F: An Eulogy to Six Goswamis

kRSNotkIrtana-gAna-nartana-parau premAmRtAmbho-nidhI

dhIrAdhIra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pUjitau |

zrI-caitanya-kRpA-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhArAvahantArakau

vande rUpa-sanAtanau raghu-yugau zrI-jIva-gopAlakau || 1 ||

“Absorbed in praising Krishna with songs and dance, they are oceans of the nectar of prema; Dear to the serious and the capricious, they give joy to all, free of envy and worshipable; Bearing the grace of Sri Chaitanya, they are deliverers of the burden of the world. Praise to Rupa-Sanatana, the two Raghus, Sri Jiva and Gopala!”

Immersed in Krishna-kirtana, these six saints are oceans of prema personified – such is the nature of kirtana! We have many forms of kirtana, the two basic forms being nAma-kIrtana and padAvalI-kIrtana, and the latter is further divided into a number of sections such as guNa-kIrtana, in praise of Krishna's qualities, rUpa-kIrtana, in praise of the beauty of Krishna's form, and lIlA-kIrtana, in praise of pastimes. Padavali-kirtana in particular has wondrous power to uplift the heart of the sadhaka – so much so that kIrtana naturally transforms into utkIrtana, a loud, whole-hearted crying out of the soul, as the waves of the song sweep the heart afar to the shoreless ocean of prema. kIrtana is the natural state of a spotless heart – entranced in kIrtana, the heart blossoms with joy.

This loving emotion transforms the devotee's heart with its diverse tastes, creating a loving nature that makes him dear to all, the gentlemen and the ruffians alike. They spare their love from none, and even the greatest of fools can appreciate the beautiful, well-wishing nature of their hearts. The language of love is universal, felt by all people regardless of education or cultural sophistication. Only the vilest of men, naturally inclined to slander devotees and the Lord in their firm conviction to be the hedonistic enjoyers of the world, find fault even in places where good qualities are present in abundance, in hearts where envy shines with its absence and where there is only good will for all.

Such a wondrous state of heart is brought about with the grace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu; without that, the hearts of the fallen folk of the age of Kali hardly transform and take on the qualities of supreme devotion. With the presence of such a treasure in their hearts, the loving devotees become deliverers of the world; whosoever comes in touch with them will find their lives naturally effected, their hearts' concerns transformed from the petty affairs of the world to something far beyond, something so meaningful and beautiful.

Praise to Rupa-Sanatana, the two Raghus, Sri Jiva and Gopala!