Continuing our presentation of the recent release Sharanagati, in this song Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur describes how a surrendered soul prays to Sri Guru for the capacity to chant the Holy Name without offence.
gurudeva! kabe mora sei dina ha’be
mana sthira kari’, nirjane vasiyā,
kṛṣṇa-nāma gāba yabe
saṁsāra-phukāra, kāṇe nā paśibe,
deha-roga dūre rabe [1]
gurudeva!–O spiritual master!; kabe–when?; mora–mine; sei–that; dina–day; ha’be–will be; mana–mind; sthira–steady; kari’–doing; nirjane–in a solitary place; vasiyā–residing; kṛṣṇa–of Kṛṣṇa; nāma–the Name; gāba–I will sing; yabe–when; saṁsāra–of the material world; phukāra (kolāhala)–loud shouting (confused noise); kāṇe–in the ear; nā–not; paśibe–will enter; deha–of the material body; roga (smṛti)–disease (remembrance); dūre–far away; rabe–will remain. [1]
(1) O Gurudev! When will that day be mine, when I will steady my mind, reside in a solitary place, and chant Krishna’s Name? Then all the cacophony of the material world will no longer enter my ears, and the disease of bodily consciousness will remain far away from me.
Sri Laghu-chandrika-bhashya
(1) nirjane: “In a solitary place.” In this connection Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur has written in his poem Vaishnava Ke?:
kīrtana prabhāve, smaraṇa ha-ibe,
se kāle bhajana nirjana sambhava
“The practice of kirtan results in the qualification to serve the Lord in meditation (smaran). Only at that time is service to the Lord in solitude possible.”
‘hare kṛṣṇa’ bali’, gāhite gāhite,
nayane bahibe lora
dehete pulaka, udita ha-ibe,
premete karibe bhora [2]
‘hare kṛṣṇa’–O Rādhā! O Kṛṣṇa!; bali’–calling; gāhite–chanting; gāhite–and chanting; nayane–from my eyes; bahibe–will flow; lora (aśru)–tears; dehete–in the body; pulaka (romāñcha)–horripilation (ecstasy); udita–rise; ha-ibe–will be; premete–with divine love; karibe–will do; bhora–overcome. [2]
(2) Chanting continuously, I will call out, “Hare Krishna”, tears will flow from my eyes, the hair of my body will stand on end, and I will be overwhelmed with prema.
gada-gada vāṇī, mukhe vāhiribe,
kā̐pibe śarīra mama
gharma muhur-muhuḥ, vivarṇa ha-ibe,
stambhita pralaya-sama [3]
gada-gada–faltering; vāṇī–utterances; mukhe–from my mouth; vāhiribe–will come out; kā̐pibe–will tremble; śarīra–body; mama–my; gharma–perspiration; muhuḥ–again; muhuḥ–and again; vivarṇa–turning pale; ha-ibe–will be; stambhita–stunned; pralaya–devastation; sama–like. [3]
(3) Faltering utterances will issue from my mouth. My body will tremble, perspire again and again, turn pale, and become stunned as though devastated.
niṣkapaṭe hena, daśā kabe ha’be,
nirantara nāma gāba
āveśe rahiyā, deha-yātrā kari’
tomāra karuṇā pāba [4]
niṣkapaṭe–without deceit, sincerely; hena–such; daśā–condition, state of ecstasy; kabe–when?; ha’be–will be; nirantara–incessantly; nāma–the Name; gāba–I will chant; āveśe–in ecstasy; rahiyā–remaining; deha–of the body; yātrā–maintenance; kari’–doing; tomāra–your; karuṇā–mercy; pāba–I will obtain. [4]
(4) When will I genuinely experience such a state? Then I will chant the Name incessantly. Remaining rapt in ecstasy and somehow or other maintaining my body, I will receive your mercy.
Sri Laghu-chandrika-bhashya
(2–4) Offenceless chanting of the Lord’s Names results in the appearance of supramundane transformations of spiritual ecstasy. This is mentioned in Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita (Antya-lila, 4.71):
tāra madhye sarva-śreṣṭha nāma-saṅkīrtana
niraparādhe nāma laile pāya prema-dhana
“Among the nine forms of devotional service, Nam-sankirtan is supreme. If one chants the Lord’s Name without offence, he attains the wealth of prema.”
There are eight primary transformations of spiritual ecstasy (ashta-sattvika vikar): (1) stambha, stupefaction; (2) sved, perspiration; (3) romancha, horripilation; (4) svara-bhed, faltering of the voice; (5) kampa, trembling; (6) vaivarnya, pallor; (7) ashru, tears; and (8) pralaya (murchchha), devastation (fainting).