Continuing our presentation of the recent release Sharanagati, in this classic song Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur describes how a surrendered soul values the association of the Vaishnava.
ohe!
vaiṣṇava ṭhākura dayāra sāgara
e dāse karuṇā kari’
diyā pada-chhāyā śodha he āmāya
tomāra charaṇa dhari [1]
ohe!–oh!; vaiṣṇava–devotee; ṭhākura–worshippable, topmost; dayāra–of mercy; sāgara–ocean; e–this; dāse–to this servant; karuṇā–mercy; kari’–doing; diyā–giving; pada–of Your feet; chhāyā–the shade; śodha–purify; he–oh!; āmāya–to me; tomāra–Your; charaṇa–feet; dhari–I clasp. [1]
(1) Vaishnava Thakur! O Ocean of Mercy! Please be merciful to this servant. Give me the shade of your feet and purify me. I clasp hold of your feet.
chhaya vega dami’ chhaya doṣa śodhi’
chhaya guṇa deha’ dāse
chhaya sat-saṅga deha’ he āmāre
basechhi saṅgera āśe [2]
chhaya–the six; vega–urges; dami’–subduing; chhaya–the six; doṣa–defects; śodhi’–purifying; chhaya–the six; guṇa–qualities; deha’–please give; dāse–to this servant; chhaya–the six; sat–with devotees saṅga–forms of association; deha’–please give; he–oh; āmāre–to me; basechhi–I have sat; saṅgera–of association; āśe–with the desire. [2]
(2) Please subdue the six urges, purify me of the six defects, and give this servant the six qualities. Please grant me the six types of association. I have sat before you in hope of attaining that association.
Sri Laghu-chandrika-bhashya
(2) The six urges are those of speech, the mind, anger, the tongue, the belly, and the genitals. The six defects are over-accumulation, materialistic endeavour, unnecessary talk, rejecting the guidelines meant for one’s self and following guidelines meant for others, association with non-devotees, and fickle-mindedness or maintaining taste for sense gratification. The six good qualities are enthusiasm for devotional practice, conviction in devotion, perseverance in striving for prema, engagement in activities favourable to devotion, rejection of bad association, and proper devotional behaviour. The six forms of association are giving and accepting gifts, hearing about and discussing the service of the Lord, and partaking of and distributing mahaprasad.
ekākī āmāra nāhi pāya bala
hari-nāma-saṅkīrtane
tumi kṛpā kari’ śraddhā-bindu diyā
deha’ kṛṣṇa-nāma-dhane [3]
ekākī–alone; āmāra–my; nāhi–do not; pāya–obtain; bala–ability; hari–of the Lord; nāma–of the Name; saṅkīrtane–to engage in complete glorification and chanting; tumi–you; kṛpā–mercy; kari’–doing; śraddhā–of faith; bindu–a drop; diyā–giving; deha’–please give; kṛṣṇa–of Kṛṣṇa; nāma–of the Name; dhane–in the wealth. [3]
(3) Alone I do not have the ability to properly chant the Lord’s Name. Please mercifully give me a drop of faith; give me the wealth of Krishna’s Name.
kṛṣṇa se tomāra kṛṣṇa dite pāra
tomāra śakati āchhe
āmi ta’ kāṅgāla ‘kṛṣṇa’ ‘kṛṣṇa’ bali’
dhāi tava pāchhe pāchhe [4]
kṛṣṇa–the Lord; se–He; tomāra–yours; kṛṣṇa–Kṛṣṇa Himself; dite–to give; pāra–able; tomāra–your; śakati–power; āchhe–is present; āmi–I; ta’–certainly; kāṅgāla–poor; kṛṣṇa–the Name of ‘Kṛṣṇa’; kṛṣṇa–the Name of ‘Kṛṣṇa’; bali’–saying; dhāi–I run; tava–your; pāchhe–after; pāchhe–behind. [4]
(4) Krishna is yours. You are able to give Kṛṣṇa; you have that power. I am very poor. Calling, ‘Krishna!’ ‘Kṛishna!’, I run after you.