(from Sharanagati)

Text One

ohe!
vaishnaba thakura, doyara sagara,
e dase koruna kori’
diya pada-chaya, shodho he amaya,
tomara carana dhori

SYNONYMS

ohe! vaishnava thakura—O venerable Vaishnava!; doyara sagara—O ocean of mercy!; e dase—to me, your servant; koruna kori’—be merciful; diya pada-chaya—giving the shade of your lotus feet; shodho he amaya—O purify me!; tomara carana—your feet; dhori—I humbly hold.

TRANSLATION

O venerable Vaishnava, O ocean of mercy, be merciful unto your servant. Give me the shade of your lotus feet and purify me. I hold on to your lotus feet.

Text Two

chaya bega domi’, chaya dosha shodhi’
chaya guna deho’ dase
chaya sat-sanga, deho’ he amare
boshechi sangera ashe

SYNONYMS

chaya vega—the six urges; domi’—controlling; chaya dosha—the six faults; shodhi’—purifying; chaya guna—the six good qualities; deho’ dase—please give to your servant; chaya sat-sanga—the six kinds of holy association; deho’ he amare—O give me!; bosechi—I have sat down here; sangera—of having your company; ashe—in the hope.

TRANSLATION

Teach me to control my six passions*; rectify my six faults, bestow upon me the six qualities, and offer unto me the six kinds of holy association.

Text Three

ekaki amara, nahi paya bala
hari-nama-sankirtane
tumi kripa kori’, shraddha-bindu diya
deho’ krishna-nama-dhane

SYNONYMS

ekaki—alone; amara—my; nahi paya bala—have no strength; hari-nama-sankirtane—to chant the holy name of Lord Hari; tumi—you; kripa kori’—being merciful; shraddha-bindu—a particle of faith; diya—bestowing; deho’—please give; krishna-nama-dhane—the great treasure of the holy name of Krishna.

TRANSLATION

I do not find the strength to carry on alone the sankirtana of the holy name of Hari. Please bless me by giving me just one drop of faith with which to obtain the great treasure of the holy name of Krishna.

Text Four

krishna se tomara, krishna dite paro
tomara shakati ache
ami to’ kangala, ’krishna’ 'krishna’ boli’
dhai tava pache pache

SYNONYMS

krishna se—that Krishna; tomara—is yours; krishna dite paro—you are able to give Krishna; tomara shakati—your power; ache—is; ami—I; to’—indeed; kangala—am wretched; ‘krishna’ �krishna’ boli’—crying Krishna! Krishna!; dhai—I run; tava pache pache—behind you.

TRANSLATION

Krishna is yours; you have the power to give Him to me. I am simply running behind you shouting, “Krishna! Krishna!”

*The six passions are those pertaining to words, the mind, anger, the tongue, the stomach and the genitals. The six faults are overeating, attachment to material things, inability to follow regulative principles, sense gratification, useless idle talk, and impure habits. The six positive qualities are enthusiasm in practicing devotional service, firm faith in devotional processes, a strong desire to attain prema-bhakti, a favorable service attitude, avoidance of non-devotees, and appreciation of the company of devotees. The six methods of association are to go to an assembly of devotees, to invite devotees into one's home, to discuss and hear devotional topics, to take the maha-prasada of devotees and to offer maha-prasada to devotees.

by Govinda Dasa Kaviraja

Text One

bhajahu re mana shri-nanda-nandana
abhaya-caranaravinda re
durlabha manava-janama sat-sange
taroho e bhava-sindhu re

SYNONYMS

bhajah—just worship; re mana—O mind!; shri-nanda-nandana—of the son of Nanda; abhaya-caranaravinda—the lotus feet which make one fearless; re—O!; durlabha manava-janama—this rare human birth; sat-sange—in the association of saintly persons; taroho—cross over; e bhava-sindhu—this ocean of worldly existence; re—O!

TRANSLATION

O mind, just worship the lotus feet of the son of Nanda, which make one fearless. Having obtained this rare human birth, cross over this ocean of worldly existence through the association of saintly persons.

Text Two

shita atapa bata barishana
e dina jamini jagi re
biphale sevinu kripana durajana
capala sukha-laba lagi’ re

SYNONYMS

shita—the cold; atapa—the heat; bata—the wind; barishana—the rain; e—this; dina—the day; yamini—the night; jagi—I remain sleepless; re—O!; biphale—uselessly; sevinu—I have served; kripana durajana—miserly and wicked men; capala—flickering; sukha-lava—a fraction of happiness; lagi’—for the purpose of; re—O!

