Sri Prema Bhakti Chandrika

[madanmohandas]

The opening verses of Sri Narottama Dasa's Prema Bhakti Chandrika, in blank verse, except for the slokas, they rhyme. 1-15

Although my eyes with ignorance were blind,
My divine Master, merciful and kind,
With wisdom's pencil, love's ointment applies;
I bow to Sri Guru who cured my eyes. 1

The one who in the world did establish
Chaitanya's hearts' desire and his wish;
May that Rupa, I earnestly entreat,
Grant me the proximity of his feet. 2

(Now blank verse)
At my divine preceptor's lotus feet,
The storehouse of singular devotion,
Bow down with all solemnity and care,
By whose grace and favour, O brother mind,
You may cross this ocean of existence,
And by whose mercy Krishna is attained. 3

The speech that issues from the lotus mouth
Of the teacher, imbibe into your heart;
And have no wish for other topics vain.
Attachment for the Guru's lotus feet
Is the best means to attain fulfilment,
Since by his unreserved favour and grace,
You shall attain to all that you desire. 4

Who granted me the eye of perception,
And manifests wisdom within the heart,
In every life from birth to birth is Lord.
By the influence of his devotion,
And loving joy, ignorance is destroyed;
And Vedic scriptures his glory proclaim. 5

Sri Guru is an ocean of all grace,
And of the fallen souls the dearest friend,;
Like Lokanath, the Master of the world,
My teacher, Lokanath, is life and soul.
Alas, alas! my Lord, be merciful,
Afford the sheltering shade of your feet;
Now let your fame resound the triple world! 6

With holy dust from the Vaishnava's feet,
Adorn your body as an ornament;
From which intuitive insight will rise;
Worship to effect purification;
In the society of holy ones,
Ignorance and delusion overcome. 7

Hail to Sanatana, to Rupa hail!
Like deep wells of pure love rapture divine,
Who personify the bright sentiments
That obtains between the amorous pair;
By whose grace the world hath forsaken grief,
Like wish fulfilling trees made manifest. 8

The ways of loving rapture they have shown,
And in their own voluminous writings,
These two great ones have composed many tracts;
From hearing which the purest joy doth rise,
And you shall float on waves of ecstasy,
And the sweets imbibe of the divine pair. 9

That sweet love of the adolescent pair,
Like gold an hundred thousand times refined,
Is the great wealth manifested by them;
Hail Rupa, Sanatana! grant to me
That treasure most valuable and rare;
A gem with which I shall adorn my breast. 10

The essence of the Bhagavat scripture
Prescribes the nine-fold bhakti discipline;
In which I shall be earnestly engaged,;
And to other gods I shall not resort;
Thus, O dear brother mind, I say to you,
This devotion the highest worship is. 11

The statements of holy ones and scripture,
And the teacher, take as one in your heart;
And always float in loving ecstasy.
From karmis, jnanis, those sans devotion,
I shall remain distinctive and apart;
Thus Narottam these principles doth sing. 12

Divine Sri Rupa hath said;

Without extraneous aspiration,
Nor hid by pious works nor abstraction;
To cultivate a loving attitude
For Krishna, is the best beatitude. 13
(Bh.R.S.1.1.11)

Extraneous desire I forsake,
Jnana and karma I also forswear;
And shall worship with body and with mind.
And I shall not worship the sundry gods,
For this devotion is the greatest gain,
And cause of the attainment of pure love. 14

I shall ensue the path laid by the great,
And consider both the ancient and new;
Practise the active recollection sweet;
Do not neglect to think of the pastimes.
For this is the essential truth to know,
How to engage the body and the mind. 15

[madanmohandas]

16-23

Always abandon evil attachments,
Forsake the joy of hearing worldly songs;
The karmis and jnanis leave off afar.
Only associate with devotees,
And relish the pleasure of love divine;
Topics replete with Vraja's love raptures. 16

Yogis, nyasis, karmis and jnanis too,
And those who meditate on sundry gods,
All these abandon to a distance far.
Customary virtue is fraught with grief,
As well as yoga disciplines. Forsake!
All these and worship Lord Giridhari. 17

The exertion of holy pilgrimage,
Is merely a delusion of the mind;
All perfections rest at Govinda's feet.
Cultivate unwavering faith and love,
The vanity of pride and hate forswear;
And practise singular devotion sweet. 18

