The first part of “Chant,” a four-part Krsna conscious poem, was published in Back to Godhead Number 36. It describes the transcendental activities of the spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, from his landing in New York in 1965 to the end of 1969.
The second part is addressed to Jagannatha Svami (literally, “Lord of the Universe”), the Supreme Lord Krsna as He specifically appears in the Deity manifestation carved hundreds of years ago by Visvakarma, the sculptor incarnation. The statue or Deity of Jagannatha, which is worshiped in the famous Jagannatha Temple in Puri, India, is unique in Indian art. Almost primitivistic in style, He looks like this: (See picture on page 16)
The third part of the poem is a meditation of the transcendental body of the Spiritual master, the mere thought of whom purifies the mind.
The fourth part, a Gloria, praises the body, form, pastimes, entourage and paraphernalia of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna.
Part Two
Jagannatha svami nayana pathagami bhavatu me—
Lord of the universe, kindly be visible unto me,
Jagannatha Svami, Your two round eyes rivet to my soul,
Jagannatha Svami, You are possessed of unlimited intellect, and we must look very silly to You,
Jagannatha Svami, I think it must be You alone who knows Your universe, America, myself.
Jagannatha Svami, nobody really knows who You are, staring out from behind those eyes, giving everyone a tiny, amused smile,
Jagannatha Svami, You are the Lord of infinite worlds, and You wield the power to create unlimited others—is it all just for sport?
Jagannatha Svami, I hear You are unborn and can be vanquished by exclusive devotion—grant me the grace to defeat You,
Jagannatha Svami, You dissolve all heterogeneous views, and now You are looking our way,
Jagannatha Svami, You are the inner guide of all, universal guru—show America, China, Russia, Europe who’s really lord,
Jagannatha Svami, You ordain the worldly course for the conceited and grant salvation to those free from vanity—is that why we’re all locked in our dreams?
Jagannatha Svami, I also hear that You’re the Primal Person, an overwhelming flood of bliss, master and nourisher of the universe, the stay, the witness, the seer, the refuge, the cause—are You smiling at all this empty word-praise?
Jagannatha Svami, You are self-delighted and are the special mercy manifestation for Kali-yuga, for You can go into any bar and brothel in the land and still smile,
Jagannatha Svami, You are sung in exalted hymns—forgive my linguistic barbarism,
Jagannatha Svami, I think that those eyes of Yours are looking at me through death … I think that smile pierces decay … I know roses and lilacs will blossom for You out of my corpse,
Jagannatha Svami, Your tiny arms swing as You slap Kali’s face and dispel the night of pseudo-religions,
Jagannatha Svami, You must have been especially pleased when Lord Caitanya fainted in love before You, crying, “Ah! Here is Krsna!”
Jagannatha Svami, when will I be able to faint before You? When will everybody?
Jagannatha Svami, You must know how tired I get looking at a thousand sleepy students in the classroom, wondering how long I’ll keep my job, worrying about money, wishing I could think more of You,
Jagannatha Svami, You are looking not only through Your own saucer-like eyes but through the eyes of the young man prowling for sex and the old man fencing in his geraniums,
Jagannatha Svami, You must get a strange view of things looking through the eyes of soldiers, prostitutes, murderers, leprechauns and Presidents,
Jagannatha Svami, do You see Madison Avenue? Mott Street? St. Mark’s? Haight-Ashbury? Bronx? Washington Square? Miami Beach? Boston Common? Times Square? Do you see the dark faces of Harlem and the pale faces of Greenwich, Conn? Do you see the Arkansas governor barring the schoolhouse door? The judge throwing the book? Do You see Dr. Leary taking off on another trip? I really think I know why You must be smiling,
Jagannatha Svami, You are time personified, and I can see You breaking down everything moment by moment,
Jagannatha Svami, You are the only Truth—why do You brook all this nonsense? If You got as angry as me You’d wrap the whole thing up,
Jagannatha Svami, You’re compassionate and generous to everyone because You’re latent in the heart of every entity, like fire within wood—O please burst forth in flames!
Jagannatha Svami, You’re the cause of everything—but You don’t look like one who’s serious and responsible. You look like You’ve just played a joke,
Jagannatha Svami, when I first saw You I thought You looked like one of those Easter Island sculptures … now I love Your circles and rectangles,
Jagannatha Svami, I’m fed up with books, mental speculative philosophy, causes, fads, sex, dope, squares, suits, ties, long hair, rock, Bach, beards, bellbottoms, psychedelic messiahs and serious men,
Jagannatha Svami, I just want to see You shine,
O Jagannatha Svami, You fourth dimensioned, self-manifested darling of the universe—You’re nectar to my eye,
Jagannatha Svami, I know You punish the naughty boys, and I’m glad, even though I’m one of them,
Jagannatha Svami, You mock the sandcastles of man for “time writes no wrinkle on Thine azure brow,”
Jagannatha Svami, why are there no poets now to praise You?
