SRI SRI

 

KALYAN KALPA-TARU

(THE DESIRE - TREE OF AUSPICIOUSNESS)

 

--- a songbook of 62 Bengali songs ---

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by

SRILA SACCIDANANDA BHAKTIVINODA THAKURA

(Published in 1880)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Translation by

Dasaratha-suta dasa

 

 

 

published by

SRI GAURANGA QUINCENTENNIAL SERIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT *

 

 

 

 

 

 

THIS PUBLICATION IS OFFERED TO THE COMMUNITY OF DEVOTEES

ON THE GLORIOUS OCCASION OF

LORD CAITANYA'S 500th APPEARANCE ANNIVERSARY

* 1486 - 1986 *

 

 

 

 

AND THUS COMMEMORATES

AN ENTIRE SERIES OF SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS

COMPRISING TRANSLATIONS OF MAJOR DEVOTIONAL WORKS

ABOUT LORD CAITANYA AND HIS SUBLIME PHILOSOPHY:

 

THE BLISSFUL LIFE OF ECSTATIC KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THIS PUBLICATION IS DEDICATED

 

TO

 

HIS DIVINE GRACE

 

A. C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA

 

OUR SPIRITUAL MASTER

 

WHO HAS SPREAD THE LIGHT OF

 

THAKURA BHAKTIVINODA'S PURE KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS

 

ALL OVER THE WORLDS

 

IN FULFILLMENT

 

OF THE THAKURA'S MOST ARDENT DESIRE

 

 

SRI SRI KALYAN KALPA-TARU

"THE DESIRE - TREE OF AUSPICIOUSNESS"

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 2

Basic Outline fo Kalyan Kalpa-taru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 4

Index of song topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 6

VANDANAM (Introductory Prayers) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 13

MANGALACARANA (Auspicious Invocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 16

 

1) FIRST BRANCH: UPADESA (Spiritual Advice)

19 songs, each treating a different

subject of discussions . . . . . . . . . . . page 21

2) SECOND BRANCH" UPALABDHI (Attainment of Realization)

I) Anutapa-laksana-upalabdhi (Attainment

of the symptoms of heartfelt repentance)

5 songs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 56

II) Nirveda-laksana-upalabdhi (Attainment

of the symptom,s of despondent, disinterested callousness towards material worldly affairs)

5 songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 64

III) Sambandha-abhideya-prayojana upalabdhi

vijnana (Attainment of the realization of one's relationship with the Lord, actions according

to that final relationship, and realization of

the final goal) 4 songs. . . . . . . . . . . page 74

3) THIRD BRANCH: UCCHVASA (Overflowing Spiritual Emotions)

I) Prarthana dainya-mayi (Prayers of utter

humility) 5 songs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 84

II) Prarthana lalasa-mayi (Prayers of eager

longing) 12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 89

III) Vijnapti (Confidential confessions)

4 songs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 104

IV) Ucchvasa kirtana (The chanting aloud of

swelling and overflowing spiritual emotions)

8 songs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 112

A) nama-kirtana (Chanting of the Lord's name)

2 songs

B) rupa-kirtana (Chanting of the Lord's beauty)

1 song

C) guna-kirtana (Chanting of the Lord's qualities)

2 songs

D) lila-kirtana (Chanting of the Lord's pastimes)

2 songs

E) rasa-kirtana (Chanting of the Lord's mellows)

1 song

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Fathomless eternal mercy of Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga has descended to enable the present publication of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's famous Bengali songbook, Kalyan Kalpa-taru, for the first time in the English language.

Feeling great concern for the sufferings of the conditioned souls, Lord Caitanya's own close associate Om Visnupada Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has brought Sri Kalyan Kalpa-taru from the forest of ultimate welfare in Vaikuntha down to this miserable desert-like material worlds, which is scorched by kali-yuga. From this special desire-tree, he has distributed the fruits of maha-kalyan (topmost spiritual welfare) to the fallen souls, a benefit which cannot possibly be described in the languages of this worlds. Even the hearts of the atheists, the sinners, the distracted sense-gratifiers and the puffed-up egoists can become soothed by the cooling shade offered by this merciful Kalyan Kalpa-taru, or Desire-tree of Auspiciousness.

Thakura Bhaktivinoda states his purpose for bringing the tree in his original Bengali introduction, ". . . Those whose lives have been carried away by numerous problems such as useless arguments, idle gossip, sense-gratification, laziness and sleep will sometime get illumination in their lives by the rays offered by the glance of Bhaktidevi (the Goddess of Devotion), due to getting the systematic mercy of the sadhus and Lord Krsna. This illumination will flash in their lives exactly like a brilliant bolt of lightning darts across the cloud-darkened midnight sky, bathing the ground with its dazzling effulgence. Similarly, all the instructions and prayers to the lotus feet of the Lord which are meant for purifying the polluted mind have been compiled and published in this book, Kalyan Kalpa-taru. . ."

In his original preface, the Thakura has revealed his own humble mood while presenting all these instructions, which are meant to educate the mass public, ". . . The real reason for publishing this book is as follows; If those Vaisnavas who are very fond of the lotus feet of Sri Hari will read this book and then cast their merciful glance in my direction, then without a doubt I will become,by their grace, a suitable recipient of the mercy of Nanda-nandana, Sri Krsna. And this most insignificant soul has no sustenance in life other than the said mercy of these Vaisnavas. . ."

First published on June 14th, 1880 from Calcutta Hari-bhakti Pradayini

Sabha, Kalyan Kalpa-taru was revised by Bhaktivedanta and saw its second edition published 17 years later in 1897. After Bhaktivinoda passed on in 1914, the book has been reprinted under the supervision of his son Sri Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura up to the eight edition. He also published it in the Oriya script for distribution in Orissa. Afterwards, the disciples of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati have continued further publications up to the 15th edition, adding an explanatory commentary for difficult words and phrases in 1941.

Several songs originating in this book have already been presented in the ISKCON songbook, "The Songs of the Vaisnava Acharyas". They are 1) Vijnapti, popularly known as "Gopinatha" (3 III. 1-3) and 2) Nama-kirtana, popularly known as "Vibhavari-sesa" (3. IV. A. 2). Srila Prabhupada's own explanation of the latter song is also included herein. Also the well-known song "Durlabha manava janma" can be found originating from the 2nd chapter of Kalyan Kalpa-taru (2. II. 4).

The book Kalyan Kalpa-taru is a description of one special desire-tree which has been brought from Vaikuntha. It has three branches called Upadesa (instructions), Upalabdhi (attainment), and Ucchvasa (overgushing). It bears fruits of special supreme auspiciousness. The three divisions present a systematic path of self-realization in the form of a tree for easy understanding.

We pray that all the devotees, who are also like wish-fulfilling desire trees, will be pleased by our attempt at presenting Kalyan Kalpa-taru. If the honest readers will show their favor, then the grace of all the previous acaryas may descend again to allow future publications of their books.

Gratitude is herein extended to all the well-wishing devotees who helped me to complete this book. This includes several who helped look after the English editing, and especially certain Bengali devotees, whose intimate familiarity with the ecstatic moods of Thakura Bhaktivinoda, coupled with utmost patience in conveying the same to me, is solely responsible for enabling my struggling attempt at translation to be completed. Hari-bol!

Dasaratha-suta dasa

September 19, 1988

Appearance day of

Sri Radha

 

Anyone desiring information about other nectar translations, please feel free to contact Dasaratha-suta dasa

4120 Stacks Road

College Park, Georgia 30349

(404- 768-6672)

BASIC OUTLINE OF THE DESIRE-TREE OF AUSPICIOUSNESS

FIRST BRANCH (Advice)

The first branch, Upadesa, contains the most basic,primary lessons of spiritual advice. Addressing his own mind, Thakura Bhaktivinoda gives the foundation of spiritual insight towards various problems which can deviate one in this world from the path of pure devotional service. Treating one specific problem in each of 19 songs, the Thakura expands the first branch of the Kalyan Kalpa-taru in various directions to cover most of the anarthas (or unnecessary distractions) which can hinder one who is on the path back to Godhead. Beginning with the first reason why the jiva soul has come into this world ---namely lust --- he branches out through numerous other materialistic topics until he finally ends up chastising those who have apparently taken to the devotional path but have fallen short of the mark --- due to the same lust all over again. With his sharp sword of pure transcendental knowledge, Bhaktivinoda cuts bare these final devotional impediments to prepare the reader for the next stage, presented in the following chapter --- assimilation and living realization of the advice.

SECOND BRANCH (Attainment)

Next, the second branch of the Kalyan Kalpa-taru, called Upalabdhi, spreads a purview of the platform of attainment, assimilation, realization and application of all the advice received from the first branch, Upadesa. This stage of Upalabdhi is further divided into three categories: 1) anutapa - repenting due to genuine realization; 2) nirveda - thorough detachment from material temptations due to genuine spiritual realization; 3) sambandha-abhidya-prayojana-vijnana - realization of practical action in accordance with that relationship, and realization of the final goal of life. All the preliminary realizations presented in this chapter prelude the outburst of gushing spiritual emotions which are to be revealed in the next chapter.

THIRD BRANCH (Overgushing)

The third and final branch presents various types of ecstatic Ucchvasa or outbursts of spiritual emotions which overflow and gush out of one's heart after he attains self-realization. This chapter is divided into four sections as 1) prarthana dainyamayi - prayers offered by a pure soul in genuine transcendental humility; 2) prarthana lalasamayi - prayers which express specific transcendental hankerings or longings for devotional service; 3) vijnapti - confessions of one's own mind accompanied by repeated pleading in order to petition the Lord; and 4) ucchvasa kirtana - those songs of worship and praise which express overflowing emotions saturated with pure progressive realization of the Lord's nama (name), rupa (beauty), guna (qualities), lila (pastimes), and finally rasa (mellows). All these features of the Lord's absolute existence are inseparable and identical, but they are progressively realized in these graduating levels as increasing manifestations of sweetness.

In his book named Harinama-cintamani, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura presents a clear interrelation of these different aspects,which may be paraphrased here briefly:

The Lord's nama or holy name, is just like the freshly sprouted bud of a flower.

When the bud opens up slightly, then His rupa or beautiful form manifests.

