Crookedness that Confuses

 

 

 

 

~ Crookedness that Confuses ~

​

​

(Two Freshly Composed Verses)

​

​

श्रीराधा सरला त्रिभङ्गवपुषा साकं त्वया संस्थिता

हस्तं सा ददती तवानृजुकचे त्वत्सौख्यमेवेच्छति ।

दृष्ट्वा तां प्रति नैरपेक्ष्यमिह ते जाने न दामोदर

कौटिल्यं खलु कुत्र तेऽस्ति परमं देहे कचे वा हृदि ॥ शार्दूलविक्रीडितम् ॥

​

​

(Meter: śārdūla-vikrīḍitam - sing like ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭakam):

​

śrī-rādhā saralā tri-bhaṅga-vapuṣā sākaṁ tvayā saṁsthitā

hastaṁ sā dadatī tavānṛjukace tvat-saukhyam evecchati

dṛṣṭvā tāṁ prati nairapekṣyam iha te jāne na dāmodara!

kauṭilyaṁ khalu kutra te'sti paramaṁ dehe kace vā hṛdi

​

​

Translation: Śrī Rādhā is standing in a straightforward manner with you — whose body is curved in three places. As she runs her hand through your curly hair, she only desires your happiness. O Dāmodara! Seeing your neglectful behavior towards her, I am unable to decide where exactly the highest degree of crookedness lies within you. Does it lie within your body, your hair or your heart?

​

​

हृदये यस्य कौटिल्यं हरे! तिष्ठति सर्वदा ।

देहकेशादि सर्वं वै तस्यात्र कुटिलायते ॥ अनुष्टुप् ॥

​

(Meter : anuṣṭup):

​

hṛdaye yasya kauṭilyaṁ

hare! tiṣṭhati sarvadā

deha-keśādi sarvaṁ vai

tasyātra kuṭilāyate

​

​

Translation: [Now I understood]! O Hari! When crookedness resides constantly in a person's heart, everything related to him — his body, hair etc. automatically start attaining crookedness.

​

​

— (Composed and Translated by Hari Pārṣada Dāsa. 23 November 2023).

The Language of Krishna's Associates

 

 

 

 

 

~ The Language of Krishna's Associates ~

​

​

The Brajabhāṣā that is present today originated around 1000A.D. This currently available form of Brajabhāṣā is not considered by the Gauḍīya-vaiṣṇava Ācāryas as a language used by the residents of Goloka. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and the other Gosvāmīs did not use this language in their nāṭakas (dramas) while describing the interactions of Vrajavāsīs with each other.

​

​

Moreover, many Persian/Urdū terms got mixed in Brajabhāṣā and this resulted in a new dialect called Khaḍī-bolī . Thus, it is a mistake to say that the modern day spoken Brajabhāṣā (which contains many Persian/Urdū terms) was spoken by Krishna five thousand years ago.

​

​

In the first wave of the southern section of the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhuḥ, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī is listing the various qualities of Śrī Krishna. The seventh quality is — vividhādbhuta-bhāṣā-vit — He knows various wonderful languages.

​

​

While describing this quality, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī composes a verse which describes a statement that Kundavallī speaks to Śrī Rādhā:

​

​

(Meter: Mālinī)

vraja-yuvatiṣu śauriḥ śaurasenīṁ surendre

praṇata-śirasi saurīṁ bhāratīm ātanoti

ahaha paśuṣu kīreṣv apy apabhraṁsa-rūpāṁ

katham ajani vidagdhaḥ sarva-bhāṣāvalīṣu

​

​

Translation: Among the damsels of Vraja, he speaks the Śaurasenī language ;

​

With Indra who has his head bowed down, he elaborates his speech in Bhāratī (Sanskrit) ;

​

Amongst animals and birds like parrots, he speaks Apabhraṁśa.

​

It's amazing! How did our Krishna become such an expert in all these various languages?

​

— (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhuḥ 2.1.66)

​

---

​

Thus, it is incorrect to say that the current version of Brajabhāṣā is the eternal language of the cowherd associates of Krishna. All languages (including the current version of Brajabhāṣā) are obviously understood by Krishna, and he also appreciates poetry written in all these languages. However, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī clearly indicates that the actual language spoken by the Vrajavāsī associates of Krishna is an ancient one named Śaurasenī. The Brajabhāṣā spoken nowadays is a modern modification of the ancient Śaurasenī.

​

​

— (Hari Pārṣada Dāsa. 06-November-2023).

