Sri Gaudiya Darsan Prasasti
Praise for Sri Gaudiya Darsan
A Bengali poem originally published in Sri Gaudiya Darsan,
Volume 14, Issue 2, Tuesday, 1 December 1970.
যে-দিন উদিলে তুমি সূর্য্য-সম আঁধার ভেদিয়া,
ভক্তি-জ্ঞান-বিরাগের পূর্ণতম কর প্রকাশিয়া,
সে-দিন ভরিয়াছিল দুঃখ-ভরা এ ভুবন-খানি—
পরানন্দ-কোলাহলে, সাম-গানে, হে গৌড়ীয়-বানী! ॥১॥
ye-dina udile tumi sūrya-sama ā̐dhāra bhediyā,
bhakti-jñāna-virāgera pūrṇatama kara prakāśiyā,
se-dina bhariyāchhila duḥkha-bharā e bhuvana-khāni—
parānanda-kolāhale, sāma-gāne, he gauḍīya-vānī! [1]
he–O gaudiya-vani!–message of Sri Gaudiya Darsan! ye-dina se-dina–The day tumi–you udile–appeared, bhediya–pierced adhara–through the darkness surya-sama–like the sun, [and] prakasiya purnatama kara–fully manifested bhakti-jnana-viragera–devotion, knowledge, and detachment, bhariyachhila–you filled e–this duhkha-bhara–sorrow-ridden bhuvana-khani–world sama-gane–with a thunderous song [and] parananda-kolahale–an ecstatic uproar. [1]
Translation:
O message of Sri Gaudiya Darsan! The day you appeared, pierced through the darkness like the sun, and fully manifested devotion, knowledge, and detachment, you filled this sorrow-ridden world with a thunderous song and an ecstatic uproar.
হেথা জন্ম-মৃত্যু-জরা- শোক-ভরে জর্জরিত লোক
স্বর্গ-মর্ত-নরকেতে নিরন্তর করে কর্ম্ম-ভোগ ।
মহাঘোর অন্ধকারে; হেরিয়া তাদের দুঃখ-গ্লানি
প্রকাশিলে আত্ম-রূপে দুঃখ-হরা হে বৈকুণ্ঠ-বাণী! ॥২॥
hethā janma-mṛtyu-jarā- śoka-bhare jarjarita loka
svarga-marta-narakete nirantara kare karma-bhoga
mahāghora andhakāre; heriyā tādera duḥkha-glāni
prakāśile ātma-rūpe duḥkha-harā he vaikuṇṭha-vāṇī! [2]
he–O duhkha-hara–remover of sorrow, vaikuntha-vani!–message of the infinite world! heriya–Seeing loka–the people hetha–here mahaghora andhakare–in terrible darkness, nirantara–constantly karma-bhoga kare–enduring [their] karma svarga-marta-narakete–throughout heaven, earth, and hell, jarjarita–weary janma-mrtyu-jara-soka-bhare–from the burdens of birth, death, old age, and lamentation, prakasile–you manifested atma-rupe–yourself tadera duhkha-glani–to dispel their sorrow. [2]
Translation:
O remover of sorrow, message of the infinite world! Seeing the people here in terrible darkness, constantly enduring their karma throughout heaven, earth, and hell, weary from the burdens of birth, death, old age, and lamentation, you manifested yourself to dispel their sorrow.
নেহারি’ নয়নে তব পরিপূর্ণ কৈশোর বয়স
সজ্জন আনন্দে নাচে লভি’ নিত্য মঙ্গল পরশ,
তোমার বিমল করে নব-জন্ম লভে কত প্রাণী
এ ধরার মাঝে তুমি অমরার মৃত-সঞ্জীবনী ॥৩॥
nehāri’ nayane tava paripūrṇa kaiśora vayasa
sajjana ānande nāche labhi’ nitya maṅgala paraśa,
tomāra vimala kare nava-janma labhe kata prāṇī
e dharāra mājhe tumi amarāra mṛta-sañjīvanī [3]
nehari’–Seeing nayane–with [their] eyes tava–your paripurna–full kaisora–adolescent vayasa–age, sajjana–the sadhus nache–dance anande–in ecstasy, labhi’–as they experience [your] nitya–eternal, mangala–auspicious parasa–touch. tomara vimala kare–By your divine hand, kata–countless prani–souls labhe–attain nava-janma–a new birth. majhe–Within e–this dharara–world, tumi–you [are] amarara–heaven’s mrta-sanjivani–life-giving nectar for the dead. [3]
Translation:
Seeing with their eyes your full adolescent age*, the sadhus dance in ecstasy as they experience your eternal, auspicious touch. By your divine hand, countless souls attain new life. Within this world, you are heaven’s life-giving nectar for the dead.
