Continuing our presentation of the recent release Sharanagati, in this song Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur describes a surrendered soul’s prayer for sadhu-sanga.
Sharanagati
Song Thirty-seven
hari he!
dāna, pratigraha, mitho gupta-kathā,
bhakṣaṇa bhojana-dāna
saṅgera lakṣaṇa— ei chhaya haya,
ihāte bhaktira prāṇa [1]
hari–Lord; he!–oh!; dāna–giving gifts; pratigraha (dāna grahaṇa)–accepting gifts; mitho (paraspara)–mutual; gupta–confidential; kathā–talks; bhakṣaṇa–partaking of foodstuffs; bhojana–foodstuffs; dāna–giving; saṅgera–of association; lakṣaṇa–the characteristics; ei–these; chhaya–six; haya–are; ihāte–in these; bhaktira–of devotion; prāṇa–the life. [1]
(1) O Lord! Giving and accepting gifts, disclosing and listening to confidential matters, giving and partaking of foods—these are the six forms of loving association. The life-force of devotion abides within them.
tattva nā bujhiye, jñāne vā ajñāne
asate e saba kari’
bhakti hārāinu, saṁsārī ha-inu
sudūre rahile hari [2]
tattva–this truth; nā–not; bujhiye–understanding; jñāne–in knowledge; vā–or; ajñāne–in ignorance; asate–with non-devotees, in a materialistic manner; e–these; saba–all; kari’–doing; bhakti–devotion; hārāinu–I lost; saṁsārī–a worldly person, a family man; ha-inu–I became; sudūre–very far away; rahile–remain; hari–the Lord. [2]
(2) Not understanding this truth, and knowingly or unknowingly associating with non-devotees in all these ways, I have lost devotion and become a worldly person. The Lord has thus remained far away from me.
kṛṣṇa-bhakta-jane, ei saṅga-lakṣaṇe,
ādara kariba yabe
bhakti-mahādevī, āmāra hṛdaya-
āsane basibe tabe [3]
kṛṣṇa–of Kṛṣṇa; bhakta–devotee; jane–with persons; ei–these; saṅga–of association; lakṣaṇe–characteristics; ādara–adore; kariba–I will do; yabe–when; bhakti–of devotion; mahā–great; devī–goddess; āmāra–my; hṛdaya–of the heart; āsane–in the seat; basibe–will sit; tabe–then. [3]
(3) When I will adore the devotees of Krishna through these six forms of association, the great goddess of devotion will sit upon the throne of my heart.
yoṣit-saṅgī jana, kṛṣṇābhakta āra
duhu̐-saṅga parihari’
tava bhakta-jana, saṅga anukṣaṇa
kabe vā ha-ibe hari! [4]
yoṣit-saṅgī (strī-saṅgī)–those who mix with women; jana–persons; kṛṣṇābhakta (kṛṣṇera abhakta arthāt bhakti-hīna—yathā māyāvādī, nirviśeṣavādī prabhṛti)–those who are devoid of devotion to Kṛṣṇa (illusionists, impersonalists, materialists, and so on); āra–and; duhu̐ (dui-janera)–of these two persons; saṅga–the association; parihari’–abandoning; tava–Your; bhakta–devotee; jana–persons; saṅga–the association; anukṣaṇa–at every moment; kabe–when?; vā–[an emphatic particle]; ha-ibe–will be; hari!–O Lord! [4]
(4) O Lord! When will I abandon the association of both those who mix with the opposite sex and non-devotees, and constantly associate with Your devotees?
Sri Laghu-chandrika-bhashya
(1–4) This song is based on the fourth verse of Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu’s Shri Upadeshamrita:
dadāti pratigṛhṇāti guhyam ākhyāti pṛchchhati
bhuṅkte bhojayate chaiva ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ prīti-lakṣaṇam
“Giving and accepting gifts, expressing and enquiring about confidential matters, and giving and partaking of foods are the six forms of loving association.”