An Anthology of Poetry Sevä Kuïja Publications Våndävana Gauòéya Maöha logo designed by Çréla Sarasvaté Öhäkura Also published by Sevä Kuïja Publications: Çré Géta-govinda, by Çré Jayadeva Gosvämé with commentary by Çré Çrémad Bhaktivedänta Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja Çré Padyävalé An Anthology of Poetry 1st edition, January, 2015 (1000 copies) Printed at Rakmo Press, Delhi ISBN 9781310538285 Dedicated to my Beloved Gurudeva yugäcärya nitya-lélä praviñöa oà viñëupäda Çré Çrémad Bhaktivedänta Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja jéyän-näräyaëa-svämé viçva-pracäraka-prabhu yena mahodayenaiva saàsthäpitä ceyaà sabhä That mahä-puruña who has established this tirobhäva festival and who is the best of world preachers, Çré Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja – all glories to him! näräyaëaà namaskåtya narottamam-anusmaran sarasvatéà tato vyäsaà rüpajayam udérayet Before we begin our glorification of Çré Rüpa Gosvämé’s sublime books, which are the very means of conquest, we remember and offer obeisances to Çré Näräyaëa Svämé, who is the best of sannyäsés, who is non-different from Çréla Vyäsadeva, and who has been blessed by parä-vidyä Sarasvaté, Çrématé Rädhäräëé. Composed by Çré Bhakti Sarvasva Govinda Mahäräja for the Rüpa Gosvämé Tirobhäva Mahotsava held at Rüpa-Sanätana Gauòéya Maöha, Våndävana, 2014 Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti prajñāna Keśava Thākura Prabhupāda Gosvāmī Mahārāja Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Mahārāja Gosvāmī Mahārāja C ontents Auspicious Invocations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Çré Kåñëa’s Glories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The Glory of Internal Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The Glories of the Holy Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Method for Chanting the Holy Names. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 The Glories of Çré Kåñëa’s Pastimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Meditation on Çré Kåñëa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Love for the Devotees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Draupadé’s Appeal for Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The Glory of the Devotees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The Humble Words of the Devotees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 The Devotees’ Faith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 The Devotees’ Earnest Prayers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 The Devotees’ Yearnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Contempt for Liberation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Fundamental Truths Regarding Devotion to the Lord . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Prayers for Offering Foodstuffs to the Deity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 The Glories of Mathurä . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Adoration of Çré Våndävana. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Obeisances to Çré Nanda Mahäräja. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Glorification of Mother Yaçodä . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Çré Kåñëa›s Childhood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Adolescence Manifested in Childhood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Stealing Milk Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Çré Hari Talks in His Sleep. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Instructions and Other Pastimes that Fill Kåñëa’s Parents with Wonder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Protecting the Cows and Other Pastimes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 The Exalted Love of the Gopés. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Pastimes with the Gopés. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Kåñëa’s Love for the Gopés. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Çré Rädhä›s Inquiry on First Seeing Çré Kåñëa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 The Reply of Rädhä’s Gopé Friend. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 The Beginning of Çré Rädhä’s Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 The Conjecture of Another Clever Gopé-friend. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 A Gopé-friend’s Question to Rädhä. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 A Gopé’s Joking Words of Encouragement to Çré Rädhä. . . . . . . . . . .86 Çré Rädhä›s Love is Described to Çré Kåñëa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Çré Kåñëa’s Love is Described to Çré Rädhä. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Çré Rädhä Goes to Meet Her Beloved. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 A Gopé-friend’s Statement to Çré Rädhä. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Joking Words of Gopé-friends Aware of the Divine Couple’s Intimate Pastimes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 The Words of an Innocent Child. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 A Gopé-friend Alludes to Çré Rädhä›s Amorous Play on the Previous Day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Her Meaningful Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 A Gopé-friend’s Joking Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 A Gopé-friend’s Encouraging Words to Go for Abhisära. . . . . . . . . .101 Çré Rädhä›s Reply to a Questioning Gopé-friend. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 The Heroine Who Enthusiastically Decorates the Kuïja While Waiting for Her Beloved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 The Heroine Who Anxiously Ponders Why Her Lover Is Late. . . . . 