11.24.08
Posted in Bhajans at 7:32 am by Krishna Dharma
Radha Krishna bol bol.
By Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur
From Gitavali (Nagara Kirtan)
(1)
‘rādhā-kṛṣṇa’ bol bol bolo re sobāi
(ei) śikṣā diyā, sab nadīyā
phirche nece’ gaura-nitāi
(haribol! Bolo krishna, bolo re sobai)
(miche) māyār bośe, jāccho bhese’,
khāccho hābuḍubu, bhāi
Radha Krishna chant now, chant the holy names
This was the preaching and the teaching
Of Gaura Nitai when they came
(Haribol! Call out Krishna, chant the holy name!)
Maya’s great waves have swept you away
Up and down again and again.
(2)
(jīv) kṛṣṇa-dās, e biśwās,
korle to’ ār duḥkho nāi
(kṛṣṇa) bolbe jabe, pulak ha’be
jhorbe āńkhi, boli tāi
Our faith strong that we belong
to Krishna, will destroy all pain.
With tearful eyes, our hairs will rise,
when calling out Lord Krishna’s name.
(3)
(’rādhā) kṛṣṇa’ bolo, sańge calo,
ei-mātra bhikhā cāi
(jāy) sakal’ bipod bhaktivinod
bole, jakhon o-nām gāi
My humble plea, with Vaishnavas be,
And chant Radha Krishna’s names.
Says Bhaktivinod, all dangers go,
When those names he does proclaim.
Permalink
11.22.08
Posted in Bhajans at 1:34 pm by Krishna Dharma
ANADI KARAMA PHALE
(The fruits of beginningless karma)
by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur
(From Gitavali)
1.
anadi’ karama-phale, padi’ bhavarnara jale,
taribare na dekhi upaya
ei visaya-halahale, diva-nisi hiya jvale,
mana kabhu sukha nahi paya
Worldly works without origin, cast me in a whirlpool of sin,
from which I see no means of release.
The poison of sinful desire, burns me like a blazing fire,
and still my mind finds neither joy nor peace.
2.
asa-pasa-sata-sata, klesa deya avirata,
pravrtti-urmira tahe khela
kama-krodha-adi chaya, batapade deya bhaya,
avasana hoilo asi’ bela
Countless cords of carnal longing, bind me to boundless suffering,
tossed by the waves of my voracity.
I face six fearful enemies, led by lust, anger and envy.
And all of them are quickly killing me.
3.
jnana-karma-thaga dui, more pratariya loi,
avasese phele sindhu-jale
e heno samaye, bandhu, tumi krsna krpa-sindhu,
krpa kori’ tolo more bale
Worldly learning and ambition, a pair of cheating charlatans,
have hurled me in a sea of misery.
In this condition please see me, dear Krishna, great sea of mercy.
Be kind and by your strength pray rescue me.
4.
patita-kinkare dhari’, pada-padma-dhuli kari’,
deho bhaktivinoda asraya
ami tava nitya-dasa, bhuliya mayara pasa,
baddha ho’ye achi dayamaya
At your lotus feet please place me, as your servant let me ever be.
Bhaktivinoda prays for your protection.
Forgetting you are my master, tightly tied by ropes of matter.
Save me Lord, O ocean of compassion!
Permalink
11.16.08
Posted in Bhajans at 9:27 am by Krishna Dharma
Sri Nagara Kirtana (From Gitavali by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur)
Song One
nadiya-godrume nityananda mahajana
patiyache nam-hatta jivera karana
In Nadiya Godruma Nityananda has begun
For all souls a marketplace of Sri Krishna sankirtana
(sraddhavan jan he, sraddhavan jan he)
prabhura ajnay, bhai, magi ei bhiksa
bolo ‘krishna,’ bhajo krishna, koro krishna-siksa
(All those of faith please hear, all those of faith please hear.)
