"Adhama Sevakera Nivedana" – A Song for Paramagurudeva

(Translated from Śrī Gauḍīya-patrikā, Year 7, Issue 1, page 12)

prabhu-nityānanda dvāre śrīvāsa paṇḍita-ghare
Via Prabhu Nityānanda, in the house of Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita
mahāprabhu dilena śikṣaṇa |
Mahāprabhu gave instructions
vyāsa-pūjā anuṣṭhāna bhakatera prāṇa-dhana
On the performance of Vyāsa-pūjā, the life-treasure of the devotees
bhinna nahe śrī guru-pūjana || 1 ||
Not different from the worship of śrī guru

vyāsa-rūpe bhagavān dharā-mājhe varttamāna
The Supreme Lord is present on Earth in the form of Vyāsa
ajña-jane dānite prajñāna |
To impart enlightenment to ignorant persons
guru-rūpe śāstra marma śikṣā dena ātma-dharma
As guru, he teaches the purport of scripture, the soul’s dharma
prema-bhakti śreṣṭha prayojana || 2 ||
Loving devotion, the topmost goal

māyāvāde vyāsa-pūjā bhaktira vañcanā sevā
To worship Vyāsa as an impersonalist is deceptive service to bhakti
yathā haya tripuṭi vināśa |
Whereby the triad of existence is destroyed
sevaka thākiyā nitya sevyere sevite bhṛtya
Remaining forever a servant, to serve the master, the servant…
sadā kare ei abhilāṣa || 3 ||
forever nurtures this desire

“jīva nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa” prabhu śrī-mukha-bhāṣa
“The soul is eternally a servant of Kṛṣṇa”—the Lord’s own words
ei mata sarva-śreṣṭha māni |
This opinion I consider topmost
dvitva yadi nāhi rabe ‘pūjā’ śabda mithyā tabe
If there is no dualness of being, then the word worship would be false
sei pūjā pūjā nāhi gaṇi || 4 ||
I cannot count that worship as worship

‘nitāi caraṇa satya tāhāra sevaka nitya’
“Nitāi’s feet are truth, His servant is eternal”
mahājana ei kathā gāya |
Great personalities sing this fact
janame maraṇe tāi o-pada sevite cāi
Hence in birth and death, I wish to serve those feet
gurudeva! nā ṭheliha pāya || 5 ||
Gurudeva! Do not push me away from your feet

māyātīta vastu tumi māyāya mohita āmi
You are a reality beyond illusion; I am bewildered by illusion
kemane pūjibo bolo tomā |
Tell me, how will I worship you?
kabe tava kṛpā habe māyā-devī dūre jābe
When will your mercy come to be? Māyā-devī will go away
śuddha-sattva karibeka āmā || 6 ||
Bring me into pure existence

prema-dātā-śiromāni nityānanda tumi śuni
I hear you are the crest-jewel of prema-bestowers, Nityānanda
māyātīta golokete sthāna |
From your place beyond māyā, in Goloka
patita jīvera tare avatari pṛthvi-pare
For fallen souls, you incarnated upon the Earth
jīve kṛṣṇa karitecho dāna || 7 ||
You are giving Kṛṣṇa to the living entities

tumi kṛṣṇa-dhane dhanī dātā-gaṇa śiromaṇi
You are rich with the wealth of Kṛṣṇa, the crest-jewel of benefactors
kṣudra-jīva nā pāre bujhite |
An puny soul cannot understand
anna-vastra-pathya-dāna ati tuccha sei dāna
Charity of food, clothing, medicine is utterly insignificant
tumi di’cho kṛṣṇa-bhakti cite || 8 ||
You are suffusing the heart with devotion for Kṛṣṇa

yathā nityānanda vibhu lāñchita haiyā tabu
Just as Master Nityānanda was attacked, but still…
jagāi mādhāi uddhārila |
…delivered Jagāi and Mādhāi
temati he guruvara, para-hita vrata-dhara,
Similarly, O foremost of gurus, you bore a vow to uplift others…
lāñchanā sahicho avirala || 9 ||
…and have tolerated ceaseless attacks

