Śrī Prapanna-Jīvanāmṛtam Introduction...

श्री प्रपन्न-जीबनामृतम्

Śrī Prapanna-Jīvanāmṛtam

by
His Divine Grace

Jagat-Guru

Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara deva Goswāmī

In a new translation
compiled and edited with Sanskrit, Bengali
and Roman transliteration
by 
Michael Dolan, B.V. Mahāyogi

प्रथमो ऽध्यायः

Prathamo’dhyāyaḥ

First Chapter

उपक्रमामृतम्

Upakramāmṛtam:

Preamble to āmṛta

अथ मङ्गलाचरनम्

aha grantham-paricayaḥ
अथा ग्रन्थम्-परिचयः

 Introduction

12

अथ ग्रन्थ-परिचयः--

ग्रन्थे ‘स्मिन् परमे नमे, प्रपन्न-जीबनामृते ।

दशाध्याये प्रपन्नानां जीबन-प्राण-दायकम् ॥१२॥

बर्द्धकं पोषकं नित्यं हृदिन्द्रिय-रसायनम् ।

अतिमर्त्त्य-रसोल्लास-, परस्पर-सुकाबहम् ॥१३॥

बिरह-मिलनार्थाप्तं, कृष्ण-कार्ष्ण-कथामृतम् ।

प्रपत्ति-बिषयं बाक्यं, चोद्धृतं शास्त्र-सम्मतम् ॥१४॥

atha grantha-paricayaḥ--

granthe ‘smin parame name, prapanna-jīvanāmṛte

daśādhyāye prapannānāṁ jīvana-prāṇa-dāyakam [12]

varddhakaṁ poṣakaṁ nityaṁ hṛdindriya-rasāyanam

atimarttya-rasollāsa-, paraspara-sukāvaham [13]

viraha-milanārthāptaṁ, kṛṣṇa-kārṣṇa-kathāmṛtam

prapatti-viṣayaṁ vākyaṁ, coddhṛtaṁ śāstra-sammatam [14]

This book, called Prapanna-jīvanāmṛta is nectar in the lives of surrendered souls.  Its subject is "positive and progressive immortality." What is found in these ten chapters is  a life-giving tonic  for the surrendered souls. 

This tonic will enliven the devotees with heartfelt enthusiasm; it is a divine potion for eternal life. The verses of this book are a sacred elixir which, when taken as prescribed, increase the circulation of the spiritual heart and senses. 

When this medicine is properly imbibed it will impart immortal spiritual joy to the surrendered soul in the form of transcendental rasa. 

This tonic is distilled from those scriptures which define surrender and has been spiced with the nectar of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with his eternal entourage, friends, and lovers.

अत्र चानन्य-चित्तानम्, कृष्ण-पाद-रजोजुषम् ।

कृष्ण-पाद-प्रपन्नानां, कृष्णार्थे ऽखिल-कर्मणम् ॥१५॥

कृष्ण-प्रेमैक-लुब्धानां, कृष्णोच्छिष्टैक-जिबिनाम् ।

कृष्णा-सुखैक-बाण्छानां, कृष्ण-किङ्कर-सेबिनाम् ॥१६॥

कृष्ण-बिच्छेद-दग्धानां, कृष्ण-सङ्गोल्लसद्द्-हृदाम् ।

कृष्ण-स्बजन-बन्धूनां, कृष्णैक-दयितात्मनाम् ॥१७॥

atra cānanya-cittānam, kṛṣṇa-pāda-rajojuṣam

kṛṣṇa-pāda-prapannānāṁ, kṛṣṇārthe 'khila-karmaṇam [15]

kṛṣṇa-premaika-lubdhānāṃ, kṛṣṇocchiṣṭaika-jivinām

kṛṣṇā-sukhaika-vāṇchānāṃ, kṛṣṇa-kiṅkara-sevinām [16]

kṛṣṇa-viccheda-dagdhānāṃ, kṛṣṇa-saṅgollasadd-hṛdām

kṛṣṇa-svajana-bandhūnāṁ, kṛṣṇaika-dayitātmanām [17]

bhatānāṁ hṛdayodghāṭi-, marmma-gathāmṛtena ca

भक्तार्त्ति-हर-भक्ताशा-, भीष्ट-पूर्त्तिकरं तथा [१८]

