Prayer

tavāraṇye devi dhruvam iha murārir viharate

tavāraṇye devi dhruvam iha murārir viharate
sadā preyasyeti śrutir api virauti smṛtir api |
iti jñātvā vṛnde caraṇam abhivande tava kṛpāṁ
kuruṣva kṣipraṁ me phalatu nitarāṁ tarṣa-viṭapī ||
hṛdi cira-vasad-āśā-maṇḍalālamba-pādau
guṇavati tava nāthau nāthituṁ jantur eṣaḥ |
sapadi bhavad-anujñāṁ yācate devi vṛnde
mayi kira karuṇārdrāṁ dṛṣṭim atra prasīda ||
(Stava-mālā: Utklikā-vallari: 3–4)

[A prayer to Vṛndā Devī, the presiding devatā of Vṛndāvana:] “O Devī! Both the Śruti and the Smṛti proclaim that Murāri always and everlastingly enjoys with his beloved here in your forest. Understanding this, O Vṛndā, I adoringly offer obeisance at your feet. Please bestow your grace [upon me]. May the tree of my desire [by your grace] quickly and fully bear fruit [i.e., may it grant me the fruit of attaining Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa]. O virtuous one! This person begs for your prompt permission to appeal to your Masters [i.e., Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa], whose feet are the focus of a host of long-standing desires within his heart. O Devī! O Vṛndā! Please cast a glance tender with compassion upon me and be gracious in this regard [so that my desires may bear fruit, since without your grace, the grace of they who are submissive to you—Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa—is most difficult to attain].”

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sunūpurā-rañjita-pāda-padma

sunūpurā-rañjita-pāda-padma-
kṣarat-sudhā-bhṛtya-sukha-pradāya |
vicitra-ratnaugha-vibhūṣitāya
premānam evādya harau videhi ||
(Śrī Kṛṣṇa-caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.8.17)

“[Obeisance] Unto you who a bestower joy
Upon the servitors of your nectar exuding lotus feet
Which are illumined by fine ankle bells,
Unto you who are adorned with a multitude of variegated jewels.
May you now bestow [upon me] only prema for Hari.

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vṛndāvanāvani-pate jaya soma soma

vṛndāvanāvani-pate jaya soma soma-
maule sanandana-sanātana-nāradeḍya |
gopīśvara vraja-vilāsa-yugāṅghri-padme
prītiṁ prayaccha nitarāṁ nirupādhikam me ||
(Saṅkalpa-kalpadruma: 103)

“O protector of the land of Vṛndāvana! Glory to you! O husband of Umā! O you whose crown is the moon! O you are worshipped by Sananda, Sanātana, and Nārada! O guardian of the gopīs! Please bestow upon me firm, unconditional prīti for the lotus feet of the Playful Couple of Vraja.”

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śruti-ratna-vibhūṣaṇa-ruci-jita-pūṣaṇam alidūṣaṇa-nayanānta-gatiṁ

śruti-ratna-vibhūṣaṇa-ruci-jita-pūṣaṇam alidūṣaṇa-nayanānta-gatiṁ
yamunā-taṭa-talpita-puṣpam analpita-mada-jalpita-dayitāpta-ratim |
vandemahi vandita-nandam amandita-kulam andhita-khala-kaṁsa-matiṁ
tvām iha dāmodara haladhara-sodara hara no daram anubaddha-ratim ||
(Stava-mālā: Tribhaṅgī-pañcakam, 5)

“Unto you whose jeweled earrings have conquered the splendor of the sun, you whose sidelong glances belittle black bees, you who lie on a bed of flowers on the bank of the Yamunā, you who become delighted by the plentiful proud words of your beloved, you by whom Nanda is venerated, you who are of a prominent family, you who blinded the mind of wicked Kaṁsa, you who are bound by rati [to your bhaktas]—we offer obeisance. O Dāmodara! O Brother of Haladhara [i.e., O Kṛṣṇa, brother of Balarāma]! Please remove our fear here [i.e., our fear related to saṁsāra].”

