna-cita,
gopi tahan ratir bisoy
bisoy asroy dhore', sthayi-bhava-rati care,
naile rati udgata na hoy
vibhavete alambana, rase nitya prayojana,
braje tai krsna gopinatha
madana-mohana dhana, brajangana gopi-jana,
vallabha rasika radhanatha
sviya-parakiya-bhede, rasa rasantarasvade,
nityanande biraje madhava
bara bhagyavan jei, nije alambana hoi',
asvadvaye se rasa-asava
THIRTEEN --- THE QUALITIES OF SRI KRSNA, THE CROWN JEWEL OF
ALL HEROS
Lord Krsna, the supreme hero, has the most beautiful
body which possesses all good features. He has the most
sweet smile, He possesses extraordinary bodily strength, He
is ever-youthfully beautiful, and His grave plans and
actions are very difficult for anyone else to understand. He
is expert at speaking meaningful words with all politeness,
He is the most pleasing talker, He is the source of all
nectar, and He is a wonderful linguist Who is fluent in all
languages (even that of the animals and birds). He is most
expert in all kinds of artistic enjoyment (He lives
wonderfully at the topmost height of artistic
craftsmanship), He is cunning and clever in the art of
performing various types of work simultaneously, He is
always joyful and untouched by any distress, and He is
always self-satisfied and peaceful.
Krsna is grateful by never forgetting the service of
His friends, He is simple and liberal, He is the best, and
is very famous for His good works. He is very attractive to
all women, He is very playful in amorous sports, and He
possesses an eternally fresh and youthful form. He is the
full manifestation of complete transcendental beauty, He is
most expert at playing His all-attractive flute, and He is
the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Krsna is most grave, gentle, forgiving, peaceful and
forbearing, self-composed, carefree and joking, the best
lover, proud and restless, and the hero of all women. He is
always surrounded by five kinds of eternal servants: 1) ceta
(spies), 2)vita (dressing attendants). 3) vidusaka (clowns
headed by Madhu-mangala), 4) pitha-marda (back-massagers
like Sridama), 5) priya-narma-sakha (close friends.
Thus served by these five kinds of helpers, the Son of
the King of Vraja enjoys various mellows, sometimes as a
husband or as an illicit lover of others' wives. Being
extremely thirsty to taste these rasas, He enjoys playing
the role of four kind of heroes, as anukula (favorable),
satha (deceitful), drsta (impertinent), and daksina
(clever). Thus He sports in the amorous garden groves as the
personification of all ecstatic mellows.
- ref. N.O.D. chapters 21, 22 -
- ref. Ujjvala-nilamani chapters 1, 2 -
THIRTEEN
su-ramya madhura-smita, sarva-sabksananvita,
baliyan, taruna, gambhira
vavaduk, priya-bhasi, sudhi, su-prati-bhasvasi,
vidagdha, catura, sukhi, dhira
krtajna, daksina, presta, bariyan, kirtimacchresta,
lalana-mohana, kelipara
su-nitya nutana-murti, kevala saundarya-sphurti,
bamsi-gane su-daksa, tatpara
dhirodatta, dhirasanta, sudhira, lalita, kanta
dhiroddhata#lalana-nayaka
cetaka-vita-bestita, vidusaka-susevita,
pitha marda, priya narma-sakha
e panca sahayuta, nandisvara-pati-suta,
pati-upapati-bhavacari
anukula, satha, drsta, sadaksina, rasa-trsna,
rasa-murti, nikunja-bihari
FOURTEEN --- THE LORD'S LOVING CONSORTS
Sri Krsna's loving consorts are decorated quite
befittingly with all the attractive womanly graces and
charms such as gorgeous beauty and loveliness. They are
decorated with these qualities to the maximum possible
degree. And all of these consorts are abundantly thriving
within the current of the most highly treasured, super-
sweet, and immeasurable reservoir of pure prema. Thus, Sri
Krsna's lovers are especially relishable for Him within the
vast realm of transcendental mellows.
Krsna has two main divisions of lovers --- those in
sviya (wedded love) and those in parakiya (unwedded love).
Heroines may also be classified as captivated, intermediate,
and impudent. Some of them take leading roles as heroines,
whereas some of them simply want to remain as an assisting
friend or sakhi instead of playing the role of a heroine.
There are two chief gopis amongst all of Krsna
heroines --- Srimati Radharani and Sri Candravali. Both of
them are the reservoirs of the qualities of supreme
transcendental beauty and cunning behavior. Amongst these
two chief gopis, Raddharani is certainly the best, for She
is most dear to Lord Krsna. She is naturally the embodiment
of the complete storehouse of the most exalted, sublime
ecstasy called mahabhava.
All the multitudes of Krsna's other dear lovers divide
themselves into two parties, identifying either with the
entourage of Srimati Radharani or with party of Candravali.
And each of them, within her preferred group, renders
services in a thousand different ways for the pleasure of
one of these two predominant heroines. However, the real
followers of Srila Rupa Gosvami possess no wealth other than
full consciousness of their eternal treasure under the
shelter of Srimati Radharani's divine lotus feet.
-ref. Ujjvala-nilamani chapters 3, 4 -
FOURTEEN
su-ramyadi guna-gana, hoiyache vibhusana,
lalana-ucita jata dura
prthu-prema su-madhurya, sampader su-pracurya,
sri krsna-ballabha rasa-pura
ballabha to' dvi-prakar, sviya, parakiya ar,
mugdha, madhya, pragalbheti troy
keho ba nayika tahe, keho sakhi hoite cahe,
nije to' nayika nahi hoy
nayika-gana-pradhana, radha, candra--dui jana,
saundarya-vaidagdha-gunasraya
sei dui madhye sresta, radhika krsner presta,
mahabha-svarupa-niloya
ara jata nitya-priya, nija nija jutha laya,
se du'yer korena sebana
sri-rupa-anuga jana, sri radhika-sri-carana,
bina nahi jane anya dhana
FIFTEEN --- THE EIGHT DIFFERENT SERVICE-SITUATIONS OF THE
HEROINES
1) Ahisarika: Only for the sake of rendering
service to Krsna for His pleasure, the sahkis who are to
meet their lover at the assigned rendezvous garden abandon
their homes and proceed on the path to the pleasure grove.
2) Basaka-sajja: Then they beautify the kunja with various
types of decorations, busying themselves in the mood of
preparing the bed-chamber for their dearmost lover. 3)
Utkanthita: And in the process, they all repeatedly glance
out the doorway, looking down the road in greatly
exhilarating eagerness, anticipating the arrival of their
beloved hero, Sri Krsna.
4) Khandita: When Krsna arrives late, transgressing
the fixed time of rendezvous, His body bears some of signs
of His having enjoyed Himself with another lover. At that
time, the heroine become extremely jealous upon observing
such symptoms. 5) Bipralabdha: When the heroine sits waiting
in the solitary bower, and her lover does not show up at
all,then She feels disappointed and let down by His absence.
6) Kalahantarita: Whenever, due to some quarrel with
Krsna, Radharani sends Him away in Her anguish, then She
become severely afflicted with bereavement due to dismissing
Him. 7) Prosita-bhartrka: When Krsna leaves Vrndavana and
goes to Mathura, not returning even after many days have
passed, then Srimati Radharani becomes most miserable and
suffers terribly in separation while Her lover is abroad.
8) Svadhina-bhartrka: When the heroine dominates Her
lover, and tames Him according to Her own whims, then such a
lady uses Him for Her own amorous sports. All heroines
experience these eight different states of devotional
service. Thus they taste different varieties of separation
and meeting.
- ref Ujjvala-nilamani chapter 5 -
FIFTEEN
sri-krsna sevibo boli', grha chari' kunje cali',
jaite hoy 'abhisari'sakhi
kunja sajja kore jabe, basaka sajja' hana tabe,
utkanthita krsna-patha lakhi'
kala ullanghiya hari, bhoga-cihna dehe dhori',
aile hana 'khandita' takhan
sankete paiya baise, tabu kanta na aise,
'bipralabdha' nayika to' hana
maner kalahe hari, jana cali duhka kori,
'kalahantarita' santapini
mathurate kanta gelo, bahu-dina na ailo,
'prosita-bhartrka' kangalini
nijayatte kante peye', krida kore kanta lo'ye,
'svadhina-bhartrka' se ramani
nayika-matrer hoy, ei asta-dasodoy,
vipralambha-sambhoga-bodhini
SIXTEEN --- DESCRIPTION OF THE GIRLFRIENDS OF SRIMATI
RADHARANI,
THE CHIEF HEROINE
The transcendental Goddess, Srimati Radharani, has
five different divisions of girlfriends in Vraja. She holds
Her position as the crown jewel amongst all of these
heroines. Their divisions are: 1) the sakhis, 2) the nitya-
sakhis, 3) the prana-sakhis, 4) the priya-sakhis, and 5) the
parama-presta-sakhis. This last division is undoubtedly the
best of all, for they are the most dear to Sri Radha. Please
listen carefully as I describe all of these dear girlfriends
of Hers. Counted amongst the sakhis are gopis such as
Kusumika, Vindhyavati and Dhanista who are very chaste in
Vraja-dhama.
The nitya-sakhis include Sri Rupa Manjari, Sri Rati
Manjari, Sri Guna Manjari, and others. Radharani's prana-
sakhis are numerous, including Sri Basanti, and Sri Nayika,
and the principle gopi is Sri Sasi-mukhi.
The priya-sakhis include Kurangaksi, Manjukesi,
Sumadhya, Madanalasi, Kamala, Madhuri, Kama-lata, Kandarpa-
sundari, Madhavi, Malati, and Sasi-kala, who are all fondly
attached to rendering service to Srimati Radharani.
There are eight parama-presta-sakhis, whose only
concern is to serve Radha-Krsna with every aspect of their
existence, whole-heartedly and selflessly. They are Lalita,
Visakha, Citra, Tunga-visya, Campaka-lata, Indu-lekha, Ranga-
devi and Sudevi, who are the most chaste of all the sahkis.
-ref. Ujjvala-nilamani chapter 4 -
SIXTEEN
nayikar siromani, braje radha thakurani,
panca-bidha sakhi-gana ta'r
sahki, nitya-sakhi ara, prana-sakhi atahpara,
priya-sakhi---ei hoilo car
pancama parama-presta, sakhi-gana madhye sresta,
boli saba, suno vivarana
kusumika vindhyavati, dhanistadi braja-sati,
sakhi-gana-madhyete ganana
sri rupa, rati, kasturi, sri guna, manimanjari,
prabhrti radhika-nitya-sakhi
prana-sakhi bahu ta'r, basanti, nayika ar,
pradhana tahar sasi mukhi
kurangaksim manjukesi, sumadhya, madanalasi,
kamala, madhuri, kama-lata
kandarpa-sundari, ar, madhavi, malati ar,
sasi-kala, radha-seva rata
lalita, visakha, citra, tunga-vidya, campa-lata,
indu-lekha, ranga-devi sati
sudeviti asta jana, parama-presta sakhi-gana
radha-krsna seve eka mati
SEVENTEEN --- SOME TYPICAL SERVICES RENDERED BY THE SAKHIS
Some of the typical services rendered by the sakhis
are: 1) singing songs together about the glories of Radha-
Krsna, 2) performing activities which increase Their
attachment for one another, 3) executing the successful
performance of Their secret rendezvous, 4) offering
different sakhis to Krsna for His pleasure, 5) pleasing Them
by allowing Them to taste the soft, joking speech and
comments of the sakhis, and 6) decorating Their bodies with
different types of fascinating ornaments, flowers, and
cloth, all expertly arranged.
