Bhajana-Rahasya

by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Mahasaya | 2010 | 123,965 words

The Bhajana-rahasya Text 19, English translation, including commentary (vritti). The Bhajana-rahasya is a compilation of verses describing the mercy of the eight pairs of names (Yugala-nama) of the Maha-mantra. This is text 19 belonging to the chapter “Tritiya-yama-sadhana (Purvahna-kaliya-bhajana–nishtha-bhajana)” representing the six dandas until two praharas: approximately 8.30 a.m.–11.00 a.m.

The mid-morning pastimes (pūrvāhna-līlā ) are described in Govindalīlāmṛta (5.1):

पूर्वाह्ने धेनु-मित्रैर् विपिनम् अनुसृतं गोष्ठ-लोकानुयातं
   कृष्णं राधाप्ति-लोलं तद् अभिसृति-कृते प्राप्त-तत्-कुण्ड-तीरम्
राधां चालोक्य कृष्णं कृत-गृह-गमनाम् आर्ययार्कार्चनायै
   दिष्टां कृष्ण-प्रवृत्त्यै प्रहित-निज-सखी वर्त्म-नेत्रां स्मरामि

pūrvāhne dhenu-mitrair vipinam anusṛtaṃ goṣṭha-lokānuyātaṃ
   kṛṣṇaṃ rādhāpti-lolaṃ tad abhisṛti-kṛte prāpta-tat-kuṇḍa-tīram

rādhāṃ cālokya kṛṣṇaṃ kṛta-gṛha-gamanām āryayārkārcanāyai
   diṣṭāṃ kṛṣṇa-pravṛttyai prahita-nija-sakhī vartma-netrāṃ smarāmi

I remember Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who in the forenoon goes to the forest with the cows and His sakhās. Śrī Nanda, Yaśodā and other Vrajavāsīs follow Him for some distance. Restless and hankering to meet with Śrī Rādhā, Kṛṣṇa arrives at the bank of Rādhākuṇḍa for Their rendezvous (abhisāra ). I remember Śrī Rādhā, who after taking Kṛṣṇa’s darśana at Nandabhavana, returns to Her home. Jaṭilā orders Her to worship the Sungod. Desiring to learn of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s whereabouts, Rādhā sits and looks down the road, waiting for the return of Her sakhī, whom She has sent to gather this information.

धेनु सहचर सङ्गे, कृष्ण वने याय रङ्गे,
गोष्ठ-जन अनुव्रत हरि
राधा-सङ्ग-लोभे पुनः, राधा-कुण्ड-तट-वन,
याय धेनु सङ्गी परिहरि’

dhenu sahacara saṅge, kṛṣṇa vane yāya raṅge,
goṣṭha-jana anuvrata hari
rādhā-saṅga-lobhe punaḥ, rādhā-kuṇḍa-taṭa-vana,
yāya dhenu saṅgī parihari’

कृष्णेर इङ्गित पाञा, राधा निज-गृहे याञा,
जटिलाज्ञा लय सूर्यार्चने
गुप्ते कृष्ण-पथ लखि’, कत-क्षणे आइसे सखी,
व्याकुलिता राधा स्मरि मने

kṛṣṇera iṅgita pāñā, rādhā nija-gṛhe yāñā,
jaṭilājñā laya sūryārcane
gupte kṛṣṇa-patha lakhi’, kata-kṣaṇe āise sakhī,
vyākulitā rādhā smari mane

Commentary: Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti:

In pūrvāhna-līlā, after Śrī Kṛṣṇa has eaten, He prepares to go to the forest, attired as a cowherd boy; and Śrī Vṛṣabhānu-nandinī, decorated with cloth and ornaments given by Śrī Yaśodā, returns to Jāvaṭa. They meet halfway. Upon seeing Śrī Rādhā, Kṛṣṇa’s peacock feather falls from His head and the flute slips from His hand.

This pastime is described in the following verse from Śrī Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi (39):

वेणुः करान् निपतितः स्खलितं शिखण्डं
भ्रष्टं च पीत-वसनं व्रजराज-सूनोः

veṇuḥ karān nipatitaḥ skhalitaṃ śikhaṇḍaṃ
bhraṣṭaṃ ca pīta-vasanaṃ vrajarāja-sūnoḥ

Śrī Kṛṣṇa arrives at the bank of Rādhā-kuṇḍa for another meeting with Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Not finding Her there, He becomes extremely eager, full of desire and restless. In Jāvaṭa, meanwhile, Jaṭilā encourages Rādhikā to go and worship the Sun-god (sūryapūjā ). The way in which Rādhikā performs pūjā to Kṛṣṇa at the place where sūrya-pūjā is performed is the wealth that is attained by the performance of bhajana.

Thus ends the Tṛtīya-yāma-sādhana,
Pūrvāhna-kālīya-bhajana, of Śrī Bhajana-rahasya.

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