Vṛndāvane Bhajana (Worship in Vṛndāvana)

PART ONE

(1)
vṛndāvana-dhāme āmi base āchi ekā
e bhāvanā madhye madhye deya more dekhā

I am sitting alone in Vṛndāvana-dhāma and in the midst of my thoughts, I am receiving some realisations.

(2)
āche mora strī-putra kanya-nāti saba
kintu artha nāi bali’ viphala vaibhava

My wife, sons, daughters, grandsons are all there, but because I have no money, they consider that my true wealth is useless.

(3)
prakṛtira nagna-rūpa dekhāle śrī-kṛṣṇa
tava kṛpā-bale āja hayechi vitṛṣṇa

Śrī Kṛṣṇa, You have revealed to me the naked form of material nature, and today, by the power of Your mercy, I have become freed from all desires.

(4)
‘yasyāham-anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ’*
kṛpāmayera ei kṛpā bujhilām kai?

‘He whom I favour, I gradually take away his wealth’ – how can I understand such mercy from the most merciful One?

* Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.88.8

PART TWO

(1)
artha hīna dekhi more cheḍeche sabaī
kuṭumba ātmīya āra bandhu-jana-bhāī

Seeing that I am bereft of wealth, everyone has abandoned me – family, relatives and friends who were like brothers to me.

(2)
duḥkha haya hāsi pāya, ekā basi hāsi
māyāra saṁsāra ei kāke bhālabāsi

Although it is miserable, I am amused and I sit alone and smile. Who are my dear one’s in this material world of māyā?

(3)
kothā gela mātā pitā āra snehamaya
kothā gela jyeṣṭha yāṅrā svajanādi haya

Where have my mother and father, who were so full of affection, gone? Where have my elders and close relatives gone?

(4)
tādera khabara kebā deve more bala
nāme mātra tādera saṁsāra raye gela

Tell me, who will bring me news of them? All that remains of that family are their names only.

PART THREE

(1)
samudrera phenā yena kṣaṇe sṛṣṭi laya
māyāra saṁsāre khelā sei bhāve haya

It is like the foam on the ocean which appears and disappears momentarily. Māyā’s material world frolics in this way.

(2)
keha nahe pitā mātā ātmīya svajana
sabāi phenāra mata thāke alpa-kṣaṇa

Nobody is actually a father, mother, relative or close friend – all are like foam, remaining for a brief moment.

(3)
samudrera phenā yemana samudre miśaya
pañca-bhūtera deha tathā haye yāya laya

Just as foam mixes with the sea, the body comprised of the five gross elements also vanishes.

(4)
kata deha ei bhāve dharaye śarīrī
anitya śarīre mātra ātmīyā tāhāri

How many forms does the embodied soul accept in this way? Such relatives are simply connected to the temporary body.

PART FOUR

(1)
ātmīya sabāi-bhāi! ātmāra sambandhe
ātmīyatā nāhi haya māyamaya gandhe

O brothers! All of us are actually relatives in relation to the ātmā, and such relationships have no trace of māyā.

(2)
sakalera ātmā yini svayaṁ bhagavān
tāṅhāra sambandhe viśve sabāi samān

Bhagavān Himself is the ātmā of all. In relation to Him, everyone in this world is equal.

(3)
ātmīya tomāra bhāi! yata jīva koṭi
kṛṣṇera sambandhera tāṅrā haya paripāṭi

O brothers! Whatever the millions of jīvas are, they are your relatives. In relation to Kṛṣṇa they exist harmoniously.

(4)
‘kṛṣṇa bhuli sei jīva’ bhoga vañchā kare
māyāra saṁsāra tāi jāpaṭiyā dhare

Forgetting Kṛṣṇa, the jīva desires to enjoy. Due to that, he is held in the material world of māyā.

PART FIVE

(1)
karma-phale āse saba nānā veśa dhari
veśete majiyā thāke bhuliyā śrī-hari

Due to the results of karma, everyone accepts various forms, and remaining absorbed in these forms, they forget Śrī Hari.

(2)
ataeva māyā tāre deya bahu duḥkha
duḥkhe hābu-ḍubu tabu tāhe māne sukha

Thus, māyā gives them many tribulations, and rising and submerging within such miseries, they consider this to be happiness.

