Chaitanya Charitamrita

Vande gurun ishabhaktan isham ishavataran
Tat prakasan cha tat saktee
Krishna chaitanya sangakam. (1)

My respectful obeisances are due to the primeval Lord of the name Krishna Chaitanya after offering the same to the spiritual masters, the devotees of the Lord, the incarnation of the Lord, His plenary Portions and His energies.

Vande Shri Krishna Chaitanya
Nityanandan Sahaditou
Goudodaye paspavantou Chitrou
Shandou tamonudou. (2)

My respectful obeisances are due to both Shri Krishna Chaitanya as well as Nityananda who have arisen on the horizon of Gouda as both the sun and the moon simultaneously in a wonderful manner to dissipate darkness (of ignorance) and thereby to bestow benedictions over all.

Yad adwaitam Brahman upanishadi tad adiasya tanuva
Ya atmantaryami purasha iti sa asya ansa vibhav.
Sada aishyaryai purna ya iha Bhagavan sa swayam ayam
Na Chaitanyat Krishnat jagati paratatwam paramiba. (3)

What is described in the Upanishads as impersonal Brahman is but His effulgence of the body. What is known as the super soul Lord, he is no other than His plenary localised aspect. He is the Personality of Godhead Himself who is known as the Lord full with six opulences. He is the Absolute Truth and there is nothing greater there or equal to Him in this world.

Anarpita charim chirat karunayaavaturna kalou
Samarpayatum unnata ujjala rasam swabhaki shriyam.
Hari puratasundara dyuts Kadamba sandipita
Sada hridaya kandau sphurata ba sachinandana. (4)

Let that Lord known as the son of Shreemati Sachi Devi be transcendentally situated unto the heart of you all as He has appeared Himself by His causeless mercy in order to bestow the highest standard of illuminated transcendental mellow of His devotional service. Such endowment was never before offered by any other incarnation. He is the Lord colourfully beautiful with the of golden texture in its fullness of manifestation.

Radhakrishna pranaya vikriti ahladini sakti asmat
Ekatmanou api bhubi pura dehabhedou gatou tou
Chaitanyakhyam prakatamadhuna tat dwayam cha aikyam aptam
Radhabhavudyutisubalitam nomami Krishna swarupam. (5)

The love affairs of Shri Radha and Krishna is a transcendental manifestation of the Lord's internal potency of Alhadini (pleasure-giving). Although both of them are one and the same identity yet they separated by body eternally. Now at present again these two bodies are united in the Form of Shri Chaitanya. But He is pre-eminently manifested in the light of Radharani, although He is Krishna Himself.

Sri Radhaya pranaya mahima kadrisha ba anaya eba
Aswdya yona adbhuta madhurima kidrisha ba madiya.
Soukhyam cha asya mad anubhavata kidrisha ba it lobhat
Tat bhavadhya samajani sachi garbhasindhou Hari indu. (6)

The Supreme Lord Hari appeared Himself like the moon in the ocean of the womb of Sachi devi, influenced by a desire to know (1) what are the qualities of love affairs of Radharani (2) what are the qualities of my love affairs which is relished by Radharani alone and (3) how does Radharani feel when she relishes the sweetness of my love.

Samkarsana karana toyashayee
garbhodasayee cha prabodhishayee
Sesha cha yasya amsakala na
Nityanandakhya Rama sharam man astu. (7)

Let Shri Nityananda Rama, whose parts of plenary portions are known as Samkarshana Vishnu lying on the Karana ocean, Vishnu lying on the Garva ocean, Vishnu lying on the milk ocean or the Seohanaga, be the object of my constant remembrance.

Mayatitey byapi vaikunthaloke
purnaishwarya Sri Chaturbhuha madhye
Rupam yosya udbhati samkarshankhyam
tam sri nityananda Ramam prapadye. (8)

Let me surrender unto the lotus feet of Sri Nityananda Rama who is known as Samkarshan in the midst of Chaturbuha (consisting of Vasudeva, Samkarshan, Pradyumna and Aniruddha) with full opulence.

Mayabhartaja antda samgha
ashraya anga shetey sakshyat
karanabhodhi madhye
Yasya ekamsa sri puman adideva
tam sri Nityananda Ramam prapadye. (9)

Let me offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityananda Rama whose partial representation is the original Purusha who is the feeder of Maya (illusory energy) and the resort of all the universes and called by the name Vishnu who is lying on the ocean of karana.

