— { Sri Sri Prapanna-Jivanamritam } —

CHAPTER 6

Sri Bhakta-vachanamritam—Words of Nectar from the Devotees

Goptritve-varanam—
Embracing the Lord's Guardianship

he krsna! pahi mam natha, krpayatmagatam kuru
ity evam prarthanam krsnam, praptum svami-svarupatah [1]
goptrtve varanam jneyam, bhaktair hrdyataram param
prapatty ekarthakatvena, tad angitvena tat smrtam [2]

"O Krishna, please protect me! My dear Lord, kindly accept me as Your own." Such a prayer, as well as the prayer to obtain Sri Krishna as one's lord and master, is the supreme solace to the hearts of the pure devotees, and is known by them as goptrtve-varanam—Embracing the Lord's Guardianship. Because it expresses one and the same ideal as unconditional surrender, goptrtve-varanam is accepted as the chief of the six limbs of surrender.

sri-bhagavato bhakta-bhavenasraya-prarthanam—
ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram patitam mam visame bhavambudhau
krpaya tava pada-pankaja-sthita-dhuli-sadrsam vichintaya [3]

the Supreme Lord Sri Caitanyacandra

Appearing as His own devotee, the Supreme Lord Himself prays for refuge—
"O Nandanandana, son of King Nanda, although I am Your eternal servitor, I have fallen into the terrible ocean of material existence due to the fructification of my own deeds (karma). Please graciously consider me to be a particle of dust at Your lotus feet."

sarva-sad-guna-vigraha atma-prado harir eva goptrtvena varaniyah—
kah panditas tvad-aparam saranam samiyad
bhakta-priyad rta-girah suhrdah krtajnat
sarvan dadati suhrdo bhajato 'bhikaman
atmanam apy upachayapachayau na yasya [4]

Srimad Akrura

Only the Self-giving Lord Sri Hari, the Supreme Good, should be petitioned for guardianship—
"You give Your affection to Your devotees, Your word is truth, You are the ever-grateful friend. Can any intelligent person thus take refuge in anyone but You? You fulfill all the desires of the sincere souls that serve You, giving Your very Self to them; and yet, You are neither augmented nor diminished thereby."

sri-krsna-charanam eva prapannanam santapa-hari-sudha-varsi atapatram—
tapa-trayenabhihatasya ghore
santapyamanasya bhavadhvan isa
pasyami nanyach chharanam tavanghri
dvandvatapatrad amrtabhivarsat [5]

Srimad Uddhava

The lotus feet of Lord Krishna are the umbrella to vanquish the suffering of His surrendered souls, and shower nectar upon them—
"O Master, for persons afflicted by the triple miseries in this ghastly course of material existence, I see no other shelter but the umbrella of Your holy lotus feet, from which the rain of eternal nectar showers down."

sad-ripu-taditasya santi-hinasya sva-natha-charanasrayam eva abhayasokamrta-pradam—
chiram iha vrjinartas tapyamano 'nutapair
avitrsa-sad-amitro 'labdha-santih kathanchit
saranada samupetas tvat padabjam paratmann
abhayam rtam asokam pahi mapannam isa [6]

Sri Muchukunda

For the disturbed soul who is flogged by his six enemies, only the shelter of the lotus feet of his natural Master awards him immortality in fearlessness and sorrowlessness-
"O Supreme Soul, for time immemorial in this material world I have been tormented with sin, stung with remorse, and constantly harassed by my six insatiable enemies (the five senses and the mind). O gracious awarder of shelter, somehow I have come before Your holy lotus feet, which are the embodiment of fearlessness, sorrowlessness, and positive immortality. My Master, please protect this one distressed."

