1. Glory to Sri Kr s n a Caitanya, the purifier of the fallen! In the age of Kali He revealed the nama-sankirtana movement of chanting Lord Krsna's holy names.
2. Glory to Lord Nityananda, the savior of the fallen. Seeing the poor fallen people, He was merciful to them.
3. Glory to Lord Advaitacandra, the life of the devotees! He brought Lord Caitanya to this world.
4. Glory, glory to the devotees, the personal associates of the Lord. They delivered the fallen souls. Now I pray they will deliver Sankarshana dasa.
1. Lord Gauranga is a treasure-house of mercy. His virtues are beyond counting. Nothing is like Him.
2. A kalpa-taru tree fulfills desires only after one approaches it with a request.
3. The ocean may splash a single drop and then retreat. The moon showers bright moonlight only at some times of the month.
4. Lord Gauranga does not consider who is worthy and who is not worthy to receive the jewels He gives away. He does not consider what is an appropriate time and what is not.
5. Begging everyone please to accept it, He always gives away a precious treasure. He has given it to everyone. Only to Sankarshana dasa was it not given. Only he was cheated.
1. During the Phalguna-purnima seeing Rahu touch the moon, everyone called out, "Haribol!" Some played mridangas. Others played flutes or gongs. There was a great tumult of bells and conchshells.
2. Watching for the auspicious day and moment, the Supreme Personality of Godhead took birth in Saci's house. Disguising their true identities, the demigods came to see. Not yet seeing, they had heard the tumult.
3. Hearing the tumult, the joyful men and women of Nadiya hurried to see. Standing before the child, their hearts were filled with longings. Bliss entered their thoughts. Their eyes were filled with the sight of the infant boy.
4. Seeing the boy, the devotees were filled with bliss. In their hearts they knew that now they would be delivered. Only wicked-hearted Sankarshana dasa has no love for Lord Gauranga. O son of Saci, please be merciful to him anyway.
Sekhara dasa
Song 1 (Gandhara-raga)
1. sanakadi muni-gane cahi bule deba-gane
birinci dheyane nahi paya
dig-ambara pasupati bhrami bule diba-rati
panca-mukhe yanra guna gaya
2. yanra pada dhauta haite suci haila tri-jagate
hara-sire jatara bhushana
so pahum nadiya-pure abatari saci-ghare
sange laiya parishada-gana
3. dekhi saci-nandana jiba saba acetana
prakasila nama-sankirtana
bishayi yabana yata tara haila unamata
na ha-ila paduya adhama
4. prema-jala maha-banya prithibi karila dhanya
tri-bhubana calila bahiya
tarkika pashanda yata pala-ila haiya bhita
abhimana-naukhaya cadiya
5. sri-caitanya nityananda tanra pada makaranda
ye jana karaye tara asa
tanhara carana dhuli tahe mora snana-keli
dukhiya sekhara tara dasa
1. Sanaka-kumara and the sages gaze at Him and speak many prayers. Brahma and the demigods meditate on Him but cannot attain Him. Siva, garbed only by the four directions, wanders about, his five mouths singing His glories.
2. The water that has washed His feet, water that purifies the three worlds, rests as the ornament on Siva's matted locks. Surrounded by His associates, He, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, descended to this world in Nadiya-pura, in Saci's house.
3. Please gaze at Saci's son. To the dull and lifeless fallen souls He revealed nama-sankirtana, the chanting of the holy names. The yavanas, hedonists, fallen, and unlettered He made wild with the ecstasy of spiritual love.
4. He made the earth glorious. He flooded it with the waters of ecstatic spiritual love, waters that passed beyond the boundaries of the three worlds. Terrified, the blasphemers and false philosophers fled. Clambering onto the boat of false pride, they escaped.
5. My pastime is bathing in the dust of the devotees' feet, devotees who yearn for the honey at Lord Caitanya's and Lord Nityananda's feet. Sad Sekhara dasa is the servant of those great devotees.