Behold the forms of Krishna's devotees,
With Krishna's devotees keep company;
Endued with faith, listen, recite and praise,
Worship and recollect and meditate;
The nine-fold devotion is great wisdom;
This is the cause of supreme devotion. 19

Serve Govinda with the sense faculties,
Do not worship the gods and goddesses;
This is the true account of divine love,
All else occasions contention and blame,
Characterised by vanity and pride,
Which to behold engenders grief and pain. 20

Within the body the enemies dwell,
Which represent the organs and senses;
And who is there that can withstand their force?
The ears may hear but heed not what they hear,
The heart may know but yet not understand,
And thus no firm conviction can there be. 21

Lust, anger, greed, delusion and vain pride,
Malice and overweening arrogance;
All these I will direct to their own place,
And with a joyful heart, victorious,
I shall defeat the adversaries dire,
And worship Govinda with utmost ease. 22

I shall divert lust in Krishna's service,
Be angry at those who devotees hate;
I shall be greedy for the company
Of holy ones and accounts of Hari;
Deluded, having not attained my Lord,
And proud to sing of Krishna's qualities;
And thus the enemies I will employ. 23

[madanmohandas]

Continuing with Sri Narottama Dasa Thakura's Sri Prema Bhakti Chandrika. 24-33

Otherwise lust independent and free
Is the source of impediments and vice;
Which often lead the aspirant astray.
And the path of bhakti to him is lost.
But what can lust and what can anger do
If one is blest with holy company? 24

And as for wrath, what ill might not ensue?
Always abandon wrath; for delusion
And for greed the same might also be said.
The six adversaries are always mean,
Reject them from the mind and always be
In recollection of Krishna-chandra. 25

They will indeed of themselves run away
When they but hear Govinda's holy name,
As elephants flee at the lions' roar.
All adversity will be driven hence,
Great joy and happiness will be attained,
For one in singular worship engaged. 26

Endeavour not in worthless enterprise,
For honour, worship and vain dignity;
But always contemplate Govinda's feet.
All adversity will be driven hence,
Great joy and happiness will be attained,
Which is of prema bhakti the great cause. 27

Avoid vain action and duplicity,
Abandon other worthless expertise,
And be not attached to the sundry gods.
Love is directed according to kind,
And draws each to each by strong attachment,
Causing diversion from devotions' path. 28

Let each to his own chosen path adhere,
And I shall be attached to my own way,
And sing of my own chosen Deity.
This is worship steadfast and exclusive.
O brother mind, hearken to what I say,
And great Hanuman shall be my witness. 29

(Sri Hanuman said)
The Great Self, indivisible, adored,
Is both Goddess Sri and Janaki's Lord;
But as my all-in-all I recognise,
My cherished Rama of the lotus-eyes. 30

Who attains the world of gods or manes,
Are always praised with 'bravo' and 'well done'.
But whoso worships the couple divine,
Floats on the waves of ecstasy and bliss;
And throughout the entire triple world,
They are admired, worshipped and adored. 31

To dwell apart is fraught with pain and grief,
To seek pleasure in sensible objects;
In Vraja dwell and serve Govinda there.
The tidings of Krishna and Krishna's name,
Are the store of eternal rapture true;
Thus with Vraja's people always abide. 32

Always aspire to divine service,
With ardent faith conceived within the mind;
And thus remain from apprehension free.
But earnestly Narottama das says,
I have fallen and languish in untruth;
O Almighty One, deign to rescue me! 33

[madanmohandas]

34-40 are sometimes sung as a prayer on their own. (tumi ta dayaara sindhu....etc.)

