Special Poetry: Acharya Vandana | Sri Gaudiya Gitanjali

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SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI : SRI ARATI GITI

Acharya Vandana
(Prayers to Spiritual Master)

jayare jayare jaya, paramahamsa mahasaya,
sri-bhakti-siddhanta sarasvati
gosvami thakura jaya, parama karuna-maya,
dina-hina agatira gati [1]

Glory, glory to Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, this great swan-like perfect personality, an abode of the highest mercy, who is the sole refuge for helpless, lowly and miserable souls!

nilachale haiya udaya
sri-gauda-mandale asi’, prema-bhakti parakasi’,
jivera nasila bhava-bhaya [2]

Emerging in Nilachal, he came to the land of Sri Gauda Mandal and revealed loving devotion, destroying souls’ fear of material existence.

tomara mahima gai, hena sadhya mora nai,
tabe pari yadi deha sakti
visva-hite avirata, achara-prachare rata,
visuddha sri-rupanuga bhakti [3]

I have no capacity to sing your glories – I can only sing them if you empower me. You deeply engage yourself in preaching about and practising pure, unadulterated devotion in the line of Sri Rupa Goswami for the continuous welfare of the entire universe.

sripata khetari-dhama, thakura sri-narottama,
tomate tanhara guna dekhi
sastrera siddhanta-sara, suni’ lage chamatkara,
kutarkika dite nare phanki [4]

I see in you the qualities that Sri Narottam Thakur from Sripat Khetari Dham had. We are astonished to hear from you about the essence of scriptural conclusions – in their light, all logical wrangling and debates lose their power of deception.

suddha-bhakti-mata yata, upa-dharma-kavalita,
heriya lokera mane trasa
hani’ su-siddhanta-vana, upa-dharma khana khana,
sajjanera badale ullasa [5]

Your conception of pure devotion swallows all unscriptural religious practices – seeing this, common people’s minds become struck with fear. Shooting arrows of the highest conception, you have slashed all unscriptural practices to shreds and increased the joy of pious souls.

smarta-mata jala-dhara, suddha-bhakti ravi-kara,
achchhadila bhaviya antare
sastra-sindhu manthanete, su-siddhanta jhanjhavate,
udaila dig-digantare [6]

The rain clouds of smarta-brahmans (staunch followers of formal laws and rules) were covering the sunshine of pure devotion, although it still remained there at the core. Churning the ocean of scriptures and creating a storm of the highest conception, you have cleared and delivered all directions.

sthane sthane kata matha, sthapiyachha niskapata,
prema-seva sikhaite jive
mathera vaisnava-gana, kare sada vitarana,
hari-guna-kathamrta bhave [7]

You have established temples in many places to teach souls sincere loving service to the Lord. The Vaishnav residents of these temples always spread the nectar of the glories of the Lord.

suddha-bhakti-mandakini, bimala pravaha ani,
sitala karila tapta-prana
dese dese niskinchana, prerila vaisnava-gana,
vistarite hari-guna-gana [8]

You have brought the pure current of the Mandakini river of pure devotion to cool and soothe all burning hearts. You have sent Vaishnavs, who are free from material desires, to go place to place to spread the glories of the Lord.

purve yatha gaura-hari, mayavada chheda kari’,
vaisnava karila kasi-basi
vaisnava-darsana-suksma, vichare tumi he daksa,
temati tosila varanasi [9]

Just as Lord Gaura-hari demolished the mayavada conception and turned Kasi residents into Vaishnavs, you have pleased Varanasi residents by expertly showing them the distinctive subtleties of Vaishnavs’ vision.

daiva-varnasrama-dharma, hari-bhakti yara marma,
sastra-yukte karila nischaya
jnana-yoga-karmachaya, mulya tara kichhu naya,
bhaktira virodhi yadi haya [10]

You have established that, based on scriptural evidence, devotion to the Lord lies at the core of the Vedic religious and social order of life and that there is no value in knowledge, mystic powers or material pursuits if they are averse to devotion.

sri-gauda-mandala bhumi, bhakti-sange parikrami,
sukirti sthapila mahasaya
abhinna vraja-mandala, gauda-bhumi premojvala,
prachara haila visva-maya [11]

