हे कृष्ण! पाहि मां नाथ कृपयात्मगतं कुरु ।
इत्येवं प्रार्थनं कृष्णं प्राप्तुं स्वामिस्वरूपतः ॥१॥
गोप्तृत्वे वरणं ज्ञेयं भक्तैर्हृद्यतरं ।
परम्प्रपत्त्येकार्थकत्वेन तदङ्गित्वेन तत्स्मृतम् ॥२॥
he krsna! pahi mam natha krpayatmagatam kuru
ity evam prarthanam krsnam praptum svami-svarupatah [1]
goptrtve varanam jneyam bhaktair hrdyataram param
prapatty ekarthakatvena tad angitvena tat smrtam [2]
‘O Krishna, please protect me! My dear Lord, kindly accept me as Your own.’
Such a prayer, as well as the prayer to obtain Sri Krishna as one’s lord and master, is the supreme solace to the hearts of the pure devotees, and is known by them as goptrtve-varanam — Embracing the Lord’s Guardianship. Because it expresses one and the same ideal as unconditional surrender, goptrtve-varanam is accepted as the chief of the six limbs of surrender.
श्रीभगवतो भक्तभावेनाश्रयप्रार्थनम् —
अयि नन्दतनुज किङ्करं
पतितं मां विषमे भवाम्बुधौ।
कृपया तव पादपङ्कज-
स्थितधूलीसदृशं विचिन्तय ॥३॥
श्रीश्रीभगवतश्चैतन्यचन्द्रस्य
sri-bhagavato bhakta-bhavenasraya-prarthanam —
ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram
patitam mam visame bhavambudhau
krpaya tava pada-pankaja-
sthita-dhuli-sadrsam vichintaya [3]
Appearing as His own devotee, the Supreme Lord Himself prays for refuge —
O Nanda Nandan, son of King Nanda, although I am Your eternal servitor, I have fallen into the terrible ocean of material existence due to the fructification of my own deeds (karma). Please graciously consider me to be a particle of dust at Your lotus feet.
— the Supreme Lord Sri Chaitanyachandra
सर्व्वसद्गुणविग्रह आत्मप्रदो हरिरेव गोप्तृत्वेन वरणीयः —
कः पण्डितस्त्वदपरं शरणं समीयाद्
भक्तप्रियादृतगिरः सुहृदः कृतज्ञात्।
सर्व्वान्ददाति सुहृदो भजतोऽभिकामान्
आत्मानमप्युपचयापचयौ न यस्य ॥४॥
श्रीमदक्रूरस्य
sarva-sad-guna-vigraha atma-prado harir eva goptrtvena varaniyah —
kah panditas tvad-aparam saranam samiyad
bhakta-priyad rta-girah suhrdah krtajnat
sarvan dadati suhrdo bhajato ’bhikaman
atmanam apy upachayapachayau na yasya [4]
Only the self-giving Lord Sri Hari, the Supreme Good, should be petitioned for guardianship —
You give Your affection to Your devotees, Your word is truth, You are the ever-grateful friend. Can any intelligent person thus take refuge in anyone but You? You fulfil all the desires of the sincere souls that serve You, giving Your very self to them; and yet, You are neither augmented nor diminished thereby.
— Srimad Akrura
श्रीकृष्णचरणमेव प्रपन्नानां सन्तापहारिसुधावर्षि आतपत्रम् —
तापत्रयेणाभिहतस्य घोरे
सन्तप्यमानस्य भवाध्वनीश।
पश्यामि नान्यच्छरणं तवाङ्घ्रि
द्वन्द्वातपत्रादामृताभिवर्षात् ॥५॥
श्रीमदुद्धवस्य
sri-krsna-charanam eva prapannanam santapa-hari-sudha-varsi atapatram —
tapa-trayenabhihatasya ghore
santapyamanasya bhavadhvan isa
pasyami nanyach charanam tavanghri-
dvandvatapatrad amrtabhivarsat [5]
The lotus feet of Lord Krishna are the umbrella to vanquish the suffering of His surrendered souls, and shower nectar upon them —
O Master, for persons afflicted by the triple miseries in this ghastly course of material existence, I see no other shelter but the umbrella of Your holy lotus feet, from which the rain of eternal nectar showers down.