103 The Disappointed Heroine whose Lover Did Not Come. . . . . . . . . .104 The Betrayed Heroine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Her Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 The Lament of the Despondent Heroine after Dismissing Her Lover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 When Mädhava Returned in the Evening, a Gopé-friend Gave the Following Advice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 The Angry Gopé. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 A Gopé-friend’s Words as Kåñëa Departs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 Kåñëa Sends a Message of Pacification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 Çré Rädhä›s Reply to the Gopé-messenger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 A Gentle-hearted Friend’s Statement to a Gopé Who Has Quarreled with Her Lover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Harsh Words from a Gopé-friend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112 Çré Rädhä’s Reply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 A Gopé-friend’s Jealous Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Rädhä’s Agitated Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 A Gopé’s Words to Her Friend, Who in Separation Was Lost in Meditation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116 Çré Rädhä’s Reply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Kåñëa’s Feelings of Separation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 By Kåñëa’s Humble Entreaty Rädhä Becomes Pleased . . . . . . . . . . .118 Rädhä’s Gopé-friend Chiding Çré Kåñëa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119 Narration of Another Day’s Pastimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Words of a Certain Gopé to Çré Rädhä, Who Was Searching for Çré Kåñëa on the Pretext of Picking Flowers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122 Conversation between Çré Rädhä and Hari on the Yamunä’s Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122 Çré Rädhä’s Reply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 The Gopé Who Controls Her Lover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 After Enjoying Amorous Play, Çré Kåñëa Takes a Nap and Speaks in His Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Theft of the Flute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126 Çré Rädhä’s Words to the Flute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126 Hari Returns to Vraja in the Evening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127 A Certain Gopé’s Entreaty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Çré Rädhikä›s Good Fortune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 Milking the Cows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131 Words of Candrävalé’s Friend to Çré Kåñëa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131 Lifting Govardhana Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132 Boating Pastimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134 Conversations between Rädhä and Hari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141 The Räsa Dance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143 Çré Kåñëa’s Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145 The Reply of the Goddesses of Vraja . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 The Gopés’ Questions When Çré Kåñëa Disappeared . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 The Words of Çré Rädhä’s Friend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149 Words of the Demigods Roaming in the Sky. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..150 Water Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151 Jealous Words of Candrävalé’s Friend to Çré Rädhä’s Friend . . . . . . .152 Çré Rädhä’s Friend’s Weighty Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 A Gopé-friend’s Words to Gändharva Rädhäräëé . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 One Gopé’s Words to Her . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 A Gopé’s Words to Candrävalé . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 That Gopé-friend’s Words to Candrävalé’s Husband . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Eternal Pastimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158 The Words Spoken by Rädhä’s Sakhé in the Prakaöa-lélä as Kåñëa Is about to Leave for Mathurä . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Çré Rädhä’s Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160 The Eagerness of the Citizens When Hari Entered Mathurä . . . . . . 160 The Mathurä Ladies’ Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161 Çré Rädhä’s Lament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162 Remembering Mother Yaçodä, Çré Kåñëa Spoke these Words in Mathurä. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170 Çré Hari’s Words upon Remembering Çré Rädhä. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171 Çré Hari’s Words to Uddhava . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Hari’s Message to Rädhä Delivered by Uddhava . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Uddhava’s Words on Arriving in Våndävana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173 Uddhava’s Words to the Vraja-devés . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Çré Rädhä’s Words to Her Gopé-friend on Seeing Uddhava . . . . . . . 175 Uddhava’s Statement to Çré Rädhä . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175 The Words of Rädhä’s Gopé-friend to Uddhava . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 A Letter to Kåñëa from Rädhä’s Gopé-friend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Words Mixed With Love and Envy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 A Sarcastic Message from the Vraja-devés . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184 A Very Appropriate Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Hari’s Feelings of Separation in Dvärakä . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 The Queen of Våndävana’s Words of Separation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 A Letter from the Vraja-devés . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188 Dvärakädhiça’s Words to Sudämä Vipra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190 Sudämä’s Words on Seeing His Home, Possessions and Family . . . 190 Çré Våndävaneçvaré’’s Behavior at Kurukñetra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191 Rädhä’s Reply to Kåñëa’s Attempt to Console Her in a Solitary Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Çré Rädhä’s Words to a Gopé-friend at the Same Place . . . . . . . . . . . 193 Auspicious Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194 Rädhä-Govindajé in Jaipur h Preface By the blessings of our Gurupäda-padma, nitya-lélä praviñöa oà viñëupäda Çré Çrémad Bhaktivedänta Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja, we are presenting a new English translation of Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé’s Çré Padyävalé. This book is an anthology of verses written by many different poets who lived in different centuries and in different parts of India. Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé gathered all these poems and wove them together, creating an extraordinarily rich brocaded tapestry. The result is a treasury of unending delight that sheds light on the highest, most confidential moods of Vraja. Padyävalé is one of Rüpa Gosvämé’s earlier books, and is considered by some to be his most important one. Why? Because herein is the first recording of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s Çré Çikñäñöakam, and Çré Kåñëadäsa Kaviräja took it from here for his Çré Caitanya-caritämåta. Recently, Çré Bhakti Kamala Govinda Mahäräja, the äcärya of Çré Bhakti Siddhänta Sarasvaté Gauòéya Maöha in Kharagpur, related a story regarding the origin of Çré Padyävalé. This story was told to him by his sannyäsa-guru, nitya-lélä praviñöa oà viñëupäda Çré Çrémad Bhakti Jévana Janärdana Mahäräja. One time Çré Rüpa Gosvämépäda was in the Govindajé Temple when a Mäyävädé sannyäsé came, singing nicely in front of the Deity. After appreciating the singing, Govindajé gave him His garland – the Deity’s garland automatically fell down on the neck of the sannyäsé. Then the sannyäsé went away. Rüpa Gosvämé asked Govinda, “He Rädhä-Govinda, what is this? He’s a Mäyävädé and does not respect Your form, Your face, or the sac-cid-änanda deities. But how You showed love for Him! Why did You give Your garland to him?” Govindajé answered, “I like saìgétaà. I am very pleased with his singing.” From that day Govinda was called Saìgéta Priya Mädhava, Mädhava who is very, very interested to hear sweet songs. “And Rüpa, you should write songs. You should also sing.” Up to this time Rüpa Gosvämé was always chanting only mahä-mantra; on this day he started writing Padyävalé – on the order of Govindajé. Inspiration for our book came three years ago when Çrépäda Bhaktivedänta Viñëu Daivat Mahäräja spent a few months in Rädhä-Govindajé in Jaipur i Våndävana. Every day he read to us from a Hindi edition of Çré Padyävalé, and then translated into English. We found this book so charming that Çrémäté Vraja Sundaré däsé and I decided to capture his English translations on paper for the pleasure of the English-speaking devotees. After some time a Bengali translation of Çré Padyävalé came into our hands. The Hindi edition, translated by Çré Vanamälé däsa Çästréjé and party, was published by Çrépäda Räghava Caitanya däsa for Gopénätha Gauòéya Maöha, by the desire of Çré Çrémad Bhakti Pramoda Puré Mahäräja. The Bengali edition, published by Çré Çrémad Bhakti Kusuma Çramaëa Mahäräja from Çré Caitanya Maöha, was translated by Änanda Gopäla Vedantäcarya. It also contains a Sanskrit commentary by Véracandra Gosvämé, called Rasika Raìgada Tékä. We incorporated the best from both books in this present edition. We also included a few commentaries taken from our Gurudeva’s Hindi edition of Çré Ujjvala-nélamaëi. Throughout the book we took help from Çrépäda Kuça Kratha prabhu’s translation of Padyävalé, and took the liberty of using some of his language for a couple of verses, because his expressions were so excellent. We pray that our Gurudeva, Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé and the assembly of devotees will accept our humble offering and bless us to enter deeply the Vraja moods cradled within these pages. Çré Padyävalé is a wonderful tool to enliven our bhajana, and as Çrépäda Bhaktivedänta Viñëu Daivat Mahäräja said, each one of these verses is like an anartha-bursting medicine! May this book bring joy to all the devotees on their march back home, back to Godhead. Many thanks to the other devotees who helped in preparing this volume: Çrépäda Bhakti Sarvasva Govinda Mahäräja, Çrépäda Bhakti Kiìkor Çrédhara Mahäräja, Çrépäda Bhakti Vidagdha Bhagavat Mahäräja, Çrématé Savitä dédé and Çrématé Rädhikä däsé for helping clarify some of the verses; Çrématé Çyämaräëé däsé, Çrématé Kåñëa Priya (Paëòita) däsé, and Çrématé Savitré däsé for proofreading; Giridhäré däsa and Kuïja-kalika däsé for the layout; and Käliya- damana däsa and Çäradä däsé for the cover design. Praying to serve Hari, Guru and Vaiñëavas Vicitré däsé (editor) January 2015, Sevä Kuïja, Våndävana ii