Jagat

Traditionally, Indian poets like to conclude their works with a phala-śruti , a summary of the benefits that accrue to the person who hears or chants it. In the case of this poem, it seems that Dhruvdas’s enthusiasm to glorify Vrindavan could not stop at his intended 100 verses and he simply added a few more restating the glories of the Dham and his desire to glorify it, even while knowing it is an impossibility. The true goal is stated in verse 114: The purpose of bhakti is bhakti itself. Bhakti has no ulterior motive. One engages in bhakti only so that one can experience bhakti more fully, for by bhakti one knows the Supreme, and by knowing the Supreme, one attains the parā bhakti, as stated in the Gita and Bhāgavata and all the devotional scriptures. Have faith in Vrindavan. Have hope for Vrindavan vasa. Your heart will be filled with love and you will become immersed in the amazing ocean of rasa that is the Divine Couple’s holy Dham. कुँवरि किसोरी नाम सौं उपज्यौ दृढ़ ...

Although Hit Dhruva Das is already giving the example of how to reside in Vrindavan, as we saw in the previous installment of Vrindavana-sata-lila , here he specifically takes the voice of the teacher and advises those who have been attracted by the glories of the Dham on how they need to behave, in other words, he tells us about the nature of Vraja-vāsa sādhanā . He describes an amazing spiritual practice that seems contrary to logic: The material vision is to see Vrindavan as a part of this material world. But, in fact, it is the bridge to the spiritual world of Divine Love. It is impossible to convey this to someone who has not experienced the bliss of chanting the Holy Names, who has not experienced the joys of singing the glories of the Divine Couple. Such acts of devotion open the doors to grace, and bestow upon one such powers of perception that when the devotee lies flat in sāṣṭāṅga-daṇḍavat praṇāma in Vrindavan’s dust, s/he can feel the power of unlimited millions of dev...

Hit Dhruvdas Maharaj’s great love of Vrindavan and his understanding of the power of the Holy Dham comes through full strength in these next verses.”The only indestructible abode of intense happiness is Vrindavan.” Dhruvdasji understands Vrindavan as the embodiment of Radha-Krishna’s love, as non separate from Them, and as joy incarnate. When Dhruvdasji says that Vrindavan is better than liberation, this seems like a paradox because, surely we would have to be at least partly liberated in order to understand the glory of Vrindavan. But, upon reflection, we get a glimpse the depth of his understanding of Vrindavan – Vrindavan is the savior, the one who, “makes even death auspicious”. Dhruvadasji’s Vrindavan bhakti is so strong that he says that even if his limbs are torn apart by living here, leaving would be a great mistake. We get no sense of any ambition in these verses, even the ambition to become a great devotee worthy of associating with the Supreme Lord is largely absent...

Crossposted from Vrindavan Today Now Hit Dhruvdasji turns to the glories of living in the Dham. This is the lengthiest section of the short book, with 40 verses dedicated to this theme, so we are breaking it up into two postings. There are many people who believe that “Vrindavan is everywhere.” We hate to break it to you, but it is not. At least, not for those who are not on the highest platform of uttama bh ā gavata . The shastras sometimes say like that to encourage those whose fortune is not so good and who are bereft of Brajavas. The same scriptures, or the writings of devotees like Prabodhananda or Dhruvdas, know that those with better fortune feel separation from Vrindavan. The most unfortunate are those who prematurely think they have attained Vrindavan when they are far away, not just physically but spiritually. Dhruvdasji would rather you thought yourself unfortunate and pined for the day, in this life or in some other life, when you will be able to l...

