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Post by madanmohandas on Jul 29, 2021 1:45:25 GMT -6
Chaitanya Chandramrtam 110-112
X. Glory of the Incarnation.
When Gaura in this world did incarnate The waves of joy did sudden generate, With the Illustrious one's holy names, Which even sinners from their sin reclaims; That in their adamantine hearts when felt, Causes them like fresh butter soft to melt; May that all merciful Gaurahari, My goal and final destination be. 110
Those who do not yoga practice perform, Nor meditate upon his divine form, Who chant not, nor austerities sustain, Nor practises of self control maintain; Who never study holy Vedic writ, But only sins and wickedness commit. Yet when Sri Chaitanya did incarnate, Whose heart melts with pity, compassionate; All these are suddenly restored to health, And plunder of life's treasured end the wealth. 111
What time Sri Chaitanya was incarnate On earth; and did wondrous love propagate, Those swept away in action's mighty tide, Stand firmly now upon the other side; The ponderous rocks and stones that bar the way, Become quite pliable and melt away; As great yogins forsake solemnity, And join the dance in loving ecstasy. 112
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Post by madanmohandas on Jul 30, 2021 15:09:07 GMT -6
Sri Chaitanya Chandramrtam 113-114
Now that the Chaitanya moon, shining bright, Hath shed on pure devotion's path the light, The worldly man to talk no longer cares Of wife, children, and his mundane affairs; The pedants give up scripture's argument, The anchorites no more themselves torment; Yogins no longer the practise maintain, The inward and outward breath to restrain; And seekers of the knowledge absolute, Forsake the arduous and hard pursuit. Since the supreme love rapture has been shown, No other taste or relish in now known. 113
When Gaura in this world was incarnate, He did in every home inaugurate The loud singing of the name and glory, Expressive of the love of Sri Hari; Every body was thrilled with rapture rare, And showed the signs of joy with bristling hair; And thus the sweet path of love was received, Hardly in holy scripture's page conceived. 114
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Post by madanmohandas on Aug 4, 2021 3:44:05 GMT -6
Sri Chaitanya Chandramrtam 115-119. Cont. section X, Glory of the incarnation.
Since he whose limbs like gold irradiate, Did in this world descend and incarnate, The sea of Krishna's love swells and expands, And makes ecstatic rapture flood the lands; Right suddenly the deluge overbore, With wondrous love, ne'er seen or heard before. 115
Some, by deep study, churning scripture's sea, Think themselves learned in their vanity; And some who were in acts and penance skilled, Complacently esteemed themselves fulfilled; And some there were with impure hearts profane, Who once or twice have uttered Hari's name; Such was the case; presently with the rise, Of moon-like Gaurachandra in the skies, The wonderful love all can realise. 116
Since God Chaitanya, whose feet are revered By all the gods, within this world appeared, A flood of love hath spread across the world, And all into the sweetness have been hurled; The young, the old, nay, even fools and knaves, In love's ocean are swept off by the waves; Without respect of persons, all the same, The love for Hari's feet all of them gain. 117
Since moon-like Gaura hath appeared on earth, The gods, impelled by love have taken birth; Shankara, Narada and Goddess Sri, Halayudha and Vrishni family; And even those who erst in Vraja dwelled, Cowherds and cowherd dames, by love compelled, Who all as his associates are placed, Have taken birth his love-rapture to taste. 118
What time golden Gaura was incarnate, The sweets of splendid love did propagate, Whose servants, friends, lovers, a second time, Have come to serve his lotus-feet divine; And relish of great love the vasty store, Which they had never tasted of before. 119
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Post by madanmohandas on Aug 5, 2021 12:37:21 GMT -6
Sri Chaitanya Chandramrtam 120-122