7) The sakhis sometimes have to seek out and discover
the particular ecstatic emotion which is hidden within the
deepest core of Their hearts, 8) they have to hide the
faults of Radha or Krsna at times, 9) and sometimes they
have to cheat persons who are opposed to Their meeting. 10)
Then, understanding the situation of Their deep-rooted,
innermost feelings, they give expert advice which 11) causes
Them to unite happily. 12) During the whole time they render
numerous other services spontaneously, such as fanning Them
gently with jewelled peacock-tail fans and yak-tail whisks.
13) Keeping in mind the benefit of Them Both, the
sakhis sometimes have to chastise Them for some fault, 14)
they are highly skilled in remembering the momentary moods
and inner desires of Radharani when they convey messages
between Radha and Krsna ( in Their presence or at other
times when They are separated), 15) they are most expert in
maintaining Radharani's life during the performance of Their
pastimes, in accordance with the specific changes of Her
emotional ecstasies which continuously move this way and
that. These are all some of the typical services rendered
during a day in the life of Srimati Radharani's girlfriends,
(NOTE: Sixteen services are usually listed by Srila Rupa
Gosvami. The final one, not mentioned here, is sarva-visaye
prayatna --- special care and attention in all matters.)
Each sakhi is fixed up in her own specific eternal
service, which she engages in befittingly at the proper time
and place. Whoever wants to do the bhajana which strictly
follows Srila Rupa Gosvami dwells upon one particular sakhi
and her seva and thus becomes her follower.
- ref. Ujjvala-nilamani chapter 8 -
SEVENTEEN
radha-krsna guna gana, mithasakti samvardhana,
ubhayabhisara sampadana
krsna sakhi-samarpana, narma-vakya-asvadana,
ubhayer suvesa-carana
citta-bhava-udghatana, mithacchidra samgopana,
pratipa janer suvancana
kusala siksana ar, sammilana du'janar,
vyajanadi vividha sevana
ubhaya kusala dhyana, dose tiraskara dana,
paraspara sandesa vahana
radhikar dasa-kale, prana-raksa su-kausale,
sakhi-sadharana karyajano
jeba je sakhir karya, visesa boliya dharya,
pradarsita ha'be jatha-sthane
rupanuga bhaje jeba, je sakhir jei seva,
tadanuga sei seva mane
EIGHTEEN --- THE PROCESS OF BECOMING ONE OF RADHA'S
GIRLFRIENDS
Amongst the five divisions of Radharani's sakhis, four
of these groups are nitya-siddha, or eternally situated in
their roles. They did not have to perform any ritualistic
sadhana to achieve their position. The fifth division known
as "sakhi" consist of new gopis who have attained residence
in Vraja by dint of their sadhana practice.
These sakhis are also of two varieties --- those still
situated in their sadhana practice as sadhaka manjaris, and
those who are already situated in their spiritual bodies
beyond the rules of sadhana. Thus those who attain
perfection receive the body of a gopi and continuously
worship the Divine Couple in spontaneous love.
There are many great saints and devotees as well as
the personified Upanishads themselves who are all attracted
by Lord Krsna, but who haven't accepted the topmost
perfection of receiving the form of a gopi. Although they
are all definitely absorbed in their regulative worship of
the Lord, their eternal spiritual perfection still doesn't
awaken fully, because attainment of the mood of Vraja is a
very uncommon and rare perfection.
But it is heard from authoritative sources that there
are some great souls who execute their worship in the mood
of the gopis, catching a firm grip on the lotus feet of one
of Radharani's girlfriends. Then, by the power of that nitya-
sakhi's affectionate favor, one ultimately attains a
residential place in that sakhi's own abode, where she
eternally spends her time waiting on the Divine Couple Sri
Radha and Sri Hari.
Thus one becomes one of Radharani's eternal
girlfriends just to be able to render eternal service to the
pleasure of Krsna within the same abode of another sakhi.
This is all due to voluntarily accepting the mood of that
sakhi. This is actually the only real law which allows one
entrance into Vraja --- that is, without the favor on
another merciful gopi, it is absolutely impossible for
anyone to enter into the ecstatic eternal service of the
ecstatic eternal Lovers.
- ref. Ujjvala-nilamani chapter 3 -
EIGHTEEN
panca-sakhi madhye cara, nitya-siddha radhikar,
se sakale sadhana na koilo
sakhi boli' ukta jei, sadhana-prabhave tei,
braja-raja pure basa pailo
sei sakhi dviprakara, sadhanete siddha ara,
sadhana-para boliya ganana
siddha boli' akhya tanra, gopi-deha hoilo janra,
kori' rage jugala-bhajana
krsnakrsta muni-jana, tatha upanisad-gana,
je na loilo gopir svarupa
sadhana avese bhaje, siddhi tabu na upaje,
braja-bhava-prapti aparupa
je je sruti muni-gana, gopi haya su-bhajana,
korilo skhir pada dhori'
nitya-sakhi-krpa-bale, tat-salokya-labha-phale,
seva kore sri-radha-sri-hari
devi-gana sei bhave, sakhir salokya-labhe,
krsna-seva kore sakhi ho'ye
vrajer-vidhana ei gopi bina ar keho,
na paibe vraja-juva-dwaye
NINETEEN --- THE MUTUAL RELATIONSHIP SHARED AMONGST ALL THE
SAKHIS
Lord Hari is the Supreme form of consciousness, and
His potency is the Mistress of the Vrndavana forest. All the
Vedas sing about Her being the transcendental internal
potency (para-sakti). To render service to Him Who is the
potential source of all potencies, She expands Her internal
potency into many bodily forms, with numerous different
types of potencies flowing out and spouting from the
energetic source in all directions simultaneously.
Her internal potency is the abode and container of all
potencies, and it invokes the other divisions called
sandhini, samvit, and hladini. With its sandhini existence
potency it transform to produce all things of substance
within the spiritual and material worlds. With its samvit
cognizant potency it produces all knowledge, which has a
marginal sector called jiva-sakti, the multitude of
conscious spirit souls. With its hladini pleasure potency,
the assembly of Radha's girlfriends are produced and
enlivened.
The topmost divine wealth of the hladini pleasure
potency is the multitude of Her girlfriends, who are all
eternally perfect in spiritual bliss. And the original root
cause and primeval source of this hladini-sakti is none
other than Srimati Radharani Herself, Who is the embodiment
of this supreme pleasure potency. Even the other apparently
opposing gopis, headed by Candravali are all actually
subordinate followers of this transcendental Goddess Sri
Radha, for the fact is that no one can possibly obstruct the
gushing flow of Her pure selfless divine love for Lord
Krsna.
The wonderful, unique movement of Their loving affairs
is such that Candravali appears to oppose and rival
Radharani, but this simulated competition is actually
chaste, for it is meant to nourish Radharani's pure love for
Krsna. Indeed, all the sakhis possess many different bodies
and many different moods, but their mind is factually one
and one only, for their sole, mutual interest is to give
complete satisfaction and total pleasure to the youthful
Divine Couple of Vraja.
NINETEEN
parama caitanya hari, tanra sakti banesvari,
para sakti boli' vede gay
saktimane sevibare, sakti kayavyuha kore,
nana sakti tahe bahiray
adhara-saktite dhama, ahvaya saktite nama,
sandhini-saktite bastu jata
samvit-saktite jnana, tatastha jiba-vidhana,
hladinite koilo sakhi-brata
nitya-siddha sakhi saba, hladinir su-vaibhava,
hladini-svarupa mula radha
candravali adi jata, sri-radhar anugata,
keho nahe radha-premer badha
premer vicitra gati, prati-dvandvi ho'ye sati,
candra kore radha-prema pusta
saba sakhir eka-mana, nana-kaye nana-jana,
braja-juva-dvandve kore tusta
TWENTY --- STIMULANTS OF THE AWAKENING OF CONJUGAL
ATTACHMENT
WITHIN VRAJA (UDDIPANA)
Those who are wise regarding transcendental mellows
describe certain things which stimulate the awakening of
limitless ecstatic emotions. These things are called
uddipana, and are borne of the relationship between Krsna
and His devotees. There are six categories of uddipanas
known as: 1) guna (personal qualities), 2) nama (holy
names), 3) carita (characteristic activities), 4) mandana
(bodily adornments), 5) sambandhi (related paraphernalia),
and 6) tatastha (natural phenomena).
1) guna (personal qualities): there are three types of
personal qualities which stimulate ecstatic love for Krsna -
those which are of the body, of the mind, and of the words.
2) nama (holy names): there are innumerable name-
stimulants such as Krsna, Sri Radha-Madhava, etc.
3) carita (characteristic activities): stimulants such
as Krsna's ecstatic dancing, flute-playing, singing, mode of
walking, method of milking the cows, how he calls His cows
personally, His lifting of the Govardhana hill, and His
specially wild, frantic dances with the cowherd boys out in
the pasturelands.
4) mandana (bodily adornments): there are four types
of bodily adornments by which Krsna is beautified --- A)
flower decorations such as garlands, earrings, crowns, etc.
B) substances that are smeared such as ground sandalwood
pulp, various oils and perfumes, etc. C) different types of
exotic clothing, sashes and scarves, etc. D) ornaments such
as anklebells, belts, medallions, bangles, armlets, and
crowns, made from precious metals and jewels, etc.
5) sambandhi (related paraphernalia): assorted
stimulants include the tooting of His flute, the bugling of
His buffalo horn, the sound of His lute-playing (vina), the
technique of the songs He composes, His creativity of design
in arts and crafts, His all-pervading bodily fragrance, His
footprints, the sound of His ornaments tinkling, the sound
of various other musical instruments He plays, the peacock
feathers He wears in His crown or holds in His hand, His
cows, His bejewelled walking stick, His collection of flutes
made from various materials, assorted buffalo horns, the
sight of His dearmost friends, the colorful minerals from
Govardhana hill which the boys smear on themselves, forest
flower garlands, the dust raised from the cows' hooves, and
various places of pastimes that are sheltered in Vrndavana
such as Govardhana hill, the Yamuna river (who is the
Daughter of the Sun), the place of the rasa dance, and many
other locations of pastimes, as well as large birds like
peacocks and cranes, etc., bumblebees humming His glories,
she- and he-deer, forest bowers, Tulasi trees, clusters of
creepers, bright marigold plants, trees such as the kadamba
and others --- all these things are the naturally beautiful
opulences of the Vrndavana forest which stimulate the most
beautiful ecstatic mellows. This is due to the direct
relationship of all these things with Krsna and His eternal
pastimes.
6) tatastha (natural phenomena): other stimulants
include the Vrndavana moonlight, the clouds, the lightning
of the rainy season, the full moon of the autumn season, the
sweetly-scented breeze, and small birds like sparrows and
finches, etc. --- all these natural opulences together
produce a favorable situation just to enable Radha-Krsna and
Their devotees to fully relish the most tasty mellows.
