Maṅgalācaraṇa (Auspicious Invocation) –

jaya jaya śrī-gaurāṅga śacīra nandana
jaya padmāvatī-suta jāhnavā-jīvana (1)

All glories, all glories to Śacī-nandana Śrī Gaurahari! All glories to the son of Padmāvatī, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, who is the life and soul of (Śrī) Jāhnavā-devī! (1)

jaya sītā-pati jaya jaya gadādhara
jaya śrīvāsādi jata gaura-parikara (2)

All glories to Śrī Advaita Ācārya, the husband of Sītā! All glories, all glories to Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita! All glories to Śrīvāsa and the other associates of Śrī Gaura! (2)

(Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu answers Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī’s question [that was asked at the closing of the previous chapter] –)

śuniyā ‘jīvera’ praśna nityānanda-rāya
balena nigūḍha tattva vaiṣṇava-sabhāya (3)

After hearing Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī’s question, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu instructed the assembly of Vaiṣṇavas in profound tattva, or fundamental spiritual truths. (3)

(Resting place of the jīvas –)

“śuna ‘jīva’! vṛndāvana navadvīpa-dhāma
ajasra ānandamaya jīvera viśrāma (4)

“O Jīva, please listen. The unlimitedly blissful Śrī Vṛndāvana and Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma are the resting places for the living entities. (4)

śuddha jīva-gaṇa jaḍā prakṛtira pāra
sadā vāsa kare hethā kṛṣṇa-parivāra (5)

“The pure souls, who are beyond the influence of material nature, eternally reside here as Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s associates. (5)

(The constitutional nature (svarūpa) of the dhāma –)

ei dhāma nitya-dhāma viśuddha cinmaya
jaḍa deśa-kāla hethā pāya parājaya (6)

“This dhāma is eternal, pure and transcendental. Material place and time have no influence here. (6)

ei dhāmera deśa kāla cidānandamaya
jaḍadharma-viparyaya sadā lakṣya haya (7)

“The land, the time and everything else in this dhāma are full of spiritual bliss (cidānandamaya). The nature (dharma) of this place is eternally transcendental. (7)

gṛhadvāra, nada-nadī, kānana catvara
cinmaya sakala jāna ati manohara (8)

“The houses, rivers, streams, forests and pastime places here are all spiritual and supremely captivating. (8)

sei ta’ ānanda-dhāma prakṛtira pāra
acintya kṛṣṇera śakti parama udāra (9)

“This bliss-filled dhāma is above mundane nature. The potency of Śrī Kṛṣṇa that operates here is inconceivable and supremely munificent. (9)

sei śaktikrame dhāma hethā avatāra
jīvera nistāra janya kṛṣṇa-icchāsāra (10)

“Knowing Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s desire to deliver the living entities, this inconceivable potency manifests the dhāma in this world. (10)

dhāma-madhye kabhu nahe jaḍa-avasthiti
jaḍa-baddha jīva nāhi pāya hethā gati (11)

“Material objects cannot exist in the dhāma, nor can conditioned living beings enter it. (11)

dhāmera upare jaḍamāyā pāti’ jāla
ācchādiyā rākhe ei dhāma cirakāla (12)

“Jaḍa-māyā, or the material energy, always keeps the dhāma covered with her illusion. (12)

(The non-devotees residing in the dhāma –)

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanye jā’ra nāhika sambandha
jālera upare vāsa kare sei andha (13)

“That person who has no relationship with Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is blind [that is, ignorant of the real truth]. He resides only on the covering of the dhāma that māyā has cast. (13)

mane bhāve āmi āchi navadvīpa-pure
prauḍhamāyā mugdha kari’ rākhe tā’re dūre (14)

“Although he thinks, ‘I am residing in Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma,’ in reality Prauḍhāmāyā bewilders him and keeps him far away from the dhāma. (14)

