Audio Record
Harikhatha of Srila Bhakti Prapanna Tirtha Goswami Maharaj and Sripad Bhakti Kamal Tyagi Maharaj
Disappearance Day of Srila Rupa Goswami and Srila Gauri Das Goswami
2020-07-31
India, SREE CAITANYA SRIDHAR SEVA ASHRAM, Nabadwip.
Aspiring for the Dust of Srimad Rupa Goswami’s Lotus Feet
Composed by Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj
Srimad Rupa-pada-rajah Prarthana Dasakam
srimach-chaitanyapadau chara-kamalayugau netra-bhrngau madhu dyau
gaude tau payayantau vraja-vipina-gatau vyajayuktau samutkau
bhatau sabhratrkasya svajana-gana-pater yasya saubhagya-bhumnah
sa sri-rupah kada mam nija-pada-rajasa bhusitam samvidhatte [1]
Srila Rupa Goswami is the mine of the most precious treasure, the leader of the associates of Lord Chaitanya (the Divine Succession being known as the Rupanuga Sampradaya, ‘the followers of Sri Rupa’). In the company of his brothers, he was resplendent in (the province of) Gauda, causing the fervent twin bumblebees in the form of the lotus eyes of Sri Chaitanyadev to drink nectar, as the Lord’s lotus feet moved on the pretext of visiting Vrindavan. When will that Srimad Rupa Prabhu grace me with the dust of his holy feet?
pita-sri-gaura-padambuja-madhu-madironmatta-hrd-bhrnga-rajo
rajyaisvaryam jahau yo jana-nivaha-hitadatta-chitto nijagryam
vijnapya svanujena vraja-gamana-ratam chanvagat gaurachandram
sa sri-rupah kada mam nija-pada-rajasa bhusitam samvidhatte [2]
At Sri Ramakeli Dham, the king of bees—the heart of Sri Rupa—became intoxicated drinking the honey-wine of the lotus feet of Sri Gaurachandra, and sacrificed its life (in Hari-kirtana) for the benefit of all the people of the world, summarily abandoning a life of kingly opulence. After informing his elder brother Sri Sanatana, Sri Rupa and his younger brother Sri Vallabha followed the footsteps of Sri Caitanyadev, whose heart was absorbed in going (from Nilachala) to Sri Vrindavan. When will that Sri Rupa Prabhu grace me with the dust of his holy lotus feet?
From the chapter “The Real Judgement of Love” in Heart and Halo:
Srila B.R Sridhar Dev Goswami Maharaj
There is one story I heard from my godbrother Vaikanasa Maharaj, who was a brahmana scholar of Orissa, about an incident which occurred in recent history, in connection with the Jagannatha Temple at Puri, where it was customary that no khechuranna (kitri) used to be offered to the Lord.
smarantah smārayantaś ca
mitho ‘ghaugha-haram harim
bhaktyā sañjātayā bhaktyā
bibhraty utpulakām tanum
TRANSLATION
The devotees of the Lord constantly discuss the glories of the Personality of Godhead among themselves. Thus they constantly remember the Lord and remind one another of His qualities and pastimes. In this way, by their devotion to the principles of bhakti-yoga, the devotees please the Personality of Godhead, who takes away from them everything inauspicious. Being purified of all impediments, the devotees awaken to pure love of Godhead, and thus, even within this world, their spiritualized bodies exhibit symptoms of transcendental ecstasy, such as standing of the bodily hairs on end.
visrijati hridayam na yasya sākshād
dharir avaśābhihito ‘py aghaugha-nāśah
pranaya-rasanayā dhritāńghri-padmah
sa bhavati bhāgavata-pradhāna uktah
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is so kind to the conditioned souls that if they call upon Him by speaking His holy name, even unintentionally or unwillingly, the Lord is inclined to destroy innumerable sinful reactions in their hearts. Therefore, when a devotee who has taken shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet chants the holy name of Krishna with genuine love, the Supreme Personality of Godhead can never give up the heart of such a devotee. One who has thus captured the Supreme Lord within his heart is to be known as bhāgavata-pradhāna, the most exalted devotee of the Lord.
