Mangalacharan
My dear spiritual teacher, thank you for opening my eyes from darkness into the light of knowledge.
1. MangalacaranDasi
The Glories of Sri Radha
All glories to Radha, all glories to Krishna, and their village Vrindaban! All glories to the gopis, who are the crown jewel of all the rasika. Shyama chants Radhe Radhe and Radhe chants Shyama Shyama. The names “Radhe Shyama are my connection to my life and my soul. The only soul treasure of my life is Nanda nandana, Madan mohana, and Radhika Raman. I love Shyama for he is my love. Shyama is filling my body and mind throughout the day and night. I am the maidservant of Radha rani, who is the queen of the eternal dham Vrindaban. I want to achieve her eternal service in her eternal abode. I there- fore wish to live my life the way the mistress wishes.
2. Radha's SongDasi
The Heavens Praise Mother Devaki
Sitting alone in a jail cell, Devaki awaits the birth of her last child in fear. She is in a secluded meditation. Her brother, who has taken and killed all her other children, anxiously awaits this delivery. He has her guarded on all sides.
With fear in her heart, the darkest part of night approaches (nishite tama udbhute). Carrying the Lord in her womb Devaki is glowing with light, thus creating a brilliant glow around the jail cell. Suddenly the heavens open with singing angles (gandharvas) while saints and gods come down to worship her and relieve her fear. The heavens shower melodious singing notes around her, describing with joy the beauty of this woman.
She is of the same worshipable category as the Lord himself (devakyam deva rupinyam) they sing, for she holds the Lord within her. Rose petals rain down from the heavens, while the ocean and wind also take part in the dec- orating sounds. The earth awakens with music, as the joy of Krishna’s birth takes place on this holy night. (jaya- mane janardane)
This is the song of the glorious mother.
“The demigods and great saintly persons showered flowers in a joyous mood, and clouds gathered in the sky and very mildly thundered, making sounds like those of the ocean’s waves. Then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu, who is situated in the core of everyone’s heart, appeared from the heart of Devaki in the dense darkness of night, like the full moon rising on the eastern horizon, because Devaki was of the same category as Sri Krsna.” (bhagavatam 10th canto)
3. DevakiDasi
Meerabai
(poet and saint from the deserts of Rajasthan)
One of the greatest devotees of the Lord, (whom she affectionately called Giridhari), Meerabai was the daughter of a great King in the Rajasthan deserts of Western India. She gave up everything including her family and husband and for this she faced persecution. To this day, her poetry and songs still live on, and are sung by many.
My Lord Giridhari is coming down my lane
I have hidden myself with shyness
A brilliant red turban, a yellow dress, and a chaplet of flowers covering it.
A parasol arches over his crown and the beauty of his earrings surpasses description.
I will wear a yellow satin skirt with a rich bodice above.
Oh you who are dear to Radha
I make a simple prayer and request to you
Please listen to me Mori (you who are mine)
This Meera, who belongs to you
Is thirsty for your darshan (to see/meet you)
Your feet which are decorated with lotus flowers
take away all obstacles
Mori (and who are mine)
4. MeerabaiDasi
The Heavens Praise Mother Devaki
Sitting alone in a jail cell, Devaki awaits the birth of her last child in fear. She is in a secluded meditation. Her brother, who has taken and killed all her other children, anxiously awaits this delivery. He has her guarded on all sides.
With fear in her heart, the darkest part of night approaches (nishite tama udbhute). Carrying the Lord in her womb Devaki is glowing with light, thus creating a brilliant glow around the jail cell. Suddenly the heavens open with singing angles (gandharvas) while saints and gods come down to worship her and relieve her fear. The heavens shower melodious singing notes around her, describing with joy the beauty of this woman.
She is of the same worshipable category as the Lord himself (devakyam deva rupinyam) they sing, for she holds the Lord within her. Rose petals rain down from the heavens, while the ocean and wind also take part in the dec- orating sounds. The earth awakens with music, as the joy of Krishna’s birth takes place on this holy night. (jaya- mane janardane)
This is the song of the glorious mother.
“The demigods and great saintly persons showered flowers in a joyous mood, and clouds gathered in the sky and very mildly thundered, making sounds like those of the ocean’s waves. Then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu, who is situated in the core of everyone’s heart, appeared from the heart of Devaki in the dense darkness of night, like the full moon rising on the eastern horizon, because Devaki was of the same category as Sri Krsna.” (bhagavatam 10th canto)
5. PingalaDasi
Gopi Gita
Of all the women’s devotional poems, these prayers are considered to be the crown jewel. The gopis are simple cowherd village girls, who, although already married, took Krsna in their hearts as their husband. This song takes place after Krsna left them during the Rasa danced of purnima (full moon). The Gopis became proud and seeing this, Krishna immediately left them. In sorrow and great separation, they sang this song, begging Him to return.
I also learned this song from Swami Fateh Krishna in Vrindaban, who sings it with melodious and devotional perfection.
The gopis said: O beloved, Your birth in the land of Braja has made it exceedingly glorious, and thus Indira, the goddess of fortune, always resides here. It is only for your sake that we, Your devoted servants, maintain our lives. We have been searching everywhere for You, so please show Yourself to us.
O Lord of love, in beauty Your glance excels the whorl of the finest, most perfectly formed lotus within the autumn pond. O bestower of benedictions, You are killing us, who have given ouselves to You freely, without any price. Isn’t this murder?
