Śrī-Śrī-Gaura-Govinda-Līlāmṛta Guṭikā 2

Supplication

saṁsāra-duḥkha-jaladhau patitasya kāma-

krodhādi-nakra-makaraiḥ kavalī-kṛtasya |

durvāsanā-nigaḍitasya nirāśrayasya 

caitanyacandra mama dehi padāvalambam ||

“Caitanyacandra! I have fallen into the miserable ocean of worldly life and have been devoured by the alligators and sharks of lust and anger. I am fettered by wicked desires and have no shelter, so please let me cling to your lotus feet.”

In this way, the sādhaka will recite the praṇāma-mantras and prayers to Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Advaita Prabhu, Gadādhara and Śrīvāsa.* After that he will offer praṇāma to Śrī Navadvīpa and Śrī Gaṅgā, followed by praṇāma to the lotus feet of the eight mahāntas, the twelve gopālas, the eight kavirājas, the eight gosvāmīs and the four gate keepers. Then he will offer praṇāma to the lotus feet of his guru-rūpā-sakhī in Śrī Vṛndāvana in this manner:

rādhā-sammukha-saṁsaktāṁ 

sakhī-saṅga-nivāsinīm |

tām ahaṁ satataṁ vande 

parāṁ guru-rūpā-sakhīm ||

“I always honor my transcendental guru-rūpā-sakhī, who is intently devoted to Śrī Rādhā and who always resides among Śrī Rādhā’s girlfriends.”

Then he will offer praṇāma to the lotus feet of everyone in his own siddha-praṇālī by speaking each of their guru-mañjarī names within this mantra: 

śrīmatī-(name)-mañjarī-śrī-caraṇa-kamalebhyo namaḥ |

Then he will recite this praṇāma and vijñapti (prayer) to the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhārāṇī:

rāsotsava-vilāsinyai 

namas te parameśvari |

kṛṣṇa-prāṇādhike rādhe 

paramānanda-vigrahe ||

“Obeisance to you, Supreme Goddess, as you sport playfully in the festival of rāsa. O Rādhā! You are the embodiment of transcendental bliss and are more precious to Kṛṣṇa than his own life.”

praṇamāmi mahānṛtya-

mayīṁ tvam atisundarīm |

ratnālaṅkṛta-śobhāḍhyāṁ 

kusumārcita-vigrahām ||

“Obeisance to you who are a wonderful dancer. You are so very beautiful, adorned with splendid jeweled ornaments and worshipped with colorful, fragrant flowers.”

bhavatīm abhivādya cāṭubhir

varam ūrjeśvari varyam arthaye |

bhavadīyatayā kṛpāṁ yathā

mayi kuryād adhikāṁ bakāntakaḥ ||

“O Rādhikā! You are the presiding deity of Kārtika. After bowing to you and greeting you with pleasing words, I ask for this best of boons: Please tell Kṛṣṇa that I belong to you, so he will give me more mercy.”

After that, he will recite this praṇāma and vijñapti to Śrī Kṛṣṇa:

namo brahmaṇya-devāya

go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca |

jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya

govindāya namo namaḥ ||

“Obeisance to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, the Lord of those devoted to sacred knowledge. He is very affectionate to the cows and the brāhmaṇas, and is the benefactor of the whole world.”

namo nalina-netrāya

veṇu-vādya-vinodine |

rādhādhara-sudhā-pāna-

śāline vana-māline ||

“Obeisance to the lotus-eyed Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who delights in playing the flute. He is famous for drinking the nectar from Śrī Rādhā’s lips and is always adorned with a garland of wildflowers.”

praṇipatya bhavantam arthaye

paśupālendra-kumāra! kākubhiḥ |

vraja-yauvata-mauli-mālikā

karuṇā-pātram imaṁ janaṁ kuru ||

“O prince of the cowherds! After bowing at your lotus feet, I offer this prayer in a plaintive voice: Please make me the object of Vraja-Sundarī-Śiromaṇi Śrī Rādhā’s mercy.”

After this he will recite the praṇāma and vijñapti of Śrī Lalitā and the rest of the eight sakhīs, and of Śrī Rūpa and the other mañjarīs. Then he will remember the lotus feet of Śrī Baladeva, Śrī Yaśodā, Śrī Nanda, Rohiṇī, Vṛṣabhānu, Kīrtidā and Paurṇamāsī and offer praṇāma to them. Then he will offer praṇāma to the lotus feet of Śrī Vṛndā, Śrī Tulasī, Śrī Vṛndāvana, Śrī Yamunā, Śrī Rādhā-Kuṇḍa and all the residents of Vraja. Then he will offer praṇāma to the lotus feet of the Vaiṣṇavas:

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca

kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca |

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo

vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ ||

“I offer my humble obeisance to all the Vaiṣṇavas, the rescuers of the fallen, who are like wish-fulfilling trees and oceans of mercy.” 

Then, along with japa,** he will remember the end-of-night pastimes (niśānta-līlā), followed by the rest of the aṣṭa-kāla-līlās at their appropriate times.***

* * *

*Author’s note: It was not possible to quote everyone’s praṇāma-mantras and so on. The sādhaka can find that material in the Sādhanāmṛta-Candrikā and other books detailing the Vaiṣṇavas’ daily religious rites and follow what is written there.

**The text here is actually saṅkhyā-nāma-kīrtana, which literally means counting-names-chanting.

***Author’s note: An expanded list of end-of-night duties similar to those given in Śrīla Siddha Bābā’s Sādhanāmṛta-Candrikā have been written here. Those who want to offer an abridged version of the prayers and then get right into līlā-smaraṇa may chant the following:

vande’haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca

śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sajīvam |

sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ

śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca ||

“I praise the beautiful lotus feet of Śrī Guru. I praise all the Vaiṣṇavas, my teachers, including Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī and his older brother Sanātana, as well as Śrī Raghunātha, Śrī Jīva and their associates. I praise Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, along with Śrī Advaita, Śrī Nityānanda and their associates, and I praise the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and all the gopīs, headed by Śrī Lalitā and Śrī Viśākhā.”

After offering praṇāma to everyone with verses like this and others, one may begin to do smaraṇa.