Tag: Raghunath Das Goswami

Singing in separation from Śrīla Raghunāth Dās Goswāmī.

In the second edition of Śrī Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh’s Śrī Gauḍīya-gītāñjali, Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj added a series of kīrtans meant to be sung on the disappearance days of the six goswāmīs. Presented here on the occasion of his disappearance day are the songs sung in honour of Śrīla Raghunāth Dās Goswāmī.

Śrīla Raghunātha Dās Goswāmī Śochaka

[1]

yabe rūpa-sanātana vraje gelā dui jana
śuna-ite raghunātha-dasa
nija-rājya-adhikāra indra-sama sukha yāra
chhaḍiyā chalilā prabhu-pāśa [1]

When Raghunāth Dās heard that Rūpa and Sanātan went to Vraja, he gave up the proprietorship of his estate and pleasures equal to those of Indra and came to the Lord’s side.

uṭhi’ rātre niśā-bhāge duyāre praharī jāge
patha chhāḍi’ vipathe gamana
kṣudhā tṛṣṇā nāhi pāya manodvege chali’ yāya
sadā chinte chaitanya-charaṇa [2]

He arose in the dark very early in the morning, avoided the main road, and travelled on an alternate path. He felt no hunger or thirst as he ran anxiously. He thought constantly of Śrī Chaitanya’s feet.

eka-dina eka grāme sandhyā-kāle go-vāthāne
“hā chaitanya” baliya basilā
eka gopa dugdha dilā tāhā kheye viśrāmilā
sei rātre tathāi rahilā [3]

One day in a village in the evening he sat in a cowshed chanting, “O Chaitanya!” and a cowherd boy gave him some milk. He drank it, rested, and remained there for the night.

ye aṅga pālaṅka vine bhūmi-śayyā nāhi jāne
kaṇṭake hā̐ṭaye sei pāya [4]

His body had never experienced lying on the ground without a bedstead, but his feet now walked over thorns.

yi̐ho belā daṇḍa chāri tolā jale snāna kari’
ṣaḍ-rasa karita bhojana
ebe yadi kichhu pāna sandhyā-kāle tāhā khāna
nā pāile amani śayana [5]

He used to bath with raised water at mid-morning and eat meals comprised of the six tastes, but now he would eat in the evening if he found something and would lie down without eating anything if he did not.

bāra dinera patha yāna tina sandhyā anna khāna
praveśilā nīlāchala-pure
dekhiyā se śrī-mandira du-nayane vahe nīra
“hā chaitanya” bale uchchaiḥsvare [6]

After travelling the path for twelve days and eating solid food on only three of these day in the evening, he entered the city of Nīlāchal. Seeing the Temple, tears poured from his eyes, and he called out, “O Chaitanya!”

e rādhā-vallabha-dāsa mane kari abhilāṣa
kothā mora raghunātha-dāsa
tā̐hāra prasaṅga-mātra pulakita haya gātra
tā̐ra pada-reṇu kari āśa [7]

This Rādhā Vallabha Dās longs, “Where is my Raghunāth Dās? Just by his association, the hair on my body stands on end. I pray for the dust of his feet.”

[2]

śrī-chaitanya-kṛpā haite raghunātha-dāsa-chitte
parama vairāgya upajila
kalatra gṛha sampada nija-rājya-adhipada
mala-prāya sakala tyajila [1]

By the mercy of Śrī Chaitanya, extreme detachment arose in the mind of Raghunāth Dās. Wife, home, wealth, proprietorship of his estate—he left all of this as though it were stool.

puraścharyā kṛṣṇa-nāme giyā se puruṣottame
gaurāṅgera pada-yuga seve
ei mane abhilāṣa punaḥ raghunātha dasa
nayana-gochara habe kabe [2]

After completing his prepatory duties with the chanting of Kṛṣṇa’s Name, he went to Śrī Puruṣottam Kṣetra and served the feet of Śrī Gaurāṅga. My heart longs, “When will I see Raghunāth Dās again?”

gauraṅga doyālu haiyā rādhā-kṛṣṇa mantra diyā
govardhana-śilā guñjā-hāre
vraja-vane govardhane śrī-rādhāra śrī-charaṇe
samarpaṇa karila yāhāre [3]

Śrī Gaurāṅga mercifully gave him the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa mantra, a Govardhan-śilā, and a guñja-mālā. He thus offered him to the divine feet of Śrī Rādhā at Govardhan in Vṛndāvan.

gaurāṅgera agochare nija-keśa chhi̐ḍi kare
virahe vyākula vraje gelā
deha-tyāga kari’ mane gelā giri-govardhane
du-go̐sāi tāhāre rākhilā [4]

After the disappearance of Śrī Gaurāṅga, Raghunāth Dās began to pull out his hair, and overcome with separation, he went to Vraja. Intending to give up his body, he went to Govardhan Hill, but two goswāmīs saved him.

dhari rūpa-sanātana rākhila tā̐ra jīvana
deha-tyāga karite nā dilā
dui go̐sāira ājñā peye rādhā-kuṇḍera taṭe giyā
niyama kariyā vāsa kailā [5]

Rūpa and Sanātan received him and saved his life. They did not allow him to give up his body. Receiving instructions from these two goswāmīs, Raghunāth went to the bank of Rādhā Kuṇḍa and lived there observing various strictures.

chhi̐ḍā vastra paridhana vraja-phala-gavya pāna
anna ādi nā kare āhāra
tina sandhyā snānāchāri smaraṇa kīrtana kari’
rādhā-pada bhajana yāhāra [6]

He wore torn clothes and ate only the fruits and milk products found in Vraja. He did not eat rice or other grains. He bathed at the three junctions of the day, engaged in remembrance and chanting, and served the feet of Śrī Rādhā.

