May 2004 Meditations - Pearls wanted

utsarpat-karparAMza-vraNa-janaka-javaH zrotra-dRk-tarja-garja-
dhvAnas truTy-utkuTheSu prakaTa-kaTa-kaTeSv ardhayan vAyur AyuH
goSThaM koSThaM ca bhindann naTati bata hahA hanta kiM tatra vRttaM
yatrAste nIla-paGkeruha-dala-tulanA lAlitAGgaH sa bAlaH

The whirlwind’s speed has caused
pieces of gravel to be raised up, inflicting wounds;
it makes a roaring and whining sound
that pains the eyes and ears;

it is uprooting trees that make a crashing sound
and cause distress to life itself.
It has broken through the cowpens and
penetrated the residential quarters
where it is now dancing.

But, oh! what has it done there--
where sleeps the child
whose cherished limbs are softer
than the petals of a blue lotus flower? (Gopala Champu 1.7.6)

A song from Gopala's childhood pastimes. No Sanskrit this time, just the translation. The gopis complain and Yashoda responds:

"Your son is always misbehaving."
. "What's he done, you whining nitpicker?"
“He wanders about releasing the calves.”
. “Then surely he is helping you in your duties.”
”If the calves are released at the wrong time it causes problems.”
. “Whyever would he do this without a valid reason?”
"But madame, there's no reason for anything he does.”
. “Then dear lady, do you not scold him?”
”If we scold him, he just laughs at us.”
. “Then give him some milk; that will pacify him.”
“He prefers stolen things; he won't eat anything else.”
. “Ignorant woman, what a ridiculous notion!”
“He teaches the other children his thieving tricks.”
. “He is not capable of such things--these are false accusations!”
“He climbs on the wooden benches.”
. “Then put your milk products out of his reach.”
“He punctures the milkpots from a distance.”
. “Don't you cover them? How can he know what's inside?”
“Noble lady, he is expert at knowing what is hidden within.”
. “My little boy is not as you say he is.”
“He knows all our secret hiding-places.”
. “Do your houses’ dark corners not frighten him?”
“Our hiding places are useless on account of his effulgent body.”
. “That can't be. Look closer, his body has been dimmed with sandalwood.”
"He does not mind the dark because of all his shining ornaments."
. "Well, what child goes without ornaments?"
"Moreover, he forces the monkeys to eat our food."
. "Oh, how much can a monkey eat?"
"If he can't do that, he breaks the pots."
. "Maybe he's just letting you know they're dirty.”
“When he leaves, he makes the little babies cry.”
. “I don’t believe you; have any of the older women seen this?”
“Then he makes the other boys urinate in the house.”
. “No, no, that must be tumeric and oil on the floor.”
“Look at him standing here, frozen with fear of being punished.”
. “But I can't believe any of these outlandish accusations.”

The gopis then said, as if to convince Queen Yashoda of the truth of their claims, "Don't be shocked, for

indriya-kulam atigUDhaM
netrAdy-anta-nigUDham evAsti
tan-madhyAd api cittaM
harato nR-harer na hAryaM kim?

“The inner senses are well hidden away,
concealed behind the eyes and other external organs;
of them all, the mind is the most cleverly hidden--
yet Krishna steals even that.
So what is he not capable of stealing?”(Gopala Champu 1.7.48)

---

The Vaishnava Toshani commentaries on this verse reinterpret it, and the Gopala Champu verse reflects the commentaries. This is after Ma Yashoda sees the universe in Krishna's mouth.

---

ahaM mamAsau patir eSa me suto
vrajezvarasyAkhila-vittapA satI
gopyaz ca gopAH saha-godhanAz ca me
yan-mAyayetthaM kumatiH sa me gatiH

It is by the influence of the Supreme Lord's maya that I am wrongly thinking that Nanda Maharaj is my husband, that Krishna is my son, and that because I am the queen of Nanda Maharaj, all the wealth of cows and calves are my possessions and all the cowherd men and their wives are my subjects. Actually, I also am eternally subordinate to the Supreme Lord. He is my ultimate shelter. (Bhagavata 10.8.42)

ahaM yazodAsmi patir vrajAdhipaH
sutaH sa eSa svam idaM ca gokulam
pratIyate’thApi zizor mukhe jagad
yan-mAyayetthaM kumatiH sa me gatiH