You are verily the ocean of grace,
And of the base and wretched the true friend;
O Master, heed, attentive to my prayer,
I have fallen and languish in untruth.
The lust-leviathan hath swallowed me,
O Master, deign to rescue me from there! 34

From birth my entire life I have spent
In grievous transgression and dire offence;
And I have not worshipped you without guile;
Yet still you are my destiny and goal;
Lord of my life, do not abandon me,
None equal is to me in wretchedness. 35

The 'Saviour of the fallen' is your name,
O Syama, this is proclaimed and well known;
But if you neglect me where should I go?
An I be a transgressor, you remain
My only recourse and my cherished goal,
As truly as a chaste wife to her lord. 36

You are verily the Almighty Lord,
And you should not be neglectful of me;
Hear me, hear me, O Master of my life,
If I offend, you are my Master still,
Let me as your attendant wait on you,
And serve you as your devout follower. 37

My mind hath been corrupted by desire,
I never thought of my ultimate good;
I have not shaken evil from my mind;
Condone my faults, O Lord, and me accept,
O you who are a wish fulfilling tree,
And show your grace that all the world may see! 38

No equal have I in my wretchedness,
In all the triple world, lo and behold!
Adopt the name, 'Saviour of Narottam',
Just like the name, 'Saviour of the fallen.'
O Syama, may this name be world renowned,
O Giridhara, make me your servant. 39

Narottam is very distressed and sad,
O Master mine, grant me the happiness;
And I shall worship, singing loud your name;
Yet obstacles are hard to overcome,
And this is my apprehension and fear,
At every moment thus I make my prayer. 40

[madanmohandas]

Proceeding further with Sri Narottama Dasa's Prema Bhakti Chandrika. 41-47

Let me not go or abide in that place
Where idle and vain topics are discussed;
But let me always recollect your feet.
May I, unwearied, with tremulous voice,
Sing sweetly of your qualities and grace,
In the good company of holy ones. 41

I will not follow vows of charity,
Or cultivate knowledge of other things;
Nor will I serve or worship sundry gods,
But I will wander free and full of joy,
And cry, O Krishna, O Krishna, my Lord!
Abandoning all doubts and misgivings. 42

In life or in death my exclusive goal
Are Radha-Krishna, sov'reigns of my life;
Whose love constitutes high rapture and joy.
Those companions of the couple divine,
Are my life whom as a necklace I wear;
This topic in the breast should be concealed. 43

I serve the divine couple's holy feet,
Upon the couple's feet I meditate;
The couple's love may I keep in my mind.
The beauty of this adolescent pair,
Rule over countless Cupids and Ratis;
May my mind in their deeds and fame delight. 44

Taking a humble straw between my teeth,
Alas, O Kishora, O Kishori!
I make submission at your lotus-feet;
O prince regent of Vraja, Syama called,
O Vrishabhanu's charming daughter named!
Sri Radhika, O lovesome damosel! 45

Raai glows as a golden ketaki flower,
And Syama like a dark emerald shines;
Whose lustre quells the pride of beauty's sheen;
He is the foremost dancer, brave and bold,
And she is the crown gem of danseuses,
Whose minds are steeped in each's qualities. 46

Whose faces are divinely beautiful,
One gold and one glowing like sapphire blue;
Adorned with sentiments and shining bright;
Attired in raiment blue and yellow,
A fair and dark captivating couple;
Whose hearts always yearn for each other's love. 47

[madanmohandas]

48-62

They strike a dancing posture with each limb,
Adorned with gems and glistning ornaments;
So says the wretched Narottama das;
Sing of their qualities both day and night,
And thereby attain to the highest bliss;
Such is the aspiration of my mind. 48

Now I the path of love will iterate,
The quintessence of doctrines and teachings,
Of long tradition and of Vedic lore;
I shall join the company of sakhis,
In Vraja with a perfect body dight;
This is the love-balm that will sooth the soul. 49

How will I catalogue and numerate
The companion sakhis of Radhika?
The chief among the sakhis I will name;
First Lalita and Vishakha the fair,
Chitra and the dear Champakalata;
And Rangadevi and Sudevi twain. 50

Then Tungavidya and Indurekha,
These are thus the eight sakhi companions.
And now of playful narma sakhis hear,
Who are Radhika's dear attendant maids;
They are known as the most beloved ones,
Who always render service with pure love. 51

Some bear an equal attachment to both,
Some have more affection for either one;
But as for that, let my affection be
To Radha more favourably disposed;
Abide there and enjoy accounts to hear
Of Krishna's deeds with the narma sakhis. 52*

*This stanza is of uncertain provenance.

