SRI SRI PREMA-VIVARTA: CHAPTER ELEVEN

The Light of Nabadwip

brahmande dharani dhanya, dharaya gauda-ksauni dhanya
gaude navadvipa dhanya dvyasta-krosa jagat manya [1]

brahmande–Within the universe, dharani–the earth [is] dhanya–glorious; dharaya–on the earth, sri-navadvipa vrndavana abhinna–the land of Gauda [is] dhanya–glorious; [and] gaude–within Gauda, navadvipa–Nabadwip [is] dhanya–glorious. [Its] dvyasta-krosa–thirty-two miles [are] manya–revered jagat–by the [entire] world. [1]

Within the universe, the earth is glorious; on the earth, the land of Gauda is glorious; and within Gauda, Sri Nabadwip is glorious. Its thirty-two miles are revered by the entire world.

madhye srotasvati dhanya bhagirathi vegavati
tahate milechhe asi' sri-yamuna sarasvati [2]

madhye–Within it, bhagirathi vegavati srotasvati–the swift River Ganges [is] dhanya–glorious; [there] sri-yamuna–the Yamuna [and] sarasvati–Saraswati asi' milechhe–have come and united tahate–with her. [2]

Within Nabadwip, the swift River Ganges is glorious; there the Yamuna and Saraswati have come and united with her.

tara purva-tire saksat goloka mayapura
tathaya sri-sachi-grhe sobhe gauranga-thakura [3]

tara purva-tire–On the east bank of the Ganges [is] goloka mayapura–Goloka Mayapur saksat–itself, [and] tathaya–there, gauranga-thakura–Lord Gauranga sobhe–shines sri-sachi-grhe–in the home of Sri Sachi. [3]

On the east bank of the Ganges is Goloka Mayapur itself, and there, Lord Gauranga shines in the home of Sri Sachi.

ye thakura dvaparera sesa vrndavane vane
maharasa-krida kaila radhikadi gopi sane [4]
parakiya maharasa golokera nitya-dhana
anila vrajera saha nanda-yasoda-nandana [5]
sei thakura abara nijera yoga-mayapura
prapanche anila gaude rasasvada suchatura [6]

ye thakura–The Lord who kaila–performed maharasa-krida–the Maharasa-lila sane–with radhikadi gopi–Radhika and the gopis vrndavane vane–in the forest of Vrindavan dvaparera sesa–at the end of the Dvapar-yuga, nanda-yasoda-nandana–the son of Nanda and Yasoda [who] anila–brought golokera–Goloka's nitya-dhana–eternal wealth— maharasa–the Maharasa-lila parakiya–in paramour love— vrajera saha–with Vraja [to this earth]— sei thakura–this Lord, rasasvada suchatura–the connoisseur of rasa, abara–again anila–has brought nijera yoga-mayapura–His abode of Yogamayapur prapanche–to the earth gaude–in Gauda. [4–6]

As the son of Nanda and Yasoda, the Lord performed the Rasa-lila with Radhika and the gopis in the forest of Vrindavan at the end of the Dvapar-yuga. He brought Goloka's eternal wealth—the Rasa-lila in paramour love—with Vraja to this earth, and now this Lord, the connoisseur of rasa, has again brought His abode of Yogamayapur to the earth in Gauda.

sri-krsna-lilaya vanchha-traya na haila purana
sri-gaura-lilaya purna kaila se sukha sadhana [7]

sri-krsna-lilaya–During [His] Pastimes as Sri Krishna, vanchha-traya purana haila na–the Lord had three unfulfilled desires. sri-gaura-lilaya–During [His] Pastimes as Sri Gaura, purna kaila–the Lord completed [His] sadhana–endeavour se sukha–for that satisfaction. [7]

During His Pastimes as Sri Krishna, the Lord had three unfulfilled desires, and during His Pastimes as Sri Gaura, He fulfilled them.

"more pranaya kari' radha paya kiba sukha
mora madhurya-asvadane radhara kata ye kautuka [8]

"kiba–"What sort sukha–of happiness radha paya–does Radha feel pranaya kari'–by loving more–Me? kata–How great [is] radhara ye kautuka–Radha's delight mora madhurya-asvadane–in tasting My sweetness? [8]

"What sort of happiness does Radha feel by loving Me? How great is Radha's delight in tasting My sweetness?

amara anubhave radhaya saukhya ki prakara
nayaka hana nahi bujhi e sukhera sara [9]

ki prakara–What sort saukhya–of joy [arises] radhaya–in Radha [in Her] anubhave–experience amara–of Me? hana–Being nayaka–the beloved, bujhi nahi–I do not understand sara–the essence e sukhera–of this happiness. [9]

"What sort of joy does Radha feel in Her experience of Me? Being Her beloved, I do not understand the essence of this happiness.

