Tidal wave - A sloka

avatIrNe gauracandre vistIrne prema sAgare/
suprakAsita ratnaughe yo dIno dIna eva sah//

The advent of Gauracandra (moon) brought about a huge tidal wave in the ocean of love, wonderfully depositing heaps of jewels all around. He is certainly the most pitiable wretch who will not collect up those jewels.

namascaitanya candrAya koti candrAnana tvise/
premAnandAbdhi candrAya cAru candrAmsu hAsine//

I bow in salutation to the moon-like Caitanya-candra, whose countenance as a million moons doth shine; who, like the moon from the ocean of love's ecstasy churned, sheds the soothing beams of his beauteous smile.

Nava ratna are the nine most precious jewels as there are nine prominent limbs of bhakti. Or the various sattvik bhavas such as, weeping, trembling, dancing, etc. Or the various vyabhicari bhavas such as jubilation and remorse. Or indeed the Hare Krsna and such divine epithets. If a person does not acquire these jewels that were uncovered and made available by the tidal wave in the ocean of prema brought about by the rising (manifestation) of the Gaura moon, and seeks other wealth, such a man remains indigent and is extremely foolish.

(based on Manindranatha Guha's annotation)

Now I get it. That's really nice.

jaya zacI-nandana sura-muni-vandana
bhava-bhaya-khaNDana jaya he|
jaya hari-kIrtana nartana vartana
kali-mala-kartana jaya he||

jaya Gaurahari!

sindhu-bindu-veda-candra-zAka-phAlgunoditaM
nyAsa-soma-netra-veda-candra-zAka-bodhitam |
bANa-bANa-netra-veda-candra-zAka-locanAntaraM
prema-dhAma-devam eva naumi gaura-sundaram ||

Like the moon, the golden Lord Gaurasundara rose in the sky of GauDa in the year 1407 zakAvda. He displayed His pastimes of accepting SannyAsa in the year 1431 and He disappeared from this world in the year 1455. I sing with joy the unending glories of my golden Gaurasundara, the beautiful, the divine abode of pure Love.


I like this verse because of it’s beautiful composition and the rhythm, and of course the message which is conveyed to us. To understand this verse one has to know the traditional way of counting. This is the way we were taught. In Bengali, it goes like this:

ek e candra (moon 1)
dui e pakSa (fortnights 2 kRSNa-pakSA & zukla-pakSa)
tin e netra (eyes 3, including jJAna-cakSu)
car e ved (vedas 4)
panc e bAN ( arrows 5)
chay e Rtu (seasons 6)
sat e samudra (seas 7)
AT e aSTAvasu (class of demigods 8)
nay e nava-graha (planets 9)
daz e dik ( point of directions 10)

Now as you can see in this verse, the appearance of Gauracandra is 1407

sindhu 7
bindu 0
veda 4
candra 1

Accepting sannyAsa in the year 1431

soma (candra) 1
netra 3
veda 4
candra 1

The disappearance in the year 1455

bANa 5
bANa 5
veda 4
candra 1

The previous verse also describes the appearance of Gauracandra very nicely.

sindhu-zUnya-veda-candra-zAka-kumbha-pUrNimA
sAndhya-cAndrakoparAga-jAta-gaura-candramA
snAna-dAna-kRSNa-nAmA-saGga-tat-parAtparaM
prema-dhAma-devam eva naumi gaura-sundaram ||

That's very interesting. I read Sridhara Maharaja's Prema dhama deva stotram a few times, but not for nearly 20 years. I think it got neglected as too modern, but maybe I should read it again. The metre or chanda has such a distinctive rythem, makes the head move in time. Like " mayhamAtma pAdapadma dAsyadAstu rAdhikA"
You did not provide the English for the other sloka.

vANcito'smi vANcito'smi vANcito'smi na saMsayah/
viSvaM gaura rase magnaM sparSo'pi mama na bhavat//

Decieved am I! how I'm decieved,alas!
Doubt it not, I have been decieved!
The world is sunk in Gaura rasa,
But I have not a single drop recieved!

Caitanya Candramrta 46

The verses from Caitanya-cadrAmRta are wonderful!



Let me type it correctly Madanmohanji, if you don't mind.

vaJcito'smi vaJcito'smi vaJcito'smi na saMzayaH |
vizvaM gaura-rase magnaM sparzo'pi mama nAbhavat ||

Thank you, I think I'm getting the idea now. Just had to get used to it a bit at a time.

Actually I just didn't want to correct you, I was looking for one shloka to post here corresponding to that dainyokti. Now here it is:

kAlau kalir balina indriya-vairi-vargAH
zrI-bhakti-mArga iha kaNTaka-koTi-ruddhaH |
hA hA kva yAmi vikalaH kim ahaM karomi
caitanya-candra yadi nAdya kRpAM karoSi ||125|| (49)

I will leave it up to you to come up with your nice translation. Then again, this shloka doesn't go with Tidal wave - does it?

I don't know how to center it yet while posting a shloka.

Now evil times prevail, the Kali age
Lends strengh to my adversaries, in the guise
Of senses, made wonton by the times;
The path of bhakti is obsructed and obscured
With promiscuous growth of thorns and brambles.
Ah me alas! Such is my fearful plight!
O my merciful lord Caitanya-candra,
If you do not take pity on me now,
Then where should I go, and what should I do?

(Caitanya-Candramrta 49)

Afraid of the overbearing power of the senses due the influence of Kali yuga, and disheartened by the numerous impediments on the path of bhakti, the auther adopts the means of seeking refuge of patita pavana Sri Gauranga by earnestly entreating his grace with the words, "kAla kalirbalina..etc."

Now that the Kali yuga has set in and vice or adharma is fully introduced, the indriyas or the five cognitive senses and five conative organs have grown overbearing like a band of mighty adversaries. And like unbroken horses, the senses are forcefully attracted to their respective objects and hard to restrain.

The resplendant path of bhakti is darkened with predominance of karma kanda, dry knowledge, false reasoning, sectarianism and psuedo acetism etc. etc., all of which represent the promiscuous growth of thorns and brambles. Having fallen into this wretched plight, I tremble with fear. Therefore, O lord Caitanya-candra, if you do not grant me your mercy today, then where shall I go, and what shall I do?
Thus in great humility the auther confesses his miserable plight and unworthyness through self-debasement.(dainya-rUpa svaninda).

Roughly taken from Sri Manindranatha Guha's tika.

Thank you so much for your wonderful work, Madanmohanji! dhanyavad|

kali-yuga-pAvana, kali-bhaya-nAzana
zrI-zacI-nandana gAo he ||