What is Savarana Sri Gaura Mahima about?

It is Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Bengali bhajan glorifying Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu — Lord Krishna in His most merciful form, who freely distributes love of God in Kali-yuga.

When is this bhajan typically sung?

On Gaura-Purnima, during Sunday Feast kirtans, before Bhagavatam class, and any time devotees gather to glorify Lord Chaitanya.

Why glorify Lord Chaitanya specifically?

Because Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna Himself in the role of His own devotee, distributing Krishna-prema even to the most fallen souls in this age.

← Back to Bhajans

Savarana Sri Gaura Pada-Padme

A Prayer to the Lotus Feet of Sri Gauranga from Prarthana

Sanskrit Verses

Verse 1

sri-krishna-caitanya prabhu doya koro more toma bina ke doyalu jagat-samsare

Verse 2

patita-pavana-hetu tava avatara mo sama patita prabhu na paibe ara

Verse 3

ha ha prabhu nityananda, premananda sukhi kripabalokana koro ami boro duhkhi

Verse 4

doya koro sita-pati adwaita gosai tava kripa-bale pai caitanya-nitai

Translation

1) My dear Lord Caitanya, please be merciful to me, because who can be more merciful than Your Lordship within these three worlds?

2) Your incarnation is just to reclaim the conditioned, fallen souls, but I assure You that You will not find a greater fallen soul than me. Therefore, my claim is first.

3) My dear Lord Nityananda, You are always joyful in spiritual bliss. Since You always appear very happy, I have come to You because I am most unhappy. If You kindly put Your glance over me, then I may also become happy.

4) My dear Advaita Prabhu, husband of Sita, You are so kind. Please be merciful to me. If You are kind to me, naturally Lord Caitanya and Nityananda will also be kind to me.

Spiritual Significance

Savarana Sri Gaura Pada-padme ("Taking shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Gauranga") is a heart-melting prayer in which Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura simultaneously appeals to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Advaita Acharya and Sri Sita Thakurani for mercy. The prayer's logic is breathtaking: "I am the most fallen, therefore I qualify for Your mercy more than anyone else, because You descended precisely to deliver the fallen."

Scriptural Source & Tradition

The bhajan is from Prarthana, the prayer anthology of Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura — a foremost disciple of Sri Lokanatha Goswami. Prarthana, along with Prema-bhakti- chandrika, is studied by every serious Gaudiya Vaishnava because Narottama Dasa was personally empowered by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (as recorded in Bhakti-ratnakara) to expand the sankirtan movement in northern India.

Commentary from the Acharyas

Srila Prabhupada loved to quote this song to explain the principle of "patita-pavana" — the deliverer of the fallen. He often said, "If you are not fallen, what is the need of Krishna's mercy? Because we are fallen, His mercy is meaningful." This song captures that mood perfectly.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura wrote that singing doya koro sita-pati advaita gosai is especially potent because Sri Advaita Acharya is the very person who summoned Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to descend by His loud cries and offerings of Ganga water and Tulasi leaves. Pleasing Advaita Acharya means securing Mahaprabhu's mercy automatically.

When to Sing / Chant

During Gaura-arati, after the offering of incense and lamp
On Gaura Purnima — the appearance day of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
On Nityananda Trayodashi and Advaita Saptami
Whenever one feels disqualified, unworthy or hopeless in sadhana
Before approaching Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai deities for darshan

Benefits for the Devotee

Removes the discouragement that the soul feels in Kali-yuga
Invokes the combined mercy of the entire Pancha-tattva
Cultivates the perfect mood of a sadhaka — humility blended with hope
Especially powerful for those who feel their bhakti is weak or inconsistent
A daily reminder that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mission is for everyone

Gratitude to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

We offer our humble obeisances at the lotus feet of our founder-acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, without whose causeless mercy the priceless prayers, bhajans and sacred literature of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition would have remained inaccessible to most of the world. By his herculean preaching efforts, his unparalleled translations and his founding of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), the holy names, pastimes and instructions of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu are today chanted in every town and village.

nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracharine
nirvishesha-shunyavadi-pashchatya-desha-tarine

All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to the Vaishnava acharyas in the disciplic succession.