Song 2 (Dhanasi-raga)
1. gauranga rasera nadi premera taranga
uthaliya ya-iche dhara kabhu nahe bhanga
2. abhirama saranga taya tata du-i-khani
acyutananda tahe premera ghurani
3. srota bahi yaya tahe sri-adwaitacandra
du\bari kandari tahe prabhu nityananda
4. prema jalacara sribasadi sahacara
swarupa sri rupa bhela premera khakara
5. thakuka dubibara kaja parasa na pa-iya
duhkhiya sekhara kande phukara kariya
1. From Lord Gauranga flows a great river of nectar. The waves of that river are waves of ecstatic spiritual love. That flooding river never stops flowing.
2. Abhirama Thakura and Saranga Thakura are that river's two banks. Acyutananda is its whirlpool of ecstatic love.
3. Sri Advaitacandra is that river's current. Lord Nityananda is both the diver that swims in that river and the captain of the boat that plies its waters.
4. Srivasa Thakura and his associates are the fish that swim in those waters of spiritual love. Svarupa Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami are the sunlight of ecstatic love glistening on that river.
5. Alas, unable to swim in that river, sad Sekhara dasa stays on the bank and loudly weeps.
Song 3 (Tudi-raga)
1. jagannatha misrera sukriti bija haite
janamila gaura-kalpa-taru nadiyate
2. yatane nita-i mali se taru sebila
nana sakha upasakha tahara ha-ila
3. dharila tahate adabhuta prema-phala
rase paripurna taha madaka kebala
4. anande nita-i mali se phala padiya
dina duhkhi-jane deya du-hate bilana
5. se phalera rasa yena sudhakara-sudha
ye jana cushiya khaya yaya tara kshudha
6. apani se phala kha-iya nita-i mali
unamata haiya nace mathe kari dali
7. dhara ne-o ne-o bali se phala bilaya
kebala bancita tahe e sekhara raya
1. In Nadiya, from the seed of Jagannatha Misra's past pious deeds was born the kalpa-taru tree of Lord Gaura.
2. The gardener Nitai came and carefully tended that tree. From that tree many branches and sub-branches grew.
3. That tree bore many wonderful fruits, fruits filled with wildly delightful nectar.
4. The gardener Nitai happily picked those fruits. With both hands He offered those fruits to the poor unhappy souls.
5. The nectar of those fruits was like the sweet nectar found in the celestial moon. Anyone who sucked the juice of one of those fruits found that his hunger had fled far away.
6. Then the gardener Nitai personally ate one of those fruits. Wild with bliss, He danced. Then He placed those fruits in a basket and balanced the basket on His head.
7. Saying, "Take! Take! Please take!", He distributed those fruits to everyone. Only Sekhara Raya did not take any of those fruits. Only he was cheated.
Song 4 (Tudi-raga)
1. hatera pattana sri-sacinandana
karala pa-iya sukha
hatera thakura nita-i sundara
khandila jibera dukha
2. (Refrain) dekha hatha manohara ranga
narahari dasa hathera biswasa
srinibasa ara sanga
3. ara adbhuta thakura adwaita
munasi hatera majha
haridasa adi phire hata sadhi
ramananda satyaraja
4. karatala yata badya baje kata
mridanga kahara dhola
hata kalayaba nritya gita saba
ghana ghana haribola
5. premera pasara laiya gadadhara
sange pasarira-gana
raya ramananda murari mukunda
basudeba sulocana
6. sanatana rupa pandita swarupa
damodara yara nama
basu ramananda sena sibananda
bakreswara guna-dhama
7. pandita sankara ara kasisvara
mukunda madhava dasa
raghunatha adi gunera abadhi
purala manera asa
8. kata nama niba pasari e saba
pasara la-iya kache
pasara bhushana pulaka rodana
maha-bhaba adi ache
9. hatera hatuya bhakata natuya
pasari mahima jani
dainya dana diya se prema aniya
sada kare biki kini
10. hatera kotala thakura gopala
dana-ghati gopinatha
hatera palana sri-raghunandana
karena sundara satha
11. diba rati na-i bajara sada-i
ye yaya se prema paya
premera pasara karala bithara
sacira dulala raya
12. bhangila akala matila kangala
kha-iya bharala peta
dekhiya samana karaye bhabana
badana kariya heta
13. jara mrityu na-i ananda sada-i
soka-bhaya nahi haya
asa-jhuli kari sekhara bhikhari
bajare magiya khaya
1. Saci's son joyfully established this marketplace. Handsome Lord Nitai, the marketplace-master, broke into pieces the sufferings of every soul.
