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Poetry by Prabhupada

Prabhupada’s ballads of bhakti
One of the qualities of a pure devotee is that he is a kavi.

Srila Prabhupada's Poetry - Bhagavan Krishna Pada-Padme Prarthana

(refrain)
krishna taba punya habe bhai
e-punya koribe jabe radharani khusi habe
dhruva ati boli toma tai

I emphatically say to you, O brothers, you will obtain your good fortune from the Supreme Lord Krishna only when Srimati Radharani becomes pleased with you.

(1)
sri-siddhanta saraswati saci-suta priya ati
krishna-sebaya jara tula nai
sei se mohanta-guru jagater madhe uru
krishna-bhakti dey thai thai

Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, who is very dear to Lord Gauranga, the son of mother Saci, is unparalleled in his service to the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. He is that great saintly spiritual master who bestows intense devotion to Krishna at different places throughout the world.

(2)
tara iccha balavan pascatyete than than
hoy jate gauranger nam
prithivite nagaradi asamudra nada nadi
sakalei loy krishna nam

By his strong desire, the holy name of Lord Gauranga will spread throughout all the countries of the Western world. In all the cities, towns, and villages on the earth, from all the oceans, seas, rivers, and streams, everyone will chant the holy name of Krishna.

(3)
tahale ananda hoy tabe hoy digvijay
caitanyer kripa atisay
maya dushta jata duhkhi jagate sabai sukhi
vaishnaver iccha purna hoy

As the vast mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu conquers all directions, a flood of transcendental ecstasy will certainly cover the land. When all the sinful, miserable living entities become happy, the Vaishnavas' desire is then fulfilled.

(4)
se karja je koribare ajna jadi dilo more
jogya nahi an dina hina
tai se tomara kripa magitechi anurupa
aji tumi sabar pravina

Although my Guru Maharaja ordered me to accomplish this mission, I am not worthy or fit to do it. I am very fallen and insignificant. Therefore, O Lord, now I am begging for Your mercy so that I may become worthy, for You are the wisest and most experienced of all.

(5)
tomara se sakti pele guru-sebaya bastu mile
jibana sarthak jadi hoy
sei se seva paile tahale sukhi hale
taba sanga bhagyate miloy

If You bestow Your power, by serving the spiritual master one attains the Absolute Truth-one's life becomes successful. If that service is obtained, then one becomes happy and gets Your association due to good fortune.

(6)
evam janam nipatitam prabhavahikupe
kamabhikamam anu yah prapatan prasangat
kritvatmasat surarshina bhagavan grihitah
so 'ham katham nu visrije tava bhritya-sevam

My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, because of my association with material desires, one after another, I was gradually falling into a blind well full of snakes, following the general populace. But Your servant Narada Muni kindly accepted me as his disciple and instructed me how to achieve this transcendental position. Therefore, my first duty is to serve him. How could I leave his service? (Prahlada Maharaja to Lord Nrisimha-deva, Bhag. 7.9.28)

(7)
tumi mor cira sathi bhuliya mayar lathi
khaiyachi janma-janmantare
aji punah e sujoga jadi hoy jogayoga
tabe pari tuhe milibare

O Lord Krishna, You are my eternal companion. Forgetting You, I have suffered the kicks of maya birth after birth. If today the chance to meet You occurs again, then I will surely be able to rejoin You.

(8)
tomara milane bhai abar se sukha pai
gocarane ghuri din bhor
kata bane chutachuti bane khai lutaputi
sei din kabe habe mor

O dear friend, in Your company I will experience great joy once again. In the early morning I will wander about the cowherd pastures and fields. Running and frolicking in the many forests of Vraja, I will roll on the ground in spiritual ecstasy. Oh when will that day be mine?

(9)
aji se subidhane tomara smarana bhela
baro asa dakilam tai
ami tomara nitya-dasa tai kori eta asa
tumi bina anya gati nai

Today that remembrance of You came to me in a very nice way. Because I have a great longing I called to You. I am Your eternal servant and therefore I desire Your association so much. O Lord Krishna, except for You there is no other means of success.

Reference: Excerpts from The Jaladuta Diary, 1965 - Journey to the U.S.A.

Srila Prabhupada's Poetry - Markine Bhagavata Dharma

(1)
baro-kripa kaile krishna adhamer prati
ki lagiyanile hetha koro ebe gati

My dear Lord Krishna, You are so kind upon this useless soul, but I do not know why You have brought me here. Now You can do whatever You like with me.

(2)
ache kichu karja taba ei anumane
nahe keno aniben ei ugra-sthane

But I guess You have some business here, otherwise why would You bring me to this terrible place?

(3)
rajas tamo gune era sabai acchanna
basudeb-katha ruci nahe se prasanna

Most of the population here is covered by the material modes of ignorance and passion. Absorbed in material life, they think themselves very happy and satisfied, and therefore they have no taste for the transcendental message of Vasudeva. I do not know how they will be able to understand it.

(4)
tabe jadi taba kripa hoy ahaituki
sakal-i sambhava hoy tumi se kautuki

But I know Your causeless mercy can make everything possible because You are the most expert mystic.