Crossposted from Vrindavan Today . Hit Dhruvdas continues to extol the glories of the Dham. महिमा वृन्दाविपिन की कैसैं कै कहि जाइ । ऐसै रसिक किसोर दोउ जामें रहे लुभाइ ॥३४॥ mahimā vṛndāvipina kī kaisaiṁ kai kahi jāi | aisai rasika kisora dou jāmeṁ rahe lubhāi ||34|| When the Divine Couple themselves are so attached to this Dham, then how could anyone properly sing its glories? विपिन अलौकिक लोक में अति अभूत रस कंद । नव किसोर इक वैस द्रुम फूले रहत सुछंद ॥३५॥ vipina alaukika loka meṁ ati abhūta rasa kaṁda | nava kisora ika vaisa druma phūle rahata suchaṁda ||35|| Though in the world, this forest is beyond it. It is the root of unprecedented rasa: the Divine Couple, ever youthful, are the tree that forever blossoms there. Radha and Krishna are the fruit and flower-bearing tree that grows from the root, Vrindavan. पत्र फूल फल लता प्रति रहत रसिक पिय चाहि । नवल कुँवरि दृग छटा जल तिहि कर सींचे आहि ॥३६॥ patra phūla phala latā prati rahata rasik...

Radha Vallabha Despite his importance historically for the Radha Vallabha sampradaya, not much is known about the life of Hit Dhruvdas. The only biographical information comes from Bhagavant Mudita, who was his junior contemporary. Bhagavant Mudita wrote a small book glorifying all the disciples and followers of Hit Harivansh Goswami called Rasika Ananya Mal . We know from Priya Das’s commentary to the Bhakta Maal that Bhagavanta Mudita was initiated by Haridas Goswami, the Mahant of Govinda Devji temple at the time. In the first verse to Rasika Ananya Maal (“A Garland of Exclusive Rasika Devotees”) he bows first to Chaitanya and Nityananda, but then turns to Harivansh and his followers. We only have one other book by Bhagavant Mudita, which is a translation of the Vṛndāvana-śataka , or the 17th śataka of Prabodhananda’s Vṛndāvana-mahimāmṛta , which is dated 1650. This book also contains several verses to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Dhruvdasji was born in a well-to-do Kayas...

Seva Kunj. Photo taken in 1984 from Kishora Van. This series on Hit Dhruva Das and his  Śrī Vṛndāvana Sata Līlā  will be divided into the following segments. Today we will just add Part 2 without further comment. Hit Dhruva Das's vision of Vrindavan (1) Introduction/Mangalacarana (Verses 1-10) (2) A general description of Vrindavan’s beauty (Verses 11-20) (3) A description of the essential nature of Vrindavan (Verses 21-33) (4) Vrindavan's opulences (34-46) (5.1) The glories of taking shelter of Vrindavan Dham (47-66) (5.2) The glories of living in Vrindavan Dham (67-86) (6) The mood of one who makes the most of Vrindavan vasa (87-100) (7) Conclusion: The benefits of reciting these verses (101-116) Part 2 श्री वृन्दावन की शोभा वर्णन śrī vṛndāvana kī śobhā varṇana A description of Vrindavan’s beauty हेममयी अवनी सहज रतन खचित बहु रंग । चित्रित चित्र विचित्र गति छबि की उठति तरंग ॥११॥ hemamayī avanī sahaja ratana khacita bahu raṁga | citrita ci...

In the mood of deepening our sentiments for Vrindavan, I would like to translate Hit Dhruva Das’s poem about Vrindavan. Dhruva Das lived in the first half of the 17th century. This poem was written in 1682 samvat, which is for most people these days, 1626. After Hit Harivansh himself, and Sewakji, Dhruva Das is the third great poet teacher of the Radha Vallabhi sampradaya . A few days ago it was Hit Harivansh’s appearance day, and even though it was totally unintended, I had a Hit Harivansh Chandra Goswami day. The fact is that I don’t get out of the house very much. You would think that with all my talk about Braja vasa sadhana that I do, I would occasionally visit Bihariji, Radha Vallabh or Radha Raman and Damodar… like I used to, not so long ago. I guess I am a real Vrajavasi in that I just live here. But then, living here has its benefits. I was thinking that it was Hit Harivansh’s birthday and I hadn’t written anything special for VT. And I was occupied in ...