Vibhavari Sesa Aloka Pravesa

Badahari Pr Bhajans - Prabhu Tava Pada Yuge

Africa — Woman of the Sun

Estou a brotar — a crescer — a florecer.
Raiz desce e sustenta o mundo.
Seiva sobe  com sua doçura 
E o círculo se assenta como pedra fundamental
onde cogumelos guardam segredos 
venenosos ou alucinógenos 

Este é o templo da terra.
Aqui sou a mãe que sustenta tudo.
Aqui sou como o leite, o mel e o ferrão.
Sou mesa, sou chão.
Eu contenho, eu acolho.

Vem, vem, vem, semente —
De que fruto você nasceu?

Toda pressa, projeto torto, o que for
se deitam sobre a areia:
Ou viram húmus que aduba
o que amanhã vira flor

Meu corpo se assenta.
Minhas entranhas se acomodam.
Meu peso vira apoio
Meu sistema purifica e imuniza
Cada músculo se desenvolve
Toda ferida cicatriza

Eu sou a força do trabalhador,
sou a riqueza do minério,
sou o telhado e a casca
sou a protetora do mistério.

Sou pedra, sou barro, sou grão,
sou nutriente que alimenta.
Sou pão quentinho, sou feijão,
sou camomila, café e menta.

Sou colina, vale e planície,
sou a grama, o arbusto, sou a copa
Sou a onça, a capivara, o inseto, o castor
Sou o lobo, a ovelha e o pastor

Sou o tesouro do rei
Sou a joia da rainha
Sou o rico, sou o plebeu
Sou tudo o que é meu

Sou o ciclo da vida
O touro e vaca
O panda e o bambu
Bom pra mim 
Bom pra tu

Sob a lua
Deita teu fardo.
Faz seu abrigo
Sob o sol
Trabalho árduo 
Estou contigo

Cheia de beleza e sabor
Meu reino é tudo que o sol toca
E foi assim por eras e eras
Se firme, concretize seu dom
Você acredita em paraíso na Terra?

Invocação da Terra

Bhakti Lalita Devi - Savarana-sri-gaura-mahima (gaurangera duti pada)

All Glory to Śrī Śrī Guru-Gaurāṅga! 

śrī-svarūpa-rāya-saṅga-gambhirāntya-līlanaṁ
dvādaśābda-vahni-garbha-vipralambha-śīlanam
rādhikādhirūḍha-bhāva-kānti-kṛṣṇa-kuñjaraṁ
prema-dhāma-devam eva naumi gaura-sundaram

“Diving deep into the reality of His own beauty and sweetness, Kṛṣṇa stole the mood of Rādhārāṇī and, garbing Himself in Her brilliant luster, appeared as Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu. For the last twelve years of His manifest Pastimes, He was deeply absorbed in the mood of union and separation, and shared His heart’s inner feelings with His most confidential devotees. In the agony of separation from Kṛṣṇa, volcanic eruptions of ecstasy flowed from His heart, and His teachings, known as Śikṣāṣṭakam, appeared from His lips like streams of golden lava. I fall at the feet of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu, the golden volcano of divine love.”

-Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj, "Śrī Śrī Prema-dhāma-deva-stotram” [54] 

Encoded in the ancient language of Sanskrit and expressing an intensity of divine love never before seen in this world, the deep meanings of the Śikṣāṣṭakam are an impenetrable treasure, inaccessible to anyone who cannot also feel what is expressed therein. Therefore, several hundred years after Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's appearance, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura crafted each verse into a Bengali song that clarifies and elaborates the meaning while exemplifying the feeling expressed in each. Song by song, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda illustrates the progression of the pure hearts’ love for Kṛṣṇa to the highest stages of union-in-separation. 

On this most auspicious occasion of Śrī Gaura-pūrṇimā, the divine appearance of Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu, we humbly present this offering of Śikṣāṣṭakam. Chanted in the traditional ragas by Bhakti Lalitā Devī, with mṛdaṅga played by Sudarshan Prabhu and karatals played by Anukrishna D.D. and Kanika D.D.;  brought to you by the tireless service of Anantadev Prabhu and with the much appreciated assistance of Gaura Govinda Prabhu at Theistic Media Studios; recording began during the holy month of Kartik when Śikṣāṣṭakam is customarily chanted. Cover design by Pavan Krishna Prabhu.

Sri-krishna-kirtane jodi manasa tohara

Bhaja Bhakata Vatsala (Bhoga - Arati)

Madhuri Pura - Water On A Lotus Leaf/ Bhaja Hu Re Mana

Nitai - Pada - Kamala - Malati And Makhanchor

Anupama Madhuri Jodi by Nalini Devi Dasi
Harmonium: Krsna Krpa Dasa
Mrdanga: Ramananda Das
Kartalas: Abhay Caran Das
and London devotees singing

A kirtan from a collection of songs under the guidance of Srila Bhaktivedanta Vana Maharaja in London - December of 2019

Anupama Madhuri Jodi - Nalini  - 06.12.2019 - Hall Program - London

This beautiful recording of the traditional bhajan Nitai Pada Kamala was recorded by Ramdas Abhiram Das (Kevin Yee) at his painting studio in Florence, Italy.

He sang and played all the instruments on this piece - flute, santoor, sarod, tabla and more, and recorded it himself layer by layer on a simple 8-track recorder.

This beautiful recording has never been publically released, but is uploaded with a desire to share the lesser known, but no less sublime, creative work of this lifelong devotional artist, who passed away in July 2020.

I feel extremely indebted to Ramdas and his wife Dhrti, for their many decades of artistic service. Their paintings have offered inspiration and spiritual connection to countless people all over the world, and as teachers, they have gifted their students with instructions to be treasured for life.

I was grateful to study with them for a month in India in 2007. Though many years ago, the experience is one I have returned to time and time again for fresh inspiration and guidance.

More on Ramdas:
Born in 1951 in Maui, Hawaii, as Kevin Albert Yee, Ramdas Abhiram Das, graduated with a degree in Fine Art from California State University at Fullerton. He began his career by doing illustration work, first for an international publishing company and later for the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT). In 1980 he relocated to Florence, Italy, where he studied at the Academia de Siena and the Academia de Arte Firenze and learnt the art and techniques of fresco and egg tempera. He was the Art Director for the Italian BBT for six years. Though trained initially in classical art and illustration, over the years he has developed his own style, marked for its spontaneity and mystique. Narratives set amidst nature, he has painted more than 300 oil paintings and his work has been exhibited in Italy, France, Belgium, England, South Africa, and India.

Teaching in India: vimeo.com/58238789

To view more of the artistic work of Ramdas and Dhrti: www.sosacredart.com