19810720 Gītāñjali Singers Mr.Rao - Śrī Jagannātha Aṣṭakam

The following is a South Indian bhajan performance with the explanations given by H.H. Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāj on July 20th, 1981 in Madras (Chennai), India:

kadācit kālindī-taṭa-vipina-saṅgītaka-ravo

mudābhīrī-nārī-vadana-kamalāsvāda-madhupaḥ

ramā-śambhu-brahmāmara-pati-gaṇeśārcita-pado

jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me

bhuje savye veṇuṁ śirasi śikhi-piccham kaṭi-taṭe

dukūlaṁ netrānte sahacara-kaṭākṣaṁ vidadhate

sadā śrīmad-vṛndāvana-vasati-līlā-paricayo

jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me

mahāmbhodhes tīre kanaka-rucire nīla-śikhare

vasan prāsādāntaḥ sahaja-balabhadreṇa balinā

subhadrā-madhya-sthaḥ sakala-sura-sevāvasara-do

jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me

kṛpā-pārāvāraḥ sajala-jalada-śreṇi-ruciro

ramā-vāṇī-rāmaḥ sphurad-amala-paṅkeruha-mukhaḥ

surendrair ārādhyaḥ śruti-gaṇa-śikhā-gīta-carito

jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me

rathārūḍho gacchan pathi milita-bhūdeva-paṭalaiḥ

stuti-prādurbhāvam prati-padam upākarṇya sadayaḥ

dayā-sindhur bandhuḥ sakala jagatāṁ sindhu-sutayā

jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me

para-brahmāpīḍaḥ kuvalaya-dalotphulla-nayano

nivāsī nīlādrau nihita-caraṇo ’nanta-śirasi

rasānando rādhā-sarasa-vapur-āliṅgana-sukho

jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me

na vai yāce rājyaṁ na ca kanaka-māṇikya-vibhavaṁ

na yāce ’haṁ ramyāṁ sakala jana-kāmyāṁ vara-vadhūm

sadā kāle kāle pramatha-patinā gīta-carito

jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me

hara tvaṁ saṁsāraṁ druta-taram asāraṁ sura-pate

hara tvaṁ pāpānāṁ vitatiṁ aparāṁ yādava-pate

aho dīne ’nāthe nihita-caraṇo niścitam idaṁ

jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me

Explanation By Gurudev: The mangalacharan... Mangalacharan is always chanted; the obeisances to the Personality of Godhead. Today, in mangalacharan in Jagannātha Stotram, worshipping Lord Jagannāth . The devotee is anxious that Jagannath may see his service. When we pray "jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me" we do not think that we will see Jagannātha with these eyes, because material eyes cannot see the Lord who is "sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha" who is transcendental eternal blissful knowledge. These material eyes are flesh; they can see only flesh, but by the Lord's mercy one is given "divya-drishti," or "divine vision." And with that divine vision one is able to recognize his eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord. So the devotee is eager that he may be able to recognize and understand his relationship with the Lord and especially that the Lord may recognize the devotee as His own servitor, as His own eternal dependent devotee. So we pray, "jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me" that we are eager that let jagannātha see our service, let Jagannātha recognize our devotion. What is that matters in the whole world, if they think or speak nicely about us if Jagannātha is not pleased? We want to satisfy Jagannath; therefore we pray to Him that our service may be recognized by Him. And when we are recognized by Jagannath, naturally, we will be able to see Jagannath with divine vision and in that transcendental realization, we shall be filled with transcendental eternal blissful knowledge which has no comparison in this world.

Proofread by : Krishna Chaitanya & Pooja mataji, Reading, UK Bhakti Vriksha
On 16th October 2020