The fragrance of this slightly opened bud is His guna, or qualities.

When the bud finally blooms fully and open wide, then His lila, or eternal daily pastimes are manifested.

Thus, the internal spiritual advancement similarly develops for a fortunate soul who properly chants this third branch of Kalyan Kalpa-taru.

Then, the final song entitled rasa-kirtana reveals the culmination of the spiritual life of the aspiring devotee --- in the perfect spiritual body of a gopi, one hears Krsna's flute calling and becomes stricken with anxiously frantic insanity. Then, due to the overwhelming transcendental desire to please Krsna with the whole of her existence, she madly rushes to the forest to meet Him for the rasa dance. Coming into the clearing and beholding Krsna in her mood of total self-surrender, the gopi. . . Just then Thakura Bhaktivinoda, fearing that the reading may not have the adhikara (qualification) to hear about what happens next, trows his pen down violently on the table and cries out in exasperation, "why in my pen so feeble? It cannot possibly express all these ecstatic pastimes with Krsna which are causing my heart to throb incessantly! Curses on this weak, useless pen! But maybe it's trying to tell me something. The persons who read this book may not be fit to hear the confidential pastimes that are enjoyed by meeting with Krsna and sporting in the forest with Him in thousands of different ecstatic lilas. So therefore, I better take heed of this message hinted to me by my crippled, impotent pen, thus end my kirtana here." Thus Thakura Bhaktivinoda ends Kalyan Kalpa-taru, leaving those readers who do have the adhikara on the edge of their seats. . .

INDEX OF SONGS TOPICS

 

AUSPICIOUS INVOCATION and DESCRIPTION of the KALYAN KALPA-TARU

FIRST BRANCH: "UPADESA" (Spiritual Advice)

1) The soul's Real Position

2) Mundane Lust vs. Spiritual Lust

3) Scientific Doubt Resolved

4) Demigods Worship Put Into Perspective

5) Impersonal Doubts vs. Personal Truth

6) Scholarly Logic Kicked out

7) Hatha-yoga is Unnecessary

8) Merging with Brahman is Foolish

9) Caste-Pride is False

10) Mundane Knowledge is Most Harmful

11) Bodily Beauty is Temporary

12) Madness for Wealth is Ridiculous

13) Sannyasa Not as Important as Devotion

14) Traveling on Pilgrimage Not Necessary

15) Austerities and Penance Defined

16) Cheating Devotees are Rejectable

17) Fault-Finders of the Disciplic Succession Rectified

18) Bogus Ecstatic Symptoms

19) Lust is Not Love

SECOND BRANCH: "UPALABDHI" (Attainment of Realization)

I ANUTAPA (Repentance)

1) Whole Life Wasted

2) Bereft of Devotees'' Association

3) Time Wasted in Karma

4) Poisonous Mayavada Philosophy

5) Remedy for Mayavada and Misery

II NIRVEDA (Despondency)

1) Material Life is Not Nice

2) How Material Hopes Increase

3) Bhukti & Mukti Rejected

4) Rare Human Birth Wasted

5) The Nature of the Misled Siddha-Deha

 

III SAMBANDHA-ABHIDEYA-PRAYOJANA-VIJNANA (Relationship, Action & the Goal)

1) Sambandha (Relationship with Krsna)

2) Vaisnava Truth

3) Imitation Vaikuntha

4) Worship Now, Not Later

THIRD BRANCH: "UCCHVASA" (Overflowing Spiritual Emotions)

I DAINYA-MAYI (Utter Humility)

1) Vaisnavas Can Give Krsna

2) Lord Caitanya is the Deliverer of the Fallen

3) The Ocean of Material Existence

4) A Prayer to Yoga-maya

II LALASA-MAYI (Eager Longing)

1) Longing

2) Servant of the Servant

3) Give up Non-devotees

4) The Secret of Lord Caitanya's "Enemies"

5) How to take Shelter of Vrndavana

6) Favorable Practices

7) The Pure Devotee

8) Prayer to the Pure Devotee

9) My Worshipping-Cottage at Navadvipa

10) Prayer to Lord Caitanya in Navadvipa

11) The Splendor of Vrndavana at Navadvipa

12) Wandering Madly in Navadvipa

III VIJNAPTI (Confidential Confessions)

1) Gopinatha

2) Gopinatha

3) Gopinatha

4) A Humble Petition for Service

IV UCCHVASA KIRTANA (Overflowing Chanting)

A) NAMA-KIRTANA (Chanting His Names)

1) Names of Lord Caitanya

2) Names of Lord Krsna

 

B) RUPA-KIRTANA (Chanting His Beauty)

1) Description of Lord Krsna's beauty

C) GUNA-KIRTANA (Chanting His Qualities)

1) Krsna's Quality of Mercy

2) Krsna's Unlimited Qualities

D) LILA-KIRTANA (Chanting His Pastimes)

1) Krsna's Human-like Pastimes

2) Krsna's Pastimes with the Gopis

E) RASA-KIRTANA (Chanting His ecstatic mellows)

1) Rendezvous: Called for the Rasa Dance

INTRODUCTORY PRAYER

by SRILA BHAKTIVINODA THAKURA

 

 

(1)

vande vrndatavi-candram radhikaksi-mahotsavam

brahmatmananda-dhikkari purnananda-rasalayam

vande - I offer my respectful obeisances; vrnda-atavi - the forest of Vrndavana; candram - the moon; radhika - Srimati Radharani; aksi - eyes; maha-utsavam - grand festival; brahmatma-ananda - the bliss of merging into the Brahman effulgence; dikkari - puts to shame; purna-ananda - full in spiritual joy; rasa-alayam - the abode of transcendental mellows.

Those aspirant practitioners who have first had profound meditation on the purport of great statements like "tattvamasi", etc., and who have attained unity with the bliss of merging into the Brahmana effulgence, themselves find that such so-called bliss is put to shame before the completely ecstatic spiritual relationship between the taster and tasted mellows. I offer my respectful obeisances unto that most astonishing abode of such totally blissful mellows, the very moon over Vrndavana: Sri Krsna, Who is the delightful festival for Sri Radhika's eyes.

 

 

(2)

caitanya-caranam vande krsna-bhakta-janasrayam

advaita-mata-dhaureya bharapanodanam param

caitanya-caranam - the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya; vande - I offer my respectful obeisances; krsna-bhakta - the devotees of Lord Krsna; jana-asrayam - the refuge of such persons; advaita - undifferentiated monism; mata - the opinion; dhaureya - fit for a burden; bhara - the weight; apanodanam - throws away; param - the only.

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, which are the only shelter for all of the greatly fortunate devotees of Lord Krsna. His lotus feet cast out to a distant place the unbearable burden of the doctrine of undifferentiated monism, as it was propounded by Sripada Sankaracarya.

 

 

(3)

gurum vande mahabhagam krsnananda-svarupakam

yan mude racayisyami kalyana-kalpa-padapam

gurum - unto the spiritual master; vande - I offer my respectful obeisances; maha-bhagam - most worshipable; krsna - of Lord Krsna; ananda - bliss; svarupakam - the original form; yat-mude - the cause of the increase of whose bliss; racayisyami - I will write; kalyana-kalpa-padam - the book named Kalyan Kalpa-taru.

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my most worshipable Gurudeva, who is the personified form of blissful Krsna consciousness. Jut to increase his transcendental happiness, I will compose the book known as "Kalyan Kalpa-taru".

 

 

(4)

aprakrta-rasanande na yasya kevala ratih

tasyedam na samalocyam pustakam prema-samputam

aprakrta - transcendental; rasa-anande - in the bliss of transcendental mellow; na - not; yasya - whose; kevala - unalloyed; ratih - love; tasya - his; idam - this; na - not; samalocyam - subject to criticism; pustakam - the book; prema-samputam - a box for the safekeeping of the most extremely confidential jewels of ecstatic love.

The aggregate of the following 24 elements i called "prakrti": the 5 gross elements, the 5 objects of the senses, the 5 working senses, the 5 knowledge-acquiring senses, mind, intelligence, ego, & mahattattva. The truth that is above and beyond all these is called "transcendental truth". That truth although being the original reservoir of all blissful spiritual mellows, is not appreciated by all persons, indeed, those who have not developed unalloyed love and attachment to this transcendental truth will not read this book, which is just like a small jewel box for guarding the most confidential gems of ecstatic love. Thus they simply remain attached to meditating on material bodily happiness, becoming completely submerged and drowned in the insignificant ocean of lust.

 

 

(5)

ayam kalpa-taror-nama kalyana-padapah subhah

vaikuntha-nilaye bhati vane nihsreyasahvake

ayam - this; kalpa-taror-nama - named "kalpa-taru"; kalyana-padapah - the desire-tree of auspiciousness; subhah - auspicious; vaikuntha-nilaye - in the abode of Vaikuntha; bhati - conspicuously present; vane - in the forest; nihsreyasa-ahvake - named the "ultimate welfare".

In the abode of Vaikuntha, within the forest of ultimate good, there is one special wish-fulfilling desire tree of supreme auspiciousness, conspicuously present among all the others.

 

(6)

tasya skandha-trayam suddham vartate vidusam mude

upadesas thatha copalabdhistucchvasakah kila

tasya - that tree; skandha - branch; trayam - three-fold; suddham - principle; vartate - is existing; vidusam - of learned men; mude - for the purpose of increasing the joy; upadesah - advice; tatha - that; ca - and; upalabdhih - attainment; tu - and; uchvasakah - overflowing emotions; kila - known as.

This tree is divided into three principle branches known as "Upadesa" (spiritual advice), "Upalabdhi" (attainment of realization), and "Ucchvasa" (overflowing spiritual emotions), which increase the joy of all persons who are actually wise.

 

(7)

asritya padapam vidvan kalyanam labhate phalam

radha-krsna-vilasesu dasyam vrndavane vane

asritya - taking shelter; padapam - of the desire-tree; vidvan - most learned persons; kalyanam - in the form of auspiciousness; labhate - attaining; phalam - the fruit; radha-krsna-vilasesu - in the performance of Sri-Sri-Radha-Krsna's pastimes; vrndavane vane - within the transcendental forest called Vrndavana, beyond the abode of Vaikuntha.