— Srimad Uddhava
षड्रिपुताडितस्य शान्तिहीनस्य स्वनाथचरणाश्रयमेवाभयाशोकामृतप्रदम् —
चिरमिह वृजिनार्त्तस्तप्यमानोऽनुतापैर्
अवितृषषडमित्रोऽलब्धशान्तिः कथञ्चित्।
शरणद समुपेतस्त्वत्पदाब्जं परात्मन्न्
अभयमृतमशोकं पाहि मापन्नमीश ॥६॥
श्रीमुचुकुन्दस्य
sad-ripu-taditasya santi-hinasya sva-natha-charanasrayam evabhayasokamrta-pradam —
chiram iha vrjinartas tapyamano ’nutapair
avitrsa-sad-amitro ’labdha-santih kathanchit
saranada samupetas tvat padabjam paratmann
abhayam rtam asokam pahi mapannam isa [6]
For the disturbed soul who is flogged by his six enemies, only the shelter of the lotus feet of his natural Master awards him immortality in fearlessness and sorrowlessness —
O Supreme Soul, for time immemorial in this material world I have been tormented with sin, stung with remorse, and constantly harassed by my six insatiable enemies (the five senses and the mind). O gracious awarder of shelter, somehow I have come before Your holy lotus feet, which are the embodiment of fearlessness, sorrowlessness, and positive immortality. My Master, please protect this one distressed.
— Sri Muchukunda
लब्धस्वरूपसन्धानस्य कामादिसङ्गजन्यनिजवैरूप्येधिक्कारयुक्तस्य शरणागतस्य श्रीहरिदास्यमेवासच्चेष्टादितो निष्कृति कारकत्वेनानुभूतम् —
कामादीनां कति न कतिधा पालिता दुर्निदेशास्
तेषां जाता मयि न करुणा न त्रपा नोपशान्तिः।
उत्सृज्यैतानथ यदुपते साम्प्रतं लब्धबुद्धिस्
त्वामायातः शरणमभयं मां नियुङ्क्ष्वात्मदास्ये ॥७॥
केषाञ्चित्
labdha-svarupa-sandhanasya kamadi-sanga-janya-nija-vairupye-dhikkara-yuktasya saranagatasya sri-hari-dasyam evasach-chestadito niskrti karakatvenanubhutam —
kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesas
tesam jata mayi na karuna na trapa nopasantih
utsrjyaitan atha yadu-pate sampratam labdha-buddhis
tvam ayatah saranam abhayam mam niyunksv atma-dasye [7]
A realisation of the fact that the surrendered soul who discovers his eternal identity and denounces his perversity caused by the association of lust, anger, greed, madness, delusion, and hatred, is rescued forever from all evil pursuits by the devotional service of Lord Krishna —
O Lord, for so long have I obeyed the unending, wicked dictates of lust, anger, greed, madness, delusion, and hatred, but they never took pity upon me, and I have felt neither shame nor the desire to abandon them. O Lord of the Yadus, after all this, I am leaving them behind. At last I have found my genuine sanity: I am surrendered wholly unto Your lotus feet, which are the abode of fearlessness. Please now engage me as Your personal servitor.
— revered votary
उपलब्धकृष्णाश्रयैकमङ्गलस्य चाश्रयप्राप्तिविलम्बने तदप्राप्तिसम्भावनायामुद्वेगप्रकाशः —
कृष्ण! त्वदीय पदपङ्कजपञ्जरान्तम्
अद्यैव मे विशतु मानसराजहंसः।
प्राणप्रयाणसमये कफवातपित्तैः
कण्ठावरोधनविधौ स्मरणं कुतस्ते ॥८॥
श्रीकुलशेखरस्य
upalabdha-krsnasrayaika-mangalasya chasraya-prapti-vilambane tad aprapti-sambhavanayam udvega-prakasah —
krsna! tvadiya pada-pankaja-panjarantam
adyaiva me visatu manasa-raja-hamsah
prana-prayana-samaye kapha-vata-pittaih
kanthavarodhana-vidhau smaranam kutas te [8]
The expression of anguish in the suspense of delay in achieving the shelter of Lord Krishna, by one who realises such shelter to be the only good fortune —
O Krishna! Please allow my mind to immediately yield to Your lotus flower-like feet, just as the flamingo enters into the labyrinth of the lotus flowers’ stems. When at the moment of my last breath my throat becomes constricted by the action of the bodily humours air, bile, and phlegm, how will I be able to remember You?
