New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

by mrupa

Amburish, the pre-eminent New Vrindavana cowherd boy, wrote this song as part of our Govardhan Puja celebration one year.

Each year the devotees would spend a few days cleaning and whitewashing the barn at Bahulavana.

Amburish had trained the cow herd to come into the barn for milking and feeding when he played the Govindam prayers. The cows would all be bunched up out back of the barn. And when the song came over the loudspeaker, it would be quite an impressive sight as all the mothers would gently trot into the barn each one going to her own stall to begin eating and patiently waiting to be milked.

On Govardhana Puja days, the stalls would be decorated and there would be streamers twined around the pillars of the barn.

Devotees would feed the cows special cow ‘sweetballs’ made of grains and molasses, that the mothers would eagerly gobble up out of your hand.

While some devotees fed cows, others, including many of the children, would be decorating the cows themselves with handprints and other symbols of tumeric. Still others would be offering Deity garlands around the cows’ necks. The cows would really like to nibble on the garlands after their massive sweets.

There would be an arotike offered to the cows while they happily munched and enjoyed the attention and grooming of the blissed out devotees. The whole atmosphere was surcharged with gentle joy. Plus a few high jinx as friends occasionally took the opportunity to decorate each other with a pat on the back or two of cow dung.

Anyway the song Amburish wrote is made up entirely of the names of the cows who were in the barn at New Vrindavana at the time except of course for the refrain as the last line of each verse meant to glorify the cows’ service and special place in Krsna’s affection.

SURABHI OF VRINDABAN

By Amburish Das

(sung to the tune of the Deity Greeting Govinda prayers)

Surabhi Lila Sita Sakti Apeksaniya
Yasoda Raja Madri Bhara Gunarnavasya
Sudevi Desa Rasa Puja Subhadra Mehru
Govindam adi purusam tam aham bhajami

Davagni Raktak Dvipa Reme Rukmini Deva
Manjari Bhumi Devahuti Madhurya-lila
Apara Bala Padma Kutas Vendanta Usa
Govindam adi purusam tam aham bhajami

Vrindabanesvari Prajapati Pancajanya
Trnad-api Sunita Gokula Brijabasi
Govindaji Isani Sala Ananda Bhima
Govindam adi puausam tam aham bhajami

Goloka Bhaktams Lolupasya Santusta Reti
Sadaiva Partha Indradeva Bhava Indranila
Krsangi Maha Varsabhanaji Parijata
Govindam adi purusam tam aham bhajami

Sri Haribolananda Rohini Navadvipa
Taror-api Kutila Bhava Sri Devanagai
Radhika Saci Smarane Cancala Vaibhava
Govindam adi purusam tam aham bhajami

Yamuna Kamadhuk Kaliya Sri Himavati
Siddhanta Satya Sarasvati Rukmini Dodya
Purana Bhadra Dvarakadhama Basya Sukla Pritha
Govindam adi purusam tam aham bhajami

Cintamani Sri Satyabhama Sri Vrajabhumi
Srngara Mangala Sri Salagram Suci Bhava
Laksmana Bela Vraja Dhimahi Aravinda
Govindam adi purusam tam aham bhajami