The shelter of this special desire-tree produces the attainment of fruits in the form of auspiciousness. This means eternal servitude to the performance ce of Sri-Sri-Radha-Krsna's pastimes in the realm of the transcendental fores named Vrndavana, within the innermost secret abobe of Vaikuntha.

 

(8)

sampujya vaisnavan vipran sarva-jivamsca nityasah

kirtayami vinito 'ham gitam vraja-rasasritam

sampujya - fit for being worshipped; vaisnava - to all vaisnavas who are residents of Sri Navadvipa, Sri Ksetra, and Sri Vraja-dhama; vipran - to all the brahmnanas who are followers of the Vaisnavas; sarva-jivan ca - and also to all souls from Lord Brahma down to the untouchable outcastes and dogs; nityasah - always; kirtayami - I perform kirtana; vinitha - humbly; aham - I; gitam - songs; vraja-rasa - the mellow of Vraja; asritam - sheltered.

I now humbly perform the chanting of all the songs which are sheltered under the mood of Vraja, just to worship all of Lord Krsna's jiva souls. This includes all the Vaisnava residents of Vraja-dhama, Ksetra-dhama, and Navadvipa-dhama, as well as all the brahmanas who are beyond fruitive activities and speculative knowledge, as well as all the souls from Lord Brahma down to the untouchable outcastes and dogs.

 

 

 

 

 

NOTE: The word for word translations are fused on Bhaktivinoda's own Bengali translation of his Sanskrit verses. Therefore expanded explanation are evident.

AUSPICIOUS INVOCATION and DESCRIPTION OF THE DESIRE-TREE OF AUSPICIOUSNESS

(1)

jaya jaya sri-caitanya patita-pavana

jaya nityananda-prabhu anatha-tarana

All glories, all glories to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the deliverer of all the fallen soul! All glories to Sri Nityananda Prabhu, the divine saviour of those who are lost and helpless in this world!

(2)

jaya jayadvaita-candra krpar-sagar

jaya rupa-sanatana, jaya gadadhar

All Glories to Srimad Advait Acarya, Who is just like an unfathomable ocean of causeless mercy! All glories to Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami, and to Sri Gadadhara Pandita!

(3)

sri-jiva gopala-bhatta raghunatha-dvoy

jaya braja-dhamabasi baisnaba-nicoy

All glories to all the multitudes of Vaisnavas who are residing in the holy abode of Vraja-dhama, headed by Srila Jiva Gosvami, Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and Srila Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami!

(4)

jaya jaya navadvipa-basi bhakta-gana

sabe mili' krpa more koro' bitarana

All glories to all the devotes of The Lord who live in Sri Navadvipa-dhama! I beg all of you together to kindly bestow your combined mercy upon me.

(5)

nikhila baisnaba-jana doya prakasiya

sri-jahnava-pade more rakhaha taniya

I pray to all you assembled Vaisnavas throughout the entire universe to please show your compassion by attracting me to the shade of the lotus feet of Sri Jahnava Devi, my eternal shelter and the very pleasure potency of Sri Nityananda Prabhu.

 

(6)

ami to' durbhaga ati, baisnaba na cini

more krpa koribena baisnaba apani

I am certainly most unfortunate, for I cannot realize who is actually a Vaisnava. Therefore I beg that, if any real Vaisnavas hear my prayer, then please be merciful to me.

(7)

sri-guru-carane more bhakti koro' dana

je carana-bale pai tattver sandhana

Please bestow upon me devotional service to the lotus feet of Sri Gurudeva. Simply by the strength of those feet I can find a clue of the real transcendental truth.

(8)

brahmana sakala kori' krpa mor prati

baisnaba-carane more deho drdhamati

I pray to all of the bona-fide brahmanas to please show your favor to me by giving me firm devotional determination unto the lotus feet of Vaisnavas.

(9)

ucca nica sarva-jiba carane sarane

loilama ami dina hina akincana

Thus I have taken shelter at the feet of all the jiva souls, whether they are highly elevated or even if they are very low-born, for in truth I am actually the most fallen soul, very lowly and insignificant.

(10)

sakale koriya krpa deho' more bar

baisnabe koruna ei granther adar

All of you Vainsavas, being very merciful towards me, kindly bless me with the following boon: I pray that all of you will show your soft-hearted compassion by respecting and appreciating what this book has to say.

 

(11)

grantha-dvara baisnaba-janer krpa pai

baisnaba-krpay krsna--labha hoy bhai

If all the devotees thus appreciate this book, then I will receive the causeless mercy that they will shower upon me. Oh brothers! And by the mercy of all these Vaisnavas, I will attain devotion to the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna.

(12)

baisnaba-bimukha ja're, tahar jibana

nirathaka jano' bhai, prasiddha bacana

My dear friends! Know it for certain that the life of a person who is averse to any Vaisnava is lived meaninglessly, without any purpose at all. Indeed, this is known throughout all the land.

(13)

sri-baikuntha-dhame ache nihsreya bana

tahe sobha pay kalpa-taru aganana

In the transcendental realm of Sri Vaikuntha-dhama there is a forest of the supreme perfection of life. Existing beautifully within that transcendental forest are innumerable wish-fulfilling desire-trees.

(14)

taha-majhe e kalyan-kalpa-taru-raja

nitya-kala nitya-dhame korena biraja

Amongst all the desire-trees within this transcendental forest, there stands out one special tree, which is actually the King of them all. This one is named "the Desire-tree of Auspiciousness", and it conspicuously exists here within the eternal abode for all of time.

(15)

skhandha-troy ache ta'r apurva darsana

upadesa, upalabdhi, ucchvasa ganana

What a wonderful sight is this special desire-tree, as it stands with it' s three-fold trunk! These three divisions branch out as "Upadesa" (spiritual advice), "Upalabdhi" (attainment of realization) and "Ucchvasa" (overflowing spiritual emotions).

 

(16)

subhakti-prasuna tahe ati sobha pay

`kalian' namaka phal aganana tay

This tree is very beautifully decorated with flower blossoms of especially sweet devotional service. Plus there are innumerable fruits which are named `kalyan' (auspiciousness).

(17)

je sujana e bitapi korena asroy

krsna-seva-su-kalyan-phal tanra hoy

Any honest or noble person who sincerely takes shelter of this transcendental tree get to taste these fruits of special, supreme auspiciousness, which is devotional service to Lord Krsna.

(18)

sri-guru-carana-krpa-samarthya labhiya

e-heno apurva brksa dilam aniya

By utilizing the strength that I am obtaining from the mercy of the lotus feet of Sri Gurudeva, I have now brought this wonderful Desire-tree of Auspiciousness here.

(19)

taniya anite brksa e karkasa mana

nasilo ihara sobha, suno, sadhu-jana

Oh honest and noble persons! Please hear what has happened now. When I brought the tree here, I have pulled it forcibly and handled it very roughly due to my harsh mentality; therefore it has now lost it's original splendrous beauty.

(20)

tomara sakale hao e brkser mali

sraddha-bari diya punah koro' rupasali

Now I wish that all of you should become the gardeners of this transcendental tree and, by regularly watering it with your faith and devotion, make it beautiful again.

 

(21)

phalibe kalya-phal-jugala-sevana

koribo sakale mili' taha asvadana

By pouring the water of your faith, the fruits of asuspiciousness will fructify into eternal service to the Divine Couple Sri-Sri-Radha-Krsna, which all of us together will taste and relish.

 

(22)

nrtya kori' hari bolo', khao seva-phal

bhakti-bale koro' dura kutarka-anal

Just eat all these sweet fruits of conjugal service while dancing and chanting the holy names! And on the strength of this devotional service, please extinguish the blazing forest fire of all the useless arguments that I will now begin to describe one by one in the first chapter of this book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KALYAN KALPA-TARU

(The Desire-tree of Auspiciousness)

 

FIRST BRANCH: `UPADESA' (Advice)

 

 

 

 

 

 

--- 19 songs ---

 

Introduction: Siksa and Diksa Gurus

 

(1)

diksa-guru-krpa kori mantra-upadesa

koriya dekhan krsna-tattver nirdesa

The initiating spiritual master shows his causeless mercy by giving his disciples instructions in chanting the hari-nama mantra. By so doing he points the disciples towards the direction of the truths pertaining to the Supreme Lord Sri krsna.

 

(2)

siksa-guru-brnda krpa koriya apar

sadhake sikhan sadhaner anga-sar

But I consider the numerous instructing spiritual masters to be more important, for they show unlimitedly more mercy by training the neophyte devotees in all the essential aspects of practical, regulative devotional service (sadhana-bhakti).

 

(3)

siksa-guru-gana-pade koriya pranati

upadesa-mala boli nija manah-prati

Therefore, offering my prostrated obeisances unto the lotus feet of all instructing spiritual masters, I will now narrate this garland of different types of spiritual advice, which will all be directed towards my own mind.

SONG 1 --- THE SOUL REAL POSITION

 

(1)

mana re, keno miche bhajicho asar?

bhutha-maya e sansar, jiber paksete char,

amangala-samudra apar

Oh my dear mind, please tell me why you uselessly adore and worship such false things in this world? This material world is simply composed of five gross elements: earth, water, fire, air & ether, but the pure spirit soul somehow wants to keep himself in a most degraded condition of abject ruination by remaining within this unfathomable ocean of inauspiciousness.

(2)

bhutatita suddha-jiba, niranjana sadasiba,

mayatita premer adhar

taba suddha-satta tai, e jada-jagate bhai,

keno mugdha hao bar bar?

The spirit soul actually lives beyond these five gross elements, and he is always spotlessly pure, devoid of material designations, and abounds in auspicious spiritual happiness. He is certainly a fit receptacle for pure love of Godhead, which is beyond the range of maya's illusions. Oh my dear mind, my dear friend! You are meant to be situated in pure transcendental existence as pure spirit soul, so I ask you now - why do you become enchanted and captivated again and again within this dull material universe?

