Continuing our presentation of the upcoming release Sharanagati, in this post Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur describes the misery felt by those deluded by the false hope of worldly happiness and demonstrates how to humbly pray for the Lord’s causeless mercy.
Sharanagati
Song Seven
(prabhu he!) śuna mora duḥkhera kāhinī
viṣaya halāhala, sudhā-bhāṇe piyalu̐,
āba avasāna dinamaṇi [1]
prabhu–Lord; he!–oh!; śuna–please listen; mora–my; duḥkhera–of distress; kāhinī–tale; viṣaya–of mundanity; halāhala (garala, viṣa)–mortal poison (poisonous venom); sudhā–nectar; bhāṇe (bhrame)–as though enacting a drama (by mistake); piyalu̐ (pān karilāma)–I drank; āba (ekhana)–now; avasāna–the disappearance; dinamaṇi (sūrya)–jewel of the day (sun). [1]
(1) O Lord! Please listen to my tale of distress. Mistaking it for nectar, I drank the terrible poison of mundanity, and now the sun is setting (my life is coming to an end).
khelā-rase śaiśava, paḍaite kaiśora
go̐yāolu̐ nā bhela viveka
bhoga-vaśe yauvane, ghara pāti vasilu̐
suta-mita bāḍala aneka [2]
khelā–of play; rase–in the pleasure; śaiśava–childhood; paḍaite (pāṭha karite)–in studying; kaiśora–adolescence; go̐yāolu̐ (ativāhita karilāma)–I spent; nā–did not; bhela (ha-ila)–became; viveka–conscience; bhoga–of enjoyment; vaśe–under the control; yauvane–in my youth; ghara–a home; pāti–arrange; vasilu̐–I sat; suta–children; mita (mitra)–friends; bāḍala (vṛddhi prāpta ha-ila)–increased; aneka–many. [2]
(2) I spent my childhood immersed in the pleasures of play, and my adolescence in study. My conscience never developed. Captivated by worldly enjoyment in my youth, I established myself within household life, and my children and friends multiplied.
Sri Laghu-chandrika-bhashya
(2) khelā-rase śaiśava: “I spent my childhood immersed in the pleasures of play.” Śaṅkar Āchārya describes the deluded masses in this way:
bālas tāvat krīḍāsaktaḥ taruṇas tāvat taruṇī-raktaḥ
vṛddhas tāvat chintā-magnāḥ pare brahmaṇi ko ’pi na lagnaḥ
(Moha-mudgara-stotram: 7)
“Boys are attached to play. Youths are attached to young women. The elderly are absorbed in worries. Alas! No one is conscious of the Supreme Absolute (Parabrahma).”
vṛddha-kāla āola, saba sukha bhāgala,
pīḍā-vaśe ha-inu kātara
sarvendriya durbala kṣīṇa kalevara,
bhogābhāve duḥkhita antara [3]
vṛddha–old; kāla–age; āola (āsila)–came; saba–all; sukha–happiness; bhāgala (palāyana karila)–fled; pīḍā–of disease vaśe–under the control of; ha-inu–I became; kātara–distressed; sarvendriya–all of my senses; durbala–incapacitated; kṣīṇa–emaciated; kalevara–body; bhoga–enjoyment; abhāve–for want of; duḥkhita–sorrowful; antara–interior. [3]
(3) Then old age came, and all happiness fled. Subjugated by disease, I became distressed. All of my senses became incapacitated, and my body became emaciated. For want of enjoyment, my heart became sorrowful.
jñāna-lava-hīna, bhakti-rase vañchita,
āra mora ki habe upāya
patita-bandhu tuhu̐, patitādhama hāma,
kṛpāya uṭhāo tava pāya [4]
jñāna–of knowledge; lava–a trace; hīna–devoid of; bhakti–of devotion; rase–in the nectar; vañchita–deprived of; āra–else; mora–my; ki–what?; habe–will be; upāya–means; patita–of the fallen; bandhu–friend; tuhu̐ (tumi)–You; patita–fallen; adhama–lowly; hāma (āmi)–I; kṛpāya–by Your mercy; uṭhāo–please pick up; tava–Your; pāya–to the feet. [4]
(4) Now I am devoid of even a trace of actual knowledge and deprived of the nectar of devotion. What will be my means of deliverance? You are the friend of the fallen, and I am the lowest of the fallen; please mercifully uplift me to Your feet.
vichārite āobi, guṇa nāhi pāobi,
kṛpā kara chhoḍata vichāra
tava pada-paṅkaja, sīdhu pibāota,
bhakativinode kara’ pāra [5]
vichārite–to judge; āobi (āsibe)–will come; guṇa–good qualities; nāhi–not; pāobi (pāibe)–will get; kṛpā–mercy; kara–please do; chhoḍata (chhāḍa)–abandoning; vichāra–judgment; tava–Your; pada–feet; paṅkaja–lotus; sīdhu (madhu)–nectar (flower nectar); pibāota (pāna karāiyā)–causing to drink; bhakati-vinode–of Bhakti Vinod; kara’–please do; pāra–deliverance. [5]
(5) If You come to judge me, you will not find any good qualities. So, mercifully forgo judgement and induce me to drink the nectar of Your lotus feet. Deliver this Bhakti Vinod.