I am Yashoda, my husband is the king of the cowherds;
this child is my son, and this land of Gokula my home.
And yet I am seeing the universe in the mouth of this child—
May He by whose illusory power I have been thus bewildered
ever be my shelter. (Gopala Champu 1.7.39)

Remembering Prahlada, a couple of days late.

kvAhaM rajaH-prabhava Iza tamo 'dhike 'smin
jAtaH suretara-kule kva tavAnukampA
na brahmaNo na tu bhavasya na vai ramAyA
yan me'rpitaH zirasi padma-karaH prasAdaH

O Lord! I was conceived in the mode of passion and born in this demonic family, dominated by the darkness of ignorance—how far from your mercy! And yet, you have given me the benediction of placing your hand on my head, a blessing not given to Lord Brahma, nor to Shiva, nor even to Lakshmi Devi. (7.9.26)

Nrisingha's hand is on all our heads. The blessing God gives to each individual is tailored to him or her alone. The same gifts are not given to even Brahma, or to Shiva, or to Lakshmi. They have their blessings, and copious they are indeed. But Krishna comes to each of us alone, special to us, sharing our happinesses and our sorrows, our fears and our ambitions, our successes and our failures. His soothing hand is there, stroking our knotted brow.

evaM janaM nipatitaM prabhavAhi-kUpe
kAmAbhikAmam anu yaH prapatan prasaGgAt |
kRtvAtmasAt surarSiNA bhagavan gRhItaH
so’haM kathaM nu visRje tava bhRtya-sevAm

A person like myself, fallen into the dark, snake-filled well of material life where I have remained, absorbed in desires and their consequences as a result of association. Yet I was picked up and claimed by the sage amongst the gods, Narada. So, how could I ever abandon service to your servants? (BhP 7.9.28)

Strangely, I think that the spirit of service has to be widened rather than narrowed.

Some of us stumbled across this the other day and I consider it a pearl. (The thread was swine-ish so I won't reference it). The author? Sri Jagatus Cumulonimbus.

SANATANA GOSVAMI AND THE GIRLS' BRAIDS

(Bhakti-Ratnakara, Fifth Wave, verses 754 - 764)

ahe zrInivAsa ei vRkSera talAya; hoilo ye raGga tAhA kohiye tomAya
eka dina sanAtana govardhana hoite; ethA AilA rUpa raghunAthera dekhite
"O zrInivAsa!", RAghava PaNDita told zrInivAsAcArya, "I will tell you what pastime took place at the base of this tree! One day SanAtana GosvAmI came here (to RAdhAkuNDa) from Govardhana to see zrI RUpa and zrI RaghunAtha DAsa GosvAmI!" (754-5)

zrI rUpa gosvAmI padya koroye racanA; veNIra upamA dilo vyAlAGganA phanA
sanAtana gosvAmI dekhiyA kichu koy; dilA e upamA - ihA hoy vA nA hoy
"zrI RUpa GosvAmI had written a verse in which he compared zrImatI RAdhArAnI's braid with the hoods of a female snake. Seeing this verse, SanAtana GosvAmI said: "I don't know if this is a good comparison or not!" (756-7)

eto kohi' AsiyA nAmilA kuNDajale; dekhaye - bAlikAgaNa khele vRkSatale
bAlikA mastake veNI pIThete loTAya; sanAtana dekhe - sarpa-bhrama hoilo tAy
bAlikAgaNa prati kohe ati vyaghra hoiyA; mAthAya caDhaye sarpa pRSThadeza diyA
abodha bAlikAgana hAo sAvadhAna!; eto kohi nivArite korilA payAna
"Saying this, he went down to the lake and saw (reflected) in the water that some girls were playing under a tree. When SanAtana GosvAmI saw the braids of these girls, that hung down their backs, he mistook them for snakes. Very anxiously he told the girls: "O stupid girls! Be careful! Snakes are crawling up your backs!", and ran up to them to stop these snakes. Seeing that SanAtana GosvAmI was very upset, the girls giggled and disappeared!" (758-62)

sanAtana atizaya vyAkula dekhiyA; antardhAna hoilA sobe ISat hAsiyA
sanAtana vihvala hoilA ekhAne; sthira hoiyA gelA rUpa gosvAmIra sthAne
rUpe kohe - ye likhilA sei satya hoy; zrI rUpa jAnile sanAtanera hRdoy
"Here (on the eastern bank of RAdhAkuNDa) SanAtana GosvAmI became overwhelmed. After calming down he went to zrI RUpa GosvAmI and said: "What you wrote (about the snake) was true!" zrI RUpa understood what was on SanAtana's mind (and that he had understood the purport of the verses)." (763-764)

