Audio Record
Harikhatha of Srila Bhakti Prapanna Tirtha Goswami Maharaj
Topics:
– Sri Nandotsav;
– Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, Guna-Kirtan;
and more..
31-08-2021
India, Nabadwip, Kulia Gram, SREE CAITANYA SRIDHAR SEVA ASHRAM.
English / Russian
Śrīla Bhaktivinod Ṭhākur Guṇa-Kīrttan
śuno, he rasika jon kṛṣṇa guṇa agaṇon
ananta kohite nāhi pāre
kṛṣṇa jagatera guru kṛṣṇa vāñchākalpataru
nāviko se bhava-pārābāre
(1) Listen to this, oh wisest relishers of mellows! The transcendental qualities of Śrī Krishna are innumerable; indeed it is not possible to describe such unlimited divine attributes. Krishna is the spiritual master of the entire universe, He is like a wish-fulfilling desire-tree, and He is the helmsman of the boat on the ocean of material existence.
hṛdoya pīḍita jā’ra kṛṣṇa chikitsaka tā’ra
bhava roga nāśite chatura
kṛṣṇa bahirmukha jone premāmṛta vitaraṇe
krame loya nija antaḥpura
(2) Krishna is just like a doctor for those whose hearts are ailing, as He is very expert at destroying the diseased condition of material existence. By distributing the nectar of ecstatic love to all of the inimical souls, He gradually takes them back into His own confidential realm.
karma-bandha jñāna-bandha, āveśe mānava andha
tāre kṛṣṇa koruṇā sāgara
pādapadma madhu diyā, andha-bhāva ghuchāiyā
charaṇe korena anuchara
(3) Krishna is an ocean of compassion for those who are bound up in fruitive reactions, as well as for those bound up in philosophical speculation, and for those blinded by other human perplexities. Giving the honey of His lotus feet, and thus relieving the darkness of such worldliness, He makes one an attendant of His own feet.
vidhi-mārga rata jone svādhīnatā ratna dāne
rāgamārge karāna praveśa
rāga-baśavarti ho’ye pārakīya-bhāvāśroye
lobhe jīva kṛṣṇa-premāveśa
(4) Krishna eventually bestows the jewel of independence unto those persons who are attached to the path of rules and regulations, thereby allowing them entrance into the path of spontaneous loving service. Becoming influenced by such spontaneity, remaining under the shelter of the mellows of unwedded love (pārakīya-bhāva), the soul finally attains all the symptoms of ecstatic love for Krishna.
premāmṛta-vāri-dhārā sadā pānarata tā̐’rā
kṛṣṇa tā̐hādera bandhu pati
sei saba braja-jana sukalyāṇa-niketana
dīnahīna vinodera gati
(5) Krishna is the dearmost friend and husband of those who are always attached to drinking the fountain of ecstatic tears of love. Thus, the goal of this most fallen and lowly Bhaktivinoda is to be with all such residents of Braja within the abode of supreme auspiciousness.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada first arrived in the United States in 1965 with seven dollars, a letter of introduction to an Indian family in Pennsylvania, and a suitcase with some volumes of Srimad-Bhagavatam. In the following poem, written in Bengali on the day of his arrival in the USA, Srila Prabhupada addresses the Supreme Lord Krsna, asking Him His purpose in sending His servant to America. The translation from Bengali was done by Srila Prabhupada himself.
Poem
My dear Lord Krsna, You are so kind upon this useless soul, but I do not know why You have brought me here. Now You can do whatever You like with me.
But I can guess that You have some business here, otherwise why should You call me to this demoniac place?
Most of the population here is covered by nature’s modes of ignorance and passion, and I do not know how they will be able to understand the transcendental message of Vasudeva.
But I know that Your causeless mercy can make everything possible because You are the most expert mystic.
Therefore, I am simply praying for Your mercy so that I can be able to convince them about Your message.
All living entities have come under the control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by Your will they can also be released from the clutches of illusion.
If You so desire, I wish that You may deliver them ; just by Your desire they will be able to understand Your message.
The words of Srimad-Bhagavatam are Your incarnation, and if they receive them in submissive aural reception, repeatedly, then they will be able to understand Your message.
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, First Canto, Second Chapter, verses seventeen through twenty-one, it is said: “For anyone who gives aural reception to the always auspicious transcendental messages about You by hearing and chanting, You become a special well-wisher, and thus, remaining within his heart, You clear up all inauspicious understanding. When such inauspicious understanding is almost cleared up, a person realizes the importance of devotional service. In that stage of understanding, the influence of the modes of ignorance and passion becomes almost nil, and the resultant action of passion and ignorance can no more attack the heart; thus he becomes joyful, being situated on the platform of goodness. When, by dint of devotional service, he thus becomes jubilant due to awakening the modes of goodness, he becomes liberated from material contamination and is able to understand the science of God. In this stage of liberation, all misgivings in the heart, or the bondage of the material network, become cut to pieces, and by the science of God he is elevated from all sorts of doubts. At this stage the result of past activities becomes vanquished because of his realization of the Supreme Lord.”
This is the process of becoming liberated from the influence of the modes of ignorance and passion, and thus they can become freed from all inauspicious things accumulated in the heart.
But because I am very unfortunate, unqualified, and the most fallen, I am therefore seeking Your benediction so that I may be able to convince them about this Krsna consciousness.
Somehow or other, You have brought me here to speak about You. Now it is up to You to make me a success or failure, as You like.
You are the Lord of the whole creation, so if You like You can make my power to speak suitable, so that they can understand.