— Sri Kulasekhar
स्वरूपत एव श्रीकृष्णस्याभिभावकत्वपालकत्वदर्शनेन तदाश्रयप्रार्थना —
कृष्णो रक्षतु नो जगत्त्रयगुरुः कृष्णं नमध्वं सदा
कृष्णेनाखिलशत्रवो विनिहताः कृष्णाय तस्मै नमः।
कृष्णादेव समुत्थितं जगदिदं कृष्णस्य दासोऽस्म्यहं
कृष्णे तिष्ठति विश्वमेतदखिलं हे कृष्ण रक्षस्व माम् ॥९॥
श्रीकुलशेखरस्य
svarupata eva sri-krsnasyabhibhavakatva-palakatva-darsanena tadasraya-prarthana —
krsno raksatu no jagat-traya-guruh krsnam namadhvam sada
krsnenakhila-satravo vinihatah krsnaya tasmai namah
krsnad eva samutthitam jagad idam krsnasya daso ’smy aham
krsne tisthati visvam etad akhilam he krsna raksasva mam [9]
A prayer for the shelter of Lord Sri Krishna, with the vision that He alone is the natural guardian and sustainer of the living being —
May Lord Krishna, the Guru of the three worlds, protect us;
our obeisance unto Lord Krishna at all times.
Krishna is the vanquisher of all enemies —
I offer my obeisance unto that Krishna.
This world emanates from Krishna;
I am the servant of only Krishna.
This whole universe is situated within Krishna alone —
O Krishna! please protect me.
— Sri Kulasekhar
गोपीजनवल्लभ एव परमपालकः —
हे गोपालक हे कृपाजलनिधे हे सिन्धुकन्यापते
हे कंसान्तक हे गजेन्द्रकरुणापारीण हे माधव।
हे रामानुज हे जगत्त्रयगुरो हे पुण्डरीकाक्ष मां
हे गोपीजननाथ पालय परं जानामि न त्वां विना ॥१०॥
श्रीकुलशेखरस्य
gopijana-vallabha eva parama-palakah —
he gopalaka he krpa-jalanidhe he sindhu-kanya-pate
he kamsantaka he gajendra-karunaparina he madhava
he ramanuja he jagat-traya-guro he pundarikaksa mam
he gopijana-natha palaya param janami na tvam vina [10]
The only guardian is Krishna, the beloved Lord of the Gopis —
O tender of the cows, ocean of mercy
O Lord of the Goddess of fortune;
O slayer of Kamsa, merciful deliverer of Gajendra
O sweet, artful Krishna;
O young brother of Balaram, Guru of the three worlds
O lotus-eyed Lord;
O dear Lord of the Gopis, please protect me in every way —
I know no one but You.
— Sri Kulasekhar
नित्यपार्षदा अपि सर्व्वात्मना श्रीकृष्णाश्रयं प्रार्थयन्ते —
मनसो वृत्तयो नः स्युः कृष्णपादाम्बुजाश्रयाः।
वाचोऽभिधायिनीर्नाम्नां कायस्तत्प्रह्वणादिषु ॥११॥
श्रीनन्दस्य
nitya-parsada api sarvatmana sri-krsnasrayam prarthayante —
manaso vrttayo nah syuh krsna-padambujasrayah
vacho ’bhidhayinir namnam kayas tat-prahvanadisu [11]
Even the eternal associates of the Lord pray whole-heartedly for His shelter —
O Uddhava, may our thoughts take refuge in the lotus feet of Sri Krishna, may our words be the chanting of His Holy Names, and may our bodies be engaged in making obeisance unto Him.
