Continuing our presentation of the recent release Sharanagati, in this song Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur describes how a liberated soul prays to serve under the guidance of the Vraja-vasis.
This song illustrates that even in the highest stages of devotion Vaishnava-anugatya, subservience to a higher devotee, is the mainstay of one’s practice and the sole means to serve Krishna.
Sharanagati
Song Forty-two
hari he!
śrī-rūpa-gosāñi, śrī-guru-rūpete,
śikṣā dilā mora kāṇe
“jāna mora kathā, nāmera kāṅgāla!
rati pā’be nāma-gāne [1]
hari–Lord; he!–oh!; śrī-rūpa-gosāñi–Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī Prabhu; śrī-guru-rūpete–in the form of my spiritual master; śikṣā–instruction; dilā–gave; mora–my; kāṇe–in the ear; jāna–understand; mora–my; kathā–words; nāmera–for the Name; kāṅgāla!–O beggar!; rati–melted-hearted, loving attachment; pā’be–will obtain; nāma–the Name; gāne–for singing. [1]
(1) Lord! Sri Rupa Gosani, in the form of Sri Guru, spoke these instructions into my ears: “O beggar for the Name! Understand my words and you will attain loving attachment for chanting the Name.
kṛṣṇa-nāma-rūpa- guṇa-sucharita,
parama yatane kari’
rasanā-mānase, karaha niyoga,
krama-vidhi anusari’ [2]
kṛṣṇa–of Kṛṣṇa; nāma–the Names; rūpa–Forms; guṇa–Qualities; sucharita (aprākṛta-līlā)–supramundane Pastimes; parama–great; yatane–with care; kari’–doing; rasanā–tongue; mānase–the mind; karaha–do; niyoga–engagement; krama-vidhi–the gradual process; anusari’ (anusaraṇa kariyā)–following. [2]
(2) “Engage your tongue and mind in chanting and remembering Krishna’s Names, Forms, Qualities, and Pastimes with great care, following the gradual process of development.
(2) krama-vidhi: “The gradual process of development.” This refers to the stages of: shravan-dasha, hearing; varan-dasha, accepting; smaran-dasha, meditating; apan-dasha, attaining (svarup-siddhi); and sampatti-dasha, supreme fortune (vastu-siddhi).
vraje kari’ vāsa, rāgānugā hañā,
smaraṇa kīrtana kara
e nikhila kāla, karaha yāpana
upadeśa-sāra dhara” [3]
vraje–in Vraja; kari’–doing; vāsa–residence; rāgānugā (nitya-siddha rāgātmika vraja-vāsī janera anugatyā)–follower of the eternally perfect rāgātmikā devotees who reside in Vraja; hañā–becoming; smaraṇa–remembering; kīrtana–chanting, glorification; kara–do; e–this; nikhila–all; kāla–time; karaha–do; yāpana–spend; upadeśa–of instructions; sāra–the essence; dhara–hold. [3]
(3) “Reside in Vraja, become a raganuga, and engage in remembrance and kirtan. Spend all of your time in this way, and cherish this as the essence of all instruction.”
hā! rūpa-gosāñi, dayā kari’ kabe,
dibe dīne vraja-vāsā
rāgātmika tumi, tava padānuga,
ha-ite dāsera āśā [4]
hā!–oh!; rūpa-gosāñi–Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī Prabhu; dayā–mercy; kari’–doing; kabe–when; dibe–will give; dīne–to this beggar; vraja–in Vraja; vāsa–residence; rāgātmika (vrajera nitya-siddha dāsa, sakhā, pitrādi o preyasīra gaṇa—ihārā rāgātmika jana)–a devotee who by nature has deep loving attachment for the service of Kṛṣṇa (rāga) and who as a result is perpetually absorbed in the service of Kṛṣṇa (the eternally perfect residents of Vraja who serve Kṛṣṇa as His servants, friends, guardians, and lovers); tumi–you; tava–your; pada–the footsteps; anuga–following; ha-ite–to become; dāsera–of a servant; āśā–desire, aspiration. [4]
(4) Sri Rupa Gosani! When will you mercifully grant this beggar residence in Vraja? You are a ragatmika devotee. To follow in your footsteps is this servant’s desire.
(1–4) This song is based on the eighth verse of Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu’s Sri Upadeshamrita:
tan-nāma-rūpa-charitādi-sukīrtanānu-
smṛtyoḥ krameṇa rasanā-manasī niyojya
tiṣṭhan vraje tad-anurāgi-janānugāmī
kālaṁ nayed akhilam ity upadeśa-sāram
“Having engaged one’s tongue and mind in the gradual process of chanting and remembering Krishna’s Names, Forms, Qualities, and Pastimes, one should reside in Vraja and spend all of their time as a follower of those who have deep loving attachment to Krishna. This is the essence of all instruction.”