(5)
ki bhave bujhale tara bujhe sei rasa
eta kripa koro prabhu kori nija-basa

How will they understand the mellows of devotional service? O Lord, I am simply praying for Your mercy so that I will be able to convince them about Your message.

(6)
tomara icchaya saba hoy maya-basa
tomara icchaya nasa mayar parasa

All living entities have become under the control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by Your will they can also be released from the clutches of illusion.

(7)
taba iccha hoy jadi tadera uddhar
bujhibe niscai tabe katha se tomar

I wish that You may deliver them. Therefore if You so desire their deliverance, then only will they be able to understand Your message.

(8)
bhagavater katha se taba avatar
dhira haiya sune jadi kane bar bar

The words of Srimad-Bhagavatam are Your incarnation, and if a sober person repeatedly receives it with submissive aural reception, then he will be able to understand Your message.

(9, 10, 11, 12 & 13)
It is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.17-21):

srnvatam sva-kathah krishnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hridy antah-stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrit satam

nashta-prayeshv abhadreshu
nityam bhagavata-sevaya
bhagavaty uttama-sloke
bhaktir bhavati naishthiki

tada rajas-tamo-bhavah
kama-lobhadayas ca ye
ceta etair anaviddham
sthitam sattve prasidati

evam prasanna-manaso
bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah
bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam
mukta-sangasya jayate

bhidyate hridaya-granthis
chidyante sarva-samsayah
kshiyante casya karmani
drishta evatmanisvare

"Sri Krishna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted. By regular attendance in classes on the Bhagavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact. As soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the heart, the effects of nature's modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire and hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy. Thus established in the mode of unalloyed goodness, the man whose mind has been enlivened by contact with devotional service to the Lord gains positive scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead in the stage of liberation from all material association. Thus the knot in the heart is pierced, and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the self as master."

(14)
rajas tamo hate tabe paibe nistar
hridayer abhadra sate ghucibe tahar

He will become liberated from the influence of the modes of ignorance and passion and thus all inauspicious things accumulated in the core of the heart will disappear.

(15)
ki ko're bujhabo katha baro sei cahi
khudra ami dina hina kono sakti nahi

How will I make them understand this message of Krishna consciousness? I am very unfortunate, unqualified and the most fallen. Therefore I am seeking Your benediction so that I can convince them, for I am powerless to do so on my own.

(16)
athaca enecho prabhu katha bolibare
je tomar iccha prabhu koro ei bare

Somehow or other, O Lord, You have brought me here to speak about You. Now, my Lord, it is up to You to make me a success or failure as You like.

(17)
akhila jagat-guru! bacana se amar
alankrita koribar khamata tomar

O spiritual master of all the worlds! I can simply repeat Your message, so if You like You can make my power of speaking suitable for their understanding.

(18)
taba kripa ha'le mor katha suddha habe
suniya sabara soka duhkha je ghucibe

Only by Your causeless mercy will my words become pure. I am sure that when this transcendental message penetrates their hearts they will certainly feel engladdened and thus become liberated from all unhappy conditions of life.

(19)
aniyacho jadi prabhu amare nacate
nacao nacao prabhu nacao se-mate
kashthera puttali jatha nacao se-mate

O Lord, I am just like a puppet in Your hands. So if You have brought me here to dance, then make me dance, make me dance, O Lord, make me dance as You like.

(20)
bhakti nai beda nai name khub daro
"bhaktivedanta" nam ebe sarthak kor

I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge, but I have strong faith in the holy name of Krishna. I have been designated as Bhaktivedanta, and now, if You like, You can fulfill the real purport of Bhaktivedanta.

Reference: Excerpts from The Jaladuta Diary, 1965 - Journey to the U.S.A.

Srila Prabhupada's Poetry - Adore, Adore Ye All the Happy Day

(1)
Adore adore ye all,
The happy day.
Blessed than Heaven,
Sweeter than May.
When He appeared at Puri,
The holy place,
My Lord and Master
His Divine Grace.

(2)
Oh! my Master
The evangelic angel.
Give us thy light,
Light up thy candle.
Struggle for existence
A Human race,
The only hope
His Divine Grace.

(3)
Misled we are
All going astray,
Save us Lord
Our fervent pray,
Wonder thy ways
To turn our face
Adore thy feet
Your Divine Grace.

(4)
Forgotten Krishna
We fallen soul.
Paying most heavy
The illusion's toll.
Darkness around
All untrace,
The only hope
His Divine Grace.

(5)
Message of service
Thou has brought.
A healthful life
As Chaitanya wrought.
Unknown to all
It's full of brace.
That's your gift
Your Divine Grace.

(6)
Absolute is sentient
Thou hast proved.
Impersonal calamity
Thou hast moved.
This gives us a life
Anew and fresh.
Worship thy feet
Your Divine Grace.

(7)
Had you not come
Who had told,
The message of Krishna
Forceful and bold,
That's your right
You have the mace.
Save me a fallen
Your Divine Grace.

(8)
The line of service
As drawn by you,
Is pleasing and healthy
Like morning dew.
The oldest of all
But in new dress
Miracle done
Your Divine Grace.

Reference: Back to Godhead Magazine - Volume 1, Part 9, March 1952