An aṣṭaka (eight verses) narrating the life of HH Radhānātha Svāmī Mahārāja.

Text 1
devaṁ mṛgayituṁ tyaktaṁ
gṛham ābhārataṁ gatam|
paṭithaṁ yena tad-dharmaṁ
rādhānāthaṁ yajāmi tam||1||

devam mṛgayitum - For the search of God; tyaktam gṛham - left the home; ābhāratam gatam - roamed everywhere until India (ābhāratam - places until India); paṭitham yena tat-dharmam - by whom the dharmas of those [places until India] were studied; rādhānāthaṁ yajāmi tam - I worship that Rādhānātha [Svāmī].

Searching for God, he left his [own] home [in America] and hitch-hiked all the way to India, while [scrutinizingly] studying the different religions of the people all around. Let me worship that Rādhānātha Svāmī Mahārāja.

Text 2

jagāma yo himālayaṁ

gaṅgā-dhyānaṁ cakāra yam|

vādyaṁ tyaktvā hṛṣīkeśe

rādhānāthaṁ yajāmi tam||2||

jagāma yaḥ himālayam - one who went to Himalayas; gaṅgā-dhyānam cakāra tam - one who did meditation on the Ganges or meditation on the bank of Ganges, or on the rock in the middle of Ganges; vādyam tyaktvā hṛśīkeśe - abandoned his instrument in Hṛśīkeśa; rādhānāthaṁ yajāmi tam - I worship that Rādhānātha [Svāmī].

Going to the Himalayas [he met many sādhus and yogis]. In Rishikesh, he threw away his [dear companion] Harmonica, and performed meditation on a rock in the Ganges. Let me worship that Rādhānātha Svāmī Mahārāja.

Text 3

vṛndāraṇyaṁ ya āgatya

svāminaṁ śaraṇaṁ gataḥ|

satāṁ saṅgaṁ ca svīkṛtya

rādhānāthaṁ yajāmi tam||3||

vṛndāraṇyaṁ ya āgatya - who came to the forest of Vṛndā (Vṛndāvana); svāminaṁ  śaraṇaṁ gataḥ - took shelter of Svāmī; satāṁ saṅgam ca svīkṛtya - after taking shelter of devotees; rādhānāthaṁ yajāmi tam - I worship that Rādhānātha [Svāmī].

[At last in his search of God] he reached Vṛndāvana, [the land of Kṛṣṇa,] and achieved the association of devotees, after which he took shelter of [HDG A.C Bhaktivedānta] Svāmī [Śrīla Prabhupāda]. Let me worship that Rādhānātha Svāmī Mahārāja.

Text 4

lakṣa-nāmāni japtvā yo

mantraṁ jagrāha yena hi|

sevitaṁ ca nava-vrajaṁ 

rādhānāthaṁ yajāmi tam||4||

lakṣa-nāmāni japtvā yaḥ - who after chanting one hundred thousand names; mantraṁ jagrāha yena hi - he who has received the [dīkṣā] mantra; sevitaṁ ca nava-vrajaṁ - he who has served the New Vṛndāvana; rādhānāthaṁ yajāmi tam - I worship that Rādhānātha [Svāmī].

[Back in America,] he [made a resolve] and chanted one hundred thousand names of the Lord [in a dark attic resembling the cave in the Himalayas, and through the inspiration of the Lord], he accepted [vaiṣṇava dīkṣā] mantra [from Śrīla Prabhupāda]. Then he served [the devotee community] in New Vṛndāvana. Let me worship that Rādhānātha Svāmī Mahārāja.

Text 5

gopīnātha-niketanaṁ

rugnālayaṁ tataḥ kṛtam|

śikṣaṇaṁ yena sūrīṇāṁ

rādhānāthaṁ yajāmi tam||5||

gopīnātha-niketanaṁ - house of Gopīnātha; rugnālayaṁ tataḥ kṛtam - after that establishment of hospital; śikṣaṇaṁ yena sūrīṇāṁ - by whom the education of the heroes; rādhānāthaṁ yajāmi tam - I worship that Rādhānātha [Svāmī].

He built a temple for [Rādhā]-Gopīnāth [in Chowpatty],  and established [Bhaktivedānta] hospital [that treats people with both conventional and alternative methods of medicine]. He cultivated many stalwart devotees [such as HH Bhaktirasāmṛta Svāmī, HG Rādhā Gopīnātha prabhu,  HG Gaurāṅga Dāsa prabhu, HG Caitanya Charaṇa Dāsa prabhu, HG Rādheshyāma Dāsa prabhu, and here at ISV, HG Śaṅkharāṇanda Dāsa prabhu, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita Dāsa prabhu, Rādhā Vallabha Dāsa prabhu, and all his wonderful disciples]. Let me worship that Rādhānātha Svāmī Mahārāja.

Text 6

mantra-dānaṁ sahasreṣu 

sevate yo mahātmasu

kṛṣṇa-kathāṁ ca bhakteṣu

rādhānāthaṁ yajāmi tam||6||

mantra-dānaṁ sahasreṣu - Giving of dīkṣā mantra to thousands; sevate yo mahātmasu - who serves the mahātmas; kṛṣṇa-kathāṁ ca bhakteṣu - speaking topics of Kṛṣṇa to devotees; rādhānāthaṁ yajāmi tam - I worship that Rādhānātha [Svāmī].

[As an] initiating [spiritual master, he serves] thousands and thousands of devotees, [and as an instructing spiritual master, he shares the nectarean] topics of Kṛṣṇa to [innumerable] devotees,  and [while remaining as a well-wisher and friend] he serves [many] great elevated god-brothers. Let me worship that Rādhānātha Svāmī Mahārāja.

Text 7

tṛṇād api sunīcena 

saṅga-rūpeṇa sevanam

ityādi śikṣaṇaṁ yasya

rādhānāthaṁ yajāmi tam||7||

tṛṇād api sunīcena - humbler than the blade of grass; saṅga-rūpeṇa sevanam - serving through association; ityādi śikṣaṇaṁ yasya - who has given instructions like this; rādhānāthaṁ yajāmi tam - I worship that Rādhānātha [Svāmī].

"We should serve the Lord in the association of the devotees adopting the mood of being humbler than the blade of grass", with such teachings [he nourished our bhakti.] Let me worship that Rādhānātha Svāmī Mahārāja.

Text 8

vijayate mahā-tīrthaṁ

bhaktānāṁ dṛḍha-nāyakam

yat-hṛdi vraja-jīvanam

rādhānāthaṁ yajāmi tam||8||

vijayate mahā-tīrthaṁ - Let the illustrious guru be victorious; bhaktānāṁ dṛḍha-nāyakam - brave leader of the devotees; yat-hṛdi vraja-jīvanam - in whose heart is present the life of vrajavāsis (that is prema for vraja Krsna); rādhānāthaṁ yajāmi tam - I worship that Rādhānātha [Svāmī].

Let this illustrious teacher be victorious. He fearlessly leads the devotees, [yet] possesses [a soft] heart imbued with the prema of the Vrajavāsis. Let me worship that Rādhānātha Svāmī Mahārāja.

[Note: dṛḍha-nāyaka - meaning "brave leader" derived from the Proto-Germanic words rik (leader) and hardu (brave), which is written as "Richard" in English, the legal name of HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj.]