2. (Refrain) Look at the beautiful marketplace! There Narahari dasa is the treasurer. Srinivasa Acarya is his associate.
3. Wonderful Lord Advaita is the secretary of the marketplace. Haridasa, Ramananda, Satyaraja, and others are peddlers who circulate through the marketplace.
4. How many karatalas, mridangas, dholas, and other musical instruments are played? Sweet music fills the marketplace. There are singing and dancing, and loud calls of "Haribol!"
5-7. Gadadhara sets out his wares of ecstatic spiritual love. His associates, the other merchants, are Ramananda Raya, Murari, Mukunda, Vasudeva, Sulocana, Sanatana Gosvami, Rupa Gosvami, Pandita Svarupa Damodara, Ramananda Vasu, Sivananda Sena, saintly Vakresvara, Sankara Pandita, Kasisvara, Mukunda, Madhava dasa, Raghunatha dasa, and many others. They are all supremely virtuous. They satisfy the heart's desire.
8. Howe many names can I write? All these merchants spread out their goods. They spread out various ornaments, like weeping, standing up of the body's hairs, and other symptoms of ecstatic spiritual love.
9. There are merchants selling goods from stalls, and there are devotee dancers dancing. Paying the price of humbleness, the customers buy the goods of ecstatic spiritual love. The buying and selling continues without stop.
10. Gopala Thakura is the marketplace-watchman. Gopinatha is the collector of payments. Sri Raghunandana is the worker for marketplace-maintenance. He keeps the marketplace beautiful.
11. Day or night make no difference. This marketplace is always open. Here the customers always came and purchase the wares of ecstatic spiritual love. Saci's dear son personally spreads out the wares of ecstatic spiritual love.
12. In this marketplace all troubles are broken into pieces. Even the poor beggars are joyful. Eating, they fill their bellies. Gazing at this marketplace, Yamaraja becomes rapt in thought. Humbly he lowers his head.
13. In this marketplace there is no old-age and no death. In this marketplace spiritual bliss is always manifest. Here there is neither grief nor fear. In this marketplace the beggar Sekhara Raya bows, begs some food, and eats.
Song 5 (Kanada-raga)
1. nacata nagare nagara gaura heri murati madana bhora
yaichana tadita rucira anga, bhanga nata-bara sobhini
kama kamana bhuruka jora karatahi keli srabana ora
gima sohata ratana padaka jaga-jana-mano-mohini
2. kusume racita cikura-punja caudike bhramara bhramari gunja
pithe dolaye lotana tara srabane kundala dolani
mahisha dadhi rucira basa hridaya jagata rasa bilasa
jitala pulaka kadamba-koraka anukhana mana lolani
3. gaja-pati jini gamana bhanti preme barasha dibasa rati
heri gadadhara romyata hasata gada gada adha bolani
aruna nayana carana kanja tahi nakha-mani manjira ranja
natana bajana jhanara jhanana suni muni-mana-lolani
4. badana caudike sohata ghama kanaka-kamale mukuta-dama
amiya jharana madhura bacana kata rasa parakasani
maha-bhaba rupa rasika raja sohata sakala bhakata majha
piriti murati aichana carita raya-sekhara bhashini
1. Graceful Lord Gaura dances in the city. Gazing at His form, Kamadeva is overcome with wonder. His limbs glisten like lightning. He is the best of dancers, His form splendid and graceful. His splendid eyebrows are like Kamadeva's bow. His ears are filled with playful grace. On His neck rests a glistening jewel locket. His form enchants the hearts of all the worlds.
2. His hair is decorated with flowers. Around Him on four sides the black bees hum. As His body sways to and fro, the earrings on His ears move. His garments are splendid like buffalo-yogurt. Thoughts of Lord Krishna's rasa-dance pastime awaken in His heart. Standing erect, the hairs of His body defeat the kadamba filaments. At every moment His heart is overcome with ecstasy.
3. His graceful motions defeat the king of elephants. Day and night He showers a monsoon of ecstatic spiritual love. Glancing at Gadadhara, He weeps. Then He laughs. Then He speaks broken words in a choked voice. His eyes are reddish. His feet are like lotus flowers. His toenails are like jewels. His anklets jangle. Hearing the tumult of his kirtana and watching Him dance, the sages yearn in their heart to attain His company.
