Poem: JAGANNATHA SWAMI

PERFORMED BY SWAMI JAGANNATH, LESS EARTHLY HANDS AND FEET.
A CONCERT OF HIS FLUTE SONG IN VRAJA'S GROVES SO SWEET.
DOWN BY JAMUNA'S BANKS HE GOES TO KISS THE NECTAR PETALS.
OF EVERY GOPI'S LOTUS LIPS WHEREVER MADHU SETTLES.
LAKSHMI, SIVA, BRAHMA, INDRA, AT HIS FEET THE LIE.
MAY JAGANNATHA SWAMI BE THE OBJECT OF MY EYE.

WHO KNOWS THE FORTUNE OF THE FLUTE WHO HEARS ALL THAT IS SAID.
PEACOCK FEATHERS TURBAN RIDE UPON HIS SACRED HEAD.
YELLOW SILKS ADORN HIS HIPS WHILE EYES DART HERE AND THERE.
GLANCING ON HIS DEVOTEES BESTOWING JOY SO RARE.
JAGANNATH REVEALS HIMSELF AS VRAJA'S TREASURED PRIZE.
MAY JAGANNATHA SWAMI BE THE OBJECT OF MY EYES.

ON TOP OF BLUEST NILACAL UPON THE GOLDEN SHORE
A PALACE SITS MAJESTICALLY WITH THREE WHOM WE ADORE.
BLACK JAGANNATH WITH EYES THAT BEAM. MY LORD IF YOU SHOULD SEE THEM.
WHITE BALABHADRA SHINING BRIGHT WITH SUBHADRA BETWEEN THEM.
ALL GODLY SOULS KNOW HE BESTOWS THE OPPORTUNITY.
MAY JAGANNATH PLEASE KINDLY GIVE HIS DARSHAN SOON TO ME.

LIKE A MIGHTY RAINCLOUD BRINGS THE DESERT BACK TO LIFE
SO THE SWAMI'S BLACKISH RAINCLOUD ENDS OUR WORLDLY STRIFE.
LAKSHMI ,SARASWATI DEVI'S SERVE HIM ENDLESSLY.
FOR HE'S THE MIGHTY STOREHOUSE OF ALL LOVING ECSTACY.
HIS FACE A FULL BLOWN LOTUS ,THE UPANISHADS ATTEST.
THE DEMIGODS AND SAGES PROCLAIM HIM THE BEST OF BEST.
FOR THOSE OF US STILL UNCONVINCED IT'S TIME FOR THIS DECISION.
MAY JAGANNATHA SWAMI BE THE OBJECT OF OUR VISION.

MOVING THROUGH THE THRONGS OF BRAHMINS, HIGH UPON THEIR CARTS
SONGS OF PRAISE SPRING FROM THEIR LIPS BORNE OF THEIR GRATEFUL HEARTS.
AND PLEASED TO HEAR SUCH HEARTFELT WORDS, HIS FAVOUR FLOWS TOWARD THEM
AND BLESSES ALL WITH ENDLESS LOVE THAT HE ALONE AWARDS THEM.
DINA BANDHU, JAGAT PATE, KARUNA SINDHU YOU ARE.
MAY LAKSHMI AND HER LORD BECOME MY MORN AND EVENING STAR.

LORD JAGANNATH, WHOSE EYES RESEMBLE LOTUSES IN BLOOM.
THE ORNAMENTS OF BRAHMADEVA AND EVERY DEVA'S BOON
LIVES ON THE HILL NAMED NILACAL BESIDE THE SALTY SEA.
AND GIVES TO SRI ANANTADEV HIS FOOT DUST TENDERLY.
OVERWHELMED BY RADHA'S LOVE AND COOLING GOLDEN FRAME
MAY JAGANNATH'S SWEET DARSHAN BE ALL JIVA'S RIGHTFUL CLAIM.

I DO NOT PRAY FOR KINGDOMS, NOT FOR GOLD,RUBIES OR WEALTH.
A BEAUTEOUS WIFE OR LONG-DRAWN LIFE OR FAME CONCERNED WITH SELF.
LORD SIVA SINGS YOUR PRAISES AND YOUR GLORIES FROM ON HIGH
MAY JAGANNATHA SWAMI BE THE EMBLEM OF MY EYE.

OH DEVA DEVA PLEASE REMOVE ME FROM THIS TALE OF WOE.
OH YADAVA PATE TRULY I'M LOWEST OF THE LOW.
THEY SAY THAT YOU BESTOW YOUR GRACE ON THOSE WHO FEEL THE NEED.
TO SEEK EXCLUSIVE SHELTER IN THEIR EVER'Y THOUGHT AND DEED.
I PRAY FOR COURAGE TO DEPART THIS MISERABLE CONDITION.
MAY JAGANNATHA SWAMI BE THE OBJECT OF MY VISION..

Jayadev

Sweet Love

This video was shot in South London at a friends flat. I am on the balcony singing and fooling around with the shoes, guitars, harmonica and Jagannath umbrella.

Jagannath is an exquisitely unique form of Krsna, who, (when he's not being spun two hundred feet up in the air) lives in his own palatial 350ft domed temple set upon the golden sands on the shore of the Indian ocean in Orissa. The song is about the "stuff" that distracts us from our inherent spritual bliss that comes from realization of him.

He is actually not only present in his Indian temple and on the balcony in the colourful fabric of the umbrella but also in every atom that is scattered throughout the universe at one and the same time. More interestingly for us, he is also situated in each and every living entities heart. He has many names Allah, Buddah, Jehovah, Rama.  He is also known as Kaliakanbhu that  supreme friend who, regardless of how we approach him, accepts the mood and approach of that worshipper. How munificent is Jagannath. He is the King of Orissa. The King of Hearts, and the King of Smile.

He's worth checking out.

Radha Krishna prana mora

Radha Krsna Prana Mora is a deeply devotional song written by the medieval saint Narottam das Thakur. I have taken the liberty of putting my own "westernised" melody to it's sublime words. The lyric expresses the profound longing of Narottama to  personally serve his beloved Radha and Krsna in the wonderful setting of their forest home of Vrndavan. In his meditation he dreams of seating the divine couple down on a jewelled throne located in a forest of small Kadamba trees down by the sacred Yamuna river.