Śrī Godruma-Candra-Bhajana–Upadeśa
Instructions for Worshiping Lord Caitanya,
the Moon of the Island of Godruma-dvīpa
by Śrīla Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda
(1)
yadi te hari-pāda-saroja-sudhā-
rasa-pāna-paraṁ hṛdayaṁ satatam
parihṛtya gṛhaṁ kali-bhāva-mayaṁ
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
(2)
dhana-yauvana-jīvana-rājya-sukhaṁ
na hi nityam anukṣaṇa-nāśa-param
tyaja grāmya-kathā-sakalaṁ viphalaṁ
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
(3)
ramaṇī-jana-saṅga-sukhaṁ ca sakhe
carame bhayadaṁ puruṣārtha-haram
hari-nāma-sudhā-rasa-matta-matir
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
(4)
jaḍa-kāvya-raso na hi kāvya-rasaḥ
kali-pāvana-gaura-raso hi rasaḥ
alam anya-kathādy anuśīlanayā
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
(5)
vṛṣabhānu-sutānvita-vāma-tanuṁ
yamunā-taṭa-nāgara-nanda-sutam
muralī-kala-gīta-vinoda-paraṁ
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
(6)
hari-kīrtana-madhya-gataṁ sva-janaiḥ
pariveṣṭita-jāmbunadābha-harim
nija-gauḍa-janaika-kṛpā-jaladhiṁ
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
(7)
girirāja-sutā-parivīta-gṛhaṁ
nava-khaṇḍa-patiṁ yati-citta-haram
sura-saṅgha-nutaṁ priyayā sahitaṁ
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
(8)
kali-kukkura-mudgara-bhāva-dharaṁ
hari-nāma-mahauṣadha-dāna-param
patitārta-dayārdra-su-mūrti-dharaṁ
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
(9)
ripu-bāndhava-bheda-vihīna-dayā
yad-abhīkṣnam udeti mukhābja-tatau
tam akṛṣṇam iha vraja-rāja-sutaṁ
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
(10)
iha copaniṣat-parigīta-vibhur
dvija-rāja-sutaḥ puraṭābha-hariḥ
nija-dhāmani khelati bandhu-yuto
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
(11)
avatāra-varaṁ paripūrṇa-kalaṁ
para-tattvam ihātma-vilāsa-mayam
vraja-dhāma-rasāmbudhi-gupta-rasaṁ
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
(12)
śruti-varṇa-dhanādi na yasya kṛpā-
janane balavad-bhajanena vinā
tam ahaituka-bhāva-pathā hi sakhe
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
(13)
api nakra-gatau hrada-madhya-gataṁ
kam amocayad-ārta-janaṁ tam ajam
avicintya-balaṁ śiva-kalpa-taruṁ
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
(14)
surabhīndra-tapaḥ-parituṣṭa-manā
vara-varṇa-dharo harir āvirabhūt
tam ajasra-sukhaṁ muni-dhairya-haraṁ
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
(15)
abhilāṣa-cayaṁ tad-abheda-dhiyam
aśubhaṁ ca śubhaṁ tyaja sarvam idam
anukūlatayā priya-sevanayā
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
(16)
hari-sevaka-sevana-dharma-paro
hari-nāma-rasāmṛta-pāna-rataḥ
nati-dainya-dayā-para-māna-yuto
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
(17)
vada yādava mādhava kṛṣṇa hare
vada rāma janārdana keśava he
vṛṣabhānu-sutā-priya-nātha sadā
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
(18)
vada yāmuna-tīra-vanādri-pate
vada gokula-kānana-puñja-rave
vada rāsa-rasāyana gaura-hare
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
(19)
cala gaura-vanaṁ nava-khaṇḍa-mayaṁ
paṭha gaura-hareś caritāni mudā
luṭha gaura-padāṅkita-gāṅga-taṭaṁ
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
(20)
smara gaura-gadādhara-keli-kalāṁ
bhava gaura-gadādhara-pakṣa-caraḥ
śṛṇu gaura-gadādhara-cāru-kathāṁ
bhaja godruma-kānana-kuñja-vidhum
1) If your heart wishes to be always absorbed in drinking the ambrosial mellows of the lotus feet of Lord Hari, then give up mundane household life, full of Kali-yuga quarrels and strife, and just worship the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.
2) Material riches, youth, a long life, and royal happiness—none of these are certain; at every moment they are being destroyed. Give up all useless mundane conversations and just worship the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.