- ref. N.O.D. chapter 26 -
- ref. Ujjvala-nilamani
chapter 10 -
TWENTY
krsna krsna baktha-gata, guna-nama su-carita,
mandana smabandhi tatasthadi
bhava jata anganana, e raser uddipana,
hetu boli' bole rasa vedi
manasa bacika punah, kayikate tina-guna,
nama-krsna sri-radha-madhava
nrtya vamsi-gana-gati, go dohana go-ahuti,
aghoddhara gostete tandava
malyanulepana ara, basa-bhusa ei cara,
prakara mandana sobhakara
bamsi-srnga bina-raba, gita-silpa su-saurabha,
padanka-bhusana badya-svara
sikhi-puccha gabhi yasti, benu srnga presta-drsti,
adri-dhatu nirmalya go-dhuli,
vrndavana tadasrita, govardhana ravi-suta,
rasa adi jata lila-sthali
khaga bhrnga mrga junja, tulasika lata-punja,
karnikara kadambadi taru
sri-krsna-sambhandi saba, vrndavana su-vaibhava
uddipana kore rasa caru
jyotsna ghana saudamini, sarat-purna nisamani,
gandha vaha ar khaga-coy
tatasthakhya uddipana, rasasvada-vibhavana,
kore sab hoiya sadoy
TWENTY-ONE --- ANUBHAVA (RESULTANT ECSTATIC SYMPTOMS
DISPLAYED UPON STIMULATION)
When one experiences ecstatic love stimulated by the
above-mentioned uddipanas, then a natural resultant reaction
occurs in one's body. This is called anubhava. It is like
opening the doors of the heart, thus releasing the emotions.
When the ecstasy thus comes to the external plane, some fine
physical reactions become visible, which are quite befitting
of the emotions which are revealed from within the heart.
The thirteen anubhavas are dancing, singing, rolling
on the ground, crying, stretching the body, loud shouting,
yawning, deep sighing, complete disregard of public opinion,
drooling, dizziness, uncontrollable hiccups, and extremely
loud roaring laughter just like a madman.
It is said that there are twenty alankaras, or sensual
enhancements of the body and mind. One type called
udbhasvara includes letting down the hair, sniffing flowers,
and adjusting the belt of one's sari, etc.
There are also twelve vacika or verbal anubhavas,
namely 1) vilapa (words of lamentation), 2) alapa (witty
flattery), 3) samlapa (conversations), 4) pralapa (frivolous
babbling), 5) anulapa (repeating the same thing over and
over again), 6) apalapa (giving another meaning to a
previous statement) 7) sandesa (sending a message to a lover
afar), 8) atidesa (to say "his words are my words"), 9_
apadesa (saying one thing to indicate something else), 10)
upadesa (words of instruction), 11) nirdesa (to clarify "I
am that same person"), 12) vyapadesa (to reveal the heart
under another pretension).
- ref. N.O.D. chapter 27 -
- ref. Ujjvala-nilamani chapter 11 -
TWENTY-ONE
vibhavita rati jabe, kriyapara ho'ye tabe,
anubhava hoy to'udita
citta-bhava udghatiya, kore bahya su vikriya,
jakhana je hoy to' ucita
nrtya-gita bilunthana, krosana tanu-motana,
hunkara jrmbhana ghana-svasa
lokanapeksita mati, lala-srava ghuna ati,
hikkadoy atta atta hasa
gatra-citta jata saba, alankara su-baibhava,
nigadita bimsati prakara
udbhasvara nama ta'r, dhammilya samsrana ar,
phulla ghrana vivyadi bikara
bilapalapa samlapa, pralapa o anulapa,
apalapa sandesatidesa
apadesa upadesa, nirddesa o byapadesa,
bacikanubhaver bisesa
TWENTY-TWO
When one's consciousness is overwhelmed with one's
permanent ecstasy (sthayi-bhava), and attains the wealth of
all special stimulants (vibhava), then another effect is
produced of its own accord. That is, the life-air is
regulated and forcibly directed within the body, thus
causing various unusual transfigurations of the body.
The eight sattvika-vikaras are: changing of bodily
colors, standing up of hairs, perspiration, shivering,
choked voice, physical devastation, mental stupor, and
torrents of tears. There are also 33 other transitory
ecstasies known as sancari, including such emotions as
jubilation, sorrow, fear, anguish, wonder, etc.
According to the particular mellow at play during any
given lila of Radha-Krsna's eternal pastimes, then the
sattvika bhava can take on four different degrees of
intensity, namely 1) dhumyita (smouldering), 2) ujjvalita
(ignited), 3) dipta (burning), and 4) uddipta (blazing).
Whoever has the adhikara or the capacity of
qualification for these ecstasies experiences the awakening
of the symptoms of the eight sattvika-vikaras. However, only
in the mahabhava stage (as in Srimati Radharani) is it
possible to observe the ornament of the uddipta blazing
ecstasy.
- ref. N.O.D. chapter 28
- ref. Ujjvala-nilamani chapter 12 -
TWENTY-TWO
sthayi bhavavista-citta, paiya vibhava-vitta,
udbhate bhavete apanara
prana-vrtte nyasa kore, prana sei nyasa-bhare,
deha prati bikrti calaya
vaivarnya romanca sveda, stambha kampa swara bheda,
pralayasru--e asta bikara
sancari je bhavacoy, harsamarsa ar bhoy,
bisada bismoyadi ta'r
pravrtti-karana hoy, lila-kale rase loy,
apane koraya anuksana
dhumyita ujjvalita, dipta ar su-uddipta,
ei cari avastha laksana
jar jei adhikar, sattvika bikara ta'r,
se laksane hoy to'udoy
mahabhava dasa jatha, su-uddipta bhava tatha,
anayase sulaksita hoy
TWENTY-THREE --- VYABHICARI or SANCARI BHAVA
(TRANSITORY ASSISTING EMOTIONS)
The following 33 emotions are known as vyabhicari
bhavas: indifference, melancholy, madness, humility,
fatigue, vanity, pride, apprehension, fear, forgetfulness,
anxiety, laziness, malady, fascination, death, stupor,
shyness, concealment, memory, debate, fickleness,
temperament, thoughtfulness, curiosity, delight, patience,
envy, violence, sleep, deep sleep, sadness and alertness.
The vyabhicari bhava called violence, however, can not
touch the incomparably sweet madhura rasa. All of the other
vyabhicari successively arise and flow towards the sthayi
bhava, circulating themselves around it happily in their own
respective ways.
Under the shelter of the pure goodness produced by
spontaneous devotional attachment, these vyabhicari emotions
circulate about in conjunction with the particular rasa in
play. They are all just like waves on the sthayi bhava
ocean. They arise, do their emotional work, and then quickly
slip back again into the ocean, not to be seen by anyone
anymore.
- ref. N.O.D. chapter 29, 30 -
-ref. Ujjvala-nilamani chapter 13 -
TWENTY-TRHEE
nirbeda bisada mada, dainya glani sramonmada,
garva-trasa sanka apasmrti
avega alasya vyadhi, moha mrtyu, jadatadi,
vrida avahittha ar smrti
bitarka capalya mati, cintautsukya harsa dhrti,
ugralasya nidramarsa supti
bodha hoy ei bhava-coy, trayastrimsat sabe hoy,
vyabhicari name labhe jnapti
atulya madhura rase, ugralasya na parase,
ar saba bhava jathajatha
udi' bhavavesa sukhe, sthayi-bhaver abhimukhe,
bisesa agrahe hoy rata
raganga sattva asraye, rasa-joga sancaraye,
jena sthayi sagarer dheu
nija karya sadhi' turna, sagara koriya purna,
nibe ar nahi dekhe keu
TWENTY-FOUR --- THE TOPMOST STATE ACHIEVABLE BY THE STHAYI-
BHAVA:
MAHA-BHAVA
The highest limits that the sthayi-bhava can attain
are fixed up according to different divisions of Krsna's
lovers. The girl Kubja of Mathura and Krsna's 16,000 Queens
of Dvaraka are examples of the bhavas known respectively as
sadharani (the fickle love-infatuation felt by common girls)
and samanjasa (the consistent love felt by wives). However,
only the Vraja gopis can attain the advanced states of maha-
bhava known as rudha (advanced) and adhirudha (highly
advanced).
The symptoms of rudha ecstasy are: intolerance of
separation even by the blinking of an eye, the churning of
the hearts of persons nearby, experiencing a millennium
spent with Krsna to be like an instant, experiencing an
instant of separation from Krsna to be like a millennium,
feeling great pain in worrying about Krsna's happiness, and
forgetfulness of self-identity. All these anubhavas of the
rudha ecstasy can be experienced in both union and
separation.
Now kindly hear of the two divisions of the adhirudha
maha-bhava, known as modana (divine pleasure) and madana
(madly intoxicated amorous exhilaration). In separation from
Krsna, the modana also becomes what in known as mohana
(wonder-struk astonishment) at a certain stage, thereby
producing a transcendental madness called divyonmada.
This divyonmada also has two divisions known as 1)
citra-jalpa (various types of insane raving speech). and 2)
udghurna (uncontrollably wonder-struck giddiness). After She
relishes Her mohana state of wonder-struck astonishment, Sri
Radha attains an even more essential condition called
madana, or madly intoxicated amorous exhilaration. This is
the summit of ecstasy that stimulates the flow of Her
eternal pastimes.
The sadharani lovers (common girls like Kubja) have
smouldering love. The samanjasa lovers (consistent wives
like the Queens of Dvaraka) have ignited love. The samartha
lovers (the Vraja gopis) have burning ecstasy; but above all
of them, Sri Radha's loving ecstasies are brilliantly
blazing like the dazzling shimmer of pure gold, for only in
Her moods can one find these topmost brilliant ecstasies
headed by modana and madana.
- ref. Ujjvala-nilamani chapter 14 -
TWENTY-FOUR
sadharani samanjasa, sthayi labhe bhava dasa,
kubja ar mahisi pramana
eka braja-devi-gane, mahabhava samghatane,
rudha adhirudha su vidhana
nimesasahyata tay, hrn manthane khinna pray,
kalpa ksana saukhye sankakula
atmavadhi vismarana, ksana kalpa vivecana,
joge ba vijoge samatula
adhirudha bhave punah, dvi-prakar bheda suna,
modana madana name khyata
vislesa dasate punah, modana hoy mohana,
divyonmada tahe hoy jata
divyonmada dvi-prakar, citra-jalpodghurna ar,
citra-jalpa bahu-vidha tay
mohanete sri radhar, madanakhya dasa sar,
nitya-lilamayi bhava pay
sadharani dhumayita, samanjasa sada dipta,
rudhe tathoddipta samarthay
suddipta sri-radha-prema, jena ujjvalita hema,
modanadi bhave sada tay
TWENTY-FIVE --- VIPRALAMBHA (SYMPTOMS OF LOVE-IN-SEPARATION)
The most brilliant mellow of conjugal love has two
natural divisions --- vipralambha (separation) and sambhoga
(enjoyment together). The pleasure felt in union cannot be
properly appreciated without the experience of suffering in
separation. That is the function of vipralambha.
There are four types of vipralambha, namely 1) purva-
raga (preliminary affection), 2) mana (pouting), 3) pravasa
(distant sojourn), 4) prema-vaicittya (feeling separation
even in the presence of the lover). The purva-raga is the
infatuated condition that arises prior to union as a result
of either seeing or hearing about the lover.
