Srila Narottama dasa Thakura's
Sri Prema-bhakti-candrika
(The Moonlight of Loving Devotion)
Table
of Contents
Song
1 sri guru carana padma,
kebala bhakati sadma page 2
Song
2 anya abhilasa chadi, jnana
karma parihari page 4
Song
3 tumi ta dayara sindhu,
adhama janera bandhu page 8
Song
4 ana katha ana byatha, nahi
jena jai tatha page 10
Song
5 ragera bhajana patha, kahi
ebe abhimata page 12
Song
6 jugala carana prati, parama
ananda tati page 14
Song
7 Radha krsna karon dhyana,
swapane na bala page 18
Song
8 bacanera agocara, brndabana
dhama bara page 20
Song
9 ana katha na suniba, ana
katha na baliba page 23
Introduction
1 om ajnana-timirandhasya
jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri-gurava namah
I was born in the darkest of ignorance,
and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.*
2 sri-caitanya-mano bhistam
sthapitam yena bhutale
svayam rupah kada mahyam
dadati sva-padantikam
When will Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada,
who has established within this material world the mission to fulfil the desire
of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet.*
3 akhila-rasamrta-murtih
prasrmara-ruci-ruddha-taraka-palih
kalita-syama-lalito
radha-preyan vidhur
jayati
Let Krsna, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, be glorified! By virtue of His
expanding attractive features, He subjugated the gopis named Taraka and Pali
and absorbed Syama and Lalita. He is the
most attractive lover of Srimati Radharani and is the reservoir of pleasure for
all devotional mellows.*
Song
1
sri-guru-carana-padma, kebala-bhakati-sadma
bando mui sabadhana mate
jahara prasade bhai, ei bhava toriy a jai
krsna-prapti hoy jaha
hate
To the lotus feet of my spiritual master,
which are the abode of pure devotional service, I who am very fallen bow down
with great care and attention in my heart.
O brother, crossing the realm of repeated birth and death by his mercy,
we will attain Krsna.
2 guru-mukha-padma-bakya, cittete koriba aikya,
ar na koriho mane asa
sri-guru-carane rati, ei sei uttam-gati
je prasade pure sarba
asa
I will make the words from my spiritual
master's lotus mouth one with my heart.
I do not want the desire for any other thing to stay in my heart. Love for the spiritual master's lotus feet is
the highest goal. By his mercy all
desires are fulfilled.
3 cakhu-dan dilo jei, janme janme prabhu sei
dibya-jnan hrde
prokasito
prema-bhakti jaha hoite, abidya binasa jate
bede gay jahara carito
He who gave me eyes to see is my lord,
birth after birth. He made divine
knowledge shine in my heart. From him
has come prema-bhakti, which destroys ignorance. The Vedic scriptures sing of
his character.
4 sri-guru karuna-sindhu, adhama janara bandhu
lokanath lokera jibana
ha ha prabhu koro doya, deho mora pada-chaya
ebe jasa ghusuk
tribhuvana
O spiritual master, O ocean of mercy, O
friend of the fallen, O Lokanatha, O life of the world, O master, be merciful
to me. Give me the shade of your
feet. May your glories be proclaimed in
the three worlds.
5 baisnaba-carana-renu bhusana kariya tanu
jaha haite anubhaba haya
marjana haya bhajana sadhu-sange anuksana
ajnana-abidya-parajaya
By making the dust of the Vaisnavas' feet
the ornament of my body, ecstatic love comes.
Washing the Vaisnavas' lotus feet is my method of worship. By always associating with the Vaisnavas, I
shall overcome the darkness of ignorance.
6 jaya sanatana rupa prema-bhakti-rasa-kupa
jugala-ujjwala-rasa-tanu
janhara prasade loka pasarila saba soka
parakatala kalpa-taru
janu
O Srila Sanatana Gosvami and Srila Rupa
Gosvami, who are two deep wells of the nectar of pure love, two
personifications of the splendid nectar of the Divine Couple, and two desire
trees by whose mercy the entire world is free from suffering, all glories to
you!
7 prema-bhakti-riti jata nija-granthe su-byakata
kariyachena dui mahasaya
jahara srabana haite parananda haya cite
jugala-madhura-rasasraya
In your books you two great souls clearly
described prema-bhakti. You are
reservoirs of the sweet nectar of the Divine Couple. Hearing about you brings bliss to the heart.