3) O friend! The pleasure to be had in the company of beautiful young women ultimately turns to fearfulness, and distracts one from the true goal of human life. With your mind intoxicated by the nectarean mellows of the holy name of Lord Hari, just worship the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.
4) The taste of mundane poetry never provides the sweet taste of actual poetry. The sweet mellows of true poetry are verily found in descriptions of Lord Gaura, the savior of all souls in the Kali-yuga. The diligent study of all other topics is useless! Just worship the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.
5) His left side enhanced by the daughter of Vṛṣabhānu, Nanda-Suta the transcendental paramour stands on the bank of the Yamunā river absorbed in the pleasure-giving pastime of playing soft, melodious songs on His flute. Just worship Him, the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.
6) In the midst of Hari-kīrtana, surrounded by His loving associates He is the same dark Lord Hari, but now shining with the luster of molten gold. He is the exclusive ocean of mercy for His own Gauḍīya devotees. Just worship the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.
7) His island home is surrounded by the river Gaṅgā, daughter of the king of mountains. He is the Lord of the nine-fold islands of Navadvīpa and the stealer of the hearts of the renunciates. Along with His beloved wife Viṣṇu-priyā He is glorified by demigods and saintly persons. Just worship the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.
8) His mood is that of wielding a stick for chasing away the mad dog of Kali-yuga. He is absorbed in distributing the holy name of Hari, the great remedy for material existence. His heart is melted with compassion for the fallen souls who are suffering, and His transcendental form is very beautiful. Just worship the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.
9) Continually beaming from His lotus face is causeless mercy that makes no distinction between so-called ‘friends’ or ‘enemies.’ Although the son of Mahārāja Nanda, He appears here in a form unlike that of Krishna’s dark complexion. Just worship the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.
10) In this world and in the Upaniṣads He is celebrated as the all-pervading Supreme Lord. He appears now as the son of the king of brāhmaṇas and is Lord Hari Himself, with a shining golden complexion. In His own abode He plays eternally with His cowherd boyfriends. Just worship the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.
11) He is the most excellent of avatāras, and within Him exists the consummate expansions of Godhead. He is the Supreme Truth, enjoying Himself here in great playfulness. He embodies the most confidential mellows flowing within the ocean of rasa in Vraja-dhāma. Just worship the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.
12) O friend! Without the devotional performance of purely intense bhajan, your vast scholarship, noble family lineage, wealth, and so on are completely ineffective for invoking the mercy of the Lord. With a service attitude that is unmotivated, just worship the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.
13) This same Lord once liberated the elephant Gajendra from the crocodile’s grasp within the lake. He is the unborn one, possessing inconceivable power, and is truly a desire-tree of pure auspiciousness. Just worship the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.
14) Being pleased with the penances of Indra and the surabhi cow, Lord Hari has appeared again in this world possessing a superexcellent complexion. He is endless happiness, and He plunders the patience of the learned sages. Just worship the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.
15) The multitude of worldly desires, philosophical meditations on the impersonal oneness of all beings, as well as the relative conceptions of what is auspicious or inauspicious—utterly renounce all of these things. In a favorable mood while rendering loving devotional service, just worship the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.
16) Remaining fixed in the service of Hari’s servants, being addicted to drinking the sweet nectar of the holy name of Hari, and endowed with modesty, humility and compassion, offering all respect unto others, just worship the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.
17) Incessantly call out to the Lord, “O Yādava! O Mādhava! O Kṛṣṇa! O Hari!” Chant, “O Rama! O Janārdana! O Keśava!” “O beloved Lord of Vṛṣabhānu’s daughter!”—and just worship the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.
18) Please chant, “O Lord of the forests and hills along the banks of the river Yamunā!” Chant, “O brilliant sun of the groves of Gokula!” Chant, “O elixir of life for the rāsa dance!” “O Gaura-hari!”—and just worship the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.
19) Please go to the forest of Lord Gaura, divided into nine islands. Please read and recite with great joy the pastimes of Lord Gaura-hari. Please roll about in ecstasy on the bank of the river Gaṅgā marked with the footprints of Lord Gaura—and just worship the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.
20) Just remember the artistically playful pastimes of Gaura and Gadādhara. Just become a loyal follower of Gaura and Gadādhara’s camp. Just listen to the captivating stories of Gaura and Gadādhara—and just worship the beautiful Moon of Godruma’s forest bowers.