A Prayer Composed on the Occasion of the Disappearance of Śrīla Gadādhara Paṇḍita

This Bengali poem, ‘Śrī Śrīla Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī Prabhura  Tirobhāva Upalakṣe Sūcika’ was composed by Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja and first published in The Gauḍīya, Vol.1, Issue 7th, June 1950. It was translated in English by Swami B.V. Giri and Sanātana Dāsa.

(1)

*gaura-śakti gadādhara, gaura-preme gara-gara

‘prāṇa-nātha’ – virahe kātara

bhāse buka aṅkhinīre, sadā hā hutāśa kare

śūnyāyita dekhe carācara*

Gadādhara, the potency of Gaura, is immersed in love for Gaurāṅga. He feels great separation from the Lord of his life. Due to this, his heart is flooded with tears from his eyes and he continuously laments, seeing the entire world as vacant.

(2)

*‘pratijñā-bhaṅge’ sevā-tyāga, ei dui doṣa bhāk

haiyechilā yāṅāra premabhare

tāṅhāra viccheda vyathā, sahite śakati kothā

smarite-i parāṇa vidare*

He broke his promise and renounced his service – these two faults happened on the strength of his intense love for the Lord. Where is the strength to bear such agony of separation? Just by remembering it the heart feels pain.

(3)

*gaurāṅgera-nija-śakti, rādhā-bhāva mūrtimatī

paṇḍita śrī gadādhara prabhu

amāniśāra andhakāre, dubāiyā sabākāre

nitya-līlā praveśilā vibhu*

Paṇḍita Śrī Gadādhara Prabhu is Śrī Gaurāṅga’s own potency and the very personification of rādhā-bhāva. His effulgence has now entered into the eternal pastimes, and everyone is immersed in the darkness of a moonless night.

(4)

*nidrāhāre yatna nāi, sadā kahe kāṅhā yāi

kāṅhā pāi gaurāṅga-sundare

ekhano nilāja prāṇī, kena rahe nāhi jāni

kebā sukha cāhe bhuñjivāre*

Neglecting sleep and food, he constantly laments, “Where can I find Gaurāṅga-sundara? Still this shameless living being is still surviving – why I don’t know. What happiness does he wish to taste?”

(5)

*kṣaṇe kṣaṇe murchā yāya, hailā pāgalera prāya

bakṣe śire kare karāghāta

ki doṣe āmāre nātha, saṅga haite dilā vāda

kena more nāhi nilā sātha*

At every instant he is swooning and has become almost mad, beating his own chest and head crying, “O my Lord, due to what fault did You remove me from Your association? Why did You not take me with You?”

(6)

*kibā bale, kibā kare, kibā cāhe cāhe phire

ke varṇe se divyānmāda tāṅra

gadādhara anugata, haiyāche yāṅra cita

tiṅha bujhe kichu marma tā’ra*

Whatever he does, whatever he says, wherever he moves about and looks around – who can describe his divine madness? Only one whose heart is surrendered to Śrī Gadādhara can understand a fragment of its essence.

(7)

*bhāgavata-ślokākṣara, cakṣu-jala nirantara

bhāsāite premonmata haiyā

śuni’ gadāira pāṭa, gaurāṅgera prema-nāṭa

sukhe pūrṇa gopīnātha hiyā*

Tears from his eyes constantly cover the verses of the Bhāgavata, due to his state of divine madness arising out of prema. Hearing Gadādhara’s recitation about the loving pastimes of Gaurāṅga, Śrī Toṭa-Gopīnātha is completely filled with happiness.

(8)

*premonmata śrīnivāsa, āsi’ gadādhara pāśa

nirakhilā yabe puṅkhi-khāni

kāṅdiyā ākula hailā, punaḥ punaḥ aliṅgilā

mahā-prema-ratnākara jāni*

Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, mad with divine love, came to the side of Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita; when he saw the sacred texts, he wept incessantly and again and again embraced him, knowing him to be a great ocean of divine love.

(9)

*hena prema-nidhi gadāi, yāṅhāra tulanā nāi

sākṣāt yei rādhā-ṭhākurāṇī

tiṅha more kaile kṛpā, jāni’ guru-gaura-sevā

nāma-prema-dhane ha’ba dhanī*

Gadāi is such an incomparable ocean of prema. He is Rādhā Ṭhākurāṇī Herself. If you are merciful unto me, then I will realize the service of Śrī Śrī Guru-Gaurāṅga. I will be enriched by the wealth of the love of Holy Name.