By Your causeless mercy only my words may become transcendentally pure, and I am sure that when such a transcendental message penetrates their hearts, certainly they will feel engladdened and thus become liberated from all unhappy conditions of life.
I am just like a puppet in Your hands; You have brought me here, and now You can make me dance as You like.
I have no devotion, nor have I any knowledge, but still I have been designated Bhaktivedanta. Now if You like You can just fulfill the real purport of Bhaktivedanta.
The most unfortunate, insignificant beggar, Bhaktivedanta Swami, onboard the ship Jaladuta, Commonwealth Pier, Boston, Massachusetts (U.S.A.). Dated 18th September, 1965.
Mārkine Bhāgavata-dharma
(written at Boston Harbor, September 18, 1965)
baro-kṛpā kaile kṛṣṇa adhamer prati
ki lāgiyānile hethā koro ebe gati
Translation: My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, You are so kind upon this useless soul, but I do not know why You have brought me here. Now You can do whatever You like with me.
āche kichu kārja taba ei anumāne
nahe keno āniben ei ugra-sthāne
Translation: But I guess You have some business here, otherwise why would You bring me to this terrible place?
rajas tamo guṇe erā sabāi ācchanna
bāsudeb-kathā ruci nahe se prasanna
Translation: Most of the population here is covered by the material modes of ignorance and passion. Absorbed in material life, they think themselves very happy and satisfied, and therefore they have no taste for the transcendental message of Vāsudeva. I do not know how they will be able to understand it.
tabe jadi taba kṛpā hoy ahaitukī
sakal-i sambhava hoy tumi se kautukī
Translation: But I know Your causeless mercy can make everything possible, because You are the most expert mystic.
ki bhāve bujhāle tārā bujhe sei rasa
eta kṛpā koro prabhu kori nija-baśa
Translation: How will they understand the mellows of devotional service? O Lord, I am simply praying for Your mercy so that I will be able to convince them about Your message.
tomāra icchāya saba hoy māyā-baśa
tomāra icchāya nāśa māyār paraśa
Translation: All living entities have come under the control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by Your will they can also be released from the clutches of illusion.
taba icchā hoy jadi tādera uddhār
bujhibe niścai tabe kathā se tomār
Translation: I wish that You may deliver them. Therefore if You so desire their deliverance, then only will they be able to understand Your message.
bhāgavater kathā se taba avatār
dhīra haiyā śune jadi kāne bār bār
Translation: The words of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are Your incarnation, and if a sober person repeatedly receives it with submissive aural reception, then he will be able to understand Your message.
śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi
vidhunoti suhṛt satām
naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu
nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā
bhagavaty uttama-śloke
bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī
tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ
kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye
ceta etair anāviddhaṁ
sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati
evaṁ prasanna-manaso
bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ
bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ
mukta-saṅgasya jāyate
bhidyate hṛdaya-granthiś
chidyante sarva-saṁśayāḥ
kṣīyante cāsya karmāṇi
dṛṣṭa evātmanīśvare
Translation: It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.17–21): “Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who relishes His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted. By regularly hearing the Bhāgavatam and rendering service unto the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is practically destroyed, and loving service unto the glorious Lord, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact. At the time loving service is established in the heart, the modes of passion [rajas] and ignorance [tamas] and lust and desire [kāma] disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness and he becomes happy. Thus established in the mode of goodness, the man rejuvenated by loving service to the Lord gains liberation from material association [mukti] and comes to know scientifically of the Personality of Godhead. Thus the knots of the heart and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions [karma] is terminated when one sees the Self as master.”
rajas tamo hate tabe pāibe nistār
hṛdayer abhadra sab ghucibe tāhār
Translation: He will become liberated from the influence of the modes of ignorance and passion and thus all inauspicious things accumulated in the core of the heart will disappear.
ki ko’re bujhābo kathā baro sei cāhi
khudra āmi dīna hīna kono śakti nāhi
Translation: How will I make them understand this message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness? I am very unfortunate, unqualified, and the most fallen. Therefore I am seeking Your benediction so that I can convince them, for I am powerless to do so on my own.
athaca enecho prabhu kathā bolibāre
je tomār icchā prabhu koro ei bāre
Translation: Somehow or other, O Lord, You have brought me here to speak about You. Now, my Lord, it is up to You to make me a success or failure, as You like.
akhila jagat-guru! bacana se āmār
alaṅkṛta koribār khamatā tomār
Translation: O spiritual master of all the worlds! I can simply repeat Your message, so if You like You can make my power of speaking suitable for their understanding.
taba kṛpā ha’le mor kathā śuddha habe
śuniyā sabāra śoka duḥkha je ghucibe
Translation: Only by Your causeless mercy will my words become pure. I am sure that when this transcendental message penetrates their hearts, they will certainly feel engladdened and thus become liberated from all unhappy conditions of life.
āniyācho jadi prabhu āmāre nācāte
nācāo nācāo prabhu nacāo se-mate
kāṣṭhera puttali jathā nācāo se-mate
Translation: O Lord, I am just like a puppet in Your hands. So if You have brought me here to dance, then make me dance, make me dance, O Lord, make me dance as You like.
bhakti nāi beda nāi nāme khub daro
“bhaktivedānta” nām ebe sārthak koro
Translation: I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge, but I have strong faith in the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. I have been designated as Bhaktivedanta, and now, if You like, You can fulfill the real purport of Bhaktivedanta.
Signed – the most unfortunate, insignificant beggar A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, on board the ship Jaladuta, Commonwealth Pier, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. dated 18th of September, 1965
