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Gaudiya Discussions Archive » PEARLS OF WISDOM
Verses, prayers and quotes of choice. If you come across something you find inspiring, please post it here. You can also start threads on a particular theme and regularly post in something related.

May 2003 -



Jagat - Fri, 16 May 2003 16:09:23 +0530
aiza-buddhi-vAsitAtma-loka-vRnda-durlabhA
vyakta-rAga-vartma-ratna-dAna-vijJa-vallabhA |
sa-priyAli-goSTha-pAli-keli-kIra-paJjarI
mAm urIkarotu nitya-deha-rUpa-maJjarI ||


May Rupa Manjari accept me in the eternal pastimes! It is difficult for anyone whose mind is contaminated by the majestic concept of God to attain her, yet she has made herself dear through her expertise in revealing the path of raganuga bhakti; who is like the cage that holds the mynah bird of dalliances engaged in by Radha, the protector of the cowherd community and all her sakhis. (Sadhana-dipika)
Jagat - Fri, 16 May 2003 16:10:49 +0530
A nice simple prayer. I believe Haridas Shastri's own composition.

vaiSNave prItir AstAM me prItir AstAM prabhor guNe
sevAyAM prItir AstAM me prItir Artiz ca kIrtane
Azrite prItir AstAM me prItiz ca bhajanonmukhe
Atmani prItir AstAM me kRSNa-bhaktir yathA bhavet

"May I have love for the Vaishnavas. May I have love for the Lord's qualities. May I have love for service. May I have love and enthusiasm for Harinam Kirtan. My I have love for those who have taken shelter. May I have love for those who even have a desire to engage in bhajan. May I have love for my soul, through which devotion to Krishna will come about."
Jagat - Fri, 16 May 2003 16:15:12 +0530
hitvA rUpa-padAmbujaM bhavati yo rAdhAGghri-dAsyotsukas
tuGgaM geham asau tanoti na kathaM ramye sthale saikate
bAhubhyAM tridivaM spRzen nahi kathaM no vA kathaM cchAdayet
tUrNaM bhUri-rajobhir ambara-maNiM paGguM na kiM cAlayet ||


Anyone who abandons Rupa Gosvami's lotus feet and still hopes to attain Radharani's service may as well try building a skyscraper on a beautiful sandy beach. He may as well try to touch the heavens with his upraised hands, or try to cover the sun by throwing up dust with his hands, or try to make a lame man walk.

Why not? He has just as much chance of success.

kaH zrI-bhAgavatasya tattvam amalaM boddhuM kSamo bhUtale
ko vRndAvana-mAdhurIM kalayituM vaktuM ca dhatte matim |
goSThendrAtmala-rUpam adbhutataM ko vA nayen mAnasaM
zrImantaM karuNAkaraM guNanidhiM rUpaM sa-bandhuM vinA ||

Who on this earth could ever understand the pure essence of the Srimad Bhagavatam, perceive the sweetness of Vrindavan, or inspire anyone else to speak of it? And who could bring the mind to meditate on the son of Nanda's most wondrous beauty? Without the blessings of the most merciful and virtuous Rupa Goswami and his associates, no one.

vairAgyaM vidhi-rAga-bhaktim amalAn nAnA-rasAn dvAdaza
premAnaM vraja-vAsinAM zuka-mukhair viprarSibhiH saMstutam |
gopInAM paramAM lasat-para-mahA-bhAvAM samarthAM ratiM
rAdhAyAm iha mAdanaM vada sakhe ko vetti rUpaM vinA ||


And, my friend, pray tell me, if it weren't for Rupa, who would know anything about renunciation, devotion on either the vidhi or raga paths, the twelve holy rasas, the love of the residents of Vraja glorified by Suka and other seers, the supreme spirit of Mahabhava found in the gopis, their samartha-rati and Radharani's madanakhya-mahabhava?

