To begin his composition Gītā-mālā (‘A Garland of Songs’), Śrīla Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur composed a series of three verse songs which illuminate the meaning of twenty-seven verses selected from Śrī Yāmuna Āchārya’s Śrī Stotra-ratna, also known as the Ālavandāra-stotra and Ālamandāru-stotra. Śrīla Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur offered two titles for this initial section of Gītā-mālā: (1) Yāmuna-bhāvāvalī (A series of the sentiments of Śrī Yāmuna Āchārya) and (2) Śānta-dāsya-bhakti-sādhana-lālasā (Longing to engage in bhakti with śānta- and dāsya-rati).
This text is being published as a series with each song presented in the following format:
- The original text of each verse in each song in Bengali script and roman transliteration,
- A verse-ordered word by word gloss of each verse,
- A prose-ordered word by word gloss of each verse,
- A prose translation of each verse.
- Explanatory notes where applicable.
Preceding each song, the verse from Śrī Stotra-ratna upon which it is based will be presented in Devanagari and roman transliteration and then in the same format as the Bengali verses.
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Śrī Stotra-ratna: 22
न धर्म्मनिष्ठोऽस्मि न चात्मवेदी
न भक्तिमांस्त्वच्चरणारविन्दे ।
अकिञ्चनोऽनन्यगतिः शरण्य
त्वत्पादमूलं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥२२॥
na dharma-niṣṭho ’smi na chātma-vedī
na bhaktimāṁs tvach-charaṇāravinde
akiñchano ’nanya-gatiḥ śaraṇya
tvat-pāda-mūlaṁ śaraṇaṁ prapadye
na–not; dharma–duty; niṣṭhaḥ–adherent; asmi–I am; na–not; cha–and; ātma–soul; vedī–knower; na–not; bhaktimān–devoted; tvat–Your; charaṇa–foot; aravinde–in lotus; akiñchanaḥ–destitute; ananya–without another; gatiḥ–recourse; śaraṇya–O Refuge; tvat–Your; pāda–foot; mūlam–sole; śaraṇam–shelter; prapadye–I take.
asmi–I am na–neither niṣṭhaḥ–adherent dharma–to duty na cha–nor vedī–a knower ātma–of the self, na–nor bhaktimān–devoted [to] tvat–Your aravinde–lotus charaṇa–feet. (Thus) akiñchanaḥ–destitute [and] ananya–deprived of any other gatiḥ–recourse, śaraṇya–O Refuge, prapadye– I take śaraṇam–shelter mūlam–in the soles [of] tvat–Your pāda–feet.
I am neither adherent to dharma, nor a knower of the ātma, nor devoted to Your lotus feet. (Thus) destitute and deprived of any other recourse, O Refuge, I take shelter in the soles of Your feet.
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Yāmuna-bhāvāvalī: 8
হরি হে !
ধর্ম্মনিষ্ঠা নাহি মোর আত্মবোধ বা সুন্দর
ভক্তি নাহি তোমার চরণে ।
অতএব অকিঞ্চন গতিহীন দুষ্টজন
রত সদা আপন বঞ্চনে ॥১॥
hari he!
dharma-niṣṭhā nāhi mora ātma-bodha vā sundara
bhakti nāhi tomāra charaṇe
ataeva akiñchana gati-hīna duṣṭa-jana
rata sadā āpana vañchane [1]
hari–Hari; he!–O!; dharma–duty; niṣṭhā–adherence; nāhi–not; mora–my; ātma–self; bodha–knowledge; vā–or; sundara–beautiful; bhakti–devotion; nāhi–not; tomāra–Your; charaṇe–to feet; ataeva–therefore; akiñchana–destitute; gati–course; hīna–bereft; duṣṭa–depraved; jana–person; rata–engaged; sadā–ever; āpana–own; vañchane–in deception. [1]
he–O hari!–Hari! mora nāhi–I have neither niṣṭhā–adherence dharma–to duty, vā–nor bodha–knowledge ātma–of the self, nāhi–nor sundara–beautiful bhakti–devotion [to] tomāra–Your charaṇe–feet. [I am] ataeva–thus akiñchana–destitute [and] hīna–bereft gati–of any recourse. [I am a] duṣṭa–depraved jana–soul [and] sadā–ever rata–engaged [in] āpana–self vañchane–deception. [1]
I have neither adherence to dharma, nor knowledge of the ātma, nor beautiful bhakti to Your feet. I am thus destitute and bereft of any recourse. I am a depraved soul and ever engaged in self-deception.
