Vasatu Mano Mama Madana-Gopāle

This is a video timelapse of a morning sringar seva to Sri Sri Radhavinodabiharijiu, Lalita Devi and Visakha Devi at our Sri Radhe Kunj here in Vrindavan. This beautiful bhajan was written by Śrī Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī and here sung by Vakreswar Brahmachari from Navadvip, recorded in 2002. Translation (published in Rays of The Harmonist magazine Issue 11) is provided below. You can sing along with the verses on the video by turning on the subtitles.

Vasatu Mano Mama Madana-Gopāle
Śrī Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī

vasatu mano mama madana-gopāle
nava-rati-keli-vilāsa-parāvadhi-rādhā-surata-rasāle (1)

May my mind aḷways dwell on that very person, Madana Gopāla. His ever-fresh pastimes of amorous play are the ultimate limit of the ocean of rasa, especially when He meets with Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

mada-śikha-piñcha-mukaṭa-parilāñchita-kuñcita-kaca-nikurambe
mukharita-veṇu-hata-trapa-dhāvita-nava-nava-yuvatī-kadambe (2)

When He plays upon His flute, the peacock feather crowning His curly locks moves, looking very beautiful like the tail-feathers of a dancing intoxicated peacock. When He plays His flute, all the refreshingly beautiful young gopīs drop everything – their shyness, their chasity, their dharma, patience, etc – and come running to Him in the forest.

kalita-kalindasutā-pulinojjvala-kalpa-mahīruha-mūle
kiṅkinī-kalarava-rañjita-kaṭitaṭa-komala-pīta-dukūle (3)

He is standing beneath a kadamba tree by the brilliant sandbanks of Yamunā, playing His flute and dancing. He wears a very fine yellow cloth and when He dances, the bells on the chain around His waist jingle very sweetly and steal the minds of all the gopīs.

muralī-manohara-madhuratarādhara-ghana-ruci-cora-kiśore
śrī-vṛṣabhānu-kumārī-mohana-ruci-mukhacandra-cakore (4)

May my mind dwell upon that budding youth whose luster steals the glory of the thunderclouds of the rainy season, and whose lips are most sweet and enchanting as they vibrate upon the muralī. Oh! May I contemplate that person who, like a cakora bird, is thirsty to drink the rays of the lustrous moonlike face of the young daughter of Vṛṣabhānu Rāja, seeing which He becomes bewildered and faints.

guñjā-hāra-makara-maṇi-kuṇḍala-kaṅkana-nūpura-śobhe
mṛdu-madhura-smita-cāru-vilokana-rasikavadhū-kṛta-lobhe (5)

May my mind contemplate the beauty of His anklebells, bangles and bejewelled makara-shaped earrings as well as His necklace of guñjā berries. O my mind, dwell upon He who evokes greed within the hearts of the rasika milkmaids of Vraja with His lovely glances and gentle sweet smiles.

matta-madhuvrata-guñjita-rañjita-gala-dolita-vanamāle
gandhodvarttita-suvalita-sundara-pulakita-bāhu-viśāle (6)

O my mind, please contemplate He who wears round his neck a swaying garland of forest flowers which delights the intoxicated humming bees. O mind, contemplate His powerful arms which are massaged with fragrant unguents and which beautifully ripple with bliss.

ujjvala-ratna-tilaka-lalitālaka-sa-kanaka-mauktika-nāse
śārada-koṭi-sudhā-kiraṇojjvala-śrī-mukha-kamala-vikāśe (7)

O my mind! Dwell on His nose which has a pearl ornament set in gold, upon His gracefully curling locks and His brilliant bejewelled tilaka. Dear mind, contemplate His face which blossoms like a lotus and which is effulgent like millions of autumn moons.

grīvākaṭi-padabhaṅgi-manohara-nava-sukumāra-śarīre
vṛndāvana-nava-kūñja-gṛhāntara-ratiraṇa-raṅga-sudhīre (8)

O my mind! Contemplate His captivating, ever-fresh, extremely youthful body bent in three places. Contemplate He who, though very grave, takes delight in the battles of Cupid within the ever-fresh kuñjas of Vṛndāvana.

parimala-sāra-sa-keśara-candana-carccitatara-lasad-aṅge
paramānanda-rasaika-ghanākṛti-pravahad-anaṅga-taraṅge (9)

O mind, contemplate His lustrous body which is lavishly anointed with sandal pulp mixed with saffron and which is itself the very essence of fragrance. Dwell upon that form from which the waves of Cupid flood forth and which is solely constituted of the condensed mellows of the highest bliss.

padanakha-candra-maṇi-cchavi-lajjita-manasija-koṭi-samāje
adbhuta-keli-vilāsa-viśārada-vrajapura-navayuva-rāje (10)

Dear mind, dwell on the effulgence emanating from the jewel-like moons of His toenails, seeing which the assembled multitudes of Kāmadevas become embarassed. Contemplate this ever-new prince of Vraja who is most adept in enacting astonishing erotic pastimes.

rasika-sarasvatī-varṇita-mādhava-rūpa-sudhā-rasa-sāre
ramayata sādhu budhā nija-hṛdayaṁ bhramatha mūḍhā kim asāre (11)

May my mind dwell upon this nectarean form of Mādhava which is the essence of all rasa, as described by the rasika-bhakta Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī-pāda. Intelligent men must derive bliss from it within their hearts for it is very sublime, whereas fools wander in saṁsāra. For them what else exists except temporary illusion?

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