In honour of Vasanta Panchami, we are presenting a poem about Srimati Vishnu Priya Devi published in Sri Gaudiya Darshan, Volume 9, Issue 8, Wednesday, 11 March 1954.
Through Vishnu Priya Devi’s sacrifice and service in separation from Sriman Mahaprabhu, the world received His gift of divine love. May we eternally bow at Her feet and pray for Her grace.
Sri Sri Vishnupriyavirbhavopalakse
On the Occasion of Sri Vishnu Priya’s Appearance
(Cited from the weekly Gaudiya)
jaya vishnu-priya jaya bhakti-svarupini
vaishnava janani jaya, gauranga-sangini ! [1]
All glory to Vishnu Priya, the embodiment of devotion! All glory to Vishnu Priya, the mother of the Vaishnavas, the consort of Sri Gauranga!
vipralambha-svarupini sarva-shubhankari
gaura-ichchha-purti-mayi mahamaheshvari ! [2]
All glory to Vishnu Priya, the embodiment of separation, the source of all good fortune! All glory to Vishnu Priya, the fulfilment of Sri Gaura’s desires, the greatest of all Goddesses!
gaura-narayana-priya gaura-parayani
bhu‑shakti-svarupa jaya, jaya narayani ! [3]
All glory to Vishnu Priya, golden Narayan’s dear wife, the embodiment of attachment to Sri Gaura! All glory to Vishnu Priya, the goddess of the earth, the consort of Narayan!
gaura-seva-mayi jaya gaura-gunavati
hladinira amsha rupa gauranga-shakati ! [4]
All glory to Vishnu Priya, the embodiment of Sri Gaura’s service, the personification of His qualities! All glory to Vishnu Priya, the energy of Sri Gauranga, the manifestation of His hladini-sakti!
krishna bhuli’ mugdha jiva mayara chhalane
vipanna ekanta yabe mohera gahane [5]
Forgetting Krishna, souls were bewildered by Maya’s deception and stranded in the forest of illusion.
asi bhave bhakta-bhave vrindavana-dhana
nija nama-prema jive dilena yakhana [6]
The wealth of Vrindavan—Krishna—came to the earth in the mood of a devotee and distributed His Name and divine love.
sahaya parama tumi haiya tahara
asile bhuloke nama karite prachara ! [7]
At that time You were His great assistant. You also came to the earth to distribute His Name!
sei shubha-avirbhave tithi aji tava
ki smriti-parashe shubha ki prema-utsava [8]
uthale hridaye!—haya eke eke mane
lila-gatha guli tava atula bhuvane [9]
Today is Your auspicious appearance day. Such holy remembrance, such a festival of divine love, swells within the heart! One by one the glories of Your extraordinary Pastimes in this world appear within the heart.
sanatana-suta-rupe nadiya bhitara
kishora vayase tava ki shobha sundara ! [10]
How beautiful and attractive You are as the teenage daughter of Sanatan Mishra in Nadia!
asi ganga-snane sei ganga-ghate tumi
parasita shachi ma’ra pada-pranta-bhumi [11]
When You would come to bathe at the ghat on the Ganges, You would touch Mother Shachi’s feet.
karitena mata kata snehe ashirvada—
‘yogya pati hok—krishna karuna prasada’ [12]
Mother Shachi would very affectionately bless You: “May You have a good husband. May Krishna bless You.”
haita kamana ksane matarao antare
‘ei kanya putra-vadhu hok mora ghare’ [13]
Mother Shachi would then also desire within, “May this girl be my son’s wife and live in my home.”
nitya gaura-shakti tumi; nitya sammilane
mrida-made gandha sama achhe ye du’jane ! [14]
You are Sri Gaura’s eternal consort and eternally united with Him. You two are (inseparable) like musk and its scent!
shubha-ksane prabhu-vame laiya asana
kayati varasha grihe sevile charana [15]
At an auspicious time You took Your place at the Lord’s left, and You served His feet in His home for a few years.
apana bhuliya, diya sapiya sakala
mata-putre priti kata dile avirala [16]
Forgetting Yourself, You gave Him everything. How intensely You loved Mother Shachi and her son!
adarsha vaishnava-griha-lakshmira charita
dekhaiya sarva-jane karile mohita [17]
Like Lakshmi, You showed the ideal behaviour in a Vaishnava home and enchanted everyone.
prana-pati-priya-anushthane anibara
prana-pane anukulya karile apara [18]
Constantly, wholeheartedly, unlimitedly, You helped with Your beloved husband’s favourite engagement (Sri Nam-sankirtan).
tara-para prabhu more sannyase kathora
karila prayana yabe krishna-preme bhora [19]
sannyasini grihe tumi vrate dridha-tara
krishna-name ki bhajana karile dushkara ! [20]
Thereafter, when our Lord rashly took sannyas and departed, overwhelmed with Krishna-prema, You firmly vowed to be a sannyasini at home. How arduously You chanted Krishna’s Name!
“vishnu-priya tumi kara sarthaka e nama”
prabhura e vakya satya karile pramana ! [21]
(Sriman Mahaprabhu told You:) “Vishnu Priya, find fulfilment in the Name.” You proved these words of the Lord to be true!
praneshera manobhishta prachara karite
krishna-name ki premashru dhalile mahite [22]
To fulfil Your beloved Lord’s desires, what tears of love did You shed upon the earth as You chanted Krishna’s Name!
galila pashana kata se nire nirmala
krishna-prema-latikaya haila ujjvala [23]
How many rocks melted, how many creepers of Krishna-prema became resplendent, by the touch of Your pure teardrops?
mari, mari shachi ma’ra aprakata pare
ki vrata kathora aro sadhile se ghare ! [24]
“I shall die! I shall die!” What an even more difficult vow You upheld at home after Mother Shachi’s disappearance!
tandula rakhiya samkhya kari krishna nama
sei tandalera anne kari bhoga dana [25]
You counted Your chanting of Krishna’s Name by setting aside grains of rice. Then You prepared and offered that rice.
prasadanne rakhi prana, dekhaile sabe
shuddha pativratya dharma satira ki bhave [26]
With such rice prasadam You maintained Your life. You showed everyone how to practise the pure chastity of a virtuous wife.
gaura-prema-pradayini ayi vishnu priya
karibe ke shesha guna tomara gahiya ? [27]
O Giver of love for Sri Gaura! O Vishnu Priya! Who will ever finish singing Your glories?
sri-thakura mahashaya kheturi-bhavane
gaura sane sri-vigraha tomara yatane [28]
sthapana kariya seva karila vihita
gaurava-marge ye shuddha bhakta sevita [29]
Srila Narottam Thakur carefully established a Deity of You with Sri Gaura in his Temple in Kheturi and inaugurated Your worship. Your form is now reverentially worshipped there by pure devotees.
adarshe sri-thakurera rupanuga-vara
bhakati-vinoda prabhu punah punah tara-para [30]
yoga-pitha mayapure, tomari bhavana
sri-vigraha tomadera karila sthapana [31]
Following the example of Srila Narottam Thakur, Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur, the best of Srila Rupa Goswami’s followers, established Deities of You and Sri Gaura in Your home at the Yoga Pith in Sri Mayapur.
navadha bhakati-rupa tumi go janani
vandi pada-padma tava luthiya avani [32]
O Vishnu Priya! You are the embodiment of the nine forms of devotion and the mother of the world. I bow at Your lotus feet and roll on the earth.