(Attainment of sambandha-jñāna is only possible through sādhusaṅga –)

yadi kona bhāgyodaye sādhu-saṅga pāya
tabe kṛṣṇa-caitanya-sambandha āse tāya (15)

“If, by some good fortune, such a person gets the association of saintly persons, he attains his relationship with Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (15)

sambandha nigūḍha-tattva vallabha-nandana
sahaje nā bujhe baddha-jīva sei dhana (16)

“O son of Vallabha (Śrī Jīva), sambandha-jñāna is a most profound truth. A conditioned soul cannot easily understand the supreme wealth of sambandha (relationship with the Lord). (16)

(A hypocrite’s chanting of gaura-nāma –)

mukhe bale śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu mora
hṛdaya sambandhahīna sadā māyā-bhora (17)

“Although many people say, ‘Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is my only Lord,’ their hearts are devoid of even a smell of sambandha-jñāna. They are always carried away by delusion (māyā). (17)

(Pseudo-religion, a hypocritical consideration –)

sei saba loka baise māyājālopari
kabhu śuddha-bhakti nāhi pāya hari hari (18)

dharmadhvajī sukapaṭī sadā dainyahīna
dambhaguṇe āpanāke bhāve samīcīna (19)

“Because such persons are situated within māyā’s covering, they can never attain śuddha-bhakti to the Supreme Lord Śrī Hari. Nevertheless, due to false pride alone, they – pseudo-religionists, impostors, hypocrites and people devoid of humility – consider themselves superior to all others. (18–19)

(The four innate symptoms of the Vaiṣṇavas –)

sei dambha chāḍe sādhu-caraṇa-prasāde
tṛṇa haite āpanāke dīna kari’ sādhe (20)

vṛkṣāpekṣā haya tā’ra sahiṣṇutā-guṇa
amānī āpani anye sammāne nipuṇa (21)

“Only by the mercy of sādhus can such a person give up his false pride, consider himself to be more insignificant than a blade of grass and become more tolerant than a tree. He has absolutely no desire for his own honour and fame and he becomes most expert in giving all honour to others. (20–21)

ei cāri guṇe guṇī kṛṣṇa-guṇa gāya
caitanya-sambandha—tā’ra basena hiyāya (22)

“When one has these four good qualities, one always chants the glories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Having attained this state, then, only, does one’s eternal relationship with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu awaken. (22)

(Five types of rasas –)

śrī-kṛṣṇa-sambandha—śānta, dāsya, sakhya āra
vātsalya, madhura iti pañca-parakāra (23)

“The jīva has a relationship with Śrī Kṛṣṇa in one of the five kinds of rasa – śānta (neutrality), dāsya (servitorship), sakhya (friendship), vātsalya (parental love) and madhura (amorous love). (23)

śānta-dāsya bhāve kari’ gaurāṅga-bhajana
labhe vātsalyādi rasa kṛṣṇe sādhu-jana (24)

“By worshipping Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu in the modes of śānta and dāsya, devotees attain a relationship with Śrī Kṛṣṇa in vātsalya and other mellows (rasas). (24)

The Constitutional Form (Svarūpa) of the Jīva

jā’ra jei sambandha-jānita siddha-bhāva
tāhāra bhajane sei bhāvera prabhāva (25)

“The eternally perfected relationship that the jīva has with the Supreme Lord will awaken within the jīva on the strength of his bhajana. (25)

(The destination of those who consider Śrī Gaura and Śrī Kṛṣṇa to be different )

gaura-kṛṣṇe bheda jā’ra sei jīva chāra
śrī-kṛṣṇa-sambandha kabhu nā haya tāhāra (26)

“Those wretched jīvas who see a difference between Śrī Gaurahari and Śrī Kṛṣṇa can never attain a relationship with Śrī Kṛṣṇa. (26)

sādhu-saṅge dainya ādi guṇa jā’ra haya
sei jīva dāsya-rase gaurāṅga bhajaya (27)