8 jugala-kisora-prema jini' laksa bana hema
hena dhana prakasila
janra
jaya rupa sanatana deha' more sei dhana
sei ratana mora gela
hara
You are fabulously wealthy, possessing
ecstatic love for the youthful Divine Couple, a love more precious than gold
purified in ten thousand flames. O Rupa
and Sanatana Gosvami, all glories to you!
I beg you, please give me in charity some of these jewel necklaces.
9 bhagabata-sastra-marma naba-bidha bhakti-dharma
sadai kariba su-sebana
anya-devasraya nai tomare kahinu bhai
ei bhakti parama-bhajana
I shall eternally engage in the nine-fold
process of devotional service, which is the essential message of
Srimad-Bhagavatam, and I shall not worship the demigods. O brother, I say to you: Devotional service
is the most exalted kind of worship.
10 sadhu-sastra-guru-bakya cittete kariya aikya
satata bhasiba
prema-majhe
karmi jnani bhakti-hina ihare karibe bhina
narottama ei tattwa gaje
Making the words of the guru, sadhus and
sastras one with my heart, I constantly float and swim in the ocean of pure
love. I am different from the karmis and
jnanis, who have no devotion for Krsna.
Narottama speaks the truth.
Invocation
srimad-rupa-gosvami-prabhupadenoktam
anyabhilasita-sunyam
jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukuleyna krsnanu-
silanam bhaktir uttama
Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada has said
(Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.11)
"Uttama bhakti, or unalloyed
devotion unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, involves the
rendering of devotional service in a way that is favourable to the Lord. This devotional service should be free from
any extraneous motive and devoid of fruitive karma, impersonal jnana and all
other selfish desires."*
1 anya-abhilasa chadi jnana karma parihari
kaya mane kariba bhajana
sadhu-sange krsna-seba na pujiba devi-deva
ei bhakti parama-karana
Rejecting all other desires, and
abandoning philosophical speculation and fruitive work, in the company of the
devotees I will worship and serve Lord Krsna with my body and mind. I will not
worship the demigods and demigoddesses.
Devotional service is the reason for my life.
2 maha janera jei patha tate habe anurata
purbapara kariya bicara
sadhana-smarana-lila ihate na kara hela
kaya mane kariya susara
Devotedly follow the path of the great
devotees in the past. Properly using
your body and mind, don't neglect either the regulative devotional practices or
the remembrance of the Lord's pastimes.
3 asat-sanga sada tyaga chada anya gita-raga
karmi jnani parihari
dure
kebala bhakata-sanga prema-katha-rasa-ranga
lila-katha braja-rasa-pure
Always reject the company of the
impious. Give up attraction to
non-devotional songs. Leave the karmis
and jnanis far away. Only associate with
the devotees. Take pleasure in hearing
the nectar descriptions of pure love for Krsna.
Become flooded by the nectar of the narrations of the Lord's pastimes in
Vraja.
4 jogi nyasi karmi jnani anya-debata-pu jaka dhyani
iha-loke dure parihari
karma dharma duhkha soka jeba thake
anya joga
chadi bhaja
giribara-dhari
Putting the yogis, svamis, karmis,
jnanis, demigod-worshippers, and meditators far away, and rejecting the
torments that are fruitive work, ordinary religion, and the other yogas,
worship Lord Giridhari.
5 tirtha-jatra parisrama kebala manera bhrama
sarba-siddhi
gobinda-carana
drdha-biswasa hrde dhari mada-matsar ja parihari
sada kara ananya bhajana
The struggle to travel to various holy
pilgrimage places is simply the mind's mistake, because to make spiritual
advancement all one actually needs is the lotus feet of Lord Govinda. Abandoning pride and envy, and with firm
faith in your heart, always worship Lord Govinda without deviation.
6 krsna-bhakta sanga kari krsna-bhakta anga heri
sraddhanbita
srabana-kirtana
arcana bandana dhyana naba-bhakti maha-jnana
ei bhakti parama-karana
See the devotees of Lord Krsna, associate
with the devotees of Lord Krsna.
