Ananda Sambada

Sri Gauranga Bhagavat

The Gauranga Bhagavat was written in the Oriya language by Bhagavan das, and follows Krishnadas Kaviraj's Sri Caitanya caritamrta. There are three chapters altogether. The first and third chapters are short, the second chapter has four times the amount of verses as the first chapter. Here are a few verses from chapter one, as translated by Sri Jagannath Misra das prabhu, whose translation is from the Gauranga Bhagavat as it appeared in Sripad Fakir Mohan Das prabhu's periodical, 'Harisankirtan'.

vande-navadwipa-pati

ati-patita-jana-gati (1)

nama-sri-krusna-caitanya

jekale-tribhuvana-dhanya (2)

My salutations to Sri Krsna Caitanya, the Lord of Navadwipa, whose appearance blessed the three worlds and who is the refuge of the utterly fallen.

namai-padmavati-suta

sri-nityananda-avadhuta (3)

mui-ta-adhama-duracara

tume-gaile-premasara (4)

Unto the son of Padmavati, the avadhuta Sri Nityananda, I offer my respects. Although I am wretched and wicked, yet I will sing of he who is the very essence of prema.

advaitacarya-carane

asesa-nati-anuksane (5)

se-prabhu-nija-premabale

krusna-anile-mahitale (6)

At each and every moment I tender countless pranams to Advaitacarya, the power of this Prabhu’s prema caused Krsna to appear on earth.

srivas-panditadigana

carane-e-mora-sarana (7)

jehumanaka-krupalesa

harai-tini-tapa-klesa (8)

May the feet of Srivasa Pandita and all his contemporaries grant me protection. A mere drop of their clemency steals away the three miseries.

srivrindavane-yogapithe

kalapa-vruksara-nikathe (35)

govindadevanka-vijaye

jara-darasane-pranicaye (36)

labhanti-parama-padabi

bhabadabare-nohi-dabi (37)

divya-vasana-alankara

tinibhuvana-madhye-sara (38)

mahamahisa-seva-paye

madhyer-srigovindaraye (39)

dui-parase-thakurani

radha-lalita-dui-jani (40)

dhupa-pradipa-naivedya

pavitra-seva-niravadya (41)

pratyaksa-vrajendrananda

je-rupa-mohai-madana (42)

Sri Govinda Deva appeared within a yogapita in Sri Vrindavana that rests beside the finest wish fulfilling tree. Multitudes of people gather for his darasan, attaining which they are then highly blessed, and no longer burn in the fire of worldly existence. The Lord, who is most splendid in the three worlds, is festooned in divine cloth and jewellery and tended by his queens. On either side of Sri Govinda Raya are the Goddesses Radha and Lalita, who offer incense and lamps in their untainted seva, unto he is directly the son of the king of Vraj; and whose form bewitches the mind of even Cupid.

pandita-gosinka-sisya

seva-karanti-aharnise (43)

srirupa-seva-adhikari

pula-karnti-sutradhari (44)

pandita-gosainka-gana

bine-na-puje-anyajana (45)

adya-avadhi-ehi-riti

nohici-tahi-chitiviti (46)

The disciples of pandita-gosai [14] were worthy to serve this srirupa [15],which they did day and night, horripulating while thus occupied. A time honoured and unbroken custom being, that apart from them, no one else was entitled to conduct the puja.

mahaprabhunka-vidyamane

purusottama-ksetra-sthane (47)

niyama-vasa-kari-rahi

thile-je-pandita-gosai (48)

sri gopinath seva-vidhi

se-se-jananti-adi-siddhi (49)

janati-tanka-antarange

e-gheni-prabhu-gaurange (50)

srirupa-sanatane-cahi

kahile-vrajapurasai (51)

srimurtti-seva-calaiba

lupta-tirthanku-jhalaiba (52)

mahaprabhunku-ajna-pai

se-veni-bhai-vraje-jai (53)

govinda-madan-mohan

seva-prakasile-bahan (54)

caitanya-prabhunka-adese

melani-hoi-gurupase (55)

Whilst in Purusottama Ksetra, in the company of Mahaprabhu, the pandita-gosai behaved according to the dictates of a rigid sobriety [16] and were well acquainted with every feature of the seva-viddhi of Gopinath. They were also acknowledged among the intimate companions Gauranga. Once, whilst glancing at Sri Rupa and Sanatana, Gauranga said, “Go and serve the Lord of Vrajapura in his form as the srimurti and uncover the hidden tirthas.” Receiving Mahaprabhu’s mandate the two brothers made their way to Vraja after bidding farewell to their guru [17]. Therein they established and maintained the seva of Govinda and Madan Mohan in agreement with the directions of Lord Caitanya.

bhugarbha-gosai-adire

pandita-vipre-sisyavare (56)

seva-karanti-vraje-jai

srirupa-sange-sukhe-thai (57)

