Overview
On the occasion of the upcoming Gaura Pūrṇimā festival, we present this Sanskrit song, ‘Śrī-Gaura-hari Kusuma Stavāṣṭākam’ (‘Eight flower-like Prayers to Śrī Gaura-hari’) which was composed by Śrīla Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī Mahārāja and originally published in Śrī Gauḍīya Darśana magazine, Volume 8, Issue 9 in 1963.
Śrī Gaura-hari Kusuma Stavāṣṭākam
(Eight flower-like prayers to Śrī Gaura-hari)
(1)
guru-rūpa-virājita-nanda-sutaṁ
su-tanūn-nata-kāñcana-bhūmi-dharam
dharaṇī-jana-tāraṇa-tuṅga-tariṁ
bhaja gaura-hariṁ bhaja gaura-harim
“The effulgent form of the Son of Nanda has been revealed by Śrī Guru. His beautiful form is like a golden mountain. He is that great boat that rescues the people of this world. Worship Gaura-hari! Worship Gaura-hari!”
(2)
vṛṣabhānu-sutā-dyuti-bhāva-vṛtaṁ
vṛta-citta-nijādbhuta-rūpa-madhum
madhu-vibhrama-nāma-da-śaśvad-ariṁ
bhaja gaura-hariṁ bhaja gaura-harim
“Surrounded by the heart and halo of the Daughter of Vṛṣabhānu, with His consciousness absorbed in the sweetness of His own sublime form, He is continuously devoted to distributing the intoxicating, bewildering sweetness of the Holy Name. Worship Gaura-hari! Worship Gaura-hari!”
(3)
uditākhila-gaurava-gauḍa-puraṁ
puraṭojjvala-maṅgala-mūrta-rasam
rasanotsava-kīrtana-kṛṣṇa-hariṁ
bhaja gaura-hariṁ bhaja gaura-harim
“He has appeared as the full glory of the land of Gauḍa, the golden, effulgent, auspicious embodiment of rasa. He is that Hari upon whose tongue there is a rasa-festival of kṛṣṇa-kīrtana. Worship Gaura-hari! Worship Gaura-hari!”
(4)
nija-pārṣada-darśana-datta-śubhaṁ
śubha-nāma-sudhā-kṛta-matta-janam
janatāgha-hara-sthita-citta-darim
bhaja gaura-hariṁ bhaja gaura-harim
“One is awarded the highest welfare upon seeing His associates. People become intoxicated by the nectar of His auspicious Name and He removes the vices that are present deep within their hearts. Worship Gaura-hari! Worship Gaura-hari!”
(5)
dadataṁ satataṁ nija-nāma-dhanaṁ
dhana-māna na vai vanitāṁ kavitām
vitaran vraja-bhaktim adatta-carīṁ
bhaja gaura-hariṁ bhaja gaura-harim
“He continuously distributes the treasure of His Holy Name, and that wealth is devoid of the desire for self-respect, the opposite sex and mundane knowledge. The bestowal of such vraja-bhakti was never given before. Worship Gaura-hari! Worship Gaura-hari!”
(6)
patitādhama-dīna-dayārdra-hṛdaṁ
hṛdayāśrita-yācaka-veśa-kṛtam
kṛta-veṣa-yati-śrita-nīla-giriṁ
bhaja gaura-hariṁ bhaja gaura-harim
“His heart becomes soft with compassion for the fallen, lowly, and destitute.He dwells in the hearts of those who accept the robes of renunciation. Upon accepting the garb of a sannyāsī Himself, He took shelter of Nīlā-giri (Jagannātha Purī). Worship Gaura-hari! Worship Gaura-hari!”
(7)
śruti-kīrtita-pūruṣa-rukma-ruciṁ
ruci-rāga-niṣevaṇa-dāna-param
paramārtha-purāṇa-vigīta-hariṁ
bhaja gaura-hariṁ bhaja gaura-harim
“He is the splenderous golden Puruṣa glorified in the śruti* who is engaged in awarding the propensity towards spontaneous devotion. He is that Hari who is sung about in the topmost Purāṇa.** Worship Gaura-hari! Worship Gaura-hari!”
*Translator’s Note:
yadā paśyaḥ paśyate rukma-varṇaṁ kartāram īśaṁ puruṣaṁ brahma-yonim
“The seer perceives that golden form of the Lord, who is the doer, the Supreme Controller, and the foundation of Brahman.”(Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.3)
**Translator’s Note: See Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.5.32-34
(8)
bahu-nartana-kīrtana-matta-karam
karatāla-mṛdaṅga-vibhaṅga-param
paramādara-pāmara-śāntipurīṁ
bhaja gaura-hariṁ bhaja gaura-harim
“He causes everyone to become maddened by His continuous dancing and kīrtana, as He is fully absorbed in the sounds of the kartālas and mṛdaṅga. For those who are most fallen, He is the supreme worshippable abode of tranquility. Worship Gaura-hari! Worship Gaura-hari!”
Śrī Gaura-hari Kusuma Stavāṣṭākam 26th March, 1940
The original hand-written composition of Śrī Gaura-hari Kusuma Stavāṣṭākam in Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja's notebook
Related Articles & Books
- Śrī Gaura-hari Kusuma Stavāṣṭākam by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī
- Śrī Kusumañjalī (An Offering of Flowers) by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī
- Śrī Nāma Māhātmya (The Glories of the Holy Name) by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī
- Śrī Nityānanda Dvādaśakam by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī
- Śrīmad Bhaktivinoda Viraha Daśakam by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī
- Śrī Śrī Gaurasundara Āvirbhava Vāsare by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī
- ‘The Best of Thieves’ – An Illumination by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī
- A Prayer Composed on the Occasion of the Disappearance of Śrīla Gadādhara Paṇḍita by Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī
- Śrī Śrī Gaura Gopāla Praśasti (In Praise of Śrī Śrī Gaura Gopāla) by Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī
- Viraha-Gītikā (A Song of Separation) by Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Mahārāja
- Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
- Purport to Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlā Smaraṇa-Maṅgala Stotram by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
- Purī Mahārāja’s Praṇāma Mantra by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
- Śrī Guru-viraha Ṣaṭakam – Six Verses in Separation from Śrī Guru by Swami B.V. Giri
- Śrī Guru Praṇāma Anuvākya – An Explanation of Śrīla Guru Mahārāja’s Praṇāma Mantra by Swami B.V. Giri
Further Reading
- Gītā-mālā (A Garland of Songs) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (Songbook)
- Kalyāṇa Kalpataru (‘The auspicious Desire Tree’) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (Songbook)
- Śaraṇāgati (Surrendered to the Lord’s Shelter) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (Songbook)
- Gītāvalī (A Collection of Songs) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (Songbook)
- Bāula Saṅgīta by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (Songbook)
- Sevā Lālasā (Hankering for Service) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (Songbook)
- Śrī Godruma-candra Bhajanopadeśa by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
- Śrī Kṛṣṇacandra by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
- Śrī Gīta Govinda Introduction by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
- Poems by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
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This is the first part in a series of articles for Krishna Talk where Śrīla B.G. Narasiṅgha Mahārāja talks about various holy places. Our first article begins with the pastimes and philosophical significance of Imlitalā. This article was adapted from a number of talks that Mahārāja gave in the 1990s.
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