Faithfully engage in the nine-fold process of devotional service, which
includes hearing about the Lord, chanting His glories, worshipping Him,
offering obeisances to Him, and remembering Him. Following these activities enlightens the
devotees with spiritual knowledge.
7 hrsike gobinda-seba na pujiba devi-deva
ei ta
ananya-bhakti-katha
ara jata upalambha bisesa sakali dambha
dekhite lagaye mane
byatha
I shall use these senses to serve Lord
Govinda, and I shall decline to worship the various demigods and
demigoddesses. I shall only speak about
pure devotional service. The numberless
different philosophies and conceptions of life are all products of the
conditioned soul's pride. Trying to
understand them brings no real benefit but only a pain within the mind.
8 dehe baise ripu-gana jateka indriya-gana
keha kara badhya nahi
haya
sunile na suna kana janile na jane prana
drdhaite na pare niscaya
The insubordinate senses are like enemies
that live within the body. Tell the ear
to hear and it may rebel, refusing to hear.
Tell the mind to understand a particular point, or become firm in a
certain way, and it may very well disobey.
9 kama krodha moha lobha mada matsar ja dambha-saha
sthane sthane ni jukta
kariba
ananda kari hrdaya ripu kari parajaya
anayase gobinda bhajiba
I shall fight with lust, anger,
bewilderment, greed, madness, envy and pride.
Defeating them, I will become blissful at heart, and I will easily
become able to worship Lord Govinda.
10 kama krsna-karmarpane krodha bhakta-dwesis-jane
lobha sadhu-sange
hari-katha
moha ista-lablha-bine mada krsna-guna-gane
nijukta kariba jatha
tatha
Lust I will engage in offering the fruits
of my work to Lord Krsna. Anger I will
direct towards the enemies of the devotees.
Greed I will engage by being greedy to hear the topics of Lord Hari in
the association of the saintly devotees.
Bewilderment will be manifested because I cannot immediately attain my
worshipable Lord. Madness will be there
when I madly glorify the transcendental attributes of Lord Krsna. In this way I will engage each of these in
the service of Lord Krsna.
11 anyatha swatanta kama anrthadi jara dhama
bhakti-patha sada deya
bhanga
kiba ba karite pare kama-krodha sadhakere
jadi haya sadhu-janara
sanga
If lust is not controlled, then it
becomes the breeding ground for a host of vices and checks one's advancement on
the path of devotional service. However,
if one stays in the association of the saintly devotees, then that association
will carry him beyond the influence of lust, anger, and their friends.
12 krodha ba na kare kiba krodha-tyaga sada diba
lobha moha ei ta kathana
chaya ripu sada hina kariba manera adhina
krsnacandra kariya
smarana
I shall not become angry. I shall renounce anger. I shall become free from my six enemies, such
as greed and bewilderment. I shall
control my mind, and always remember Lord Krsnacandra.
13 apani palabe saba suniya gobinda raba
simha-raba jena
kari-gana
sakala vipatti jabe mahananda sukha
pabe
jara haya ekanta bhajana
When lust and his friends hear the word
"Govinda" they immediately begin to flee, as a herd of elephants flees
when it hears a lion's roar. If one
engages in single-pointed devotional service to Lord Krsna, then the worshipper
attains transcendental bliss, and all kinds of calamities flee from him.
14 na kariba asat-cesta labha puja pratistha
sada cinta
gobinda-carana
sakala santapa jabe parananda sukha pabe
prema-bhakti
parama-karana
Don't sin. Take no interest in profit, adoration, and
distinction. Instead meditate on the
lotus feet of Lord Govinda. In this way
all sufferings will go far away and transcendental bliss and pure love for Lord
Krsna will spontaneously come.
15 asat-sanga kutinati chada anya paripati
anya debe na hariha rati
apana apana sthane piriti sabai tane
bhakti-pathe padaye
bigati
Give up the association of the impious
non-devotees. Give up the tendency to
find fault in others. Don't follow any
spiritual path other than devotional service.
Don't worship the demigods. If
one takes to the worship of the demigods, he becomes deviated from the path of
devotional service.