(3)
cīra rogī duḥkha bhogī śayyāte śuiyā
bhāla āchi āja kahe hāsiyā hāsiyā

One who is always sick and experiencing distress still lies upon his bed and smilingly says, “I am well today!”

(4)
hāsi pāya tāra ‘bhālo thākāra’ kathāya
māyā baddha jīvera bhāla ei bhāve haya

His words, “I am doing well” makes me laugh. This is the sort of ‘well’ of a jīva who is bound by māyā.

PART SIX

(1)
kata ‘plān’ kare tārā bhāla thākibāre
prakṛti bhāṅgiyā deya saba bāre bāre

They make so many plans to be ‘well’ and material nature breaks them over and over again.

(2)
‘daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī’ bhagavānera māyā *
‘bhālo thākāra’ artha bujha bhāla ka’re bhāyā

The divine energy consisting of the modes of nature is Bhagavān’s māyā. O Brothers! You should carefully understand the meaning of being ‘well.’

* Bhagavad-gītā 7.14

(3)
keha ‘bhāla’ nāi hethā ‘tabu bhāla’ bale
ei bhāve māyā saba baddha-jīve chale

Nobody here is ‘well’, yet they still say, ‘I am well.’ In this way, māyā deceives all the bound jīvas.

(4)
chalanāya bhuli jīva sarvadā maśgula
māyā lāgi mare tabu bhāṅge nāko bhula

The jīva forgets and is always absorbed in that deception. Although he is thrashed by māyā, still his forgetfulness does not stop.

PART SEVEN

(1)
bāra bāra ‘plān’ kari bāra bāra bhaṅge
kakhana bhumite paḍi kakhana ta’ paṅke

Again and again they make their plans, and again and again such plans are wrecked. Sometimes they fall upon the ground and sometimes they fall into the mud.

(2)
ei rūpa brahmāṇḍa bhari (jīva) karaye bhramaṇa
guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-nitya-dhana

In this way, the jīvas fill the universe and wander throughout it, until by the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa they achieve the eternal wealth of bhakti.

(3)
sei dhana mile yadi āra dhana chāḍe
anāyāse cale yāya saṁsārera pāre

When they attain that wealth, if they reject any other type of ‘treasure’ then they can easily cross beyond the world of birth and death.

(4)
bhava-pāre ācche cid-vaicitrya apāra
nitya śānti nitya sukhe karaye vihāra

Beyond this material world there is infinite transcendental variety where the pastimes are full of eternal tranquillity and happiness.

PART EIGHT

(1)
bātula kahaye – ‘sethā saba nirākāra
nirviśeṣa tini yena śūnyera prakāra”

One who is insane claims, “Everything there is formless. He has no qualities and is devoid of any variety.”

(2)
rasera bhāṇḍārī tini ‘raso vai saḥ’
rasika bhāvuka seve hai tāṅra vaśa

He is an emporium of rasa. He is rasa itself. One who is a rasika devotee who is in ecstasy engages in His service submissively.

(3)
śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, rasa āra
sarva rasa śreṣṭha mādhurya rasa sāra

The rasas are neutrality, servitude, friendship and parental affection, and then there is the quintessential conjugal rasa which is the best of all rasas.

(4)
cid-jagate ‘rasa’ saba haya upādeya
māyāte tāra chāyā mātra kintu saba heya

All these rasas in the spiritual world are delectable. But they are inferior in the realm of māyā because they are merely reflections.

PART NINE

(1)
kṛṣṇa yei bhaje sei hayata catura
māyā jei bhaje sei hayata ‘phatura’

Whoever worships Kṛṣṇa becomes wise. Whoever worships māyā becomes bankrupt.

(2)
‘phatura’ haibāra lāgi anitya vilāsa
sambandha-jñāna-hīnera haya karma-bandha phāṅsa

One becomes impoverished through temporary enjoyment. Devoid of sambandha–jñāna, one is bound by the noose of karma.

(3)
arjuna karaye yuddha (āra) duryodhana kare
arjuna bhakta-śreṣṭha duryodhana mare

Arjuna engaged in a war and so did Duryodhana. Arjuna was the best of devotees and Duryodhana was killed.

(4)
eka yuddha-kṣetre dui priyāpriya haya
buddhimāna loka yei bujhite pāraya

Both were on the same battlefield – one was dear to Kṛṣṇa and the other was not. Those persons who are intelligent are able to understand this.