Mana araises when one of the attached couple starts
pouting and becomes firmly determined to stay aloof from the
other, being averse even to looking at the other. This
particular state of affection has two sides to it, namely
sahetu mana (pouting for a good reason), and nirhetu mana
(pouting for no reason at all). These are standard twists
which commonly occur during the course of transcendental
loving affairs.
Sahetu mana can be pacified by: 1) sama (pleasing
words of consolation). 2) bheda (witty remarks), 3) kriya
(worship), 4) dana (giving presents), 5) nati (falling down
at the feet), 6) upeksa (indifference). When a pouting
festival is created by nirhetu mana, it can be mitigated
very quickly by being in a beautiful place, or by the
passing of time, or simply by the sound of flute-music.
Prema-vaicitya comes about even in the presence of the
lover by an intense fear of impending separation, thus
causing an unusual transformation of the heart. This is a
natural characteristic of pure prema. The symptom known as
pravasa comes about when one's beloved has traveled to
another forest, town or country. Thus there are four stages
of vipralambha (love-in-separation).
TWENTY-FIVE
sri ujjvala rasa-sar, swabhavatah dvi-prakar,
vipralambha sambhoga akhyana
bina vipralambhasroy, sambhoger pusti noy,
tai vipralambher vidhana
purva-raga tatha mana, pravasa-vaicittya-jnana,
vipralambha cari to' prakar
sangamer purva-riti, labhe purva-raga khyati,
darsane sravane janma ta'r
anurakta dampatira, abhista vislesa sthira,
darsana virodhi bhava mana
sahetu nirhetu mana, pranayer parinama,
pranayer vilasa pramana
sama-bheda kriya-dane, natyupeksa suvidhane,
sahetu maner upasama
desa-kala benu-rave, nirhetuka manotsave,
kore ati sighra uparama
biccheda asanka hoite, premer vaicittya citte,
premer svabhave upajoy
desa grama banantare, priya je pravasa kore,
pravasakhya vipralambha hoy
TWENTY-SIX *** SAMBHOGA (ENJOYEMENT IN UNION)
Sambhoga is defined as follows: it is that ecstatic
mutual mood between the young couple Radha and Krsna which
is enhanced by looking at each other, by embracing, by
worshipping and attending each other favorably, which
surmounts the highest pinnacle of elated bliss, and which is
present within both Their hearts as personified rasa. Such a
mood of Theirs together is called sambhoga.
Sambhoga expands nicely into two main headings, mukhya
(primary), and gauna (secondary). Both of these headings can
each have four varieties of contacts, namely 1) samksipst
(very brief and simple meeting), 2) samkirna (narrow ---
slightly hindered by fear, etc.), 3) sampanna (affluent ---
a warm loving meeting after a sojourn), and 4) samrddhimana
sambhoga (fully enriched to the maximum). Each of these four
types of union follows one of four types of separation as
follows:
The systematic appearance of the four mukhya sambhogas
are 1) samksipt sambhoga, occurs after purva-raga (simple
union after preliminary affection), 2) sankirna sambhoga
occurs after mana (narrow union after pouting), 3) sampanna
sambhoga occurs after a brief pravasa (affluent union after
a short sojourn), and 4) samrddhimana sambhoga occurs after
a long pravasa (fully enriched union after a long sojourn).
The sampanna sambhoga has two variations which produce
very enchanting unions. They are two types of arrivals: 1)
agati (formal or pre-arranged arrival) and 2) pradurbhava
(sudden appearance among those who are eager). Also there
are meetings and pastimes together in dreams. These factual
dream-lilas come under the second heading as gauna sambhoga
(secondary category of union).
- ref. Ujjvala-nilamani chapter 15
TWENTY-SIX
darsana aslesanvita, anukulya sevasrita,
ullase arudha jei bhava
juva-dvandva hrdi majhe, rasakare su virajye,
sambhogakhya ta'r hoy labha
mukhya gauna dvi-prakar, sambhoger su vistar,
tad ubhoy cariti prakar
samksipta samkirna jana, sampanna samr odhimana,
purva bhavavastha anusar
purva-ragantare jaha, samksipst sambhoga taha,
manantare samkirna pramane
ksudra pravasavasane, sampanna samrddhimane,
sudura pravasa avasane
sampanna dvi-vidha bhava, agati o pradurbhava,
manohara sambhoga tahay
svapne ai sab bhava, jahe hoy avirbhava,
tabe gauna sambhoga janay
TWENTY-SEVEN *** THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SAMBHOGA
There are unlimited numbers of ecstatic lilas which
Radha and Krsna play daily all throughout Vrndavana with
Their girlfriends. They sometimes look at each other in
different ways, touch and caress each other, converse in
many different types of talks, and sometimes block each
others' path. They sport the rasa dance, or play different
types of water sports in the Yamuna river, and sometimes
Krsna takes the role of a boatman while They engage in
different types of pastimes in a boat on the Yamuna. There
are different kinds of joking thefts --- sometimes Krsna
steals Radharani's necklace, and almost every day He gets
His flute stolen by Radharani and Her friends. Sometime They
play the ghatta lila, better known as the dana-keli --- His
begging of charity from the yougurt-pots of the gopis. And
sometimes They run around playing hide-and-seek throughout
the forest bowers.
Sometimes They get drunk on huge quantities of honey-
wine, sometimes Krsna comes in numerous types of women's
dress, and sometimes He pretends to be sleeping just to
listen to the sakhis talk about Him. They have gambling
matches with dice and place different kinds of bets, They
sometimes have a tug-of-war with each other's clothes, and
sometimes there is kissing, embracing, clawing with
fingernails, drinking the nectar of berry-red lips, and
conjugal union. Thus some of Radha-Krsna's innumerable daily
pastimes are understood.
All these different types of union constantly produce
a gala festival of most charmingly beautiful playful
pastimes. All these lilas are uncommonly wonderful --- they
are a veritable reservoir filled with the most brilliant
mellows of the conjugal rasa.
Only an extremely rare and highly fortunate soul takes
a curios delightful interest in such daily lilas of Sri Sri
Radha-Krsna. He constantly lives in Vraja and takes on all
the ecstatic moods of transcendental affection (rati), which
keeps swelling and increasing all the way up to the topmost
beatific peak of mahabhava. Thus saturated with Their
transcendental daily pastimes and absorbed in Vraja
consciousness, such a precious fortunate soul always
inquires and searches after the means to enter into those
pastimes.
- ref. Ujjvala-nilamani chapter 15 -
TWENTY-SEVEN
sandarsana sasparsana, jalpa vartma-nirodhana,
rasa vrndavana-lila bhuri
jala-keli jamunay, nauka-khela cauryatay,
ghatta lila kunje lukocuri
madhu-pana vadhu-vesa, kapata nidra-avesa,
dyuta-krida bastra tanatani
cumbaslesa nakharpana, bimbadhara sudha-pana,
samprayoga adi lila mani
sambhoga prakar saba, sambhoger mahotsava,
lila hoy sada supesala
sei lila aparupa, ujjvala raser kupa,
tahe ja'r hoy kautuhal
cid-vilasa rasa-bhare, rati bhava dasa dhore,
mahabhava paryanta baday
je jiba saubhagyavan lila-joge su sandhan,
braje basi' satata koray
TWENTY-EIGHT *** PASTIMES SHELTERED WITHIN THE CONJUGAL RASA
One should make himself aware that all the fundamental
eternal truths concerning rasa, Vraja, and Krsna's pastimes
are one and the same principle of lila-rasa. And Krsna
Himself is directly the personification of this rasa. All
things are completely under His control, as confirmed
throughout the Vedas and the Srimad Bhagavatam.
Sri Krsna is the Supreme Truth, and all His pastimes
are of the nature of transcendental pure goodness. Maya is
situated at a distance as His humble maidservant. Just to
show His causeless mercy to all the conditioned souls, the
Lord manifests His transcendental pastimes before their very
eyes within the mundane world. This just show how much He
desires their welfare.
Krsna is Himself the only Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Even Lord Brahma, Lord Anantadeva and Lord Siva are
trying to find Him out again and again, but still they are
not able to understand Him fully. The vast Brahmana
effulgence emanates from Him only, and the all-cognizant
Supersoul is only His tiny fractional portion.
This Lord Krsna is full of all good qualities. He is
most merciful, He is the basic root of all truths, and all
things in the material and spiritual worlds rest in Him
alone. He even manifests His own bodily effulgence as the
impersonal Brahman to have some impersonal pastimes. Thus He
is just like a gold-mine of unlimited lilas.
His lilas are everywhere. Becoming His own partial
plenary portion as the Supersoul, He performs many lilas by
taking all the conditioned souls for a ride on the revolving
wheel of fruitive action and reaction. Appearing in the
higher planetary system in incarnations such as Vamanadeva,
He performs many more lilas along with the demigods.
In the spiritual sky on the Vaikuntha planets, He
becomes Lord Narayana and maintains hosts of servants there
as the God of all Gods and the King of all Kings. This
selfsame Lord Krsna, the refuge and abode of all beings and
all creations, in spite of such incredible spiritual and
material opulences, likes most of all to appear just like an
ordinary human being in Vraja, and so He remains happy by
expanding so many human-like lilas.
TWENTY-EIGHT
rasa-tattva nitya jaiche, braja-tattva nitya taiche,
lila-rasa ek kori' jnana
krsna je saksat rasa, sakala-i krsner basa,
beda bhagavate kore gana
sri krsna parama tattva, tar lila suddha sattva,
maya jar durasthita dasi
jiba prati krpa kori' lila prakasilo hari,
jiber mangala abhilasi
brahma sese siva jar, anvesiya bar bar,
tattva bujhibare nai pare
brahmer asroy jini, paramatmar amsi tini,
svayam bhagavan boli ja're
sei krsna doyamoy, mula-tattva sarvasroy,
ananta-lilar ek khani
nirvisesa lila-bhare, brahmata prakasa kore,
sviya anga-kanti gunamani
amse paramatma ho' ye, baddha-jiba-gane lo'ye,
karma-cakre lila kore kota
devaloke deva-saha, upendradi ho'ye teha,
deva-lila kore kota sata
paravyome narayana, ho'ye pale dasa-jana,
devadeva raja rajesvara
sei krsna sarvasrey, braje nara-paicoy,
nara-lilaz korilo bistara
TWENTY-NINE
krsner jateka khela, tar madhye nara-lila,
sarvottama raser aloy
e rasa goloke nai, tabe bolo kotha pai,
braja-dhama tahar niloy
nitya lila dvi-prakar, santar o nirantar,
jahe majhe rasiker mana
janma-vrddhi daitya-nasa, mathura-dvaraka-basa,
nitya-lila santare gagana
ciba-ratra asta-bhage, braja-jana anuraga,
kore krsna lila nirantara
tahar birama nai, sei nitya-lila bhai,
brahma-rudra-sesa-agocara
jnana joga koro jata, hoy taha dura gata,
suddha raga nayane kevala
sei lila raksita hoy, parananda bitaroy,
hoy bhakta-jivana sambala
TWENTY-NINE *** THE PASTIMES OF VRAJA ARE THE BEST OF ALL
Among all of Lord Krsna's pastimes, His lila as an
ordinary human being is certainly the best of all, for these
pastimes are like an unlimited reservoir of ecstatic
transcendental mellows. These mellows are not even available
on other planets in the spiritual sky. So then tell me where
are they available? Such things can only be had in the
topmost abode of Vraja-dhama.
