Rupa Goswami was born in 1489 and died in 1564. The Chief of the six Goswamis of Vrndavana who directly followed Lord Chaitanya was recognized as a great scholar and devotee of Lord Shri Krishna. With his older brother, Sanatana Goswami, he has already been a senior officer under Hussain Shah. However, after meeting Lord Chaitanya, the two brothers left their posts to devote themselves to the systematic presentation of Lord Chaitanya’s teachings by discovering Lord Krishna’s places of entertainment; to install deities and to establish one’s worship; write devotional literature; and teach the rules of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. Srila Rupa Goswami has written many books, including Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu (“The Nectar of Devotion”), which describes the essence of all the scriptures concerning bhakti-yoga.
Shri Vrajanavinayuvadvandvashtakam in English:
sri radhakrsnau jayatah ।
adurvidha vidagdhataspada vimugdha vesa sriyor
amanda sikhikandhara kanaka nindi vasas tvisoh
sphurat purata ketakr kusuma vibhramabhra prabha
nibhanga mahasor bhaje vraja navrna yunor yugam || 1 ||
samrddha vidhu madhurr vidhurata vidhanoddhurair
navamburuha ramyata mada viḍambanarambhibhih
vilimpad iva varnakavali sahodarair dik tatrr
mukha dyuti bharair bhaje vraja navrna yunor yugam || 2 ||
vilasa kalahoddhati skhalad amanda sindura bhag
akharva madanankusa prakara vibhramair ankitam
madoddhuram ivebhayor mithunam ullasad vallarr
grhotsava ratam bhaje vraja navrna yunor yugam || 3 ||
ghana pranaya nirjhara prasara labdha purter mano
hradasya parivahitam anusaradbhir asraih plutam
sphurat tanu ruhankurair nava kadamba jrmbha sriyam
vrajat tad anisam bhaje vraja navrna yunor yugam || 4 ||
ananga rana vibhrame kim api bibhrad acaryakam
mithas calad drg añcala dyuti salakaya krlitam
jagaty atula dharmabhir madhura narmabhis tanvator
mitho vijayitam bhaje vraja navrna yunor yugam || 5 ||
adrsta cara caturr cana caritra citrayitaih
saha pranayibhir janair viharamanayor kanane
paraspara mano mrgam sravana caruna carcarr
cayena rajayad bhaje vraja navrna yunor yugam || 6 ||
maranda bhara mandira prati navaravindavalr
sugandhini viharayor jala vihara visphurjitaih
tape sarasi vallabhe salila vadya vidya vidhau
vidagdha bhujayor bhaje vraja navrna yunor yugam || 7 ||
mrsa vijaya kasibhih kalita caturr rasibhih
glahasya haranam hathat prakatayadbhir uccair gira
tad aksa kali daksayoh kalita paksayoh saksibhih
kulaih sva suhrdam bhaje vraja navrna yunor yugam || 8 ||
idam valita tustayah paripathanti padyastakam
dvayor guna vikasi ye vraja navrna yunor janah
muhur nava navodayam pranaya madhurrm etayor
avapya nivasanti te pada saroja yugmantike || 9 ||
iti sri rupagosvamiviracitastavamalayam
sri vrajanavinayuvadvandvastakam sampurnam ।
Shri Vraja Navina Yuva Dvandva Astakam Meaning:
I worship Radha and Krsna, the youthful couple of Vraja, who are full of all beauty, charm, and cleverness. Radha’s splendid garments eclipse the deep blue color of a peacock’s throat, and Krsna’s eclipse gold. Radha’s splendid bodily complexion resembles the color of a golden daffodil, while Krsna’s resembles a charming monsoon cloud. || 1 ||
I worship Radha and Krsna, the youthful couple of Vraja. The abundance of Their faces’ splendor acts like a great mass of pigments, perfuming everything in all directions. Thus it fully eclipses the loveliness of the full moon and mocks the pride of a fresh lotus. || 2 ||
I worship Radha and Krsna, the youthful couple of Vraja, who shook off a great abundance of red sindura powder in Their playful quarrel, who are like two proud, splendid elephants playfully marked by Kamadeva’s great goad, and who are intent on enjoying a festival of transcendental amorous pastimes in the cottage of vines. || 3 ||
I worship Radha and Krsna, the youthful couple of Vraja, who are flooded with tears of joy flowing from Their hearts’ lakes, which are filled by the swiftly flowing mountain streams of Their intense love for each other, and who, the hairs of Their bodies standing up with bliss, have become as splendid as blossoming kadamba flowers. || 4 ||
I worship Radha and Krsna, the youthful couple of Vraja, who, both inexpressibly great teachers in the pastimes of amorous battle, first wound each other with the arrows of the splendor of Their restless sidelong glances, and finally defeat each other with sweet joking words that have no equal in the entire world. || 5 ||
I worship Radha and Krsna, the youthful couple of Vraja, who enjoy transcendental pastimes in the forest with Their affectionate friends, who are all expert at very wonderful playfulness. Radha and Krsna delight the deer and doe of each other’s hearts with rhythmic clapping very pleasing to the ear. || 6 ||
I worship the youthful couple of Vraja, who, Their arms expert at graceful rhythmic splashing, during the hot summer boisterously enjoy water pastimes in Their favorite lake. That lake is fragrant with many freshly blossomed lotuses that are great palaces filled with sweet flower-nectar. || 7 ||
I worship the youthful couple of Vraja, who skillfully quarrel in the dice-game while Their expert friends, taking sides, witness the game, loudly proclaim victory for their respective sides, and forcibly take the wagered prizes. || 8 ||
Those who take pleasure in reading these eight verses, which blossom with the transcendental qualities of Radha and Krsna, the youthful couple of Vraja, will attain the ever-fresh sweetness of pure transcendental love and reside near the Divine Couple’s lotus feet. || 9 ||