On the order of the lord I am here beseeching
Call out Krishna, worship Krishna, follow Krishna’s teaching.
aparadha-sunya ho’ye loho krishna-nam
krishna mata, krishna pita, krishna dhana-pran
Free from all offenses call out the name of Krishna
Krishna is your life and soul, your father and your mother
krishnaera samsara koro chadi’ anacar
jive doya, krishna-nam-sarva-dharma-sar
Abandon sin and please Krishna by doing your duty
Harinama is pure dharma, and manifests the most mercy.
Song Two
gay gora madhur sware
Lord Gauranga so sweetly sings
hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
grhe thako, vane thako, sada ‘hari’ bole’ dako,
sukhe duhkhe bhulo na’ko, vadane hari-nam koro re
In the forest or family, keep hold of the name of Hari
In happiness or misery remember the name constantly
maya-jale baddha ho ‘ye, acho miche kaja lo ‘ye,
ekhona cetana pe’ye, ‘radha-madhav’ nam bolo re
Tightly tied up in illusion, working in worthless exertion,
Now with your real senses reclaimed, call out Radha Madhava’s names.
jivana hoilo sesa, na bhajile hrsikesa
bhaktivinodopadesa, ekbar nam-rase mato re
Life may not last one moment more, while Madhava you do ignore
Thus Bhaktivinoda proclaims, taste once those nectarean names
Permalink
11.09.08
Posted in Bhajans at 7:16 am by Krishna Dharma
Gopinath (Part Three)
1.
gopinath, amara upaya nai
tumi krpa kori’, amare loile,
samsare uddhara pai
Gopinath, there is no other hope for me,
but that by your mercy, your servant I may be,
from birth and death forever free.
2.
gopinath, porechi mayara phere
dhana, dara, suta, ghireche amare,
kamete rekheche jere
Gopinath, I’m fallen in a worldly whirlpool.
With wealth and family, ever entangling me,
I’m under lust’s complete control.
3.
gopinath, mana je pagala mora
na mane sasana, sada acetana,
visaye ro ‘yeche ghora
Gopinath, my mind is seized with insanity.
It sees itself as free, from all authority,
absorbed in sensuality.
4.
gopinath, hara je menechi ami
aneka jatana, hoilo bifala,
ekhano bharasa tumi
Gopinath, I must at last accept defeat.
My every endeavour, has found only failure.
My only hope your lotus feet.
5.
gopinath, kemone hoibe gati
prabala indriya, bosi-bhuta mana,
na chare visaya-rati
Gopinath, how can I attain perfection?
My senses are so strong, they drag my mind along,
always to worldly attraction.
6.
gopinath, hrdoye bosiya mora
manake samiya, laho nija pane,
ghucibe vipada ghora
Gopinath, within my heart forever stay.
And thus my mind subdue, to bring me unto you,
and drive all danger far away.
7.
gopinath, anatha dekhiya more
tumi hrsikesa, hrsika damiya,
taro ‘he samsrti-ghore
Gopinath, seeing me to be so helpless.
You are the Hrisikesh, take hold of my senses.
Oh, save me from this dark abyss.
8.
gopinath, galaya legeche phasa
krpa-asi dhori’, bandhana chediya,
vinode koroho dasa
Gopinath, I’m wrapped in ropes of worldliness.
With the sword of your mercy, please quickly cut me free,
and place me in your loving service.
Permalink
11.05.08
Posted in Bhajans at 9:30 am by Krishna Dharma
Gopinath (Part Two)
By Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur
(Hear it sung here)
1.
gopinath, ghucao samsara jwala
avidya-jatana, aro nahi sahe,
janama-marana-mala
Gopinath, please free me from the fierce inferno,
of birth and death again, the ignorance and pain,
through which I can no longer go.
2.
gopinath, ami to’ kamera dasa
visaya-basana, jagiche hrdoye,
phadiche karama phasa
Gopinath, lust has now become my master.
Forever do I find, such sin within my mind,
binding me in bonds of karma.
