SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI : SPECIAL POETRY

Sri Sri Sad-Gosvamy-Astakam

By Srila Srinivas Acharya Prabhu

krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau premamrtambho-nidhi
dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pujitau
sri-chaitanya-krpa-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bharavahantarakau
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau [1]

Always engaged in chanting the glories of Sri Krishna, singing and dancing, they are oceans of Sri Krishna-prema; appreciated by both the learned and the ignorant, they are always benevolent in their behaviour, pleasing everybody – there is not even a trace of jealousy in them, so they are worshipped by all people; being recipients of Sri Chaitanyadev’s special mercy, they rescue all materialists, relieving the earth of its burden – again and again I worship and bow down at the holy feet of these six goswamis: Sri Rupa, Sanatan, Raghunath Bhatta, Gopal Bhatta, Raghunath Das and Sri Jiva.

nana-sastra-vicharanaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau
lokanam hita-karinau tri-bhuvane manyau saranyakarau
radha-krsna-padaravinda-bhajananandena mattalikau
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau [2]

Supremely expert in various scriptural conclusions, they establish pure religion; they are the greatest benefactors of humankind; they are worshippable throughout the three worlds; they are shelter-givers; they are like intoxicated bumblebees rejoicing in drinking nectar from the lotus feet of Sri Radha-Govinda – again and again I worship and bow down at the holy feet of these six goswamis: Sri Rupa, Sanatan, Raghunath Bhatta, Gopal Bhatta, Raghunath Das and Sri Jiva.

sri-gauranga-gunanuvarnana-vidhau sraddha-samrddhy-anvitau
papottapa-nikrntanau tanu-bhrtam govinda-ganamrtaih
anandambudhi-vardhanaika-nipunau kaivalya-nistarakau
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau [3]

Their only one-pointed interest is to describe the beautiful qualities of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu; they relieve all souls of sins and afflictions by spreading the nectar of chanting about Sri Krishna’s beautiful qualities; they are expect at increasing the ocean of divine joy; and they protect souls from attaining impersonal liberation – again and again I worship and bow down at the holy feet of these six goswamis: Sri Rupa, Sanatan, Raghunath Bhatta, Gopal Bhatta, Raghunath Das and Sri Jiva.

tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tuchchha-vat
bhutva dina-ganesakau karunaya kaupina-kanthasritau
gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari-kallola-magnau muhur
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau [4]

They refused to live with the best of chief residents considering such a life trifle and accepted kaupins, mercifully becoming masters of the poor and needy; and they are always submerged into the waves in the ocean of ecstatic nectar of the divine love of gopis – again and again I worship and bow down at the holy feet of these six goswamis: Sri Rupa, Sanatan, Raghunath Bhatta, Gopal Bhatta, Raghunath Das and Sri Jiva.

kujat-kokila-hamsa-sarasa-ganakirne mayurakule
nana-ratna-nibaddha-mula-vitapa-sri-yukta-vrndavane
radha-krsnam ahar-nisam prabhajatau jivarthadau yau muda
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau [5]

Day and night, they worshipped Sri Radha-Krishna in Sri Vrindavan, which is adorned with beautiful large trees, whose roots are enriched with various gems, and filled with sweet murmur of cuckoos, swans, cranes, peacocks and other birds; and, with a happy heart, they fulfilled all souls’ hankerings – again and again I worship and bow down at the holy feet of these six goswamis: Sri Rupa, Sanatan, Raghunath Bhatta, Gopal Bhatta, Raghunath Das and Sri Jiva.

samkhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih kalavasani-krtau
nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau chatyanta-dinau cha yau
radha-krsna-guna-smrter madhurimanandena sammohitau
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau [6]

After chanting the set number of Names, they would spend the rest of the time practising kirtan, offering obeisances and glorification; they conquered eating, enjoying, sleeping and other material urges; they walked about looking utterly impoverished and bereft; and they became filled with intense joy when they remembered Sri Radha-Govinda’s sweetness – again and again I worship and bow down at the holy feet of these six goswamis: Sri Rupa, Sanatan, Raghunath Bhatta, Gopal Bhatta, Raghunath Das and Sri Jiva.

radha-kunda-tate kalinda-tanaya-tire cha vamsi-vate
premonmada-vasad-asesa-dasaya grastau pramattau sada
gayantau cha kada harer guna-varam bhavabhibhutau muda
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau [7]

Becoming intoxicated with divine love for the Lord on the banks of Sri Radha Kunda, on the shore of the Yamuna and beneath the Vamsivat tree, they would enter various ecstatic states – sometimes they walked as if mad, sometimes they sang about the Lord, sometimes they became overwhelmed with divine joy – again and again I worship and bow down at the holy feet of these six goswamis: Sri Rupa, Sanatan, Raghunath Bhatta, Gopal Bhatta, Raghunath Das and Sri Jiva.

he radhe vraja-devike! cha lalite! he nanda-suno! kutah
sri-govardhana-kalpa-padapa-tale kalindi-vanye kutah
ghosantav iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair maha-vihvalau
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau [8]

They keep asking, ‘O Goddess of Vraja, Radha! Where are You? O Lalita! Where are you? O Krishna! Where are You? You are not beneath the wish-fulfilling trees on Sri Govardhan, neither are You in the forests on the banks of the Kalindi – where are You?’ Devastated, overcome with grief and utterly confused, they kept roaming the land of Vraja – again and again I worship and bow down at the holy feet of these six goswamis: Sri Rupa, Sanatan, Raghunath Bhatta, Gopal Bhatta, Raghunath Das and Sri Jiva.

— : • : —

* (Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj: "Srila Srinivas Acharya Goswami composed Sad-Goswamy-astakam, and Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad liked it very much. When I heard him singing Sad-Goswamy-Astakam I was surprised that it was possible to sing this song. I had not heard it before. I know Sad-Goswamy-Astakam, I had read it before but had never sung it and had not heard it sung also. I heard it for the first time from Srila Swami Maharaj's recording and I was surprised what kind of devotion he has. He was also not an expert in singing (I have known him from my childhood, that is why I can say that), but he sang that song with his devotional potency. If anybody hears it, they must be enlivened and will get the devotion of Sad Goswami. What I heard that day, when I heard Srila Swami Maharaj singing it, was a transcendental sound.")

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