Prayers from Padyavali - Sri Roopa

[Guest guest]

Namaste. This book is a collection of prayers by well known Saints,

made available to devotees by Sri Roopa Goswami, an intimate

associate of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu.

 

zrutim apare smRtim itare

bhArataM anye bhajantu bhava-bhItAH

aham iha nandaM vande

yasyAlinde paraM brahma

 

-Sri Raghupathi Upadhyaya

Padyavali 126

 

Some may worship the God of the Upanishads,

some the One described in the Smritis, and

yet others may bow down to the God glorified

in the Mahabharata, shaking with the fears

of life and death in this material world.

 

But I will place my head at the feet

of Nanda Maharaj in whose back yard

the Supreme Brahman is crawling about

in the form of a baby Boy.

 

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mugdhaM mAM nigadantu nIti-nipuNA bhrAntaM muhur vaidikAH

mandaM bAndhava-saJcayA jaDa-dhiyaM muktAdarAH sodarAH |

unmattaM dhanino viveka-caturAH kAmaM mahA-dAmbhikaM

moktuM na kSamate manAg api mano govinda-pAda-spRhAm ||

 

- 'Padyavali'. 81 - Sri Madhava

 

May the moral experts accuse me of being naive and childish;

may the Vedic ritualists slander me repeatedly as being deluded;

may my friends and relatives call me dull and stupid;

may my brothers who covet liberation look at me as a mentally

retarded fool;

may the wealthy millionaires think of me as a victim of total

madness;

and may the learned philosophers assert me as a great performer

without any true substance;

 

still my heart is not capable of giving up the passionate desire for

the lotus feet of Govinda.

 

- 'Padyavali'. 81 - Sri Madhava

 

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A close associate of Gauranga Mahaprabhu

and teacher of Advaita philosophy,

Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya declares:

 

na vayaM kavayO na tArkikA

na ca vedAnta-nitAnta-pAragAH

na ca vAdinivArakAH paraM

kapaTAbhIra kizOra kiGkarAH

 

- Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya

padyavali- 72

 

We are neither poets nor wise philosophers.

We are not the master experts of Vedanta.

We are neither the supreme judges to put

a final end to all kinds of arguements.

We are just eternal servants of Sri Krishna,

Who is acting like the playful innocent Child.

 

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parivadatu jano yathA tathA vA

nanu mukharo na vayaM vicArayAmaH

hari rasa madirA madAtimattA

bhuvi viluThAmo naTAmo nirvizAmaH

 

- Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya

padyavali- 73

 

Let the materialistic persons of the world

criticize us in whichever way they can

but we are not going to worry about them!

Divinely intoxicated by the wine of Hari's Love,

we're here to enjoy our lives unceasingly dancing in

ecstasy and rolling on the ground like the mad men.

 

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parama kAruNiko na bhavat paraH

parama zocyatamo na ca matparaH

iti viciMtya hare! mayi pAmare

yaducitaM yadunAtha! tadAcara

 

-Padyavali-66, anonymous

 

(but vey much similar to verse 13. Sivananda lahari

by Sri Shankaracarya bhagavatpada)

 

"O my Beloved, Hari!

There is no one Supremely gracious apart from Yourself!

There is no one more fallen and distressed than my poorself!

Keeping this in Your mind, O Lord of Yadu Dynasty,

please do as You please with this dull ignorant! "

 

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Jaya Sri Radhey!