Srila Gurudev singing Nitai-pada-kamala, in the year 1990. Download mp3 audio nitāi-pada-kamala koṭī-chandra-suśītala ye chhāyāya jagata juḍāya hena nitāi vine bhāi rādhā-kṛṣṇa pāite nāi dṛḍha kari’ dhara nitāira pāya [1]
Cooling like ten million moons, Nitāi’s lotus feet soothe the world with their shade. O brother! Without Nitāi, you cannot reach Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Firmly grasp Nitāi’s feet. se sambandha nāhi yāra vṛthā janma gela tāra sei paśu baḍa durāchāra nitāi nā balila mukhe majila saṁsāra-sukhe vidyā-kule ki karibe tāra [2]
The life of one who had no connection with Nitāi passed in vain. Such an animal is very wicked. What will learning (aristocratic birth) do for one who was immersed in worldly pleasures and never called aloud, ‘Nitāi’? ahaṅkāre matta haiñā nitāi-pada pāsariyā asatyere satya kari’ māni nitāiyer karuṇā habe vraje rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe dhara nitāiyer charaṇ du’khāni [3]
Maddened with pride, forgetting Nitāi’s feet, I accept untruth as truth. When Nitāi bestows His mercy you will reach Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in Vraja. Grasp Nitāi’s feet! nitāiyer charaṇa satya tāhāra sevaka nitya nitāi-pada sadā kara āśa narottama baḍa duḥkhī nitāi more kara sukhī rākha rāṅgā-charaṇera pāśa [4]
Nitāi’s feet are truth, and His servants are eternal. Always aspire for Nitāi’s feet. Narottam is very sad: “O Nitāi! Make me happy. Keep me beside your reddish feet.”
(Śrīla Narottam Dās Ṭhākur)
Srila Gurudev singing Bhuliya Tomare, December 1989. Download mp3 audio file bhuliyā tomāre, saṁsāre āsiyā, peye nānā-vidha vyathā tomāra charaṇe, āsiyāchhi āmi, baliba duḥkhera kathā bhuliyā–forgetting; tomāre–about You; saṁsāre–in the material world; āsiyā– coming; peye–experiencing; nānā–various; vidha–forms; vyathā–of suffering; tomāra–Your; charaṇe–at the feet; āsiyāchhi–have come; āmi–I; baliba–will say; duḥkhera–of distress; kathā–tale. [1] Forgetting You and coming to the material world, I have undergone all sorts of suffering. Now I have come before Your feet and will express my tale of distress. jananī-jaṭhare, chhilāma yakhana, viṣama bandhana-pāśe eka-bāra prabhu! dekhā diyā more, vañchile e dīna dāse jananī–of my mother; jaṭhare–in the womb; chhilāma–I was; yakhana– when; viṣama–terrible; bandhana–binding; pāśe–with the ropes; eka–one; bāra–time; prabhu!–O Lord!; dekha–sight; diyā–giving; more–to me; vañchile–deprived; e–this; dīna–poor; dāse–to this servant. [2] While I was bound in the terrible confines of my mother’s womb, You once revealed Yourself to me, O Lord! Yet since then You have deprived this poor servant. takhana bhāvinu, janama pāiyā, kariba bhajana tava janama ha-ila, paḍi’ māyā-jāle, nā ha-ila jñāna-lava takhana–then; bhāvinu–I thought; janama–birth; pāiyā–obtaining; kariba–I will do; bhajana–service; tava–Your; janama–birth; ha-ila–happened; paḍi’– falling; māyā (māyāra)–of Māyā; jāle (phā̐de)–into the net (trap); nā–not; ha-ila–became; jñāna (jñānera)–of knowledge; lava (leśa)–a fraction (trace). [3] At that moment I thought I would engage in Your service after taking birth. Yet when I was born, I fell into māyā’s trap, and not a trace of such consciousness remained. ādarera chhele, svajanera kole, hāsiyā kāṭānu kāla janaka-jananī- snehete bhuliyā, saṁsāra lāgila bhāla ādarera–of adoring parents; chhele–a son; svajanera–of relatives; kole–in the lap; hāsiyā–smiling, laughing; kāṭānu–I passed; kāla–time; janaka–of my father; jananī–of my mother; snehete–due to the affection; bhuliyā–forgetting; saṁsāra–family life, the material world; lāgila–felt; bhāla–good. [4] As a son of adoring parents, I spent my time in their laps, smiling and laughing. Because of my mother and father’s affection, I forgot You and took pleasure in family life (material existence) krame dina dina, bālaka ha-iyā, khelinu bālaka saha āra kichhu-dine, jñāna upajila, pāṭha paḍi ahar-ahaḥ krame–gradually; dina–day; dina–day; bālaka–a boy; ha-iyā–becoming; khelinu–I played; bālaka–boys; saha–with; āra–more; kichhu–some; dine– after days; jñāna–faculty of knowledge; upajila (udita ha-ila)–arose; pāṭha– lessons; paḍi–I study; ahar-ahaḥ (dina dina, sarva-kṣaṇa)–day after day (all the time).
