— { HOLY ENGAGEMENT } —

APPENDIX:
SRI RUPA MANJARI PADA

Composed by Srila Narottam Thakur, with commentary by Srila Guru Maharaj (Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj)

sri-rupa-manjari-pada, sei mora sampada,
sei mora bhajana-pujana
sei mora prana-dhana, sei mora abharana,
sei mora jivanera jivana
sei mora rasa-nidhi, sei mora vanchha-siddhi,
sei mora vedera dharama
sei vrata, sei tapa, sei mora mantra-japa,
sei mora dharama-karama
anukula ha’be viddhi, se-pade ha’be siddhi,
nirakhiba e dui nayane
se rupa-madhuri-rasi, prana-kuvalaya-sasi,
praphullita habe nisi-dine
tava adarsana-ahi, garale jarala dehi,
chira-dina tapita jivana
ha ha rupa kara daya, deha more pada-chhaya,
narottama laila sarana

Sri-rupa-manjari-pada, sei mora sampada, sei mora bhajana-pujana—my everything is Sri Rupa Goswami’s Holy Feet. We are to discuss so many classifications and positions of rasa: santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, madhura. And in madhura-rasa Srimati Radharani’s camp is special. Then again there are so many gradations of sakhis. There is also the class of the manjaris, the younger girls, who have more freedom to approach. When Radha and Govinda are in union in a private environment, the manjaris can still approach; they have such freedom to visit Them. If any materials of service are necessary, the sakhis send the manjaris to that place. The sakhis do not approach there. In that way the manjaris enjoy the best confidence. The most secret service of Both can be supplied through the manjaris. In the highest position they have free entrance, and their leader is Rupa Manjari. She is understood to be the leader of the whole group of younger girls, the manjaris, therefore in Madhura-bhajan, she is all-in-all. This has been taught to us by Srila Narottam Thakur. For us—and the younger batch—she is our highest resort.

Sei mora sampada—my wealth is there in her feet. Sei mora bhajana-pujana—my worship and service is also in her. Sei mora prana-dhana, sei mora abharana—the very wealth and gist of my life is there; and the ornaments of my life, if there may be any, are within her Grace. Sei mora jivanera jivana—indeed, the very life of my life, if there is anything, that is also her. I am for her pleasure.

Sei mora rasa-nidhi—if there is anything, the source of any and all desirable ecstasy is only to be found there. The mine, source, and fountainhead of all rasa is there in her feet. Sei mora vanchha-siddhi—and if I am to expect any other fulfilment in life, that is also there in her feet. Sei mora vedera dharama—if any duty is recommended by the Vedas for me, I would like such duty to be at her feet.

Sei vrata, sei tapa—if at all there is any desired fruit from any penance or observance of vows, that is also to be found there. Sei mora mantra-japa—and the continuous repetition of japa all ends there. All things have only one end in my case: they all meet in different phases in the feet of Rupa Manjari. If she is satisfied then the variegated nature of my devotional practices are satisfied. Sei mora dharama-karama—and any of my conceptions of duty or activity of any phases or form all have one end and meet in one point: the holy feet of Rupa Manjari.

Anukula ha’be viddhi, se-pade ha’be siddhi—I only pray to the Controller who is at the root of all these arrangements of affairs in this world, “Please connect me there. O Absolute Manager, may you grant my prayer that all my tendencies may go to attain her favour.” Nirakhiba e dui nayane—and my vision of her will be so very intense and concrete as though I am seeing with these very eyes. It will not be vague, abstract, or imagination, but it will be the most concrete realisation by the grace of the Absolute Manager.

Se rupa-madhuri-rasi, prana-kuvalaya-sasi—what sort of high-class beauty is there in her holy feet! I want to jump. Let my heart be a lotus.

There are two classes of lotus: the white lotus came from the sun and the red from the moon. The kuvalaya is a mixture of the two. The lustre of her body will feed me day and night as the life of my life which is compared to a kuvalaya. The kuvalaya is fed and nourished by the lustre of the moon, and her holy feet are the moon, and my very vitality is likened to the lotus. May the lustre of her beauty maintain and nourish my heart of hearts. Praphullita habe nisi-dine—and the lotus of my heart will grow by that ray, and dance.

Tava adarsana-ahi—this is my prayer, but what is my present condition? My present condition is in the negative side, my mistress. My present position is such that without having a sight of you, your grace, my heart will burn into ashes. That is my present position. Garale jarala dehi—this is just like the poison of a cobra which produces pain within my heart. I have been bitten by a snake, and what is that snake? It is the snake of your separation. I am not getting any direct contact with you, Your Grace. The serpent’s poison has captured my heart and I am going to die. Chira-dina tapita jivana—and this is not a sudden thing, but from the beginning I have been suffering this sort of pain of separation from such a beautiful and hopeful life of fulfilment.

Ha ha rupa kara daya, deha more pada-chaya, narottama laila sarana—but I have now reached the extreme position and for the last time I am begging for your favour, otherwise I am going to be finished.

This was composed by Narottam Thakur in praise of Srila Rupa Goswami. In this way he has given us light of the higher quarter of bhajan life. Our sampradaya is named as the Rupanuga-sampradaya, and our Guru-parampara and all these things are adjusted according to that. He wrote many songs and they are of very substantive firmament, very ecstatic, and of deep faith.

CONTENTS

Introduction: Divine Transformation
An excerpt from Sri Dasa-mula by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur
• (1) Devotees’ Pilgrimage
• (2) Searching Life's Secret
• (3) Recognising Divinity
• (4) The Inner Domain
• (5) The Greatest Benediction
• Epilogue: Holiest Engagement

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