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Songs of the Vaishnava acaryas
Translated by His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Founder-acarya of the International
Society for Krishna Consciousness and His Holiness Acyutananda Svami and
Jayashacinandana dasa Adhikari
Dedicated to His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada who loved to sing the songs of the
Vaishnava acaryas
Foreword
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness was
established in New York in the year 1966. After my arrival in the United States
in September of 1965, I personally underwent a difficult struggle, and in 1966
I rented a storefront and apartment at 26 Second Avenue. When ISKCON was
incorporated, a boy named Chuck Barnett joined me, along with a few others, to
form the nucleus for the institution’s future development. At this time I used
to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra underneath a tree in Tompkin’s Square
Park in New York. Shriman Barnett and another boy, Bruce, were the first to
begin dancing in front of me, and others in the audience joined them. The New
York Times published a report of this, with our picture and a headline
declaring that I was attracting the younger generation to the Hare Krishna
movement.
Later both Chuck and Bruce, along with others, became my initiated
disciples, and still later, in 1970, both took sannyasa, receiving the names
Acyutananda Svami and Brahmananda Svami. Now Brahmananda is preaching in
Africa, and Acyutananda is preaching in India.
When I became sick in 1967, 1 1eft the United States and returned
to India. Shriman Acyutananda could not remain separated from me, and therefore
he joined me in Vrindavana when I was staying there. Since then, Acyutananda
Svami has worked very hard in India. He has preached extensively in Calcutta
and other parts of Bengal, he has learned how to sing in Bengali and play
mridanga like an expert professional, and now he has compiled this book of
Bengali songs with English explanations.
I am greatly pleased to see this collection of songs composed by
Thakura Bhaktivinoda, Narottama dasa, and other great acaryas of the Gaudiya
Vaishnava community (sampradaya). Songs composed by the acaryas are not
ordinary songs. When chanted by pure Vaishnavas who follow the rules and
regulations of Vaishnava character, they are actually effective in awakening
the Krishna consciousness dormant in every living entity. I have advised Sriman
Acyutananda Svami to sing more songs of the Vaishnava padavali and record them
in books so that my disciples and others in the Western countries may take
advantage of this chanting and thus advance in Krishna consciousness more and
more.
I confer all my blessings upon Acyutananda Svami for his genuine
attempt to advance in Krishna consciousness. I hope he will thus advance more
and more and never be hampered by maya. We should always remember the danger of
maya’s influence and endeavor to save ourselves from her great power. We must
therefore always merge in the transcendental mellow of kirtana-rasa, for
kirtana-rasa is the safest situation within this material world. Hare Krishna.
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
1974
Introduction
It was my good fortune to be in the service of Shrila Prabhupada
at Shri Mayapur, the birthplace of Lord Chaitanya, in setting up the groundwork
of our Society’s international center there. That year (1971) there was a
terrible flood, but although for many days the water was rising, it was
diverted from flooding the Society’s property solely due to the embankment
created by a road constructed by Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, our Parama
Guru Maharaja. I wrote a letter to His Divine Grace explaining the situation
and I mentioned, “The water has not entered our property. Shrila
Bhaktisiddhanta’s road has saved us." Shrila Prabhupada, however, wrote
back in answer in a different tone: “Yes, we are always saved by Shrila
Bhaktisiddhanta’s road, so go on glorifying the disciplic succession, and your
life will be a great success." Later on, when I suggested writing down the
songs of Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Narottama dasa Thakura in English
translations, His Divine Grace said, “Yes, we must push on this mission of
Bhaktivinoda." So here in this book, which is the first of a series of
translations of the complete works of the Vaishnava acaryas in the line of
succession coming after Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, I have also included a short
life sketch of Thakura Bhaktivinoda. In the following volumes, the lives of
Shrila Narottama dasa Thakura, Shrinivasa Acarya, and other Vaishnava acaryas
will appear.
The songs in this book are mostly by Thakura Bhaktivinoda and
Narottama dasa Thakura. While they may sometimes make awkward English poetry,
the translations are accurate renderings of the originals. All these songs have
exquisite melodies, and cassette recordings are available to accompany the
book. It should be noted that these songs and verses are all explanations of
pure devotional service and that devotional service to Shri Krishna is obtained
only by the mercy of the spiritual master, which can be obtained by serving his
desires perfectly. These songs are not substitutes for the main and prime
benediction of the age of Kali, the congregational chanting of Hare Krishna,
Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare
Hare, which is of the utmost importance. They are verses which have expanded
from the maha-mantra, and they are explanations of the maha-mantra. Thus,
because they are expansions of the mahamantra, they are nondifferent from it.
The songs of Shrila Narottama dasa and Bhaktivinoda Thakura are
nondifferent from the Vedic mantras. But, as stated by Shrila Prabhupada in The
Nectar of Devotion, even if someone does not have initiation into the Gayatri
mantra, the chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is sufficient to enable one to
attain the highest perfection of spiritual life.
The verses of these songs are wonderful sources of knowledge for
preachers of Krishna consciousness. In each and every line there is so much
philosophy that one can preach from one line for hours. They are all so
pregnant with meaning and they lead to such succinct spiritual conclusions that
a preacher need only recall the simple lines of songs like Bhajahu Re Mana,
Shri Rupa Manjari Pada, Ohe Vaishnava Thakura, or the Shri Manah-shiksha, and
every point of Krishna consciousness will be covered in detail. Shrila
Prabhupada is constantly quoting from these lines in his lectures and books,
and here also in this book his commentaries are given. Wherever Shrila
Prabhupada has translated a song, no separate translations have been given, for
his are complete in themselves.
This is the first time that these transcendental vibrations have
appeared in the English language, and to introduce them I am including herewith
a life sketch of Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.