THE GLORIES OF THE LORD'S DAILY PASTIMES

1. sri-gauranga-mahaprabhos-caranayor ya kesa-sesadibhih
sevagamyataya sva-bhakta-vihita sanyair-yaya labhyate
tam tan-manasikim smrtim prathayitum bhavyam sada sattamair
naumi pratyahikam tadiya-caritam sriman-navadvipa-jam

Devotional service to the lotus feet of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu is far beyond the perception of Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, Lord Sesa-naga and the rest; but it is continually indulged in by the Lord's own devotees, and it is always available to other souls as well. Now I will begin my description of the process of manasi-seva (service to the Lord executed within the mind). This process is fit for continuous remembrance by the most virtuous sages. Therefore I offer my most respectful obeisances to the eternal daily life and pastimes of the Lord born in Navadvipa.

BRIEF CODES DESCRIBING HIS DAILY SCHEDULE

2. ratryante sayanotthitah sura-sarit-snato vabhau yah prage
purvahne sva-ganair-lasaty upavane-tair-bhati madhyahnake
yah puryam-aparahnake nija-grhe sayam grhe 'thangane
srivasasya nisamukhe nisi vasan gaurah sa no raksatu

At the end of night (before sunrise), Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gets up from His bed, stretches His body, talks with His wife and washes His face; (2) in the morning, He is massaged with oil and bathes in the celestial Ganges river, then worships Lord Vishnu; (3) in the forenoon period, He enjoys discussing topics about Lord Krishna with His devotees during visits to their homes; (4) at midday, He enjoys pastimes in the gardens on the bank of the Ganges; (5) in the afternoon, He wanders about the town of Navadvipa, sporting with all the residents; (6) at dusk, he returns home to worship Lord Vishnu and perform other rituals; (7) in the evening, He goes with His associates to the courtyard of Srivasa Pandita to chant the holy names and dance in ecstasy; (8) and at night, He returns home to go to sleep. May this Lord Gaura protect us all.

PERIOD 1 (3:36 - 6:00 A.M.) : PASTIMES AT THE END OF THE NIGHT

3. ratryante pika-kukkutadi-ninadam strutva sva-talpotthitah
sri-visnu-priyaya samam rasa-katham sambhasya santosya tam
gatva 'nyatra dharasanopari vasan svad-bhih sudhautanano
yo matradi-bhir-iksito 'ti-muditas tam gauram-adhyemy-aham

At the end of the night, upon hearing the pleasant sounds made by many birds such as the cuckoos, the roosters, and others, Sri Gaura arises from His bed. With His wife, Sri Vishnu Priya, He discusses many topics concerning the transcendental mellows of Their mutual loving affairs, and thus They become very pleased. Then He gets up and goes to another room, wherein He sits upon a raised sitting place and is assisted by His devotees in washing His lotus face with nicely scented water. Thereafter, He very happily visits His mother, Sri Saci Devi, as well as other friends and relatives in the home. I meditate thus on the daily pastimes of Sri Gaura-sundara.

PERIOD 2 (6:00-8:24 A.M.) : MORNING PASTIMES

4. pratah svah sariti sva-parsada-vrtah snatva prasun-adi-bhis
tam sampujya grhita-caru-vasanah srak-candan-alankrtah
krtva visnu-samarcan-adi sa-gano bhuktv-annam-acamya ca
dvitram canya-grhe sukam svapiti yas tam gauram-adhyemy-aham

In the morning, after sunrise, the Lord goes with His associates to bathe in the Ganges river. While bathing, they also worship mother Ganges by offering flowers, incense, and other presentations. After this, they come onto the bank of the river, where He is dressed with exquisite cloth and decorated with fresh flower garlands, sandalwood paste and other ornaments. Then they all return to His home in order to perform opulent worship of Lord Vishnu, as well as other rituals, after which they partake of the foodstuffs which were offered to Lord Vishnu. After washing His hands and mouth, Lord Gaura goes into another room to rest very happily for awhile. I meditate thus on the daily pastimes of Sri Gaura-hari.

PERIOD 3 (8:24-10:48) : FORENOON PASTIMES

5. purvahne sayanotthitah su-payasa praksalya vaktr-ambujam
bhaktaih sri-hari-nama-kirtana-paraih sarddham svayam kirtayan
bhaktanam bhavane 'pi ca sva-bhavane kridan-nrnam vardhayaty-
anandam pura-vasinam ya urudha tam gauram-adhyemy-aham

Upon the arrival of the forenoon period, the Lord gets up from His nap and stretches His body. Then he washes His lotus face with sweetly scented water. Meeting with His devotees, who are all very fond of chanting Sri Hari-nama-kirtana, He personally tastes and relishes the chanting of the holy names. Thus He sports, sometimes in the homes of various devotees, and sometimes in His own home. It this way, He increases the ecstatic pleasure of all the townspeople to limitless heights. I meditate thus on the daily pastimes of Sri Gaura-chandra.