O Mind! Take Shelter of Śrī-Rūpa's Path

 

 

 

 

 

~ O Mind! Take Shelter of Śrī-Rūpa's Path ~

​

​

(A New Composition)

​

​

यद्रागानुगवर्त्म विद्धि तदिदं गुह्यातिगुह्यं तथा

श्रीरूपाङ्घ्रिनखेन्दुनिःसृतलसज्ज्योत्स्नैकविद्योतितम् ।

संस्थाशिष्यधनप्रसिद्धिजनितान् हित्वा सदाडम्बरां-

स्त्वं मङ्क्षु श्रय वर्त्म तन्मम मनः श्रीगौरभक्तप्रियम् ॥ [शार्दूलविक्रीडितम्]

​

​

हिन्दी भावार्थ :— यह जो रागानुगा भक्ति का पथ है, उसे तुम गुह्य से भी अतिगुह्य जानो । यह पथ श्री रूप गोस्वामी के पदनखों की चन्द्रिका द्वारा ही प्रकाशित होता है । अतएव हे मन ! संस्था, शिष्य, धन, प्रसिद्धि से उत्पन्न समस्त आडम्बरों को त्यागकर शीघ्रातिशीघ्र इस पथ का आश्रय ग्रहण करो, क्योंकि यह पथ श्री चैतन्य महाप्रभु के भक्तों को अतिशय प्रिय है । — (हरिपार्षददासः)

​

​

[Meter: śārdūla-vikrīḍitam (sing like ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭakam)]:

​

yad rāgānuga-vartma viddhi tad idaṁ guhyātiguhyaṁ tathā

śrī-rūpāṅghri-nakhendu-niḥsṛta-lasaj-jyotsnaika-vidyotitam

saṁsthā-śiṣya-dhana-prasiddhi-janitān hitvā sadāḍambarāṁs

tvaṁ maṅkṣu śraya vartma tan mama manaḥ śrī-gaura-bhakta-priyam

​

​

Translation: Please know that the path of Rāgānugā Bhakti is a most confidential one, being illuminated exclusively by the brilliant moonlight emanating from the moon-like toenails of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī. O Mind! Giving up all fraudulent displays of vanity born out of institutions, disciples, wealth and fame, kindly take immediate shelter of this path which is dear to the devotees of Śrī Gaura.

​

​

— (Composed and Translated by Hari Pārṣada Dāsa. 02-November-2023)

Bi-Consonantal Glorification

 

~ Bi-Consonantal Glorification ~

​

​

A Sanskrit Verse glorifying the paramparā of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. The specialty of this verse is that it has been composed by using only two consonants — र् (r) and प् (p). The other syllables are vowels, anusvāra (nasal syllables) and visarga (aspirate syllables). These two consonants र् (r) and प् (p), are the ones which form the term — rūpa, and thus in glorification of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, the verse has been composed using only these two consonants.

​

​

 

 

 

 

पुरुपारापाररूपां पापारेः पुरपप्रपाम् ।

पुररिपोरपि परां रप रूपपरंपराम् ॥ [ अनुष्टुप् ]

​

​

व्याख्या :— रूपपरंपरां श्रीरूपगोस्वामिनः परंपरां रप (कीर्तय) इत्यन्वयः । रप व्यक्तायां वाचि इत्यस्य परस्मैपदिनो धातोः लोटि रूपम् । कीदृशीं परंपराम् ? पुरुपारापारो विस्तृतभक्तिसमुद्र इव रूपं यस्यास्ताम् । तथा च या पापारेः ( = अघारेः = श्रीकृष्णस्य) पुरपाणां प्राणानां प्रपा इव तुष्टिदायिनी ताम् । पुरं देहं पाति रक्षतीति पुरपः प्राणः । तथा च या पुररिपोः त्रिपुरारेः श्रीशिवस्यापि परा ( = पूजनीया) ताम् ।

​

​

puru-pārāpāra-rūpāṁ

pāpāreḥ purapa-prapām

pura-ripor api parāṁ

rapa rūpa-paraṁparām

​

​

Sanskrit Explanation: rūpa-paraṁparāṁ śrī-rūpa-gosvāminaḥ paraṁparāṁ rapa ( = kīrtaya) ity anvayaḥ | rapa vyaktāyāṁ vāci ity asya parasmaipadino dhātoḥ loṭi rūpam | kīdṛśīṁ paraṁparām ? puru-pārāpāro vistṛta-bhakti-samudra iva rūpaṁ yasyās tām | tathā ca yā pāpārer ( = aghāreḥ = śrī-kṛṣṇasya) purapāṇāṁ prāṇānāṁ prapā iva tuṣṭi-dāyinī tām | puraṁ dehaṁ pāti rakṣatīti purapaḥ prāṇaḥ | tathā ca yā pura-ripoḥ tripurāreḥ śrī-śivasyāpi parā ( = pūjanīyā) tām |

​

​

English Translation: Glorify this paraṁparā of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, which resembles a vast devotional ocean, which is like a fresh water supply that refreshes the life-airs of Śrī Krishna — the destroyer of all sinful reactions, and which is worshipable even for Śrī Śiva — the enemy of Tripura.