(3)

phire dekho eka-bara, atma amrter dharo,

ta'te buddhi ucita tomar

tumi atma-rupi ho'ye sri-caitanya-samasraye,

brndabane thako anibar

Just become a little introspective for once, and try to keep in mind the fact that pure spirit soul is actually eternal and full of nectar. Such intelligent judgements are quite befitting you. Reassuming your real form as pure soul, just remain always in Vrndavana under the shelter of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

(4)

nitya-kala sakhi-sange, parananda-seba-range,

jugala-bhajana koro' sar

e heno jugala-dhana, chare jei murkha jana,

ta'ra gati nahi dekhi ar

Make the worship of the Divine Couple your only object of pursuit. And in the company of Their most dear cowherd girlfriends and maidservants, just perform transcendentally joyful service unto Their pastimes for all of eternity. I am not able to predict the destination of those foolish souls who dare to neglect such a treasure as this conjugal service.

 

SONG 2 --- MUNDANE LUST vs.SPIRITUAL LUST

 

(1)

mana, tumi bhalabasa kamer taranga

jada-kama parihari', suddha-kama seba kori',

bistaraho aprakrta ranga

My dear mind, you are so fondly attached to rolling to and fro upon the waves of lust. Abandoning your sensual material lust, just render service in pure spiritual lust and thus extend yourself into the realm of transcendentally uncommon pastimes.

(2)

anitya jadiya kama, santi-hina abisrama,

nahi tahe pipasar bhanga

kamer samagri cao, tabu taha nahi pao,

paileo chare taba sanga

It is not possible to quench the thirst of this temporary mundane lust, for it's nature is to continuously create a disturbing situation. Although you desire the things associated with lust, still you can not always get them. And even if you do get the things you lust after, you cannot keep them, for such temporary things will give up your company very soon.

(3)

tumi seba koro' ja're, se toma' bhajite nare,

dukha jwale binoder anga

charo tabe micha-kama, hao tumi satya-kama,

bhajo vrndavaner ananga

janhar kusuma-sare, taba nitya-kalebare,

byapt ha'be prema antaranga

My dear mind, you faithfully render service to this mundane lust, but I see that it actually cannot give you anything substantial; rather, it simply burns my entire body with miserable dissatisfaction. So then just give up all your false material lust and just accept the true, spiritual lust by worshiping the Cupid of Vrndavana. The He will shoot your spiritual body full of His flower arrow, and you will thereby become filled to the brim with eternal ecstatic love for Him.

SONG 3 --- SCIENTIFIC DOUBTS RESOLVED

 

(1)

mana re, tumi bara sandigdha-antar

asiyacho e samsare, baddha ho'ye jaradhare,

jarasakta ho'le nirantar

My dear mind, you are most suspicious and doubtful at heart. Having come into this material world, and becoming conditioned within the prison cell of this dull material body, you have become stupefied by being attached continuously to temporary external matter.

(2)

bhuliya avakiya dhama, sebi' jaragata kama,

jara bina na dekho apar

tomar tumitva jini, acchadita ho'ye tini,

lupta-praya deher bhitor

Mind, you are forgetting your own eternal home, and you are rendering faithful service to dull material lust. Thus you cannot perceive anything beyond the gross inanimate objects which are directly contacted by your senses. Your true nature as pure spirit soul has become covered over and remains hidden inside your body.

(3)

tumi to' jariya jnana, sada koritecho dhyana,

tahe srsti koro' caracar

e duhkha kohibo ka're, nitya-pati-parihari'

tuccha-tattve korile nirbhar

Dear mind, according to your materialistic knowledge and feeble enlightenment, you always meditate on so-called scientific subject matters, but all of that is simply limited to all the moving and non-moving things which are confined within the jurisdiction of this temporarily created universe. To whom shall I tell the story of my anguish? I have abandoned my eternal Father simply to rely on such an unsubstantial and insignificant reality.

(4)

nahi dekho' atma-tattva, chari dile suddha-sattva,

atma ho'te nile abasar

atma ache ki na ache, sandeha tomar kache,

krame krame pailo adar

My dear mind, you are not seeing the truth of the nature of the soul, and thus you have given up the natural pure goodness of your heart. You have put a stop to all spiritual activity by taking yourself far away from the soul. You always maintain the doubt "does the soul exist or not?", and thus in you so-called scientific meditations you gradually become more and more fond of such doubting.

(5)

eirupe krame krame, pariya jarer bhrame,

apana apani ho'le par

ebe katha rakho mor, nahi hao atma-cor,

sadhu-sanga koro' atahpar

My dear mind,in this way you are falling into the illusory mistakes of the insensitive world of matter, and thus your own real self has become transformed into an entirely different, false personality. Now just take heed of my advice, dear friend, and don't cheat your own soul in this way any longer, but from now on please keep yourself in the company of the devotees of the Lord.

(6)

baisnaber krpa-bale, sandeha jaibe ca'le,

tumi punah hoibe tomar

pa'be brndabana-dhama, sevibe sri radha-syama

pulakasru-moy kalebar

bhaktibinoder dhana, radha-krsna-sri-carana

tahe rati rahun nirantar

By the power of the Vaisnavas' compassion, then all of your doubts will be long gone, and your soul will become yours once again. You will attain the transcendental abode of Vrndavana, my dear mind, and there you will wait upon Radha-Syama in your eternal spiritual body which abounds in ecstatic shivering and torrents of joyful tears. Thus the real wealth of Bhaktivinoda is to keep continuous, intense absorption in the beautiful lotus feet of Sri Radha-Krsna.

SONG 4 --- DEMIGOD WORSHIP PUT INTO PERSPECTIVE

 

(1)

mana, tumi barai pamara

tomar isvara hari, tanke keno parihari',

kama-marge bhajo' debantara?

My dear mind, you are certainly most vile and wicked. Your Lord is Sri Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So then why are you abandoning Him to worship the various demigods, following the path of lust?

(2)

parabrahma ek tattva, tanhate sanpiya sattva,

nista-gune koroho adar

ara jata deba-gana, misra-sattva aganana,

nija nija karyer iswar

The Supreme Lord is one absolute truth, above and beyond the Brahman effulgence. Therefore honor Him only with resolute determination, and completely dedicate the whole of your life unto Him. As far as all the innumerable demigods are concerned, their power and authority compared to His is only partial, for they are each the absolute controller of only one specific type of work within this material world's administrative department.

(3)

se-sabe sammana kori' bhajo' ekamatra hari,

jini sarva-iswar-iswar

maya janra chaya-sakti, tante aikantiki bhakti,

sadhi' kala kato' nirantar

Maintaining polite respect for all these demigods, worship only Lord Hari, for He si the only Supreme Controller of all these other small controllers. Incessantly pass your time, my dear mind, by arduously endeavoring for intense, single-minded devotional service unto Him, Whose total potency of maya is simply His insignificant shadow reflection.

 

(4)

mulete sincile jala, sakha-pallaber bala,

sire bari nahe karyakar

hari-bhakti ache janra, sarva-deba bandhu tanra,

bhakte sabe korena adar

(5)

binoda kohiche mana, radha-krsna-sri-carana,

bhajo bhajo bhajo nirantar

By pouring water on the root of the tree, all the branches and leaves become strong and healthy. It is useless to try to pour the water on the top part of the tree only. Similarly, all the demigods are the dear friend of one who has actual devotion to Hari. Indeed, they all show great honor and respect to the devotee of the Lord.

Now Bhaktivinoda is telling you, dear mind, just worship always, just worship ceaselessly, just worship eternally the divine lotus feet of Radha and Krsna.

SONG 5 --- IMPERSONAL DOUBTS vs PERSONAL TRUTH

 

(1)

mana, keno e samsaya

jada-prati ghrna kori' bhajite premer hari,

svarupa laksite koro' bhoy

My dear mind, why do you have all these skeptical doubts? You despise the material world just to facilitate your merging into Brahman, but you are afraid to worship Hari, the Lord of ecstatic love, for fear of perceiving your own eternal, spiritual form.

(2)

svarupa korite dhyana, pache jada paya athana,

ei bhoye bhava' brahma-moy

nirakara niranjana, sarva-vyapi sanatana,

asvarupa koricho niscoy

This fear is due to your thinking that everything is made of Brahman. You imagine that if you were to meditate on your eternal spiritual form, that sometime later you may become influenced by forms made of the material energy. Therefore you are convinced that the Absolute is without any form, spotlessly pure, all-pervading, eternal and formless.

(3)

abhava-dharmer base, svabhava na citta pase,

bhaver abhava tahe hoy

tyaja ei tarka-pasa, parananda-parakasa,

krsna-candra koroho asroy

And now, swayed under the influence of this non-ecstatic philosophy, your actual blissful spiritual nature has not entered your heart. Therefore your so-called impersonal Brahman realization has actually short-changed you from your true ecstasy, and thus you simply remain in scarcity for want of true love. Renouncing this logical jugglery, just take shelter of beautiful moon-like Krsna, who is the ecstatic manifestation of supreme bliss.

 

(4)

sac-cit-ananda-moy, krsner svarupa hoy,

sarvananda-madhurya niloy

sarvatra sampurna-rupa, ei ek aparupa,

sarva-byapi brahme taha noy

In comparison to the impersonal Brahman, Lord Krsna's original personal form is composed of eternity, knowledge and bliss. He is the reservoir and source of pleasure and sweetness for all living entities. He is the complete form of beauty at all places and at all times. These are some of His special, wonderful characteristics. None of these wonderful qualities can be found in the impersonal Brahman.

 

(5)

ataeva brahma ta'r, anga-kanti suvistar,

brhat boliya tanre kay

brahma parabrahma jei, sri-krsna-svarupa sei,

vinoder jahate pranay

Therefore I now declare that the Brahman effulgence is actually the transcendental effulgence of Lord Krsna's body; ;it is His extremely vast ant estensive aura. He who is the Brahman, and above that, the Prabrahman, is the original form of Lord Sri Krsna, for whom Bhaktivinoda has love and affection.

SONG 6 --- SCHOLARLY LOGIC KICKED OUT

 

(1)

mana, tumi parile ki char?

nabadvipe patha kori', nyaya-ratna nama dhori',

bheker kac kaci koile sar

My dear mind, what kind of contemptible rubbish have you fallen into now? Studying intensely in the schools of Navadvipa[a, you have been awarded the distinguished title of "nyaya-ratna" (a jewel of a logician). Then, disguised as a Vaisnava, you indulge in long, dull arguments based on logic and reasoning, considering such logic to be your best object of pursuit. However, such time-wasting arguments are exactly like the meaningless croaking of a small frog in the wilderness. In other words, such a sound is simply an unnecessary disturbance to the ears.

