Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj offers his obeisance to Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.
Translated Sanskrit verses
originally published in Śrī Gauḍīya Darśan,
Volume 6, Issue 9,
on Monday, 10 April 1961.
vedārtha-sphūṭa-vāg-bhāgavata-suviditaṁ hy advaya-jñāna-tattvaṁ
jñānendra-brahma yogeśvara-gaṇa-paramātmāpi yaj jyotir aṁśaḥ
bhaktaughair archyamāno vilasati paramavyomni nārāyaṇo yaḥ
sāndrānandaika-kandaṁ nikhila-rasa-sudhā-dhāma kṛṣṇaṁ bhajāmi
[He is] suviditaṁ–renowned bhāgavata–in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam— sphūṭa–the [fully] manifest vāg–expression artha–of the meaning veda–of the Vedas— [as] hi–verily advaya–the nondual jñāna–spiritual tattvaṁ–Truth, yaj–whose jyotir– effulgence [is] brahma–the Brahma indra–of the masters jñāna–of knowledge, [yaj]–whose aṁśaḥ–expansion [is] api–indeed paramātmā–the Supersoul īśvara-gaṇa–of the masters yoga–of yoga, [and] yaḥ–who vilasati–plays paramavyomni–in the spiritual sky nārāyaṇaḥ–as Nārāyaṇ, archyamānaḥ–being worshipped oghaiḥ–by multitudes bhakta–of devotees. bhajāmi–I serve kṛṣṇaṁ–Kṛṣṇa, [the] eka–sole kandaṁ–source sāndra–of [the most] intense ānanda–joy, dhāma–the abode sudhā–of the nectar nikhila–of all rasa–rasas.
He is renowned in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam—the fully manifest expression of the message of the Vedas—as the Absolute Truth. His effulgence is the Brahma sought after by the masters of knowledge, His expansion is the Supersoul sought after by the masters of yoga, and He plays in the spiritual sky as Nārāyaṇ, worshipped by multitudes of devotees. I serve Him, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the sole source of the highest joy, the abode of the nectar of all rasas.
vedo vā dharma-śāstro bhajati viphalatāṁ yo ’pi tantraḥ purāṇo
yady āvirbhāva urvyāṁ na bhavati sarito bhāgavatyāḥ sudhāyāḥ
yo vṛndāraṇya-līlā-rasa-parama-chamatkāra-mūrtiṁ prakāśya
atrādāt sarva-śāstre charama-saphalatāṁ naumi taṁ grantha-rājam
yadi–If yaḥ āvirbhāva–the appearance saritaḥ–of the stream sudhāyāḥ–of the nectar bhāgavatyāḥ–of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam na bhavati–does not manifest urvyāṁ–on the earth, [then] vedaḥ–the Vedas, tantraḥ–Tantras, purāṇaḥ–Purāṇas, api vā dharma–and other religious śāstraḥ–scriptures bhajati–attain viphalatāṁ–the state of being useless. naumi–I bow taṁ–to Him, grantha-rājam–the king of scriptures (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam), yaḥ–who adāt–gave atra–here charama–the ultimate saphalatāṁ–fulfilment sarva–of all śāstre–the scriptures prakāśya–by revealing parama–the supremely chamatkāra–wonderful mūrtiṁ–embodiment rasa–of the rasas līlā–of the Pastimes vṛndāraṇya–of Vṛndāvan [—Śrī Kṛṣṇa].
If the stream of the nectar of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam had not appeared on the earth, then the Vedas, Tantras, Purāṇas, and other religious scriptures would be useless. I bow to the king of scriptures, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, which gave the ultimate fulfilment of all the scriptures by revealing the supremely wonderful embodiment of the rasas of the Pastimes of Vṛndāvan—Śrī Kṛṣṇa.