3.
gopinath, ami to’ kamera dasa
visaya-basana, jagiche hrdoye,
phadiche karama phasa
Gopinath, when will I wake from my slumber,
to slay this enemy, dwelling deep inside of me,
so in my heart you may appear?
4.
gopinath, ami to’ tomara jana
tomare chariya, samsara bhajinu,
bhuliya apana-dhana
Gopinath, I am your servant, that is sure,
but turning far away, toward the worldly sway,
I turned from an untold treasure.
5.
gopinath, tumi to’ sakali jano
apanara jane, dandiya ekhano,
sri-carane aeho sthano
Gopinath, you know all this undoubtedly,
and as your property, you should please punish me,
and shelter me eternally
6.
gopinath, ei ki vicara taba
bimukha dekhiya, charo nija-jane,
na koro’ karuna-laba
Gopinath, how this is just I cannot see.
For having been averse, to you it seems I’m cursed,
shunned and shorn of all your mercy.
7.
gopinath, ami to murakha ati
kise bhalo hoya, kabhu na bujhinu,
tai heno mama gati
Gopinath, I am a fool most certainly,
for never do I see, what will be best for me,
thus I remain in misery.
8.
gopinath, tumi to’ pandita-bara
mudhera mangala, tumi anvesibe,
e dase na bhavo’ para
Gopinath, wisest and most learned person.
You can thus ascertain, what is my greatest gain.
Accept me always as your own.
Permalink
11.02.08
Posted in Sastra discussions at 2:57 pm by Krishna Dharma
In discussing the Bhagavad-Gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, I am frequently struck by particular insights derived from the text. I often wonder how can I share these wonderful lights with others, given that I am in the throes of household life and don’t have much opportunity or qualification for giving public talks etc. For this reason, I thought I would occasionally post them on my husband’s blog. The insights I share with you from our discussions of the Bhagavad-Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam may not be perfect, but I share them simply to deepen my own understanding and to develop sadhu-sanga relationships with other devotees. I welcome any corrections, further insights etc.
We recently discussed SB 1.15.29, which goes as follows:
“Arjuna’s constant remembrance of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna rapidly increased his devotion, and as a result all the trash in his thoughts subsided.”
We understood:
First we have to get to the point of remembering Krishna constantly, then devotion to him will quickly develop in the heart. When devotion (or attraction) to the Lord has awoken in the heart, then all material desires will be finished. In other words, until we get to the point of remembering him constantly, devotion to him will not develop, nor will the heart be free of material desires.
Discussion points:
1. How to develop our constant remembrance of Krishna?
Sadhana is the process of developing our remembrance of Krishna. Srila Prabhupada confirms this in Nectar of Devotion chapter 2 as follows:
“When we wish to develop our innate capacity for devotional service, there are certain processes which, by our accepting and executing them, will cause that dormant capacity to be invoked. Such practice is called sadhana-bhakti.”
2. We are doing sadhana every day, why is our dormant attraction for Krishna not awakening?
Sadhana is practicing remembering Krishna, but that remembrance of Krishna has to become constant (24 hours a day) before we can purchase the wonderful gift of attraction to Krishna. This is confirmed by Srila Prabhupada in Bhagavad-Gita:
“One who is unable to live for a moment without Krsna consciousness cannot but think of Krsna twenty-four hours a day, being engaged in devotional service by hearing, chanting, remembering, offering prayers, worshiping, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, rendering other services, cultivating friendship and surrendering fully to the Lord. Such activities are all auspicious and full of spiritual potencies, which make the devotee perfect in self-realization, so that his only desire is to achieve the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a devotee undoubtedly approaches the Lord without difficulty. This is called yoga. By the mercy of the Lord, such a devotee never comes back to this material condition of life. Ksema refers to the merciful protection of the Lord. The Lord helps the devotee to achieve Krsna consciousness by yoga, and when he becomes fully Krsna conscious the Lord protects him from falling down to a miserable conditioned life.” Bg 9.22
If we are properly doing the minimum morning and evening sadhana Srila Prabhupada gave us, which he called the ‘ISKCON sandwich’, then the result should be that the desire and determination to increase our hearing and chanting should develop in the heart. The more we increase the activities of sadhana, the more faith in and desire to do such activities should develop in the heart. Until eventually, we are 24 hours engaged in hearing about, glorifying, remembering and serving Krishna. Then our attraction to Him will awaken.