তব দৈব-তেজোরাশি জ্বালাময়ী বাসে দৈত্য-কুল
তোমার প্রকাশে লোকে লভিতেছে ভূলোকে গোকুল ।
সাধুগণ স্তুতি করে স্মরি’ তব মহাবদান্যতা
এ মর-জগতে তুমি গোলোকের অমৃত-বারতা ॥৪॥
tava daiva-tejorāśi jvālāmayī vāse daitya-kula
tomāra prakāśe loke labhitechhe bhūloke gokula
sādhu-gaṇa stuti kare smari’ tava mahāvadānyatā
e mara-jagate tumi golokera amṛta-vāratā [4]
daitya-kula–The ungodly vase–marvel [at] tava–your jvalamayi–blazing daiva-tejorasi–divine glory. tomara prakase–By your appearance, loke–people labhitechhe–are finding gokula–Gokula bhuloke–on earth. sadhu-gana–The sadhus stuti kare–praise [you,] smari’–remembering tava–your mahavadanyata–tremendous magnanimity. tumi–You [are] amrta-varata–the nectarean message golokera–of Goloka e mara-jagate–in this mortal world. [4]
Translation:
The ungodly marvel at your blazing divine glory. By your appearance, people are finding Gokula on earth. The sadhus praise you, remembering your tremendous magnanimity. You are the nectarean message of Goloka in this mortal world.
প্রেম-ভক্তি-স্নিগ্ধ হবে কবে তব করুণা-ধারায়
কঠোর কুলিশ-সম বালিশের ঊষর হৃদয়— ।
সেই আশা-ভরে আজো বহিতেছি এ জীবন-ভার
প্রণতি সহস্র-দলে এ প্রশস্তি লহ দুর্ভাগার ॥৫॥
prema-bhakti-snigdha habe kabe tava karuṇā-dhārāya
kaṭhora kuliśa-sama bāliśera ūṣara hṛdaya—
sei āśā-bhare ājo bahitechhi e jīvana-bhāra
praṇati sahasra-dale e praśasti laha durbhāgāra [5]
kabe–When [will] tava–your prema-bhakti-snigdha–divine love, devotion, and affection habe–flow karuna-dharaya–on the river of [your] mercy [into] balisera–this fool’s usara–barren hrdaya–heart [which is] kathora–as hard kulisa-sama–as a thunderbolt? sei asa-bhare–Cherishing this hope, ajo–still today, bahitechhi–I am bearing e jivana-bhara–the burden of this life. pranati–I bow [to you] sahasra-dale–thousands of times. laha–Please accept e–this durbhagara–unfortunate soul’s prasasti–praise. [5]
Translation:
When will your divine love, devotion, and affection flow on the river of your mercy into this fool’s barren heart which is as hard as a thunderbolt? Cherishing this hope, still today, I am bearing the burden of this life. I bow to you thousands of times. Please accept this unfortunate soul’s praise.
Note
This poem was published in honour of Sri Gaudiya Darsan’s fourteenth year, and the purport of the description of the sadhu’s joy in seeing and being touched by Sri Gaudiya Darsan at this age is that Sri Gaudiya Darsan enlivens the hearts of the sadhus who aspire to serve the Lord in His eternal adolescent form (as summarised to the Lord’s satisfaction by Raghupati Upadhyaya):
śyāmam eva paraṁ rūpaṁ purī madhu-purī varā
vayaḥ kaiśorakaṁ dhyeyam ādya eva paro rasaḥ
«Krishna’s black form is His supreme form, Mathura Vrndavan is His supreme abode, His adolescent age is to be meditated on, and madhura-rasa is the supreme rasa.»