Krsna's eternal pastimes are of two types, which are
always meditated on by those who know how to relish the
mellows --- 1) santara (pastimes performed in the material
world at intervals, with a beginning and an end, but which
repeat eternally), and 2) nirantara (pastimes performed in
the spiritual world as perpetual asta-kaliya or eight-fold
daily sports). Pastimes called santara include Krsna's
birth, His growth through childhood and youth, the killing
of many different kinds of demons, and His journey to and
residence at Mathura and Dvaraka.
Those pastimes which are called nirantara are
performed incessantly, in eight time divisions the entire
day and night. These sports are motivated by His pure loving
affection for the residents of Vraja. These pastimes do not
stop even for a second --- therefore it's called nitya-lila,
oh brothers! These eight-fold daily pastimes are
imperceptible even for Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and Lord
Ananta-sesa.
Just toss out all of your speculative knowledge and
yoga practice, for all of these ecstatic lilas of Vraja are
just waiting for you to behold them with your eyes of
unalloyed affection opened wide. These transcendental
pastimes are capable of giving you only one thing ---
topmost spiritual bliss far beyond anything you can even
imagine. This only is the sole sustenance in the lives of
pure devotees who follow in the footsteps of Srila Rupa
Gosvami.
THUS ENDS THE FOURTH CHAPTER OF GITA-MALA by Srila
Bhaktivinoda Thakura entitled "SRI SRI RUPANUGA-BHAJANA-
DARPANA"
(A Mirror Which Reflects the Worship which Follows in the
Footsteps of Srila Rupa Gosvami)
GITAMALA
CHAPTER FIVE
"SIDDHI - LALASA"
(Intense, Eager Longing for the Highest Spiritual
Perfection)
--- 10 songs ---
INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTER FIVE --- SIDDHI-LALASA
This final chapter of Gita-mala peaks out as Srila
Bhaktivinoda Thakura hankers for his birth in Vraja in the
spiritual body of a gopi, being trained up by the other
sakhis headed by Sri Lalita and Sri Rupa Manjari for
rendering eternal service to the lotus feet of Srimati
Radharani. This is the highest goal of all the Gaudiya
Vaisnavas, and this is the real gift which was brought for
all by the most merciful incarnation, Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu. All the acaryas follow this parampara conclusion
including Svarupa Damodara Gosvami (vide his notebook),
Srila Ramananda Raya (vide Caitanya-caritamrta), the six
Gosvamis of Vrdavana, Narottama dasa Thakura (vide his song
"Sri Rupa Manjari Pada"), and Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
(vide Sri Krsna Bhavanamrta). And now in this chapter of
Gita-mala, Thakura Bhaktivinoda gives his final conclusion
of what the topmost perfection is. This perfectional stage
can only be attained by the mercy of the bona fide spiritual
master, who is himself a resident of Vraja. Such a stage of
perfection is awarded to the disciple by the guru only when
he sees that the disciple is totally finished with the
material world and has absolutely given up all forms of
mundane (gross and subtle) sense gratification.
Nowadays it has become the cheap fashion for monkey-
like artificial disciples to jump over such a perfect and
self-realized bona fide spiritual master like Srila
Prabhupada and run to some babaji to receive an instant
siddha-pranali, or initiation into a "parampara" of "gopis".
Prabhupada states very clearly in the sixteenth chapter of
The Nectar of Devotion that such a immediate "snap-the-
fingers" type of siddhi is followed by an unauthorized class
of prakrta-sahajiyas who think that they have become
associates of the Lord simply by thinking of themselves as
such. On the contrary, real siddha-pranali is a process of
the mutual consultations between a bona fide representative
of Srila Rupa Gosvami and his bona fide disciple, who has
been tested by the self-realized guru again and again to
vouchsafe the disciple's absolute conviction towards eternal
service, exhibiting its symptom of being cent-per-cent freed
from all material anarthas and urges of the senses. But so-
called disciples who talk and act just like frivolous
mischievous monkeys jump and run to unauthorized wishy-washy
babajis who, unlike Srila Prabhupada, are such cheaters that
they are not even fit to be looked upon. Being envious like
snakes and pigs, they concoct so many points and foolish
objections just to find fault with the real preachers of
the Gaudiya sampradaya, headed by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakura and Srila Prabhupada. Such bogus babajis,
being anxious at the opportunity for getting rich foreign
disciples, instantly give a cheap siddha-pranali which
includes the 11 different bhavas of a manjari such as an
eternal name, age, dress, complexion, group and particular
service. Like those mentioned by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
in the second and eight song of this chapter of Gita-mala.
However, as clearly explained by Bhaktivinoda Thakura and by
Srila Prabhupada, such a cheap awarding of siddhi unto a
unworthy person who i bereft of the proper adhikara or
capacity, brings about an exactly opposite effect, quite
contrary to the desired transcendental perfection of eternal
service to Radha-Krsna as a gopi's maidservant. Instead,
such an inexperienced person simply makes offences to the
genuine pure devotees and thus sinks lower and lower into
abominable regions, along with his new guru. We see
practically that just the opposite result is attained by
such bold masochists who prefer to destroy themselves by
daring to find fault with the obviously bona fide empowered
parsadas or eternal associates of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and Srila Prabhupada.
Real transcendental siddha-pranali as described by
Thakura Bhaktivinoda in this chapter will be bestowed upon
the disciple of Prabhupada by Prabhupada's own mercy only
when the disciple has genuinely earned the right for it by
his conviction and proven service attitude of dedication to
carrying out Srila Prabhupada's desire for sperading the
name, fame and mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Do the
sahajyas imagine that Srila Prabhupada is dead?? Do they
think that guru-tattva is such a cheap temporary thing that
"dies" on November 13, 1977 ? Rather, our Srila Prabhupada
is alive and well, and he knows the hearts of all his dear
disciples. Therefore the real process of siddha-pranali
should be anxiously awaited for in a bona fide way, as
outlined in this chapter of Gita-mala by Thakura
Bhaktivinoda when he repeatedlty uses the words "kabe habe"
again and again. This means that he goes on with his
devotional service by strictly following the instructions of
his gurudeva, while internally he privately hankers for the
topmost spiritual perfection to be bestowed by honest
consultation with his beloved spiritual master. The prakrta
sahajiyas like this final chapter of Gita-mala very much,
for they enjoy imagining that they have achieved a similar
perfection as Bhaktivinoda Thakura. But, as we see with our
own eyes, each and every one of them either 1) falls down to
gross hippy life centered on drugs and sex, living like dogs
and swine, or 2) remain as so-called babajis and exibit
intense desires to eat voraciously, while privately they
have sex whith themselves or others. And they dare to put on
a polished, sophisticated external image of saintlines,
extremely humble "advanced" behavior, preaching big, big
philosophy which is "not available in Prabhupada's book",
and chanting huge amounts of "the holy name" (which is
actually nama-aparadha) even up to 1, 2, or 300,000 names
daily! Such a condition has arisen in this kali-yuga.
Therefore, to actually follow in Bhaktivinoda
Thakura's footsteps instead of imitating cheaply, one should
offer his body, mind and words for the permanent service of
the bona fide representatives of Lord Caitanya, continue the
bona fide method of preaching, and give proper honor and
respect (from an honest distance) to such high, high things
which are presented by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his
final, delightfully ecstatic chapter of Gita-mala entitled
"Siddhi-lalasa" The intense, eager longing for the highest
spiritual perfection.
The following list is compiled as an index to the topics of
the songs.
1) Wandering madly in Navadvipa
2) Taking birth in Vraja
3) Entrance into the group of Lalita Sakhi
4) Trained up by the sakhis
5) Ecstasy at Radha-kunda
6) The first chance for seva
7) The glories of Radha-kunda
8) Siddha deha
9) The mood of a manjari
10) The ultimate perfection
* NOTE: Songs 1, 2, and 9 of this chapter are also found
within the book "Sarangati" which was published during the
same year (1893) as Gita-mala, in the section entitled
"Bhajana lalasa" as songs 14, 15, and 16 respectively. The
other 7 songs are unique to this book.
Song 1 is also found in ISKCON Song Book.
GITAMALA *** CHAPTER FIVE "SIDDHI-LALASA"
(Intense, Eager Longing for the Highest Spiritual
Perfection)
SONG ONE --- WANDERING MADLY IN NAVADVIPA
(1)
kabe gaura-bane, suradhani-tate,
"ha radhe ha krsna" bo'le
kandiya berabo, deho-sukha chari,
nana-lata taru-tale
When, oh when will I wander here and there, weeping
under the shade of the trees and creepers along the bansk of
the celestial Ganges River in Navadvipa? I will cry out "Oh
Radhe! Oh Krsna!", and I will completely forget about all
the so-called pleasures of this material body.
(2)
(kabe) swapaca-grhete, magiya khaibo,
pibo saraswati-jal
puline puline, garagari dibo,
kori' krsna-kolahal
When will I be able to live so simply by begging some
food from the homes of the unthouchables who live here and
there? I will drink the water of the Sarasvati, and in
ecstasy I will roll to and fro on the banks of the river,
raising a loud uproar of "Krsna! Krsna!".
(3)
(kabe) dhamabasi jane, pranati koriya,
magibo krpar lesa
baisnava-carana-renu gay makhy',
dhori' abadhuta-besa
When will I bow down to all the inhabitants of the
holy land of Navadvipa and receive a bit of their causeless
mercy? I will smear the dust of the Vaisnavas' lotus feet
all over my body, and I will wear the dress of a mad
wandering mendicant.
(4)
(kabe) gaura-braja-bane, bheda na koriya,
hoibo baraja-basi
(takhan) dhamer swarupa, sphuribe nayane,
hoibo radhar dasi
When I factually observe that the transcendental lane
of Navadvipa is non different from Sri Vraja-bhumi, then I
shall be transformed into a Vrajabasi also. Then I will see
the true form of the transcendental realm opening up before
my very eyes, and I will thus become one of the maidservants
of Srimati Radharanai.
SONG TWO --- TAKING BIRTH IN VRAJA
(1)
dekhite dekhite, bhulibo ba kabe,
nija sthula paricoy
nayane heribo, braja-pura sobha,
nitya cid-ananda-moy
When will I be able to leave this plane of my gross
bodily identity far behind? Within a split second, I will
completely forget about all these false external affairs and
behold the exquisite beauty of the transcendental realm of
Vraja, which is completely peraded with eternal, conscious
bliss.
(2)
brsabhanu-pure, janama loibo,
jawate bibana habe
braja-gopi-bhava, hoibe swabhava,
ana bhava na rohibe
I shall then take birth in Barsana, the town of King
Vrsabhanu, and I will be married nearby in the town of
Yavata. My sole disposition and character shall be that of a
simple cowherd girl, and I shall not know any other mood.
(3)
nija siddha deho, nija siddha nama,
nija-rupa, swa basana
radha-krpa-bale, labhibo ba kabe,
krsna-prema-prakarana
I shall obtain my own eternal spiritual body,
transcendental name, and specific type of beauty and dress
for the plrasure of Krsna. And whem, by the power of Sri
Radha's causeless mercy, will I be allowed entrance into the
pastimes of divine love of Krsna?