3. Why is it that sometimes we start sadhana, and then stop practicing after a while?
Most probably it is because our hearing is not done properly. Srila Prabhupada frequently explains that of all the different items of sadhana, hearing properly and sufficiently is the most important:
“But out of all the nine different methods, the first one, namely hearing, is the most important function in the process of bhakti-yoga. Without hearing sufficiently and properly, no one can make any progress by any of the methods of practice.” SB 2.2.36
There are obvious mistakes we make in our hearing such as falling asleep during class or not even attending any class or discussion of the Gita or Bhagavatam. Another obvious mistake is to not read Srila Prabhupada’s books at all or read them inattentively. If we make such mistakes in our hearing, then the consequence will be that our faith in and determination to practice sadhana will dimish.
But sometimes devotees attend every class and remain attentive. They may even read daily but still end up giving up the practices of sadhana. Why?
Even if we attentively hear class every day, if the speaker is either not self-realized or very expert at helping the audience to associate with the words of Srila Prabhupada, who is self-realized, such classes may not be of much value. There are many quotes from Srila Prabhupada wherein he stresses the vital importance of hearing from a self-realized soul.
“There is no gain in hearing the Vedic hymns from some mental speculator. When the same is heard from an actual self-realized soul and is properly understood by service and submission, everything becomes transparently clear.” SB 1.18.4
So for classes on the Gita and Bhagavatam to be effective, it is imperative that the speaker prepares the class and does his or her utmost to help the audience to connect with Srila Prabhupada’s words and meaning. If the speaker uses that class time for speaking their own lila or points of view with out helping the audience to connect with the transcendental sound vibration of the liberated souls, then the class may not be that effective. Srila Prabhupada instructs us how to do this:
“The process of speaking in spiritual circles is to say something upheld by the scriptures. One should at once quote from scriptural authority to back up what he is saying.” Bg 17.15
But the question still remains how it is that some devotees start off by reading Srila Prabhupada’s books regularly and still end up giving up the process of sadhana.
In SB Srila Prabhupada suggests that as long as our life habits and our minds our not pure it is not easy to properly understand these texts.
“Simple hearing is not all; one must realize the text with proper attention. The word nivista means that Suta Gosvami drank the juice of Bhagavatam through his ears. That is the real process of receiving Bhagavatam. One should hear with rapt attention from the real person, and then he can at once realize the presence of Lord Krsna in every page. The secret of knowing Bhagavatam is mentioned here. No one can give rapt attention who is not pure in mind. No one can be pure in mind who is not pure in action. No one can be pure in action who is not pure in eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. But somehow or other if someone hears with rapt attention from the right person, at the very beginning one can assuredly see Lord Sri Krsna in person in the pages of Bhagavatam.” SB 1.3.44
How can we ensure we properly understand the text if our minds and life habits are not yet pure? Srila Prabhupada gives us the clue as follows:
Discussion of Krsna is very potent, and if a fortunate person has such association and tries to assimilate the knowledge, then he will surely make advancement toward spiritual realization.”Bg 9.1
In conclusion, if we want to ensure that our hearing is effective and leads to increasing faith in and determination to execute and increase our spiritual practices of sadhana, then regularly discussing Srila Prabhupada’s books with other devotees is a guaranteed way to ensure that will happen. And when we reach the point of only engaging in spiritual activities 24 hours a day, then attraction to Krishna will quickly and automatically awaken in the heart, and all the impurities will disappear.
Cintamani-dhama dasi.
Permalink
