Translation (with Creative Interpretation) of the Second Verse of the Nama Ghosa

yara rama krsna nama-      nave bhavasindhu tari

pave parampada papi yata

sadananda sanatana                        henaya krsnaka sada

upasa karoho hrdayata

yannamadheyena bhavabdhimanjasa tarya samuttirya narah param padam

prapnoti patakyapi tam sanatanam sada sadanandamupasmahe hrdi

By means of whose name-boat ‘Rama-Krsna’, crossing the ocean of worldly existence (bhava sindhu),

all sinners obtain supreme-destination (parampada); eternal, ever-joyous, such a Krsna,

in my heart I always worship. 2

This verse, the critical edition indicates, is also quoted by Sankaradeva in his Bhakti Ratnakara (v. 1).

If you say, O Lord, “Ah! But won’t forsaking all the prescribed acts and writ-dictates—the karmas of the Vedas—make you a sinner (papi)?” then, O my Lord, please listen: your names ‘Rama’ and ‘Krsna’ are extremely simple and easy to pronounce; they consist of so few aksaras or syllables! And yet they are the only boat—the only means— by which one can cross the colossal and extremely uncrossable ocean of this God-concealed-dross-revealed state of material existence (bhava sindhu). Boarding this very boat ‘Rama-Krsna’, Lord, all the sinners (papis)— including myself—fallen into the ignorance of material nature (maya), due to our supreme original sin (papa) of neglect of your service, my Lord, will effortlessly traverse, without any travail, this fearsome bhava sindhu and, reaching the shore of the God-revealed-maya-neutralized state of spiritual existence, feel the transcendental nectar-like joy of pure devotion that obtains in your ever-blissful, eternal supreme abode (vaikuntha).

            If you will say, ‘Such a pure devotion is fine in vaikuntha—I am present there in person—but where in this material world would you find me, the one who is transcendent, to do such a worship (upasana), such pure devotion to me? Are you going to ‘call’ me into any material statue (murti) or something like that?’ Then listen, my Lord: I have found you, the transcendent one, residing in person in the heart of all creatures. I am not in need of any murti because I have come to know that you are staying in the heart (hrdaya) of all living entities. O eternal, ever-joyous Krsna, staying in the company of your pure devotees, I now celebrate your glory in name and song, O omnipresent, immanent supreme pure personality (paramatma)!