Shri Hit Chaurasi, pad 5
Pad 5 of the 84 pads of the Shri Hit Chaurasi, composed in Braj Bhasha by Shri Hit Harivansh Mahaprabhu, founder of the Radhavallabh Sampradaya, and set by the text itself to raag जैश्री. It opens: “आजु प्रभात लता-मंदिर में”.
The pad in full
आजु प्रभात लता-मंदिर में,
सुख बरसत अति हरषि युगल वर ।
गौर श्याम अभिराम रंगभरे,
लटकि-लटकि पग धरत अवनि पर ॥
कुच-कुमकुम रंजित मालावलि,
सुरत नाथ श्रीश्याम धाम घर ।
प्रिया प्रेम के अंक अलंकृत,
चित्रित चतुर-शिरोमणि निजकर ॥
दम्पति अति अनुराग मुदित कल,
गान करत मन हरत परस्पर ।
(जैश्री) हित हरिवंश प्रशंस-परायण,
गायन अलि सुर देत मधुर तर
In Roman letters
aaju prabhaat lataa-mandir men,
sukh barasat ati harashi yugal var .
gaur shyaam abhiraam rangabhare,
lataki-lataki pag dharat avani par .
kuch-kumakum ranjit maalaavali,
surat naath shreeshyaam dhaam ghar .
priyaa prem ke ank alankrit,
chitrit chatur-shiromani nijakar .
dampati ati anuraag mudit kal,
gaan karat man harat paraspar .
(jaishree) hit harivansh prashans-paraayan,
gaayan ali sur det madhur tar
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 5
Who wrote pad 5 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 5 begin?
It opens “आजु प्रभात लता-मंदिर में”, in Roman letters “aaju prabhaat lataa-mandir men,”.
In which raag is pad 5 sung?
The text itself names raag जैश्री. The pads of the Chaurasi were written to be sung, and rasik sants in 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.