Poetry 1994

1994
Suhotra Swami

nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale
Srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine
nirviSesa-Sunyavadi-paScatya-deSa-tarine

Dear Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept my humble obeisances in the shade of your divine lotus feet. My heart is parched and dry, devoid of genuine devotional sentiments. Still I shall try to serve Your Divine Grace on this auspicious day of your appearance by offering this small poem.

Srila Prabhupada’s Garden of Pure Forms

Socrates, it is said, thought of the Spiritual Power
As the source of all forms, even the common garden flower,
Which in this world is false, but in that world a fact –
But he didn’t say how we’d get our spiritual forms back.

In the Priti-sandarbha, Gosvami Jiva informs,
Krsna’s effulgence is full of unlimited forms,
Each one very beautiful, the Lord doest bestow
Upon souls He releases from maya’s false show.

Srila Prabhupada, your mercy, so amazing to me,
Through your pure teachings, these spiritual forms we can see.
Implanting our souls in your garden of service,
You cultivate pure forms, which Lord Krsna will harvest.

Your garden is ISKCON, and for ten thousand years
Countless souls will bloom there, free of lust, anger, fear,
To be offered to Krsna, their pure love He’ll enjoy,
Maijaris (means “blossoms”) for the Divine Cowherd Boy.

Let’s assist Srila Prabhupada in his garden of bhakti,
There’s so many soul-seeds, and Kali-yuga’s so rocky.
Help me take out these stones, Prabhu sow these seeds over here.
Pour the Prabhupada-vani nectar right into their ears.

O Prabhupada, please help me, I’m feeling so weak.
This work is so hard, I’m in need of a break!
”In spiritual things there is no exhaustion,” Prabhupada said,
If I think this work’s material, I’ve got rocks in my head.

Yes, while I tend Prabhupada’s garden, I have to be sure
That I tend my own heart, lest I again become impure.
Weeds and rocks all around me, within and without,
If I stumble, Srila Prabhupada, please bless me with a shout!

While toiling honestly, day in and day out,
Serving in Prabhupada’s garden, we must without doubt
Always chant Hare Krsna in great ecstasy.
We’ll all go back to Godhead, Prabhu, just wait and see!

And there in Goloka, Prabhupada leading his group,
Of ISCKON devotees in their original svarupa,
The Form of all forms will bless all with His view,
Syamasundara Sri Krsna, of most beautiful hue.

Suhotra Swami