labdha-svarupa-sandhanasya kamadi-sanga-janya-nija-vairupye-dhikkara-yuktasya saranagatasya sri-hari-dasyam eva asach-chestadito niskrti karakatvena anubhutam—
kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesas
tesam jata mayi na karuna na trapa nopasantih
utsrjyaitan atha yadu-pate sampratam labdha-buddhis
tvam ayatah saranam abhayam mam niyunksv atma-dasye [7]

kesancit: revered votary

A realization of the fact that the surrendered soul who discovers his eternal identity and denounces his perversity caused by the association of lust, anger, greed, madness, delusion, and hatred, is rescued forever from all evil pursuits by the devotional service of Lord Krishna—
"O Lord, for so long have I obeyed the unending, wicked dictates of lust, anger, greed, madness, delusion, and hatred, but they never took pity upon me, and I have felt neither shame nor the desire to abandon them. O Lord of the Yadus, after all this, I am leaving them behind. At last I have found my genuine sanity: I am surrendered wholly unto Your lotus feet, which are the abode of fearlessness. Please now engage me as Your personal servitor."

upalabdha-krsnasrayaika-mangalasya chasraya-prapti-vilambane tad aprapti-sambhavanayam udvega-prakasah—
krsna! tvadiya pada-pankaja-panjarantam
adyaiva me visatu manasa-raja-hamsah
prana-prayana-samaye kapha-vata-pittaih
kanthavarodhana-vidhau smaranam kutas te [8]

Sri Kulasehara

The expression of anguish in the suspense of delay in achieving the shelter of Lord Krishna, by one who realizes such shelter to be the only good fortune—
"O Krishna! Please allow my mind to immediately yield to Your lotus flowerlike feet, just as the flamingo enters into the labyrinth of the lotus flowers' stems. When at the moment of my last breath my throat becomes constricted by the action of the bodily humours air, bile, and phlegm, how will I be able to remember You?"

svarupata eva sri-krsnasyabhibhavakatva-palakatva-darsanena tadasraya-prarthana—
krsno raksatu no jagat-traya-guruh krsnam namadhvam sada
krsnenakhila-satravo vinihatah krsnaya tasmai namah
krsnad eva samutthitam jagad idam krsnasya daso 'smy aham
krsne tisthati visvam etad akhilam he krsna raksasva mam [9]

Sri Kulasekhara

A prayer for the shelter of Lord Sri Krishna, with the vision that He alone is the natural guardian and sustainer of the living being—
"May Lord Krishna, the Guru of the three worlds, protect us;
     our obeisance unto Lord Krishna at all times.
Krishna is the vanquisher of all enemies—
     I offer my obeisance unto that Krishna.
This world emanates from Krishna;
     I am the servant of only Krishna.
This whole universe is situated within Krishna alone—
     O Krishna! please protect me."

gopijana-vallabha eva parama-palakah—
he gopalaka he krpa-jalanidhe he sindhu-kanya-pate
he kamsantaka he gajendra-karunaparina he madhava
he ramanuja he jagat-traya-guro he pundarikaksa mam
he gopijana-natha palaya param janami na tvam vina [10]

Sri Kulasekhara

The only guardian is Krishna, the beloved Lord of the Gopis—
"O tender of the cows, ocean of mercy,
     O Lord of the Goddess of Fortune;
O slayer of Kamsa, merciful deliverer of Gajendra,
     O sweet, artful Krishna;
O young brother of Balarama, Guru of the three worlds,
     O lotuseyed Lord;
O dear Lord of the Gopis, please protect me in every way—
     I know no one but You."

nitya-parsada api sarvatmana sri-krsnasrayam prarthayante—
manaso vrttayo nah syuh, krsna-padambujasrayah
vacho 'bhidhayinir namnam, kayas tat-prahvanadisu [11]

Sri Nanda

Even the eternal associates of the Lord pray whole-heartedly for His shelter—
"O Uddhava, may our thoughts take refuge in the lotus feet of Sri Krishna, may our words be the chanting of His holy names, and may our bodies be engaged in making obeisance unto Him."