4. The four sides of His face glistening with perspiration, He is like a golden lotus decorated with strings of pearls. How many streams of nectar flows from His sweet words? He is maha-bhava ecstatic love personified. He is the king of rasikas. In the midst of a host of devotees He shines with great splendor. He is pure spiritual love personified. Sekhara Raya thus describes His pastimes.
Song 6 (Karuna-raga or Kamoda-raga)
1. madhura madhura gaura-kisora, madhura madhura nata
madhura madhura saba sahacara, madhura madhura hata
2. madhura madhura mridanga bajata, madhura madhura tana
madhura rase matala bhakata, ga-ota madhura gana
3. madhura helana madhura dolana, madhura madhura gati
madhura madhura bacana sundara, madhura madhura bhati
4. madhura adhare jini sasadhara, madhura madhura hasa
madhura arati madhura piriti, madhura madhura bhasha
5. madhura yugala nayana ratula, madhura ingite caya
madhura premera madhura badara, bancita sekhara-raya
1. Sweet sweet is Lord Gaura-kisora. Sweet sweet is His dancing. Sweet sweet are all His companions. Sweet sweet is His marketplace.
2. Sweet sweet are the sounds He plays the mridanga. Sweet sweet are His rhythms. His devotees are wild with the sweet nectar of ecstatic spiritual love. Sweet sweet is His singing.
3. Sweet is His leaning on a companion. Sweet is His swaying to and fro. Sweet sweet are His motions. Sweet are His words. Sweet is His handsomeness. Sweet sweet is His effulgent glory.
4. Sweet are His lips that defeat the moon. Sweet sweet is His laughter. Sweet is His arati. Sweet is His ecstatic spiritual love. Sweet sweet is His talking.
5. Sweet are his reddish eyes. Sweet are His gestures and hints. Sweet is His monsoon shower of sweet ecstatic spiritual love. Sekhara Raya has no experience of that shower. Of it he was cheated.
Song 7 (Kamoda-raga)
1. sundara sundara gauranga sundara, sundara sundara rupa
sundara piriti rajyera ye-mati sughada sundara bhupa
2. sundara badane sundara hasani, sundara sundara sobha
sundara nayane sundara cahani, sundara manasa lobha
3. sundara nasate sundara tilaka, sundara dekhite ati
sundara srabane sundara kuntala, sundara tahara jyoti
4. sundara mastake sundara kuntala, sundara meghera para
sundara gimete sundara dolaye, sundara kusuma-hara
5. sundara nadiya-nagare bihara, sundara caitanya-canda
sundara lilara saundarya na bujhe, sekhara janama andha
1. Graceful graceful is Lord Gaurangasundara. Graceful graceful is His form. His is the graceful king of the graceful realm of ecstatic spiritual love.
2. Graceful is His face. Graceful are His smiles and laughter. Graceful graceful is His glory. Graceful are His eyes. Graceful are His glances. Graceful are the spiritual longings in His heart.
3. Graceful is His nose. Graceful is His tilaka. His is sublimely graceful to see. Graceful are His ears. Graceful is His hair. Graceful is His effulgence.
4. Graceful is His head. Graceful is His hair. He is like a graceful cloud. Graceful is the flower garland that gracefully he sways to and fro on His graceful neck.
5. Graceful is Lord Caitanyacandra who enjoys pastimes in graceful Nadiya-nagara. Sekhara Raya, who is blind from birth, does nto understand the glorious grace of His graceful pastimes.
Song 8 (Kamoda-raga)
1. atula atula gaurangera rupa, atula tahara abha
atula atula sasanka bayane, atula hasira sobha
2. atula atula yajna-sutrera gochati, atula gimete dole
atula rajata-sarit janu, atula himadri kole
3. atula atula suka-cancu-tula, atula nasika sohe
atula atula saphari nayane, atula catula cahe
4. atula atula pakwa bimba-phala, jini oshtha duti tara
atula atula dasanera ruci, janu mukutara hara
5. atula helana atula dolana, atula calana taya
atula rupete batula sabahum, bancita sekhara raya
1. Peerless peerless is Lord Gauranga's form. Peerless is His glorious splendor. Peerless peerless is Lord Gauranga. Peerless peerless is the moon of His face. Peerless is the splendor of His smile.