16 apana bhajana-pantha taha habe anurata
ista-deva-sthane-lila-gane
naisthika bhajana ei tomare kahila bhai
hanuman tahate pramana
O brother, please become attached to your
worshipable Lord alone. Serve Him
without deviation and sing the glories of His pastimes. I will now quote the words of Hanuman, who demonstrates
this exclusive devotion to one's worshipable Deity. Hanuman said:
17 srinathe janaki-nathe
abhedah paramatmani
tathapi mama sarvasvam
ramah kamala-locanah
Although He is not different from Lord
Narayana, lotus-eyed Lord Rama alone is the be-all and end-all of my life.
18 devaloka pitrloka paya tara maha-sukha
sadhu sadhu bale
anuksana
jugala bhajaye jara premanande bhase tara
tandera nichani
tri-bhubana
If one attains the planets of the
demigods or Pitas and enjoys celestial happiness there, then I congratulate
him, saying: well done, well done. However, I myself would never strive to
attain such a thing. For myself I am
content simply to worship the Divine Couple and swim and float in the bliss of
pure love for Them. This pure love is
the most valuable object in the three worlds.
19 prthak ayasa-joge duhkamaya-bisaya-bhoge
braje basa
gobinda-sebana
krsna-katha krsna-nama satya-satya rasa-dhama
braja-jane-sange
anuksana
Although I have taken great trouble to
try to enjoy the miserable sense-gratification available in this world, I shall
now give it up. I shall now reside in
Vraja, serve Lord Govinda, hear and chant the topics of Lord Krsna, chant the
holy names of Lord Krsna, and at every moment relish the transcendental mellows
of devotional service in the association of the residents of Vraja.
20 sada seba-abhilasa manete kari biswasa
sada-kala haiya nirbhaya
narottama dasa bole padinu asat-bhole
paritrana kara mahasaya
I shall always aspire to serve the Lord,
and great faith in the Lord will become manifested in my mind. In this way I shall remain always fearless in
all situations. Narottama dasa says:
Somehow or other I have accepted the role of a non-devotee. O my master,
O great soul, please deliver me.
1 tumi ta dayara sindhu adhama-janera bandhu
more prabhu kara
abadhana
padinu asat-bhole kama-timingile gile
ohe natha kara paritrana
O Lord, You are an ocean of mercy. You are the friend of the fallen souls.
Please notice me. I have become like a
non devotee, swallowed by the timingila fish of lust. O Lord, please protect me.
2 javat janama mora aparadhe hainu bhora
niskapate na bhajinu
toma
tathapi ha tumi gat na chadiha prana-pati
mora sama nahika adhama
In every birth I repeatedly offended
You. In every birth I failed to worship
You sincerely. No one is as fallen as I.
Nevertheless, You are the only goal of my life. O Lord of my life, please do not abandon me.
3 patita-pabana nama ghosana tomara syama
upekhile nahi mora gati
jadi hana aparadhi tathapiha tumi gati
satya satya jena satyira
pati
O Lord, You are known as Patita-pavana,
the deliverer of the fallen, and You are also known as Syamasundara. Please do not ignore my appeal. Even if I am an offender, I think that You
are the real goal of life. That is the
truth.
4 tumi ta parama deba nahi more upekhiba
suna suna pranera iswara
jadi karon aparaadha tathapiha tumi natha
seba diya kara anucara
O Supreme Personality of Godhead, please
do not neglect me. O master of my life,
please hear my words. Even if I have
committed offenses to You, I always think of You as my master. Please allow me to serve You as Your
associate and follower.
5 kame mora hata cita nahi jane ni ja hita
manera na ghuce
durbasana
more natha angikuru tumi bancha-kalpa-taru
karuna dekhuka
sarba-jana
Lust has destroyed my mind. I do not know what is actually beneficial for
me. O Lord, You glance mercifully on all
living entities and You are like a desire tree fulfilling the desires of
everyone. Please accept me as Your
servant.
6 mo-sama patita nai tribhuvane dekha cai
narottama-pavana nama
dhara
ghusuka samsare nama patita-uddhara syama
nija-dasa kara giridhara
O Lord, You will not see anyone in these
three planetary systems who is as fallen as I.
O Lord, please accept the name "Narottama-pavana" (the
deliverer of Narottama), and let that name be broadcast throughout the material
world. O Lord Syamasundara, O lifter of
Govardhana Hill, O deliverer of the fallen, please accept me as Your servant.
