Āchārya vandana

He made his advent in Śrī Nilāchala, Śrī Puri Dhām. He came to the holy dhām of Mahāprabhu, manifesting the line of pure devotion and destroying the fear of material life of the conditioned souls.

I have no capacity to sing your glories. Only if you empower me can I do so. You are travelling unceasingly all over India, practising and preaching in a dedicated way, the pure and genuine line of devotion in the current of Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī.

We see your qualities are like Śrīla Narottam Dās Ṭhākur who in the festival at Khetari Dhām delivered all the wonderful conclusions of the Scriptures which defeated the unfair argument and deception of the scholars there.

By presenting the line of pure devotion he devoured the path of unscriptural practice, and seeing this everybody was afraid. He struck this unscriptural path leaving it in pieces, giving increasing joy to all honest and noble men.

Pure devotion is like the sun risen in the heart, while the path of logic is like clouds covering that sun. By churning the ocean of the Scriptures, you spread perfect conclusions in all directions like a hurricane to disperse the clouds.

You founded many temples in many places without reservation, teaching the fallen souls service in divine love. In these temples the Vaiṣṇavas constantly distribute talks on the nectarean qualities of the Supreme Lord Hari.

The current of pure devotion descends like the flow of the Ganges, cooling the fire of suffering of material life. Similarly, you sent the Vaiṣṇavas from place to place, widely distributing and chanting the qualities of Lord Hari.

Just as in the past, Lord Gaurahari severed the māyāvāda conception, converting the residents of Vārāṇasī into Vaiṣṇavas, similarly by expert analysis of the Vaiṣṇava philosophy you have enraptured all in Vārāṇasī.

You showed that certainly devotion to Lord Hari at the core of daiva-varṇāśrama-dharma, is the directive of the revealed Scriptures, while knowledge, yoga and material activities, if averse to such devotion are of absolutely no value.

You founded parikramā of Śrī Gauḍa Maṇḍal, Śrī Nabadwīp Dhām in the association of the devotees, showing your glories as a great devotee. You showed the whole world the nectarean blissful nature of Śrī Gauḍa Maṇḍal and how it is non-different from Śrī Vraja Maṇḍal, Śrī Vṛndāvan.

You forgave all the atheists of Kuliyā village, despite their blasphemous behaviour. Loudly you proclaimed to one and all, one who is more tolerant than a tree can chant the glories of Lord Hari endlessly.

In the grand assembly of Vaiṣṇava kings you are adorned with the title ‘Pātrarāj’, as the head of the assembly. For the benefit of the whole world, you have renounced everything and devoted yourself to the good of all.

You untiringly perform benevolent works just to help the souls of this world to attain the service of Lord Śrī Krishna. Then the disease of material suffering would leave them, their bondage to fruitive works would break and they would attain the lotus feet of the Lord.

Seeing the souls of this world sleeping in illusion, you are sending the ‘Gauḍīya’ magazine from door to door just like a messenger from the transcendental plane. It calls aloud, “Awake, arise, O brother, there is no more time to waste, Serve and worship your Lord, Śrī Krishna.”

Hearing the nectarean verses of the glorious qualities of the infallible Lord Krishna, issuing from your lotus mouth soothes our souls, dissipates our ignorance and illusion, and the pain in our hearts goes far away.

O great soul! I know that there is no trace of desire for fame in your heart. Your qualities, like an expert musician, take hold of the vīṇā of my voice and make me speak, devoid of any power over myself.

I have heard from the great saints and gurus mouths that upon hearing the qualities of the Vaiṣṇava saints, the conditioned souls attain liberation. And beyond this, devotion to Krishna develops, makes the soul’s birth perfect and the soul crosses this material ocean happily with ease.

For this reason I endeavour thus, just like a dwarf aspiring to reach the moon. I am lowly and fallen, but your nature is not to consider any offence, so I beg you to pardon my flaws.

Śrīla Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur, the associate of Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu and friend of the lowly fallen souls brought you here, and you came like a spotless full moon to dispel the ignorance of this age of Kali.

So please keep incessantly showering your mercy, the nectar of ecstatic love of Godhead, and let all the souls of this world be uplifted by that. May all the people of the world dance in the congregational chanting of the Lord’s Holy Name—this is the prayer of this servant of the Vaiṣṇavas.