jīva saba bhoge matta nā cāhe śunite satya
The living entities are all mad enjoying; they do not want to hear the truth
vyāsa-pade nāhika viśvāsa |
They have no faith in the feet of Vyāsa
nānā mata sṛṣṭi kari’ chaḍā-gāne nṛtya kari’
They create various doctrines, dancing to lewd songs
prema-dhane ha’yeche udāsa || 10 ||
They have become indifferent to the treasure of divine love

kāme prema jñāna kari’ ĩcaḍete pāka dhari’
Thinking lust to be divine love, clinging to immature ripeness
sahajiyā guru-drohī haya |
They become sahajiyās and hostile to guru
māyāvāda amaṅgala— ghoṣile avanī-tala
You proclaimed the inauspicousness of Māyāvada across the Earth
sajjanera citta kaile jaya || 11 ||
Conquering the hearts of the saintly

tumi mahā tejīyān mithyāśrayī bhīti-sthāna
You are supremely powerful, liars fear to tread near
satyāśrayī dekhe sneha-maya |
The honest see you full of love
śāvakera kāche yathā siṁha sneha-maya pitā
Like a lion is a loving father to his cubs
temati śobhicho dayāmaya || 12 ||
Like this you shine, merciful one

chābbiśa guṇete guṇī tomā saha nāhi gaṇi
You have all twenty-six qualities of a Vaiṣṇava; I cannot compare you…
kebā āche avanī mājhāra |
Who else is there on this Earth like you?
kṛpālu, akṛta-droha, mahā-jayī māyā-moha,
Merciful, free from malice, grand conqueror of māyā’s delusions
akiñcana, sama, satya-sāra || 13 ||
Renounced, equanimous, truthful to the core

nirdoṣa, vadānya, mṛdu, kṛṣṇaika-śaraṇa śudhu,
Flawless, benevolent, gentle, surrendered exclusively to Kṛṣṇa
suśānta, sarvopakāraka |
Extremely peaceful, a benefactor to all
akāma, nirīha, sthira, samudra sama gambhīra,
Free from lust, from enmity, self-composed, and deep as an ocean
vijita-ṣad-guṇa, mitabhuka || 14 ||
Conqueror of the six enemies of the soul, moderate in eating habits

amānī, mānada tumi, apramatta, kavi, maunī,
Humble, honoring others, you are sober, quiet, and a poet
maitra, dakṣa, śuci o karuṇa |
You are a friend to all, expert, clean, and compassionate
sarva-guṇa adhiṣṭhāna tava mājhe śobhamāna
The bedrock of all virtues shines within you
śobhā yena prabhāta aruṇa || 15 ||
A splendor like the saffron of dawn

namo namo guru-vara tumi mahā-śakti-dhara
I bow repeatedly unto you, foremost of gurus, bearer of great power
patita-pāvana tomā jāni |
I know you to be the savior of the fallen
avaśya tāribe more hṛde ei āśā dha’re
I bear the hope in my heart that you will surely deliver me
āji tomā śatabāra nami || 16 ||
Today I bow before you hundreds of times

āji tava pūjā-dine nānā-dravya āne āne
Today on the day of your worship, I bring many ingredients
puṣpa-gandha-dravya samujjvala |
Flowers, fragrant substances, all lustrous
āmi hata-bhāgā ati pāṣāṇa sadṛśa mati
I am unfortunate, my heart is very much like a rock
aśrubindu nāhika sambala || 17 ||
I do not have the wealth of teardrops

je bīja ropile tumi se bījera phule āmi
With flowers from the seeds you sowed
gā̃thiyāchi ei kṣudra hāra |
I have strung together this puny necklace
tomāra pradatta dhana tomāke-i samarpaṇa
I offer you the same treasure you gave
śudhu mora vṛthā ahaṅkāra || 18 ||
A gesture only of my futile ego

sevakādhama “wretched servant”
—Śrī Bhaktivedānta Trivikrama