7 narottama bada duhkhi natha more kara sukhi
tomara bhajana
sankirtane
antaraya nahi jaya ei sei parama bhaya
nivedana kari anuksana
Narottama dasa is very unhappy. O Lord please engage him in Your sankirtana
movement and thus make him happy. O
Lord, I am very afraid that I will not be able to overcome the many obstacles
that stop every me from advancing in devotional service. O Lord, at every moment I beg You to remove
all those obstacles.
1 ana katha ana byatha nahi jena jai tatha
tomara carana
smrti-majhe
abirata abhikala tuya guna kala-kala
gai jena satera samaje
O Lord, I do not perform the painful
activity of talking about anything other than You, but instead I only talk and
think about Your lotus feet. O Lord, I
constantly and without deviation glorify Your transcendental attributes in the
assembly of devotees.
2 anya-brata anya-dana nahi karon bastu-jnana
anya-seba any-deba-puja
ha ha krsna bali bali bedara ananda kari
mane ara nahe jena duja
I shall not perform any vows not related
to You. I shall not give in charity
except as a service to You. I shall not
acquire knowledge except to serve You. I
shall not worship the demigods. I shall
not serve anyone except You. I shall
blissfully wander about repeatedly calling out: "O Krsna! O Krsna!"
No one but You will stay in my mind.
3 jibane marane gati radha-krsna prana-rati
donhara
piriti-rasa-sukhe
jugala bhajaye janra premanande bhase tanra
ei katha rahu mora buke
During the life of this body and after
its death, Sri Sri Radha-Krsna will always remain my goal, and the two master's
of my life's breath. I worship the
Divine Couple and I swim and float in the nectarean ocean of love for
Them. I pray that the description of
Their forms, qualities, and pastimes may always remain within my heart.
4 jugala-carana-seba ei dana mora diba
jugalete manera piriti
jugala-kisora-rupa kama-rati guna-bhupa
mane bahu o lila-piriti
Please give me the service of the lotus
feet of the Divine Couple. Please give this charity to me. My mind is filled with love for the Divine
Couple, whose youthful forms are like the beautiful forms of King Kamadeva and
his queen Rati.
5 dasanete trna kari ha ha kisora-kisori
caranabje nibedana kari
braja-raja-suta syama brsabhanu-suta nama
sri-radhika-nama
manohari
I place a straw between my teeth, and
place the following appeal before the lotus feet of the Divine Couple: O Sri Sri Kisora-Kisori, O Lord Syamasundara,
O prince of Vraja, O beautiful girl name Sri Radhika, O daughter of Maharaja
Vrsabhanu.....
6 kanaka-ketaki rati syama marakata taya
kandarpa-darapa karu
cura
nata-bara-siromani natinira sikharini
dunhu-gune dunhun-mana
jhura
....O Srimati Radharani, as beautiful as
a golden ketaki flower. O Lord
Syamasundara, as splendid as a blue sapphire, O Lords whose transcendental
glory crushes Kamadeva's pride into fine powder, O two crest-jewels of all
expert dancers, please allow my mind to remain rapt in thinking of Your
transcendental qualities.
7 abharana manimaya prati ange abhinaya
tachu paye narottama
kahe
diba nisi guna gana parama ananda pana
mane ei abhilasa haya
O Lords whose limbs are decorated with
many jewel ornaments, Narottama dasa approaches Your lotus feet and says: My
Lords, I wish that I may attain transcendental bliss by singing the glories of
Your transcendental qualities both day and night. That is my mind's desire.
1 ragera bhajana-patha kahi ebe abhimata
loka-beda-sara ei bani
sakhira anuga hana braje siddha-deha pana
ei bhabe judabe parani
I shall now describe the path of
spontaneous love for Krsna, which is glorified by the exalted devotees and the
Vedic literatures. By traversing this
path of spontaneous love one becomes a follower of the gopis and attains the
perfect spiritual body of a liberated soul.