 

(2)

dravyadi padartha-jnana, chaladi nigraha-sthana,

samavaya korile bicar

tarker carama phala, bhoyankara halahala,

nahi bicarile durnibar

To support your deceptive hoax and to get a firm footing on a bogus intellectual platform for oppressing and defeating others, you deliberate on an aggregate of materialistic subjects such as knowledge of intrinsic word meanings in relation to all the things which you can perceive within this universe. However, the ultimate result of all your logical arguments and your labeling of material objections simply like a dreadful poison, and you never considered that this poisonous influence is extremely difficult to check.

 

(3)

hrdoy kathina ho'lo, bhakti-bija na barilo.

kise ho'be bhava-sindhu par?

anumile je isvar, se kulala-cakradhar,

sadhana kemone ho'be ta'r?

Just see, dear mind, your heart has indeed become as hard as a rock, and the seed of the creeper of devotion cannot possibly grow in such a barren place. So then how will you cross over this vast ocean of material existence? In this position you can only guess about the nature of the Supreme Lord, just as a clay pot maker will observe the vast creation. When the simple-minded potter guesses about the Supreme, he thinks that the entire material creation is just like a larger version of his own simple potter's wheel, and that the Lord is the potter. In other words, by seeing a clay pot, you can guess that there must have been a potter to make it in the first place. This philosophy is very crude and contains no scope for developing love for the Supreme Lord.

 

(4)

sahaja-samadhi tyaji', anumiti mana bhaji,

tarka-nistha hrdoy tomar

se hrdoye krsna-dhana, nahi pana sukhasana,

aho, dhik sei tarka char

(5)

anyaya nyayer mata, dura koro abirata,

bhajo krsna-candra saratsar

Renouncing your own natural samadhi, and practically worshiping that which you can prove by simply guessing (without actual realization), Your heart has become devoutly attached to arguing about such useless logic. Oh, to hell with all this rubbish logic! It has not made a comfortable seat in my heart for Lord Krsna to sit on.

My dear mind, I advice you to constantly kick out such an unreasonable argumentative mentality, and just worship the moon-like Krsna-candra, the Topmost Truth.

SONG 7 --- HATHA YOGA IS UNNECESSARY

 

(1)

mana, jogi ho'te tomar basana

joga-sastra adhyayana, niyama-yama-sadhana,

pranayama, asana-racana

So, my dear mind, now you want to become a yogi. You read the various scriptures which describe different routines and techniques of sense control, breathing exercises and sitting postures.

 

(2)

pratyahara, dhyana, dhrti samadhite ho'le brati,

phala kiba hoibe bolo na

deho-mana suska kori', rohibe kumbhaka dhori,

brahmatmata koribe bhavana

For attaining ultimate samadhi you undertake many difficult practices like withdrawal of the senses, meditation and perseverance. Tell me, what wonderful result will be there in exchange for such endeavor? Minimizing your bodily and mental activities, and making the senses dull and dry, you live by holding the breath in suspension. Thus you practice the yoga process while contemplating on the soul's nature as Brahman.

 

(3)

astadasa siddhi pa'be, paramartha bhule ha'be,

aisvaryadi koribe kamana

sthula jara parihari', suksmete pravesa kori',

punaraya bhugibe jatana

You will get the eighteen mystic perfections and, mistaking them to be the greatest object of reality, you will entertain further wishes for still more wonderful opulences. Abandoning the plane of gross matter and entering into the subtle astral plane, you will simply undergo more troubles and tribulations all over again.

 

(4)

atma nitya suddha-dhana hari-dasa akincana,

joge ta'r ki phala ghatana

koro' bhakti-jogasroy, na thakibe kon bhoy,

sahaja amrta sambhavana

 

(5)

binoder e minati, chari' anya joga-gati,

koro' radha-krsna aradhana

The eternally pure wealth of the spirit soul is simply to remain as the humble servant of Lord Hari. In comparison to this eternal wealth, what kind of spiritual result could possibly come from mundane so-called yoga practice? Just take refuge totally in the yoga of devotional service and you will become fearless, for then there is all likelihood of attaining you immortal nectar very easily.

Bhaktivinoda's humble entreaty is that you just perform the blissful worship of Radha-Krsna, my dear mind , and immediately reject all other goals of so-called yoga practice.

SONG 8 --- MERGING WITH BRAHMAN IS FOOLISH

 

 

(1)

ohe bhai, mana keno brahma ho'te cay

ki ascarya ko'bo ka'ke, sadopasya bolo' ja'ke,

ta'te keno apane misay

Oh brothers! Why does my rascal mind desire to merge into the Brahman effulgence? How astonishing it is! And to whom shall I admit it? My dear mind, please tell me why you want to merge yourself wit that Supreme Brahman, considering it to be the most worshipable thing?

 

 

(2)

bindu nahi hoy sindhu, bamana na sparse indu,

renu ki bhudhara-rupa pay?

labha matra aparadha, paramartha hoy badha,

sayujya-badhir hay hay

A drop of water certainly has the qualities of the ocean, but is obviously not the ocean itself in quantity. A small dwarf cannot possibly touch the moon, despite his best intentions. And a handful of dust can never assume that it has become a mountain. Alas! Alas! Such a pitiful position is foolishly upheld by those who advocate the philosophy of merging into the Lord's bodily effulgence! The only profit from such doctrines is that it will make one become offensive towards the Lord, which will hinder one from attaining the supreme objective of devotion

 

 

(3)

e heno duranta buddhi, tyaji' koro' sattva-suddhi,

anvesaha pritir upay

'sayujya'-'nirbana'-adi, sastre sabda dekho jadi,

se-sabe bhaktir ange jay

Renouncing this mischievous mentality of trying to artificially merge, my dear mind, just purify your existence and start searching for the process of getting real love for Krsna. If you would just try to understand the statements of the revealed scriptures, you will find that all the conceptions like sayujya (oneness with the Lord), and nirvana (the highest blissful absorption) are actually different features which are automatically achieved by devotion, fro these benefits are unconsciously following the process of service to the Lord.

 

 

(4)

krsna-priti phalamoy, 'tattvamasi', adi hoy,

sadhaka carame krsna pay

akhanda anandamoy, brndabana krsnaloy,

parabrahma-svarupa janay

Statements like "tat tvam asi" (you belong to Krsna) are fully permeated with real tangible love for Krsna, and meditating on such Veda statements helps the aspiring devotee to ultimately attain the shelter of Krsna's lotus feet. Then one will gain residence in Krsna's transcendental abode of Vrndavana, which is completely pervaded with supreme, undivided bliss. Thus one will come to know the original personal form of Parabrahman, Who si situated far beyond the impersonal Brahman effulgence.

 

(5)

ta' ho'te kirana-jala, brahma-rupe sobhe bhalo,

mayika jagat camatkar

maya-baddha jiba tahe, nirbrta hoite cahe,

suryabhave khadyoter praya

The network of transcendental rays emanating from His body form the splendrous light known as the Brahman effulgence, which is powerful enough to amaze the entire collection of material universes. If any of the conditioned souls desire to become content by merging into that glowing light, then that would be just like being satisfied at night with the glow of lightning bugs in the absence of the sun. The insignificant light emitted by such insects will certainly never serve as a replacement for the radiant sun, and similarly the devotees of Krsna is never content to merge with the Brahman effulgence, which is very feeble in comparison to the Lord's original form of bliss.

(6)

jadi kabhu bhagyodoye, sadhu-guru-samasroye,

brndabana sammukhete bhay

krsnakrsta ho'ye tabe, ksudra-rasa-anubhave,

brahma chari' parabrahme dhay

(7)

sukadira su-jibana, koro' bhai alocana,

e dasa dhoriche taba pay

If ever there is dawning of one's good fortune, then one will see Vrndavana shining gracefully before his very eyes due to taking complete shelter of the virtuous devotees and spiritual masters. Then, becoming irresistibly attracted by Krsna, one runs and chases after His (the Parabrahman). Thus he simply leaves aside the insignificant realization of merging with the Brahman effulgence, for gets completely overwhelmed by the slightest contact with Krsna's transcendental mellows.

Discuss and deliberate on this, my friends, make your life successful just like the great sages like Sukadeva, Narada, Vyasa etc., who all gave up Brahman realization by becoming attracted by Krsna, and then this servant Bhaktivinoda will hold on to your feet.

SONG NINE --- CASTE - PRIDE IS FALSE

 

(1)

mana re, keno ar barna abhiman,

marile pataki ho'ye, jamadute ja'be lo'ye,

na koribe jatir samman

Oh my dear mind, why do you still have this vain egoistic pride due to your family caste? The fact is that when a sinful man dies, then no matter who he is the Yamadutas (the agents of Yamaraja, the demigod of death) will carry away without paying the slightest respect to his caste and family lineage.

(2)

jadi bhalo karma koro', svarga-bhoga atahpara,

ta'te bipra candala saman

narakeo dui jane, danda pa'be ek sane

janmantare samana bidhan

Even if one does good works and enjoys celestial pleasures in the heavenly planetary systems, he is still not safe, for after his good karma is exhausted he gets equal treatment along with brahmanas as well as dog-eating outcastes. In hell both persons will receive equal punishment in one place, and for their next birth, equal ruling is administered.

 

(3)

tabe keno abhiman, lo'ye tuccha barna-man,

marana abadhi ja'r man

ucca barna-pada dhori' barnantare ghrna kori',

naraker na koro' sandhan

So then why do you maintain such false pride, dear mind? Your insignificant caste vanity lasts only to up to the time of your death, when it will be taken away along with your body. My advice to you is that, please don't despise any other caste if you have taken a so called high birth in this present life. Don't search for suffering in hell by unnecessarily scorning another's apparent low-class birth.