You have become widely renowned for circumambulating Sri Gauda Mandal together with devotees. O great soul! You have been preaching all over the world about the land of Gauda, an abode that is suffused with the lustre of divine love and that is non-different from Vraja Mandal.

kuliyate pasandira, atyachara kaila ya’ra,
ta sabara dosa ksama kari’
jagate kaile ghosana, ‘taroriva sahisnuna’,
hana ‘kirtaniyah sada harih’ [12]

You have forgiven the atheists from the Kulia village despite their atrocities and proclaimed to the whole world: one who is as tolerant as a tree can always chant the glories of the Lord.

sri-visva-vaisnava-raja- sabha-madhye ‘patra-raja’,
upadhi-bhusane vibhusita
visvera mangala lagi’, haiyachha sarva-tyagi,
visva-basi jana-hite rata [13]

Adorned with ornamental titles, you are the great leader in the assembly of chief Vaishnavs of the universe. You have given everything up for the benefit of the entire creation and dedicated yourself exclusively to the benefit of the souls residing in this universe.

karitechha upakara, yate para upakara,
labhe jiva sri-krsna-sevaya
dure yaya bhava-roga, kande yahe karma-bhoga,
hari-pada-padma ya’te paya [14]

You help others, and through your help, souls get a chance to serve Lord Krishna: their heart disease goes away, all enjoyment and selfish pursuits break apart, and they attain the lotus feet of the Lord.

jiva moha-nidra-gata, jaga’te vaikuntha-duta,
‘gaudiya’ pathao ghare ghare
uthare uthare bhai, ara ta samaya nai,
‘krsna bhaja’ bale uchchaihsvare [15]

You send Gaudiya Vaishnavs, messengers of the spiritual world, house to house. Approaching souls sleeping in illusion, they call out loudly: ‘Wake up! Wake up, brother! There is no time left! Worship Lord Krishna!’

tomara mukhara-binda- vigalita makaranda,
sinchita achyuta-guna-gatha
sunile judaya prana, tamo moha antardhana,
dure yaya hrdayera vyatha [16]

The drops of nectar falling from your holy mouth are suffused with the glorification of the Infallible Supreme Lord. Hearing them soothes our souls, dissipates all ignorance and illusion and removes all pain from our hearts.

jani ami mahasaya, yaso-vanchha nahi haya,
bindu-matra tomara antare
tava guna vina-dhari, mora kantha-vina dhari’,
avasete balaya amare [17]

I know that you are a great soul and there is not a drop of desire for fame within you. Your glories are like a vina player – they have captured the vina of my throat and, paralysing me, force me to sing.

vaisnavera guna-gana, karile jivera trana,
suniyachhi sadhu-guru-mukhe
krsna-bhakti samudaya, janama saphala haya,
e bhava-sagara tare sukhe [18]

Singing Vaishnavs’ glories rescues and protects the jiva soul – I have heard this from the holy mouths of sadhus and gurus. When devotion to Lord Krishna arises in you, your life will become successful and you can happily cross this ocean of material existence.

te-karane prayasa, yatha vamanera asa,
gaganera chanda dhari-bare
adosa-darasi tumi, adhama patita ami,
nija-gune ksamiba amare [19]

So, my attempts are like those of a dwarf who hopes to catch the moon in the sky. You never see anyone’s faults, and I am a fallen, lowly soul – please forgive me out of your benevolence.

sri-gauranga-parisada, thakura bhaktivinoda,
dina-hina patitera bandhu
kali-tamah vinasite, anilena avanite,
toma’ akalanka purna indu [20]

To dispel the darkness of this Age of Kali, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, a close associate of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu and a friend of fallen souls, brought to this earth you, a spotless, unblemished full moon.

kara krpa vitarana, prema-sudha anuksana,
matiya uthuk jiva-gana
hari-nama-sankirtane, nachuka jagata-jane,
vaisnava-dasera nivedana [21]

Please bestow your mercy so that jiva souls may arise, feeling constantly intoxicated with the nectar of love for the Lord. May the whole world dance in the sankirtan of the Lord’s Holy Names. This is the humble plea of this servant of Vaishnavs.

SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI (English)
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