SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI : SPECIAL POETRY

Srila-Raghunath-Bhatta-Gosvami-Prabhur Sochaka
(Lament for Srila Raghunath Bhatta Goswami Prabhu)

tapana-misrera putra raghunatha bhattacharya
prabhuke dekhite chale chhadi’ sarva karya [1]

Raghunath Bhattacharya, Tapan Misra’s son, left everything and went to meet with the Lord.

kasi haite chalila gauda-patha diya
sangete sevaka eka chale jhapi laiya [2]

Setting off from Kasi, he followed the road leading to Bengal. A servitor came with him, carrying a basket.

ei-mate raghunatha aila nilachale
mahaprabhura charane giya milila kutuhale [3]

In this way, Raghunath arrived in Nilachal and happily came to Mahaprabhu’s holy feet.

dandavat pranama kari’ padila charane
prabhu raghunatha jani’ kaila alingane [4]

Offering his prostrate obeisances, Raghunath fell at the Lord’s holy feet. Recognising who had come, the Lord embraced him.

bhala haila aila dekha kamala-lochana
aji amara iha karibe prasada-bhojana [5]

‘My lotus-eyed boy, it is very nice that you have come! Today, you must take prasad with Me.’

govindere kahi eka vasa deyaila
svarupadi bhakta-gana-sane milaila [6]

He told Govinda to make a seat for Raghunath, and Raghunath sat down together with Svarup and other devotees.

ei mate prabhu sane rahila asta-masa
dine prabhura krpaya badaye ullasa [7]

Thus he spent eight months in the company of the Lord. By the mercy of the Lord, his joy increased day by day.

asta-masa rahi’ prabhu bhatte vidaya dila
‘vivaha na kariha’ bali nisedha karila [8]

After eight months, the Lord bid Raghunath Bhatta farewell. He prohibited him, ‘Do not get married.

‘vrddha pita-matara yai’ karaha sevana
vaisnava-pasa bhagavata kara adhyayana [9]

‘Go home and serve your elderly parents. Read Bhagavatam in the association of Vaishnavs.

punarapi eka-bara asibe nilachale
eta kahi’ kantha-mala dila ta’ra gale [10]

‘You must come again to Nilachal,’ saying this, the Lord took a garland from His own neck and gave it to Raghunath.

alingana kari’ prabhu tare vidaya dila
preme gadgada bhatta kandite lagila [11]

Embracing him, the Lord said goodbye to him, and Bhatta, overcome with love, began to stammer and cry.

svarupadi prabhu thani anujna magiya
varanasi aila bhatta prabhu-ajna paiya [12]

Taking the Lord’s, Svarup’s and other devotees’ permission to leave, he went to Varanasi following the order of the Lord.

chari vatsara ghare pita-matara seva kaila
vaisnava-pandita thani bhagavata padila [13]

During four years, he served his parents at home and studied Bhagavatam from a Vaishnav pandit.

pita-mata kasi paile udasina haiya
punah prabhu thani gela bhavete galiya [14]

When his parents left their bodies, he lost any interest in staying at home, so he again went to the Lord, his heart melting in divine love.

purva-vat asta-masa prabhu-pasa chhila
asta-masa rahi’ prabhu punah ajna dila [15]

As the previous time, he stayed together with the Lord for eight months. After eight months, the Lord again gave him His order.

amara ajnaya raghunatha yaha vrndavane
tatha giya raha rupa-sanatana-sane [16]

‘Raghunath, I order you to go to Vrindavan. Stay there with Rupa and Sanatan.

bhagavata pada sada laha krsna-nama
achire karibena krpa krsna bhagavana [17]

‘Study Bhagavatam and always chant the Holy Name of Krishna. Supreme Lord Krishna will very soon bestow His mercy upon you.’

et’ bali’ prabhu tare alingana kaila
prabhura krpate krsna-preme matta haila [18]

Saying this, the Lord embraced him, and by the mercy of the Lord, Raghunath became overwhelmed with divine love for Lord Krishna.

chaudda hata jagannathera tulasira mala
chhuta pana vida mahotsave paya chhila [19]

At a festival, the Lord had received a fourteen-cubit (twenty-one-foot) tulasi garland of Lord Jagannath and some unspiced betel.

sei mala chhutapana prabhu tanre dila
istadeva kari mala dhariya rakhila [20]

He gave that garland and betel to Raghunath. Raghunath took the garland as a worshippable Deity and kept it carefully.

prabhu thani ajna paya aila vrndavane
asraya karila asi’ rupa-sanatane [21]

Then, on the order of the Lord, he went to Vrindavan, where he submitted himself to Rupa and Sanatan.

rupa-gosaira sabhaya kare bhagavata-pathana
bhagavata paditeo laya tara mana [22]

He studied Bhagavatam at the assembly headed by Rupa Goswami. Reading Bhagavatam absorbed his heart and mind.

asru kampa gadgada prabhura krpate
netre asru, ruddha-kantha na pare padite [23]

By the mercy of the Lord, he shed tears, trembled and stammered. Because his eyes shed tears and his voice faltered, he could not read.

pikasvara kantha tate ragera vibhaga
eka sloka padite phiraya chari raga [24]

His voice was as sweet as a cuckoo’s, and he could read in various musical styles. He could read a verse in one way and then repeat the same verse in another four ways.

krsnera madhurya guna yabe pade mane
premete vihvala haiya kichhui na jane [25]

Whenever he remembered Lord Krishna’s sweetness, he would swoon with divine love and zone out.

govindera charane kaila atma-samarpana
govinda-charanaravinda yara prana-dhana [26]

He surrendered himself at the holy feet of Lord Govinda. His holy lotus feet were the treasure of his very life.

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Sri Gaudiya Gitanjali (English)
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