Śrī Gaura-hari Kusuma Stavāṣṭākam

On the occasion of the upcoming Gaura Pūrṇimā festival, we present this Sanskrit song, ‘Śrī-Gaura-hari Kusuma Stavāṣṭākam’ (‘Eight flower-like Prayers to Śrī Gaura-hari’) which was composed by Śrīla Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī Mahārāja and originally published in Śrī Gauḍīya Darśana magazine, Volume 8, Issue 9 in 1963.

Śrī Gaura-hari Kusuma Stavāṣṭākam

(Eight flower-like prayers to Śrī Gaura-hari)

(1)

guru-rūpa-virājita-nanda-sutaṁ

su-tanūn-nata-kāñcana-bhūmi-dharam

dharaṇī-jana-tāraṇa-tuṅga-tariṁ

bhaja gaura-hariṁ bhaja gaura-harim

“The effulgent form of the Son of Nanda has been revealed by Śrī Guru. His beautiful form is like a golden mountain. He is that great boat that rescues the people of this world. Worship Gaura-hari! Worship Gaura-hari!”

(2)

vṛṣabhānu-sutā-dyuti-bhāva-vṛtaṁ

vṛta-citta-nijādbhuta-rūpa-madhum

madhu-vibhrama-nāma-da-śaśvad-ariṁ

bhaja gaura-hariṁ bhaja gaura-harim

“Surrounded by the heart and halo of the Daughter of Vṛṣabhānu, with His consciousness absorbed in the sweetness of His own sublime form, He is continuously devoted to distributing the intoxicating, bewildering sweetness of the Holy Name. Worship Gaura-hari! Worship Gaura-hari!”

(3)

uditākhila-gaurava-gauḍa-puraṁ

puraṭojjvala-maṅgala-mūrta-rasam

rasanotsava-kīrtana-kṛṣṇa-hariṁ

bhaja gaura-hariṁ bhaja gaura-harim

“He has appeared as the full glory of the land of Gauḍa, the golden, effulgent, auspicious embodiment of rasa. He is that Hari upon whose tongue there is a rasa-festival of kṛṣṇa-kīrtana. Worship Gaura-hari! Worship Gaura-hari!”

(4)

nija-pārṣada-darśana-datta-śubhaṁ

śubha-nāma-sudhā-kṛta-matta-janam

janatāgha-hara-sthita-citta-darim

bhaja gaura-hariṁ bhaja gaura-harim

“One is awarded the highest welfare upon seeing His associates. People become intoxicated by the nectar of His auspicious Name and He removes the vices that are present deep within their hearts. Worship Gaura-hari! Worship Gaura-hari!”

(5)

dadataṁ satataṁ nija-nāma-dhanaṁ

dhana-māna na vai vanitāṁ kavitām

vitaran vraja-bhaktim adatta-carīṁ

bhaja gaura-hariṁ bhaja gaura-harim

“He continuously distributes the treasure of His Holy Name, and that wealth is devoid of the desire for self-respect, the opposite sex and mundane knowledge. The bestowal of such vraja-bhakti was never given before. Worship Gaura-hari! Worship Gaura-hari!”

(6)

patitādhama-dīna-dayārdra-hṛdaṁ

hṛdayāśrita-yācaka-veśa-kṛtam

kṛta-veṣa-yati-śrita-nīla-giriṁ

bhaja gaura-hariṁ bhaja gaura-harim

“His heart becomes soft with compassion for the fallen, lowly, and destitute.He dwells in the hearts of those who accept the robes of renunciation. Upon accepting the garb of a sannyāsī Himself, He took shelter of Nīlā-giri (Jagannātha Purī). Worship Gaura-hari! Worship Gaura-hari!”

(7)

śruti-kīrtita-pūruṣa-rukma-ruciṁ

ruci-rāga-niṣevaṇa-dāna-param

paramārtha-purāṇa-vigīta-hariṁ

bhaja gaura-hariṁ bhaja gaura-harim

“He is the splenderous golden Puruṣa glorified in the śruti who is engaged in awarding the propensity towards spontaneous devotion. He is that Hari who is sung about in the topmost Purāṇa.* Worship Gaura-hari! Worship Gaura-hari!”**

*Translator’s Note:

*yadā paśyaḥ paśyate rukma-varṇaṁ *kartāram īśaṁ puruṣaṁ brahma-yonim

“The seer perceives that golden form of the Lord, who is the doer, the Supreme Controller, and the foundation of Brahman.”(Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.3)

**Translator’s Note: See Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.5.32-34

(8)

bahu-nartana-kīrtana-matta-karam

karatāla-mṛdaṅga-vibhaṅga-param

paramādara-pāmara-śāntipurīṁ

bhaja gaura-hariṁ bhaja gaura-harim

“He causes everyone to become maddened by His continuous dancing and kīrtana, as He is fully absorbed in the sounds of the kartālas and mṛdaṅga. For those who are most fallen, He is the supreme worshippable abode of tranquility. Worship Gaura-hari! Worship Gaura-hari!”