PART TEN

(1)
‘sambandha’ jāniyā yebā jīvana-yuddha kare
sei ta’ vāṅciyā thāke āra saba mare

Whoever knows of his relationship with Kṛṣṇa and fights for Him in this lifetime will certainly live, while all others will die.

(2)
‘sambandha’ nā jāni yebā āna pathe dhāya
kṛṣṇa-prīti nāhi mile vṛthā janma yāya

Whoever does not know of his relationship with Kṛṣṇa and runs down another path will never attain love for Kṛṣṇa and his birth continues to be useless.

(3)
kṛṣṇa se ‘sambandha’ ādi bhāla kare bujha
se sambandha rākhi tumi māyā sāthe yujha

One should first properly understand his relationship with Kṛṣṇa and by maintaining that relationship, you can fight against māyā.

(4)
tāhā chāḍi’ haya yebā jñāna-karma-vīra
mokṣa nāhi pāya tārā haya ta’asthira

Whoever rejects that relationship and tries to become successful in karma or jñāna, never achieves mokṣa but remains unstable.

PART ELEVEN

(1)
name-mātra mahā-dhīra sakale aśānta
bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmīra indriya adānta

In name only they are mahā-dhīra (supremely sober), but they are all agitated. Desiring mundane sense-enjoyment, liberation, and yogika perfection, their senses are uncontrolled.

(2)
adānta indriya nahe yoga-bale vaśa
kata muni yogī saba hayeche vivaśa

Uncontrolled senses can never be restrained by the power of yoga. How many munis and yogīs have all become uncontrolled!

(3)
hṛṣīkeśa-sevā vinā hṛṣīka-damana
karamera phera saba bhuñjāya śamana

Without service to Hṛṣīkeśa there is no control of the senses. They return to engage in karma and all suffer under Yama.

(4)
yogete indriya saṁyama kabhu nāhi haya
āgama purāṇe tāhā bhuri bhuri kaya

There is never sensual restraint through yoga. This is stated in many places in the Āgamas and Puṛāṇas.

PART TWELVE

(1)
yogīra āsane basechila viśvāmitra
janma dila śakuntalā sundarī pavitra

Viśvāmitra was sitting on the seat of a yogī, yet he still gave birth to the beautiful and pure girl, Śakuntalā.

(2)
ei bhāve yoga-bhraṣṭa jñānīra ki kathā
karmī saba mūḍha-jana vyathita sarvathā

This is the way of the unsuccessful yogī, what to say of the jñānī. And all the karmīs are foolish persons who are always troubled.

(3)
kṛṣṇa yāre kṛpā kari’ upadeśa dena
tini ta’ arjuna sama bhāgyavān hana

Those who Kṛṣṇa gives His mercy by imparting His instructions become like Arjuna and are most fortunate.

(4)
āpanāra sukha lāgi yebā yuddha kare
duryodhanera mata se sa-vaṁśete mare

Whoever fights for the sake of his own pleasure perishes long with his whole dynasty just like Duryodhana.

PART THIRTEEN

(1)
kṛṣṇera lāgiyā yebā nitya yuddha kare
ṛddhi-siddhi, jñāna tāra muṣṭira bhitare

Whoever eternally fights for Kṛṣṇa attains prosperity and perfection within his fist.

(2)
gītāra upadeśa bhāi bujha bhāla kari
pāibe kṛṣṇera sevā bhajibe śrī-hari

O brothers! Try to understand the instructions of the Gītā properly. By doing so you will achieve service to Kṛṣṇa and always worship Śrī Hari.

(3)
sarva-guṇa susampanna bhakta-jana haya
ahiṁsā akrodha tāṅra kāche kichu naya

Devotees perfectly possess all good qualities. They do not possess non-violence and absence of anger.

(4)
bhakta-dvāre jīve śikṣā dibena śrī-hari
tāhāra sahāya haila ‘pārtha’ nāma-dhārī

Through the devotees, Śrī Hari gives instruction to the jīvas. One of His assistants bears the name Pārtha.

PART FOURTEEN

(1)
sājila arjuna yena māyā baddha nara
mohitera nyāya haila pāṇḍava-sodara

It was arranged that Arjuna was a man bound by māyā. Thus, the brother of the Pāṇḍavas seemed to be bewildered.