The village of GAnthuli lies 3 km. west of the town of Govardhana. Here zrI Caitanya MahAprabhu saw the GopAla-deity (see Caitanya CaritAmRta Madhya-lIlA chapter 18):

aiche parikramA kori govardhana diyA
gelena gAnthuli grAme ullasita hoiyA
rAghava paNDita zrInivAsa prati koy
kohiye gAthuli grAma nAma yaiche hoy
ethA holi kheli doGhe boise siMhAsane
sakhI duhun vastre gAnthi dilA saGgopane
siMhAsana hoite doGhe uThilA yokhon
dekhaye bosoye gAnthi hAse sakhI-gaNa
hoilo kautuka ati doGhe lajjA pAilA
phAguya loiyA keho gAnthi khuli dilA
e hetu gAthuli - e gulAl kuNDa jale
ebe phAgu dekhe loka vasantera kAle

They blissfully proceeded on the parikramA of Govardhana Hill until they reached the village of GAnthulI. Here RAghava PaNDita explained to zrInivAsa why the village was named GAnthulI. He said:

"During the Holi pastimes, RAdhA and KRSNa sat down on Their throne here and the sakhIs secretly went up to Them from behind to tie up Their clothes. Then they sat down and laughed when the Divine Couple wanted to get up and dance, but were unable to separate because of the knot. RAdhA and KRSNa became very shy then and one of the sakhIs loosened the knot and threw some coloured powder at Them. That is why this village is named GAnthulI (the word is derived from the Sanskrit word grantha, which means knot). Even now every spring season people can see that the lake near this village, named GulAl kuNDa (gulAl is a colored substance used for celebrating Holi) is filled with colour!"

bakaripu-zuci-pakSe yaH prasanne bhRta-zrIr
akuruta tanu-zIryat-kairavAliM praphullAm
tanuruha-vana-munnaM mekhalA-RkSa-vRndaM
skhalita-guNam asau vaH pAtu rAdhA-mukhenduH

May the moon of Radha's face
which pleases the summer sun with its beauty
.(satisfies the desire of Krishna),
which makes the emaciated night lotuses bloom
.(makes the forlorn gopis happy),
which makes the trees grow by its shower of nectar
.(makes the hair stand on end with showers of perspiration),
and which reduces the glory of all the stars
.(loosens the belts of the gopis),
protect you all.

Madhava-mahotsava 3.118. This is Bhanu's translation.

(Caitanya Caritamrta, Antya lila, chapter 18):

vrndavane taru lata, adbhuta taharan katha,
boro mas dhare phula phal
vrindavane devi-gana, kunja dasi yoto jan,
phala pari aniya sakal

“The vines and trees of Vrndavana are wonderful, because they bear fruits and flowers twelve months a year. Vrndavana’s sylvan goddesses and bower-maidservants bring all these fruits in.”


uttama samskara kori, bodo bodo thali bhari,
ratna mandira pindara upore
bhaksanera krama kori, dhariyache sari sari
age asan koribara tare

“They clean the fruits in best way, filling big plates with them and placing these plates on a platform in the jeweled temple. They place the foods in orderly rows and make a sitting place in front of it.”


eka narikela nana jati, eka amra nana bhati
kola koli – vividha prakara
panasa kharjura kamala, naranga , jama santara
draksa badam meoya yoto ara
kharamuja khirini tala, kesara, paniphal, mrnala
bilva pilu dadimbadi yoto
kon dese karo khyati, vrndavane sob prapti,
saharsa jati, lekha yay koto?

