Chapter 4. Gaura’s Greatness
গৌরের নৃত্য, নিত্য
gaurera nrtya, nitya
Gaura’s dancing is eternal
ভাইরে ভজ মোর প্রাণের গৌরাঙ্গ ।
গৌর বিনা বৃথা সব জীবনের রঙ্গ ॥১॥
bhāi-re bhaja mora prāṇera gaurāṅga
gaura vinā vṛthā saba jīvanera raṅga [1]
bhai-re–O brother! bhaja–Serve gauranga–the Gauranga mora pranera–of my heart. vina–Without gaura–Gaura, saba jivanera–all of life’s ranga–pleasures [are] vrtha–meaningless. [1]
Translation:
O brother! Serve the Gauranga of my heart. Without Gaura, all of life’s pleasures are meaningless.
নবদ্বীপ-মায়াপুরে শচীর অঙ্গনে ।
গৌর নাচে নিত্য নিতাই-অদ্বৈতের সনে ॥২॥
navadvīpa-māyāpure śachīra aṅgane
gaura nāche nitya nitāi-advaitera sane [2]
gaura–Gaura nache–dances nitai-advaitera sane–with Nitai and Advaita nitya–eternally sachira angane–in Sachi’s courtyard navadvipa-mayapure–in Mayapur within Nabadwip. [2]
Translation:
Gaura dances with Nitai and Advaita eternally in Sachi’s courtyard in Mayapur within Nabadwip.
শ্রীবাস-অঙ্গনে নাচে গায় রসভরে ।
যে দেখিল একবার আর না পাশরে ॥৩॥
śrīvāsa-aṅgane nāche gāya rasa-bhare
ye dekhila eka-bāra āra nā pāśare [3]
rasa-bhare–Filled with ecstasy, nache–He dances [and] gaya–sings srivasa-angane–in Srivas’s courtyard. ye–Anyone who dekhila–sees [this] eka-bara–once ara pasare na–never forgets [it]. [3]
Translation:
Filled with ecstasy, He dances and sings in Srivas’s courtyard. Anyone who sees this once never forgets it.
আমার হৃদয়ে নাট অঙ্কিত হইয়া ।
নিরন্তর আছে মোর প্রাণ কাঁদাইয়া ॥৪॥
āmāra hṛdaye nāṭa aṅkita ha-iyā
nirantara āchhe mora prāṇa kā̐dāiyā [4]
[His] nata–dancing ankita ha-iya–is imprinted amara hrdaye–in my heart, achhe–remains [there] nirantara–forever, [and] mora prana ka̐daiya–makes my heart cry. [4]
Translation:
His dancing is imprinted in my heart. It remains there forever and makes my heart cry.
জগন্নাথ-মন্দিরেতে নৃত্য দেখি যবে ।
অনন্ত ভাবের ঢেউ মনে উঠে তবে ॥৫॥
jagannātha-mandirete nṛtya dekhi yabe
ananta bhāvera ḍheu mane uṭhe tabe [5]
yabe–When dekhi–I see [His] nrtya–dancing jagannatha-mandirete–in the Temple of Jagannath, tabe–then dheu–waves ananta bhavera–of innumerable emotions uthe–swell mane–within [my] heart. [5]
Translation:
When I see His dancing in the Temple of Jagannath, waves of innumerable emotions swell within my heart.
আর কি দেখিব প্রভুর জাহ্নবীপুলিনে ।
সুনৃত্য-কীর্ত্তনলীলা এ ছার জীবনে ॥৬॥
āra ki dekhiba prabhura jāhnavī-puline
sunṛtya-kīrtana-līlā e chhāra jīvane [6]
ki dekhiba–Will I see prabhura–the Lord’s sunrtya-kirtana-lila–Pastimes of kirtan and wondrous dancing jahnavi-puline–on the banks of the Ganga ara–again e chhara jivane–in this wretched life? [6]
Translation:
Will I ever see the Lord’s Pastimes of kirtan and wondrous dancing on the banks of the Ganga again in this wretched life?
সর্ব্বদেবদেবী শ্রীগৌরাঙ্গের দাস
sarva-deva-devi sri-gaurangera dasa
All gods and goddesses are servants of Sri Gauranga
নিষ্ঠা করি’ ভজ ভাই গৌরাঙ্গচরণ ।
অন্য দেব-দেবী কভু না কর ভজন ॥৭॥
niṣṭhā kari’ bhaja bhāi gaurāṅga-charaṇa
anya deva-devī kabhu nā kara bhajana [7]
bhai–Brother, bhaja–worship gauranga-charana–Gauranga’s feet nistha kari’–sincerely: kabhu na–never bhajana kara–serve anya–other deva-devi–gods and goddesses. [7]
Translation:
Brother, worship Gaura’s feet sincerely: never worship other gods or goddesses.
গৌরাঙ্গের দাস বলি’ সর্ব্বদেবে জান ।
কৃষ্ণ হৈতে গৌরকে কভু না জানিবে আন ॥৮॥
gaurāṅgera dāsa bali’ sarva-deve jāna
kṛṣṇa haite gaurake kabhu nā jānibe āna [8]
bali’ jana–Consider [that] sarva-deve–all gods [are] dasa–servants gaurangera–of Gauranga, [and] kabhu na janibe–never consider gaurake–Gaura ana–different haite–from krsna–Krsna. [8]
Translation:
Know that all gods are servants of Gauranga, and never consider Gaura different from Krsna.