— Sri Nanda
व्रजलीलस्य श्रीकृष्णस्य पालकत्वं प्रभावमयम् —
दधिमथननिनादैस्त्यक्तनिद्रः प्रभाते
निभृतपदमगारं बल्लवीनां प्रविष्टः।
मुखकमलसमीरैराशु निर्व्वाप्य दीपान्
कवलितनवनीतः पातु मां बालकृष्णः ॥१२॥
श्रीश्रीभगवतश्चैतन्यचन्द्रस्य
vraja-lilasya sri-krsnasya palakatvam prabhavamayam —
dadhi-mathana-ninadais-tyakta-nidrah prabhate
nibhrta-padam agaram ballavinam pravistah
mukha-kamala-samirair asu nirvapya dipan
kavalita-navanitah patu mam bala-krsnah [12]
The most powerful protection is afforded by Sri Krishna, the Lord of Divine Pastimes in Vrndavan —
That child Krishna, who, awakening by the sound of butter-churning, stealthily enters the homes of the cowherd ladies, swiftly blows out the lamps with the breeze of His lotus mouth and devours the fresh butter — may He kindly protect me.
— the Supreme Lord Sri Chaitanyachandra
सर्व्वथा योग्यताहीनस्यापि प्रपत्तावनधिकारो न —
न धर्म्मनिष्ठोऽस्मि न चात्मवेदी
न भक्तिमांस्त्वच्चरणारविन्दे।
अकिञ्चनोऽनन्यगतिः शरण्य
त्वत्पादमूलं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥१३॥
श्रीयामुनाचार्य्यस्य
sarvatha yogyata-hinasyapi prapattav anadhikaro na —
na dharma-nistho ’smi na chatma-vedi
na bhaktimams tvach charanaravinde
akinchano ’nanya-gatih saranya
tvat pada-mulam saranam prapadye [13]
Even a totally unqualified person is not unfit to surrender —
O supreme refuge, I am not religious, I do not know the nature of the soul, nor have I any devotion for Your holy lotus feet; therefore, I am bereft — I am bereft of all good, and I am bereft of any other shelter. Such as I am, I surrender unto the dust of Your lotus feet.
— Sri Yamun Acharya
श्रीभगवतः कृपावलोकनमेवाश्रयदातृत्वम् —
अविवेकघनान्धदिङ्मुखे बहुधा सन्ततदुःखवर्षिणि।
भगवन्भवदुर्द्दिने पथस्खलितं मामवलोकयाच्युत ॥१४॥
श्रीयामुनाचार्य्यस्य
sri-bhagavatah krpavalokanam evasraya-datrtvam —
aviveka-ghanandha-dinmukhe
bahudha santata-duhkha-varsini
bhagavan bhava-durdine patha-
skhalitam mam avalokayachyuta [14]
The shelter of the Supreme Lord is awarded by His merciful glance —
O Lord, spreading darkness in all directions, the clouds of ignorance are constantly raining multifarious calamities. I have lost my way in this storm of material suffering. O Infallible Lord, kindly cast Your glance upon me.
— Sri Yamun Acharya
जीवस्य भगवत्पाल्यत्वं स्वरूपत एव सिद्धम् —
तदहं त्वदृते न नाथवान्मदृते त्वं दयनीयवान्न च।
विधिनिर्म्मितमेतदन्वयं भगवन्पालय मा स्म जीहय ॥१५॥
श्रीयामुनाचार्य्यस्य
jivasya bhagavat-palyatvam svarupata eva siddham —
tad aham tvad rte na nathavan
mad rte tvam dayaniyavan na cha
vidhi-nirmitam etad anvayam
bhagavan palaya ma sma jihaya [15]
It is proven to be perfectly natural for the soul to be sustained by the Lord —
O Lord, without You, I cannot have a guardian, and without me, You cannot have a fit recipient for Your mercy. This is our relationship as the creator and the created Therefore, please take my charge, O my Master, and never leave me.