“There were different kinds of coconuts and mangos, bananas, berries, jackfruits, dates, tangerines, oranges, blackberries, grapes, peanuts and buttermilk. There were cantaloupes, khirinis, palmfruits, kesaras, waterfuits, lotusfruits, baelfruits, pilus, pomegranates and many other fruits. Some of them are variously known in different places, but in Vrndavana they are always available in so many thousands of varieties. Who can write them all down?”


gangajala, amrta keli, piyusa granthi karpura keli,
sarapupi, amrta, padmacini
khanda ksiri sara vrksa, ghare kori nana bhaksya
radha yaha krsna lagi ani

“Sri Radhika had made different kinds of sweets at home, such as Gangajala (Ganges water), Amrta-keli (nectarplay), Piyusa-granthi (knot of nectar), Karpura-keli (pay of camphor), Sarapupi , Amrta, Padmacini (lotussugar), Khanda-ksira-sara-vrksa (sugarcandy trees), for Krsna to enjoy.”


bhaksyera paripati dekhi, krsna hoila maha sukhi,
bosi koilo vanya bhojana
sange loiya sakhigana, radha koila bhojana,
dunhe koila mandire soyana

“Seeing the nice arrangements of food, Krsna became very happy. He sat down and enjoyed a picknick. Then Radha took Her friends along and also ate. After this Radha and Krsna lay down in the bedroom.”

==========================================================================================================

“The maidservant understands that Radha and Krsna’s loveplay is about to commence, so she leaves the arbor while the divine Couple goes to the wonderful divine (transcendental) lovebed. The fortunate maidservant can now witness Radha and Krsna’s transcendental love pastimes through the holes in the vines of the arbor after doing so much effort to establish Their sweet meeting. She can hear the sweet jingling of Their anklets and Their waistbells while They make love, and by the sound of these bells she knows exactly when the loveplay is over and when it is time for her to enter the kunja again to assist Them with her service. Sripada prays that he may be so fortunate to attain such services.”

SRRSN commentary – verse 140.

The eight sakhis, from Madhava Mahotsava. A bit different from other versions. These are pretty much Bhanu's translations.

---

pazyAnurAdhA laliteti vizrutA
tatrApasavye rabhasena dIvyati
piJchAGka-maJju-vyajane yayA dhRte
rAdhA dRg-antaM kirati sma kAtaram

5.54 Look, my friend! There is Anuradha, better known as Lalita. She stands to the right side of her swamini, holding a peacock fan. Radha looks at her anxiously.

seyaM vizAkhA sakhi yAti vAmatas
tanvAnyayA yA yamuneti saMmatA
yasyA harez citra-phalAGkitaM karaM
romAJcinIyaM spRzatI prakampate

5.55 This is Visakha, who in another form is known as Yamuna, walks on Radha’s left side. She holds a picture of Hari in her hand. Noticing it, Radha touches the picture and this makes her hair stand on end and her body tremble.

eSaiva sA campaka-vallikA mudA
pazcAd vizAkhA-vapuSo virAjate
kRSNArtha-ratnojjvalam alpa-sampuTaM
yA bibhratI cittam ivAnayekSyate

5.56 Champakalata walks behind Visakha carrying a tiny jeweled casket for Krishna. Seeing it, Radha thinks that Champakalata is carrying her heart in her hand.

citreyam asyAH sakhi saMskaroti yA
kRSNa-smRti-sveda-jalAkta-citrakam
sA cAtra citraM kurute na kevalaM
vicitratAM sarva-janasya hRdy api

5.57 When Radha’s tilaka fades from perspiration due to remembering Krishna, Chitra is there to restore it. Not only does she draw pictures (chitra) on Radha’s limbs with musk and sandalwood, but she astounds (vichitra) the hearts of everyone in the world.

yA tuGgavidyA sakhi bhAti tat-puraH
pratyag vrajantI hari-varNanAparA
sA yAM vinirmAti sarasvatIM mudA
sA tAM vyanakti sma sarasvatIM svayam

5.58 Dear friend! Tungavidya walks behind Radha reciting the glories of Krishna. Her eloquent speech reveals her identity as the incarnation of Saraswati.

eSendulekhA sakhi yA rahaH-sakhI-
tAmbUladA gacchati dakSiNAgrataH
AsAdya yAM zrI-vRSabhAnu-nandinI
citte ca vaktre ca dadhAti rAgitAm

5.59 In the front to the right is Indulekha, who offers Radha tambula during her intimate pastimes and listens to her secret. Radha is attracted to her face and heart.

vINAm acittAM hari-gIta-bhAvitAM
nirmAti yeyaM kim utAli rAgitAm
saGgIta-lakSmIr iva deha-dhAriNI
sA raGgadevI pathi yAti vAmataH

5.60 Rangadevi, the incarnation of music, brings the lifeless vina to life with her songs of Hari as she walks on Radha’s left side.

