Chaitanya Bhagavata
by Bhumipati Dāsa | 2008 | 1,349,850 words
The Chaitanya Bhagavata 1.1.52, English translation, including a commentary (Gaudiya-bhasya). This text is similair to the Caitanya-caritamrita and narrates the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, proclaimed to be the direct incarnation of Krishna (as Bhagavan) This is verse 52 of Adi-khanda chapter 1—“Summary of Lord Gaura’s Pastimes”.
Verse 1.1.52
Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 1.1.52:
শ্রী-নারদ-গোসাঞি ‘তুম্বুরু’ করি’ সঙ্গে সে যশ গাযেন ব্রহ্মা-স্থানে শ্লোক-বন্ধে ॥ ৫২ ॥
श्री-नारद-गोसाञि ‘तुम्बुरु’ करि’ सङ्गे से यश गायेन ब्रह्मा-स्थाने श्लोक-वन्धे ॥ ५२ ॥
śrī-nārada-gosāñi ‘tumburu’ kari’ saṅge se yaśa gāyena brahmā-sthāne śloka-vandhe || 52 ||
sri-narada-gosani ‘tumburu’ kari’ sange se yasa gayena brahma-sthane sloka-vandhe (52)
English translation:
(52) Bearing his stringed instrument, the tumburu, on his shoulders, the great sage Nārada Muni always glorifies Lord Ananta in Brahmā’s assembly. Nārada Muni has composed many transcendental verses in praise of the Lord.
Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:
The word tumburu refers to the famous instrument called vīṇā, which is always carried by Śrī Nārada Muni to glorify the qualities of Lord Hari. (Please refer to verse 74 of this chapter.) Another meaning of tumburu is the celestial singer who is the leader of the Gandharvas. (Please refer to Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.13.60)
The word brahmā-sthāne refers to Brahmā’s assembly known as Mānasī, wherein Gandharvas such as Tumburu play their musical instruments.
This is described in the Śrī Nīlakaṇṭha commentary on the Mahābhārata (Sabhā 11.28) wherein Nārada describes Brahmā’s assembly to Yudhiṣṭhira as follows: “A group of twenty Gandharvas and Apsarās come to Brahmā’s assembly. Apart from them, there are seven other principle Gandharvas present there, including Haṃsa, Hāhā, Hūhū,
Viśvāvasu, Ruci, Vṛṣaṇa, and Tumburu.”
The word śloka-vandhe means “accumulating or composing verses.” This verse is a Bengali rendering of part of verse eight of the Twenty-fifth Chapter of the Fifth Canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, which states: tasyānubhāvān bhagavān svāyambhuvo nāradaḥ saha tumburuṇā sabhāyāṃ brahmaṇaḥ saṃślokayām āsa.—“Nārada Muni, the son of Lord Brahmā, always glorifies Anantadeva in his father’s assembly. There he sings blissful verses of his own composition, accompanied by his stringed instrument [or a celestial singer] known as Tumburu.”