Prayers and Quotes: Other Gosvamis
A Comprehensive Guide to Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma
Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami
Çré Manaù-çikñä
Instructions to the Mind
Text 1
- gurau goñöhe goñöhälayiñu sujane bhüsura-gaëe
- sva-mantre çré-nämni vraja-nava-yuva-dvandva-çaraëe
- sadä dambhaà hitvä kuru ratim apürväm atitaräà
- aye sväntardhätaç caöubhir abhiyäce dhåta-padaù
O mind, I grasp your feet and beg you with sweet words: Please throw away all your pride and develop intense, extraordinary love for my spiritual master, Vrajabhümi, the people of Vraja, the Vaiñëavas, the brähmaëas, the Gäyatré mantra, the holy name, and the transcendental shelter that is the youthful couple of Vraja.
Text 2
- na dharmaà nädharmaà çruti-gaëa-niruktaà kila kuru
- vraje rädhä-kåñëa-pracura-paricaryäm iha tanuù
- çacé-sünuà nandéçvara-pati-sutatve guru-varaà
- mukunda-preñöhatve smara padam ajasraà nanu manaù
Mind, don't do the pious and impious deeds described in the Vedas. Intently serve Çré Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa in Vraja. Always remember that Lord Caitanya is the son of Mahäräja Nanda and my guru is most dear to Lord Mukunda.
Text 3
- yadéccher äväsaà vraja-bhuvi sa-rägaà prati-janur
- yuva-dvandvaà tac cet paricaritum äräd abhilañe
- svarüpaà çré-rüpaà sa-gaëam iha tasyägrajam api
- sphuöaà premëä nityaà smara nama tadä tvaà çåëu manaù
Mind, listen to me! If you desire to reside in Vraja birth after birth, and if you desire to directly serve the youthful divine couple, then with great love always remember and bow down before Çréla Svarüpa Dämodara Gosvämé, Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé, his elder brother Çréla Sanätana Gosvämé, and all their associates and followers.
Text 4
- asad-värtä-veñyä visåja mati-sarvasva-haraëéù
- kathä mukti-vyäghryä na çåëu kila sarvätma-gilaëéù
- api tyaktvä lakñmé-pati-ratim ito vyoma-nayanéà
- vraje rädhä-kåñëau sva-rati-maëi-dau tvaà bhaja manaù
Give up the prostitutes of friendship with nondevotees, prostitutes who will steal the treasure of your heart. Don't listen to the words of the tigress of impersonal liberation, which devour everyone. Give up attraction for Lord Näräyaëa, which leads to the world of Vaikuëöha. O mind, in Vraja worship Çré Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa, two philanthropists who give away the jewel of pure love.
Text 5
- asac-ceñöä-kañöa-prada-vikaöa-päçälibhir iha
- prakämaà kämädi-prakaöa-pathapäti-vyatikaraiù
- gale baddhvä hanye 'ham iti bakabhid vartmapa-gaëe
- kuru tvaà phutkärän avati sa yathä tvaà mana itaù
The highwayman lust and his friends have bound me at the neck with the painful ropes of wicked deeds. O mind, please scream, "O Kåñëa! O killer of Baka! I will be killed by highwaymen!" Do that and He will save me.
Text 6
- are cetaù prodyat-kapaöa-kuöi-näöi-bhara-khara-
- kñaran-mütre snätvä dahasi katham ätmänam api mäm
- sadä tvaà gändharvä-giridhari-pada-prema-vilasat-
- sudhämbhodhau snätvä svam api nitaräà mäà ca sukhaya
Mind, why do you burn both you and me by bathing in the trickling urine of the ass of deviousness and hypocrisy? You should delight both you and me by eternally bathing in the glistening nectar ocean of pure love for Çré Çré Gändharvä-Giridhara (Çré Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa).
Text 7
- pratiñöhäçä dhåñöä svapaca-ramaëé me hådi naöet
- kathaà sädhu-premä spåçati çucir etan nanu manaù
- sadä tvaà sevasva prabhu-dayita-sämantam atulaà
- yathä täà niñkäsya tvaritam iha taà veñayati saù
Why should pure love touch me as long as the impudent untouchable woman of the desire for fame dances in my heart? O mind, always serve the leader of they who are dear to the Lord. He will at once kick the untouchable out and allow the pure love to enter in.
Text 8
- yathä duñöatvaà me darayati çaöhasyäpi kåpayä
- yathä mahyaà premämåtam api dadäty ujjvalam asau
- yathä çré-gändharvä-bhajana-vidhaye prerayati mäà
- tathä goñöhe käkvä giridharam iha tvaà bhaja manaù
So He will mercifully break the wickedness of rascal me, so He will give me the splendid nectar of transcendental love, and so He will engage me in Çré Rädhä's service, please, O mind, with words choked with emotion, worship Lord Giridhäré here in Vraja.
Text 9
- mad-éçä-näthatve vraja-vipina-candraà vraja-vane-
- çvaréà tan-näthatve tad-atula-sakhétve tu lalitäm
- viçäkhäà çikñälé-vitaraëa-gurutve priya-saro-
- girindrau tat-prekñä-lalita-rati-datve smara manaù
Mind, meditate on the moon of Vraja forest as the Lord of my queen, the queen of Vraja forest as His mistress, Lalitä as Their peerless friend, Viçäkhä as the guru who teaches Them many things, and Rädhä-kunda and Govardhana Hill as two places the mere sight of which gives charming transcendental love.
Text 10
- ratià gauré-léle api tapati saundarya-kiraëaiù
- çacé-lakñmé-satyäù paribhavati saubhägya-balanaiù
- vaçé-käraiç candrävalé-mukha-navéna-vraja-satéù
- kñipaty äräd yä taà hari-dayita-rädhäà bhaja manaù
Mind, worship Lord Hari's beloved Rädhä, who with the splendor of Her beauty makes Rati, Gauré, and Lélä burn with envy, who with the power of Her good fortune defeats Çacé, Lakñmé and Satyabhämä, and who with Her ability to control Kåñëa completely eclipses Candrävalé and the other pious young girls in Vraja.
Text 11
- samaà çré-rüpeëa smara-vivaça-rädhä-giribhåtor
- vraje säkñät-sevä-labhana-vidhaye tad-gaëa-yujoù
- tad-ijyäkhyä-dhyäna-çravaëa-nati-païcämåtam idaà
- dhayan nityä govardhanam anudinaà tvaà bhaja manaù
Mind, in order to attain the direct service of the lovers Çré Çri Rädhä-Giridhäré, who are surrounded by Their friends, every day you must drink, with Çré Rüpa Gosvämé, the five nectars of worshiping Them, chanting Their names, meditating on Them, hearing about Them, and bowing down before Them, and every day you must worship Govardhana Hill.
Text 12
- manaù-çikñä-daikädaçaka-varam etaà madhurayä
- girä gäyaty uccaiù samadhi-gata-sarvärtha-tati yaù
- sa-yüthaù çré-rüpänuga iha bhavan gokula-vane
- jano rädhä-kåñëätula-bhajana-ratnaà sa labhate
A person who stays with the devotees, follows Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé, and with a sweet voice sings aloud these eleven excellent instructions to the mind, which grant all spiritual benedictions, will attain the matchless jewel of of direct service to Çré Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa in the forest of Gokula.