SRI SRI PREMA-DHAMA DEVA STOTRAM

by Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar
Dev-Goswami Maharaj

(Translated into English from the original Bengali translation
that was prepared and published by Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj; based on the sixth Bengali edition published in 1970)

Dedication

srimadajita-krsnakhya brahmachari cha dasakah
purvam srimad adhirakhya majundara itiritah [1]
utsargi-krta-sarvasvo guru-krsna-padambuje
mano-dhana-tanu-sraddha-guru-seva-sada-vratah [2]

Srimad Ajita Krishna Das Brahmachari, formerly known as Srimad Adhira Majundar, dedicated everything to the lotus feet of Sri Guru and Krishna and always served his guru with faith, engaging all his mind, property and body.

rasadri-veda-gaurabde suklasadhastami-tithau
prapto dhama-rajo ‘chintyam sevarttih sevakottamah [3]

This highest servitor, suffused with an inconceivable service drive, attained the dust of the holy abode on the eighth day of the bright moon in the month of Ashadh in 467 of Gaurabda (1 July 1952).

puta-seva-smrtes tasya sri-seva-saurabha-prabhoh
samraksane krtotsahair visva-srestha-hitaya cha [4]
gaura-gatha-maya-granthah prema-dhama-stavakhyakah
prakasito ‘tra chaitanya-sarasvata-mathasritaih [5]

Eager to preserve the memory of Sri Seva Saurabha Prabhu’s (Sri Ajita Krishna Prabhu’s) pure service for the highest benefit of the whole world, this holy poem, ‘Sri Sri Prema-Dhama Deva Stotram’, replete with Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s glories, was published by the souls sheltered at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math.

All glory to Sri Sri Guru Gauranga

—Foreword—

The composer of this poem (stotra) is my Gurupadpadma, Om Vishnupad Parivrajak-acharya-varya Astottara-sata-sri Srimad Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, a great associate and staunch follower of the worldwide acharya Bhagavan Sri Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur. His works – the Sanskrit book Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamritam, the presiding king among all holy scriptures, as well as numerous jewel poems composed in various poetic meters – are received with much adoration by learned personalities and exist beautifully as necklaces on the necks of Gaudiya Vaishnavs in the line of Sri Saraswati Thakur. His original commentary to Sri Srimad Bhagavad-gita is also another greatly valuable wealth in Sri Gaudiya sampradaya.

This poem was composed using the bhunaka meter. The same meter was used by Sri Srila Rupa Prabhu when he composed the glorification of Sri Yamuna Devi and by Srila Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami Prabhu when he composed the very sweet glorification of Sri Radhika and Sri Krishna-chandra.

The peculiarity of this poem in glorification of Sri Sri Gaura-sundar is such that it encompasses, in a concise form, both His pastimes and teachings of inconceivable oneness and difference. This union of poetry and philosophy was arranged in such a miraculous sweet and grave harmony that this sophisticated poem is naturally considered to be conforming to the level of Srimad Bhagavatam and Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita.

When Sriman Mahaprabhu preached about the Holy Name of the Lord during His pastimes in Nabadwip, He revealed an original, elaborate approach to teaching primary grammar (discussing the interpretations of words’ meanings); in Varanasi Dham, in the assembly of learned scholars discussing Vedanta, He ascertained that, according to the Vedanta-bhasya encapsulated in the four main verses of Srimad Bhagavatam, the gist of the non-dual Absolute’s original form is established to be replete with inherent playfulness of blissful existence and is found within His form as the Son of Nanda Maharaj, the King of all possible divine mellows who relishes His divine rasa-lila pastimes, as well as within Sri Gaura, the necessitated incarnation of the Lord who comes to worship Himself and teach others how this worship is to be performed, who is the very embodiment of transcendental dancing and chanting and absolute bliss – He revealed all these sophisticated points and teachings with the help of sound reasoning, as well as the despicableness and meaninglessness of the impersonal perfection sought after by mayavadis, and showed that inconceivable oneness and difference is the highest possible conception in one’s devotion life – there is no doubt that the learned and the fortunate will become charmed and pleased with all this. With regard to this point, we cannot refrain ourselves from quoting the following profound, esoteric verse from Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita:

“krsna-lilamrta-sara, tara sata sata dhara,
dasa-dike bahe yaha haite
se chaitanya-lila hata, sarovara aksaya,
mano-hamsa charaha tahate”

‘Lord Chaitanya’s pastimes are the fountainhead from which the nectarean essence of Lord Krishna’s pastimes comes out in hundreds of stream, flowing in all ten directions. May the swan of your heart wander in that inexhaustible pond.’

The devotional ecstatic sweetness of this strotram equally attracts the hearts of even common poets. It is relishable for reading and hearing, heart-melting, as much as it is also captivating and delightful. Sriman Mahaprabhu’s appearance, the description of His beauty, His childhood pastimes, His preaching of kirtan, the pastime of Him taking sannyas, the pastimes of Him travelling to South India, His famous talk with Sri Ramananda Ray, His journey to Vrindavan through Jharkhand, His astonishing visit to Vrindavan, His divine intoxication in Sri Nilachal, His pastimes of swimming in the ocean and other descriptions – in every respect it is like a great festival of nectar, very pleasing to the ear and heart. This poem blesses all learned readers by allowing them to constantly bath in the nectarean flow of utterances coming from Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, replete with exclusive devotion to Sri Rupa-Raghunath. Actually, it is extremely rare to find this kind of jewel of a poem in this world: this extensive poem, written in this very beautiful meter, not only reveals a concise summary of all nectarean pastimes of Sriman Mahaprabhu but also radiates the light of His teachings, combining both aspects in a miraculously harmonious way. This poem is truly a priceless jewel from the literary storehouse of Sri Gaudiya Vaishnavs in the line of Srila Saraswati Thakur.

This poem was published in a light (pocket-size) version so that it could be easily carried along. Needless to say, the responsibility for any mistakes or shortcomings that occurred when publishing this holy book lies fully on this lowly soul. Therefore, I am asking this supremely worshippable poem and kind-hearted readers to please forgiveness me for that.

Finally, to conclude, I am praying to all learned readers so that they may regularly and appropriately study this holy poem with faith and bless such a poor and lowly soul as myself by making me a recipient of Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga’s merciful glance. Enough said.

Humbly,
The Editor

(Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj)