Prathama Caitanyäñöaka
“Eight Prayers Glorifying Lord Caitanya (1)”
by Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé
Translated by Çréla Prabhupäda and Kuçakratha däsa
(note: Translations followed by an asterisk are Çréla Prabhupäda’s.)
TEXT 1
sadopäsyaù çrémän dhåta-manuja-käyaiù praëayitäà
vahadbhir gér-bäëair giriça-parameñöhi-prabhåtibhiù
sva-bhaktebhyaù çuddhäà nija-bhajana-mudräm upadiçan
sa caitanyaù kià me punar api dåçor yäsyati padam
sadä—always; upäsyaù—worshipable; çré-män—beautiful; dhåta—who accepted; manuja-käyaiù—the bodies of men; praëayitäm—love; vahadbhiù—who were bearing; gir-bäëaiù—by the demigods; giriça—Lord Çiva; parameñöhi—and Lord Brahmä; prabhåtibhiù—headed by; sva-bhaktebhyaù—unto His own devotees; çuddhäm—pure; nija-bhajana—of His own worship; mudräm—the mark; upadiçan—instructing; sa—that; caitanyaù—Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu; kim—whether; me—my; punaù api—again; dåçoù—of the eyes; yäsyati—will go; padam—in the path.
Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu is always the most worshipable Deity of the demigods, including Lord Çiva and Lord Brahmä, who came in the garb of ordinary men bearing love for Him. He instructs His own pure devotional service to His own devotees. Will He again become visible before the path of my eyes?*
TEXT 2
sureçänäà durgaà gatir atiçayenopaniñadäà
munénäà sarva-svaà praëata-paöalénäà madhurimä
viniryäsaù premëo nikhila-paçu-pälaàbhuja-dåçäm
sa caitanyaù kià me punar api dåçor yäsyati padam
sura-éçänäm—of the kings of the demigods; durgam—the fortress; gatiù—goal; atiçayena—eminently; upaniñadäm—of the Upaniñads; munénäm—of the sages; sarva-svam—the be-all and end-all; praëata-paöalénäm—of the surrendered devotees; madhurimä—the sweetness; viniryäsaù—the essence; premëaù—of love; nikhila—all; paçu-pälä—of the cowherd women; ambuja-dåçäm—lotus-eyed.
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu is the protector of the demigods, the supreme goal of the Upaniñads, the be-all and end-all of the great sages, the beautiful shelter of His devotees, and the essence of the love of the lotus-eyed gopés. Will He again be visible before the path of my eyes?*
TEXT 3
svarüpaà bibhräëo jagad-atulam advaita-dayitaù
prapanna-çréväso janita-paramänanda-garimä
harir dénoddhäré gajapati-kåpotseka-taralaù
sa caitanyaù kià me punar api dåçor yäsyati padam
sva—own; rüpaà—form; bibhräëaù—manifesting; jagat—in the universe; atulam—incomparable; advaita—to Advaita Äcärya; dayitaù—very dear; prapanna—surrendered; çréväso—Çréväsa Paëòita; janita—produced; paramänanda—of Paramänanda Puré; garimä—respect; hariù—Lord Hari (He who destroys the nescience of the material world); déna—the distressed; uddhäré—who delivers; gajapati—on King Pratäparudra; kåpä—mercy; utseka-taralaù—showering.
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu has manifested His own form, which cannot be compared to anything in the material universe. He is very dear to Advaita Äcärya, and Çréväsa Paëòita is surrendered to Him. He is very respectful to Paramänanda Puré. He takes away the ignorance of the material world and delivers the conditioned souls suffering from the threefold miseries. He showered His mercy on Mahäräja Pratäparudra, the king of Orissa. Will He again become visible before the path of my eyes?*
TEXT 4
rasoddämä kämärbuda-madhura-dhämojjvala-tanur
yaténäà uttaàsas taraëikara-vidyoti-vasanaù
hiraëyäëäà lakñmé-bharam abhibhavann äìgika-rucä
sa caitanyaù kià me punar api dåçor yäsyati padam
rasa—by the mellows of devotional service; uddämä—maddened; käma—of Cupids; arbuda—millions; madhura—of the sweetness; dhäma—the abode; ujjvala—effulgent; tanuù—form; yaténäm—of the sannyäsés; uttaàsaù—the crown; taraëi-kara—like sunlight; vidyoti—effulgent; vasanaù—garments; hiraëyäëäm—of gold; lakñmé-bharam—all the beauty; abhibhavann—eclipsing; äìgika—of His form; rucä—with the splendor.
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu becomes maddened by tasting the mellows of devotional service. His effulgent form is the abode of sweetness for millions of Cupids, and He is the crest jewel of sannyäsés. His garments display the effulgence of the sun, and the splendor of His body eclipses the beauty of gold. Will He again become visible before the path of my eyes?
TEXT 5
hare kåñëety-uccaiù sphurita-rasano näma-gaëanä-
kåta-granthi-çreëé-subhaga-kaöi-sütrojjvala-karaù
viçäläkño dérghärgala-yugala-kheläïcita-bhujaù
sa caitanyaù kià me punar api dåçor yäsyati padam
hare kåñëa iti—the Hare Kåñëa mantra; uccaiù—loudly; sphurita—dancing; rasanaù—on the tongue; näma—of names; gaëanä—for counting; kåta—prepared; granthi—of knots; çreëé—series; subhaga—beautiful; kaöi-sütra—string; ujjvala—splendid; karaù—hand; viçäla—large; akñaù—eyes; dérgha—long; argala—beams; yugala—pair; khelä—with pastimes; aïcita—bent; bhujaù—arms.
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu chants the Hare Kåñëa mantra in a loud voice, the holy name dancing on His tongue as He counts the number of recitations on a beautiful knotted string held in His effulgent hand. His eyes are large, and His long arms, bending as He performs His pastimes, reach down to His knees. Will He again become visible before the path of my eyes?
TEXT 6
payoräçes tére sphurad-upavanäli-kalanayä
muhur våndäraëya-smaraëa-janita-prema-vivaçaù
kvacit kåñëävåtti-pracala-rasano bhakti-rasikaù
sa caitanyaù kià me punar api dåçor yäsyati padam
payaù-räçeù—of the sea; tére—on the beach; sphurat—beautiful; upavana—of gardens; äli—rows; kalanayä—by seeing; muhuù—constantly; våndäraëya—the forest of Våndävana; smaraëa-janita—by remembering; prema-vivaçaù—being overwhelmed by ecstatic love of Kåñëa; kvacit—sometimes; kåñëa—of the holy name of Kåñëa; ävåtti--pracala—busily engaged; rasanaù—whose tongue; bhakti-rasikaù—expert in devotional service.
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu is the topmost of all devotees. Sometimes, while walking on the beach, He would see a beautiful garden nearby and mistake it for the forest of Våndävana. He would thus be completely overwhelmed by ecstatic love of Kåñëa and begin to chant the holy name and dance. His tongue worked incessantly as He chanted “Kåñëa! Kåñëa!” Will He again become visible before the path of my eyes?*
TEXT 7
rathärüòhasyäräd adhipadavi-néläcala-pater
adabhra-premormi-sphurita-naöanolläsa-vivaçaù
sa-harñaà gäyadbhiù parivåta-tanur vaiñëava-janaiù
sa caitanyaù kià me punar api dåçor yäsyati padam
ratha-ärüòhasya—of the Supreme Lord, who was placed aboard the chariot; ärät—in front; adhipadavé—on the main road; néläcala-pateù—of Lord Jagannätha, the Lord of Néläcala; adabhra—great; prema-ürmi—by waves of love of God; sphurita; which was manifested; naöana-ulläsa—by the transcendental bliss of dancing; vivaçaù—being overwhelmed; sa-harñam—with great pleasure; gäyadbhiù—who were singing; parivåta—surrounded; tanuù—His body; vaiñëava-janaiù—by the devotees.
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu danced down the main road in great ecstasy before Lord Jagannätha, the master of Néläcala, who was sitting on His car. Overwhelmed by the transcendental bliss of dancing, and surrounded by the Vaiñëavas who sang the holy names, He manifested waves of ecstatic love of Godhead. Will He again become visible before the path of my eyes?
TEXT 8
bhuvaà siïcann açru-çrutibhir abhitaù sändra-pulakaiù
parétäìgo népa-stabaka-nava-kiïjalka-jayibhiù
ghana-sveda-stoma-stimita-tanur utkértana-sukhé
sa caitanyaù kià me punar api dåçor yäsyati padam
bhuvam—the earth; siïcan—sprinkling; açru—of tears; çrutibhiù—with showers; abhitaù—everywhere; sändra—full; pulakaiù—hairs standing erect; paréta—filled; aìgaù—the body; népa—of the kadabma tree; stabaka—clusters of blossoms; nava—fresh; kiïjalka—filaments; jayibhiù—glorious; ghana—full; sveda—perspiration; stoma—with much; stimita—moistened; tanuù—body; utkértana—by loud chanting; sukhé—the happiness.
Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu became joyful during the loud chanting of the holy names, and he sprinkled the earth with showers of tears. All the hairs of His body, standing on end, appeared like beautiful filaments of fresh kadamba blossoms, and His body glistened with profuse perspiration. Will he again become visible before the path of my eyes?
TEXT 9
adhéte gauräìga-smaraëa-padavé maìgalataraà
kåté yo viçrambha-sphurad-amala-dhér añöakam idam
paränande sadyas tad-amala-padämbhoja-yugale
parisphärä tasya sphuratu nitaräà prema-laharé
adhéte—reads; gauräìga—of Lord Caitanya; smaraëa—meditation; padavé—path; maìgalataraà—most auspicious; kåté—a pious person; yaù—who; viçrambha—with faith; sphurad—shining; amala—pure; dhéù—intelligence; añöakam—eight verses; idam—this; paränande—in transcendental bliss; sadyaù—at once; tat—of Him; amala—splendid; padämbhoja—lotus feet; yugale—pair; parisphärä—great; tasya—of him; sphuratu—may be manifested; nitaräà—at every moment; prema—of pure love; laharé—the waves.
May the great ocean full of waves of pure love for the two white lotus flowers of the feet of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu become immediately manifested at every moment to whatever pious person reads these eight most auspicious verses, his pure intelligence shining with faith as he meditates on Lord Gauräìga.