Since Sri Chaitanya deigned to take his birth, And incarnate upon the patient earth, Pious ladies known for sobriety, Laugh loudly in expression of their glee; The hearts of worldlings, hardened in their pride, By his great influence are liquefied; Nay, even the foolish and ignorant, Have now become so wise and eloquent, That scholars of all scriptures they defy, And vanity of vain learning decry. 120
Before the time of Chaitanya's descent, Ore in this world he had made his advent, The scholars were confused and led astray; To life's fulfilment could not find the way, But since moon-like Gaura was incarnate, The merciful, the most compassionate, Who hath not the deep sweet splendid joy gained, And who hath not the path of love attained? 121
The mystery suggested and implied, As in the Srimad Bhagavat described, The son of Vyas himself did not reveal, And certain aspects was fain to conceal, When he the Rasa Lila did relate. But since Hari himself was incarnate, In the fair form of Gaura exquisite, The hidden meaning is made explicit; Which is the love-sport of Radha adored, With her beloved and amorous Lord. 122
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Post by madanmohandas on Aug 7, 2021 14:03:02 GMT -6
Sri Chaitanya Chandramrtam 123-127
Some have attained to divine servitude, Like Uddhava; and some have been endued Like Sridama, with fond fraternity; Some have attained the sublime ecstasy Of lotus-eyed cowherd damosels fair, While others have received the blessing rare Of the supremely blessed fortune sweet, In service of Sri Radha's lotus feet. Since the Great Master Chaitanya hath deigned To favour, who hath not such treasure gained? 123
Sages of yore, wise and omniscient, Could not agree; each had his argument; And with no single principle to guide, Upon the final end could not discide; But since the moon rise of Gauranga fair, Who doth a masterful influence bear, Who cannot now conceive scripture's decree, That the true gain is love for Sri Hari? 124
I contemplate the sparkling light that glows, From Gauranga's moon-gem-like splendid toes, Which floods the world in great love's ecstasy, And drowns all in sweetest felicity. 125
Some have perfection in the past attained, And fulfilment by immense virtue gained, But never was the world quite flooded o'er, And submerged in the sea of love before. 126
Some are steadfast in their righteous virtue, And some perform grand worship of Vishnu, And though engaged in right conduct alone, Their heart remains as hard as any stone; But even base and sinful persons now, Nay, even one who hath slaughtered a cow, Are drowning the world in their tears of love, Which wash away the guilt and sin remove; How can the measure of delight be told, When golden Gauranga doth this behold? 127
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Post by madanmohandas on Aug 8, 2021 4:48:01 GMT -6
Proceeding toward the concluding portion of Sri Chaitanya Chandramrtam, consisting of 143 stanzas. Here are 128-130.
Now absorbed in Krishna's identity, He dances with gestures of ecstasy; And now assuming Radha's sentiment, 'Ah me alas!' aloud he doth lament; Sometimes as a cowherd he roams around, And sometimes as a child plays on the ground; Thus Gaura showed great glory in this wise, And filled the world with wonder and surprise. 128
Whose golden form in youth and as a boy, Enchanted all the world and filled with joy, Whereafter the sweet love and deeds proclaims, And tastes the rapture of fresh cowherd dames; The sublime essence of rapture distils, And with a flood of love the whole world fills. May I in my mind a fond love maintain, For him who dances by the briny main. 129
Who knew the deep significance of 'prem', Pure love; who heard the glory of the name? And who the delight of Vrindavan's wood, Had entered in or even understood? Who knew the wondrous love of Radha fair, Of boundless sweetness and beyond compare? Only Chaitanya-moon, to grace disposed, Has all this great astonishment disclosed. 130
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Post by madanmohandas on Aug 8, 2021 18:13:33 GMT -6