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tulayāma lavenāpi na svargaṁ nāpunar-bhavam

tulayāma lavenāpi na svargaṁ nāpunar-bhavam |
bhagavat-saṅgi-saṅgasya martyānāṁ kim utāśiṣaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.18.13 and 4.30.34; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.284, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.228; Bhakti Sandarbha: 134, 247; Prīti Sandarbha: 31, 112)

[The sages at Naimiṣāraṇya to Sūta Gosvāmī and the Pracetās to Bhagavān:] “We cannot equate Svarga or non-repetition of birth, much less benedictions had by human beings, with even an instant of association with those who are attached to Bhagavān.”

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hā devi kāku-bhara-gadgadayādya vācā

hā devi kāku-bhara-gadgadayādya vācā
yāce nipatya bhuvi daṇḍavad udbhaṭārtiḥ |
asya prasādam abudhasya janasya kṛtvā
gāndharvike nija-gaṇe gaṇanāṁ vidhehi ||
(Stava-mālā: Gāndharvā-prārthanāṣṭakam, 2)

“Hā! O Devī! Today, filled with intense heartache, I fall prostrate in obeisance on the ground [before you] and pray [to you] with a faltering voice filled with sorrow: O Gāndharvikā! Please bestow your grace upon this foolish fellow and count him within your own retinue.” 

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apāra-karuṇā-pūra-pūritāntar-mano-hrade

apāra-karuṇā-pūra-pūritāntar-mano-hrade |
prasīdāsmin jane devi nija-dāsya-spṛhā-juṣi ||
(Stava-mālā: Cāṭu-puṣpāñjali, 17)

“O you the deep lake of whose inner heart is filled with a boundless flood of compassion! O Devī! Please be gracious to this person, who cherishes longing for your service.”

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tvām asau yācate natvā viluṭhan yamunā-taṭe

tvām asau yācate natvā viluṭhan yamunā-taṭe |
kākubhir vyākula-svānto jano vṛndāvaneśvari ||
kṛtāgaske’py ayogye’pi jane’smin kumatāv api |
dāsya-dāna-pradānasya lavam apy upapādaya ||
yuktas tvayā jano naiva duḥkhito’yam upekṣitum |
kṛpā-dyota-dravac-citta-navanītāsi yat sadā ||
(Stava-mālā: Prārthanā-paddhati, 5–7)

“Offering obeisance to you,

And rolling about on the bank of the Yamunā,

This person of agitated heart,

Begs with cries of sorrow,

O Vṛndāvaneśvarī!

Although a transgressor,

Although unfit,

And although foul-minded,

Please bestow upon this person

Just a tiny portion of the gift

Of a share of [your] service.

It is not proper for this sorrowful person

To be neglected by you,

For the fresh butter of your heart

Is always melting under the sunshine of your grace.”

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tvāṁ natvā yācate dhṛtvā tṛṇaṁ dantair ayaṁ janaḥ

tvāṁ natvā yācate dhṛtvā tṛṇaṁ dantair ayaṁ janaḥ |
sva-dāsyāmṛta-sekena jīvayāmuṁ suduḥkhitam ||
na muñcec charaṇāyātam api duṣṭaṁ dayāmayaḥ |
ato gāndharvike hā hā muñcainaṁ naiva tādṛśam ||
(Stavāvalī: Premambodha-maranda-stava-rāja, 10–11)

“Bowing to you, holding straw between his teeth, this person is begging: ‘By sprinkling the nectar of your own service, please give life to this most sorrowful one.’ One who is gracious should not reject even a depraved person who has sought shelter. Therefore, O Gāndharvikā! Hā! Hā! Please do not ever reject [even] someone such as this.”

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bhavatīm abhivādya cāṭubhir

bhavatīm abhivādya cāṭubhir
varam ūrjeśvari varyam arthaye |
bhavadīyatayā kṛpāṁ yathā
mayi kuryād adhikāṁ bakāntakaḥ ||
(Stava-mālā: Utkalikā-vallariḥ, 20)

“O Ūrjeśvarī [i.e., O Rādhā, presiding goddess over Kārtika], I salute you, and with endearing words I pray for this finest benediction: may Bakāntaka [i..e, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the killer of Bakāsura], bestow greater grace upon me on account of [my] being your own.”

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