vraja-lilasya sri-krsnasya palakatvam prabhavamayam—
dadhi-mathana-ninadais-tyakta-nidrah prabhate
nibhrta-padam agaram ballavinam pravistah
mukha-kamala-samirair asu nirvapya dipan
kavalita-navanitah patu mam bala-krsnah [12]

the Supreme Lord Sri Chaitanyachandra

The most powerful protection is afforded by Sri Krishna, the Lord of divine pastimes in Vrindavan—
"That child Krishna, who, awakening by the sound of butter-churning, stealthily enters the homes of the cowherd ladies, swiftly blows out the lamps with the breeze of His lotus mouth and devours the fresh butter—may He kindly protect me."

sarvatha yogyata-hinasyapi prapattav anadhikaro na—
na dharma-nistho 'smi na chatma-vedi
na bhaktimams tvach charanaravinde
akinchano 'nanya-gatih saranya
tvat pada-mulam saranam prapadye [13]

Sri Yamunacharya

Even a totally unqualified person is not unfit to surrender—
"O supreme refuge, I am not religious, I do not know the nature of the soul, nor have I any devotion for Your holy lotus feet; therefore, I am bereft—I am bereft of all good, and I am bereft of any other shelter. Such as I am, I surrender unto the dust of Your lotus feet."

sri-bhagavatah krpavalokanam evasraya-datrtvam—
aviveka-ghanandha-dinmukhe, bahudha santata-duhkha-varsini
bhagavan bhava-durdine patha-, skhalitam mam avalokayachyuta [14]

Sri Yamunacharya

The shelter of the Supreme Lord is awarded by His merciful glance—
"O Lord, spreading darkness in all directions, the clouds of ignorance are constantly raining multifarious calamities. I have lost my way in this storm of material suffering. O Infallible Lord, kindly cast Your glance upon me."

jivasya bhagavat-palyatvam svarupata eva siddham—
tad aham tvad rte na nathavan, mad rte tvam dayaniyavan na cha
vidhi-nirmitam etad anvayam, bhagavan palaya ma sma jihaya [15]

Sri Yamunacharya

It is proven to be perfectly natural for the soul to be sustained by the Lord—
"O Lord, without You, I cannot have a guardian, and without me, You cannot have a fit recipient for Your mercy. This is our relationship as the creator and the created Therefore, please take my charge, O my Master, and never leave me."

prapannasya vividha-seva-sambandhah—
pita tvam mata tvam dayita-tanayas tvam priya-suhrt
tvam eva tvam mitram gurur api gatis chasi jagatam
tvadiyas tvad bhrtyas tava parijanas tad gatir aham
prapannas chaivam sa tv aham api tavaivasmi hi bharah [16]

Sri Yamunacharya

A surrendered soul's various serving relationships with the Lord—
"For the entire creation You are father, mother, beloved son, dear well-wisher and friend. You are the Universal Guru, the ultimate refuge. And I also am Yours, sustained by You, a member of Your family. You alone are my shelter, I am Your surrendered soul, and such as I am, Your dependent."

bhagavatas-chaitanyachandrasya patita-palakatvam—
samsara-duhkha-jaladhau patitasya kama-
krodhadi-nakra-makaraih kavali-krtasya
durvasana-nigaditasya nirasrayasya
chaitanya-chandra mama dehi padavalambam [17]

Sri Prabodhananda Saraswati

Sri Chaitanyachandra's guardianship for the fallen—
"O Chaitanyachandra, I, afallen into the miserable ocean of material existence, am being devoured by the sharks and alligators of lust, anger, greed, madness, delusion, and hatred; chained by wicked desires, I am bereft of any shelter. Please graciously grant me the refuge of Your holy lotus feet."

nirasasyapi asa-pradam gaura-saranam
ha hanta hanta paramosara-chitta-bhumau
vyarthi bhavanti mama sadhana-kotayo 'pi
sarvatmana tad aham adbhuta-bhakti-bijam
sri-gaurachandra-charanam saranam karomi [18]