(4)
jamuna salila, aharane giya,
bujhibo jugala-rasa
prema-mugdha ho'ye, pagalini praya,
gaibo radhar jasa
As I go with a waterpot on my head to draw water from
the Yamuna river, I shall cherish remembrance of the mellows
of conjugal love that unite Sri Radha with Krsna. Thus being
enchanted by Their divine love, I will madhly sing the
glories of Sri Radha just like a raving lunatic.
SONG THREE --- ENTRANCE INTO THE GROUP OF LALITA SAKHI
(1)
heno hale habe, bilasa manjari,
ananga manjari ar
amare heriya, ati krpa kori',
bolibe bacana sar
When, at such a time, will Wilasa Manjari and Ananga
Manjari come along on the same foot-path and, seeing me in
this completely insane condition, will speak to me the
sweetest essence of words?
(2)
eso, eso, sakhi ! sri-lalita-gane ,
janibo tomare aj
grha-katha chari', radha-krsna bhajo,
tyajiya dharama-laj
They will say, "Come, come, sakhi!Our very dear
friend! From now on you will be counted amongst the
attendants of Sri Lalita Sakhi! Giving up your household
concerns and fear of religious principles, just come along
with us now and worship Sri-Sri Radha-Krsna!"
(3)
se madhura vani, sunya e jana,
se dunhar sri-carane
asraya loibe, dunhe krpa kori',
loibe lalita-sthane
Hearing such sweet words, I will unhesitatingly take
shelter of the lotus feet of both these sakhis, and they
will then show me their merciful favor by catching my hand
and bringing me into the prresence of Sri Lalita Sakhi.
(4)
lalita sundari, sadya hoiya,
koribe amare dasi
swapkunja-kutire, sdibena basati,
jani' seba-abhilasi
Then the most beautiful and charming Lalita Sakhi will
behave very graciously towards me and will accept me as one
of her own maidservants. She will take me and give me a
residence in a small cottage in her own garden, knowing me
to be intensely desirous of rendering eternal service.
SONG FOUR --- TRAINED UP BY SAKHIS
(1)
palya-dasi kori', lalita sundari,
amare loiya kabe
sri-radhika-pade, kale milaibe,
ajna-seba samarpibe
When will Lalita Sundari foster me as her own aspirant
novice maideservant? Then later she wil offer me up unto the
lotus feet of Srimati Radharani, and will place me entirely
at Her disposal for rendering various services according to
Her own merciful orders.
(2)
sri rupa manjari, sange jabo kabe,
rasa-seba-siksa-tare
tad-anuga ho'ye, radha-kunda tate,
rohibo harsitantare
When will Sri Rupa Manjari take me along with herself
to the banks of Sri Radha-kunda to give me lessons in the
performance of services to the transcendental mellows? She
will take me there and make me practice by following her
instructions and movements. Thus I will pass my time feeling
great delight within my heart.
(3)
sri visakha-pade, sangita sikhibo,
krsna-lila rasamoy
sri rati manjari, sri rasa manjari,
hoibe sabe sadoy
At the lotus feet of Sri Visakha I will learn music
and songs which are all abounding in the transcendental
mellows of Krsna's pastimes. All of the other sakhis in our
group, including Sri Rati Manjari and Sri Rasa Manjari, will
also share their most kind and affectionate dealings with
me.
(4)
parama anande, sakale miliya,
radhika carane rabo
ei parakasta, siddhi kabe habe,
pabo radha-padasaba
All of us will mneet together, feeling the greatest
supreme bliss, and we will remaing by the lotus feet of Sri
Radhika. When, oh swhen will there be this highest
excellence of the culmination of spiritual perfection,
whereby I will receive the intoxicating honey flowing from
the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani?
SONG 5 --- ECSTASY AT SRI RADHA-KUNDA
(1)
cintamani-moy, radha-kunda-tata,
taha kunja sata sata
prabala bidruma- moy taru-lata,
mukta-phale abanata
The banks of Sri Radha-kunda are made of billions of
conscious, ecstatic desire-fulfilling touchstones, and
surrounding the lake are hundreds and hundreds of beautiful
transcendental gardens and groves. All the trees and
creepers in those gardens are made of coral and rubies, and
the fruits they produce are diamonds and pearls. And their
branches are bending down to the ground due to being
overburdened with millions of these lovely gems.
(2)
swananda-sukhada, kunja manohara,
tahate kutir sobhe
basiya tathay, gabo krsna nama,
kabe krsna-dasya hobhe
My small cottage is shining beautifully within that
most enchanting garden called Svananda-sukhada-kunja. Living
there, I will sing Krsna's holy name, and I will greedily
hanker for that time when I will get the service of Him and
His associates.
(3)
emon samoy muralir gan,
pasibe e dasi-kane
ananda matibo, sakala bhulibo,
sri-krsna-vamsir gane
At this time, while thinking like this, the songs of a
transcendental flute will suddenly enter this maidservant's
ear. Becoming madly excited by such a sound, I will forget
everything and will only listen spellbound to those
wonderful songs of Sri Krsna's flute.
(4)
radhe radhe boli', murali dakibe,
madiya iswari nama
suniya camaki, uthibe e dasi,
kemon koribe prana
The low, deep sound of His long murali flute will call
out, "Radhe. . . Radhe. . ." --- the very name of my only
worshipable Empress and Maharani! Startled with wonder by
hearing such a sound, this maidservant will then stand up in
great haste with an anxious heart, wondering what to do
next.
SONG 6 --- THE FIRST CHANCE FOR SEVA
(1)
nirjana kutire, sri radha-carana,
smarane thakibo rata
sri rupa manjari, dhire dhire asi,
kohibe amaya kota
In my solitary cottage, I will constantly remain
absorbed in the remembrance of Sri Radha's lotus feet. By
and by, I will see Sri Rupa Manjari slowly approaching.
Coming up to me, she will then begin saying some very nice
things to me.
(2)
bolibe o' sakhi! ki koro basiya,
dekhaha bahire asi'
jugala milana-sobha nirupama,
hoibe carana dasi
She will say, "Oh sakhi! My dear friend, what are you
doing sitting here? Just come outside here and look --- just
see Who is coming! The Divine Couple will now perform Their
splendors, unparalleled transcendental meeting, and today
you will be one of the maidservants at Their lotus feet!"
(3)
swarasiki siddhi, braja-gopi dhana,
parama-cancala sati
jogir dheyana, nirvisesa jnana,
na paya ekhane sthiti
The perfections of their personal mellows which are
individually exhibited by each of the gopis of Vraja are all
the real treasures of Vrndavana, and these individual moods
are intelligently fickle and chaste. The so-called
meditations of the yogis, or the impersonal speculations of
the Brahmavadis cannot get any foothold within the realm of
such transcendental mellows as those which are naturally
exhibited by the gopis.
(4)
saksat darsana madhyahna lilaya,
radha-pada-sevarthini
jakhana je seva, koroho jatane,
sri radha-carane dhani
Seeing Them personally coming and performing Their
midday pastimes there at Radha-kunda, I have become very
much desirous to serve the lotus feet of Sri Radha. And
whenever I get the opportunity to render some small service,
I will perform that service with the greatest care and
attention, and I will thus become rich with the treasure of
Her lotus feet.
SONG 7 --- THE GLORIES OF SRI RADHA-KUNDA
(1)
sri rupa manjari kabe madhura bacane
radha-kunda mahima barnibe samgopane
When will Sri Rupa Manjari speak to me with such sweet
words in a private place, vividly explaining to me the
transcendental glories of Sri Radha-kunda?
(2)
e caudda bhuvanopari vaikuntha niloy
tad-apeksa mathura parama sresta hoy
"Beyond these fourteen worlds is the spiritual abode
of the Vaikuntha planets. And beyond that, the area known as
Mathura is the topmost and supreme abode."
(3)
mathura-mandale rasa-lila sthana jatha
vrndavana sresa ati suno mama katha
"Within that Mathura-mandala, the place known as
Vrndavana is best of all, for that is where the rasa-lila
takes place. Please hear me now as I narrate these glories."
(4)
krsna-lila-sthala govardhana
srestatara
radha-kunda srestatam srava-sakti-
dhara
"Out of all the places in Vrndavana where Krsna
performs His pastimes, the place known as Govardhana is
best. And the best place in Govardhana is Radha-kunda, which
possesses all transcendental potencies."
(5)
radha-kunda-mahima to' koriya sravan
lalayita ho'ye ami paribo takhan
Whenever I hear the glories of this sacred Radha-
kunda, I become sized with such an eager yearning that I
will swoon and fall down on the spot.
(6)
sakhir carane kabe koribo akuti
sakhi krpa kori' dibe swarasiki sthiti
When will I ever become so intensely eager for the
lotus feet of a sakhi, which will make her so obliged to me
that she will mercifully bestow upon me permanent situation
in my own natural eternal mellow?
SONG 8 --- SIDDHA-DEHA
(1)
barane tarit, basa tarabali,
kamala manjari nama
sare bara barsa, bayasa satata,
swananda-sukhada-dhama
This maidservant has a complexion just like lightning,
and she is wearing a sari which has star like decorations
all over it. My name is Kamala Manjari. Eternally appearing
to be only twelve-and-a-half years of age, I always live
within the abode of Svananda-sukhada-kunja.
(2)
karpura seba, lalitar gana,
radha juthesvari hana
mamesvari-natha, sri nanda-nandana,
amar parana dhana
I render the service of preparing the camphor within
the assembly of Lalita Sakhi, of whom Sri Radha is the
leader and the center of all their activities. And the Lord
of my mistress Radha is the delightful Son of Nanda
Maharaja, Who is also the treasure of my life.
(3)
sri rupa manjari, prabhrtir sama,
jugala sebaya asa
abasya se-rupa, seba pabo ami,
parakasta su-biswasa
I always desire to execute conjugal service similar to
that which is rendered by Sri Rupa Manjari and her
associates. Thus I will certainly get utmost conviction and
faith.
(4)
kabe ba e dasi, samsiddhi labhibe,
radha-kunde basa kori'
radha-kunda-seba, satata koribe,
purba smrti parihari'
When will this maidservant thus attain such complete
spiritual perfection, living by the banks of Sri Radha-
kunda? I will eternally serve Radha and Krsna, and all of my
previous memories will be automatically forgotten.
SONG 9 --- THE MOOD OF A MANJARI
(1)
brsabhanu-suta-carana sebane,
hoibo je palya-dasi
sri radhar sukha, satata sadhane,
rohibo ami prayasi
For serving the lotus feet of the charming daughter of
King Vrsabhanu, I will become a sheltered maidservant of Her
maidservant. Indeed, I will live only for the happiness of
Sri Radha, and I will always endeavor to increase Her joy.
(2)
sri radhar sukhe, krsner je sukha,
janibo manete ami
radha-pada chari', sri krsna-sangame,
kabhu na hoibo kami
I will understand within my heart that Krsna feels
happiness only when Radha is happy. I will thus never, ever
dare become desirous of abandoning Radhika's lotus feet to
be with Krsna myself.
(3)
sakhi-gana mama, parama suhrt,
jugala-premer guru
tad-anuga ho'ye, sebibo radhar,
carana kalpataru
All my associates sakhis are my supreme well-wishers,
my best friends, and they are the teachers of my lessons in
conjugal love. Simply by following them, I will serve the
lotus feet of Radha, which are just like desire-fulfilling
trees.