Encompassed by a large body of panditas, vipras, as well as his most familiar disciples, Bhugarbha Gosai had likewise ventured to Vraj to offer seva; and they all took great delight in their fellowship with Sri Rupa.

daive-rupa-sanatana

marjada-karina-sthapana (58)

apanane-na-karanti seva

brahmana-bine-neba-deba (59)

pujara-laksana-adhikara

sribhagavataru-vicara (60)

egheni pandita-gosai

vine-se-adhikara-kahi (61)

je-heba-adhikari-para

e-gheni-se-sevane-dhara (62)

pandita-gosainka-gana

adya-avadhi-nirupana (63)

By the will of the Lord [18], Rupa and Sanatana, in order to establish marjada [19], did not personally perform their Deity’s seva; but instead petitioned brahmanas to do the puja who were judged competent to do so according to signs indicated in the sri-bhagavat [20]. With the exception of the pandita-gosai [21], and those of an equal eminence, no one else could participate in the Deity’s seva. All were likewise accomplished in the entire spectrum of the art of seva from the beginning to the end.

caitanya-prabhunka-pascate

srirupa-sanatan-ante (64)

yavana-acarya-adire

srirupa-sangi-bhaktadhire (65)

thile-se-je-je-parisade

govinda-sevare-anande (66)

semane-caitanya-mangala

nitya-sunanti-abikala (67)

sarve-pandita-gunavanta

rasikapane-nahi-anta (68)

sabhare-vasa-eku-are

caitanya-carita-vicare (69)

After Lord Caitanya’s disappearance, Sri Rupa and Sanatan, accompanied by the yavana-acarya [22] and other gentle bhaktas blissfully served Govinda’s beautiful form; and they incessantly listened to the caitanya-mangal. They were panditas endowed with all virtue, and were rasika [23] beyond comparison. They all sat together, whilst lost in their contemplation [24] on the portrayal of Lord Caitanya’s life.

na-suni-sesa-lila-katha

saburi-mane-hela-vyatha (70)

srikrusna-kavinrupa-deve

ajna-se-dele-sakhabhave (71)

bhugarbha-gosainka-sisya

nama-pandita-haridas (72)

caitanya-das-je-pujhari

samaste-antare-vicari (73)

boile-lekha-sesalila

caitanya-mangale-na-thila (74)

As everyone’s heart was now taken by a deep longing to hear the tidings of the sesa-lila, a pandita named Haridas, who was a sisya of Bhugarbha Gosai, and a pujari named Caitanya das, assembled all the Vaisnavas together. After much contemplation, they resolved to petition with amiable solicitations [25] Krsandas, the prince of poets, to write of the sesa-lila recounting all that which had not been detailed in the caitanya-mangala.

vaisnava-ajnadana-pai

krusna-kaviraja-gosai (75)

cintita-hoi-nija-mane

gale-srimadanamohana (76)

pranama-kari-padmapade

janana-kale-arttanade (77)

prabhunka-kantu-puspahara

chidi-padila-dhatikara (78)

gosai-das-je-pujhari

se-mala-nija-kare-dhari (79)

kavirajanka-gale-nei

diante-ajna-mala-pai (80)

harasa-hoi-kavisware

grantha-aramba-tahi-kare (81)

As Krsna-Kaviraja Gosai ruminated on the Vaisnavas request he took himself straight to Sri Madan Mohan and offered his pranam to the Lord’s lotus feet. As he cried aloud in pathetic strains, a flower garland broke and slipped down from the neck of the Lord. The gosai-das-pujari brought forth the mala and placed it around Kaviraja’s neck. The kaviswara [26] was delighted and then he began to write his granta.

Jagannath Misra prabhu's footnotes;

14. pandita-gosai-sisya (verse 43) in context of the narrative refers to Gadadhara Pandita. Although it says sisya, which refers to one sisya, yet in the next verse employs the plural sisya-gana. Hence I have used the plural address of Disciples.

15. sri-rupa (verse 44) the beautiful Deity of Sri Govinda as described in verses 35-42.

16. niyama-vasa (verse 48).

17. guru is obviously referring to Lord Caitanya.

18. daive (verse 58) may also be interpreted “once.” Hence it could be that they did indeed worship the Deity themselves, but, once, in order to establish marjada, they engaged brahmanas.

19. marjada; impeccable and established codes of conduct and behaviour endorsed by approved sastric injunction.

20. sri-bhagavat; The Srimad Bhagavatam.

21. pandita gosai; are those in the company of Bhugarbha described in verse 56 and verse 63; and the disciples of Gadadhara Pandita.

22. yavana-acarya; obviously not Haridas Thakura.

23. rasika; accomplished in relishing divine rasa.

24. caitanya-carita-vicare (verse 69)

25. sakha-bhave (verse 71) in the friendly spirit of vaisnava fellowship.

26. kaviswara; Krsna Das Kaviraja, the prince of poets.