Sri Vrindavana-mahimamrita Shataka
By Srila Prabodhananda Saraswati
Shataka One
1. Meditating on the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Muralimanohara, placing myself at the dust of Lord Caitanya's feet, and respectfully offering obeisances to the great devotees of the Lord, who are so many oceans of transcendental virtue. I shall now happily begin to praise the transcendental opulences of Sri Vrindavan.
2. I am not strong enough to go to the far shore of the great nectar ocean of Vrindavan's glories. Who can go there? However, because I love Vrindavan I will now dip into that ocean. I pray that this endeavour may become successful and bring an auspicious result.
3. O Sri Vrindavan, please reveal in my heart Your wonderful transcendental form full of the most confidential spiritual knowledge and bliss. Embarrassed to describe the highest nectar, the Upanishads only say "not this, not this". Where are you described.
4, Day and night I glorify Vrindavan, which is filled with the wonder of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna's pastimes, the wonder of the greatest sweetness, the ultimate nectar of Lord Hari, the sweetest, most beautiful auspiciousness and a flood of virtues Ananta-sesa, Siva, and a host of others cannot cross.
5. Think of Vrindavan with love. Roll in its dust. Love it ardently. Please its moving and non moving residents. Worship Sri Radha's birthplace. With all your heart take shelter of Sri Vrindavan, the best of all holy places.
6. If the Vedanta does not directly describe Vrindavan, why should that matter to me? If the faulty logicians, who are like serpents living the Vedic literatures, ignore Vrindavan, why should I care? If even the devotees of the Lord do not understand the glories of Vrindavan, how does that affect me? Even if my heart were pierced by thousands of thunderbolts, I would not leave Vrindavan.
7. I meditate on Vrindavan, where the cuckoos sing the fifth note, the flute plays splendid melodies, peacocks sing and dance, vines and trees bloom, splendid and charming forests are wonderful with many birds and deer, and there are many splendid lakes, streams and hills.
8 The transcendental, subtle, expansive Brahman effulgence, which is the secondary cause of material creation, is last. Before it is Vaikuntha, then Dvaraka, then Krishna's birthplace, Mathura, then Krishna's Vrindavan, the shelter of the surabhi cows, and first is the place in Vrindavan forest where the gopis enjoyed pastimes, it
9 Radha's grove, which fills us with wonder and which is the form of the highest purest love, which maddens everyone there, is splendidly manifest.
10. Wonderfully flooded with handsomeness, intelligence, and mutual love, Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, eternally enjoy passionate amorous pastimes in the company of Their friends there.
11 Srila Vrindavan is perfect in every way. blind fools say there are genuine defects there. Oh! Oh! I pray that I may not see these fools at the moment of my death! Are they not the object of everyone's laughter.
12 After attaining the platform of Brahman happiness by performing severe austerities, the personified Upanishads worshipped the Personality of Godhead without any reservation, and thus obtained His mercy. By the mercy of the Lord they were able to become surabhi cows in the land of vraja and enjoy the direct association of Sri Krishna, and by constantly grazing on the grass of Vrindavan, they become filled with the nectarean taste of the topmost mellows of pure devotional love for the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna.
13 If someone relates to me the faults of one of the moving or non-moving residents of Vrindavan, then how is his action different from cutting me with hundreds of sharpened swords, arrows and other weapons? The residents of Vrindavan are all as dear to the Personality of Godhead as His own life. If one is a little bit inimical to even a blade of grass in Vrindavan, then who will be able to rescue him from the horrible hell that awaits him? When will that rescue occur?
14 May my eyes become overwhelmed with ecstasy by seeing the nectar waves of Vrindavan's beauty. May my intelligence drown in the nectar ocean of Vrindavan's glories. May my body become agitated by the swiftly moving currents of ecstatic bliss and thus roll about on the ground of Vrindavan. Falling down like a stick, may I offer my respectful obeisances to all the residents of Vrindavan.
15 May the land of Srila Vrindavan where Subala and the other wonderful cowherd boys, who are all dear friends of Sri Krishna, play, where Lalita and the other splendidly beautiful young gopis, who are all filled with love for Srimati Radharani, enjoy transcendental bliss, and where Sri Sri Radha-Krishna thirst to enjoy wonderful transcendental amorous pastimes day and night, become manifest in my heart.
16 To drink: the freely flowing streams are filled with clear sweet water as nectar. To eat: the dried leaves from the trees are foods as palatable as one could desire. The warm breezes are just as one would have them. To reside: there are clean mountain caves and other suitable residences. Alas! Alas! How unfortunate I would be if I wished to leave Vrindavan!
17 Vrindavan is like the incomparable essence of the ocean of pure love of Krishna, or it is like the sweetest island-bracelet decorating that ocean of love, I pray this land of Vrindavan, which the great sages experience sweet as nectar, give me shelter until the moment I leave this body.
18 I meditate on wonderful Vrindavan, where there are millions of lakes, ponds, and wells, all filled with water as sweet as transcendental nectar, where there are many gardens filled with blossoming transcendental flowers and fruits and unlimited wonderful trees and vines, where there are numberless transcendental deer and other animals who move here and there, and where there are many beautiful transcendental groves.
19. Whose heart would not be enchanted by Vrindavan where Sri Radhika-Madanamohana enjoy many pastimes, where there are many trees and flowering vines, where the ground is paved with jewels, and where the birds, deer and other animals are all maddened with transcendental bliss?
20. I have seen Vrindavan plunged into an ocean of sweetness by the amorous pastimes of two persons more splendid than gold and sapphires and more glorious than millions of Ratis and Kamadevas.
