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Song Lyrics: ISKCON Pranamas (Vande
‘Ham Sri Guroh [Mangalacarana])
Purport Author: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
January 8, 1969 Los Angeles, CA, USA
Vande 'ham means "I am
offering my respectful obeisances." Vande. V-a-n-d-e. Vande means
"offering my respectful obeisances." Aham. Aham means "I."
Vande 'ham śrī-gurūn, all the gurus, or spiritual masters. The
offering of respect direct to the spiritual master means offering respect to
all the previous ācāryas. Gurūn means plural number. All the
ācāryas, they are not different from one another. Because they are
coming in the disciplic succession from the original spiritual master and they
have no different views, therefore, although they are many, they are one. Vande
'ham śrī-gurūn śrī-yuta-pada-kamalam.
Śrī-yuta means "with all glories, with all opulence."
Pada-kamalam, "lotus feet." Offering of respect to the superior
begins from the feet, and blessing begins from the head. That is the system.
The disciple offers his respect by touching the lotus feet of the spiritual
master, and the spiritual master blesses the disciple by touching his head.
Therefore it is said, "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus
feet of all the ācāryas.'' Śrī-yuga-pada-kamalaṁ
śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca. Gurūn
means spiritual master, and vaiṣṇavāṁś ca means all
their followers, devotees of Lord.
Spiritual master means they
must have many followers. They are all Vaiṣṇavas. They are called
prabhus, and the spiritual master is called prabhupāda because on his
lotus feet there are many prabhus. Pada means lotus foot. So all these Vaiṣṇavas,
they are all prabhus. So they are also offered respectful Not that the
spiritual master alone, but along with his associates. And these associates are
all Vaiṣṇavas, his disciples. They are also devotees of the Lord;
therefore they should also be offered respectful obeisances. This is the
process. Then śrī-rūpam. The spiritual master is descending from
the Six Gosvāmīs. Out of the Six Gosvāmīs, Śrī
Rūpa Gosvāmī and his elder brother Sanātana
Gosvāmī are heading the list. Śrī-rūpaṁ
sāgrajātam. Agrajātam means his elder brother, eldest brother.
Śrī-rupaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitam.
They are also associated with other Gosvāmīs, two Raghunāthas, raghunāthān,
plural number. There were Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and
Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. Then Śrī
Jīva Gosvāmī. So all they are offered respected obeisances one
after another.
And after finishing
respectful obeisances to the spiritual master and the Gosvāmīs, then
we approach Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya is also approached with His
associates. Sāvadhūtam, sādvaitam. Sa means "with.''
Advaita, Advaita Gosai. And avadhūta means Nityānanda. So with
Advaita and with Nityānanda, the offering goes to the Lord, Śrī
Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So after finishing all these obeisances one after
another, according to the system, then śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān,
then we approach Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa
is also associate. Kṛṣṇa is associated with
Rādhārāṇī, and He (she?) is associated with Her
immediate companions like Lalitā, Viśākhā, and others. So
this is the process of offering respectful obeisances to the Deity. We cannot
approach Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa directly. We have to approach
through the spiritual master, through the Gosvāmīs, through the
associates of Lord Caitanya. Then we approach Rādhā, then Kṛṣṇa.
If one approaches Kṛṣṇa through this channel of disciplic
succession, his efforts becomes successful. Otherwise, if he wants to approach
Kṛṣṇa directly, it will be futile endeavor.
UPDATED:
April 1, 2009