O You who destroy the suffering of Vraja’s people, O hero of all women, Your smile shatters the false pride of Your devotees. Please, dear friend, accept us and show us your beautiful face.
The nectar of your words and the descriptions of Your activities are the life and soul of those suffering in this material world. These narrations, transmitted by learned sages, eradicate one’s sinful reactions and bestow good fortune upon whoever hears them. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Certainly those who spread the message are most munificent.
Your smiles, your sweet, loving glances, the intimate pastimes and confidential talks we enjoyed with You – all these are auspicious to meditate upon, and they touch our hearts. But at the same time, O deceiver, they agitate our minds.
At the end of the day You repeatedly show us Your lotus face, covered with dark blue locks of hair and thickly powdered with dust. Thus, O hero, You arouse our desires.
Dear Acyuta, You know very well why we have come here. Who but a cheater like You would abandon young women who come to see Him in the middle of the night, enchanted by the loud song of his flute?
Just to see You, we have completely rejected our husbands, children, ancestors, brothers and other relatives.
O dearly beloved! Your lotus feet are so soft that we place them gently on our chest, fearing that Your feet will be hurt. Our life rests only in You. Our minds, therefore, are filled with anxiety that Your tender feet might be wounded by pebbles and You roam about on the forest path.
(bhagavatam 10th canto)
6. Gopii GitaDasi
Prayers by Queen Kunti
Kunti was the mother of the five Pandava brothers, and throughout their lives they underwent many troubles. She and her sons had their kingdom and wealth taken away from them and exiled from their home. Kunti and her sons hid and ran for many years.
This prayer takes place after Kunti’s family has been divided in two; and the terrible battle at Kurukshetra is over. Both sides share the grief (as the dead belonged to both parties). The women, headed by Kunti, Draupadi, and Gandhari, lead the procession as they took the dead family members down to the Ganges to for the cremation rights. Here, Kunti speaks to Krsna, her nephew. Praying to Him, she creates these poetic Sanskrit slokas, sharing with us how many years of torture, pain and suffering have brought her closer to faith and strength.
Let me offer my respects to the Lord, who is the son of Vasudev, the pleasure of Devaki (mother) the boy of Nanda (adopted father) and the other cowherd friends of Vrindaban, and the joy of the cows and my senses.
My respects to you Oh Lord, whose abdomen is marked like a lotus flower, who always wears cooling garlands of lotus flowers, whose glance is as cool as a lotus, and whose feet are engraved with lotuses.
I wish that all those troubles and calamities would happen to me again and again. In those times I pray to you again and again, and when praying I am able to see you. By seeing you, I am able to see true love, which frees me from the bondage of the world.
My dear Lord, you can easily be approached, but only by those who are exhausted with materialism. One, who is on the path of trying to gain progress with wealth education and beauty, cannot approach you with sincere feelings.
Some say you come here to this earth to rejuvenate us through hearing, remembering, worshiping and serving you. In this way, we are able to rise above the suffering of this world, and take advantage to gain liberation to your love.
Therefore, O Lord of Madhu, as the Ganges river forever flows to the sea without hindrance, let my attraction be constantly drawn to You without being diverted to anyone else. (Bhagavatam 1st canto)
7. Queen KuntiDasi
Draupadi
Draupadi, was the heroic princess/queen of the Mahabharata. A firm woman with an unbending will, she was a woman of great substance, who possessed the ability to endure much suffering. She was a woman of spirit, valour and virtue. Daughter of King Draupad, the queen of the Pandavas, she was famous for her beauty, generosity, gentle and loving ways. Yet it is said she was born of fire, which gave her determination and heroic strength, making her as strong as lightning and thunder.
She shared a special relationship with Krsna; that of friendship. Therefore, when the Kurava Court decided to humiliate her by trying to tear her sari (cloth) from her body, she called out to none other than Krsna Himself. She had already cried out to the emperor, to the prime minister, to the priests, and to her five husbands. No one came forward. Finally, she looked upward, and cried out to the Lord, who magically made her sari flow limitlessly, so as to exhaust the Kurava’s effort.
One night in India the villagers on the slow train traveling across India told me, “at first she cried out with fear and nothing happened. Then she cried out of need, and still nothing happened. Finally, letting go of the cloth, which covered her body, she raised both arms upward”.
The small old woman sitting next to me interrupted and added, “you see, she called out unconditionally, without any requests, without need. She let go. She let go of being in control of her fate. And you see, what happened? Her Lord, who was living in Dwarka, 700 kilometers away, he came in one second. He didn’t even need to take the train. He came so fast, because when he hears prayers out of complete love, he is forced to come immediately.”
This is the song they taught me, and we sang it all night long on the 11-hour journey across the plains of North India. I knew of Draupadi from the nightly reading of Mahabharat, but never did I know the beauty of her song. For me this song is so powerful, for it represents a level of surrender that we all learn, at some stage in our lives. Letting go. This is a song for everyone.
Sri Krishna – Oh all attractive one, Govinda – the pleasure of my senses, Hare – your feminine energy, which is everywhere, Murari – you who remove all obstacles, Hey nath – Oh Lord, Narayana – all powerful one, Vasudeva – who is the original creator.
8. DraupadiDasi
How Dasi was made
Read the story of how this album was made – here.