(4)
radha-paksa chari', je jana se jana,
je bhave se bhave thake
ami to' radhika-paksapati sada,
kabhu nahi heri ta'ke
I am forever partial and prone to favoring the party
of Sri Radhika. I will never even look upon those persons
who have abandoned Her entourage, whoever they may be and
regardless of what they preach.
SONG 10 --- THE ULTIMATE PERFECTION
(1)
sri krsna-birahe, radhikar dasa,
ami to' sahite nari
jugala-milana-sukher karana,
jibana charite pari
Whenever Radha is suffering in separation from Krsna,
and I am unable to give any solace, my heart breaks for I am
unable to tolerate seeing Her condition so pitiful. Then I
am fully prepared to give up my life for the sake of Their
happy reunion.
(2)
radhika-carana, tyajiya amar,
ksaneke pralaya hoy
radhikar tare, sata-bara mari,
se duhkha amar soy
If I were ever to give up the lotus feet of Sri
Radhika, I would become totally devastated in an instant.
For Her sake, I am prepared to tolerate the pain and the
agony of death hundreds of times.
(3)
e heno radhar, carana-jugale,
paricarja pa'bo kabe
haha braja-jana, more doya kori',
kabe braja-bane lo'be
When will I be able to serve such a divine pair of
lotus feet as Radha's? Alas, I beg you all, oh residents of
Vraja, please be merciful to me now! When will you take me
int the transcendental forests of Vrndavana?
(4)
bilasa manjari, ananga manjari,
sri rupa manjari ar
amake tuliya, loho nija pade,
deho' more siddhi sar
Oh Vilasa Manjari! Oh Ananga Manjari! Oh Rupa Manjari!
Please lift me up and bring me close to your own lotus feet,
thus bestowing upon me the quintessence of eternal spiritual
perfection!
Thus ends Chapter Five of GITA-MALA, entitled "SIDDHI-
LALASA", by Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura
I will serve the lotus feet of Radha, which are just like
desire-fulfilling tree.
Translations
song 1 The glories of the Lord,s lotus feet
O my Lord, oh most compassionate Personality!
Your two divine lotus feet are beautifully decorating
the summit of all the scriptures. And when those lotus
feet in turn decorate the heads of the spiritual
masters coming in the line of disciplic succession,
then their beauty and splendour increases a hundred
fold. Seeing this truth , my heart has become fully
satisfied.
The desires of all the jiva souls are actually
following the path which leads to Your beautiful lotus
feet, which are just like desire- trees in that they
bestow the fulfilment of the most cherished desires of
all souls. Indeed, Your feet are the very wealth of
the dynasty of jivas, and they shall remain the most
revered object of worship for all time to come. Thus
they are the ultimate goal and refuge of all.
The two feet of the lotus- eyed Lord are
abounding in supreme spiritual bliss. Honestly serving
those divine feet continuously, bhaktivinode wants to
satisfy them by remaining as an humble follower of
the devotees of the Lord.
song 2 the power of the Lord,s glance
Oh my dear Lord Hari! merely by Your glance, all
creations throughout the fourteen worlds come into
being. By Your mercy alone, oh Lord , all souls take
their birth within this world of matter. What more can
I say than this ?
When You cast Your glance, then automatically all
the souls awaken into their own different natures,
properties and activities. Thus You, my dear Lord, are
the only controller of all. You are by nature the
eternal Master of all living beings, and You are
thereby the dearest friend and Lord of everyones
heart.
Now Bhaktivinode says, please hear me, please
accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila
Prabhupada. munificent Lord! The loving affection You
show towards Your own devotees is most natural. It
can never be thought of as being a temporary,
designative characteristic. Thus, the kindness You
show to Your own eternal servants is most magnanimous.
song 3 the importance of the scriptures
Oh my Lord! All the great sages headed by Srila
Vyasadeva are most experienced regarding the
transcendental truth. This is because they discuss and
deliberate on the revealed scripture again and again.
Thereby they manifest this sacred books which reveal
Your eternal personal form abounding in all virtuous
qualities, and Your Divine activities which are the
essence of ambrosial nectar.
Your eternal pastimes of pure transcendental
goodness are described in this principal scriptures
for the welfare of all souls. However, those
unfortunate ones who are blinded by the material mode
of passion and ignorance, who harbour the nature of
demons, and who are foolish and dull-minded cannot
understand Your divine form or pastimes which are
depicted in all this sciptures.
2
Those who live in this universe but are not
interested in Your eternal form remain completely
oblivious , just like ignorant frogs who live in a
small, shallow well. Now Bhaktivinode sings, alas!
What an unfortunate situation has arisen here! The
eternal servants of Hari are not serving they eternal
Lord Hari.
song 4 the Lords transcendental position
Oh my dear Lord Hari! All the things contained
within this universe are by nature bound up by the
limits of material time, place and circumstances. But
You dear Lord, are not subordinate to any such
limitation or even to scriptural injunctions. Indeed,
all rules and regulations are trembling in fear of
Your Lordship.
It is naturally impossible for any kind of low to
be equal to or surpass You, for Your transcendental
position naturally transgresses all restrictions. You
possess the Supremely independent nature, and thereby
You conceal Yourself behind the powerful curtain of
maya.
Despite this vail of mayas illusions, my dear
Lord, Your pure unalloyed devotees have the ability to
see You. Indeed, wherever they turn their eyes, they
see Your original personal form there. However, this
bhaktivinode is very follen and is completely bereft
of unalloyed devotion. But he has one hope he has
considered the dust of Your devotees feet to be the
sole essesce of his life.
song 5 the Lords qualities
Oh my Lord Hari! You are invested with all the
good qualities, for all energies are fully under Your
control. You are most magnanimous, straightforward,
clean, patient, compassionate, sweet, equal to all,
successful, peaceful, You are the best of all, most
appreciative and the greatest hero.
You are the fathomless ocean-like origin of all
immortal nectarine qualities of auspiciousness, and
You are thus the Supreme possessor of all spiritual
opulences. All souls can idividually display only a
small drop from the ocean of Your unlimited, complete
qualities. Thus You are the perfectly complete
energetic source of all potencies.
Now this most follen bhaktivinode prays gain and
again with folded hands, humbly confessing all this
talk from the core of his heart. Oh Lord, may I pass
my life absorbed in enjoying all this discussions
about Your transcendental pastimes in the company of
your loving servitors.
song 6 the Lords pastimes
Oh my Lord Hari!Your mind is extremely grave, and
Your deep intentions cannot be understood by anyone
else; all living beings are unconsciously following
the desire of Your mind. The opulences of Your
magnificent potencies produce the creation,
maintenance and ultimate destruction of the material
worlds, as well as provide for liberation for this
temporary abodes.
3
These pastimes of creation, maintenance and
destruction are all described in the vedic scriptures,
and You have manifested the entire material realm by
the power of Your will, in order to fulfil the
materialistic desires of certain souls. When they
become averse to You, they then become drowned in the
darkest ignorance within the ocean of fruictive
actions and reactions.
However, if one again revive his devotional
service to You, and worship You in the association of
Your devotees, then he can attain Your lotus feet.
Thus bhaktivinodes mind has been changed back onto
the path towards You by floating in the mellow of Your
comfidential pastimes, which maya is unable to touch.
song 7 the liberated mind can see the Lord
Oh my dear Lord Hari! So long as the mind of the
jivas are conditioned by maya, they simply wonder
about and loiter within the world of dead matter.
however, You are permanently situated in the all
conscius spiritual sky, which the material mind cannot
perceive at all.
By the mercy of the sharp sword of devotional
service, all bondage of matter is severed, and the
mind can there after travel beyond the bondage of
material energy. Then, upon beholding Your wonderful
beautiful form, one condems all inferior things which
are simply made of dull matter.
Thus by devotion one is enabled to see He Who
possesses unlimited transcendental opulences, Who is
an ocean of compassion, and Who is the Lord and Master
of all souls. This most fallen bhaktivinode, who is
always bereft of pure devotional dervice, now begs
ceaselessly for it with all his heart.
song 8 the souls fallen position
Oh my Lord Hari! I dont have the determination
to properly follow any kind of religious path, nor do
I have any realization of my true self, nor do I have
any trace of devotion to Your lotus feet. Therefore
being completely bereft of spiritual practices, this
wicked, aimless soul is always fond of cheating
himself.
Dear Lord You are known as patita-pavana, the
rescuer of the most fallen, and I am one such fallen
soul. Therefore You are my only hope for deliverance.
Now I have attained the sole of Your lotus feet, for I
have completely taken refuge in You alone; I am Your
eternal servant, and You are my eternal master.
Now bhaktivinode falls upon the ground, weeping
piteously, unable to mantain composure in his heart,
and says, oh my Lord! Kindly favor this rogue with
Your causeless mercy! Give me the shade of Your lotus
feet for ever and ever.
song 9 the sinful soul fit for punishment
Oh my dear Lord Hari! There are no sinful
activities which I have not performed thousands upon
thousands of times! And by the fruits of all this
sinful actions, I have become robbed of all strenght,
being helplessly taken for an excruciatengly painful
ride on the machine of this material world.
4
Having no other hope for deliverance in sight, I
am now continuosly crying before You, my Lord! Please
punish Your insignificant servant as You see
befitting, because You are my Lord and ruling Master.
I will gladly endure whatever misery that destini
has in store for me, but I have just one appeal to
make to You: My dear Lord, no matter what calamity I
must undergo, please promise that You will never
forsake me, for You are the only treasure of
bhaktivinodes life.
song 10 the ocean of nescience
Oh my dear Lord Hari! By the bad fruits of my
past activities, I have slipped and fallen in the
water of the ocean of nescience, and I have been thus
bobbing and sinking beneath the waves for a very, very
long time. Swimming and swimming, I have not been able
to reach the shore, for this ocean of material
existence is inlimitedly vast.
Becoming completely submerged and drowned in this
ocean, I have loudly called out with a very distressed
voice for someone to come and rescue me. At that time
You came to me, Oh Lord. Knowing that You are the safe
shelter at the shore of this fearful ocean has given
me a rare hope.
You dear Lord, are actually made of compassion. I
have become convinced that You are the original source
of the highest for of causeless mercy, Now this most
fallen rascal bhaktivinode will not longer reject You,
for I, the befitting object of causeless mercy, have
obtained the favor of He who abounds in causeless
mercy.
song 11 exsulively dependent on the shelter of the
Lord.
Oh my dear Lord Hari! One who spend his time
under the shelter of Your lotus feet,oh Lord, becomes
compleately fearless. Indeed, such a person could not
possibly neglect Your lotus feet, for one wouldnt
have a pinch of desires for any other shelter.
A mother may sometimes neglect her breast
suckling children out of anger, but still the children
could never give up their mother. This is because such
small helpless children are not able to maintain their
lives at all without their mother, being totally
dependent on her.
Similarly, bhaktivinode says to You, oh Lord Who
is overflowing with compassion, that You may reject me
if You like, seeing all of my offences. But still
never be able to abandon You, for I cannot maintain
my life under any circustance without You.
song 12 the nectar of the lord lotus feet.
