Greatest of All

 

 

~ The Greatest of All ~

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भूमावस्ति महत्तमो हिमगिरिर्मेरुश्च तस्मान्महान्

ब्रह्माण्डं च बृहत्ततोऽपि तदपि श्रीविष्णुरोम्णि स्थितम् ।

सोऽसौ शक्तिवृतश्च तास्तु सकलाः श्रीराधिकाधःस्थिता

राधा यद्धृदि सा सदास्ति परमः स श्रीलरूपप्रभुः ॥ [शार्दूलविक्रीडितम्]

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[Meter — śārdūla-vikrīḍitam (same as ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭakam)]:

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bhūmāv asti mahattamo himagirir meruś ca tasmān mahān

brahmāṇḍaṁ ca bṛhat tato'pi tad api śrī-viṣṇu-romṇi sthitam

so'sau śakti-vṛtaś ca tās tu sakalāḥ śrī-rādhikādhaḥ-sthitā

rādhā yad-dhṛdi sā sadāsti paramaḥ sa śrīla-rūpa-prabhuḥ

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English Translation: On the surface of the earth, the greatest entity is the Himalaya Mountain.

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However, Mount Meru is greater than the Himalayas.

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The universe however, is greater even than the Meru Mountain.

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However, that universe is also a small particle situated in one of the pores of Śrī Viṣṇu (thus, Śrī Viṣṇu is greater than the universe).

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That Viṣṇu however, is surrounded in all directions by his divine potencies (thus, these potencies are greater than him).

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Those potencies however are situated below Śrī Rādhikā (thus, she is greater than all other potencies of Viṣṇu).

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However, that personality in whose heart Śrī Rādhā stays forever — that Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī is the greatest of all.

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Hindi Translation (हिन्दी अनुवाद) : इस पृथ्वी पर सबसे विशाल है हिमालय ; किन्तु उस हिमालय से भी विशाल है मेरु पर्वत । मेरु से भी विशाल है यह ब्रह्माण्ड ; किन्तु ब्रह्माण्ड तो श्रीविष्णु के एक छोटे से रोम में स्थित है (अतः श्रीविष्णु ब्रह्माण्ड से बड़े हैं) । श्रीविष्णु भी अपनी अन्तरंगा शक्तियों से सदा आवृत रहते हैं (अतएव उनकी शक्तियां उनसे श्रेष्ठ हैं), किन्तु वे सभी शक्तियां श्री राधिका के अधीन होकर स्थित हैं (अतएव श्रीराधा उन समस्त शक्तियों से श्रेष्ठ हैं) । अब वह श्रीराधा भी जिनके हृदयक्षेत्र में सदा निवास करती हैं, वे श्री रूप गोस्वामी सर्वश्रेष्ठ हैं ।

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— (Composed and Translated by Hari Pārṣada Dāsa on Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī's disappearance day. 28 August 2023).

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PS: Click the following link to hear an audio recitation of the verse by my dear godbrother Amarendra Prabhu : http://sndup.net/s9fw