I was inspired by a song by Vasu Ghosh where he is saying 'yadi gaur na hoito.' That means if there was no Gauranga, what would there be today? So I was thinking, what if there was no Prabhupada? What would there be? Think of all the things that Prabhupada gave us. Of course, he gave so many things that I could not mention them all. I apologize to those devotees who are involved in services in areas I didn’t mention, but then I would have a song that would go all night long! To mention all the things that Prabhupada did, and all the hearts he touched, and all the people he impressed… I just tried to give some major topics so we could focus on how much we are indebted to His Divine Grace.
I titled this song, 'The Glories of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada' because there are other Prabhupadas around. We had to distinguish because, for the sake of poetic license, we needed to use the words “Srila Prabhupada” - otherwise, to say “His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada” would be too long.
In this song, we see how Prabhupada had to endure a lot of suffering. He went through a lot of austerities to deliver the mercy of Lord Nitai Gaura Chandra. He came to the West because he cared about people, and he wanted to carry out the order of his guru. He went and established systematically the chanting of the holy names, deity worship, Ratha Yatras, festivals, and the teachings of Lord Chaitanya. He gave us the books - the Caitanya Caritamrita, Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam. He gave us so many things. He taught us how to eat, how to sleep, how to do everything in the West. Of course, in India, maybe some of these simple things are well known, but in the West, the lifestyle was not like that at all.
He was very patient and compassionate. Some people were gentlemen, but others were ruffians. Some were very discreet, and some of them were very mischievous. Some were very devotional, while others were impersonalists or voidists. It didn’t matter. Prabhupada very patiently, very nicely, very lovingly, very pleasant-mindedly came up and spoke to each and every person who was interested, and he gave them the mercy of Nitai Gaura.
I just want to follow in his footsteps eternally, and I hope that all the devotees in the succession of Prabhupada will be inspired to follow him in this way. So with that intention, I wrote this song, and it is my humble offering to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada.
(1)
(yadi) prabhupäda nä haita tabe ki haita
(e) jivana bahita kise?
nitäi-gaurera apära karuëa
ke dita sakala deçe ||
If Srila Prabhupada had not come, what would have happened? How could we have passed our lives? Who else would have distributed the unlimited mercy of Lord Nityananda and Lord Gauranga all over the world?
(2)
päçcätyera yata päpi duräcäré
çünyavädé mäyävädé |
tädera uddära karibäre mana
hena kon dayänidhi ||
Which other compassionate person would have endeavored to deliver the abominable, sinful, impersonalistic and voidistic people in the West?
(3)
tädera nikaöe kon janä äsi
biläita harinäm |
sabhya jéva rüpe gaòite tädera
ke haita äguyän ||
Who else would have come to distribute Harinama to them? Who else would have come forward to transform them into civilized beings?
(4)
deçe deçe hari- vigraha sevä
äraté rätri-dine |
ratha yäträdi mahotsava saba
çikäita kon jane ||
Who else would have taught them how to worship the Deity form of Lord Hari day and night with arati-kirtana, and how to conduct the Ratha-yatra and other grand festivals?
(5)
gétä-bhägavata caitanya carita
premämåta rasasära |
kata nä sundara sarala kariyä
ke bujhäita ära ||
Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrta contain the essence of the nectarean mellows of love of Godhead. Who else would have explained these scriptures so clearly and beautifully?
(6)
kata kañöa sahi préta mane rahi
ke vä dita harinäm |
ke dita modera puré våndävana
mäyäpura mata dhäm ||
Who else would have tolerated all difficulties, and distributed Harinama with a pleasant heart? Who would have given us the dhamas such as Mayapur, Vrindavan and Jagannatha Puri?
(7)
parama maìgala çrécaitanya mahä-
prabhura çikñä dhana |
äcäre pracäre sadä ämädere
ke karita niyojana ||
The teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu constitute the greatest and most auspicious treasure. Who else would have engaged us in constantly practicing and preaching it?
(8)
premakalpataru nitäi-gaurera
kåpä kaëa labhibäre |
niravadhi jaya- patäkä hådaya
tomare çaraëa kare ||
Sri Sri Nitai Gaura are desire trees of love of Godhead. Desiring a drop of Their mercy, Jayapataka’s heart incessantly takes shelter of Your Divine Grace.
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