 

(4)

samajika man lo'ye, thako bhai bipra ho'ye,

baisnabe na koro' apaman

adara byapari ho'ye, bibada jahaja lo'ye,

kabhu nahi hore, buddhiman

If you have been born into a position of aristocratic social honor, then just live as a humble, learned brahmana, dear brother, but don't ever dare to abuse or insult any Vaisnava. For a caste brahmana to oppose or challenge a Vaisnava is just like the story of the poor ginger salesman who sells only a few paisa worth of ginger roots in the market every day. One day he saw a huge ship laden with very costly cargos moored on the river. He went over to the ship and started demanding information about the cargo, the price, the destination, the profit and so on. He is simply insignificant, but he wants to lord it over such huge business affairs of the sea-going vessel and after some time the ship's crew said, "Well, who are you anyway, that you are interrogating us so?" And he told them, "I just sell a little ginger in the bazaar." So if a brahmana tries to dishonor a bona fide Vaisnava, then he simply makes useless conflict, and he never becomes wise.

 

(5)

tabe jadi krsna-bhakti, sadha' tumi jathasakti,

sonaya sohaga pa'be sthan

sarthaka hoibe sutra, sarva-labha ihamutra,

binoda koribe stuti-gan

So if you would just combine devotion to Krsna with an effort to the best of your ability, my dear mind, then you will be situated in the perfect combination of spiritual activity. Then, whatever caste or material position you happen to be situated in, will become really successful, and you will attain all desirable things in this way. And Bhaktivinoda will sing the praises of your glories.

SONG 10 --- MUNDANE KNOWLEDGE MOST HARMFUL

 

(1)

mana re, keno koro bidyar gauraba

smrti-sastra, byakarana, nana-bhasa-alocana,

brddhi kore' jaser saurabha

Oh mind, why do you give such importance to mundane knowledge? Your discussion and deliberation on the smrti scriptures, various languages and grammar certainly increases the sweet fragrant aroma of your own material reputation, name and fame.

(2)

kintu dekho cinta kori' jadi na bhajile hari,

bidya taba kevala rauraba

krsna prati anurakti, sei bije janme bhakti,

bidya ho'te taha asambhava

But just look here and consider this for your judgement. If you have not worshiped Lord Hari, then all of you so-called knowledge is just like a vicious hell. True devotional service actually takes it's birth from the seed of attraction and affection for Krsna. Such a seed is impossible to get by the cultivation of ordinary worldly knowledge.

(3)

bidyar marjana ta'r, kabhu kabhu apakar,

jagatete kori anubhava

je bidyar alocane, krsna-rati sphure mane,

tahari adara jano' saba

I feel that the hair-splitting scrutiny of mundane knowledge is actually harmful. On the other hand, however, everyone will appreciate the cultivation of that transcendental knowledge which awakens love and attachment for Krsna within the mind.

 

(4)

bhakti badha jaha ho'te, se bidyar mastakete,

padaghata koro' akaitaba

sarasvati krsna-priya, krsna-bhakti ta'r hiya

binoder sei se baibhava

Among all the obstacles to devotion, this mundane knowledge is certainly the foremost. You mus sincerely kick it out, dear mind, for the real understanding is that Mother Sarasvati, the Goddess of learning, is very dear to Lord Krsna, and devotion to Him is her very heart. This very devotion is indeed the sanctifying grace of Bhaktivinoda.

SONG 11 --- BODILY BEAUTY IS TEMPORARY

(1)

ruper gauraba keno bhai

anitya e kalebar, kabhu nahe sthiratar,

samana aile kichu nai

e anga sitala ho'be, ankhi spanda-hina ro'be,

citar agune ho'be chai

Oh mind, my dear friend, why is your bodily beauty such an object of your proud vanity? This body is temporary, and there is no certainty whatsoever of permanence. After Yamaraja has paid his visit and taken your soul away, this body will then become cold. The eyes will remain motionless, and in the fiery funeral pyre it will simply turn into ashes.

(2)

je saundarya hero, darpanete nirantar,

sva-sibar hoibe bhojana

je bastre adara koro', jeba abarana para',

kotha saba rohibe takhan?

Mind, you repeatedly behold the lovely handsomeness of this face, which is your favorite object of constant vanity. It will simply become delicious food for dogs and jackals. At that time, where will you keep all the decorative ornaments and valuable clothes which you appreciate with such high esteem?

(3)

dara suta bandhu sabe, smasane tomare lo'be,

dagdha kori' grhete asibe

tumi ka'r, ke tomar, ebe bujhi 'dekho sar,

deho-nasa abasya ghatibe

Your beloved wife, sons and friends will take you to the crematorium, and after burning you they will simply return back to their homes. You belong to whom? And whom belongs to you? Now just try to grasp the essential significance of all this. That is, the destruction of this temporary body will definitely come to pass.

 

(4)

su-nitya-sambala cao, hari-guna sada gao,

harinama japaha sadai

ku-tarka chariya mana, koro' krsna aradhana,

binoder asroy tahai

My dear mind, if you really want the eternal, auspicious way of life, then just sing aloud the glories of the Lord always and everywhere. Also, one should certainly chant Harinama japa at all times. Abandoning all useless arguments, dear mind, just worship Krsna, for such worship is certainly the only shelter of Bhaktivinoda.

SONG 12 --- MADNESS FOR WEALTH IS RIDICULOUS

 

(1)

mane re, dhana-mada nitanta asar

dhana jana bitta jata, e deher anugata,

deho gele se sakala char

Oh my dear mind, you are greatly intoxicated by your wealth and possessions, but just let me tell you that this is completely useless. When this body is gone, your wealth, followers, property as well as everything else that depends on this body will be good for nothing at all.

(2)

bidyar jateka cesta, cikitsaka upadesta

keho deho rakhibare nare

ajapa hoile sesa, deha-matra abasesa,

jiba nahi thakena adhare

Despite all the vast medical knowledge and dexterous efforts of the advising physician, one will never be able to keep this temporary body. When the life airs expire, the only thing which will be left behind is the gross body, for the soul cannot remain trapped within such a dead container for very long.

(3)

dhane jadi prana dita, dhani raja na marita,

dharamar hoit ravana

dhane nahi rakhe deho, deho gele nahe keho,

ataeva ki koribe dhana?

If wealth had the power to prolong life, then a rich king would never have to die. The demon named Ravana also thought that he possessed deathlessness, until he was finally killed by Lord Rama. Thus we see that no one to date has ever been able to protect and keep his body with any amount of money, for no one can prevent his body from dying. Therefore what is the use of your riches?

 

(4)

jadi thake bahu dhana, nije ho'be akincana,

baisnaber koro upakar

jibe doya anuksana, radha-krsna-aradhana,

koro sada ho'ye sadacar

Dear mind, if you have any excess wealth, then just make yourself lowly and humble and use that wealth to do something beneficial for the service of the Vaisnavas. Constantly showing compassion to all souls, worship Radha-Krsna and always make your standard of behavior clean, saintly and virtuous.

SONG 13 --- SANNYASA NOT AS IMPORTANT AS DEVOTION

 

(1)

mana, tumi sannyasi sajite keno cao?

bahirer saja jata, antarete phanki tata,

dambha puji' sarira nacao

My dear mind, why do you want to disguise yourself as a sannyasi? As much as you decorate yourself externally with this garb, to that same degree you deceive yourself internally with this hoax. Worshiping your own false pride, your simply make a show of your material body by artificially accepting the dress of the renounced order.

(2)

amar bacana dharo, antara bisuddha koro,

krsnamrta sada koro pana

jibana sahaje jay, bhakti-badha nahi pay,

tadupaya koroho sandhana

Now please try to understand my advice on how to become a true sannyasi. Just make your heart completely pure, and constantly drink the nectar of Krsna consciousness. Search for that life-style which allows your spiritual life to be executed easily and automatically, free from any distracting obstacles to pure devotion.

(3)

anayase jaha pao, tahe tusta hoye jao,

arambare na koro prayas

purna-bastra jadi nai, kaupina paro he bhai,

sita-bastra kantha bahirbas

Just be satisfied with whatever you get easily, and never endeavor for any type of artificial pomp and grandeur. Even if you do not have proper clothes to wear, just wear a loin-cloth, dear brother! And in cold weather you can simply wear an old torn quilt.

(4)

aguru candana nai, mrttika-tilaka bhai,

harer badale dharo mala

eirupe asa-pas, sukhadir kubilas,

kharbi charo samsarer jvala

There is no need for fancy sandalwood pulp scented with perfume, my dear brother, you can use some ordinary earth or clay to mark your forehead with tilaka. Your fancy necklaces can be exchanged for a nice tulasi mala. Living like this in such a simple state of mind, all the nonsense material arrangements for so-called happiness will diminish, and you will thus be able to escape from the burning fever of materialistic existence.

(5)

sannyasa-bairagya-bidhi, sei asramer nidhi,

tahe kabhu na koro' adar

se-saba adare bhai, samsare nistar nai,

dambhiker linga nirantar

In reality it is the strict rule of renunciation that is the wealth of the sannyasa asrama. By following this rule, one would certainly never look forward to receiving respect from others. Beware, dear brother! Deliverance from this material world is not possible for one who wants to get such respect by taking sannyasa. Instead, he gets ensnared in mundane existence due to constantly maintaining the conceited pride of subtle profit, adoration and distinction.

(6)

tumi to' caitanya-das, hari-bhakti taba as,

asramer linge kiba phal?

pratista koroho dura, basa taba santipura,

sadhu krpa tomar sambal

You are actually an eternal servant of Lord Caitanya, and your real interest as such, is devotion to Hari. What other wonderful thing could you get from the external form of the sannyasa asrama? Casting all false prestige to a far distant place, just make your residence in the transcendentally peaceful realm, beyond the varnasrama-dharma system and just live on the mercy of the Rupanuga Vaisnavas as your only life-giving substance.

(7)

baisnaber paricoy, abasyaka nahi hoy,

arambare kabhu nahi jao

binoder nebedana, radha-krsna-guna-gana,

phukari' phukari' sada gao

It is actually not even necessary to introduce oneself a Vaisnava, and once should never try to make a show of external pomp and grandeur, Bhaktivinoda-s humble submission to you is that you should constantly sing songs about the glorious qualities of Radha and Krsna at the top of your lungs.

