Awakening the True Self

In honour of the disappearance day of Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, we are presenting a poem he wrote in his youth wherein he prophesies his glorious service to his Gurudev, Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. Verses from this poem adorn the Temple of Love and Affection.

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Svarūpodbodhana

Awakening the True Self

Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj

Originally Published in Sri Gaudiya Darshan:
Volume 1, Issue 4, Tuesday, 15 November 1955

āmi  guru-dāsa—nahi anya

I am a servant of Guru—nothing else.

āmi  kariba bhramana chaudda-bhuvana
    svarūpe sabāya kari’ udbodhana
    hāte la’ye yāba premera niśāna
        dharāba svarūpa chihna [1]

I will travel throughout the fourteen worlds awakening everyone to their true self. I will go with the banner of divine love in hand and cause everyone to recognise the sign of the true self.

āmi  chhāḍāba sakale sarva-dharma
    kariba chūrṇa jñāna o karma
    rachiba viśāla bhakati-harmya
        guru-dāsa nahi anya [2]

I will induce everyone to abandon all religions. I will demolish the pursuits of liberation and worldly enjoyment. I will construct a grand palace of devotion. I am a servant of Guru—nothing else.

āmi  bhāṅgiba chhanda lāgāba dhanda
    vāchālera mukha kariba banda
    mṛtyure dhari dāniba śanda
        nāhi kapaṭatā dainya [3]

I will break the customs, bemuse everyone, shut the mouths of the garrulous, hold back death, and distribute good fortune to all. I will do so humbly, without deceit.

sei  mahābhāratera mahān parva
    yāhāra prakāśe hayechhe kharva
    dekhāba tā̐hāra asīma garva
        kaitave kari khinna [4]

I will show the unlimited glory of He whose manifestation brought the great portion of the Mahābhārata to an end and efface all duplicity.

āmi  bājāba jagate vijaya-ḍaṅkā
    ghuchāba sakala dvandva-śaṅkā
    bahāba viśve bhakati-gaṅgā
        tuṣi’ hari labhi puṇya [5]

I will sound the kettle-drums of victory throughout the world, dispel all quarrel and fear, and cause the Ganges of pure devotion to flow throughout the universe. Satisfying the Lord in this way, I will attain good fortune.

āmi  āryānārya mlechchha sabāya
    lāgāiba ba’le kṛṣṇa-sevāya
    chaḍāiba sabe golokera nā’ya
        pṛthvī kariba śūṇya [6]

I will forcibly engage all—the noble, the ignoble, and the barbarous—in the Kṛṣṇa’s service. I board them all in the boat to Goloka and empty the earth.

āmi  chālāba sakale guru-pada bale
    vādāma tuliba hari-bola bale
    mahāmāyā-vinī chhalanā chhalile
        kariba chinna-bhinna [7]

I will guide them all by the power of my Guru’s feet. I will hoist the boat’s sails by the power of chanting ‘Hari’. If Mahāmāyā presents any illusion, I shall cut it asunder.

āmi  chinmaya-dhāme chālāiba tarī
    chatur-bhuja habe yata nara-nārī
    sthāvara jaṅgama sabe labhi hari
        habe deva deva mānya [8]

I will drive the boat to the spiritual world and all the men and women will become four-armed. All moving and inert beings will attain Hari and become worshippable to the demigods.

sabe  eka parichaye dibe parichaya
    labhibe svarūpa amṛta-maya
    pūjibe śrī-hari dibe jaya jaya
        nehāri’ ha-iba dhanya [9]

Everyone will identify with the same identity, realise their immortal self, worship Śrī Hari, and call out, ‘Jay! Jay!’ Seeing this, I will be satisfied.

āmi  guru-dāsa nahi anya

I am a servant of Guru—nothing else.