Shataka One
1. Meditating on the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Muralimanohara, placing myself at the dust of Lord Caitanya's feet, and respectfully offering obeisances to the great devotees of the Lord, who are so many oceans of transcendental virtue. I shall now happily begin to praise the transcendental opulences of Sri Vrindavan.
2. I am not strong enough to go to the far shore of the great nectar ocean of Vrindavan's glories. Who can go there? However, because I love Vrindavan I will now dip into that ocean. I pray that this endeavour may become successful and bring an auspicious result.
3. O Sri Vrindavan, please reveal in my heart Your wonderful transcendental form full of the most confidential spiritual knowledge and bliss. Embarrassed to describe the highest nectar, the Upanishads only say "not this, not this". Where are you described.
4, Day and night I glorify Vrindavan, which is filled with the wonder of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna's pastimes, the wonder of the greatest sweetness, the ultimate nectar of Lord Hari, the sweetest, most beautiful auspiciousness and a flood of virtues Ananta-sesa, Siva, and a host of others cannot cross.
5. Think of Vrindavan with love. Roll in its dust. Love it ardently. Please its moving and non moving residents. Worship Sri Radha's birthplace. With all your heart take shelter of Sri Vrindavan, the best of all holy places.
6. If the Vedanta does not directly describe Vrindavan, why should that matter to me? If the faulty logicians, who are like serpents living the Vedic literatures, ignore Vrindavan, why should I care? If even the devotees of the Lord do not understand the glories of Vrindavan, how does that affect me? Even if my heart were pierced by thousands of thunderbolts, I would not leave Vrindavan.
7. I meditate on Vrindavan, where the cuckoos sing the fifth note, the flute plays splendid melodies, peacocks sing and dance, vines and trees bloom, splendid and charming forests are wonderful with many birds and deer, and there are many splendid lakes, streams and hills.
8 The transcendental, subtle, expansive Brahman effulgence, which is the secondary cause of material creation, is last. Before it is Vaikuntha, then Dvaraka, then Krishna's birthplace, Mathura, then Krishna's Vrindavan, the shelter of the surabhi cows, and first is the place in Vrindavan forest where the gopis enjoyed pastimes, it
9 Radha's grove, which fills us with wonder and which is the form of the highest purest love, which maddens everyone there, is splendidly manifest.
10. Wonderfully flooded with handsomeness, intelligence, and mutual love, Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, eternally enjoy passionate amorous pastimes in the company of Their friends there.
11 Srila Vrindavan is perfect in every way. blind fools say there are genuine defects there. Oh! Oh! I pray that I may not see these fools at the moment of my death! Are they not the object of everyone's laughter.
12 After attaining the platform of Brahman happiness by performing severe austerities, the personified Upanishads worshipped the Personality of Godhead without any reservation, and thus obtained His mercy. By the mercy of the Lord they were able to become surabhi cows in the land of vraja and enjoy the direct association of Sri Krishna, and by constantly grazing on the grass of Vrindavan, they become filled with the nectarean taste of the topmost mellows of pure devotional love for the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna.
13 If someone relates to me the faults of one of the moving or non-moving residents of Vrindavan, then how is his action different from cutting me with hundreds of sharpened swords, arrows and other weapons? The residents of Vrindavan are all as dear to the Personality of Godhead as His own life. If one is a little bit inimical to even a blade of grass in Vrindavan, then who will be able to rescue him from the horrible hell that awaits him? When will that rescue occur?
14 May my eyes become overwhelmed with ecstasy by seeing the nectar waves of Vrindavan's beauty. May my intelligence drown in the nectar ocean of Vrindavan's glories. May my body become agitated by the swiftly moving currents of ecstatic bliss and thus roll about on the ground of Vrindavan. Falling down like a stick, may I offer my respectful obeisances to all the residents of Vrindavan.
15 May the land of Srila Vrindavan where Subala and the other wonderful cowherd boys, who are all dear friends of Sri Krishna, play, where Lalita and the other splendidly beautiful young gopis, who are all filled with love for Srimati Radharani, enjoy transcendental bliss, and where Sri Sri Radha-Krishna thirst to enjoy wonderful transcendental amorous pastimes day and night, become manifest in my heart.
16 To drink: the freely flowing streams are filled with clear sweet water as nectar. To eat: the dried leaves from the trees are foods as palatable as one could desire. The warm breezes are just as one would have them. To reside: there are clean mountain caves and other suitable residences. Alas! Alas! How unfortunate I would be if I wished to leave Vrindavan!
17 Vrindavan is like the incomparable essence of the ocean of pure love of Krishna, or it is like the sweetest island-bracelet decorating that ocean of love, I pray this land of Vrindavan, which the great sages experience sweet as nectar, give me shelter until the moment I leave this body.
18 I meditate on wonderful Vrindavan, where there are millions of lakes, ponds, and wells, all filled with water as sweet as transcendental nectar, where there are many gardens filled with blossoming transcendental flowers and fruits and unlimited wonderful trees and vines, where there are numberless transcendental deer and other animals who move here and there, and where there are many beautiful transcendental groves.
19. Whose heart would not be enchanted by Vrindavan where Sri Radhika-Madanamohana enjoy many pastimes, where there are many trees and flowering vines, where the ground is paved with jewels, and where the birds, deer and other animals are all maddened with transcendental bliss?
20. I have seen Vrindavan plunged into an ocean of sweetness by the amorous pastimes of two persons more splendid than gold and sapphires and more glorious than millions of Ratis and Kamadevas.
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