SONG 14 -- TRAVELING ON PILGRIMAGE NOT NECESSARY

 

(1)

mana, tumi tirthe sada rata

ayodhya, mathura, maya, kasi, kanci, abantiya,

dvarabati, ar ache jata

My dear mind, you are always attached to all the different places of pilgrimage such as Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kasi (Varanasi), Kancipura, Avantiya, Dvaravati, and so on.

(2)

tumi caho bhramibare, e sakala bare bare,

mukti-labha koribara tare

se sakala taba bhrama, nirarthaka parisrama,

citta sthira tirthe nahi kore

You want to travel to all these holy places of pilgrimage again and again simply to the sake of obtaining liberation from the material miseries. But we actually see that your heart is not becoming resolutely fixed up by going to all these places; therefore all of you wanderings are simply useless labor for nothing tangible.

(3)

tirtha-phal sadhu-sanga, sadhu-sange antaranga,

sri-krsna-bhajana manohar

jatha sadhu, tatha tirtha, sthira kori' nija citta,

sadhu-sanga koro nirantar

The ripened fruit and real benefit of any place of pilgrimage is the company of the pure-hearted devotees of the Lord. Establishing intimate and friendly relations with such devotees, let your mind be captivated by performing the charming worship of Lord ;Krsna in their association. Actually any place in the entire world becomes a worshipable place of pilgrimage if devotees are living there. Thus you should immediately seek out such a place, wherever you happen to be, and you should become fixed up in Krsna consciousness by constantly remaining in the company of such devotees.

(4)

je tirthe baisnaba nai, se tirthe nahi jai,

ki labha hantiya dura-desa

jathay baisnaba-gana, sei stana brndabana,

sei sthane ananda asesa

Personally, I never bother to visit any so-called place of pilgrimage which is devoid of the presence of unalloyed devotees, for what other worthwhile benefit could possibly be gained by taking the trouble of walking to such faraway places? Only that place which is graced by the presence of the devotees is actually Vrndavana, and only at that place can you come into contact with unlimited spiritual pleasure.

(5)

krsna-bhakti jei sthane, mukti dasi seikhane,

salila tathay mandakini

giri tatha govardhana, bhumi tatha brndabana,

abirbhuta apani hladini

Liberation personified is herself the humble maidservant of that place which is surcharged with devotion to Krsna. All the water at that place is the celestial Ganges, every hill there is Giri-govardhana, and the very earth is indeed Vrndavana. Only such a place can manifest the appearance of the eternal spiritual joy which is revealed by the Lord's pleasure-potency.

(6)

binoda kohiche bhai, bhramiya ki phal pai,

baisnaba-sebana mor brata

I ask you now, dear brother, what benefit would I get by circumambulating all of the holy places of pilgrimage? Personally, my vow is to serve the Vaisnavas with firm resolution and untiring endeavor.

SONG 15 --- AUSTERITY AND PENANCES DEFINED

 

(1)

dekho mana, brate jena na hao acchanna

krsna-bhakti asa kori' acho nana brata dhori',

radha-krsne korite prasanna

Be careful, my dear mind, that you don't become bewildered by ritualistic vows. With an aim to please Radha-Krsna and make Them favorably disposed to you, you accept various types of austere vows. You consider that this will be conducive to practicing devotional service.

(2)

bhakti je sahaja tattva, citte ta'r ache sattva,

tahar samrddhi taba asa

dekhibe bicara kori', su-katina brata dhori',

sahajer na koro binasa

Devotional service is actually a very simple and easily understood truth, for it is the soul's natural, inborn tendency. Your desire is to expand and enrich that devotion which is already existing in your heart. But you should be careful to consider that by undertaking unnecessarily difficult vows and austerities, you don't destroy the simplicity of the natural bhakti process.

(3)

krsna-arthe kayaklesa, ta'r phal ache sesa

kintu taha samanya na hoy

bhaktir badhaka ho'le, bhakti ar nahi phale,

tapah-phal hoibe niscoy

The results that you get from hard labor on Krsna's behalf are extraordinary and should never be considered to be commonplace. However, if such service turns into an unnecessarily difficult austerity, then it becomes an obstacle to devotion, and it will prevent you from getting the real benefit of devotion. Instead, you will only get the benefit of the results of the austerity.

(4)

kintu bheve dekho bhai, tapasyar kaj nai,

jadi hari aradhita hana

bhakti jadi na phalil, tapasyar tuccha phal,

baisnaba na loy kadacana

But just try to understand this, my dear brother. If one is worshiping Hari, then there is no need to labor for penances and austerities. If devotional service does not manifest as the result of some type of austerity, then the insignificant result of that austerity will never be accepted by a true Vaisnava at any time.

 

(5)

ihate je gudha marma, bhujo baisnaber dharma,

patra-bhede adhikara bhinna

binoder nibedana, bidhi-mukta anuksana,

sara-grahi sri-krsna-prapanna

From all this, just try to understand the deep inner significance of the principles of Vaisnava behavior. That is, according to differences in receptivity of different persons, there is a definite difference in their rightful capacity in devotional service. Bhaktivinoda's humble submission is that you should just become a sara-grahi and accept the essence of complete surrender to Krsna, thus becoming freed from, and transcendental to, all types of scriptural rules and regulations.

SONG 16 ---- CHEATING DEVOTEES ARE REJECTABLE

 

(1)

mana, tumi barai cancala

ekanta sarala bhakta- jane naha anurakta,

dhurta-jane asakti prabala

Oh, my dear mind, you are certainly most restless and flickering. You are not attracted by unalloyed devotees of the Lord who are free from crooked complications, but instead you remain strongly attached to the company of sly, hypocritical cheaters.

 

(2)

bujrugi jane jei, taba sadhu-jana sei,

ta'r sanga tomare nacay

krura-besa dekho ja'r sraddhaspada se tomar,

bhakti kori paro ta'r pay

Those strange, deviant imposters are considered by you to be sadhus, and you are dancing merrily in their company. And those who have a cruel and hard-hearted nature are your most worshipable objects of reverence. In great devotion you fall down at the feet of such rascals.

 

(3)

bhakta-sanga hoy janra, bhakti-phal phale ta'r,

akaitave santa-bhava dharo

cancalata chari mana, bhajo krsna-sri-carana,

dhurta-sanga dure parihara'

The real result of devotion fructifies for one who keeps the company of the true devotees of the Lord in a peaceful mood devoid of cheating propensities. My dear mind, giving up your unsteady flickering nature and abandoning the association of sly deceitful cheaters in a far distant place, just worship the beautiful lotus feet of Krsna.

SONG 17 --- FAULT-FINDERS OF THE DISCIPLIC SUCCESSION RECTIFIED

 

(1)

mana, tore boli e barata

apakka bayase hay, bancita bancaka-pa'y,

bikaile nija-svatantrata

My dear mind, I have this message to convey to you. Alas, how remorseful it is that you have sold your own individuality and freedom to hoose intelligently, due to being cheated by other cheaters who dissuade you away from the path of spiritual life given you by your guru. At your tender immature stage of spiritual realization, you listen to such cheaters, only to be misled from the true path.

 

(2)

sampradaye dosa-bhuddhi, jani' tumi atma-suddhi,

koribare hoile sabadhan

na nile tilaka-mala, tyajile diksar jvala

nije koile nabina-bidhan

You now have a new talent for finding faults with the society of devotees and the whole disciplic succession as well. Constantly trying to be aware of these minor faults that you find, you become very careful to try to "purify" yourself. Wearing neck beads no longer, marking your forehead with tilaka no longer, you have now made up your own new set of rules and regulations. You have rejected your initiating spiritual master (diksa-guru), because you now imagine his influence to be a burning sensation in your heart.

 

 

(3)

purva-mate tali diya, nija-mata pracariya,

nije avatar buddhi dhori'

 

bratacar na maile, purva-patha jale dile,

mahajane bhrama-drsti kori'

Dear mind, you artificially, agree with your former opinion, but you really don't accept or follow it, and instead you broadcast your own whimsical philosophy just to establish yourself as some sort of incarnation. Trying to find mistakes in the spiritual process and activities of the great devotees, you completely toss out your previous spiritual path as rubbish, neglecting all of your former vows and practices.

 

(4)

phonta, diksa, mala dhori', dhurta kore' su-caturi,

tai tahe tomar biraga

mahajana-pathe dosa, dekhiya tomar rosa,

patha-prati charo anuraga

You have become most displeased because you think that tilaka, initiation, and neck beads are accepted only by sly, cunning cheaters. You become angry when you find some insignificant fault with the process of the treat souls, and thus you reject all attachment to the path.

 

(5)

ekhan dekhaha bhai, svarna chari' loile chai,

ihakal parakal jay

kapata bolila sabe, bhakati ba pele kabe,

dehante ba ki ho'be upay?

Now just see here, dear brother, your present life as well as your future life are at stake. You have renounced pure gold simply to take some worthless ashes. Everyone says that you are bogus. If you don't accept the process of bona fide devotional service, then how will you be delivered at the time of your death?

SONG 18 --- BOGUS ECSTATIC SYMPTOMS

 

(1)

ki ar bolibo tore mana?

mukhe bolo "prema prema" bastutah tyajiya hema,

sunya-grantha ancale bandhana

 

(2)

abhysiya asrupata, lampha jhamph akasmat,

murccha-pray thakaha padiya

e loka bancite ranga, pracariya asat-sanga,

kamini-kancana labha giya

What more shall I say to you, my dear mind? You are expert at giving lip-service by always speaking of "love for Krsna, love for Krsna", but the real fact is that you are renouncing the real gold simply to tie an empty knot in the border of your cloth. (In other words, you lose the substance to grasp at something false).

Well-practiced in artificially shedding tears and in suddenly leaping here and there, you like to fall on the ground and pretend to be unconscious in ecstatic love for Krsna. You perform such mischievous pranks only to cheat the innocent public and thereby broadcast and popularize your own wicked association. This is all such nonsense just so you can attract women and money.

 

 

(3)

premer sadhana-"bhakti", ta'te noila anurakti,

suddha prema kenome milibe?

dasa-aparadha tyaji', nirantara nama bhaji',

krpa hale su-prema paibe

The means for attaining pure, ecstatic love for Godhead is called "devotional service". If you have no inclination or attachment to this pure devotional process, then how do you expect to factually come into contact with pure love for Krsna? Carefully avoiding the ten offences in chanting the holy name, just worship that name incessantly, and you will attain the highest quality of pure ecstatic love when the mercy comes to you.

