Sri Sri Dana Keli Cintamanih

Preface

Srila Haridas dasji (1898-1957) was one of the foremost Gaudiya Vaisnava saints, scholars, translators and publishers. He also compiled some books himself, namely Gaudiya Vaisnava Jivana (a collection of biographies of all the important Gaudiya Vaisnava saints from the 15th to the 20th Century) and Gaudiya Vaisnava Abhidhana (An encyclopaedia / lexiocon for Gaudiya Vaisnavas). He took initiation from Harimohana Gosvami and ve a from Giridhari Haribola Babaji. Many of his books are still available from Haribol Kutir (where he lived and worked on his books), Poda Ghata, Navadvipa. Full biographies of Srila Haridas Dasji can be found in the appendix of his 'Gaudiya Vaisnava Jivana' (in Bengali) and in Dr. O.B.L. Kapoor's 'The Saints of Bengal' (in English).

Foreword

Today the long-standing sacred desires of the devotee-readers have become fulfilled, for as a nectarean result of the collecting-work of Sriman Haridas das Baba the jewellike book named "Sri Dana Keli Cintamani", which was written by Sripada Raghunatha dasa Gosvami Mahodaya, who is one of the worshipable six Gosvamis, who is the sun of the devotees, and who is wholly absorbed in the nectar-taste of Sri Radha, has been published. By reading his preface, the readers can somewhat understand how much trouble, endeavour and work Sriman Babaji Mahasaya has gone through to publish this book. Those who do not accept household life and are engaged in bhajana, taking a vow of renunciation, and those among them who are well educated, are kindly following in the footsteps of the Gosvamis, and for the sake of the ordinary people collect these books, that bring human life to perfection by means of prema bhakti, then print them with word-for-word translation, commentaries and Bengali translation, are accomplishing their own welfare by performing their own sadhana by studying these tattva and lila-books in the process, and at the same time they are rendering a greatly beneficial service to the people in general by teaching them these scriptures. Especially beneficial are those who save these books, that are about to go lost, from the destroying hands of time are saving the kirti-stambha (monument) of the Mahajanas, leaving it unimpaired and well-established. It need not be told to any-one that studying and teaching the scriptures on tattva and lila is counted as one of the main principles of bhajana. In this the limbs of sravana, kirtana and smarana are contained in an excellent and relishable way that cannot be established through other means. In this connection Sripada Sukadeva Gosvami said – "In this age of Kali, which is so full of obstacles, there is no other way to cross the ocean of material existence than to relish the flavours of the Lord's pastimes." Therefore, there is no doubt about it that the study of this class of books, that are the greatest aids to bhajana, is a form bhajana that causes tremendous happiness.

I have intensively studied each syllable of this sacred scripture and have become outright enchanted by it. By reading this book of Sripada Dasa Gosvami we can understand that due to the power of his language, his use of sweet and lovely words and easily understandable Sanskrit compounds, his glorious use of alankaras (metaphors), both literally and figuratively, that are respectable by all alankarikas (Sanskrit poets) in all respects, this Bhanika (one-act play) deserves the highest ranking. On top of that, the zenith of Sri-Sri Yugala Kisora's madhura rasa vilasa – that rasa, which, according to the alankarikas, is the very life-force of poetry, and the astonishment which is the essence of rasa – is shown in this Bhanika. By reading this book we can perfectly see how much Sripada Raghunatha dasa Mahodaya attained the same bhava as Sripada Rupa Gosvami Mahasaya, as a result of following in his footsteps in the different aspects of his poetry. If this book had not been the signed and confirmed work of Srila Dasa Gosvami, then nobody would have had any doubt that it was composed by Srila Rupapada in its entirety. This booklet is so sweet and so beautiful, and causes so much rasika astonishment and attraction within the hearts of the devotees that no one would grasp it through these insignifant words of mine without personally reading it.

The Bhana-type of theatrical poetry is generally very relishable – when Srimad Raghunatha had read 'Lalita Madhava' his heart became stirred with feelings of love-in0separation, so Sripada Rupa Gosvami Mahodaya wrote Dana Keli Kaumudi to make his heart blossom with delight. As a result of swimming in this ocean of great rasa a great stream of rasa was created in Srimad Dasa Gosvami's heart, that became externally manifest as this book. The two books "Dana Keli Kaumudi" and 'Dana Keli Cintamani" deal with the same topic and we are unable to pass a judgement on them or criticize them in any way, for both (Rupa and Raghunatha) are sampradayacaryas, both are the heart's friends of all the Vaisnavas in the world and both are dishing out the brilliant and elevated flavours of transcendental Vraja. Indeed, they cannot be compared with anyone – I would consider it to be a great insult to compare these two books with each other in beauty and sweetness, in depth of feelings, in opulence of eloquence, in glory of emotion, or to say which of the two books is more charming and attractive and satisfying to the heart than the other. Hence I will not commence such a bold and unjust endeavour. I just like to submit at the gate of the hearts of the readers, that are filled with prema bhakti rasa, that those who have already read "Dana Keli Kaumudi" will once read this 'Dana Keli Cintamani', that has been brought before our eyes by the grace of the Lord – they will see that as they are reading they will be merged within an ocean of transcendental bliss – they will give up all endeavours to criticize and will be immersed in relishing the nectar of Vraja-rasa after their hearts have been lifted into a most astonishing transcendental kingdom of bliss. In this book from the beginning – what are the ingredients of a Bhanika, what is the elegance of a Bhanika, what cleverness is used in the playful quarrels of a Bhanika – the ascertainment of the tax with all its great sweetness, beauty and prowess, and the rasa kandala (tasty quarrel) that is performed by both parties to attain it – all this will give great ecstasy to the hearts of the devotees. The sights at Giriraja and the description of the forest around the banks of Manasa Ganga, that is caused and enhanced by its flowers and leaves, will also be very relishable to the poets. When the premika bhakta-readers are so fortunate to just once see the great beauty and sweetness of this transcendental kingdom they will be able to understand how utterly low the level of this material world is and how insignificant is its sense gratification. I had the desire to analyse the rasa, bhava, sweetness and beauty of each and every topic, placing it before the eyes of my like-minded heart's friends, just for their relish, but to reveal these ecstasies that are mukasvadanavat, relishable for the dumb, through verbal expressions or through words is simply impossible. Especially since I am disabled due to old age and its many diseases it will not be possible for me to do so in this birth. Therefore I just revealed my humble opinion with my heart's desire for the welfare of Babaji Mahasaya, who is the object of my great love and affection. I hope that the merciful readers will be intoxicated by relishing the nectar-flavours of this book and that the great work, worries and endeavours of the publisher in accomplishing the word-for-word translation of the Sanskrit text and the flowing Bengali translation will result in the endless blessings of the Lord's lotusfeet.