[5] Day by day I grew into a young boy and played with other young boys. Later on my intellect developed, and I studied my lessons day in and day out. vidyāra gaurave, bhrami’ deśe deśe, dhana upārjana kari’ svajana-pālana, kari eka-mane, bhulinu tomāre hari! vidyāra–of learning; gaurave–on the strength; bhrami’–travelling; deśe–in country; deśe–in (another) country; dhana–wealth; upārjana–earning; kari’–doing; svajana–relatives; pālana–maintenance; kari–I do; eka–single; mane–with a mind; bhulinu–I forgot; tomāre–about You; hari!–O Lord! [6] Then on the strength of my learning, I travelled from place to place, earned money, and maintained my family with undivided attention. I forgot You, O Lord! vārddhakye ekhana, bhakati-vinoda, kā̐diyā kātara ati nā bhajiyā tore, dina vṛthā gela, ekhana ki ha’be gati? vārddhakye–in old age; ekhana–now; bhakati-vinoda–Bhakti Vinod; kā̐diyā–crying; kātara–distressed; ati–very; nā–not; bhajiyā–serving; tore–to You; dina–days; vṛthā–vain; gela–passed; ekhana–now; ki–what?; habe–will be; gati–destination.
[7] Now aged, Bhakti Vinod cries in great distress, “Not serving You, I have passed my days in vain. What will be my fate now?” (prabhu ei bār āmāy dayā kara)
Lord, give Your mercy to me this time. (patita pāvan gaurahari ei bār āmāy dayā kara)
Saviour of the fallen Gaurahari, give Your mercy to me this time. (tomāra śrī charaṇe śaraṇ diyā ei bār āmāy dayā kara) Give me the shelter of Your feet; give me Your mercy this time. (tomāra śrī charaṇe sevā diyā ei bār āmāy dayā kara)
Give me the service of Your feet; give me Your mercy this time. (sapārṣada gaurahari ei bār āmāy dayā kara)
Gaurahari with Your associates, give Your mercy to me this time. (hari he, hari he, hari he!)
Oh Lord! (nitāi gauraharibol, haribol, haribol, haribol!)
Chant “Nitai Gaurahari”! Chant “Hari”! The main text of the song here is taken fromSharanagati, by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur.
Srila Rupa Goswami said, ākṛṣṭiḥ kṛta-chetasāṁ su-manasām uchchāṭanaṁ chāṁhasām āchaṇḍālam amūka-loka-sulabho vaśyaś cha mukti-śriyaḥ no dīkṣāṁ na cha sat-kriyāṁ na cha puraścharyāṁ manāg īkṣate mantro ’yaṁ rasanā-spṛg eva phalati śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmātmakaḥ
I am not telling Sanskrit slokas only for reciting: they will go through your ear to the heart. You do not know the meaning, and I know that. I also do not know the meaning. The sound vibration of this sloka will make everything of ours clear. Everything will be made auspicious. Whether you know the meanings or not is not a question. That is language. But what has come out from the divine hand of Rupa Goswami is not only language, the power of Krishna is there. That is why I am reciting these slokas. I know these Sanskrit slokas have no meaning for you, but transcendental sound vibration form will play in a natural way, and then all piety will come to you. Srila Gurudev speaking in Caracas, October 2007
śrī guru charaṇa-padma kevala bhakati-sadma vando muñi sāvadhāna mate yāhāra prasāde bhāi e bhava tariyā yāi kṛṣṇa-prāpti haya yāhā haite
[1] I carefully offer my obeisance to Śrī Guru’s lotus feet, which are the only abode of devotion. O brother! By his mercy we cross over this world and reach Kṛṣṇa. guru-mukha-padma-vākya chitete kariyā aikya āra nā kariha mane āśā śrī guru-charaṇe rati sei se uttama-gati ye prasāde pūre sarva āśā
[2] Make the teachings from Śrī Guru’s lotus mouth one with your heart, and do not desire anything else. Attachment to Śrī Guru’s feet is the best path. By his mercy all desires are fulfilled. chakṣu-dāna dilā yei janme janme prabhu sei divya-jñāna hṛde prakāśita prema-bhakti yāhā haite avidyā vināśa yāte vede gāya yāhāra charita
[3] He who gave me the gift of vision is my lord, birth after birth. He manifested divine knowledge in my heart. He gives prema-bhakti and destroys ignorance. The Vedas sing of his character. śrī-guru karuṇā-sindhu adhama janāra bandhu lokanātha lokera jīvana hā hā prabhu kara dayā deha more pada-chhāyā e adhama la-ila śaraṇa
[4] Śrī Guru is an ocean of mercy and the friend of the fallen. He is the lord and life of all people. O master! Be merciful. Give me the shade of your feet. This fallen soul has taken shelter of you.