(2)
ātmīya svajana hiṁsā pare rājya bhoga
īthe kibā sukha – pārtha dekhāilā śoka

Pārtha displayed his distress – “What happiness will I attain by killing my relatives and friends and then enjoying a kingdom?”

(3)
sei ta’ ‘dehātma-buddhi’ ātmīya-jñāna ka’re
kṣatriya haiyā snehe yuddha-kṣetre chāḍe

Despite being a kṣatriya, he considered the body as the self and was engrossed in thinking of his relatives. Due to such affection, he abandoned the battlefield.

(4)
moha dekhi’ kṛṣṇa tāṅ’ra karila nindana
ataeva arjuna kaila śiṣyatva grahaṇa

Seeing his bewilderment, Kṛṣṇa insulted him. Thus, Arjuna accepted the position of a disciple.

PART FIFTEEN

(1)
śiṣya haiyā kare yei gitāra śravaṇa
ghucibe ajñāna āra saṁsāra bandhana

Becoming a disciple, he listened to the Gītā which dispels ignorance and the bondage of the material world.

(2)
saṁsāra ghucila kintu bāhya-nyāsī naya
gitāra tātparye gṛhī e rūpa bujhāya

His bondage to the mundane world was eliminated, but he did not become a sannyāsī externally. In this way, householders can understand the explanation of the Gītā.

(3)
‘kariṣye vacanaṁ tava’ sei mantra-siddhi *
ataeva yuddhe tāṅra ha’la yaśo-vṛddhi

“I will do as You say!” – this is the perfect mantra. Therefore, he fought and his fame expanded.

* Bhagavad-gītā 18.73

(4)
vaiṣṇava nirīha saba mālā japa kare
e kon vaiṣṇava arjuna saṁsāra bhitare

Vaiṣṇavas are desireless and they all chant japa on beads. Then how can a Vaiṣṇava such as Arjuna be in the midst of this material world?

PART SIXTEEN

(1)
‘nirdvandva’ vaiṣṇava śudhu japa kare mālā
balaye ei rūpa yā’rā khāya mana-kalā

“A Vaiṣṇava is equipoised and only chants japa on his beads.” One who says like this is simply eating bananas in his mind!*

* Translator’s Note: The Bengali expression mana-kalā (mental bananas) refers to something which is unsatisfying, just as satisfying one’s hunger by thinking of bananas is a useless endeavour. Similarly, one who claims that a Vaiṣṇava only chants japa and is always equipoised, has not come to a satisfactory conclusion.

(2)
vaiṣṇava nirīha, akṛta-droha, haya ta svabhāve
kintu nahe hīna vīrya yathā loka bhāve

A Vaiṣṇava is desireless, and is naturally devoid of malice. However, this does not mean that he is devoid of chivalry as many people think.

(3)
bhāratera dui yuddhe dui mahāśaya
vaiṣṇavera agraṇī tārā karila vijaya

In Bhārata there were two wars and two great souls. They were the best of Vaiṣṇavas and were victorious. *

* Translator’s Note: The two battles were the war against Rāvaṇa in the Rāmāyaṇa, and the war of Kurukṣetra in the Mahābhārata. The two heroes were Hanumān and Arjuna.

(4)
nijendriya tṛpti vāñchāya yuddhi nāhi kare
vaiṣṇava baliyā tāi vidita saṁsāre

It is clearly known throughout the world that a Vaiṣṇava never fights out of a desire to satisfy his own senses.

PART SEVENTEEN

(1)
vaiṣṇava nā dekhiyā bale vaiṣṇava niṣkriya
vaiṣṇava ‘prabhura’ sevāya sadāi sakriya

One who has not seen a Vaiṣṇava says that a Vaiṣṇava is inactive. A Vaiṣṇava is always active in the service of the Lord.

(2)
prāṇa-hīna kaniṣṭha sei sevā nāhi kare
pratiṣṭhāra tare thāke nirjanera ghare

A kaniṣṭha who is devoid of life does not engage in service and desires fame by residing alone in a room.

(3)
vaiṣṇava praṇamya śrīla nityānanda rāya
māra khāya prema deya yathāya tathāya

Śrīla Nityānanda Rāya is adored by the Vaiṣṇavas. He bestowed prema here and there, even when He was hit.