Invocation of auspiciousness
śrī-guru-gaura-gāndharvā-govinda-sundarāṅghrayaḥ
jayanti sa-gaṇair nityaṁ sarvābhīṣta-pradāyinaḥ
All glories to the feet of Sri Guru, Sri Gaurasundar, Sri Sri Gandharva-Govindasundar, and all of Their associates. They are the fulfillers of all our desires eternally.
gaura-vāg-vigrahaṁ vande gauraṅgaṁ gaura-vaibhavam
gaura-saṅkīrtanonmattaṁ gaura-kāruṇya-sundaram
( Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamrita: 1.2)
I offer my obeisance unto the personified message of Sri Gaura—Sri Gurudev, the golden manifestation of Sri Gaura who is perpetually maddened with the sankirtan of Sri Gaura and who reveals the beauty of the mercy of Sri Gaura.
About Sri Nama sankirtana Srila Sanatan Goswami
krishnasya nana-vidha-kirtaneshu
tan-nama-sankirtanam
eva mukhyamtat-prema-sampaj-janane svayam
drak saktam tatah sreshthatamam matam tat
Of the many ways to chant Krisna’s glories, foremost is His nama-sankirtana. It is deemed the best because it can evoke at once the treasure of pure love for Krisna.
(Brihad-Bhagavatamrta 2.3.158)
nama-sankirtanam proktam
krishnasya prema-sampadi
balishtham sadhanam sreshtham
paramakarsha-mantravat
The sankirtana of Krisna’s names is praised as the best and most powerful means to attain the treasure of krisna-prema. It is like a potent mantra that can attract precious objects from a distance.
(Brihad-Bhagavatamrta 2.3.164)
Verse 4:3 by Sri Kulasekhar in Sri Prapanna Jivanamrita
nastha dharme na vasu-nicaye naiva kamopabhoge
yad yad bhavyam bhavatu bhagavan purva-karmanurupam
etat prarthyam mama bahu-matam janma-janmantare ‘pi
tvat padambhoruha-yuga-gata niscala bhaktir astu
“O Lord, I have no faith in religiosity, economic development, or sense enjoyment. May all these things come to pass as they are ordained according to my previous karma. But my earnest prayer is that birth after birth I may have unflinching devotion for Your lotus feet.”
In his commentary on Saranagati, Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj notes that ‘Sri Nanda Kumar hears their prayers’ means Krishna reciprocates with the surrendered souls in accordance with their prayers. As an example of this, Srila Sridhar Dev Goswami Maharaj cites the following evidence from the scriptures:
sakṛd eva prapanno yas tavāsmīti cha yāchate
abhayaṁ sarvadā tasmai dadāmy etad vrataṁ mama
(Ramayana: Yuddha-kanda, 18.33)
[When Vibhishan, the brother of Ravan, prays to Him for shelter, Ram Chandra proclaims before Hanuman and all His devotees:] “Anyone who even once sincerely surrenders unto Me, declares, ‘I am Yours’, and prays for fearlessness — it is My vow that I will always supply that to them.”
Srila Guru Maharaj – Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev Goswami’s one of the favorite sloka
The transcendental Pastimes of Sri Krishna
yad-anucarita-lila-karna-piyusa-viprut-
sakrd-adana-vidhuta-dvandva-dharma vinastah
sapadi grha-kutumbam dinam utsrjya dina
bahava iha vihanga bhiksu-caryam caranti
“The transcendental lila of Sri Krsna is great nectar for the ears. Those who relish just a single drop of that nectar even once have their attachment to material duality totally ruined. Many such persons have immediately given up their futile homes and families and have come to Vrndavana like a free bird out of a cage. Becoming totally detached from their material life those devotees have taken up the path of renunciation and have accepted alms just to maintain their lives on this plane. In this way, they continue to search for Him, the complete fulfillment of life.”
(SB 10.47.18)