Sri Prabodhananda Saraswati

The shelter of Sri Gaurachandra gives hope to the hopeless—
"Alas, to cultivate the barren and rocky desertland of my heart, tens of millions of assiduous attempts have proven to be simply futile. Therefore, with all the will at my command, I embrace the shelter of Sri Gaurachandra's lotus feet, the source of the miraculous seed of pure devotion."

sri-krsna-chaitanya-prapannasya vairagyadi-bhakti-parikara-siddhih—
vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga-
siksartham ekah purusah puranah
sri-krsna-chaitanya-sarira-dhari
krpambudhir yas tam aham prapadye [19]

Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya

For the soul surrendered to the lotus feet of Sri Chaitanyadeva, the attainment of detachment, knowledge, etc., are proven to be concomitant ornaments of devotion—
"The endless ocean of mercy, the eternal Supreme Person, one without a second, has appeared as Sri Krishna Chaitanya to teach detachment, divine knowledge, and His personal relationship in devotion. I do surrender unto Him."

sri-krsna-chaitanya-prapattir eva yuga-dharmah—
antah krsnam bahir gauram, darsitadgadi-vaibhavam
kalau sankirtanadyaih sma, krsna-chaitanyam asritah [20]

Sri Jiva Goswami

The only pure religion of the age: surrender unto the lotus feet of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu—
"Accompanied by His divine entourage, the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya has appeared in all His pristine glory. In this age of Kali, we now take shelter in Him by means of the characteristic method of devotional service based on sankirtana, congregational chanting of the holy names. Within, He is none other than Krishna Himself and without, He is the Golden Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya."

sri-chaitanyasritasya parama-pumartha-praptih—
yo 'jnana-mattam bhuvanam dayalur
ullaghayann apy akarot pramattam
sva-prema-sampat-sudhayadbhute 'ham
sri-krsna-chaitanyam amum prapadye [21]

Sri Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami

The soul surrendered to Sri Chaitanyadeva attains the supreme perfection of human life—
"I surrender unto that performer of miraculous deeds, Sri Krishna Chaitanya, the merciful Supreme Personality who delivered the insane universe from the disease of ignorance, and then drove the world stark mad with the nectarean treasure of His sweet love divine."

sruti-vimrgya sri-hari-nama-samsrayanam eva parama-muktanam bhajanam—
nikhila-sruti-mauli-ratna-mala-
dyuti-nirajita-pada-pankajanta
ayi mukta-kulair upasyamana!
paritas tvam hari-nama samsrayami [22]

Sri Rupa Goswami

The pure devotional service rendered by the great liberated souls: complete refuge in the holy name of the Lord, as sought after by all the Vedas—
"The acme of all the Vedas, the Upanisads, are like a string of transcendental jewels. The tips of the toes of Your lotus feet, O Holy Name, are eternally worshiped by the radiance emanating from those jewels. You are constantly worshiped by the great liberated souls (headed by Narada and Suka, whose hearts are reposed in complete absence of worldly aspirations). Therefore, O Name Divine, I surrender unto You in every time, place, and circumstance."

iti sri-prapanna-jivanamrte
sri-bhakta-vachanamrtantargata-
goptrtvevaranam nama sasto 'dhyayah

thus ends the sixth chapter

Embracing the Lord's Guardianship
Words of Nectar from the Devotees
in
Life-Nectar of the Surrendered Souls
Positive and Progressive Immortality

CONTENTS:

• Preface
• Publisher's Note
• Foreword
• (1) Prelude to Approaching Nectar
• (2) Nectar of Scriptural Word
• (3) Acceptance of the Favorable
• (4) Rejection of the Unfavorable
• (5) Confidence in the Lord's Protection
• (6) Embracing the Lord's Guardianship
• (7) Full Self-Surrender
• (8) Surrender in Humility
• (9) Words of Nectar from the Supreme Lord
• (10) Divine Remnants of Nectar
• Selected Gems