SRI SRI PREMA-VIVARTA: CHAPTER FOUR

Gaura's Greatness

bhai-re bhaja mora pranera gauranga
gaura vina vrtha saba jivanera ranga [1]

bhai-re–O brother! bhaja–Serve gauranga–the Gauranga mora pranera–of my heart. vina–Without gaura–Gaura, saba jivanera–all of life's ranga–pleasures [are] vrtha–meaningless. [1]

O brother! Serve the Gauranga of my heart. Without Gaura, all of life's pleasures are meaningless.

navadvipa-mayapure sachira angane
gaura nache nitya nitai-advaitera sane [2]

gaura–Gaura nache–dances nitai-advaitera sane–with Nitai and Advaita nitya–eternally sachira angane–in Sachi's courtyard navadvipa-mayapure–in Mayapur within Nabadwip. [2]

Gaura dances with Nitai and Advaita eternally in Sachi's courtyard in Mayapur within Nabadwip.

srivasa-angane nache gaya rasa-bhare
ye dekhila eka-bara ara na pasare [3]

rasa-bhare–Filled with ecstasy, nache–He dances [and] gaya–sings srivasa-angane–in Srivas's courtyard. ye–Anyone who dekhila–sees [this] eka-bara–once ara pasare na–never forgets [it]. [3]

Filled with ecstasy, He dances and sings in Srivas's courtyard. Anyone who sees this once never forgets it.

amara hrdaye nata ankita ha-iya
nirantara achhe mora prana kandaiya [4]

[His] nata–dancing ankita ha-iya–is imprinted amara hrdaye–in my heart, achhe–remains [there] nirantara–forever, [and] mora prana kandaiya–makes my heart cry. [4]

His dancing is imprinted in my heart. It remains there forever and makes my heart cry.

jagannatha-mandirete nrtya dekhi yabe
ananta bhavera dheu mane uthe tabe [5]

yabe–When dekhi–I see [His] nrtya–dancing jagannatha-mandirete–in the Temple of Jagannath, tabe–then dheu–waves ananta bhavera–of innumerable emotions uthe–swell mane–within [my] heart. [5]

When I see His dancing in the Temple of Jagannath, waves of innumerable emotions swell within my heart.

ara ki dekhiba prabhura jahnavi-puline
sunrtya-kirtana-lila e chhara jivane [6]

ki dekhiba–Will I see prabhura–the Lord's sunrtya-kirtana-lila–Pastimes of kirtan and wondrous dancing jahnavi-puline–on the banks of the Ganga ara–again e chhara jivane–in this wretched life? [6]

Will I ever see the Lord's Pastimes of kirtan and wondrous dancing on the banks of the Ganga again in this wretched life?

nistha kari' bhaja bhai gauranga-charana
anya deva-devi kabhu na kara bhajana [7]

bhai–Brother, bhaja–worship gauranga-charana–Gauranga's feet nistha kari'–sincerely: kabhu na–never bhajana kara–serve anya–other deva-devi–gods and goddesses. [7]

Brother, worship Gaura's feet sincerely: never worship other gods or goddesses.

gaurangera dasa bali' sarva-deve jana
krsna haite gaurake kabhu na janibe ana [8]

bali' jana–Consider [that] sarva-deve–all gods [are] dasa–servants gaurangera–of Gauranga, [and] kabhu na janibe–never consider gaurake–Gaura ana–different haite–from krsna–Krishna. [8]

Know that all gods are servants of Gauranga, and never consider Gaura different from Krishna.

nija gurudeve jana gaura-krpa-patra
gauranga-parsade jana gaura-deha-gatra [9]

jana–Know nija–your gurudeve–Gurudev [to be] gaura-krpa-patra–a recipient of Gaura's mercy, [and] jana–know gauranga-parsade–Gauranga's associates [to be] gaura-deha-gatra–limbs of Gaura's body. [9]

Know your Gurudev to be a recipient of Gaura's mercy, and know Gaura's associates to be limbs of Gaura's body.

gaura-vairi rasa-posta ei matra jana
sakale gauranga-dasa e kathati mana [10]

jana–Know [that] gaura-vairi–the enemies of Gaura [are] ei matra–simply rasa-posta–nourishers of rasa— sakale–everyone [is] gauranga-dasa–a servant of Gauranga. mana–Accept e–this kathati–truth. [10]

Know that the enemies of Gaura are simply nourishers of rasa—everyone is a servant of Gauranga. Accept this truth.

para-ninda para-charchcha na kara kakhana
drdha-bhave ekante bhaja sri-gaura-charana [11]

kakhana kara na–Never para-ninda–criticise others [or] para-charchcha–gossip about others; bhaja–serve sri-gaura-charana–Sri Gaura's feet drdha-bhave–resolutely [and] ekante–exclusively. [11]

Never criticise or gossip about others; serve Sri Gaura's feet resolutely and exclusively.

gaura ye sikhala nama sei nama gao
anya saba nama-mahatmya sei name pao [12]

gao–Chant sei ye nama nama–the Name [that] gaura–Gaura sikhala–taught [and] sei name–through that Name, pao–get anya saba nama-mahatmya–the benefits of all other Names. [12]

Chant the Name that Gaura taught and by doing so get the benefit of chanting all other Names.

gaura vina guru nai e bhava-samsare
sarala gauranga-bhakti sikhao sabare [13]

nai–There is no guru–Guru e bhava-samsare–in this world vina–other than gaura–Gaura. sikhao–Teach sabare–everyone sarala–sincere gauranga-bhakti–devotion to Gauranga. [13]

There is no Guru in this world other than Gaura. Teach everyone sincere devotion to Gauranga.

kutinati chhada, mana karaha sarala
gaura-bhaja loka-raksa ekatre nisphala [14]

chhada–Give up kutinati–deceit [and] karaha–make [your] mana–mind sarala–sincere. gaura-bhaja–Serving Gaura [and] loka-raksa–serving society ekatre–at the same time [is] nisphala–useless. [14]

Give up deceit and make your mind sincere. Serving Gaura and serving society at the same time is useless.

haya gora bhaja, naya loka bhaja bhai
eka-patre dui kabhu na rahe eka thani [15]

bhai–Brother, haya–either bhaja–serve gora–Gora naya–or bhaja–serve loka–society. dui–The two kabhu na–never rahe–remain eka thani–in one place eka-patre–together. [15]

Brother, either serve Gora or serve society. The two never remain in one place together.

jagai bale, "yadi eka-nistha na ha-ibe
dui naye nadi-parera durdasa labhibe" [16]

jagai–Jagai bale–says, "yadi–"If ha-ibe na–you do not become eka-nistha–single-minded, durdasa–the plight nadi-parera–of crossing a river dui naye–in two boats labhibe"–will befall you." [16]

Jagai says, "If you do not become single-minded, the plight of crossing a river in two boats will befall you."

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