Needless to say, nobody. And this is a fact.
Advaitadas - Fri, 16 May 2003 16:36:07 +0530
Right on. Who wrote these great verses?
Jagat - Sat, 17 May 2003 07:25:19 +0530
Govardhana Bhatta. Don't know who he was. There are more verses, but I only found three.
Advaitadas - Sat, 17 May 2003 10:02:37 +0530
Srila Govardhana Bhatta Gosvami was the grandson of Sri Gadadhara Bhatta Gosvami, a disciple of Srila Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami. He wrote one booklet about Holi pastimes, named Madhukeli Valli. The descendants of Sri Govardhana Bhatta Gosvami are still living in Vrndavana, opposite the Radha Vallabha temple in a beautiful place called New Madan Mohan Temple.
Jagat - Thu, 22 May 2003 04:33:06 +0530

saGgama-viraha-vikalpe
varam iha viraho na tu saGgamas tasya |
ekaH sa eva saGge
tribhuvanam api tanmayaM virahe ||
Were I made to choose between union and separation
I would verily take separation and not union with him.
For, when united in his company, he is but one man,
whereas when separated, the entire universe is saturated with him.

(Padyavali 239)

kasmAd vRnde priya-sakhi hareH pAda-mUlAt kuto 'sau
kuNDAraNye kim iha kurute nRtya-zikSAM guruH kaH |
tvaM tvan-mUrtiH prati-taru-lataM dig-vidikSu sphurantI
zailUSIva bhramati parito nartayantI sva-pazcAt ||
- Where are you coming from, Vrinda?
- I was just with Krishna.
- Where is he?
- In the woods over by your pond.
- What is he doing there?
- He is learning to dance.
- And who is teaching him?
- It is You! It is your form,
which he sees manifest in every tree and vine,
which he sees whirling in every direction like a great dancer,
that is making him dance as he tries in vain to catch it.

(Govinda lilamrita 8.77)

prAsAde sA dizi dizi ca sA pRSThataH sA puraH sA
paryaGke sA pathi pathi ca sA tad-viyogAturasya |
haMho cetaH prakRtir aparA nAsti me kApi sA sA
sA sA sA sA jagati sakale ko'yam advaita-vAdaH ||

When I am at home, she is there. But she is everywhere I go.
She is behind me, She is in front of me.
She is on my bed when I try to sleep,
on every path that I walk. Ah, but I am suffering in her separation!

O my mind! There is no other woman for me but she--
She she she she--everywhere, in every nook of the universe--
Is this what is the philosophers mean when they say, "All is one"? (Amaru 105)
Jagat - Thu, 22 May 2003 18:57:56 +0530
The following verse from Gopala Champu is fairly well known--

gopezau pitarau tavAcaladhara zrIrAdhikA preyasI
zrIdAmA subalAdayaz ca suhRdo nIlAmbaraH pUrvajaH |
veNur vAdyam alaGkRtiH zikhi-dalaM nandIzvaro mandiraM
vRndATavy api niSkuTaH param ito jAnAmi nAnyat prabho ||46||

O my lord, O lifter of the mountain,
I know of nothing other than you,
whose parents are the king and queen of the cowherds,
whose beloved is Radha,
whose friends are headed by Sridama and Subala,
whose older brother is Balaram,
whose musical instrument is the flute,
whose ornament is a peacock feather
whose home is in Nandisvara
and whose playground is Vrinda's forest.

(Gopala Champu 2.31.46)

The one that precedes it is much less widely quoted, for reasons that will be clear--

nAma zrImati rAdhikA tava pitA bhAnuH prasUH kIrtidA
zvazrur nanda-vadhuH sakhI ca lalitA sArdhaM vizAkhAdibhiH |
ArAmaH kila kRSNa-kAnana-tatiH kAntaH sa kRSNaH sadA
nAhaM kiJcid avediSaM tad aparaM no vedmi vetsyAmi na ||


O you whose name is Radhika,
whose father is Vrishabhanu
whose mother is Kirtida,
whose mother-in-law is Nanda's wife,
whose chief friend is Lalita, accompanied by Visakha and others,
whose playground is Krishna's forest
and whose eternal husband is Krisha.
I have never known anything but you,
I know nothing but you, nor will I ever know anything but you.

(Gopala Champu 2.31.45)

(kAnta translated as "husband", according to Jiva's usage. Preyasi in the first verse should therefore also be translated as "wife.")