নিজ গুরুদেবে জান গৌরকৃষ্ণপাত্র ।
গৌরাঙ্গ-পার্ষদে জান গৌরদেহগাত্র ॥৯॥
nija gurudeve jāna gaura-kṛpā-pātra
gaurāṅga-pārṣade jāna gaura-deha-gātra [9]
jana–Know nija–your gurudeve–Gurudev [to be] gaura-krpa-patra–a recipient of Gaura’s mercy, [and] jana–know gauranga-parsade–Gauranga’s associates [to be] gaura-deha-gatra–limbs of Gaura’s body. [9]
Translation:
Know your Gurudev to be a recipient of Gaura’s mercy, and know Gaura’s associates to be limbs of Gaura’s body.
গৌর-বৈরী রসপোষ্টা এই মাত্র জান ।
সকলে গৌরাঙ্গ-দাস এ কথাটী মান ॥১০॥
gaura-vairī rasa-poṣṭā ei mātra jāna
sakale gaurāṅga-dāsa e kathāṭī māna [10]
jana–Know [that] gaura-vairi–the enemies of Gaura [are] ei matra–simply rasa-posta–nourishers of rasa — sakale–everyone [is] gauranga-dasa–a servant of Gauranga. mana–Accept e–this kathati–truth. [10]
Translation:
Know that the enemies of Gaura are simply nourishers of rasa — everyone is a servant of Gauranga. Accept this truth.
গৌরভজননিষ্ঠা
gaura-bhajana-nistha
Attachment to Gaura’s service
পরনিন্দা পরচর্চ্চা না কর কখন ।
দৃঢ়ভাবে একান্তে ভজ শ্রীগৌরচরণ ॥১১॥
para-nindā para-charchchā nā kara kakhana
dṛḍha-bhāve ekānte bhaja śrī-gaura-charaṇa [11]
kakhana kara na–Never para-ninda–criticise others [or] para-charchcha–gossip about others; bhaja–serve sri-gaura-charana–Sri Gaura’s feet drdha-bhave–resolutely [and] ekante–exclusively. [11]
Translation:
Never criticise or gossip about others; serve Sri Gaura’s feet resolutely and exclusively.
গৌর যে শিখাল নাম সেই নাম গাও ।
অন্য সব নামমাহাত্ম্য সেই নামে পাও ॥১২॥
gaura ye śikhāla nāma sei nāma gāo
anya saba nāma-māhātmya sei nāme pāo [12]
gao–Chant sei ye nama nama–the Name [that] gaura–Gaura sikhala–taught [and] sei name–through that Name, pao–get anya saba nama-mahatmya–the benefits of all other Names. [12]
Translation:
Chant the Name that Gaura taught and by doing so get the benefit of chanting all other Names.
গৌর বিনা গুরু নাই এ ভব-সংসারে ।
সরল গৌরাঙ্গভক্তি শিখাও সবারে ॥১৩॥
gaura vinā guru nāi e bhava-saṁsāre
sarala gaurāṅga-bhakti śikhāo sabāre [13]
nai–There is no guru–Guru e bhava-samsare–in this world vina–other than gaura–Gaura. sikhao–Teach sabare–everyone sarala–sincere gauranga-bhakti–devotion to Gauranga. [13]
Translation:
There is no Guru in this world other than Gaura. Teach everyone sincere devotion to Gauranga.
কুটীনাটী ছাড়, মন করহ সরল ।
গৌর-ভজা লোকরক্ষা একত্রে নিষ্ফল ॥১৪॥
kuṭīnāṭī chhāḍa, mana karaha sarala
gaura-bhajā loka-rakṣā ekatre niṣphala [14]
chhada–Give up kutinati–deceit [and] karaha–make [your] mana–mind sarala–sincere. gaura-bhaja–Serving Gaura [and] loka-raksa–serving society ekatre–at the same time [is] nisphala–useless. [14]
Translation:
Give up deceit and make your mind sincere. Serving Gaura and serving society at the same time is useless.
হয় গোরা ভজ, নয় লোক ভজ ভাই ।
একপাত্রে দুই কভু না রহে এক ঠাঞি ॥১৫॥
haya gorā bhaja, naya loka bhaja bhāi
eka-pātre dui kabhu nā rahe eka ṭhāñi [15]
bhai–Brother, haya–either bhaja–serve gora–Gora naya–or bhaja–serve loka–society. dui–The two kabhu na–never rahe–remain eka thani–in one place eka-patre–together. [15]
Translation:
Brother, either serve Gora or serve society. The two never remain in one place together.
জগাই বলে, «যদি একনিষ্ঠ না হইবে ।
দুই নায়ে নদী-পারের দুর্দ্দশা লভিবে» ॥১৬॥
jagāi bale, «yadi eka-niṣṭha nā ha-ibe
dui nāye nadī-pārera durdaśā labhibe» [16]
jagai–Jagai bale–says, «yadi–«If ha-ibe na–you do not become eka-nistha–single-minded, durdasa–the plight nadi-parera–of crossing a river dui naye–in two boats labhibe»–will befall you.» [16]
Translation:
Jagai says, «If you do not become single-minded, the plight of crossing a river in two boats will befall you.»