Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s instruction on Bhakti Marga (Siksastaka)

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

16th-century

Translation by A C Bhakti Vedanta

1

चेतो-दर्पण-मार्जनं भव-महा-दावाग्नि-निर्वापणं

श्रेयः-कैरव-चन्द्रिका-वितरणं विद्या-वधू-जीवनम्

आनन्दाम्बुधि-वर्धनं प्रति-पदं पूर्णामृतास्वादनं

सर्वात्म-स्नपनं परं विजयते श्री-कृष्ण-सङ्कीर्तनम्

Glory to the sri-krsna-sankirtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This sankirtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious.

2

नाम्नामकारि बहुधा निज-सर्व-शक्तिस्

तत्रार्पिता नियमितः स्मरणे न कालः एतादृशी तव कृपा भगवन्ममापि

दुर्दैवमीदृशमिहाजनि नानुरागः ॥२॥

O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names, like Krsna and Govinda. In these transcendental names You have invested all Your transcendental energies. There are not even hard and fast rules for chanting these names. O my Lord, out of kindness You enable us to easily approach You by Your holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them.

3

तृणादऽपि सुनीचेन

तरोरऽपि सहिष्णुना अमानिना मानदेन

कीर्तनीयः सदा हरिः ॥३॥

One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.

4

न धनं न जनं न सुन्दरीं

कवितां वा जगदीश कामये मम जन्मनि जन्मनीश्वरे

भवताद् भक्तिर् अहैतुकी त्वयि ॥४॥

O almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor do I desire beautiful women nor do I want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service, birth after birth.

5

अयि नन्द-तनुज किङ्करं

पतितं मां विषमे भवाम्बुधौ

कृपया तव पाद-पङ्कज-

स्थित-धूली-सदृशं विचिन्तय ॥५॥

O son of Maharaja Nanda (Krsna], I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or other I have fallen into the ocean of birth and death. Please pick me up from this ocean of death and place me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet.

6

नयनं गलदश्रुधारया वदनं गदगदरुद्धया गिरा। पुलकैर्निचितं वपुः कदा तव नाम-ग्रहणे भविष्यति॥६॥

O my Lord, when will my eyes be decorated with tears of love flowing constantly when I chant Your holy name? When will my voice choke up, and when will the hairs of my body stand on end at the recitation of Your name?

7

युगायितं निमेषेण

चक्षुषा प्रावृषायितम् शून्यायितं जगत्सर्वं गोविन्द-विरहेण मे ॥७॥

O Govinda! Feeling Your separations I am considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from my eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in Your absence.

8

आश्लिष्य वा पाद-रतां पिनष्टु माम्

अदर्शनान्मर्म-हताम्-हतां करोतु वा यथा तथा वा विदधातु लम्पटो

मत्प्राण-नाथस्तु स एव नापरः ॥८॥

I know no one but Krsna as my Lord, and He shall remain so even if He handles me roughly by His embrace or makes me brokenhearted by not being present before me. He is completely free to do anything and everything, for He is always my worshipful Lord, unconditionally.

ORIGINAL SOURCE: Krishnadasa Kaviraja’s Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita (Antya-līlā, chapter 20, verses 12, 16, 21, 29, 32, 36, 39 and 47)