Sloka

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Dear bh. Kostya,

 

Dandavat pranams. Sri Sri Guru Gaurangau jayatah!

 

> Can anybody kindly tell us from which scripture is sloka "nama-srestham

> manum api saci-putram atra svarupam" and who is the author of it?

 

The verse

 

nama-srestham manum api saci-putram atra svarupam

rupam tasyagrajam uru-purim mathurim gostavatim

radha-kundam giri varam aho radhika-madhavasam

prapto yasya prathita-kryapaya sri gurum tam nato 'smi

 

is the prayer of Raghunatha dasa Goswami to his gurudeva. I have not seen it

mentioned by Srila Prabhupada; in fact it is not mentioned in the VedaBase

expect in Pancaratra-pradipa in the section "Additional Prayers".

 

However, Srila Sridhara Maharaja gives the following translation in his book

"Sri Guru and His Grace":

 

"I am fully indebted to Sri Gurudeva because has given me so many things:

the highest conception of the holy name of Krsna, the highest form of sound

which contains the highest form of thought, aspiration, ideal, everything.

And he has given me the service of our great savior, Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu, and His dearmost assistant, Svarupa Damodara. He has brought me

in connection with Sri Rupa, who was ordered to distribute the heart's

innermost dealings, the highest devotional love, raganuga-bhakti. Gurudeva

has given me Srila Sanatana Goswami, who gives us sambandha-jnana, a proper

acquaintance with the environment, and he has given me Mathura Mandala,

which will help me in my remembrance of Radha and Govinda wherever I shall

cast my glance. By his grace gurudeva has revealed the superexcellent

position of Radha-kunda, the favorite place of Radha and Govinda for Their

pastimes and this great Govardhana. Lastly, he has given me the hope that

one day I can get the service of Sri Sri Radhika and Madhava. I have been

given all these assurances by my gurudeva, so I bow my head with all my

respects to his lotus feet."

 

He then very nicely explains this verse further (see pp. 38-39).

 

Your servant,

Rama Kesava dasa