2-3 sri-radhikara sakhi jata taha ba kahiba kata
mukhya sakhi kariye
ganana
lalita bisakha tatha sucitra campakalata
rangadevi sudevi kathana
tungabidya indurekha ei asta-sakhi lekha
ei kahi narma -sakhi
gana
ihon seba-shacari priya-prestha nama dhari
prema-seba kare anuksana
I shall now describe the most important
of Srimati Radharani's gopi-friends.
Lalita, Visakha, Sucitra, Campakalata, Rangadevi, Sudevi, Tungavidya,
and Indulekha, are the eight most important gopi friends of Srimati Radharani. Her other gopi-friends are divided into
groups: the narma-sakhis, priya-sakhis, and prestha-sakhis. All these gopis constantly render loving
service to Srimati Radharani.
4 sri rupa-manjari ara sri-rati-manjari sara
labanga-manjari manjunali
sri-rasa-manjari-sange kasturika-adi range
prema-seba kare kutuhali
Sri Rupa-manjari, Sri Rati-manjari,
Lavanga-manjari, Manjunali, and Sri Rasa-manjari eagerly and lovingly serve
Srimati Radharani, supplying her musk and various other articles.
5 ei-sabara anuga hana prema-seba niba cana
ingite bhujiba saba kaje
rupa guna dagamagi sada haba anuragi
basati kariba sakhi
majhe
I am the follower of all these
gopis. I shall serve them with great
love. I will completely understand their
orders, even when couched in casual hints or gestures. I shall become immersed in wonder at their
transcendental virtues and beauty, and I shall dearly love them. I shall always remain in their company.
6 brdabane du jana cari-dike cakhi-gana
samayera seba rasa-sukhe
sakhira ingita habe camara dhulaba tabe
tambula jogaba
canda-mukhe
Immersed in the happiness of serving the
Divine Couple surrounded by Their gopi-friends in Vrndavana, I will understand
the gopis' hints, and, taking up the camara wish I will fan the Divine Couple,
and after that I will place betel nuts in Their moonlike mouths.
7 jugala-carana sebi nirantara ei bhabi
anurage thakiba sadaya
sadhane bhabiba jaha siddha-dehe paba taha
raga pathera ei sei
upaya
Someday I will constantly serve the lotus
feet of the Divine Couple with great love.
At present I will follow the rules of sadhana-bhakti until I attain a
perfected spiritual body and am able to love the Divine Couple spontaneously.
8 sadhane je dhana cai siddha-dehe taha pai
pakwa pakwa matra sei
bicara
pakile sei prema-bhakti apakwe sadhana khyati
bhakati-laksana-anusara
That treasure of pure love of God for
which I hanker while I follow the regulative practices of sadhana-bhakti, I
will attain when I have the spiritual body of a liberated soul. Actually sadhana-bhakti and prema-bhakti are
the same devotional service.
Sadhana-bhakti is the stage where love for Krsna has not fully ripened
yet, and prema-bhakti is the same devotion where love for Krsna has reached the
mature, ripened stage. That is the
description of devotional service.
9 narottama dasa kahe ei jena mora haye
braja-pure anurage basa
sakhi-gana-gananate amare ganibe tate
tabahun puriba abhilasa
Narottama dasa says: I hope that I may
attain the stage of spontaneous love for the Divine Couple in the town of
Vraja. I hope that I will be counted
among the gopi-friends of the Divine Couple. O Divine Couple,, in this way I
will be able to serve You and satisfy all Your desires.
10 tatha hi--
sakhinam sangini-rupam
atmanam vasana-mayim
ajna-seva-param tat-tat-
krpalankara-bhusitam
The stage of prema-bhakti is described in
the following statements of Vaisnava literature:
"One should meditate on oneself as
being the maidservant of the gopis, and in this way one will attain their
mercy."
11 krsnam smaran janam casya
prestham nija-samhitam
tat-tat-katha-ratas casau
kuryad vasam vraje sada
"The devotee should always think of
Krsna within himself, and one should choose a very dear devotee who is a
servitor of Krsna in Vrndavana. One
should constantly engage in topics about that servitor and his loving
relationship to Krsna, and one should live in Vrndavana. However, if one is physically unable to go to
Vrndavana, he should mentally live there."*
1 jugala-carana-prati parama-ananda tati
rati-prema hau
para-bandhe
krsna-nama-radha-nama upasana rasa-dhama