ṣāṭ daṇḍa rātri dine rādhā-kṛṣṇa-līlā-gāne
smaraṇete sadāi go̐yāya
chāri daṇḍa śuye thāke svapne rādhā-kṛṣṇa dekhe
tilārdheka vyartha nāhi yāya [7]

Night and day—twenty-four hours a day—he would sing about the Pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣna and constantly engage in remembrance of Them. He laid down for an hour and half each day, but in his dreams saw Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa and never waisted a single moment.

chaitanyera padāmbuje rākhe manobhṛṅga-rāje
svarūpera sadāi āśrāya
bhinna-deha rūpa-sane gati yā̐ra sanātane
bhaṭṭa go̐sāyera priya mahāśaya [8]

He would fix the bumble bee of his mind on the lotus feet of Śrī Chaitanya. He remained always in the shelter of Svarūp Dāmodar. He was always with Śrī Rūpa, and Sanātan was his shelter. He was dear to Raghunāth Bhaṭṭa Goswāmī and Gopāl Bhaṭṭa Goswāmī.

śrī-rūpera gaṇa yata yā̐hāra pade āśrita
atyanta vātsalya yā̐ra jīve
sei ārta-nāda kari’ kā̐di’ bale, “hari hari
prabhura karuṇā habe kabe” [9]

Sheltered at the feet of all the followers of Śrī Rūpa, who are most affectionate to all souls, he would piteously cry out, “O Lord! O Lord! When will I receive my Lord’s mercy?

he rādhikāra vallabha gāndharvikāra bāndhava
rādhikā-ramaṇa rādhānātha
he he vṛndāvaneśvara hā hā kṛṣṇa dāmodara
kṛpā kari’ kara ātmasātha [10]

“O Beloved of Rādhikā! O Friend of Gāndharvikā! O Delight of Rādhikā! O Lord of Rādhā! O Lord of Vṛndāvan! O Kṛṣṇa! O Dāmodar! Please mercifully accept me.”

prabhu rūpa sanātana tina hailā adarśana
andha haila e dui nayana
vṛthā ā̐khi kāhā̐ dekhi vṛthā dehe prāṇa rākhi
sevāchāra bāḍāya dviguṇa [11]

When the Lord (Śrī Chaitanya), Śrī Rūpa, and Śrī Sanātan had disappeared, his two eyes became blind. “What can I see with these useless eyes? I just maintain my life in this useless body.” This was his feeling, yet his engagement in service doubled.

śrī-kṛṣṇa śrī-śachī-suta tāra guṇa yata yata
avatāra śrī-vigraha nāma
gupta vyakta līlā-sthāna dṛṣṭa śruta vaiṣṇava-gaṇa
sabhākāre karaye praṇāma [12]

He would offer obeisance to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the son of Śrī Śachī, all of His qualities and avatārs, His Deity, His Name, the hidden and manifest places of His Pastimes that are seen or heard about, and all the Vaiṣṇavas.

rādhā-kṛṣṇera viyoge chhāḍila sakala bhoge
rūkhā śukhā anna-mātra sāra
śrī-chaitanyera vichchhedete anna chhāḍi’ sei haite
phala gavya karena āhāra [13]

In separation from Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, Raghunāth Dās gave up all enjoyment and ate nothing but dry, stale rice. In separation from Śrī Chaitanya, he gave up rice and ate only fruits and milk products.

sanātanera adarśane tāhā chhāḍi sei dine
kevala karena jala pāna
rūpera vichchheda yabe jala chhāḍi’ dila tabe
rādhā-kṛṣṇa bali’ rākhe prāṇa [14]

After the disappearance of Śrī Sanātan, he gave this up, and from that day on drank only water. When he was separated from Śrī Rūpa, he then give up water and maintained his life simply by calling out to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.

svarūpera adarśane nā dekhe rūpera gaṇe
virahe vikala haiyā kānde
kṛṣṇa-kathālapa vine śravaṇe nāhika śune
uchchaiḥsvare ḍāke ārta-nāde [15]

When Śrī Rūpa disappeared, and Raghunāth could not see any of Śrī Rūpa’s followers, then he sorrowfully wept in separation. Without any discussion of Kṛṣṇa, he did not listen to anything with his ears and piteously cried out aloud.

hā hā rādhā-kṛṣṇa kothā kothā āchha he lalitā
he viśākhe deha daraśana
hā chaitanya mahāprabhu hā svarūpa mora prabhu
hā hā prabhu rūpa-sanātana [16]

“O Rādhā! O Kṛṣṇa! Where are You? O Lalitā, where are you? O Viśākhā! Please appear before me. O Chaitanya Mahāprabhu! O Svarūp, my master! O my masters Rūpa and Sanātan!”

kā̐de go̐sāi rātra-dine puḍi’ yāya tanu-mane
virahe ha-ila jara jara
manda manda jihvā naḍe preme aśru netre paḍe
mane kṛṣṇa karaye smaraṇa [17]

Dās Goswāmī cried night and day. His mind and body burned in sepration and became frail. As his tongue moved slowly and tears of love poured from his eyes, he remembered Kṛṣṇa within his heart.

sei raghunātha-dāsa pūribe manera āśa
ei mora baḍa āchhe sādha
e rādhā-vallabha-dāsa mane kare abhilāṣa
sabe more karaha prasāda [18]

“Raghunāth Dās will fulfill the desires of my heart. This is my great hope.” This Rādhā Vallabha Dās longs within his heart, “May you all bless me.”