(10)

*bahya veśa bhūṣā heri’ vaiṣṇava cinite nāri

śikhailā ādarśa ācari

puṇḍarīka-sthāne bhikṣā, kari nilā mantra-dīkṣā

yāhā śuni aparādhā tari*

One cannot recognise a Vaiṣṇava by his external appearance and dress – as an *ācārya*, he taught us this by his own example and begged to receive mantra-dīkṣā from Śrīla Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi. By hearing this pastime, one can be rid of offences.

(11)

*gadāira gaura-prema, yena jāmbu-nada hema

ki bujhiba muñi arvācīna

viṣaye-āsakta cita, kāma-krodhe sadaāhata

kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-vāñcā hīna*

The gaura-prema of Gadāi is like that of the Jāmbu River that flows through Jambudvīpa. What can I understand with my immature intellect? My mind is attached to material possessions; it is always being deceived by lust and anger and it is devoid of any desire to please Kṛṣṇa’s senses.

(12)

*gopīnātha padmāsane, basi ratna-siṅghāsane

yāṅra sevā layena satata

hena gadādhara sevā, nā karile niśi dibā

bala kise haibeka hita*

Toṭa-Gopīnātha, sitting in padmāsana on a jewelled throne, is always accepting the service of Śrī Gadādhara. If one does not serve Gadādhara day and night, what else will give any benefit?

(13)

*gadādhara-prāṇa-nātha, hana mora gopīnātha

gadāi-kṛpāya tāṅre pāi

tiṇha kṛpā kaile more, gopīnātha cāre phire

tiṅha vinu āra gati nāi*

The Lord of Gadādhara’s life is my Gopīnātha. By the mercy of Gadāi, one can attain Him. O Gadādhara, if you show mercy to me, Gopīnātha will look towards me. Without you, there is no hope.

(14)

*gadāi-gaurāṅga jaya rādhā-gopinātha

kṛpā kari e adhame kara ātma-sāta*

All glories to Gaura-Gadādhara and Rādhā-Gopīnātha. Please be merciful to me and accept this fallen soul as Your own.

Rasa Saṅketa (The Indications of Rasa) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura Śrī Māyāpura Prasaṅgaḥ (Topics Concerning Śrī Māyāpura) by Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja Śrīla Prabhupāda Dvādaśakam by Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja O Keśava! Your World is Very Wonderful! – With Illumination by Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja Śrī Gaura-hari Kusuma Stavāṣṭākam by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī Śrī Kusumañjalī (An Offering of Flowers) by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī Śrī Nāma Māhātmya (The Glories of the Holy Name) by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī Śrī Nityānanda Dvādaśakam by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī Śrīmad Bhaktivinoda Viraha Daśakam by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī Śrī Śrī Gaurasundara Āvirbhava Vāsare by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī ‘The Best of Thieves’ – An Illumination by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī Mā Muñca Pañca-daśakam (Fifteen Verses Praying Not to be Abandoned) by Śrīla Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī Mahārāja Śrīla Sarasvatī Gosvāmyāṣṭakam by Śrīla Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī Mahārāja Vṛndāvane Bhajana (Worship in Vṛndāvana) by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda Vaiśiṣṭyāṣṭaka (Eight Stanzas of Significance) by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda Svasti No Gaura-vidhur Dadhātu (May the Moon-like Gaura Bestow Auspiciousness) by Śrīla B.P. Purī Mahārāja A Prayer Composed on the Occasion of the Disappearance of Śrīla Gadādhara Paṇḍita by Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī Śrī Śrī Gaura Gopāla Praśasti  (In Praise of Śrī Śrī Gaura Gopāla) by Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī Viraha-Gītikā (A Song of Separation) by Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Mahārāja Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja Purport to Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlā Smaraṇa-Maṅgala Stotram by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja Purī Mahārāja’s Praṇāma Mantra by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja Śrī Guru-viraha Ṣaṭakam – Six Verses in Separation from Śrī Guru by Swami B.V. Giri Śrī Guru Praṇāma Anuvākya – An Explanation of Śrīla Guru Mahārāja’s Praṇāma Mantra by Swami B.V. Giri Śrī Ārati-Kīrtana Vivaraṇa – A Commentary on Śrīla Narasiṅgha Mahārāja’s Ārati Kīrtana

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A Prayer Composed on the Occasion of the Disappearance of Śrīla Gadādhara Paṇḍita

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