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

An Example of Mixed Languages in the Same Verse

 

 

~ संकीर्णा जाति का उदहारण ~

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~ (An example of mixed languages in the same verse) ~

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यह पद्य शार्दूलविक्रीडितम् छन्द में रचित है । संकीर्णा जाति के पद्यों में एक से अधिक भाषाओँ का मिश्रण होता है । इस पद्य में संस्कृत तथा हिन्दी भाषा का मिश्रण है । प्रत्येक चरण में सर्वप्रथम संस्कृत शब्द हैं, और तत्पश्चात् हिन्दी शब्द । पद्य में किसी साधक को श्रीराधाकृष्ण के प्रथम दर्शन होने के अनुभव का वर्णन किया गया है :—

 

 

घ्रात्वा कस्तुरिकामिह व्रजवने / मैं स्तब्ध सा था खडा

श्रुत्वा वेणुरवं तदन्वतिमुदा / मैं ज़ोर से रो पडा ।

दृष्ट्वा त्वां तदनु श्रिया सह हरिं / निश्चेष्ट मैं हो गया

चित्तव्याध ! कुपाश एव तव मे / सर्वस्व ही खो गया ॥ [शार्दूलविक्रीडितम्]

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हिन्दी भावार्थ :—

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- श्री वृन्दावन में अचानक कस्तूरी की सुगंध को पाकर मैं स्तब्ध सा खड़ा रह गया ।

- तत्पश्चात् वेणु के मधुर नाद को सुनकर अतिशय आनन्दित होकर मैं ज़ोर से रो पड़ा ।

- हे हरि ! तत्पश्चात् आपको श्रीराधा सहित साक्षात् देखकर मैं बेहोश ही हो गया ।

- हे चित्त के व्याध (शिकारी) ! तुम्हारे द्वारा रचित इस भयंकर जाल में मेरा सर्वस्व ही खो गया ।

— (हरिपार्षद दास , १८ अगस्त २०२३)​

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This verse is in the meter śārdūla-vikrīḍitam (Same tune as ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭakam). The first part of each line is in Sanskrit and the second part is in Hindi. This verse describes the situation of an individual who is getting a complete darśana of Krishna for the first time:

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ghrātvā kasturikām iha vraja-vane / maiṁ stabdha sā thā khaḍā

śrutvā veṇu-ravaṁ tad-anv ati-mudā / maiṁ zora se ro paḍā

dṛṣṭvā tvāṁ tad-anu śriyā saha hariṁ / niśceṣṭa maiṁ ho gayā

citta-vyādha kupāśa eva tava me / sarvasva hī kho gayā

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English Translation:

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- Upon experiencing the aroma of deer-musk in Vraja, I stood absolutely stunned.

- Thereafter, hearing the sweet sound of the flute, I started crying out in great joy.

- Thereafter, O Hari! Seeing you directly along with Śrī Rādhā, I lost all external consciousness.

- O heartless hunter of the heart! In this dreaded trap laid by you, I ended up losing everything.

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— (Composed and Translated by Hari Pārṣada Dāsa. 18 August 2023)

 

Glorification of Srila Rupa Goswami

 

 

रत्नाकराद् येन सुधाल्पकुम्भ आविष्कृतः सोऽस्तु महान् रमेशः ।

यस्त्वत्र पीयूषरसाब्धिकर्ता स श्रीलरूपोऽस्ति ममेष्टदेवः ॥ [इन्द्रवज्रा]

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[Meter: Indravajrā (Sing like gurvaṣṭakam)]

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ratnākarād yena sudhālpa-kumbha

āviṣkṛtaḥ so'stu mahān rameśaḥ

yas tv atra pīyūṣa-rasābdhi-kartā

sa śrīla-rūpo'sti mameṣṭa-devaḥ

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Translation: The Supreme Lord [Śrī Dhanvantari] — the husband of Lakṣmī who extracted a small jar of nectar from the large ocean, may certainly be great. However, that personality who ended up creating an entire ocean of nectarean rasa (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhuḥ) in this world — that personality named Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, is certainly my most worshipable deity.

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

Karma Destroyed - Composition

 

 

 

 

प्रारब्धं क्रियमाणं च भक्तानां कर्म सञ्चितम् ।

यत्कृपातो लयं यान्ति स कृष्णः शरणं मम ॥

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prārabdhaṁ kriyamāṇaṁ ca

bhaktānāṁ karma sañcitam

yat-kṛpāto layaṁ yānti

sa kṛṣṇaḥ śaraṇaṁ mama

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Translation: By whose mercy, the varieties of prārabdha-karma, kriyamāṇa-karma and sañcita-karma of the devotees are totally destroyed — that Śrī Krishna is my exclusive refuge.

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— (Composed and Translated by Hari Pārṣada Dāsa. 24 July 2023.)