XI. Beauty, exuberant dance, etc.
Supreme Brahman himself, in ecstasy, On the shore dances of the briny sea, Whose lovely limbs with golden lustre shine, Who revels in the waves of love divine; Ishvara, Vidhi, Vyas, and many more, With panegyrics and praises adore; Who though in millions of scriptures concealed, Has now a world- enchanting form revealed. 131
Who is this fair-limbed hero shining bright, Whose loins are with a silken garment dight, Whose hands with bracelets, chest with garlands graced, Upon whose ears pendant earrings are placed; Upon whose feet tinkling anklets resound, Whose curls with blooming jessamine are bound, Who sings his own names in exuberance, And all the while performs his graceful dance? 132
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Post by madanmohandas on Aug 9, 2021 4:33:52 GMT -6
Sri Chaitanya Chandramrtam 133-135
The great gods beat their kettle drums on high, Gandharvas sing, and siddhas from the sky A rain of flowers scattered down and hurled, Which spread flower confetti o'er the world; The mighty sages raise the dulcet strain, And with hymns divine his glory proclaim; While Gaura-moon in love's ecstatic trance, Performs his vigorous and frantic dance. 133
Sometimes he laughs, now weeps, now swoons away, Now rolls he on the ground in sweet dismay; Now dances, now releases sobs and sighs, And now, Ah me alas, alas! he cries. Thus tasting love's great joy and ecstasy, Here sports the divine Lord Gaurahari. 134
Whose tears abundant make muddy the ground, Absorbed in sweetest sentiment profound; Who doth his pallid cheeks on his palms rest, Pale as Badari fruits, and sore distressed, Who nigh the briny sea dwells with delight, Who is adorned in saffron garments bright; Thus Hari himself, bearing golden rays, The love of Radha's lotus-feet displays. 135
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Post by madanmohandas on Aug 9, 2021 11:53:35 GMT -6
Sri Chaitanya Chandramrtam 136-140
Who is this wondrous God that doth abide In a garden near the briny sea side, With flowers filled? When he paces the ground, His mighty strides resonate all around; The tears that flow from his eyes in a flood, Dampen the ground and turn it all to mud; Whose peels of laughter resonating high, Appear to whiten and make bright the sky; Whose handsome thighs in saffron raiment dight, Shed moon light from beneath his garment bright. 136
XII. Lament
In all the high crest gems of holy writ, His own nature is not shown explicit; The path exquisite of love he hath shown Is not by Sri, Isha nor Brahma known; But right suddenly the world hath been blest, And the sweets of Hari's love manifest, With quaffing the intoxicating wine Of love-madness and ecstasy divine. Will Chaitanya-moon come within the reach Of my conceptual faculty and speech? 137
Some sects to worldly acts are disinclined, Some yogins to chant mantras are resigned, And by austerities themselves torment; Some to worship Govinda are content, But tainted with pride esteem themselves wise, Regarding more outward solemnities; Distracted by ambition and acclaim, Some talk of Hari's love only in name. Alas! Chaitanya, whither hast thou gone? I see not now the path of pure love shown. 138
When golden Gaura had made his advent, And to the eyes of mortals was present, The world was submerged in the ecstasy Of love and affection for Lord Hari; The loud tumult was heard on every side, Where Lord Hari in song was glorified, With rhythm and dulcet melodic strain; Oh will such sweet times ever come again? 139
That blest town in Gauda, beyond compare, And Sri Purusottam's realm are still there; And thus the great Lord of Madhus remains, And yet is heard the chanting of his names; But still, alas, wherever my eyes rove, I do not see that festival of love. Oh Chaitanya, of grace the boundless store, Alas, Oh, will I ever see you more? 140
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Post by madanmohandas on Aug 9, 2021 17:19:53 GMT -6
Concluding the Sri Chaitanya Chandramrtam, 141-143.
If it be said, as the scriptures relate, That Gaura, like the Fish, was incarnate, And partial incarnations that display Deeds wonderful; I know not what to say! But by moon-like Gaura such grace was shown, By the potent excellence of his own, And wondrous display of exploits revered, The Lord in all his fullness hath appeared. 141
Brahma and Isha are amazed to see, The Great Master's wonderful potency; I pray that when my puerile speech is heard, His natural affection will be stirred. 142
I did not holy scripture's page discern, Nor did I from teachers and wise men learn; And thus I have but uttered childishly; May Gaurahari still be pleased with me. 143
Here ends Sri Chaitanya Chandramrtam by Sri Prabodhananda Sarasvati, done into English rhyme.
Rhymer's epilogue.
Well, I've done what I can do with ink and quill, And hope the Vaisnavs do not take it ill.
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