Yasya amsamsa srila Garbhodoyashayee
Yannabhyabjam loka samghatanalam
Lokasrastu sutikadhama dhatu

Tam Sri Nityananda Ramam prapadye. (10)

Let me offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityananda Rama whose partial part is the Garbhodashayee Vishnu from whose navel stem of lotus has sprouted Brahma the first seer of the universe.

Yasyamsa ansasa paratma akhilanam
Posta Vishnubhati dugdha shayee.
Kshowni bharta yatkala sa api ananta
Tam Shri Nityananda Ramam prapadye. (11)

I do offer my respectful obeisances unto the feet of Shri Nityananda Rama whose secondary parts' part is the Vishnu lying on the ocean of milk, the super soul of all living entities and the maintainer of all universes. The Naga is also His part in the 4th order.

Mahavishnu jagat karta mayaya ya srijati adee
Tasya avatara eba ayam adwitacharya bhakti shasanat. (12)

Lord Adwitacharya is the incarnation of that Vishnu called by the name Mahavishnu whose main function is to create the cosmic world through the actions of Maya.

Adwitam Harina adwitat acharyam bhakti samsanat
Bhaktabataram Isham tam adwitacharyam ashraye. (13)

Because He is non-different from Hari the Supreme Lord. Therefore He is called Adwita and because He propagates the cult of devotion therefore He is called Acharya. He is the Lord and incarnation of devotee of the Lord and therefore I take my shelter unto Him.

Pancha tatwatmakam Krishnam
bhaktarupa swampakam
Bhaktavataram bhaktakhyam
namami bhaktasaktikam. (14)

I do offer my obeisances to the Supreme Lord Krishna who is non-different from (1) His feature of a devotee of (2) that of devotee incarnation, (3) devotee manifestation, (4) pure devotee and (5) devotional energy.

Jayatam suratan pango
mama mandamate gati
Mat sarbaswa padambhajou
Radha madanamohanou. (15)

I am lame and ill-advised. Therefore I say glory unto them Radha Madan Mohan under who are my directors and whose Lotus feet are my everything.

Dibyad vrindaranya kalpadrumadha
Srimad ratnagara singhasanasthou
Sri Sri Radha Srila Govindadwou
Presthalivi sebyamanou smarami. (16)

There is in Vrindaban the temple of jewels under the desire tree in which there is the illuminated effulgent throne on which Sri Radha Govinda are seated served by the most confidential associate. I do offer my humble obeisances unto them.

Sriman rasa rasarambhei
bansibata tatarthita
Karshanvenu swanai gopi
Gopinatha shriye tu na. (17)

Sri Shrila Gopinatha who is the originator of the transcendental mellow of Rasa dance, and who is standing on the shore under the name of Bansibata and thereby attracting the attention of the damsels of cowherds by the sound of His celebrated flute. Let all of them do bestow upon me their benedictions.

Jaya jaya sri Chaitanya jaya Nityananda
Jaya Adwita Chandra jaya Goura bhaktabrinda. (18)

Glory to Sri Chaitanya and Nityananda and glory to Adwita Chandra and all the devotees of Goura (Lord Chaitanya).

Ayee tin thankur Goudiyare Rariyachchen Atmastt.
Aye tiner charan vando tine more nath. (19)

All the above mentioned three deities (of Vrindaban namely Madan Mohan, Govinda and Gopinath) have absorbed the heart and soul of the Goudiya Vaishnavas (followers of Lord Chaitanya). I therefore do worship the lotus feet of these deities and all the three are my Lords of the heart.

Granther arambha kari mangalacharan.
Guru, Vaishna, bhagawan, tiner smaran. (20)

In the beginning of the narration I do invoke the benediction of the spiritual master, the devotee of the Lord and the Personality of Godhead-simply by remembering.

Tinner samaraney kai bighravinashan
Anayashe hai nija banchchitapuran. (21)

By such remembrance only all difficulties are destroyed and very easily we can fulfill our own desire.

Se manyalacharan kai tribidha prakar
Vastunirdesha, ashirbada, namaskar. (22)

That invoking of benediction is made by three processes which are known as (1) defining the objective, (2) benedictions and (3) obeisances.

Pratham tin sloke istadeva namaskar
Samanya Vishvsharupey duita prakar. (23)

In the first two slokas there is obeisance to the objective Lord. One of them is a general description and the other is particular verification.

(To be continued)