Oh my Lord Hari! Your lotus feet distribute the
nectar of eternal devotional service to the
surrendered souls, and only by dint of te greatest
good fortunecan any soul obtain such nectar. By
drinking this rare ambrosia they become attracted and
captivated, oh Lord, and by being completely absorbed
in this transcendental honey of devotion, they will
never want to abandon it.
Being deeply engrossed in this jivamrita, they
will never ever go anywere else, for they will then
consider all other tastes to be simply insignificant.
It is just like when a bee is fully satisfied by
tasting the sweet honey within the whorl of a lotus
flower, he will no longer desire the inferior
swettness of sugarcane juice.
5
Bhaktivinoda now says that when I become
sheltered under those lotue feet, then I will never
again turn towards the material world. There are two
most auspicious things to help me: the causeless mercy
of the devotees, and the power of devotion; these two
treasures will enable me to attain a place at those
lotus feet. Only then will I be happily situated.
song 13 A glimpse of His lotus feet.
Oh my Lord Hari! While wondering about in the
forest of this material world, some fortunate soul
maybe able to get a glimpse of Your lotus feet just
once, by some unseen influence of destiny, and
receives that vision of Your lotus feet with folded
hands oh Bhagavan!
At that very moment all inauspiciousness becomes
dissipated, and he very much relishesnthe nourishments
of divine auspiciousness,. This never decreases, for
You gradually awaken his eternal well being by
bestowing apon such a fortunate soul the topmost goal
of life.
Thus You are such a magnanimous Lord, but I am
such an ill fated soul, for I have never offered my
respectful obeisances unto Your lotus feet. And
nowbhaktivinode cannot comprehend the outcome of his
wicked mentality.
song 14 One drop from the nectar-ocean of His lotus
feet.
Oh my dear Lord Hari! If a greatly fortunate soul
somehow or other gets a chance to drink just one
priceless nectar-drop sprayed from the ocean of love
emanating from Your lotus feet, then all of his
miseries are instantly repelled to a far distant
place.
This single drop from the ocean of nectar
completely extinguishes the blazing fire of material
existence and give immediate relif. One who drinks
such a drop thus takes hold of Your lotus feet, which
bestow upon him transcendentally liberated peace and
unlimited spiritual bliss.
Now Bhaktivinode is weeping and says to You, oh
Lord, I am most unfortunate, having fallen into the
snare of this material world. I have never tested a
drop of the nectar of Your lotus feet, and therefore
my entire life has been wasted, uselessly engrossed in
my own self interest.
song 15 The self- cheated soul.
Oh my Lord Hari! Your two lotus feet are full of
mighty prowess in performing transcendental pastimes,
which are continuosly expanding throughout both the
material and the spiritual worlds. Such pastimes are
eternally being performed just to mitigate the
suffering of Your devotees. For this reason only are
Your eight-fold daily pastimes enacted
Despite the presence of Your pastimes here, which
are the real treasure of this universe, I am still
bereft of all good fortune, for I have cheated myself
out of worshipping Your lotus feet in devotional
service. Thus I am most fallen, and there is no one
else quite as fallen as me. What other activities
could possibly be more sinful than those which were
performed by me throughout my entire life?
Now Bhaktivinode, with the utmost humility says
at Your feet, oh Lord without Your causeless mercy I
have no other refuge. Alas! When will I get Your kind
favor? I will stand up and estsiastically run for You,
and then I will behold Your beautiful lotus feet with
my very eyes.
6
song 16 The soul position of eternal service.
Oh my dear Lord Hari! I am most fallen, and
seeing no other alternative I have fully taken shelter
at Your lotus feet. Oh Lord! Now I have finally
understood that You are Jagannatha, Lord of the
universe, whereas I am but Your eternal servant.
When will that day come when I take on the mood
and behavior of Your analloyed eternal servant? Then
all other distracting desires of my mind will
automatically become totally exausted, and I will be
able to whole-heartedly render service to my eternal
master.
My soul will become fully satisfied when that day
will be mine. My heart will be chaste only for You,
and it will exibit a service attitude which flows from
the core of the heart with uninterrupted devotion.
Bhaktivinode says that he will thus live eternally
absorbed in such a delightful flow of ecstatic locing
service to Krsna.
song 17 His lotus feet are the only refuge for the
fallen souls.
Oh my Lord Hari! I have been a great offender to
You, and thus I am quite fit to receive punishment for
all of my wicked misdeeds. Iam guilty of committing
thousands upon thousands of sins. I have somehow
fallen into the belly of the deep, dark, and fearsome
ocean of material existence, and I have no shelter at
all in this hellish place. Therefore I am greatly
desirous of finding salvation from this dreadful
predicament.
Hari! Thus I have taken refuge at Your two lotus
feet out of intense fear! Please be kind to me and
make me Your own property. Your promise is that for
whoever take full shelter of You, then You will become
his protector and mantainer, oh Lord!
Completely relying on Your promise, this servant
has now taken full shelter of You as his last hope, oh
madhava! Oh Lord of my life! Bhaktivinode now sing
this prayer to You just to be eternally fixed up in
the service of Your two reddish lotus feet.
song 18 The power of ignorance.
Oh my Lord Hari! Ignorance of You is just like a
menacing rain-cloud which overs overhead and covers
all directions, causing the darkness of spiritual
blindness to envelop me. From this cloud of ignorance
falls the rain of material tribulation, which strikes
fear throughout the four directions. Thus I have
become lost and confused in this darkness, and I am
absolutely unable to find the right path back to You
oh my Lord.
By my own falt of ignorantly whimsical behavior,
independent of You, I have become very angry upon
falling into the foul weather of this most difficult
time of distress. Nad my life is leaving me while I am
thus stranded within this material world, which is
just like a dark forest in which one cannot properly
find his way. I have no guide to show me the way out
of here, and by this misfortune I am dying a slow
death. Therefore I now call out to You, Acyuta, oh
supremely infallible Lord!
If You would just shower the rain of Your kind
glance moist with causeless mercy in my direction just
once, oh Lord then that would instantly terminate this
period of great distress for me. Then my understanding
of Your spiritual reality will become fixed-up, and
this Bhaktivinode will be able to clearly see the path
which leads back to You.
7
song 19 The meaning of The most mercifull Lord
(doyamoy).
Oh my dear Lord Hari! I have just one appeal to
make before You, oh killer of the Madhu demon! Please
be kind enough to hear it from me. It is certainly not
a useless talk, but is full of very deep meanings.
Indeed it is welling up from the very depths of my
heart.
I am most fallen, and You are most merciful;
therefore I have full right to claim Your mercy, for
no matter how degraded I could possibly be, Your mercy
easily extend to that degree; therefore I am a
suitable candidate for receiving Your grace.
If You were to neglet my appeal, then Your famous
name as the most merciful would become null and void.
And where else could You find a more suitable
recipient of mercy than me? Bhaktivinode says, please
be merciful, oh most merciful! If You would do this,
then Your fame will go on unblemished for all of time
to come.
song 20 Natural eternal surrender.
My dear Hari! I will never ever abandon Your
shelter, please accept my humble obeisances, all
glories to Srila Prabhupada. Lord, for if I were to do
that, I would become utterly helpless without my
Master. When a faithful servant becomes bereft of his
Master, then he remains helplessly lost and confused,
with no other shelter available anywhere. However, if
You do not accept me in your association, then how
will You be known as my master, and who else besides
me will be a suitable recipient for Your mercy?
Our eternal relationship is unalterably fixed up
by our destiny, and it shows how You are the abode of
all good qualities. Please hear my appeal to You now,
Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to
Srila Prabhupada. punisher of the demon Madhu! There
is not possibility whatsoever of seoarating us from
our eternal relationship of being the Master (You),
and the servant (me).
Now Bhaktivinode sing to You his appeal, dear
Lord; please keep me always under the shelter of Your
lotus feet; always protect me, and never abandon me at
any time. Whenever You find me deviating from Your
shelter, then I request You to please manifest
befitting anger and punish me accordingly, bestowing
the touch of Your divine lotus feet.
song 21 Surrender transcend bodily disignations.
Oh my Lord! I know that all bodily distinctions
between male and female as well as all the divisions
of the varnashrama system are simply
materialisticdifferences based on bodily
consciousness. And when all these distinctions are
influenced by the material mode of goodness, passion
and ignorance, then they multiply into thosands of
complicated divisions.
Whatever type of body I happen to leave in, and
whatever circunstantial position this body is situated
in, I now offer all this things in dedication unto
Your lotus feet, oh
lord of my life! From now on, I am not longer
responsible for anything related to my very existence.
Therefore please protect and maintain me, oh Lord
for You can do anything! I am but Your humble servant.
Bhaktivinode now states that I am living always
absorbed in te delightful curious amusement of the
transcendental loving service attitude.
8
song 22 Prayers for the association of devotees.
Oh my Lord Hari!nBy working frutively according
to the Vedic injunctions in this material world, the
soul continuosly take birth again and again. If I also
have to take birth again according to Your will, due
to the results of my previous fruitive reactions, then
I have just one request to make of You....
Kindly hear me, oh Purusottama! I have a petition
to submit before You. If I can just take my next birth
even as an insignificant insect within the home of
Your loving servant, then I would become completely
satisfied, oh most merciful Lord!
Please never, never let me take birth in the home
of an householder who is averse to the association of
Your devotees, even if his household opulences rival
those of Lord Brahmas. This is the only humble prayer
that Bhaktivinode is making now with folded hands.
song 23 The qualities of the pure devotee.
Oh my Lord Hari!Your pure unalloyed devotee, who
is uncompromisingly attached to You only, considers
material enjoyment and liberation to be insignificant.
Simply by beholding the beauty and opulences of Your
form made of eternity, knowledge and bliss, such a
pure devotee considers all other forms of so called
happiness to be just like small pieces of straw which
one sees stewn here and there in the gutter.
You alwaysperform different types of sportive
pastimes in the company of pure devotees of this
calibre, for You are not able to tolerate separation
from them for even a moment. Please show Your gracious
favor and reveal to me who this grat souls are, for I
am truly bereft, and can find no purpose for living
without their company.
When will I get the vision of the rare treasure-
likefeet of Your pure devotees? If I could just catch
a glimpse of their lotus feet, then that would
completely purify me and rectify my sinful mind.
Bhaktivinode narrates this prayer to You, oh Lord: I
will be able to get the odience of such great souls
only if Your causeless mercy comes upon me by Your own
sweet will.
song 24 Prayer for natural eternal service.
Oh my dear Lord Hari! Please hear me now, oh
chastiser of the demon Madhu! I am revealing this
specific confession unto You. The top most wealth of
my own ultimate service attitude is this: I am Your
servant, and You are my master.
Oh Acyuta most infallible Lord! Iam not able to
tolerate even a split second of life outside this
idvine wealth of Your eternal service. Therefore I
have now decided to renounce everithing that is near
and dear to the illusioned soul such as the body, the
life, material pleasure as well as all hopes for
future sense gratification.
Oh residence of the Goddes of Fortune! Let all
this things be neglected by me and fall into abject
ruination hundreds of times. I do not mind for I will
still remain fixed in Your eternal service.
Bhaktivinode says that the soul is naturally the
servant of Krsna, and exept for eternal service there
is no other reality.
song 25 The mood of self-surrender.
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[Source: Institute of Philosophy of Russian Academy of Sciences ]