(4)
cakra-pāṇi gaurahari sethā karila śāsana
vaiṣṇava vidveṣī tabe haila damana

Then Gaurahari held the sudarśana-cakra in His hand and prepared to give punishment to those who were inimical to the Vaiṣṇavas, but then He was pacified.

PART EIGHTEEN

(1)
āpani ācari prabhu jīvere śikhāya
āpna vañcaka yei sei nirjane bhajāya

Setting the example Himself, the Lord instructed the jīvas that those that perform solitary bhajana are cheating themselves.

(2)
jagat bhariyā gela jagāi-mādhāiye
nityānanda vaṁśa bāḍāya śiṣya-sampradāye

The world has become full of Jagāis and Mādhāis, and those in the dynasty of Nityānanda simply increase the number of disciples in their lineage.

(3)
khāya dāya thāke veśa ha’ye cintā hīna
vaiṣṇavera ucita nahe thākā dayā hīna

Without a thought, they are eating, sleeping and living comfortably. It is not befitting for a Vaiṣṇava to live like this without showing any mercy.

(4)
‘mādhurya-kādambinī’ grantha cakravartī gāya
siddhānta dekhaha tathā kibā tāṅra rāya

In the book Mādhurya Kādambinī, Cakravartī Ṭhākura has sung about this. Look at the conclusions there and what is his verdict.

PART NINETEEN

(1)
bhakti ahaitukī haya sva-prakāśita
nitya-siddha vastu kintu āche āvarita

(Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that) bhakti is causeless and self-manifest, yet it is an eternally perfect substance which is dormant (in the jīva).

(2)
madhyama-adhikārī-vaiṣṇava kṛpā ta’ kariyā
avaiṣṇave kare kṛpā bhakti jāgāiyā

The madhyama–adhikārī Vaiṣṇava is merciful. He shows compassion to the non-devotees and awakens their bhakti.

(3)
vaiṣṇavera vaśa hana svayaṁ bhagavān
vaiṣṇavera kṛpāya mugdha haya jāguyān

Bhagavān Himself becomes subdued by the Vaiṣṇava. Charmed by the Vaiṣṇava’s mercy, He is drawn to him.

(4)
vaiṣṇava jāgāte pāre ghumanta jagat
tāṅ’rai kṛpāya haya pāpīrā bhakata

A Vaiṣṇava can awaken the entire world from its slumber. By his mercy a sinful person can become a devotee.

PART TWENTY

(1)
ataeva tāṅ’ra nahe nirjana bhajana
kaniṣṭha-adhikāra ei jagat-vañcana

Thus, he does not engage in solitary bhajana. Such a neophyte stage (kaniṣṭha-adhikāra) deceives this world.

(2)
baḍa baḍa nāma-jādā vaiṣṇava sajjāya
pādrī sāheb āsi mile saba tāya

In an assembly where there were some very famous Vaiṣṇavas, a Christian priest came and met with them there.

(3)
puchila śrī-kṛṣṇa-līlā vṛndāvana mājha
nā bujhālo tāre tattva vaiṣṇava-samāja

He inquired about Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes in Vṛndāvana, but that assembly of Vaiṣṇavas could not explain it philosophically to him.

(4)
kaniṣṭha-adhikārī saba śāstra nāhi bujhe
nirjane bhajane śudhu ruṭi-cānā kuṅjhe

They were all kaniṣṭha-adhikārīs who did not understand śāstra. They were only concerned with their solitary bhajana and searching for chapattis and chickpeas!

PART TWENTY-ONE

(1)
gurudeva balechila kaniṣṭha e saba
eta-dine bujhilām tāṅra vāṇī-rava

My Gurudeva said that they were all kaniṣṭhas. I have understood his clear statement on this day.

(2)
‘śāstra-yuktye sunipuṇa dṛḍha śraddhā yā’ra
uttama-adhikārī sei tarāya saṁsāra’

“One who is expert in śāstra and possesses firm faith is an uttama–adhikārī who can cross beyond the material world.”*

*Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.65.

(3)
patita-pāvana tini jagate-te khyāti
e’ patite uddhāraha tabe ta’sukhyāti

He is renowned throughout the world as the saviour of the fallen, but his reputation will increase if he saves this fallen one.

