VERSE 11:

CAITANYA CANDRA MAMA HṚT KUMUDAṀ VIKĀŚYA
HṚDYAṀ VIDHEHI NIJA CINTANA BHṚṄGA RAṄGAIḤ
KIṀ CĀPARĀDHA TIMIRAṀ NIVIḌAṀ VIDHŪYA
PĀDĀMṚTAṀ SADAYA PĀYAYA DURGATAṀ MĀM

Oh Moonlike Lord Caitanya! Please make my lily-like heart blossom and make it beautiful by making the playful bumble bees of meditation on You enter into it!
Oh merciful Lord! I pray that You may destroy the darkness of my offenses and make this wretch drink the nectar of Your lotus feet!

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:
O Gaura! Just as the lilies blossom when the moon rises, similarly You cause the lily of my heart to blossom and make the bumble bee of my meditations enter into it and rejoice!
In other words: “May the tasteful thoughts of You always awaken within my heart!” It is as if Śrī Caitanyadeva replies:
“Raghunātha! Certainly pure-hearted offenseless souls can constantly meditate on Me; why are you desiring such a precious thing?”
With his natural humility Śrī Raghunātha dāsa then replies:
“O Lord! You are full of mercy! You don’t consider who is qualified and who isn’t! As soon as You see an unfortunate wretch like me compassion wells up in Your heart! Therefore I pray to You, O moonlike Lord Caitanya, please arise in my heart and dispel the darkness of my offenses. O moon of rasa! Bless a wretch like me forever by making him drink the nectar of Your lotus feet!”

he śrī caitanya candra, parama ānanda kanda,
nivedana kori tuyā pāya.
aṅga kānti jyotsnāmṛte, vikasita koro tāte,
hṛdaya kumude karuṇāya

“O Śrī Caitanya Candra! O Source of topmost bliss! I pray to Your lotus feet: Expand Your moonbeam-like bodily luster and mercifully make the lily of my heart blossom!”

he gaura guṇamaṇi, vidhāna koribe tumi,
nāma rūpa guṇa līlā dhāma.
amṛtamaya madhupure, mora cintā madhukare,
raṅgete phiribe avirāma.

“O Gaura! O jewel of qualities! Please reveal Your names, form, qualities, pastimes and abode, and the bumblebee of my meditation will constantly and blissfully relish their nectarean honey!”

āro boli prabhu mora, aparādha tama ghora,
dūra kori gaura guṇamaṇi.
adhama durgata jane, kevala karuṇā mane,
nija pādāmṛta koro dāna.

“And, O my Lord Gaura Guṇamaṇi, please dispel the deep darkness of my offenses.
Please show Your exclusive mercy on this wretch by giving him the nectar of Your lotus feet!”

VERSE 12:

PIKA PAṬU RAVA VĀDYAIR BHṚṄGA JHAṄKĀRA GĀNAIḤ
SPHURAD ATULA KUḌUṄGA KROḌA RAṄGE SARAṄGAM
SMARA SADASI KṚTODYAN NṚTYATAḤ ŚRĀNTA GĀTRAṀ
VRAJA NAVA YUVA YUGMAṀ NARTAKAṀ VĪJAYĀMI

I fan the dancing adolescent Couple of Vraja when They start perspiring and become tired of dancing in the assembly of Cupid, where the incomparable kuñja-courtyard is the dancing-stage, the bumble bees sing by humming and the cuckoos play musical instruments by sweetly singing.

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:
In his siddha svarūpa of Tulasī Mañjarī Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa sees a very beautiful and confidential pastime of the Yugala Kiśora in the kuñja and by Their grace,
he attains an intimate and nice service to Them.

In his vision he sees that Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava have met in a bowerhouse on the bank of Śrī Rādhākuṇḍa, which resembles an incomparable dancing-stage.
The cuckoos’ sweet kuhū-kuhū- songs in the fifth note are the playing of musical instruments there, the buzzing of the bees, which fly from flower to flower to drink their honey are the enchanting songs and Rādhā and Mādhava are the unprecedented dancing-pair.

Love itself is the employer of the trauryatrika (singing, dancing and playing musical instruments), and just as prema engages the divine Couple in dancing he also makes Them absorbed in love-making. The word smara sadasi (in Cupid’s assembly) means that the extraordinary love-sports of the Divine Pair take place by the mercy of Anaṅga (the incorporeal Cupid) or aṅgī-prema (the embodiment of love).
Kiṅkarī Tulasī peeps through the hole of the nikuñja to relish the sweet flavours of this unprecedented amorous dancing (amorous pastimes – vilāsa) of this playful dancing-pair.

The Śrī Yugala becomes tired and starts perspiring after performing Their wonderful erotic dance, so Tulasī, understanding that her time to serve has come, enters the kuñja and starts fanning the dancer and dancing girl, the Vraja Yugala Kiśora. This is the highest aspiration of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas and this is the great gift of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that was preached and practised by the Six Gosvāmīs, headed by Śrīla Rūpa and Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī.
Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī’s ‘Stavāvalī’ is filled with this supreme goal of life.
He has relished it himself and after that he recorded his experiences in this book, thinking: “You also become immortal after deeply drinking this nectar, and become blessed by attaining the devotional service of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in your own siddha svarūpa!”
This is the blessing of the Gosvāmīs. All glories to their mercy!

vṛndāvane kuñja rāja, nibhṛta nikuñja mājhe,
nāṭyaśālā ati manohara.
kokilera ye kākali, amṛta nichiyā pheli,
sumadhura vādya nirantara.

“In the king of kuñjas in Vṛndāvana, in a solitary grove, is a very enchanting dancing-stage. The cuckoos distribute nectar there with their sweet singing, which sounds like the constant sweet playing of musical instruments.”

bhramara jhaṅkāra gāna, rasāla pañcama tāna,
kandarpera uddīpanamaya.
dike dike nirupama, citra śobhā manorama,
dekhi rasamayī rasamaya.

“The bees sing in the fifth note with their buzzing, creating an erotic atmosphere, and in all directions a wonderful charming beauty expands itself, in which I see Rasamayī (tasty Rādhā) and Rasamaya (tasty Śyāma).”

kandarpa samare matta, ārambhilā rasa nāṭya,
śrī rādhikā madana mohana.
śrānta klānta kalevara, yugala kiśora vara,
bindu bindu jhare sveda kaṇa.

“Maddened by Cupid’s battle Śrī Rādhikā and Madana Mohana commence a tasty dance. Drops of perspiration appear on the exhausted bodies of the Yugala Kiśora.”

pariśrānta duhu aṅge, vījana koribo raṅge,
duhu aṅga hoibe śītala.
eteko lālasā mone, yugalera śrī caraṇe,
nivedaye e dīna kevala.

“I will blissfully fan Their exhausted bodies and thus give them coolness. This wretch only desires the lotus feet of the Yugala Kiśora and ardently prays for them.”

VERSE 13:

YAT PĀDĀMBUJA YUGMA VICYUTA RAJAḤ SEVĀ PRABHĀVĀD AHAṀ
GĀNDHARVĀ SARASĪ GIRĪNDRA NIKAṬE KAṢṬO’PI NITYAṀ VASAN
TAT PREYO GAṆA PĀLITO JITA SUDHĀ RĀDHĀ MUKUNDĀBHIDHĀ
UDGĀYĀMI ŚṚṆOMI MĀṀ PUNAR AHO ŚRĪMĀN SA RŪPO’VATU

Aho! May Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, on the strength of the service of whose lotus foot-dust I am able to always reside on the bank of Rādhākuṇḍa, near Govardhana Hill, although it is hard, being protected by his beloved devotees, hearing and loudly singing the glories of Śrī-Śrī Rādhā-Mukuṇḍa, protect me once more!

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:
The spiritual vision of Śrī Raghunātha dāsa has ended, and he feels as if he has suddenly fallen into a desert of separation after swimming in the Gangā-current of līlā-rasa. By praying to his greatest shelter, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, to remove such obstacles to his bhajana he ends his Stavāvalī here. Remembering that Śrīpāda Rūpa Gosvāmī has repeatedly protected him and granted him the good fortune of bhajana, he now again prays for protection against obstacles in bhajana.
Śrī Raghunātha says: “I came to Vraja with the plan of committing suicide, but Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī saved me from this folly. On the strength of serving the pollen of his lotus feet I am staying here at Rādhākuṇḍa, at the base of Govardhana Hill, although I am suffering the pain of separation from Śrī Gaura, Svarūpa Dāmodara and Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. I am maintained and protected here by Śrī Rūpa’s beloved devotees, like Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, while I am hearing and loudly chanting the glories of Rādhā and Mukuṇḍa. By Śrī Rūpa’s grace I was protected in all respects – may he protect me once again from any obstacle on my way of bhajana – this is my anxious prayer!”

he vrajavāsi-gaṇa, ei mora nivedana,
sabe mile deho pada chāyā
kevala karuṇā bhinna, mora gati nāhi anya,
dayā koro nā koriho māyā.

“O people of Vraja! I pray to you: give me the shade of your feet! I have no other shelter than your mercy; please be merciful, don’t let me down!”

āmāra māthāra maṇi, śrīpāda rūpa gosvāmī,
mahā bhāgavata cūḍāmaṇi.
yāra pādapadma reṇu, bhūṣaṇa koriyā tanu,
asādhane mile cintāmaṇi.

Śrīpāda Rūpa Gosvāmī is the jewel on my head and the crownjewel of all pure devotees. I decorate my body with the pollen of his lotus feet and thus I attained a Cintāmaṇi-jewel without endeavour!”

se parāga sevanete, govardhana nikaṭete,
ati kaṣṭe rādhākuṇḍa tīre.
nitya vāsa hoilo mora, bhajanera vighna dūra,
prāṇa kānde āṅkhi sadā jhure.

On the strength of serving this footdust I always stay near Govardhana Hill, on the bank of Rādhākuṇḍa, although it is very difficult. My heart cries out for removal of all obstacles to bhajana and tears constantly stream from my eyes!”

śrī rūpera gaṇa yoto, mahā mahā bhāgavata,
sabākāra vātsalyete āmi.
lālita pālita hoiyā, kṛpā snehe puṣṭa hoiyā,
rādhākuṇḍe divasa rajanī.

“The devotees of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī are all great, great bhāgavatas and they maintain and protect me here at Rādhākuṇḍa day and night, with motherly love and compassion.”

amṛtera rasa dhāma, vijayinī hari nāma,
nirantara śravaṇa kīrtana.
koritechi bhakta saṅge, kotoi nā rasa raṅge,
līlāmṛta kori āsvādana.

“With these devotees I constantly hear and chant the victorious name of Lord Hari, which is the abode of nectarean flavours, and with them I relish the nectarean rasika pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.”

āro boli adabhuta, śrī rūpera kṛpā yoto,
eka mukhe kohone nā yāy
bhṛgupāta hoite more, rakṣā kori keśe dhari,
sthāna dilā nija rāṅgā pāy

“What more wonderful things can I relate! I cannot describe the mercy of Śrī Rūpa with one mouth! He held me by the hair and kept me from committing suicide, giving me a place at his blissful lotus feet!”
śrīmān rūpa gosvāmī, sarva guṇa ratna khani,
bhajanera vighna hoite more.
rakṣā karu punarbāra, e minati bāra bāra,
kuñja līlā sadā yeno sphure.

“Śrīmān Rūpa Gosvāmī is a mine with all jewel-like qualities. I pray to him again and again that he may protect me from all obstacles to my bhajana once more, so that the kuñja-līlā will always be manifest to me!”
Thus ends Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī’s “Abhīṣṭa sūcanam.

Verses translated by Advaita dāsa in 1989, commentary translated in June 1992. Upgrade January 1996