Siksastakam

(1)

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaḿ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaḿ

śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaḿ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam

ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaḿ prati-padaḿ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaḿ

sarvātma-snapanaḿ paraḿ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-sańkīrtanam

(2)

nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis

tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ

etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi

durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ

(3)

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

(4)

na dhanaḿ na janaḿ na sundarīḿ

kavitāḿ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye

mama janmani janmanīśvare

bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi

(5)

ayi nanda-tanuja kińkaraḿ

patitaḿ māḿ viṣame bhavāmbudhau

kṛpayā tava pāda-pańkaja-

sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaḿ vicintaya

(6)

nayanaḿ galad-aśru-dhārayā

vadanaḿ gadgada-ruddhayā girā

pulakair nicitaḿ vapuḥ kadā

tava nāma-grahaṇe bhaviṣyati

(7)

yugāyitaḿ nimeṣeṇa

cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam

śūnyāyitaḿ jagat sarvaḿ

govinda-viraheṇa me

(8)

āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāḿ pinaṣṭu mām

adarśanān marma-hatāḿ karotu vā

yathā tathā vā vidadhātu lampaṭo

mat-prāṇa-nāthas tu sa eva nāparaḥ

TRANSLATION

1) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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

Second verse:

ceto-darpana-marjanam – means that chanting Harinama destroys all anarthas. For a conditioned soul, the mirror of the heart or “consciousness is covered with a thick layer of dust in the form of samskaras (impressions on the mind from acts done in previous lives) and anarthas (unwanted material desires which impede one’s progress in bhakti). Chanting Krishna’s names removes the dust, and allows one to see the pure form of the soul and the beautiful transcendental form of Shyamasundara.

Bhava-maha-davagni nirvapanam- means that chanting removes all miseries and klesas (adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika); stages of sin (prarabdha, aprarabdha, kuta and bija); and avidya (ignorance).

Sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam- means that all subha manifests in one’s life. As the white lotus (kairava) blossoms under the moonbeams (chandrika), the flower of good fortune opens in a heart illuminated by the cooling rays of the holy name.

Vidya –vadhu-jivanam—means the supreme knowledge (vidya) is the mahabhava of Srimati Radhika, who is Krishna’s topmost vadhu (consort or wife). The jivanam (life and soul) of Radhika is Krishna alone. Krishna’s name, therefore, while is non-different from Krishna is desribed as vidya vadhu jivanam.

Anandambudhi- vardhanam - means when the tiny jiva takes shelter of Ananta Krishna, He submerges in an ever-expanding (vardhanam) boundless ocean of bliss (anandambudhi)

Prati-padam-purnamrtasvadhanam - means by the mercy of Krishna’s internal potency (svarupa sakti), the Lord’s bliss potency (hladini shakti) enters the heart of the jiva to expand the ocean of Krishna prema with unlimited waves of pleasure. At every step (prati padam) the jiva fully relishes (purnamrta svadanam) varieties of nectarean seva rasa: sakhya, vatsalya, and madhurya.

Sarvatma – snapanam- means that chanting Krishna’s holy names completely cleanses (snapanam) the jiva of all selfish desires for selfish enjoyment (sarvatma). Chanting Krishna’s holy names thoroughly bathes the living entity both internally and externally, making him clean and cool. In such a state of supreme purity, the jiva, now filled with spotless prema, becomes absorbed in giving bliss to Krishna.

Param vijayate sri Krishna sankirtanam- means the chanting of Sri Krishna’s holy names will be completely victorious, especially in revealing Radha-Govinda’s enchanting pastimes of love (prema vicitra-lila).

By delineating the seven excellences of harinama, the first sloka of siksastaka increases one’s appreciation of the wonderful qualities of the holy name. For this reason, Thakura Bhaktivinoda links this verse to sraddha (faith), the initial stage of bhakti.

Second verse:

The second sloka of siksastaka addresses the next three stages of bhakti: sadhu sanga, bhajana- kriya, anartha

Third verse:

When all unwanted desires are cleared from the heart, one then attains the stage of nistha (firm faith), wherein he serves Krishna with steadiness. At this stage, one’s heart becomes radiant with the quality of humility and its symptoms enunciated in this sloka.

Fourth verse:

The fourth sloka describes the symptoms of a person with nama-ruci: He does not care a fig for women, wealth, fame, followers or fruitive gain.

Fifth verse:

At the stage of ruci, mentioned in the fourth sloka, one’s attachment is nourished by the different limbs of bhakti. (sravanam, kirtanam and arcanam). As one advances in devotion, however his attachment becomes directly focussed on Krishna, the most cherished person. Feeling truly downtrodden, one identifies fully as a maidservant, and anxiously cries for the mercy of His Lord and master, Sri Nandanandana. This is the stage of deep asakti or deep attachment described in the fifth sloka.

Sixth verse:

When the sadhaka reaches the sixth stage, he has attained the platform of bhava. Now in the course or fendering devotional service, the heart becomes softened by various transcendental emotions (bhavas), which cause ecstatic bodily transformations known as sattvika-vibhavas. This verse describes three of the eight sattvika- vibhavas: tears, choked voice and erect bodily hairs.

Seventh verse:

Prema is defined as love of Krishna, which is extremely concentrated, which completely melts and softens the heart; and is endowed with a deep sense of possessiveness (mamata) in relation to the Lord. At this stage of devotion, one worships Krishna in the mood of separation (vipralambha-bhava). The Vraja– gopis and particularly Srimati Radhika savour the greatest ecstasies of love in separation. The seventh sloka depicts the intensity of Their feelings in vipralambha-bhava.

Eighth verse:

The eighth verse describes the stage of prema-bhakti, wherein one fully realizes his eternal loving relationship with Krishna. Firmly embracing the Lord within his heart, a devotee experiences sambhoga or full pleasure in direct association with Krishna. The devotee is now completely dependent on Krishna’s sweet will. Following the mood of Srimati Radhika conveyed in this sloka, the devotee prays to the Lord of his life with absolute submission.