Three prayers by Srila Sridhar Maharaj,
praying to Sri Rupa Prabhu
nandagramata srava yavat-pathe madhya-sthale sundare
terityaravya-kadambake-bhajana-pitho ‘taiva rupa-prabhoh
purvvairatra ca nirmminam bahu-krtat kaksatrayam bhiksubhi-
rasmabhir hy adhunaiva marmmara-siladayair-bhusitam samskrtam
Midway between Sri Nandagram and Sri Yavat in Sri Vraja-mandala
is a beautiful place and there beneath a kadamba tree
Srimad Rupa Prabhu resides in his bhajan. At night-time
he stayed here and wrote many compositions, and certainly now
we can feel his renunciation and the merciful character
of his heart that decorated him so perfectly.
kvaham manda-matis tv ativa-patitah kva tvam jagat-pavanah
bho svamin krpayaparadha-nicayo nunam tvaya ksamyatam
yace ‘ham karuna-nidhe! varam imam padabja-mule bhavat-
sarvasvavadhi-radhika-dayita-dasanam gane ganyatam
Where am I, so lowly and fallen, and where are you,
the great soul who delivers the universe! Oh Lord, by your grace,
you are sure to forgive my offences. Oh ocean of mercy,
in the dust of your lotus feet I pray for just this benediction:
kindly make my life successful by recommending me for admission
into the group of Sri Varsabhanavi Dayita Dasa (Srila Saraswati Thakur),
who is the dear-most one in your heart.
lila-samgopa-kale nirupadhi-karuna-karina svaminaham
yat padabje ‘rpito yat pada-bhajanamayam gayayitva tu gitam
yogyayogyatva-bhavam mama khalu sakalam dusta-buddher agrhnan
sa sri-rupah kada mam nija-pada-rajasa bhusitam samvidhatte
Just prior to the withdrawal of his manifest lila,
my causelessly merciful Divine Master, Srila Saraswati Thakur,
handed me over to the holy feet of that Divine Personality (Sri Rupa Goswami)
by having me sing the glorious prayer unto his lotus feet (Sri Rupa-manjari-pada,
composed by Srila Narottama Das Thakur). Despite my lowliness, when,
disregarding all my various qualifications and disqualifications, when will
Srimad Rupa Prabhu grace me with the dust of his holy lotus feet?