Jagannatha Svami, You’re always on vacation, yet You’re doing everything—How do You get around? Where are Your feet hid?
Jagannatha Svami, You’re the supreme sorcerer, and this dream of life You’ve conjured is a sleight of hand trick,
Jagannatha Svami, after the cataclysm You’re the self-applauding residue—Who pays to see Your show? I think we all do,
Jagannatha Svami, do you love me?
Jagannatha Svami, I love Your semi-circle head, Your jutting arms, Your rectangular, legless torso, Your big white-&-black disc-eyes, Your crescent-moon smile,
Jagannatha Svami, You’re the embodiment of all the gods,
Jagannatha Svami, You are Sri Guru’s own Self!
O Jagannatha Svami, Jagannatha Svami
Jagannatha Svami (Lord of the Universe)
nayana pathagami (if it please Your Grace)
bhavatu me (be visible unto me.)
Part Three
May my mind seek the shelter of him
Whose lotus feet destroy kalpas of sin,
Whose feet are garlanded with flowers,
Whose feet are eternally auspicious,
Whose feet traverse the three worlds,
Whose feet dance to a thousand drums,
Whose feet appear to me in dreams,
Whose feet, I, unworthy, touch.
May my mind seek the service of him
Whose hand, electric, awakens me to life,
Whose hand points out the Vedic open road,
Whose hand opens the ancient sacred books,
Whose hand writes absolute and golden words,
Whose hand beats the mrdangas of Bengal,
Whose hand plays shining cymbals to the Lord,
Whose hand counts prayers upon a million beads,
Whose hand benedicts and fills the empty heart,
Whose hand soweth unknown seeds in the soul,
Whose hand gatherest the fruits,
Whose hand bestoweth copious gifts,
Whose hand is a hand of fire,
Whose hand pats my head as I weep.
May my mind seek the mercy of him
Whose eyes are great springs of compassion,
Whose eyes see Him behind materials,
Whose eyes strike the flame of devotion,
Whose eyes sparkle kindly with wisdom,
Whose eyes are the eyes of a child,
Whose eyes survey all in eternity,
Whose eyes are the sun and the moon,
Whose eyes close in rapt meditation,
Whose eyes have beheld the Great God,
Whose eyes are the soul and the Self.
May my mind seek the presence of him
Whose voice now disturbs my long sleeping,
Whose voice calls the true names of youth,
Whose voice chastiseth the demons,
Whose voice answers all yet is silent,
Whose voice chokes with longing and love,
Whose voice sings the mantras of praise,
Whose voice summons cows in Vaikuntha,
Whose voice Krsna and Radha must know,
Whose voice I will hear at my death.
May my mind seek the vision of him
Whose smile spreads a blissful effulgence,
Whose smile conquers legions of skeptics,
Whose smile uproots the weeds of my doubt,
Whose smile lightens the burdens of Kali,
Whose smile is worth the tears of my endless migrations,
Whose smile severs the tree with its roots above,
Whose smile dissolves my pride and illusion,
Whose smile is a downpour of mercy,
Whose smile extinguishes the blazing fire of samsara,
Whose smile draws nectar from bright seas of knowledge,
Whose smile, amidst two armies, speaks to my battle worn self.
Part Four
All glory to Lord Krsna, Govinda, the Supreme Godhead!
Glory to His eternal blissful spiritual youthful body!
Glory to Him who is the origin and prime cause of all!
Glory to Gokula, His supernal abode!
Glory to the lotus of a thousand petals sprung from a part of His infinitude!
Glory, all glory to Srimati Radharani who stands there beside Him!
Glory to the Holy Names! Glory! Glory to the Great mantra of Deliverance!
Glory to the cowherd boys and girls, the eternal consorts of Krsna!
Glory to the surabhi cows, givers of abundant milk who graze in Vaikuntha!
Glory to the Lord of Gokula, the Transcendent Supreme, the very Self of eternal ecstacies!
Glory to Him who is the reservoir of pleasure for all the senses!
Glory to the Supreme Male, the Purusa, the seed-giving Father of all!
Glory to Him of thousands and thousands of heads, eyes, bellies, hands! To Him who is the Source of countless avataras!
Glory! All glory to Him whose golden sperm resides in the skin pores of the Great Visnu!
Glory to Him who is the object of worship of the hymns of the Vedas!
Glory to Him from whom Brahma, Visnu and Siva spring!
