Rādhe Śyāma Śyāmā Śyāma

Śrī Gaura Nārāyaṇa revealed a glimpse of his intense devotional mood by composing this very beautiful kīrtana in early 1949. It is called Vraja-jana-mana-sukhakāri rādhe, śyāma śyāmā śyāma. It immediately became very popular, and to this day it is sung with great delight by his followers and other devotees. It is published in the Śrī Gauḍīya Gīti-Guccha and various other Vaiṣṇava songbooks. Hearing this song awakens intense greed to follow in the footsteps of the Vrajavāsis.

Śrī Gaura Nārāyaṇa sings this song in a greatly excited mood, his heart filled with delight and wonder. each word is thrilled with intense love and affection for Śrī Śrī rādhā-Śyāma. This bhajana is laced with rasika love, and when we take shelter of it, it reveals Śrīla Gurudeva’s internal mood, where he is asking us to join in this great festival of love. Taking shelter of this song awakens an intense greed to serve Śrīla Gurudeva in his eternal spiritual form.

With his song, Śrīla Gurudeva is stealing our mind from mundane attraction, and calling us to join that festival of happiness.

Refrain:

व्रज-जन-मन-सुखकारी राधे-श्याम श्यामा श्याम

vraja-jana-mana-sukhakārī rādhe-śyāma śyāmā śyāma

Kṛṣṇa gives happiness in the hearts of all the Vrajavāsīs–rādhe! Śyāma! Śyāmā! Śyāma!

more mukuṭa makarākṛta-kuṇḍala, gala vaijayantī-māla,
caraṇana nūpura rasāla rādhe-śyāma syāmā syāma

(1) He wears a peacock feather mukuṭa, swinging makaras haped earrings, and a vaijayantī garland around His neck, and the sound of His anklebells is full of rasa! rādhe! Śyāma! Śyāmā! Śyāma!

सुन्दर वदन कमल-दल लोचन, बाकि चित-वन-हारी,
मोहन-वंशि-विहारी राधे-श्याम श्यामा श्याम

sundara vadana kamala-dala locana, bāki cita-vana-hārī,
mohana-vaṃśi-vihārī rādhe-śyāma śyāmā śyāma

(2) His lotus face is very beautiful and His eyes are like lotuspetals. Wandering here and there, He charms everyone with His flute and three-fold curved form! rādhe! Śyāma! Śyāmā! Śyāma! vṛndāvana me dhenu carāve, gopī-jana manahāri

श्री गोवर्धन-धारी राधे-श्याम श्यामा श्याम

śrī govardhana-dhārī rādhe-śyāma śyāmā śyāma

(3) In Vṛndāvana He tends the cows in the pastures, steals the gopīs’ minds, and holds up Śrī Govardhana Hill! rādhe! Śyāma! Śyāmā! Śyāma!

राधा-कृष्ण मिलि अब दोउ, गौर-रूप अवतारी
कीर्तन धरम प्रचारी राधे श्याम श्यामा श्याम

rādhā-kṛṣṇa mili aba dou, gaura-rūpa avatārī
kīrtana dharama pracārī rādhe śyāma śyāmā śyāma

(4) Śrī Śrī rādhā-Kṛṣṇa have united and now the two have come as the beautiful golden avatāra, preaching kīrtana-dharma. rādhe! Śyāma! Śyāmā! Śyāma!

तुम् विना मेरे और् न कोइ, नाम-रूप अवतारी
चरणन मे बलिहारी, नारायण बलिहारी,
राधे-श्याम श्यामा श्याम

tum vinā mere aur na koi, nāma-rūpa avatārī
caraṇana me balihārī, nārāyaṇa balihārī,
rādhe-śyāma śyāmā śyāma

(5) I have no one but You in this world. You descend as the avatāra of the beautiful name and beautiful form. Your lotus feet fill me with wonder–so this Nārāyaṇa is filled with delight! rādhe! Śyāma! Śyāmā! Śyāma!