TRANSLATION

Day and night I remain sleepless, suffering heat and cold, wind and rain. For a bit of flickering happiness I have vainly served wicked and miserly men.

Text Three

e dhana, yaubana, putra, parijana
ithe ki ache paratiti re
kamala-dala-jala, jivana talamala
bhajahu hari-pada niti re

SYNONYMS

e—this; dhana—wealth; yauvana—youthfulness; putra—sons; parijana—family members; ithe—in these; ki ache—what is it?; paratiti—understanding; re—O!; kamala-dala—on a lotus petal; jala—like a drop of water; jivana—this life; talamala—is tottering; bhajah—you should always worship; hari-pada—the divine feet of Lord Hari; niti—the practice; re—O!

TRANSLATION

What assurance of real happiness is there in all of one’s wealth, youthfulness, sons, and family members? This life is tottering like a drop of water on a lotus petal; therefore you should always serve and worship the divine feet of Lord Hari.

Text Four

shravana, kirtana, smarana, vandana
pada-sevana, dasya re
pujana, sakhi-jana, atma-nivedana
govinda-dasa-abhilasha re

SYNONYMS

shravana—hearing the glories of Lord Hari; kirtana—chanting those glories; smarana—constantly remembering Him; vandana—offering prayers to Him; pada-sevana—serving the Lord’s lotus feet; dasya—serving the Supreme Lord as a servant; re—O!; pujana—worshiping Him with flowers and incense and so forth; sakhi-jana—serving Him as a friend; atma-nivedana—and completely offering the Lord one’s very self; govinda-dasa-abhilasha—(these nine processes of devotion are) the desire and great longing of Govinda dasa; re—O!

TRANSLATION

It is the desire and great longing of Govinda Dasa to engage himself in the nine processes of bhakti, namely hearing the glories of Lord Hari and chanting those glories, constantly remembering Him and offering prayers to Him, serving the Lord’s lotus feet, serving the Supreme Lord as a servant, worshiping Him with flowers and incense and so forth, serving Him as a friend, and completely offering the Lord one’s very self.

Forgetting You

(from Saranagati)

Text One

bhuliya tomare, samsare asiya
peye nana-vidha byatha
tomara carane, asiyachi ami
bolibo duhkehera katha

TRANSLATION

O Lord, forgetting You and coming to this material world, I have experienced a host of sins and sorrows. Now I approach Your lotus feet and submit my tale of woe.

Text Two

janani jathare, chilama jakhona
bishama bandhana-pashe
eka-bara prabhu! dekha diya more
vancile e dina dase

TRANSLATION

While I was bound up tightly in the unbearable confines of my mother’s womb, O Lord, You once revealed Yourself before me. After appearing briefly, You abandoned this poor servant of Yours.

Text Three

takhona bhavinu, janama paiya
koribo bhajana tava
janama hoilo, padi’ maya-jale
na hoilo jnana-lava

TRANSLATION

At that moment I thought, “After my birth this time, I will surely worship You with undivided attention.” But alas, after taking birth I fell into the entangling network of worldly illusions; thus I possessed not even a drop of true knowledge.

Text Four

adarera chele, sva-janera kole
hasiya katanu kala
janaka janani-snehete bhuliya
samsara lagilo bhalo

TRANSLATION

As a dear son fondled in the laps of attentive relatives, I passed my time smiling and laughing. The affection of my father and mother helped me forget You still more, and I began to think that the material world was a very nice place.

Text Five

krame dina dina, balaka hoiya
bhelinu balaka-saha
ara kichu dine, jnana upajilo
patha podi ahar-ahah

TRANSLATION

Day by day I gradually grew into a young boy and began playing with other boys. Soon my powers of understanding emerged, so I diligently studied my school lessons every day.

Text Six

vidyara gaurave, bhrami’ deshe deshe
dhana uparjana kori
sva-jana palana, kori eka-mane
bhulinu tomare, hari!

TRANSLATION

Proud of my accomplished education, I later traveled from place to place and earned much wealth. Thereby maintaining my family with undivided attention, I forgot You, O Lord Hari!

Text Seven

bardhakye ekhona, bhakativinoda
kandiya katara ati
na bhajiya tore, dina britha gelo
ekhona ki have gati?

TRANSLATION

Now in old age, this Bhaktivinoda very sadly weeps as death approaches. I failed to worship You, O Lord, and instead passed my days in vain. What will be my fate now?