Glory to Him as God of gods!
Glory! Glory! Glory to Him in pursuance of whose order the sun performs his journey, mounting the wheel of time!
Glory to Him who lies in an ocean of milk! From whose navel a golden lotus, the abode of Brahma, blossoms!
Glory to Him who exhales decillions of universes, inhales then exhales them again and again!
Glory to the Eternal Youth who sits on the Divine Throne! To His form of eternal effulgence and transcendental bliss!
Glory to His divine flute resonating from the touch of His lotus mouth!
Glory to that primeval Lord, the first progenitor! Glory to His abode of gems! To the thousands of goddesses who tend Him!
Glory! All glory to Sri Krsna’s figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds! All glory to His pink-bottom’d feet!
Glory to the peacock feathers in His hair! Glory! Glory to His lustrous limbs charming millions of cupids!
Glory to His legs! Glory to His arms! Glory to His loins! Glory to His chest, the abode of the Goddess Laksmi! Glory to the garland round His neck!
Glory! Glory! Glory! Glory to His eyes! Glory to His teeth! Glory to His throat! His Nose! His ears and cheeks!
Glory to His earrings and bangles! Glory to the moons of His fingers! Glory! All glory to His three-fold bending stance!
Glory to the gold of His dress, flashing like lightning!
All glory to His form of bliss! Glory to His form of truth, substantiality, dazzling splendor!
Glory! Glory to His pastimes of love! Glory to the prowess of His arms!
Glory to the mystery of His birth in the womb of Devaki!
Glory! All glory to His sucking the life from the breast of the Demoness Putana!
Gloryto His lotus, conchshell, mace and disc! Glory to His killing Trnavarta, the whirlwind demon!
Glory to His childhood pastimes! All glory to His revealing the universe in His mouth to Mother Yasoda!
Glory to His stealing butter! Glory to His deliverance of the sons of Kuvera!
Glory! All Glory to His killing countless horrendous demons! Bakasura! Aghasura! Sankhasura! Kesi and Vyomasura! Kamsa!
Glory to His expansions as the cowherd boys and calves! Glory to His subduing the great serpent Kaliya!
Glory to His inhaling the forest fire! Glory to His lifting Govardhana Hill with one finger! All glory to His saving Vrndavana from the torrents of Indra!
Glory to His stealing the garments of the bathing gopi girls! Glory! All glory to His holy and mysterious rasa dance!
Glory to His entrance into Mathura! To His countless miracles!
Glory to His defeating Kamsa’s mighty wrestlers! Glory! All glory to Balarama, His brother, equal in prowess, in strength!
Glory to His descent as Nrsimha, half-man half-beast, to destroy Hiranyakasipu!
Glory to Him as Varaha, the Primal Boar, who lifted the earth on His tusks!
Glory! All glory to His countless incarnations as tortoise, as fish, as Garuda-bird, and horse! As the moon! As Visnu! As Siva! As the celestial serpent Ananta! As the elephant Ganesa! As Yama, death!
Glory to His appearance as Vasudeva! Narada! As Vyasa! Vamana! Sukadeva! Lord Rama! Arjuna! Lord Buddha! Lord Jesus! Sankara!
Glory to His pure manifestation as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the most merciful golden avatar, the embodiment of pure love for Krsna!
Glory! Glory! Glory to His divine instructions at Kuruksetra! Glory to His universal form of unlimited eyes, mouths, heads, legs, bellies!
Glory to the all-pervading effulgence emanating from His Primeval Body!
All Glory to His eyes, the sun and moon! To His form that reaches the highest planets, that fills the spaces between!
Glory to His fiery mouths that devour all! Glory to Him of unbounded power, of limitless might!
Glory to Him as the beginning, middle and end of all! As being, nonbeing and that beyond! As the eternal Soul!
Glory! Glory! Glory! Glory to His ever blossoming Youth! Glory to His beauteous name—Krsna! Glory to the Tip of His Toe!
Glory to Him in the hearts of all! Glory to Him in His supreme planet! Glory to Him everywhere!
Glory, all glory to His Names sung by Gauranga, Lord Caitanya, by His disciples, Haridasa, Nityananda, Advaita, Srinivasa, Gadadhara, by the Gosvamis, Jiva, Rupa, Sanatana, Raghunatha! By their countless followers, all glorified!
Glory! Glory! Glory to our grand Gurus, Srila Bhaktivinode! Srila Gaur Kisore! Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati!
All glories to the assembled devotees!
Jai Sri Krsna!
All glories to the assembled devotees!
Jai Sri Krsna!
All glories to the assembled devotees!
Jai Sri Krsna!
All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga! Glories! Glories! Glories! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
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