Blog Description


This blog is for sharing one of the six loving exchanges between vaishnavas - bhajana katha sravanam alapa - sharing and discussing bhajan topics with devotees.

It is also my humble attempt to follow the instruction my gurudeva would give at the end of every class: take these pastimes and instructions into your heart. Therefore in the hopes that it will make some impression in my heart, I am sharing lecture notes, quotes, book excerpts, and other words from the brahma-madhva-gaudiya sampradaya and vaisnava/is around the world.


Showing posts with label poems. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poems. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

When O when!


Sri Gaura Nitai, Imli Tala, Vrndavana

When O When

When O when will I see
Merciful Gaurnitai
When can I wash Their lotus feet
See Their brilliant dancing forms?

When O when will I hear
Merciful Gaurnitai
Singing gleefully
in kirtan

When O when will I see
Merciful Gaurnitai
Their almond lotus eyes
Tearing up with love?

When O when will I see
Merciful Gaurnitai
Their chests glowing with yellow tilak
Their pink lotus palms?

When O when will I see
Merciful Gaurnitai
Their long, strong arms embracing devotees
Again and again

When O when will I see
Merciful Gaurnitai
Dhotis whirling in kirtan
Ornaments jangling from Their ears?

When O when will I smell
Merciful Gaurnitai
The fragrance of Their bodies
Purifying my offenses

When O when will I feel
Merciful Gaurnitai
Their long, strong arms, embracing
Me?

O if I taste
Enough Gaurnitai mahaprasad
Maybe one day
They will embrace me

Gaurnitai, let me wash your feet
With tears because
I am most fallen and wretched
Destitute and offensive

O Gurudeva
Please help me
I want to serve
Merciful Gaurnitai

Sunday, April 1, 2012

a little poem


I bow my head before the Lord
Who holds aloft a mighty sword
The sword, Sri Guru, brings us light
To carry us throughout the night

Saved from monsters by our dear friend
We know that dark will come to end
Just hold on to Sri Guru tight
And then you will survive the fight

No more spinning in birth and death
No more, "Hi, my name is Beth"
We are all das, servant, soul
Pure love of Godhead is our goal

I bow my head before the Lord
praying to Him to get closer toward
The end of suffering - the light!
The bliss and love, the end of night

Glories to that Holiest Name
Glories to they who spread His fame
Glories to Hope, and Love, and Light
Glories to He, seen by true sight

Friday, August 19, 2011

Dear Srimati Radhika...


Here is another devotional poem by me:

Dear Srimati Radhika, whose eyes are blue
Whom do you search for, after morning dew?

Is it the thief who has stolen Your heart?
Carrying it with Him from morning till dark

Perhaps He holds it in His yellow cloth
Attracting You to Him, as flame with a moth

His five arrows are always slaying You,
His cheek, eyes, smile, form, and moving 'brows, too

But without a heart, how can You be slain?
Instead You defeat Him in Your love games

Your cunning words strike Him down like a lance
You teach Him the art of a sidelong glance

By it, He is felled like a forest tree
You celebrate, with friends, Your victory

He has stolen Your heart, You steal His flute.
He falls at Your feet, knowing You as root

Of His every happiness, day by day
With the noose of Your love, You make Him stay

Trapped by Your expert hunting, like a deer.
Losing Your favor is His only fear.

Sri Radhe, allow me to serve You, please
So that I may witness Your victories.

I want to serve You as a manjari
When oh when will You give this boon to me?

May this poem help me to melt Your soft heart
So in Your pastimes I may soon take part.

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!!Would anyone like to share or write a devotional poem of their own?

Dear Srila Gurudeva...


The other day, I was reading with some very sweet vaishnavis the 10th chapter of the 10th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. In this chapter, in one particular verse, it is described how Mother Yashoda would sing Krsna's pastimes while churning yogurt. In the purport to this verse, Srila Prabhupada says how one used to create poems in order to remember something. He glorifies Mother Yashoda for singing about Krsna while She works.

In a video at this year's New Braj festival, Srila Gurudeva spoke similarly. He instructed that whatever we are doing during the day, during this activity we should sing, "Govinda Damodara Madhaveti, Govinda Damodara Madhaveti..." Also, one vaishnavi said that Gurudeva told that he wanted his disciples to write something each day.

In light of all this, I have decided to write some devotional poetry. This idea occurred to before, during Kartik last year, but I did not follow up on it. Now, I have more desire to.

So here is one small, simple, not very good humble poem to Srila Gurudeva:

Dear Srila Gurudeva,
I want to love you more than I love anyone or anything else.

But I am out of breath
For Maya never rests

She chases me from behind
I hold onto her, so unkind

To myself, moment after moment
When will I relent, and repent?

I have made so much offense
To your lotus feet, which are rinsed

With drops of prem that emanate from you.
Give me strength to serve, and my life will renew.

Only by service can I gain affection, so sweet
For you, and be transported to Radha's lotus feet.

Jai Srila Gurudeva!

I will try to find the video I mentioned. I had the link before, but now I am not sure where it is. I will try to post it later. It is VERY sweet! It is in a class where Srila Gurudeva speaks on Srila Prabhupada's Upadesamrta purports - specifically tan nama rupa caritadi sukirtananu, that verse.