Sri Rupa manjari, foremost of all,
And her dear friend Sri Rati manjari;
Lavanga manjari, Manjulali,
Delightsome Sri Rasa manjari too,
And Kasturika, who all take delight
In eager loving service full of joy. 53

I shall on their orders, gestures and hints,
Loving service render with all of them,
And I their faithful follower will be,
By their qualities and beauty beguiled.
Thus always with loving rapture abide,
In the dear sakhi's playful company. 54

The delightsome couple in Vrindavan,
Are surrounded by sakhis on each side.
According to the humour and the time,
Upon the sakhis' gestures I will ply
A chamara whisk; and into their mouths,
Like moons, will I a tasty tambul place. 55

I always serve the divine couples' feet,
This thought I shall constantly cultivate;
And thus remain always with love endued.
What I conceive in the stage of practice,
In my perfect body I shall attain;
This is the method on the path of love. 56

The treasure desired during practice,
In the perfect body will be attained,
The distinction merely ripe or unripe.
The unripe is in the stage of practice,
Which ripens into loving ecstasy.
This is of bhakti the essential truth. 57

And thus this Narottama das doth say,
Such is my ardent longing and desire,
In Vraja's town always with love to bide;
Counted among the sakhis there to be,
And enrolled as one their companions;
Accomplished then will be all my desire. 58

So it is said,

The identity of the self received,
As one among the sakhis is conceived;
To serve upon their orders with delight,
Endued with beauty, with ornaments dight. 59

(Sanat Kumara Samhita)

And again,

Recall Krishna and that associate,
Whose fond affection one would emulate;
The tidings of his deeds both hear and tell,
And always in, or upon Vraja dwell. 60

(Bh.R.S. 1'2'294)

Love and affection for the couples' feet
Is constituted of the highest joy;
Accounts of their love sports are full of bliss;
Krishna's name and Radha's name are the store
Of joy and the means supreme love to gain;
I bow, exhilarated, at their feet. 61

Recollection is the life of the mind,
And that recollection sweeter than sweet,
Are the love sports of the couple divine.
Thus is the method and the end defined,
There is nothing further to gain than this;
This is of all truths the essential truth. 62

[madanmohandas]

Greetings patient reader and laborious friend. Continuing with Thakura Mahashoy's Prema Bhakti Chandrika. 63-74

Our hero shimmers like a monsoon cloud,
Glowing with beauty sweeter and more sweet;
Most witty, clever, and finely attired
In lustrous raiment of bright yellow hue;
Who is adorned with ornaments and gems,
Whose hair tied up is decked with peacock plumes. 63

Delightsome fragrant musk and sandal paste
Adorn his limbs, mixed with vermilion;
Who stands in posture curved in places three;
Fresh garlands and varieties of flowers
Adorn his dark body, and beautify,
Frequented by intoxicated bees. 64

Whose face shines charming with a semi smile,
Who expertise in sweet exploits displays,
Which rouses eagerness in Vraja's brides;
On his feet, delicate as lotus blooms,
Gem studded sounding ankle bells are placed;
Whose sparkling toenails shine like baby moons. 65

Whose anklets warble like a cooing swan,
Attracting the chaste swan-like damosels;
Which hearing they at home cannot remain.
Their hearts dilate with the excess of love,
And unite as chaste wives join with their lord;
Forsaking conventional piety. 66

Govinda's person is eternal truth,
His servitors serve him eternally.
Vrindavan is a glorious abode;
The bright essence of all the triple world;
The like of which is nowhere to be found;
Its recollection occasions love's joy. 67

The moon there sheds soothing and balmy beams,
The trees are generous wish yielding trees,
With twining vines, served by the seasons six.
Govinda, fraught with ecstasy and joy,
Surrounded by a throng of damosels,
Enacts his lustrous sweet exploits of love. 68

O mind! with singular dedication,
Take the essence of refuge at the feet
Of damosels who dwell in Vraja's town.
Hearken not to contentious topics vain,
Which but occasion confusion and strife,
But keep the swelling love safe in your heart. 69

A compound of virtue and sin combined,
The transitory body will not last;
And wealth and friends are all illusory.
When death arrives in time, where will I go?
With this question you should yourself concern;
Yet you persist in vain and worthless deeds. 70

As the king may play well his kingly part,
E'en as an actor plays upon a stage,
But scrutiny will show that it is naught.
Thus even so the Supreme Lord divine,
To his Maya illusion subjects all;
In this, O mind, you should be fraught with fear. 71