​

​

— (Composition, Commentary and Translation by Hari Pārṣada Dāsa. 11 Oct 2023).

The Pinnacle of Elegant Love

 

~ The Pinnacle of Elegant Love ~​

​

 

 

 

यदमितरसशास्त्रे व्याञ्जि वैदग्ध्यवृन्दं

तदणुमपि न वेत्तुं कल्पते कामिलोकः ।

तदखिलमपि यस्य प्रेमसिन्धौ न किञ्चि-

न्मिथुनमजितगोपीरूपमेतद्विभाति ॥मालिनी॥

​

​

[Meter: Mālinī (Sing like govardhana-vāsa-prārthanā-daśakam)]:

​

yad amita-rasa-śāstre vyāñji vaidagdhya-vṛndaṁ

tad aṇum api na vettuṁ kalpate kāmi-lokaḥ

tad akhilam api yasya prema-sindhau na kiñcin

mithunam ajita-gopī-rūpam etad vibhāti

​

​

Hindi: अपार रसशास्त्र में कवियों नें जिस चतुराई से रसवैचित्री की विवेचना की है, कामी लोग उसका लेशमात्र भी जानने मे समर्थ नही हैं । अब वह समूचा रसशास्त्र भी जिनके प्रेमसमुद्र के सामने अतिशय छोटा प्रतीत होता है, वह राधा-कृष्ण का युगलस्वरूप अतिशय शोभायमान हो रहा है ।

— (गोपालचम्पूः, पूर्व, २४/१०४)

​

​

English Translation: In the limitless expanse of rasa literature, an enormous variety of romantic expertise has been expressed by the great poets. The typical lusty person cannot grasp even a tiny atom of that vast expertise.

​

Now, all that romantic expertise of rasa literature becomes absolutely insignificant in comparison to the ocean of prema of a particular divine couple. That couple having the eternal form of Rādhā-Krishna appears to be the most splendid [in the entirety of creation].

​

— (Gopāla-campūḥ, Pūrva, 24.104. Translated by Hari Pārṣada Dāsa)

Why Krishna and Balaram Selected A Śaiva Guru

 

 

According to the Gopāla-campūḥ (Uttara, 8th Pūraṇa), Sāndīpani Muni was a Śaiva (worshipper of Bhagavān Śiva). Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī says that Krishna and Balarāma had the following thought before they selected a guru —

​

​

yaḥ śabde brahmaṇi niṣṇātaṁ śaivaś ca bhavati, sa eva puru-guru-kartavyaḥ

​

​

Translation: [Krishna and Balarāma thought] — "Thus, someone who is expert in śabda-brahma (Vedas) and one who is a Śaiva should be selected as our revered guru" (End of Translation)

​

​

The Gopāla-campūḥ further describes that they did not want to select a vaiṣṇava such as Śrī Vyāsadeva as a guru because a vaiṣṇava would understand the position of Krishna and Balarāma and hence would be unable to act in the position of a guru. Thus, a Śaiva staying in Ujjain (the abode of Śiva), was selected in the form of Sāndīpani Muni.

​

​

— (Hari Pārṣada Dāsa. 16 Sep 2023)

A Beautiful Example of Nāmābhāsa

 

 

 

~ A Beautiful Example of Nāmābhāsa ~

​

​

वने चरामो वसु चाहरामो नदींस्तरामो न भयं स्मरामः ।

इतीरयन्तोऽपि वने किराता मुक्तिं गता रामपदानुषङ्गात् ॥उपजाति॥

​

​

[Meter — upajāti (Sing like gurv-aṣṭakam)]:

​

vane carāmo vasu cāharāmo

nadīṁs tarāmo na bhayaṁ smarāmaḥ

itīrayanto'pi vane kirātā

muktiṁ gatā rāma-padānuṣaṅgāt

​

​

Translation: In great fervour, the dacoits in the forest sung raucously :—

​

vane carāmaḥ — We roam in the forests.

​

vasu cāharāmaḥ — We loot wealth.

​

nadīṁs tarāmaḥ — We effortlessly cross rivers.

​

na bhayaṁ smarāmaḥ — We know no fear.

​

Thus, even the forest-dwelling dacoits attained liberation by their constant contact with the name — "Rāma".

​

​

— (Verse attributed to Rāma-candrāṣṭaka-stotram of Amara-dāsa. Translated by Hari Pārṣada Dāsa.)