ataeva radhara bhava-kanti lana gaura haba
krsna-madhuryadi bhakta-bhave asvada paiba" [10]

ataeva–So, lana–I will take radhara–Radha's bhava-kanti–heart and halo [and] haba–become gaura–Gaura. asvada paiba–I will relish krsna-madhuryadi–Krishna's sweetness and other qualities bhakta-bhave"–in the mood of a devotee." [10]

"So, I will take Radha's heart and halo and become Gaura. I will relish Krishna's sweetness in the mood of a devotee."

eta bhavi' krsna nija-dhama lana gauda-dese
navadvipe prakatila svayam ananda-avese [11]

bhavi'–Thinking eta–this, krsna–Krishna lana–took nija-dhama–His abode gauda-dese–to the land of Gauda [and,] ananda-avese–overwhelmed with joy, prakatila–manifested svayam–Himself navadvipe–in Nabadwip. [11]

Thinking in this way, Krishna took His abode to the land of Gauda and, overwhelmed with joy, manifested Himself in Nabadwip.

ore bhai saba chhadi' vaisa navadvipa-pure
gaurangera asta-kala bhaja, duhkha yabe dure [12]

ore–O bhai–brother, chhadi'–give up saba–everything [and] vaisa–stay navadvipa-pure–in the town of Nabadwip. bhaja–Serve gaurangera–Gauranga asta-kala–throughout the eight periods of the day, [and your] duhkha–sadness yabe–will go dure–away. [12]

O brother, give up everything and stay in Nabadwip. Serve Gauranga throughout the eight periods of the day and your sadness will go away.

asta-kale asta-parakara krsna-lila-sara
gaurodita bhave bhaja, pabe prema chamatkara [13]

bhave–In the mood gaurodita–revealed by Gaura, bhaja–worship asta-parakara–the eight modes krsna-lila-sara–of Krishna's super-excellent Pastimes asta-kale–during the eight periods of the day, [and] pabe–you will attain chamatkara–astonishing prema–divine love. [13]

In the mood revealed by Gaura, worship the eight modes of Krishna's super-excellent Pastimes during the eight periods of the day and you will attain astonishing divine love.

krsna bhajibare yara ekanta achhe mana
gaudera asta-kale bhaja krsna-rasa-dhana [14]

yara mana achhe–Those who want ekanta–sincerely bhajibare–to serve krsna–Krishna, bhaja–should serve krsna-rasa-dhana–Gaura, whose wealth is devotion to Krishna, asta-kale–during the eight periods of the day gaudera–in Gauda. [14]

Those who sincerely want to serve Krishna should serve Gaura, whose wealth is devotion to Krishna, during the eight periods of the day in Gauda.

gaura-bhava nahi jane ye krsna bhajite chaya
aprakrta krsna-tattva tara kabhu nahi bhaya [15]

tara ye–Those who chaya–want bhajite–to serve krsna–Krishna [but] jane nahi–do not understand gaura-bhava–Gaura's mood [will] kabhu nahi–never bhaya–perceive aprakrta krsna-tattva–Krishna's divine nature. [15]

Those who want to serve Krishna but do not understand Gaura's mood will never perceive Krishna's divine nature.

kiba varni, kibasrami, kiba varnasrama-hina
krsna-tattva vetta yei, sei acharya pravina [16]

sei yei–Anyone [who] vetta–knows krsna-tattva–Krishna's nature [is] pravina acharya–an expert Acharya, kiba–whether [they] varni–belong to a social order, kibasrami–whether they belong to a religious order, [or] kiba–whether varnasrama-hina–they have no religious or social order. [16]

Anyone who knows Krishna's nature is an expert Acharya, whether they belong to a religious and social order or not.

asala katha chhede bhai varne ye kare adara
asad-guru kari' tara vinasta purvapara [17]

bhai–Brother, purvapara–the past and future tara ye–of those who chhede–reject asala katha–truth, adara kare–revere varne–social status, [and] kari'–accept asad-guru–a false guru [are] vinasta–ruined. [17]

Brother, the past and future of those who reject truth, revere social status, and accept a false guru are ruined.

Translator's Note
Introduction
In Praise of Sri Sri Prema-vivarta
Sri Sri Prema-vivarta:
1 Invocation of Auspiciousness
2 The Composition of this Book
3 First Obeisances
4 Gaura's Greatness
5 Transformations of Ecstasy in Service
6 The Journey of the Soul
7 The Name is for Everyone
8 Give up Deceit
9 Proper Renunciation
10 Caste and Class
11 The Light of Nabadwip
12 Glories of the Vaisnavas
13 Eagerness to see Sri Gaura
14 Contradictory Transformations
15 Morning Pastimes in Nabadwip
16 What is Love?
17 Different Practices for Different Devotees
18 Sri Ekadasi
19 A Collection of Hidden Truths about the Name
20 The Glories of the Name
+ The Ten Offences to the Holy Name
+ Glossary