PERIOD 4 (10:48 A.M. - 3:36 P.M.) : MIDDAY PASTIMES

6. madhyahne saha taih sva-parsada-ganaih samkirtayad-bhir-bhrsam
sadvaitendu-gadadharah kila saha-srilavadhuta-prabhuh
arame mrdu-marutaih sisiritair-bhrnga-dvijair-nadite
svam vrnda-vipinam smaran bhrahmati yas tam gauram-adhyemy-aham

During the midday period, Lord Caitanya continues to enjoy the performance of intensely enthusiastic chanting and dancing, surrounded by His own dear devotees such as the moon-like Advaita Acarya, Gadadhara Pandita, and the divine madman Srila Nityananda Prabhu. Afterwards, they all wander throughout the gardens and groves on the bank of the Ganges, where they enjoy the sweet cooling breezes from the river. Hearing the pleasant sounds of the bumblebees in those gardens, the Lord remembers His own ecstatic pastimes of Radha and Krishna as they are occurring simultaneously in His own forest of Vrndavana. I meditate thus on the daily pastimes of Sri Gauranga.

PERIOD 5 (3:36-6:00 P.M.) : AFTERNOON PASTIMES

7. yah sriman-aparahnake saha-ganais tais-tadrsaih premavams-
ta-drksu svayam apyalam tri-jagatam sarmani vistarayan
aramattata eti paura-janata-caksus-cakorodupo
matra dvari-mudeksito nija-grham tam gauram-adhyemy-aham

During the splendidly beautiful afternoon period, the Lord and His devotees become equally maddened in ecstatic love, and being ornamented like this, they expand every-increasing ripples of auspicious benefit for all the three worlds. In this mood, they leave the gardens and travel back toward His home. On the way, they satisfy the eyes of all the townspeople, just as the moon satisfies the cakora bird with its moonbeams. Reaching home, the Lord is lavished with loving attentions by His mother. I thus meditate on the daily pastimes of Gaura.

PERIOD 6 (6:00-8:24) : SUNSET PASTIMES

8. yas-tri-srotasi sayam-apta-nivahaih snatva pradipali-bhih
puspadyais ca samarcitah kalita-sat-pattambarah srag-dharah
visnos-tat-samay-arcanam ca krtavan dipali-bhis taih samam
bhuktv-annani su-vitikam api tatha tam gauram-adhyemy-aham

At dusk, the Lord bathes with His dear friends in the river Ganges, who flows in three parts. They devoutly worship the Ganges by offering ghee lamps, flowers, and other articles. Afterwards, the Lord puts on fresh silken clothes and is adorned with flower garlands and other decorations. Then, He worships Lord Vishnu by performing the evening arati ceremony, offering ghee lamps and other articles. Afterwards, He and His friends partake of the foodstuffs and betal nuts that were offered to Lord Vishnu. I thus meditate on the daily pastimes of Lord Gaura.

PERIOD 7 (8:24-10:48 P.M.) : EVENING PASTIMES

9. yah srivasa-grhe pradosa-samaye hy-advaita-candradi-bhih
sarvair-bhakta-ganaih samam hari-katha-piyusam-asvadayan
premananda-samakulas-catula-dhih samkirtane-lampatah
kartum kirtanam-urdhvam-udyama-paras tam gauram-adhyemy-aham

In the evening time, the Lord goes to the home of Srivasa Pandita, accompanied by Srila Advaita-chandra and other dear associates. Meeting with the multitude of His devotees, He tastes and relishes the nectar of topics concerning Lord Hari, and His mind becomes most agitated with the ecstasies of pure love of Godhead. Then, becoming very lustful to relish the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord, He orchestrates the performance of intensely jubilant sankirtana which attains the summit of passionate glorification of the holy names. I thus meditate on the daily pastimes of Sri Gaura-sundara.

PERIOD 8 (10:48 P.M. - 3:36 A.M.) : MIDNIGHT PASTIMES

10. srivas-angana avrto nija-ganaih sarddham prabhu-bhyam natann-
uccais-tala-mrdanga-vadana-parair gayad-bhir-ullasayan
bhramyan srila-gadadharena sahito naktam vibhaty-adbhutam
svagare sayanalaye svapiti yas tam gauram-adhyemy-aham

Continuing well into the night, the Lord dances and dances in the courtyard of Srivasa, surrounded by His most intimate devotees. His most ecstatic sing is accompanied by His devotees who are expert in playing rhythms loudly on the mridanga drums. He wanders and dances with Sri Gadadhara Prabhu in the most astonishinng way, througout the night, until just before dawn. Then He returns to His own home, where retires to His bedchamber and falls asleep with His wife. I thus meditate on the daily pastimes of Sri Gaura-nataraja.

THE BENEFIT OF RECITING THIS PRAYER

11. sri-gauranga-vidhoh sva-dhamani navadvipe 'sta-kalodbhavam
bhavyam bhavya-janena gokula-vidhor-lila-smrter-aditah
lilam dyotayad-etad-atra dasakam prityanvito yah pathet
tam prinati sadaiva yah karunaya tam gauram-adhyemy-aham

Sri Gauranga, the Moon over Navadvipa, is manifest in His own abode during eight periods of each day and every day. His pastimes should be remembered by meditative devotees before they remember the pastimes of Sri Krishna, the Moon over Gokula. If someone lovingly reads or recites the Lord's eternal daily pastimes as they are illuminated in the ten verses of this prayer, then the Lord is immensely pleased with that person, by His own merciful compassion. I thus meditate on the daily pastimes of Sri Gaurachandra.

Reprinted with permission from Krsna Prema Vani magazine, Vol. 2, No. 2, March, 1995. Copyright Hari Nama Mission, Badger, California.

Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.