Maṅgalācaraṇa – Poem One – vande vṛndāṭavī-candraṁ

Text 1

vande vṛndāṭavī-candraṁ
rādhikākṣi-mahotsavam
brahmātmānanda-dhik-kāri-
pūrṇānanda-rasālayam

I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is the moon of Vṛndāvana, a moon that is the abode of wonderful nectar and bliss, a moon that is a festival of joy for Śrī Rādhā’s eyes, a moon that with the nectar and bliss tasted by both Lord Kṛṣṇa and His devotees mocks the realizations of the impersonalists rapt in meditation on tat tvam asi and other mahā–vākyas.

Text 2

caitanya-caraṇaṁ vande
kṛṣṇa-bhakta-janāśrayam
advaita-mata-dhaureya-
bhārāpanodanaṁ param

I offer my respectful obeisances to the feet of Lord Caitanya, which are the place where Lord Kṛṣṇa’s devotees, devotees who have thrown far away the heavy burden that is Śaṅkarācārya’a theory of impersonalism, take shelter.

Text 3

guruṁ vande mahā-bhāgaṁ
kṛṣṇānanda-svarūpakam
yan-mude racayiṣyāmi
kalyāṇa-kalpa-pādapam

I offer my respectful obeisances to worshipable kṛṣṇānanda-svarūpa Gurudeva Gosvāmī Prabhu, for whose pleasure I will now write this Kalyāṇa-kalpataru.

Text 4

aprākṛta-rasānande
na yasya kevalā ratiḥ
tasyedaṁ na samālocyaṁ
pustakaṁ prema-sampuṭam

A person who does not like spiritual nectar and bliss will not read this book, which is a jewelry-case of spiritual love.

Text 5

ayaṁ kalpa-taror nāma
kalyāṇa-padapaḥ śubhaḥ
vaikuṇṭha-nilaye bhāti
vane niḥśreyasāhvake

In the world of Vaikuṇṭha, in the forest of Niḥśreyasa-vana (the forest of the supreme good), this auspicious kalyāṇa-kalpataru desire-tree is splendidly manifest.

Text 6

tasya skandha-trayaṁ śuddhaṁ
vartate viduṣāṁ mude
upadeśas tathā copa-
labdhis tūcchvāsakaḥ kila

To please the wise, this tree has three main branches: 1. upadeśa (instruction), 2. upalabdhi (realization), and 3. Ucchvāsa (ecstasy).

Text 7

aśrītya pādapaṁ vidvān
kalyāṇam labhate phalam
rādhā-kṛṣṇa-vilāseṣu
dāsyaṁ vṛndāvane vane

Taking shelter of this tree, a wise person will pick its auspicious fruit, fruit that is service to Śrī Śrī Rādha and Kṛṣṇa in Their pastimes in Vṛndāvana forest, the innermost, most private part of the spiritual world.

Text 8

sampūjya vaiṣṇavān viprān
sarva-jīvāṁś ca nityaśaḥ
kīrtayāmi vinīto ‘haṁ
gītaṁ vraja-rasāśrītam

Worshiping the Vaiṣṇavas, who live in Vraja, Jagannātha Purī, and Navadvīpa, worshiping the brāhmaṇas, who are attached either to karma (pious rituals) or jñāna (philosophical speculation), and worshiping all living entities, from the demigod Brahmā, down to the cāṇḍālas and dogs, again and again I humbly sing these songs about Vraja.