“That living entity, however, in whom good qualities such as humility have arisen as a result of the association of saintly personalities, worships Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu in dāsya-rasa. (27)

(The reason for calling Śrī Gaurahari as ‘Mahāprabhu’ –)

dāsya-rasa-parākāṣṭhā gaurāṅga-bhajane
mahāprabhu śrī-gaurāṅga bale sādhu-jane (28)

“Dāsya-rasa is the highest mood in which Śrī Gaurāṅga can be worshipped. Because of the predominance of this dāsya-rasa, the devotee of Śrī Gaurāṅga calls Him ‘Mahāprabhu’. (28)

madhura-premete jā’ra haya adhikāra
rādhā-kṛṣṇa-rūpe gaura-bhajana tāhāra (29)

“A person who has the eligibility for madhura prema worships Śrī Gaurahari as Śrī Rādhā Kṛṣṇa. (29)

(Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu takes on two forms to perform yugalavilāsa –)

rādhā-kṛṣṇa aikya mora śrī-gaurāṅga rāya
yugala-vilāse aikye svataḥ nāhi bhāya (30)

“Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu is the combined form of Śrī Rādhā and Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This united form is naturally not appreciated in Their yugala-vilāsa, or amorous pastimes; therefore, for this purpose, Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu assumes two forms. (30)

(Madhura-rasa only manifests when dāsya-rasa is fully mature –)

dāsya paripakve jabe jīvera hṛdaye
śrī-madhura-rasa ude mūrtimāna ha’ye (31)

“When the jīva’s mood of servitorship (dāsya-bhāva) reaches its fully matured stage by constant worship of Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu, madhura-rasa itself will manifest in his heart. (31)

se-samaye bhajanīya tattva gaurahari
rādhā-kṛṣṇa-rūpa ha’ye braje avatari (32)

nitya-līlā-rase sei bhaktake ḍubāya
rādhā-kṛṣṇa-nitya-līlā braja-dhāma pāya (33)

“At that time, the object of worship, Śrī Gaurahari, appears in Vraja as Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and drowns the devotee in the nectar of Their eternal pastimes. The jīva then attains Vraja, the eternal pastime ground of Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. (32–33)

(The profound relationship between Vraja and Navadvīpa –)

navadvīpe braje jei nigūḍha sambandha
eka ha’ye dui haya nāhi dekhe andha (34)

“A person who is blind in regard to transcendental subject matters cannot see the profound relationship between Navadvīpa and Vraja. In other words, he is not able to understand how Navadvīpa and Vraja manifest in two forms, even though they are one. (34)

(Śrī Gaurahari is Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in madhura-rasa –)

sei ta’ sambandha gaura-kṛṣṇe jāna sāra
madhura rasete gaura yugala-ākāra (35)

“O Jīva, know for certain that the relationship between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Śrī Gaura is indeed of the same kind [in other words, even though They are one, They manifest in two forms]. Śrī Gaurahari appears as the Youthful Couple Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in madhura-rasa. (35)

eisaba tattva to’re rūpa-sanātana
jānāibe alpadine vallabha-nandana (36)

“O son of Vallabha, within a very short time Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Sanātana will explain all these fundamental truths to you. (36)

(Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu orders Jīva to quickly go to Vṛndāvana –)

to’re vṛndāvane prabhu dila adhikāra
vilamba nā kara ‘jīva’, braje jete āra” (37)

“Śrīman Mahāprabhu has bestowed upon you the qualification to reside in Śrī Dhāma Vṛndāvana. Therefore, O Jīva, do not delay your journey to Vraja a moment longer.” (37)

(The crown jewel of all those who give prema, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, empowers the heart of Śrī Jīva –)

eta bali’ prabhu tāra mastake caraṇa
arpaṇa kariyā śakti kare sañcāraṇa (38)

Saying this, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu placed His lotus foot on the head of Śrī Jīva and empowered him. (38)

mahāpreme śrī-jīva gosvāmī katakṣaṇa
nityānanda-padatale rahe acetana (39)