pRSThe sudevI tv anuyAti rAdhikAM
nityaM hari-prema-mad-abhramAkulAm
gacchanty amUSyA vapuSo’dvitIyatAM
bhAvasya vijJA manaso’pi bhAti yA

5.61 Sudevi walks behind Radha. Filled with love of Hari, her body is non-different from Radha’s and she is knowledgeable of emotions and the mind.

viracitAbhayaM vRSNidhuryate
caraNamIyuSAM saMsRter bhayAt
kara sarOruhaM kAnta kAmadaM
zirasi dhehi naH zrI karagraham

The Gopis have sung
in their grief of separation:

O best among Vrshnis!
O lovely Beloved!
Do lay on our heads
Thy blessed hand -
that hand affectionately
held by the hand of Sri (Radha),
the deity of charm and divinelove -
and confer safety on us,
who fleeing from the torments
of samsara, have taken
refuge at Thy feet.

Gopika Gitam, SBh.P 10.31.5

Gopala Champu Uttara 9.4, Varuna says to the ocean--

bhavati bhavAn lavaNAbdhir
bhavanti cekSu-dravAbdhi-mukhyAs te
pArAvAra-vihInaH
kRSNaH punar eka eva karuNAbdhiH

You are the salt ocean, but there are many other oceans, like that of sugar-cane juice, that are greater than you. Nevertheless, the only limitless ocean is this Krishna, the ocean of mercy.

zrutim apare smRtim itare
bhArataM anye bhajantu bhava-bhItAH
aham iha nandaM vande
yasyAlinde paraM brahma

-Sri Raghupathi Upadhyaya
Padyavali 126

Some may worship the God of the Upanishads,
some the One described in the Smritis, and
yet others may bow down to the God glorified
in the Mahabharata, shaking with the fears
of life and death in this material world.

But I will place my head at the feet
of Nanda Maharaj in whose back yard
the Supreme Brahman is crawling about
in the form of a baby Boy.

(slightly modified from Jagat's post)

----------

A close associate of Gauranga Mahaprabhu
and teacher of Advaita philosophy,
Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya declares:

na vayaM kavayO na tArkikA
na ca vedAnta-nitAnta-pAragAH
na ca vAdinivArakAH paraM
kapaTAbhIra kizOra kiGkarAH

- Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya
padyavali- 72

We are neither poets nor wise philosophers.
We are not the master experts of Vedanta.
We are neither the supreme judges to put
a final end to all kinds of arguements.
We are just eternal servants of Sri Krishna,
Who is acting like the playful innocent Child.

parivadatu jano yathA tathA vA
nanu mukharo na vayaM vicArayAmaH
hari rasa madirA madAtimattA
bhuvi viluThAmo naTAmo nirvizAmaH

- Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya
padyavali- 73

Let the materialistic persons of the world
criticize us in whichever way they can
but we are not going to worry about them!
Divinely intoxicated by the wine of Hari's Love,
we're here to enjoy our lives unceasingly dancing in
ecstasy and rolling on the ground like the mad men.
-------

parama kAruNikO na bhavat paraH
parama zocyatamO na ca matparaH
iti vicintya hare! mayi pAmare
yaducitaM yadunAtha! tadAcara

-Padyavali-66, anonymous
(but sounds to me like Sri Shankaracarya)

"O my Beloved, Hari!
There is no one Supremely gracious apart from Yourself!
There is no one more fallen and distressed than my poorself!
Keeping this in Your mind, O Lord of Yadu Dynasty,
please do as You please with this dull ignorant! "

Sri Gadadharastakam

Eight Prayers Glorifying Gadadhara Prabhu
By Srila Svarupa Damodara Goswami


Text 1
sva-bhakti-yoga-lasinam sada vraje viharinam hari-priya-ganagragam cacisuta-priyecvaram saradha-krsna-sevana-prakacakam mahacayam bhajamy aham gadadharam supanditam gurum prabhum

"I worship the greatly learned and exalted spiritual master, Srila Gadadhara Prabhu, who appears very splendid, engaged in the Lord’s devotional service. He always performs pastimes in Vraja, where he is very prominent among the gopis, who are very dear to Lord Hari. Lord Caitanya, the Son of Saci is the dear Lord of Gadadhara Prabhu, who is preaching the service of Radha and Krsna."