Do not commit wanton and wilful sin,
To be a sinner is an evil thing;
Remain apart from sinfulness and vice.
And piety, the store of happiness,
Which I will not even venture to name;
Both piety and salvation forswear. 72

But in the ocean sweet of devotion,
Dive in and always remain there submerged;
All else were like a brackish backwater.
Then you will attain to the supreme bliss,
And all your sufferings will go away,
Thus speak I of the means to supreme truth. 73

Avoid contact with others at all times,
Which is to say, do not imbibe their ways;
Herein I exercise extreme caution.
To sing the names of Radha and Krishna,
Constitutes the supreme meditation;
No other evidence will I admit. 74

[madanmohandas]

A few more stanzas, 75-85

With karmis, jnanis, pseudo devotees,
Be not affiliated nor attached;
But practice, O my mind, pure devotion.
Imbibe the ways, immerse your consciousness,
In conduct of the people of Vraja;
This is the treasure of the supreme truth. 75

Always pray with humble solicitude,
Discuss accounts of love with a pure mind;
Do not divide the mantra from the name.
Thus becoming steadfast and resolute,
Adore the red soles of those lotus-feet;
The binding knot of sin will thus be cut. 76

To Radha and Krishna render service,
With an exclusive intention, O mind,
And praise the glories of their lotus-feet.
Hear of their names and qualities sublime,
Again and again from devotees lips,
And you will attain to the highest bliss. 77

The fair beauty of Raai's golden form
I yearn with longing with my eyes to see;
This longing engenders a flow of tears.
And he glistens with the sheen of a cloud,
Extremely exquisite in every limb;
The manifested beauty of the world. 78

Accompanied by sakhis on all sides,
Aspire to render loving service;
Such service holds the supreme happiness.
Thus in my form conceived within the mind,
I shall be steeped in these humours of love,
Narottama will always sport with them. 79

Upon Radha and Krishna meditate,
Consider nothing else even in dreams;
Entertain no desire but for love.
That sublime love of the couple divine,
Like gold an hundred thousand times refined,
Replete with sweet affection, contemplate. 80

A finny fish of its water deprived,
Must languish in misery, gasp and die;
Such is the devotee for want of love.
Or as the feathered chataka subsists
On water from a cloud, the devotee
Is fondly attached only to pure love. 81

As greedy bees on plunder are intent,
The chakora bird gazes at the moon,
Or as the chaste wife to her loving lord;
The mind will not stray of a devotee,
Like a poor man receiving heaps of gold;
Such are the ways of loving devotion. 82

The sense-objects, like poison virulent,
You consider to be the source of joy,
But that is not joy, that is misery.
Make Govinda the object of desire,
Associate yourself with his servants;
Know prema bhakti eternal and true. 83

From time to time the wicked may protest,
And wax wrathful to see a devotee,
Considering his virtues to be vice.
But those who to Govinda are averse,
Of such a treasure never can conceive;
The worldly wise project their worldliness. 84

The ignorant and adverse are assailed
With hundreds of futile opinions vain,
And deluded by pride, know not themselves.
The insolent of bhakti are devoid,
They are mean and most wicked in the world,
And their vain cogitations are worthless. 85

[madanmohandas]

Another day, another stanza.
(Jaques)
Come, more; another stanzo; call you 'em stanzos?
Ami.
What you will, Monsieur Jaques.
Jaq.
Nay, I care not for their names; they owe me nothing. Will you sing?



Well, as for that, continuing with Prema Bhakti Chandrika, 86-95 creeping to latter portion of the text.

O mind, relinquish and forsake all else,
Always aspire to ecstatic love;
And serve the Almighty Lord Sri Hari.
Who is the prince that in Vraja abides;
Called Govinda, the best of connoisseurs;
Always cherish a fond longing for him. 86

This Narottama das, lamenting, says,
My heart in ardent longing always burns,
For want of company of devotees.
There is no other misfortunate thing,
That I remain absorbed in falsity,
Which wakes the grief that rests within my heart. 87

Ineffable, beyond the range of speech,
Such is the holy realm of Vrindavan;
Self manifest condensed essence of love.
There only boundless happiness prevails,
There is no grief, decrepitude or death,
But constant relish of Krishna's exploits. 88