Being intoxicated in mahā-prema, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī lay unconscious at Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu’s lotus feet for quite some time. (39)

śrīvāsa-aṅgane ‘jīva’ gaḍāgaḍi jāya
sāttvika vikāra saba dehe śobhā pāya (40)

When he regained consciousness, Śrī Jīva began to roll in the dust of Śrīvāsa-aṅgana. Transformations of spiritual ecstasy (sāttvika-vikāra) beautified
his body. (40)

(Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī’s despair –)

kāṅdiyā-kāṅdiyā bale,—“durbhāgya āmāra
nā dekhinu e nayane nadīyā-vihāra (41)

Śrī Jīva wept and began to speak: “Because of my misfortune, I could not behold with these eyes the pastimes that Śrīman Mahāprabhu performed in Nadiyā. (41)

jīva nistārite līlā kaila gaura-rāya
se-līlā nā dekhi’ mora dina vṛthā jāya” (42)

“Śrī Gaurahari performed pastimes only to deliver the jīvas of this world. But my days are passing in vain because I cannot behold those pastimes.” (42)

(The news of Śrī Jīva’s going to Vṛndāvana –)

śrī-jīva jāibe braje kariyā śravaṇa
śrīvāsa-aṅgane āila jata sādhu-jana (43)

When they heard that Śrī Jīva will go to Vraja, many virtuous sādhu-mahātmas arrived at Śrīvāsa-aṅgana. (43)

vṛddha-saba śrī-jīve karena āśīrvāda
kaniṣṭha vaiṣṇava māge śrī-jīva-prasāda (44)

The elder Vaiṣṇavas gave their blessings to Śrī Jīva, and those [Vaiṣṇavas] who were junior to him begged for his merciful blessings. (44)

(Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī’s prayers at the divine feet of the Vaiṣṇavas, who are like oceans of mercy –)

kara juḍi bale’ ‘jīva’ sakala vaiṣṇave
“mama aparādha kichumātra nāhi la’be (45)

Śrī Jīva folded his palms and prayed to all those Vaiṣṇavas, “Kindly ignore all of my offences. (45)

(The servant of Śrī Caitanya-deva is the guru of the world and a wish-fulfilling tree –)

tomarā caitanya-dāsa jagatera guru
e kṣudra jīvere dayā kara kalpataru (46)

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya mora thāk rati-mati
nityānanda prabhu ha’k janme janme gati (47)

“All of you are servants of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and gurus of the world. O wish-fulfilling trees that means [O Vaiṣṇavas who fulfil all kinds of desires], please show this insignificant jīva such mercy that I may be attracted to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and that life after life Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu may be my Lord. (46–47)

(Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī’s humble words –)

nāhi bujhi bālya-kāle chāḍilāma ghara
tumi saba jīvanera bandhu ataḥpara (48)

“Already, in my childhood, I gave up my family and home. I know no one but you as my only friends. (48)

vaiṣṇavānukampā binā kṛṣṇa nāhi pāi
vaiṣṇava-caraṇa-dhūli deha sabe bhāi” (49)

“It is impossible to attain Śrī Kṛṣṇa without the mercy of the Vaiṣṇavas. Therefore, O brothers, please, all of you give me the dust of your feet.” (49)

(Śrī Jīva’s departure for the Yogapīṭha –)

eta bali’ sakale kariyā stuti-nati
nityānanda prabhura laiyā anumati (50)

jagannātha-gṛhe giyā śacīra caraṇe
braje jāite ājñā laya vikalita-mane (51)

Saying this, Śrī Jīva offered his obeisances at everyone’s feet and offered them prayers. With the permission of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, he went to the house of Śrī Jagannātha Miśra and fell at the lotus feet of Mother Śacī asking, with an anxious heart, for her permission to go to Vraja. (50–51)