Text 2
navojjvaladi- bhavana-vidhana-karma-paragam vicitra-gaura-bhakti-sindhu-ragga-bhagga-lasinam suraga-marga-darsakam vrajadi-vasa-dayakam bhajamy aham gadadharam supanditam gurum prabhum

"I worship the greatly learned spiritual master, Srila Gadadhara Prabhu. He is expertly absorbed in meditation on the nine rasas of devotional service, beginning with ujjvala-rasa (conjugal love), and he dances in the waves of the amazing ocean of devotional service to Lord Caitanya. He preaches the path of raganuga-bhakti (spontaneous devotional service), and He is a fit person to attain residence in the transcendental land of Vraja."

Text 3
sacisutagghri-sara-bhakta-vrnda-vandya-gauravam gaura-bhava-citta-padma-madhya-krsna-vallabham mukunda-gaura-rupinam svabhava-dharma-dayakam bhajamy aham gadadharam supanditam gurum prabhum

"I worship the greatly learned spiritual master, Srila Gadadhara Prabhu. The best of those who are devoted to the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya, the Son of Saci-devi, offer respecful obeisances to him and treat him with great importance, and he is very dear to Lord Krsna, Who is seated in the middle of the lotus flower which is his heart, assuming His golden form of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He preaches that Lord Mukunda has assumed the golden form of Lord Caitanya, and he returns the living entities to their constitutional position as servants of the Lord."

Text 4
nikunja-sevanadika-prakasanaika-karanam sada sakhi-rati-pradam maha-rasa-svarupakam sadacritagghri-pankajam sariri-sad-gurum varam bhajamy aham gadadharam supanditam gurum prabhum

"I worship the greatly learned and exalted spiritual master, Srila Gadadhara Prabhu. It is only because of him that the truth of the exalted devotional service performed by the intimate associates of Krsna in the forests and groves of Vrndavana has been revealed. He is preaching the ecstatic love attained by the gopis, and he is indeed a personification of the mellows of devotional service. The saintly devotees take shelter of his lotus feet, and he teaches the truth of spiritual life to the living entities."

Text 5
mahaprabhor maha-rasa-prakasanagkuram priyam sada maha-rasagkura-prakacanadi-vasanam mahaprabhor vrajagganadi-bhava-moda-karakam bhajamy aham gadadharam supanditam gurum prabhum

"I worship the greatly learned spiritual master, Srila Gadadhara Prabhu. He is very dear to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and it is as if he had sprouted from the manifestation of the Lord`s ecstatic love. He is always adorned with the garments of ecstatic love of Godhead, and He delights Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu by arousing in the Lord the ecstatic emotional love experienced by the gopis of Vraja."

Text 6
dvijendra-vrnda-vandya-pada-yugma-bhakti-vardhakam nijesu radhikatmata-vapuh-prakacanagraham asesa-bhakti-sastra-siksayojjvalamrta-prabam bhajamy aham gadadharam supanditam gurum prabhum

"I worship the greatly learned spiritual master, Srila Gadadhara Prabhu, who expands the mellows of devotional service and whose lotus feet are worshipped by the kings of the brahmanas. Among his confidential associates, he reveals his actual form as Srimati Radharani. He distributes the nectar of the ecstatic mellow of the gopis conjugal love, strictly following the instructions of all the devotional scriptures."

Text 7
muda nija-priyadika-svapada-padma-sindhubhir maha-rasarnavamrta-pradesta-gaura-bhaktidam sadast-sattvikanvitam nijesta-bhakti-dayakam bhajamy aham gadadharam supanditam gurum prabhum

"I worship the greatly learned spiritual master, Srila Gadadhara Prabhu. With delight he is giving the devotional service of Lord Caitanya which reveals the nectarean ocean of the most exalted mellows of devotional service, along with the nectar flowing from the lotus feet of the gopis, headed by Srimati Radharani, who is most dear to Krsna. Gadadhara Prabhu is decorated with the eight transcendental ecstatic symptoms of sattvika-bhava,and he is distributing devotional service to his worshippable Lord Krsna."