পতিতপাবন তুমি পতিত অধম আমি
তুমি মোর একমাত্র গতি ।
তব পদমূলে পৈনু তোমার শরণ লৈনু
আমি দাস তুমি মোর পতি ॥২॥
patita-pāvana tumi patita adhama āmi
tumi mora eka-mātra gati
tava pada-mūle painu tomāra śaraṇa lainu
āmi dāsa tumi mora pati [2]
patita–fallen; pāvana–purifier; tumi–You; patita–fallen; adhama–lowly; āmi–I; tumi–You; mora–my; eka–one; mātra–only; gati–recourse; tava–Your; pada–foot; mūle–sole; painu–I have found; tomāra–Your; śaraṇa–shelter; lainu–I have taken; āmi–I; dāsa–servant; tumi–You; mora–my; pati–master. [2]
tumi–You [are] pāvana–the purifier patita–of the fallen, [and] āmi–I [am] adhama–lowly [and] patita–fallen. tumi–You [are] mora–my eka–one [and] mātra–only gati–recourse. painu–I have found mūle–the soles [of] tava–Your pada–feet, [and] lainu–I have taken śaraṇa–shelter tomāra–in You. āmi–I [am Your] dāsa–servant, [and] tumi–You [are] mora–my pati–master. [2]
You are the purifier of the fallen, and I am lowly and fallen. You are my only recourse. I have found the soles of Your feet, and I have taken shelter in You. I am Your servant, and You are my master.
এ ভক্তিবিনোদ কাঁদে হৃদে ধৈর্য্য নাহি বাঁধে
ভূমি পড়ি’ বলে অতঃপর ।
অহৈতুকী কৃপা করি’ এই দুষ্টজনে হরি
দেহ পদছায়া নিরন্তর ॥৩॥
e bhakti-vinoda kā̐de hṛde dhairya nāhi bā̐dhe
bhūmi paḍi’ bale ataḥpara
ahaitukī kṛpā kari’ ei duṣṭa-jane hari
deha pada-chhāyā nirantara [3]
e–this; bhakti-vinoda–Bhakti Vinod; kā̐de–cries; hṛde–heart; dhairya–composure; nāhi–not; bā̐dhe–sustain; bhūmi–ground; paḍi’–falling; bale–says; ataḥpara–then; ahaitukī–causeless; kṛpā–mercy; kari’–bestowing; ei–this; duṣṭa–depraved; jane–upon soul; hari–Hari; deha–please give; pada–feet; chhāyā–shade; nirantara–forever. [3]
e–This bhakti-vinoda–Bhakti Vinod kā̐de–cries. [His] hṛde–heart bā̐dhe nāhi–cannot maintain [any] dhairya–composure. paḍi’–Falling ataḥpara–then bhūmi–to the ground, bale–he says, kari’–“Please bestow ahaitukī–causeless kṛpā–mercy [upon] ei–this duṣṭa–depraved jane–soul, hari–O Hari! deha–Please give [him] chhāyā–the shade [of Your] pada–feet nirantara–forever. [3]
Bhakti Vinod cries. His heart cannot maintain any composure. Falling then to the ground, he says, “Please bestow causeless mercy on this depraved soul, O Hari! Please give him the shade of Your feet forever.”