(Mother Śacī gives her blessing to Śrī Jīva –)

śrī-caraṇa-reṇu diyā śacī-devī tāya
āśīrvāda kari’ ‘jīve’ karila vidāya (52)

Śrī Śacī-devī gave Śrī Jīva the dust of her divine feet, bestowed upon him her blessings and bade him farewell. (52)

(Śrī Jīva crosses the Gaṅgā –)

kāṅdite-kāṅdite ‘jīva’ bhāgīrathī pāra
‘hā gaurāṅga’ bali’ jāya, ājñā jāni’ sāra (53)

Considering the Lord’s order to be his everything, Śrī Jīva crossed the Bhagavatī Bhāgīrathī, weeping and calling out, “O Gaurāṅga! O Gaurāṅga!” (53)

katakṣaṇa cali’ cali’ navadvīpa-sīmā
pāra ha’ye jāya ‘jīva’ ananta-mahimā (54)

After proceeding on a little further, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī crossed the border of the endlessly glorious Śrī Navadvīpa. (54)

(Śrī Jīva pays his respects to Navadvīpa-dhāma and proceeds
towards Vṛndāvana –)

navadvīpa-dhāma chāḍi, śrī-jīva takhana
sāṣṭāṅga praṇami’ cale yathā vṛndāvana (55)

Śrī Jīva offered his prostrated obeisances to Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma from that place and then set out toward Śrī Vṛndāvana. (55)

braja-dhāma, śrī-yamunā, rūpa-sanātana
jāgite lāgila hṛde jīvera takhana (56)

At that time, Vraja-dhāma, Yamunā and Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana manifested in Śrī Jīva’s heart. (56)

(Along the road, Śrī Jīva receives Śrī Gaurahari’s darśana in a dream –)

pathimadhye rātre svapna dekhe gaura-rāya
jīvere balena,—“tumi jāo mathurāya (57)

Along the way, he received audience of Śrī Gaurahari in a dream, in which the Lord said, “Go to Mathurā. (57)

(Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s instruction –)

ati priya tumi āra rūpa-sanātana
ekatre karaha bhakti-śāstra-prakaṭana (58)

“Rūpa, Sanātana and you are extremely dear to Me. All of you work together to manifest scriptures on bhakti. (58)

(Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s blessing to Śrī Jīva –)

āmāra yugala-sevā tomāra jīvana
śrī-braja-vilāsa sadā karaha darśana” (59)

“May the service to My form as Śrī Rādhā Kṛṣṇa be your life and soul, and may you continuously behold the pastimes of Vraja.” (59)

svapna dekhi jīvera ānanda haila ati
braja-dhāma-prati dhāya susatvara gati (60)

Upon seeing the dream, Śrī Jīva became supremely blissful and began to walk swiftly toward Vraja-dhāma. (60)

braje giyā śrī-jīva gosvāmī mahāśaya
je je-kārya sādhila tā varṇana nā haya (61)

It is impossible to describe Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī’s various activities after he arrived in Vraja. (61)

bhāgyavān jana pare karibe varṇana
śunibe ānanda-citte jata sādhu-jana (62)

Later on, a fortunate person will describe these activities and all saintly personalities will blissfully hear of them. (62)

(The author expresses his humility –)

chārabuddhi e bhaktivinoda abhājana
śrī-dhāma-bhramaṇavārttā karila varṇana (63)

Although he is not a receptacle of the Supreme Lord’s mercy, Bhaktivinoda, whose intelligence is wretched, has described Śrī Dhāma parikramā. (63)

(The author’s prayer at the lotus feet of the Vaiṣṇavas –)

vaiṣṇava-caraṇe mora ei se prārthanā
śrī-gaura-sambandha mora hauka yojanā (64)

My only prayer at the lotus feet of the Vaiṣṇavas is this: May they bestow upon me such mercy that my relationship with Śrī Gaurahari will be established. (64)

(The author’s desire –)

śrī-gaura-sambandhasaha navadvīpa vāsa
hauka ācire mora ei abhilāṣa (65)

My only desire is that my relationship with Śrī Gaurahari be quickly established, and that following this, I may reside in Navadvīpa. (65)

(The natural humility adorning a Vaiṣṇava –)

viṣayagarttera kīṭa ati durācāra
bhakti-hīna kāmarata krodhe matta āra (66)

e hena durjana āmi māyāra kiṅkara
śrī-gaura-sambandha kise pāi ataḥpara (67)

How will a person like me, who is devoid of the Vaiṣṇava’s mercy, having fallen like an insect into the pitfall of material desires, and who is depraved, devoid of bhakti, engrossed in lust, maddened by anger and a slave of māyā, ever attain a relationship with Śrī Gaura? (66–67)

(The author’s prayer to Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma –)

navadvīpa-dhāma more anugraha kari’
udita hauna hṛde tabe āmi tari (68)

If Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma is kind to me and appears in my heart, then, only, can I be delivered. (68)

(The author’s faith in Prauḍhāmāyā –)

prauḍhāmāyā kuladevī-kṛpā akapaṭa
bharasā tarite mātra avidyā-saṅkaṭa (69)

I have faith that only the sincere mercy of kuladevī Prauḍhāmāyā will deliver me from this dangerous ignorance. (69)

(The author’s prayer at the divine feet of Vṛddha-śiva –)

vṛddha-śiva kṣetrapāla hauna sadaya
ciddhāma āmāra cakṣe hauna udaya (70)

May the protector of the dhāma, Vṛddha-śiva, be merciful to me so that the transcendental dhāma becomes perceptible to me. (70)

(The author’s prayer at the divine feet of the residents of the dhāma –)

navadvīpa vāsī jata gaura-bhakta-gaṇa
e pāmara-śire sabe dāo śrī-caraṇa (71)

O devotees of Śrī Gaura residing in Śrī Navadvīpa, please place your lotus feet upon the head of this most vile person. (71)

ei ta’ prārthanā mora śuna sarva-jana
acirete jena pāi caitanya-caraṇa (72)

All of you, please hear this prayer of mine so that I may quickly attain the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (72)

(The author reveals a deep secret –)

nityānanda-śrī-jāhnavā-ādeśa pāiyā
varṇilāma navadvīpa ati dīna haiyā (73)

Although I am lowly and insignificant, I have described Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma, only on the order of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Jāhnavā-devī. (73)

(The speciality of Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma-māhātmya –)

navadvīpa gaura-nityānanda nāmamaya
ei grantha viracita haila niścaya (74)

ataeva ei grantha parama pāvana
racanā-doṣete doṣī nahe kadācana (75)

This book is filled with the names of Śrī Navadvīpa, Śrī Gaura and Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu. Therefore, without doubt, it is completely pure and can never be blamed if there are any mistakes in its compilation. (74–75)

(The author’s appeal –)

ei grantha pāṭha kari’ gaura-bhakta-jana
parikramā-phala sadā karuna arjana (76)

By reading this scripture, the devotees of Śrī Gaurahari will acquire the real fruit of parikramā. (76)

(The benefit of reading and hearing Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāmamāhātmya –)

parikramākāle grantha kaile ālocana
śataguṇa phala haya śāstrera vacana (77)

It is the verdict of the scriptures that by deliberating on this book at the time of doing parikramā, the benefit one receives increases a hundred-fold. (77)

(The author prays for his desired service –)

nitāi-jāhnavā-padachāyā āśa jāra
nadīyā-māhātmya gāya dīnahīna chāra (78)

The lowly, destitute and wretched Bhaktivinoda sings the glories of Śrī Nadiyā in the hope of attaining the cooling shade of the lotus feet of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Jāhnavā-devī. (78)

Thus Ends Chapter Eighteen