The mutual love of Radha and Krishna,
Like gold an hundred thousand times refined;
Make billows rise on the ocean of bliss.
Imbibe their love with chakora bird eyes,
Which Cupid and his Rati contemplate,
In pleasant bonds of love and happiness. 89

Radhika is his best beloved one,
Who charms with delightful opposing ways;
And shines like a golden ketaki flower.
Her red sari her passion signifies,
And she is draped in a thin veil of blue;
Adorned with varied ornaments and gems. 90

Their companions, immersed in joy and bliss,
The glory sing of their amorous sports;
And drink their beauty with cups of their eyes.
Beyond the constraints of Vedic decrees,
There is a platform studded with rare gems,
Serve well Kishora and Kishori there. 91

And why will you not adore Lord Hari,
For such a rare attainment in worship?
What will you gain by dying in bondage?
Forsake all acts of specious piety,
Do not observe customs of Vedic lore,
But worship Krishna's lovely pair of feet. 92

Sensible objects lead to bitter ends,
Will you not worship Vraja's darling Lord?
Moon-like Krishna's feet are the store of bliss.
Attainment of heaven or salvation,
Or hellish torments of transmigration,
Are the vicissitudes of birth and death. 93

On body do not depend or rely,
Yama at death will deal his correction,
The course of action is a sea of grief.
Worship, observing thus and having heard,
Follow the scriptures and the holy ones,
And cultivate love for the couple's feet. 94

The Jnana and Karma portions of writ,
Are but a store of poison virulent,
Which are consumed as if they were nectar.
And he must traverse wombs repeatedly,
And therein must needs upon filth subsist;
Thence falls he from the womb to be reborn. 95

[madanmohandas]

A few more stanzas. 96-98

Who have no love for Radha and Krishna,
And sundry gods acknowledge as their Lord,
The ways of prema bhakti do not know.
And who for pure devotion do not seek,
And meditate quite erroneously,
They only live a life worthless and vain. 96

The people jnana and karma practice,
And know not of bhakti the communion;
Deluded by various opinions,
Their vain speeches I shun and will not hear,
Knowing the highest truth and supreme gain,
Pure love is the life of the devotees. 97

The world is permeated by Hari,
Aja and Bhava follow his commands;
Accounts of his beauty and deeds are sweet.
Whoever knows this verity indeed,
Attains superlative exaltation;
I shall always abide with such an one. 98

[madanmohandas]

PBCh. 99-108

Krishna the foremost hero lover is.
Develop a longing and thirst for him,
And worship, assuming the Vraja mood.
With discerning connoisseur devotees
Associate, joy in their company,
And in the town of Vraja always bide. 99

At Sri Guru's feet, and the devotees,
Absorb the mind in fond meditation;
Assimilate and ensue their advice.
Conceive yourself among the sakhi friends,
Affiliated with a certain group,
And joy always to sport in Vraja's town. 100

I always sing the rapture-fraught exploits
Of the youthful couple with all my heart;
And I will pray with fond longing to them.
Or in this life or in the death to come,
I do not wish for any other thing;
So says the wretched Narottama das. 101

I will not speak on various subjects,
Other subjects I will not deign to hear,
But always be intent on supreme good.
I will pray with fond longing constantly,
And fervently to this subject adhere,
Aside from which all is futile and vain. 102

Doctrinal truths of the Almighty One,
Who can enumerate exhaustively?
Who can know the Boundless Uncircumscribed?
Eternal is the love in Vraja's town;
And this is the highest doctrinal truth;
Worship and worship with love in your mind! 103

Govinda is of Gokula the moon,
And repository of supreme bliss;
Whose companions are gopas and gopis.
The town of Nandisvara is his home,
And he is called by Giridhari's name;
Adore him in joy with the sakhi friends. 104

These then are the truths of prema bhakti,
Which I, O brother mind, have told to you;
All evil aspirations now forswear.
O brother, by the divine master's grace,
These articles of worship are attained.
With love, a follower of sakhis be. 105

Fulfilment on worships' path is attained,
In eager company of holy ones;
Worshipping and thinking of Krishna's deeds.
And when pure loving devotion is gained,
The mind is then completely purified,
And then all your heartache will go away. 106

Know sense-objects lead to adversity,
That worldly existence is but a dream,
The body root and basis of worship;
Always adore with ardent faith and love,
Relish accounts of their wonderful deeds;
All else were but a spear plunged in the heart. 107

