GOPALA

1. Maìgaläcaraëa (Obeisances to Oà Viñëupäda Paramahaàsa Parivräjakäcärya Añöottara-çata Çré Çrémad His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda)

Çréla Prabhupäda's lotus feet

I softly touch with my bowed head.

With tears and trembling voice I plead,

"O kind and gentle master, great

mercy always floods your heart.

O master, please now place a drop

of mercy on me. Please pick up,

this weeping soul smarting from mäyä's hurt."

2. Maìgaläcaraëa (Obeisances to Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu)

Three times I circumambulate

Çré Caitanya's form of splendid limbs.

Many graceful prayers and hymns

I chant. With folded palms I humbly wait

for His command.

I bow at His soft feet. I gaze

at His charming, bending, golden form,

graceful, upraised lotus-stalk arms,

and playful, glistening lotus-petal eyes.

I silently stand.

3. Maìgaläcaraëa (Obeisances to Çri Çré Rädhä-Govinda)

Falling to the jewel-paved floor,

I offer my obeisances.

With folded palms I stand before

Rädhä and Kåñëa, Their curling tresses

adorned with many flowers.

With multi-colored songs I sing

the praises of Their jewellike glories.

I tell Their playful pastime stories

Their glance on me is like glistening

nectar monsoon showers.

4. The Thoughts of Kåñëa's Heart

Çré Kåñëa's feet now gently touch

the glistening sand

on the dark Yamunä's beach.

The forest at His side now weaves

a labyrinth of flowers and leaves.

In Kåñëa's hand

a bamboo flute with softest art

now sings the thoughts of Kåñëa's heart,

thoughts like playful nectar waves.

Ananta Çeña, smiling, wise,

with thousand mouths

and thousand glistening lotus eyes

within a thousand Brahmä's days

struggles with many words to say

the glorious truth

of the sweet notes that slip

from the soft and trembling grip

of Kåñëa's breath to dance and play.

5. Placed in the Balance

Upon a trembling ornate scale

was placed a mountain of gold, great jewels,

bright fame, and pleasures chased by fools..

On the other side was placed the smile

that rests in Kåñëa's dancing eyes.

One side fell with a great sound

The people watched with raised eyebrow.

Which side was the heavier now?

Çré Kåñëa's smile was on the ground.

The mountain swayed up in the skies.

6. In the Skies

Together standing in the skies,

adorned with silk, crowns, gold, and jewels,

and faces now with wonder full,

Varuëa with two glistening eyes,

Çré Çiva with three eyes, stern, wise

Brahmä with eight eyes, great pride

filled Indradeva with restless wide-

open thousand eyes, surprise

filled Çré Anantadeva with two

thousand eyes, and a great host

of devas happily watch

as their master with soft blue

lotus limbs and His friends catch

the ball that in the game is tossed.

7. Çré Kåñëa Writes a Letter

Under a speading, leafy, flowering tree

Çré Kåñëa writes a passionate letter to

a gopé beloved, a letter on a blue

new lotus petal. Çré Kåñëa stops to see

what He has written. The graceful colorful lines

that trace the words with flowery poets' art

are like the fragrant gardens in His heart,

gardens where beautful labyrinthine

pathways this and that way wind and wind,

paths where gopé poets glittering wonders find.

8. A Moment's Glance

Çré Kåñëa glances at His gopé friend

His glance meets hers. Now Kåñëacamdra's glance

touches the slender gopé's eyes. With dance

steps He enters beneath her eyebrow arches' bend.

He passes through her eyes' bright moving doors.

He enters now her playful, love-filled heart

that shines with lotus jewels in every part.

He walks along the colorful jewel floor.

Her palace heart is bright with love's sweet light.

Çré Kåñëacandra walks within. Upon

a soft and glorious blossoming lotus throne,

smiling, Kåñëacandra gently sits.

9.

10.

11.