(4)
kali-kālera jīva saba patita adhama
dekhiyāo nāhi dekhe ihā ki karama

In the age of Kali, all jīvas are fallen and vile. Although they can see, they still cannot actually perceive what is happening here.

PART TWENTY-TWO

(1)
mahā-vadānya īśvara śrī-gaurasundara
tāṅhāra amṛta-vāṇī madhura mukhara

The nectarean instructions of Śrī Gaurasundara, that Lord who is most magnanimous, are sweet and resounding.

(2)
bhārata bhūmite janma haila yāṅhāra
tāṅhāra vāṇīte kara para-upakāra

His instruction was that whoever has taken birth in the land of Bhārata should work for the welfare of others.

(3)
nirjane āsvādana se ta’ prabhura līlā
līlā anukaraṇa nahe vaiṣṇavera khelā

Indeed, in the Lord’s pastimes He remained in solitude relishing rasa, yet a Vaiṣṇava does not imitate such a pastime.

(4)
sevā kārya vaiṣṇavera nahe āsvādana
jaḍa dehe āsvādana nahe sambhāvana

When a Vaiṣṇava performs service he does not relish rasa. There is no possibility of relishing rasa in this physical body.

PART TWENTY-THREE

(1)
dehātma-buddhi yāra sei jaḍa deha
sei dehe āsvādana nāhi kare keha

Anyone who considers the self to be this material body cannot relish rasa with this form.

(2)
vaiṣṇavete jāti-buddhi prabala pracura
līlā āsvādane kintu baḍa bāhādura

Some are extremely vehement in considering a Vaiṣṇava to be of a particular caste, yet they are very bold about relishing līlā.

(3)
ḍāka-gharera kerāṇī (eka) gosāi ṭhākura
bābājī praṇāma kare tāhāre pracura

There is one clerk at the post office who is a respected gosvāmī and the bābājīs go there and offer many obeisances to him.

(4)
gosāi ṭhākura kare jāti-abhimāna
nityānanda prabhu-vare kare khāna khāna

That respected gosvāmī is proud of his caste, but the exalted Lord Nityānanda breaks that into pieces.

PART TWENTY-FOUR

(1)
ei kārya dekhitechi vṛndāvana mājha
ataeva bujhi hethā āche kichu kāja

I have seen these activities going on in Vṛndāvana. Thus I understand that there is som work to be done here.

(2)
prākṛta-sahajiyā saba vyabhicāra kare
para-strī la’ye līlā āsvādana kare

The prākṛta-sahajiyās are all engaged in depravity, seducing the wives of others and relishing such ‘pastimes’.

(3)
e nahe vṛndāvana-vāsa bhāva sadā mana
gosvāmīra pāda-padma karaha smaraṇa

This is not the mood of one who resides in Vṛndāvana. O mind! Always remember the lotus feet of the Gosvāmīs.

(4)
chaya gosāi āsi’ yathā dharma pracārila
mahāprabhu ājñāya saba bhakti vistārila

As the Six Gosvāmīs came and propagated dharma on the order of Mahāprabhu, bhakti spread everywhere.

PART TWENTY-FIVE

(1)
nitya-siddha pārṣada saba rādhā-kṛṣṇa smare
tāṅdera smaraṇa jīvera sarva-pāpa hare

They are all eternally perfected associates who meditate upon Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Their smaraṇa (remembrance of the Lord and His pastimes) eradicates all the sins of the jīvas.

(2)
anukaraṇa kari yadi sei bhāva dhare
māyā kavalita haya saṁsāra nā tare

If one imitates this mood of theirs, one will be devoured by māyā and will never cross beyond the world of birth and death.

(3)
pracāra karaha sadā jīva ghare ghare
saphala haibe jīvana pracārera dvāre

Always go door to door and preach to the jīvas. Through such preaching one will achieve success in life.

(4)
śrī dayita dāsa prabhu dena ei sikṣā
kara ucchaiḥ svare nāma ei tāṅra dīkṣā

My master, Śrī Dayita Dāsa (Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura) has given this instruction – “Chant the Holy Name loudly!” This was his observance.

PART TWENTY-SIX

(1)
kīrtanera aṅga śudhu nahe ḍhāka ḍhola
ādhunika dhārāya nahe kīrtanera rola

The aspect of kīrtana is not only the beating of a drum. The sound of kīrtana is not there in modern transmissions.