2. Peerless is the sacred-thread that sways to and fro on His peerless neck. Peerless is the Himalaya mountain of His chest, a mountain where silver-clear mountain-brooks flow.
3. Peerless is His nose splendid like a peerless peerless parrot-beak. Peerless are the restless glances He casts from the peerless peerless saphari fish that are His eyes.
4. Peerless peerless are his lips that defeat peerless bimba fruits. Peerless peerless is the splendor of His teeth, teeth like a string of pearls.
5. Peerless is His leaning on a companion. Peerless is His swaying to and fro. Peerless are His restless motions. Peerless is His glorious form that made everyone wild with bliss. Sekhara Raya never saw that form. Of that sight he was cheated.
Sivananda
Song 1 (Suha-i-raga)
1. purbe ye-i gopinatha srimati radhika satha
se sukha bhabiya ebe dina
ye kare murali baya danda kamandalu taya
kati-tate e dora kaupina
2. adhare murali puri braja-badhura mana curi
kari sukha badaye tahara
nayana-kataksha-bane marame pasiya hane
se marane bahe asru-dhara
3. yamunara bane bane go-dhana rakhala sane
nata-besa bijayi bakhane
nahi jani se-i ebe ki jani kahara bhabe
bilasaye sankirtana sthane
4. bhabite se saba sukha dvi-guna badaye dukha
biraha anale jari jari
e sibanandera hiya gadila pashana diya
nada-rabe se sukha sobhari
1. He who was formerly Radha's companion and the gopis' master, has now become a joyful poor mendicant. He who formerly played a flute in His hand now holds a danda and kamandalu. At His waist a kaupina is tied.
2. He who formerly filled the flute at His lips, stole the gopis' hearts, enjoyed many blissful pastimes, and fired many arrows of sidelong glances at the gopis' hearts, now sheds flooding rivers of tears from His eyes.
3. He who formerly, dressed like a dancing-actor, walked from forest to forest by the Yamuna as He herded the cows, is now overcome with ecstasy. Enjoying pastimes of sankirtana, He knows nothing but ecstasy.
4. In the ecstasy of meeting He is filled with bliss. In the agony of separation His sufferings are doubled. Then He burns in flames of suffering. His chanting of the holy names fills with bliss even Sivananda's heart, a heart built of stone.
Song 2 (Mangala-raga)
1. akhila bhubana bhari hari rasa-badara
barikhaye caitanya-meghe
bhakata cataka yata pibi pibi abirata
anukhana prema-jala mage
2. phalguna purnima tithi meghera janama tathi
se-i meghe karala badara
uca-nica yata chila prema-jale bhasa-ola
gora bada dayara sagara
3. jibere kariya yantra hari-nama maha-mantra
hate hate premera anjali
adhama duhkhita yata tara haile bhagabata
badhila gauranga-thakurali
4. jaga-i madha-i chila tara preme uddharila
hena jibe bila-ola daya
dasa sibananda bale kena ra-inu maya-bhole
prabhu more deha pada-cchaya
1. The raincloud of Lord Caitanya now floods the worlds with a nectar monsoon of Lord Krsna's holy names. Without stop drinking and drinking the nectar of this monsoon, the cataka birds that are the devotees pray moment after moment to attain the nectar waters of ecstatic spiritual love.
2. On the full-moon day of the month off Phalguna the Lord Caitanya monsoon cloud took birth. At once that cloud began a great monsoon. Every living being, high and low, was plunged into that monsoon's flooding waters of ecstatic spiritual love. In this way Lord Gaura flooded the world with a great ocean of mercy.
3. Affectionately folding His hands, to the fallen souls He gave the maha-mantra of Lord Krsna's names. In this way Lord Gauranga transformed the suffering fallen people into exalted devotees.
4. With great love He delivered Jagai and Madhai. He gave mercy to all the fallen souls like them. Sivananda dasa says: Why should I stay in maya's illusions? O Lord, please give me the shade of Your feet.
Compiled and translated by Sriman Kusakratha das
