Shri Hit Chaurasi, pad 18
Pad 18 of the 84 pads of the Shri Hit Chaurasi, composed in Braj Bhasha by Shri Hit Harivansh Mahaprabhu, founder of the Radhavallabh Sampradaya. It opens: “सुनि मेरौ वचन छबीली राधा”.
The pad in full
सुनि मेरौ वचन छबीली राधा ।
तैं पायौ रससिंधु अगाधा ।।
तू वृषवानु गोप की बेटी ।
मोहनलाल रसिक हँसि भेटी ।।
जाहि बिरंचि उमापति नाये ।
तापै तैं वन-फूल बिनाये ।।
जो रस नेति नेति श्रुति भाख्यौ ।
ताकौ तैं अधर सुधारस चाख्यौ ।।
तेरौ रूप कहत नहिं आवै ।
(जै श्री) हित हरिवंश कछुक जस गावै
In Roman letters
suni merau vachan chhabeelee raadhaa .
tain paayau rasasindhu agaadhaa .
too vrishavaanu gop kee betee .
mohanalaal rasik hansi bhetee .
jaahi biranchi umaapati naaye .
taapai tain van-phool binaaye .
jo ras neti neti shruti bhaakhyau .
taakau tain adhar sudhaaras chaakhyau .
terau roop kahat nahin aavai .
(jai shree) hit harivansh kachhuk jas gaavai
The pads of the Chaurasi are left here without a translation, as on the full Chaurasi page: sixteenth century Braj Bhasha does not survive a one-line English gloss, and a wrong meaning of a devotional text is worse than none. Each pad closes with the chhap, the signature line naming Shri Hit Harivansh, which is how a pad is known to be his.
Questions about pad 18
Who wrote pad 18 of the Shri Hit Chaurasi?
Shri Hit Harivansh Mahaprabhu, founder of the Radhavallabh Sampradaya, in the sixteenth century. The closing line carries his name, the traditional signature of authorship in Braj poetry.
How does pad 18 begin?
It opens “सुनि मेरौ वचन छबीली राधा”, in Roman letters “suni merau vachan chhabeelee raadhaa .”.
Is pad 18 sung or recited?
Sung. The pads of the Chaurasi are set to classical ragas, and rasik sants in the kunjs of Vrindavan still sing them.
Why is there no English meaning for this pad?
Braj Bhasha of this period carries layers that a short English gloss flattens, and a wrong paraphrase of a devotional text is worse than none. The text is given as it is recited.
Can I download the Shri Hit Chaurasi?
Yes. All 84 pads are in a free PDF on the downloads page, with no account or email needed.