Text 8
yadiya-riti-raga-ragga-bhagga-digdhamanaso naro `api yati turnam eva narya-bhava-bhajanam tam ujjvalakta-cittam etu citta-matta-catpado bhajamy aham gadadharam supanditam guram prabhum


"I worship the greatly learned spiritual master, Srila Gadadhara Prabhu. Even a conditioned soul, whose mind becomes anointed by the colorful waves of spontaneous devotional service as delineated by Srila Gadadhara Prabhu, quickly attains the highest level of devotional service. He becomes like a maddened bumble bee whose mind is anointed with the mellow of ujjvala-rasa (conjugal love)."

Text 9
maha-rasamrta-pradam sada gadadhara-astakam pathet tu yah subhaktito vrajaggana-ganotsavam saci-tanuja-pada-padma-bhakti-ratna-yogyatam labheta radhika-gadadharagghri-padma-sevaya

"These eight verses glorifying Srila Gadadhara Prabhu distribute the nectat of the most exalted mellow of devotional service, and they are like a festival for the gopis of Vraja. If one regularly reads these verses and serves the lotus feet of Srila Gadadhara Prabhu, who is an incarnation of Srimati Radharani, then he will become qualified to attain the jewel of pure devotional service for the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya,the son of Sacidevi."

Giriraja-sila of Raghunatha Dasa Goswami
Given to him by Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu


TRANSLATION (CC Adi Lila 6.287-294)
by ACBS

After saying this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu again bestowed His mercy upon Raghunatha dasa by giving him a stone from Govardhana Hill and a garland of small conchshells. Previously, when Sankarananda Sarasvati had returned from Vrndavana, he had brought the stone from Govardhana Hill and also the garland of conchshells. He presented Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with these two items-the garland of conchshells and the stone from Govardhana Hill. Upon receiving these two uncommon items, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was extremely happy. While chanting, He would put the garland around His neck. The Lord would put the stone to His heart or sometimes to His eyes. Sometimes He would smell it with His nose and sometimes place it on His head. The stone from Govardhana was always moist with tears from His eyes. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would say, "This stone is directly the body of Lord Krsna." For three years He kept the stone and garland. Then, greatly satisfied by the behavior of Raghunatha dasa, the Lord delivered both of them to him.Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructed Raghunatha dasa, "This stone is the transcendental form of Lord Krsna. Worship the stone with great eagerness."

Very nice, indeed!

Here is another pearl needed to be strung from zrI-kRSNa-karNAmRtam (2.81)

This is also a charming episode between the little Krishna and a gopi, the milk maid. Once, a gopi caught Krishna stealing butter from her house. Here is the little Krishna replying to the Gopi's questions:

kastvaM bAla balAnujas tvam iha kiM man-mandirAzaGkayA
buddhaM tan-navanIta-kumbha-vivare hastaM kathaM nyasyasi |
kartuM tatra pipIlikApanayanaM suptAH kim udbodhitA
bAlA vatsa-gatiM vivektum iti saJjalpan hariH pAtu vaH ||
-----------------------------------------
Gopi: Who are you little boy?

Krishna: I am the younger brother of Balarama.
(The allusion is that Balarama had a good reputation, just the opposite
of Krishna)

Gopi: Why are you here?

Krishna: I thought this was my house.

Gopi: But why have you put your hand in that butter-pot.

Krishna: To remove the ants from there.

Gopi: Then why did you wake the sleeping calf?

Krishna: To know how it moves.

May this babbling Krishna protect you all.

May I presume that the sloka cited from Krsna karnamrtam is from one of the three satakams. It's very sweet indeed.But it does not appear in the Krsna karnamrta that Sri Gaurahari picked up in the south. Are there any srgara rasa verses there?
Sri Sanatana quotes Bilvamangal in his annotation on Bhag 10,33,2 with a verse ending with the words,"samjagau venuna devakinandanah" and I am aware of other verses ending with that half a line. Do you have those verses there?

anganAm anganAm antarA madhavo
mAdhavam mAdhavam cAntarenAngana /
ittham Akalpite mandale madhyagah
samjagau venunA devakinandanah //

Between one damsel and the next Madhava, between Madhava and Madhava another damsel; then placing himself in the centre of this configuration, the son of Devaki played melodiously on his flute.

Yes, 'Sri Krishna Karnamrita' does have the eight verses called 'rAsa krIDASTakam' in the dvitIyAzvAsa from verse 35 to 42.

Would you care to post them or direct me to where I might find them?

'rAsa krIDASTakam'


http://forums.delphiforums.com/jayaradhey/messages?msg=40.44