With pollen dust from Sri Radhika's feet,
Besmear your body as an ornament;
Then, easy, you will gain Giridhari.
Who hath at Radhika's feet refuge, ta'en,
He is a most exalted worthy one,
And I commend him with, 'bravo, well done!' 108

[madanmohandas]

PBCh. 109-117

All hail, all hail, all hail to Radha's name!
Whose dwelling is in Vrindavan divine;
The ocean of Krishna's love sports and joy.
Such wondrous songs of Radha's qualities,
Alas, have not entered within my ears;
It seems stern fate has deprived me of this! 109

Associate with her dear devotees,
Discuss the topics of her sweet love sports;
Who does so shall attain to Ghanashyam.
But those who are averted from this view,
Do not attain to any perfection;
Let me, of such, not even hear their name. 110

O brother, sing the name of Krishna, sing!
And thereby attain to Radhika's feet;
And Krishna is gained singing Radha's name.
In brief outline I have this topic shown,
Be rid of all the grief within your mind;
All else is fraught with misery and pain. 111

Self importance and haughty arrogance,
Bad company as well as bad knowledge,
Forsake, and worship Guru's lotus-feet.
Dedicate all yourself to his service,
Your body and your home, your kith and kin.
Guru's speech is fraught with high truths sublime. 112

To Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya deva,
Render service with fond solicitude,
Who is the love yielding desire tree.
That love of the son of the cowherd chief,
And Radhika, the treasure of his heart;
All these topics are wonderful indeed. 113

Who in Navadvip made divine descent,
Assumed Radha's pure sentiments of love,
And adorned his limbs with her radiance.
In order to fulfil his longings three,
Born from Sachi's womb and made manifest,
Accompanied by his associates. 114

When Gaurahari made divine advent,
He caused a deluge of love like a cloud;
And thus accomplished he his own desire.
As Radhika wept for her dear most Lord,
To know her sentiments he was immersed;
This is perceived among the devotees. 115

Covertly strive toward your perfection,
The nine-fold bhakti disciplines ensue;
And always pray with pure humility.
Join the singing of Hari sankirtan,
And let your mind be overwhelmed with joy;
Without Krishna there are but obstacles. 116

The world abounds in cruel highway thieves,
Who bind and torment with ropes of desire;
Cry out for succour to Hari's servant.
Associate yourself with devotees,
Relish accounts of ecstasy and love;
Then all adversity will be destroyed. 117

[madanmohandas]

Well, patient reader and laborious friend, here is the concluding portion of Sri Thakura mahashoy's Prema Bhakti Chandrika.

How many wives and sons and relatives,
In hundreds have, and will have passed away?
Take care in consideration of that.
But sensible objects have ruined me,
I have not worshipped the feet of Hari,
And see no means to my deliverance. 118

Without my Ramachandra Kaviraj,
Whose company was a great joy to me,
All is to me an existential void.
I would be happy to be born again,
To take pleasure in his society;
Then Narottama fortunate would be. 119

The private subject of your own worship,
Do not discuss with any here and there;
In this you must be cautious to extreme.
Let no one be annoyed at me for this,
Or seek, ill favouredly only for faults;
I bow at the feet of all devotees. 120

In the divine Gauranga grace I seek,
By whose sublime inspiration I speak;
Without that grace but little could I tell,
For I know not if it were ill or well.

With Lokanath, my divine master's feet
Held in my heart, this text is now complete;
Thus does this Narottama das recite,
Prema Bhakti Chandrika with delight.

Thus ends Sri Narrotama Dasa Thakura Mahashoy's
Sri Prema Bhakti Chandrika.

[madanmohandas]

Don't mind me taking on airs, but certain points of inquiry were raised elsewhere; and this is what I said.

Also, a quick note on scansion, what is that? the scanning of a line of poetry. In Iambic pentameter it is important that the first syllable be unstressed and the second stressed, and follow that, all together, five times for each line. The reason I say that it is because we often want to stress our first syllable in 'ordinary' speech. But without adhering to the scansion, dictated by the meter, the rhythm or what is more precisely called the ictus, will not be picked up. It's like in music; there is invariably a note before the first bar to lead in, as it were, to the melody; a similar principle applies with the Iambic foot. deDUM.