सर्ब्ब-संशय-च्छेदि-हृद्-, ग्रन्थि-भिज्-ज्ञान-भासितम्

अपूर्ब्ब-रस-सम्भर-, चमत्कारित-चित्तकम् [१९]

बिरह-ब्याधि-सन्तप्त-, भक्ति-चित्त-महौषधम्

बुक्तायुक्तम् परित्यज्य, भक्तार्थाखिल-चेष्टितम् [२०]

आत्म-प्रदान-पर्य्यन्त-, प्रतिज्ञार्न्तः-प्रतिश्रुतम्

भक्त-प्रेमैक-बष्य-स्ब, स्बरूपोल्लास घोषितम् [२१]

पूर्णाश्बासकरं साक्षात्, गोबिन्द-बचनामृतम्

समाहृतं पिबन्तु भोः, साधबः शुद्ध-दर्शनः [२२]

bhaktārtti-hara-bhaktāśā-, bhīṣṭa-pūrttikaraṃ tathā [18]

sarvva-saṁśaya-cchedi-hṛd-, granthi-bhij-jñāna-bhāsitam

apūrvva-rasa-sambhara-, camatkārita-cittakam [19]

viraha-vyādhi-santapta-, bhakti-citta-mahauṣadham

vuktāyuktam parityajya, bhaktārthākhila-ceṣṭitam [20]

ātma-pradāna-paryyanta-, pratijñārntaḥ-pratiśrutam

bhakta-premaika-vaṣya-sva, svarūpollāsa ghoṣitam [21]

pūrṇāśvāsakaraṁ sākṣāt, govinda-vacanāmṛtam

samāhṛtaṁ pibantu bhoḥ, sādhavaḥ śuddha-darśanaḥ [22]

pūrṇāśvāsakaraṁ sākṣāt, govinda-vacanāmṛtam

samāhṛtaṁ pibantu bhoḥ, sādhavaḥ śuddha-darśanaḥ [22]

Introduction, Continued...

The essence of this tonic has been filtered and condensed from the sayings and realisations of the surrendered souls: dedicated to the holy feet of Kṛṣṇa, surrendered to Him, they have given their hearts to Kṛṣṇa and are slaves of the dust of Kṛṣṇa's feet.  They know only Kṛṣṇa, they do everything for Him, their lives are sustained by Him.

The great souls whose sayings are contained  are filled with kṛṣṇa-prema, they have no other love. They live on kṛṣṇa-prasādam, their only happiness is Kṛṣṇa's happiness, they serve the servants of Kṛṣṇa. The great devotees whose expressions of surrender form the basis of this book are overjoyed at being with Kṛṣṇa and devastated by his separation. Kṣṇa is their family member and friend, Kṛṣṇa is their heart and soul, and Kṛṣṇa is their only true beloved.

Such are the great devotees whose verses have been gathered here in this tonic.

But the elixir of Prapanna-jīvanāmṛta contains not only the words and teachings of the devotees of Kṛṣṇa, but also the words of Kṛṣṇa Himself.

Here collected in this book you will find the "words of supreme nectar" that come directly from the lotus mouth of Śrī Govinda.  His own words are a tonic to soothe the heartbreak of devotees in separation, a stimulant for  hopes, medicine for doubts; a potion against ignorance that promotes transcendental knowledge. 

The nectar of the divine words from the lotus mouth of Śrī Govinda will pierce the heart with the deeper realisations of the highest rasika ecstasies: far beyond mere transcendental knowledge, the heart will know the joy of prema-bhakti  which is possible only through surrender and the soul will be re-established in its divine position or svarūpa. 

And as the devotees surrender fully to Kṛṣṇa, so Kṛṣṇa gives himself fully to his devotees, completely conquered by their love.  Such is His promise, according to the words spoken by Śrī Govinda Himself.

O, my friends,  all you saintly souls and sādhus! Oh, you sons of nectar, sons of the nectarean ocean sea: Please listen to me. You were born in nectar. You were born to taste nectar. Do not allow yourselves to be satisfied with anything less then nectar. Awake, arise! Search for that nectar.

Drink deep from the nectar found here in Prapanna-jīvanāmrṭam. Take this tonic. Drink.