Post by Amritha Varshini on Sept 21, 2014 6:55:00 GMT 5.5
Sri Sikshastakam – Prayers by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1535) is the most recent incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna. He appeared 500 years ago in Navadvip, West-Bengal and started His worldwide Sankirtan mission of propagating the chanting of the holy name of the Lord (the process of self-realization for this age – to meditate upon the sound of the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare). He left us only eight verses, called Siksastakam, in which His mission and precepts are revealed.
चेतोदर्पणमार्जनं भव महादावाग्नि निर्वापणम्
श्रेयः कैरवचन्द्रिकावितरणं विद्यावधू जीवनम् ।
आनंदाम्बुधिवर्धनं प्रतिपदं पूर्णामृतास्वादनम्
सर्वात्मस्नपनं परं विजयते श्रीकृष्ण संकीर्तनम् ॥१॥
chetho dharpana maarjanam bhava mahaa daavaagni nirvaapanam
shreyah: kairava chandrika vitharanam vidhya vadhu jeevanam
aanandhambudhi vardhanam prathipadham purnamrithaa swadhanam
sarvathma snapanam param vijayathe sri krishna sankeerthanam || 1 ||
Glory to the Sri Krishna 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.
नाम्नामकारि बहुधा निज सर्व
शक्तिस्तत्रार्पिता नियमितः स्मरणे न कालः।
एतादृशी तव कृपा भगवन्ममापि
दुर्दैवमीदृशमिहाजनि नानुरागः॥२॥
naamnaam akari bahudha nija-sarva
shaktis thathraarpithaa niyamitha: smarane na kaala:
ethaadrishi thava krupa bhagavan mamaapi
durdaivam idrushaami haajani nanuraaga: || 2 ||
O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names like Krishna 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.
तृणादपि सुनीचेन
तरोरपि सहिष्णुना।
अमानिना मानदेन
कीर्तनीयः सदा हरिः ॥३॥
trunaad api sunichena
tharor api sahishnuna
amaaninaa maanadena
keerthneeyah: sadha hari: || 3 ||
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.
न धनं न जनं न सुन्दरीं
कवितां वा जगदीश कामये।
मम जन्मनि जन्मनीश्वरे
भवताद् भक्तिरहैतुकी त्वयि॥४॥
na dhanam na janam na sundharim
kavithaam vaa jagadeesha kaamaye
mama janmani janmaneeshvare
bhavathaadh bhakthir ahaithuki twayi || 4 ||
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.
अयि नन्दतनुज किंकरं
पतितं मां विषमे भवाम्बुधौ।
कृपया तव पादपंकज
स्थितधूलिसदृशं विचिन्तय ॥५॥
ayi nandha thanuja kinkaram
pathitham maam vishame bhavambudhau
krupayaa thava paadha pankaja
sthitha dhooli sadrusham vichinthaya || 5 ||
O son of Maharaja Nanda [Krishna], 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.
नयनं गलदश्रुधारया
वदनं गदगदरुद्धया गिरा।
पुलकैर्निचितं वपुः कदा
तव नाम-ग्रहणे भविष्यति ॥६॥
nayanam galad-ashru-dhaarayaa
vadhanam gadhagadha-ruddhayaa giraa
pulakair nichitham vapu: kadhaa
thava naama-gruhane bhavishyathi || 6 ||
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?
युगायितं निमेषेण
चक्षुषा प्रावृषायितम्।
शून्यायितं जगत् सर्वं
गोविन्द विरहेण मे ॥७॥
yugaayitham nimeshena
chakshushaa pravrushaayitham
shunyaayitham jagath sarvam
govindha virahena me || 7 ||
O Govinda! Feeling Your separation, 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.
आश्लिष्य वा पादरतां पिनष्टु
मामदर्शनान् मर्महतां करोतु वा।
यथा तथा वा विदधातु
लम्पटो मत्प्राणनाथस् तु स एव नापरः ॥८॥
ashlishya vaa paadharathaam pinashtu
maama darshanaan marma-hatam karothu vaa
yatha tatha vaa vidhadhaathu
lampato mathpraananaathas thu sa eva naapara: || 8 ||
I know no one but Krishna 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.
Kindly hear the divine music rendered by Smt M.S. Subbulakshmi Amma
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