— Sri Yamun Acharya
प्रपन्नस्य विविधसेवासम्बन्धः —
पिता त्वं माता त्वं दयिततनयस्त्वं प्रियसुहृत्
त्वमेव त्वं मित्रं गुरुरपि गतिश्चासि जगताम्।
त्वदीयस्त्वद्भृत्यस्तव परिजनस्तद्गतिरहं
प्रपन्नश्चैवं स त्वहमपि तवैवास्मि हि भरः ॥१६॥
श्रीयामुनाचार्य्यस्य
prapannasya vividha-seva-sambandhah —
pita tvam mata tvam dayita-tanayas tvam priya-suhrt
tvam eva tvam mitram gurur api gatis chasi jagatam
tvadiyas tvad bhrtyas tava parijanas tad gatir aham
prapannas chaivam sa tv aham api tavaivasmi hi bharah [16]
A surrendered soul’s various serving relationships with the Lord —
For the entire creation You are father, mother, beloved son, dear well-wisher, and friend. You are the Universal Guru, the ultimate refuge. And I also am Yours, sustained by You, a member of Your family. You alone are my shelter, I am Your surrendered soul, and such as I am, Your dependent.
— Sri Yamun Acharya
भगवतश्चैतन्यचन्द्रस्य पतितपालकत्वम् —
संसारदुःखजलधौ पतितस्य काम
क्रोधादिनक्रमकरैः कवलीकृतस्य।
दुर्व्वासनानिगडितस्य निराश्रयस्य
चैतन्यचन्द्र मम देहि पदावलम्बम् ॥१७॥
श्रीप्रबोधानन्दपादानां
bhagavatas-chaitanyachandrasya patita-palakatvam —
samsara-duhkha-jaladhau patitasya kama-
krodhadi-nakra-makaraih kavali-krtasya
durvasana-nigaditasya nirasrayasya
chaitanyachandra mama dehi padavalambam [17]
Sri Chaitanyachandra’s guardianship for the fallen —
O Chaitanyachandra, I, afallen into the miserable ocean of material existence, am being devoured by the sharks and alligators of lust, anger, greed, madness, delusion, and hatred; chained by wicked desires, I am bereft of any shelter. Please graciously grant me the refuge of Your holy lotus feet.
— Sri Prabodhananda Saraswati
निराशस्याप्याशाप्रदं गौरशरणम् —
हा हन्त हन्त परमोषरचित्तभूमौ
व्यर्थी भवन्ति मम साधनकोटयोऽपि।
सर्व्वात्मना तदहमद्भुतभक्तिबीजं
श्रीगौरचन्द्रचरणं शरणं करोमि ॥१८॥
श्रीप्रबोधानन्दपादानां
nirasasyapyasa-pradam gaura-saranam —
ha hanta hanta paramosara-chitta-bhumau
vyarthi bhavanti mama sadhana-kotayo ’pi
sarvatmana tad aham adbhuta-bhakti-bijam
sri-gaurachandra-charanam saranam karomi [18]
The shelter of Sri Gaurachandra gives hope to the hopeless —
Alas, to cultivate the barren and rocky desertland of my heart, tens of millions of assiduous attempts have proven to be simply futile. Therefore, with all the will at my command, I embrace the shelter of Sri Gaurachandra’s lotus feet, the source of the miraculous seed of pure devotion.
— Sri Prabodhananda Saraswati
श्रीकृष्णचैतन्यप्रपन्नस्य वैराग्यादिभक्तिपरिकरसिद्धिः —
वैराग्यविद्यानिजभक्तियोग
शिक्षार्थमेकः पुरुषः पुराणः।
श्रीकृष्णचैतन्यशरीरधारी
कृपाम्बुधिर्यस्तमहं प्रपद्ये ॥१९॥
श्रीसार्व्वभौमपादानां
sri-krsna-chaitanya-prapannasya vairagyadi-bhakti-parikara-siddhih —
vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga-
siksartham ekah purusah puranah
sri-krsna-chaitanya-sarira-dhari
krpambudhir yas tam aham prapadye [19]
For the soul surrendered to the lotus feet of Sri Chaitanyadev, the attainment of detachment, knowledge, and so on, are proven to be concomitant ornaments of devotion —
The endless ocean of mercy, the eternal Supreme Person one without a second, has appeared as Sri Krishna Chaitanya to teach detachment, divine knowledge, and His personal relationship in devotion. I do surrender unto Him.
— Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya
श्रीकृष्णचैतन्यप्रपत्तिरेव युगधर्म्मः —
अन्तः कृष्णं बहिर्गौरं दर्शिताङ्गादिवैभवम्।
कलौ सङ्कीर्त्तनाद्यैः स्म कृष्णचैतन्यमाश्रिताः ॥२०॥
श्रीजीवपादानां
sri-krsna-chaitanya-prapattir eva yuga-dharmah —
antah krsnam bahir gauram darsitangadi-vaibhavam
kalau sankirtanadyaih sma krsna-chaitanyam asritah [20]
The only pure religion of the age: surrender unto the lotus feet of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu —
Accompanied by His divine entourage, the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya has appeared in all His pristine glory. In this Age of Kali, we now take shelter in Him by means of the characteristic method of devotional service based on sankirtan, congregational chanting of the Holy Names. Within, He is none other than Krishna Himself, and without, He is the Golden Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya.
— Sri Jiva Goswami
श्रीचैतन्याश्रितस्य परमपुमर्थप्राप्तिः —
योऽज्ञानमत्तं भुवनं दयालुर्
उल्लाघयन्नप्यकरोत्प्रमत्तम्।
स्वप्रेमसम्पत्सुधयाद्भुतेऽहं
श्रीकृष्णचैतन्यममुं प्रपद्ये ॥२१॥
श्रीकृष्णदासपादानां
sri-chaitanyasritasya parama-pumartha-praptih —
yo ’jnana-mattam bhuvanam dayalur
ullaghayann apy akarot pramattam
sva-prema-sampat-sudhayadbhute ’ham
sri-krsna-chaitanyam amum prapadye [21]
The soul surrendered to Sri Chaitanyadev attains the supreme perfection of human life —
I surrender unto that performer of miraculous deeds, Sri Krishna Chaitanya, the merciful Supreme Personality who delivered the insane universe from the disease of ignorance, and then drove the world stark mad with the nectarean treasure of His sweet love divine.
— Sri Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami
श्रुतिविमृग्यश्रीहरिनामसंश्रयणमेव परममुक्तानां भजनम् —
निखिलश्रुतिमौलिरत्नमाला
द्युतिनीराजितपादपङ्कजान्त।
अयि मुक्तकुलैरुपास्यमान!
परितस्त्वां हरिनाम संश्रयामि ॥२२॥
श्रीरूपपादानां
sruti-vimrgya sri-hari-nama-samsrayanam eva parama-muktanam bhajanam —
nikhila-sruti-mauli-ratna-mala-
dyuti-nirajita-pada-pankajanta
ayi mukta-kulair upasyamana!
paritas tvam hari-nama samsrayami [22]
The pure devotional service rendered by the great liberated souls: complete refuge in the Holy Name of the Lord, as sought after by all the Vedas —
The acme of all the Vedas, the Upanisads, are like a string of transcendental jewels. The tips of the toes of Your lotus feet, O Holy Name, are eternally worshipped by the radiance emanating from those jewels. You are constantly worshipped by the great liberated souls (headed by Narad and Suka, whose hearts are reposed in complete absence of worldly aspirations). Therefore, O Name Divine, I surrender unto You in every time, place, and circumstance.
— Sri Rupa Goswami
इति श्रीप्रपन्नजीवनामृते
श्रीभक्तवचनामृतान्तर्गतं
गोप्तृत्वेवरणं नाम षष्ठोऽध्यायः।
iti sri-prapanna-jivanamrte
sri-bhakta-vachanamrtantargatam
goptrtve-varanam nama sasto ’dhyayah
thus ends the sixth chapter
Embracing the Lord’s Guardianship
Words of Nectar from the Devotees
in