Initial Letters R U P A

 

रसस्योर्ज्जितभक्तेश्च प्रेम्णश्चैवामृतस्य च ।

आद्यवर्णान् समाहृत्य रूपं चक्रे हरिः स्वयम् ॥

rasasyorjjita-bhakteś ca

premṇaś caivāmṛtasya ca

ādya-varṇān samāhṛtya

rūpaṁ cakre hariḥ svayam

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Translation: Taking the initial letters:

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— "R" from Rasa (Joyous Mellows);

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— "Ū" from Ūrjjita-bhakti (Glorious Devotion);

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— "P" from Prema (Love of Godhead); and

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— "A" from Amṛta (Nectar)

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and combining these letters, Śrī Hari himself manifested — "Rūpa" .

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— (Composed by Hari Pārṣada Dāsa. 11 July 2023)

Blissful Trickery

 

Blissful Trickery

[A song in barāḍi-rāga composed by Śrī Harivallabha Dāsa a.k.a. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura]​

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[Intro: Śrī Rādhā is afraid of getting out of her home at night, because the transcendental trickster Krishna may trouble her. Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura in his perfected body as her sakhi speaks reassuring words to her as follows.]

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কাহে ডরসি ধনি! চলু হাম সঙ্গ ।

মাধব নাহি পরশিব তুযা অঙ্গ ॥

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kāhe ḍarasi dhani! calu hāma saṅga |

mādhava nāhi paraśiba tuyā aṅga ||

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O Dhani (Rādhā)! Why are you afraid? Come with me. Do not worry! That Mādhava will never ever be able to touch any part of your body.

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[Note: This is merely a trick. Śrī Rādhā innocently believes this sakhi, and the sakhi takes her deep within the forest. Now that Śrī Rādhā is in the forest, this sakhi starts saying something else.]

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এ রজনী ফুল-কানন-মাঝ ।

কো এক ফিরত সাজি বহু সাজ ॥

কুসুমকো ঘোর ধনুক ধরি পানি ।

মারত শর বালাজন জানি ॥

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e rajanī phula-kānana-mājha |

ko eka phirata sāji bahu sāja ||

kusumako ghora dhanuka dhari pāni |

mārata śara, bālā-jana jāni ||

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Sakhi! Please be aware. In this dense, flowery forest, an unknown dangerous person roams around, fully decorated with weapons. He carries a deadly flower bow in his hands, and as soon as he sees an innocent girl, he mercilessly shoots her down with his arrows.

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[Note: Śrī Rādhā's anxiety is increasing. In desperation, she asks this sakhi what to do. The sakhi now advises her as follows.]

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অত এ চলহ সখি! ভিতর কুঞ্জ ।

যহি হরি রহত মহাবল পুঞ্জ ॥

এত কহি আনল ধনী হরিপাশ ।

পূরল বল্লভসুখ অভিলাষ ॥

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ata e calaha sakhi! bhitara kuñja |

yahi hari rahata , mahābala puñja ||

eta kahi, ānala dhanī, hari-pāśa |

pūrala vallabha-sukha abhilāṣa ||

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"Therefore O Sakhi! Please come with me inside this Kuñja, where a particular Hari [= Lion (hidden meaning: Krishna) ] stays. This Hari is a storehouse of great strength [and thus, you will be safe from the hunter who targets innocent girls]".

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Saying this, Dhani (Rādhā) was taken near Hari. In this way, the blissful desire of Vallabha (Harivallabha Dāsa a.k.a. Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartī) was finally fulfilled.

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— Song taken from Kṣaṇadā-gīta-cintāmaṇi. Translated by Hari Pārṣada Dāsa. 01-May-2023.

Enigmatic Repetitions

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A newly composed verse in glorification of Śrī Rādhā. This verse employs the alaṅkāra (poetic ornament/figure of speech) named — Lāṭa-anuprāsa. In this poetic ornament, an entire sentence is repeated, each repetition having a different meaning. The verse is as follows:

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महानर्थो महानर्थो राधिकाऽज्ञानतो भवेत् ।

महानर्थो महानर्थो राधिकाज्ञानतो भवेत् ॥

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mahānartho mahānartho

rādhikā'jñānato bhavet

mahānartho mahānartho

rādhikājñānato bhavet

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Translation:

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By exhibiting rādhikājñāna (rādhikā + ajñāna i.e. ignorance regarding Śrī-Rādhā), a mahānarthaḥ (mahān + arthaḥ — great fortune) turns into mahānarthaḥ (mahā + anarthaḥ — great misfortune).

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Similarly, by exhibiting rādhikājñāna (rādhikā + jñāna i.e. knowledge pertaining to Śrī-Rādhā), a mahānarthaḥ (mahā + anarthaḥ — great misfortune) turns into mahānarthaḥ (mahān + arthaḥ — great fortune).

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— Composed and Translated by Hari Pārṣada Dāsa. 20 March 2023.