(2)
hari-sevāra anukūla sakalai mādhava
tri-jagatera bhoktā haya ekalā yādava

Things which are favourable for the service of Hari are all non-different from Mādhava. The only enjoyer in the three worlds is Yādava.

(3)
māyāra vaibhava yata ‘reḍiora’ śabda
kīrtanera dvārā sadā kara tāhā stabdha

Māyā’s potency is there in the sound of the radio everywhere. Always curb that through the sound of kīrtana.

(4)
māyāra kac-kaci saba saṁvādera patra
kīrtana karaha tāhe jagate sarvatra

Newspapers are all full of the useless babble of māyā. Just engage in kīrtana everywhere throughout the world.

PART TWENTY-SEVEN

(1)
ghare base’ceṅcāiyā pitta-vṛddhi kari
koṭi janme o santuṣṭa habe nā śrī-hari

Sitting in a room chanting loudly simply increases your bile. Doing this for millions of births will never satisfy Śrī Hari.

(2)
śrī-hari nahe kāro bābāra sampatti
‘khoṅyāḍera’ bāhira hao nā kara āpatti

Śrī Hari is not the property of some bābā! Step outside of your tiny pen and stop making so many objections!

(3)
saba śrī-harira āra śrī-hari sabāra
kara ucca-svare kīrtana ei śikṣā tāṅra

Everyone is Śrī Hari’s, and Śrī Hari is everyone’s. Engage in loud kīrtana – this is the Lord’s instruction.

(4)
kīrtana-prabhāve ha’be smaraṇa āpani
nirjana-bhajana sei hṛdaye takhani

By the power of kīrtana, smaraṇa occurs. Then solitary bhajana will manifest within the heart.

Śrī Abhaya Caraṇa Bhaktivedānta
Editor, Back to Godhead

(Translated into English by Swami B.V. Giri)

• Śrī Gaura-hari Kusuma Stavāṣṭākam by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī
• Śrī Kusumañjalī (An Offering of Flowers) by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī
• Śrī Nāma Māhātmya (The Glories of the Holy Name) by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī
• Śrī Nityānanda Dvādaśakam by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī
• Śrīmad Bhaktivinoda Viraha Daśakam by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī
• Śrī Śrī Gaurasundara Āvirbhava Vāsare by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī
• ‘The Best of Thieves’ – An Illumination by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī
• Mā Muñca Pañca-daśakam (Fifteen Verses Praying Not to be Abandoned) by Śrīla Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī Mahārāja
• Śrīla Sarasvatī Gosvāmyāṣṭakam by Śrīla Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī Mahārāja
• Vṛndāvane Bhajana (Worship in Vṛndāvana) by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda
• Vaiśiṣṭyāṣṭaka (Eight Stanzas of Significance) by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda
• Svasti No Gaura-vidhur Dadhātu (May the Moon-like Gaura Bestow Auspiciousness) by Śrīla B.P. Purī Mahārāja
• A Prayer Composed on the Occasion of the Disappearance of Śrīla Gadādhara Paṇḍita by Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī
• Śrī Śrī Gaura Gopāla Praśasti
 (In Praise of Śrī Śrī Gaura Gopāla) by Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī
• Viraha-Gītikā (A Song of Separation) by Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Mahārāja
• Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
• Purport to Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlā Smaraṇa-Maṅgala Stotram by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
• Purī Mahārāja’s Praṇāma Mantra by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
• Śrī Guru-viraha Ṣaṭakam – Six Verses in Separation from Śrī Guru by Swami B.V. Giri
• Śrī Guru Praṇāma Anuvākya – An Explanation of Śrīla Guru Mahārāja’s Praṇāma Mantra by Swami B.V. Giri

• Gītā-mālā (A Garland of Songs) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (Songbook)
• Kalyāṇa Kalpataru (‘The auspicious Desire Tree’) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (Songbook)
• Śaraṇāgati (Surrendered to the Lord’s Shelter) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (Songbook)
• Gītāvalī (A Collection of Songs) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (Songbook)
• Bāula Saṅgīta by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (Songbook)
• Sevā Lālasā (Hankering for Service) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura (Songbook)
• Śrī Godruma-candra Bhajanopadeśa by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
• Śrī Kṛṣṇacandra by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
• Śrī Gīta Govinda Introduction by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
• Poems by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura