SRI GAUDIYA GITANJALI : SPECIAL POETRY

Srila-Raghunath-Gosvami-Prabhur Sochaka
(Lament for Srila Raghunath Das Goswami)

By Sri Radha Vallabha Prabhu

(1)

yabe rupa-sanatana, vraje gela dui jana,
sunaite raghunatha-dasa
nija-rajya adhikara, indra-sama-sukha yara,
chhadiya chalila prabhu-pasa [1]

When Raghunath Das heard that Rupa and Sanatan had gone to Vrindavan, he refused from all rights to his estate and the comforts of a happy life like that of Lord Indra and went to Mahaprabhu.

uthi’ ratre nisa-bhage, duyare prahari jage,
patha chhadi’ vipathe gamana
ksudha trsna nahi paya, manodvege chali yaya,
sada chinte chaitanya charana [2]

He woke up in the middle of the night and in the dead of night left through the back door not to wake the guards up. He left the path and walked without following any road. He felt no hunger, no thirst – he only kept on walking anxiously, always thinking about the lotus feet of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

eka-dina eka grame, sandhya-kale govathane,
‘ha chaitanya’ baliya vasila
eka gopa dugdha dila, taha kheye visramila,
sei ratre tathai rahila [3]

One day, at noon time, he came to a cowshed in some village and sat there, repeating again and again, ‘O Chaitanya!’ A cowherd brought him some milk. Raghunath drank it and took some rest. He stayed there for the night.

ye anga palanka bine, bhumi-sayya nahi jane,
se anga vathane gadi’ yaya
yei ghoda gola bine, patha srama nahi jane,
kantake hataye sei paya [4]

He whose body had never rested on anything except a luxury bed and had never lain on the ground, is now lying splayed out in a cowshed. His feet, which had never known the touch of the ground as he had always ridden a horse, are now full of thorns after the long walk.

yinho bela danda chari, tola jale snana kari,
sad-rasa karita bhojana
ebe yadi kichhu pana, sandhya-kale taha khana,
na paile amani sayana [5]

He used to take a shower late in the morning in the water prepared specially for him and then enjoy preparations of six different tastes (sweet, astringent, sour, salty, pungent and bitter), but now, if he got anything, he would eat it in the evening, and if not, he slept without taking any food.

bara dinera pata yana, tina sandhya anna khana,
pravesila nilachala-pure
dekhiya se sri-mandira, du-nayane bahe nira,
‘ha chaitanya’ bale uchchaihsvare [6]

He had walked like this for twelve days – during this time he ate only three times at noon – when he finally entered the City of Nilachal (Puri). Seeing the temple of Lord Jagannath, tears streamed from his eyes and he cried, ‘O Chaitanya!’

e radha-vallabha-dasa, mane kari abhilasa,
kotha mora raghunatha-dasa
tanhara prasanga-matra, pulakita haya gatra,
tanra pada-renu kari asa [7]

‘Where is my Raghunath Das?’ This Radha Vallabha Das hankers for his association. Just by mentioning him, my body is thrilled with rapture; the foot dust of this Raghunath Das is all I pray for.

(2)

sri-chaitanya krpa haite, raghunatha dasa-chitte,
parama vairagya upajila
kalatra grha sampada, nija-rajya adhipada,
mala-praya sakala tejila [1]

By Sri Chaitanya’s mercy, very strong renunciation arose in the heart of Sri Raghunath Das. His wife, home, wealth, lands and position – he rejected everything like stool.

purascharya krsna-name, giya se prusottame,
gaurangera pada-yuga seve
ei mane abhilasa, punah raghunatha dasa,
nayana-gochara ha’be kabe [2]

Chanting the Holy Names of Krishna (even before he received a formal initiation) and hankering to serve Gauranga’s holy feet, he walked to Purusottam Ksetra. I yearn to know, ‘When will I see this Raghunath Das again?’

gauranga dayalu haiya, radha-krsna mantra diya,
govardhana-sila gunja-hare
vraja-vane govardhane, sri-radhara sri-charane,
samarpana karila yahare [3]

Merciful Lord Gauranga gave him the Radha-Krishna mantra, Govardhan sila and a garland of gunja beads. In this way He submitted him at Sri Radha’s holy feet and granted him a place at Govardhan Hill in Vrindavan.

gaurangera agochare, nija-kesa chindi kare,
virahe vyakula vraje gela
deha-tyaga kari’ mane, gela giri govardhane,
du’-gosai tahare rakhila [4]

When Gauranga left, he was bewildered from the separation from the Lord. He tore his hair out and went to Vraja. He decided to go to Govardhan and give up his body, but when he came there, Rupa and Sanatan kept him by their side.

dhari’ rupa-sanatana, rakhila tanra jivana,
deha-tyaga karite na dila
dui gosaira ajna peye, radha-kundera tate giye,
niyama kariya vasa kaila [5]

Rupa and Sanatan kept him alive and did not let him commit suicide. On their order, Raghunath went to the bank of Radha Kunda and started to live and practise there.

chhinda vastra paridhana, vraja-phala gavya pana,
anna adi na kare ahara
tina sandhya snanachari, smarana kirtana kari’,
radha-pada bhajana yahara [6]

He wore torn clothes and subsisted on forest fruit and milk – he did not eat any cooked food. He bathed three times a day and always remembered the Lord and chanted about the Lord as he worshipped Sri Radha’s holy feet.

sata danda ratri dine, radha-krsna-lila-gane,
smaranete sadai goyaya
chari danda suye thake, svapne radha-krsna dekhe,
tilardheka vyartha nahi yaya [7]

He sang about the pastimes of Radha-Krishna, always remembering Them, during sixty dandas (twenty-four hours) every day. He rested for four dandas (1 hour 36 minutes), and even at that time he saw Radha-Krishna in his dreams. He did not waste even half a drop of time.

chaitanyera padambuje, rakhe mano-bhrnga-raje,
svarupera sadai asraya
bhinna-deha rupa-sane, gati yanra sanatane,
bhatta gosayera priya mahasaya [8]

He kept the bumblebee of his mind at Lord Chaitanya’s lotus feet and always lived in Svarup Damodar’s shelter. Although in a different body, he was one with Rupa Goswami; his refuge was Sanatan; and he was very dear to Gopal and Raghunath Bhatta Goswamis.

sri-rupera gana yata, yanhara pada asrita,
atyanta vatsalya yanra jive
sei artanada kari’, kandi’ bale hari hari,
prabhura karuna ha’be kabe [9]

All followers of Sri Rupa took shelter at his holy feet, and he showed much fatherly affection to Jiva – this Raghunath let out heart- rending wails and shed tears, chanting, ‘Hari! Hari! When will I get my Lord’s mercy?

he radhikara vallabha, gandharvikara bandhava,
radhika-ramana radha-natha
he he vrndavanesvara, ha ha krsna damodara,
krpa kari’ kara atmasatha [10]

‘O Beloved of Radhika! O Friend of Gandharvika! O Radhika-Raman! O Radhanath! O Master of Vrindavan! O Krishna! O Damodar! Please hijack me! Take possession of me!’

prabhu rupa sanatana, tina haila adarsana,
andha haila e dui nayana
vrtha ankhi kahan dekhi, vrtha dehe prana rakhi,
sevachara badaya dviguna [11]

When Svarup, Rupa and Sanatan disappeared, Raghunath’s eyes became blind. ‘These eyes are useless – what is there for them to see here? This body is useless – what is the use keeping it alive?’ He began to serve with double effort.

sri-krsna sri-sachi-suta, ta’ra guna yata yata,
avatara sri-vigraha nama
gupta vyakta lila-sthana, drsta sruta vaisnava-gana,
sabhakare karaye pranama [12]

All the beautiful qualities of the Son of Sachi, who is Lord Sri Krishna Himself, appeared in this world in the deity-form of His Holy Name. Whenever he saw or heard a Vaishnav at any manifest or concealed holy place of the Lord’s pastimes, he would always offer his obeisances to them.

radha-krsnera viyoge, chhadila sakala bhoge,
rukha sukha annta-matra sara
sri-chaitanyera vichchhedete, anna chhadi sei haite,
phala gavya karena ahara [13]

In separation from Sri Radha-Krishna, he gave up all cooked food: his sole subsistence was plain dry rice. When he became separated from Sri Chaitanyadev, he gave up rice, too, and only took some fruit and milk since that time.

sanatanera adarsane, taha chhadi’ sei dine,
kevala karena jala pana
rupera vichchheda yabe, jala chhadi’ dila tabe,
radha-krsna bali rakhe prana [14]

When Sanatan left, he left fruit and milk, too, and only drank some water. When he was then separated from Rupa, he gave up water and kept his body and soul together just by chanting Radha-Krishna’s Names.

svarupera adarsane, na dekhe rupera gane,
virahe vikala haiya kande
krsna-kathalapa bine, sravane nahika sune,
uchchaihsvare dake artanade [15]

Finally, Svarup disappeared. Unable to see Rupa’s associates and feeling deep separation, he lost track of time, crying incessantly. He could not hear anything except for talks about Krishna, and he would let out loud heart-rending cries, calling out to the Lord.

ha ha radha-krsna kotha, kotha achha he lalita,
he visakhe deha darasana
ha chaitanya mahaprabhu, ha svarupa mora prabhu,
ha ha prabhu rupa-sanatana [16]

‘O Radha! O Krishna! Where are You? Where are you, Lalita? O Visakha! Please show yourselves to me! O Chaitanya Mahaprabhu! O my Master, Svarup! O my Masters, Rupa and Sanatan!’

kande gosai ratra-dine, pudi’ yaya tanumane,
virahe haila jara jara
manda manda jihva nade, preme asru netre pade,
mane krsna karaye smarana [17]

Gosai cried day and night. Burning with the fire of devouring pain of separation, he was wrecked. His tongue could hardly move – he remembered Lord Krishna, and tears of divine love fell from his eyes.

sei raghunatha-dasa, puribe manera asa,
e mora bada achhe sadha
e radha-vallabha-dasa, mane kare abhilasa,
sabe more karaha prasada [18]

My greatest hope is that this Raghunath Das can fulfil any heart-felt hankering. This Radha Vallabha Das yearns, ‘May devotees bestow their mercy upon me.’

— : • : —

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Usually sung at Sri Panihati Festival and on appearance and disappearance days of Srila Raghunath Das Goswami Prabhu.

• Sung by Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj:
Download (2 Mb, year 1988)

• Bengali

Sri Gaudiya Gitanjali (English)
PDF, 10 Mb