In remembrance of Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj and the three day observance of Sriman Mahprabhu’s sannyas-lila he instituted in Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, we are presenting a Bengali poem written by Srila Sridhar Maharaj in which he expresses the grief-stricken hearts of the residents of Nabadwip.

In a lecture about Sriman Mahaprabhu’s sannyas-lila, Srila Govinda Maharaj commented:

We have seen that Srila Guru Maharaj was always deeply intoxicated with Mahaprabhu’s sannyas-lila. He established as a rule in Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math that for the three days the devotees will live very simply and eat only some rice and dalma, dal with mixed vegetables.

Sri Nimai Sannyas

Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj

Originally published in Sri Gaudiya Darsan: Volume 12, Issue 11, Sunday 11 June 1967.

miśra-suta viśvambhara navadvīpa vāsa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [1]

Vishvambhar, the son of Jagannath Mishra, who resides in Nabadwip, Shachi’s Nimai, oh! He has taken sannyas.

nyāya-dakṣa lakṣa lakṣa adhyāpaka trāsa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [2]

He is expert in logic and feared by hundreds of thousands of scholars. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

kandarpa jiniyā rūpa-yauvana-prakāśa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [3]

His youthful beauty surpasses Cupid. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

sārā navadvīpa kare andhakāra grāsa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [4]

Darkness engulfed the whole of Nabadwip. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

kaṇṭaka nagare keśava bhāratī sakāśa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [5]

From Keshava Bharati in Katwa, oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

kṣubdha jana-sindhu tuṅga taraṅga prakāśa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [6]

Great waves manifested in an ocean of agitated people. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

uddhata janatā dekhāya bhāratīke trāsa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [7]

The agitated crowd frightened Keshava Bharati. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

krandanera uchcharola bharila ākāśa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [8]

A tumult of cries filled the sky. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

śire karāghāta kare antaraṅga dāsa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [9]

His intimate servants slapped their foreheads. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

tāpa dagdha jīva-duḥkhe-duḥkhī janollāsa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [10]

Those sorrowed by the sorrow of other souls scorched by worldly distress rejoiced. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

uttarāyaṇa saṁkramaṇe sannyāsa prakāśa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [11]

He revealed His sannyas as the sun completed its northern course (at the time of Makara Sankranti, mid-January). Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

sundara chā̐chara keśa chā̐da mukhe hāsa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [12]

His beautiful curly hair decorated His smiling moon-like face. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

keśera karttane kibā premera ullāsa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [13]

What joy born of divine love He exhibited as His hair was cut away! Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

krandane ākula loka keha vā udāsa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [14]

Some people cried in distress. Others became despondent. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

keha kruddha keha mugdha kāra matta hāsa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [15]

Some became angry, some were stunned, and some laughed madly. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

auddhatya karite dhāya bhāratīra pāśa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [16]

Some impudently ran after Keshava Bharati. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

nadīyā paṇḍita dalera svastira niḥśvāsa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [17]

The scholars of Nadia breathed a sigh of relief. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

nārī-gaṇa ninde vidhi sṛjila sannyāsa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [18]

The women blasphemed Providence for creating sannyas. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

śrī kṛṣṇa chaitanya nāma ha-ila prakāśa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [19]

His name ‘Sri Krishna Chaitanya’ was revealed. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

maṇḍita hemāṅge śobhe aruṇa suvāsa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [20]

His golden form was adorned with beautiful saffron cloth. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

kare daṇḍa kamaṇḍalu bhikṣuka prakāśa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [21]

He became a mendicant, with staff and water-pot in hand. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

kāṭoyā gaṅgāya kṛṣṇa kolāhalollāsa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [22]

Beside the Ganges in Katwa, there was an ecstatic uproar of ‘Krishna!’ Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

pāpa aparādha bhikṣā sarva-jīva pāśa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [23]

He begged all souls for their sins and offences. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

sarva-jīve yāchi dena kṛṣṇa-prema rasa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [24]

He begged from all souls and gave them the ecstasy of Krishna-prema. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

chauddaśa ektriśa śaka māghādya divasa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [25]

On the first day of the month of Magh in the year 1431 of the Shaka era, oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.

śrī-charaṇa-reṇu yāche rāmānanda dāsa

śachīra nimāi ai karere sannyāsa [26]

Ramananda Das begs for the dust of His holy feet. Oh! Shachi’s Nimai has taken sannyas.