Sri Sankalpa Kalpadrumah - English

"Today I am most joyful to be able to present this Hindi edition of Sri Sankalpa-kalpadrumah to the faithful reader. This scripture is composed by the crown jewel among Sri Gaudiya Vaisnava acaryas, the greatly learned scholar, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. Just as Srila Jiva Gosvami’s Sri Sankalpa-kalpadrumah is like a table of contents of the pastimes described in his Sri Gopala-campuh, this book by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti is like an index of his own Sri Krsna-bhavanamrta. This Sri Sankalpakalpadrumah is originally the twenty-first prayer of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura’s Sri Stavamrta-lahari. Although many editions of Sri Sankalpa-kalpadrumah are available in Bengali and Hindi, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Bengali translation, on which we have mainly based this present Hindi edition, is from various points of view unequalled. This particular translation will enable the learned devotees in the line of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura to further appreciate the importance of this book by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. 
There are a total of 104 verses in this Sri Sankalpa-kalpadrumah. In the first 88 verses, the author anxiously prays to Sri Vrsabhanuraja-nandini Srimati Radhika to be able to perform intimate seva to Her. In the next three verses (89–91), he humbly prays to the great personalities in his guru-parampara, mentioning the names of their eternal spiritual forms; and in verses 92–94, he prays to attain the guidance of Manjulali Sakhi, Guna Manjari, Rasa Manjari, Bhanumati, Lavanga Manjari, Rüpa Manjari and others. In the following verses (95–103), he prays to Sri Krsna (or Sri Gaurahari), to Sri Lalita-devi, to Sri Visakha-devi, to all the priya-sakhas and priyanarma-sakhis, to Sri Giriraja-Govardhana, to Sri Radha-kunda, to Yogapitha, to Sri Vrnda-devi and to Sri Gopisvara Mahadeva for his aspirations to bear fruit. In the last verse (104), the author indicates the state of his heart and advises the devotees who have a strong desire to relish the ocean of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna’s playful pastimes in Vrndavana to take shelter of this Sri Sankalpa-kalpadrumah with great faith." - TRIDANDIBHIKSU SRI BHAKTIVEDANTA NARAYANA (translated from the first Hindi edition)

After taking shelter of this desire tree of aspirations presented by Srila Visvanath Cakravati Thakura, that is to say, in order to attain the desire for the seva described in this compilations, one should sincerely, and without duplicity, with body, mind and words, remain under the guidance of the devoted persons who are completely immersed in this seva. These topmost, incomparable and transcendental aspirations can then quickly be fulfilled. Thus, the name of this book, Sri Sankalpa-kalpadrumah, is appropriate, because it makes one's desires bear fruit. The sadhaka's life attains success only when the impetus to obtain these transcendental aspirations appear in the heart by the causeless mercy of guru and Vaisnavas.

TITLE: Sri Sankalpa Kalpadrumah - English
AUTHOR: Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura
TRANSLATED and EDITED by Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja
ISBNs: 9781935428978 978-1-935428-97-8  1-935428-97-7  1935428977
PUBLISHER: Gaudiya Vedanta Publications
EDITION: First, 2009
PAGES: 56, Illustrated
SHIPPING WEIGHT: 225 grams