 

(4)

na manile su-bhajana, sadhu-sange sankirtana,

na korile nirjane smarana

na uthiya brksopari, tanatani phal dhori',

dusta-phal korile arjana

But your idea, dear mind, is to neglect the best and most auspicious process of worshiping Krsna, namely the congregational chanting of His holy names in the association of purified devotees. And you don't even bother to try to remember Him in a lonely place. This is just like trying to pick fruits forcibly from a tree by jumping at them from the ground. Instead of climbing the tree to properly pick the sweet, ripened fruits from the top of the tree, you will simply get the sour, unripe fruits by such a jumping process.

 

(5)

akaitaba krsna-prema, jena su-bimala hema,

ei phal nrloke durlabha

kaitabe bancana-matra, hao age jogya-patra,

tabe prema hoibe sulabha

Ecstatic love for Krsna which is completely freed from the propensity to cheat is just like spotlessly pure gold, and the fruits of such pure love are rarely found in this world. However, my dear mind, your cheating process of imitation so-called love is simply a fraud. To get the real pure love, you have to first make yourself a fit candidate, and then true transcendental love will become very easily obtainable for you.

(6)

kame-preme dekho bhai, laksanaete bheda nai,

tabu kama 'prema' nahi hoy

tumi to' barile kama, mithya tahe 'prema' nama,

aropile kise subha hoy?

My dear brother, just compare the characteristics of your bogus lust with the characteristics of true love for Krsna, there is practically no difference at all in the external symptoms of both. Nevertheless, this artificial lust is definitely not true love at all. You are completely covered with lust, but you lie and falsely call it "prema". Therefore how will you be blest with real spiritual well-being?

SONG 19 --- LUST IS NOT LOVE

 

(1)

keno mana, kamere nacao prema-pray?

carma-mamsa-moy kama, jara-sukha abirama,

jara-bisayete sada dhay

Tell me why, my dear mind? Why are you forced to dance by lust, and why do you think that such dancing is Krsna conscious? Your lust is simply abounding in skin and meat, and you are addicted to non-stop material sense gratification. Thus you factually spend your time in running ;here and there, chasing after worldly sense objects.

(2)

jiber svarupa dharma, cit-svarupe prema-marma,

tahar bisaya-matra hari

kama-abarane hay, prema ebe supta-pray,

prema jagao kama dura kori'

The soul's original eternal nature is pure love within the innermost core of it's spiritually conscious form, and the sole object of repose for that pure love is Lord Hari. Alas, how lamentable it is, that this inherent ecstatic love is now lying in a dormant, sleeping state due to the artificial covering of this temporary lust, My dear mind, banishing this lust to a distant place, just rouse and reawaken your sleeping prema.

(3)

sraddha hoite sadhu-sange, bhajaner kriya-range,

nista-ruci-asakti-udoy

asakti hoite bhava, tahe prema pradurbhava,

ei krame prema upajoy

Only in the following sequence does pure love for Krsna awaken: First one develops sraddha (faith) in the precess of Krsna Consciousness; then, due to that faith one becomes enthusiastic for sadhu-sanga (the association of devotees); then, by performance of bhajana-kriya (devotional worship) in the company of the devotees there awakens nista (steadiness in service), then ruci (taste), then asakti (attachment to the Lord); this attachment then gives rise to bhava (genuine ecstatic emotions), from which prema (pure love for Krsna) manifests its re-awakening. Only in this sequence does prema come into being.

 

(4)

ihate jatana ja'r, sei pay prema-sar,

krama-tyage prema nahi jage

e-krama-sadhane bhoy, keno koro' durasoy,

kame prema kabhu nahi lage

One who endeavors for this bona fide precess gets the essence of pure ecstatic love for Krsna. One who neglects the proper order of this procedure does not experience the reawakening of pure prema. My dear mind, why are you maintaining the wicked mentality of apprehension and fear of this bona fide method of devotional practice? By cultivation of your lust in this mundane sphere, you will never be able to touch upon genuine ecstatic love for Krsna.

 

(5)

natakabhinoy pray, sakapata prema bhay,

tahe matra indriya-santosa

indriya-tosana char, sada koro' parihar,

charo' bhai aparadha-dosa

So by the likes of your dramatic performance of dancing in lust, you think that this is indicative of your prema, but it is actually a deceptive, feigned imitation of prema. Thus you whole process is simply gross sense gratification. My dear brother, always reject such degraded, contemptible sense gratification, casting out this grave offense to the Lord.

 

 

 

 

 

THUS END THE FIRST BRANCH OF KALYAN KALPA-TARU, entitled "UPADESA" (Spiritual advice) by SRILA SACCIDANANDA BHAKTIVINODA THAKURA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SECOND BRANCH: "UPALABDHI"

 

(Attainment of realization of the previous series of advices (Upadesa)

 

 

 

--- 14 songs ---

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PART I)

Anutapa-laksana-upalabdhi --- Attainment of the symptoms of repentance

( 5 songs)

SONG ONE --- WHOLE LIFE WASTED

 

(1)

ami ati pamara durjana

ki korinu hay hay, prakrtir dasatay,

katainu amulya jibana

(2)

koto-dina garvbhavase, katainu anayase,

balya gelo bala-dharma-base

gramya-dharma e jaubana, miche dinu bisarjana,

brddha-kala elo abasese

(3)

bisaye nahiko sukha, bhoga-sakti subaimukha,

anta danta, sarira asakta

jibana jantranamoy, maranete sada bhoy,

bolo kise hoi anurakta

(4)

bhoga-bastu-bhoga-sakti, ta'te chilo anurakti,

je-paryanta chilo dehe bala

samasta bigata ho'lo, ki loiya thaki bolo,

ebe citta sadai cancala

(5)

samarthya thakite kay, hari na bhajinu hay,

asanna kalete kiba kori?

dhik mor e jibane, na sadhinu nitya-dhane,

mitra chadi' bhajilam ari

(1)

Oh no! Just see my condition now! I must be the most sinful rogue of all! Alas, alas, what have I done, what have I done? The human for of life is very rare, but I have passed such a priceless life engaged simply as a slave in the service of the material energy!

 

(2)

How much time have I spent being packed up in the womb of my mother? After being born, my childhood was spent simply playing around frivolously, according to the nature of children. Then my youth quickly passed by in executing many different obligations according to social customs. All those days having been wasted uselessly, I now suffer old age in the end as my only reward.

 

(3)

I can no longer get any pleasure from sense gratification, for my power to enjoy has now become reversed. My teeth as well as my whole body have now become disabled and weak. Various aches and pains make my daily life unbearable, and I am haunted by continuously hovering fear of death. Due to all this, I don't feel as if there is any security or protection from any quarter. Therefore to what can I possibly remain attached to in this world?

 

(4)

My enjoyment of this body was limited to material sense objects coupled with my drive to enjoy them. But now my attachment and inclination to all this has faded away. Everything in life having now passed me by, my heart is extremely worried about how to hold onto this emaciated old life.

 

(5)

Alas! The real problem is that when I was young and fit, I have passed this life without ever worshiping the Supreme Lord Hari. Being bereft of the power to hold onto this body, what will I do now that the final moment is approaching? Oh, to hell with my entire life! I never took advantage of the actual eternal treasure. Instead, I have abandoned my real friend (Hari) only to worship my enemy, (this miserable material energy).

SONG TWO --- BEREFT OF DEVOTEES' ASSOCIATION

 

(1)

sadhu-sanga na hoilo hay!

gelo dina akarana, kori'artha uparjana,

paramartha rohilo kothay?

(2)

suvarna koriya tyaga, tuccha lostre anuraga.

durbhagar ei to' laksana

krsnetar sanga kori', sadhu-jane prihari',

mada-garve katanu jibana

(3)

bhakti-mudra-darasane, hasya koritam mane,

batulata boliya tahay

je sabhyata sresta gani', harainu cintamani,

sese taha rohilo kothay?

(4)

jnaner garima bale, bhakti-rupa susambale,

upeksinu svartha pasariya

dusta jadasrita jnana, ebe ho'lo antardhana,

karma-bhoge amake rakhiya

(5)

ebe jadi sadhu-jane, krpa kori' e durjane,

dena bhakti-samudrer bindhu

ta' hoile anayase, mukta ho'ye bhava-pase,

par hoi e samsar sindhu

 

(1)

Alas! Now I realize that all of my days had passed uselessly, for I never had the great fortune of associating with the devotees of the Lord. Therefore instead of hearing from them about the process of attaining the topmost goal of human life, I have wasted my time simply working hard to earn money.

 

(2)

This is such a unfortunate calamity, for I now consider that I have rejected pure gold simply to become attached and devoted to a small clod of dirt. In other words, I have abandoned the bright-faced golden devotees of the Lord to associate with filthy dirty persons who are averse to Krsna. Thus in their company I have passed my entire life dazed in madly intoxicated vanity.

 

(3)

Whenever I saw someone decorated with the signs of a Vaisnava like tilaka, neck beads and sikha, etc., I would laugh at them within my mind, considering them to be completely insane. Regarding ;this attitude of mine to be the most highly cultured behavior, I have thereby robbed myself of the transcendental association of those touch stone-like devotees. So now in the end I am wondering. . . where has all this nonsense led me to?

 

(4)

On the strength of my material education, I became puffed up and completely overlooked the most auspicious form of spiritual life, which is available only by devotional service. Thus I have completely steered clear of the ultimate goal of life. But now in my old age, all of this polluted material knowledge I worked so hard for is dwindling, for my memory is gradually fading away. Just see how I am captured and tormented in enjoying the fruits of my previous material activities!

 

(5)

Now I have just one last hope. If only the devotees would be merciful to this sinful rogue by sprinkling me ;with one drop from the bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, the nectarine ocean of pure devotion, then I will be satisfied. By the sweet influence of that single drop, I will instantly and effortlessly become liberated from the strong grip of ;this material world, and thus I will finally be able to cross over the ocean of nescience.

SONG THREE --- TIME WASTED IN KARMA

 

 

(1)

ore mana, karmer kuhare gelo kal

svargadi sukher ase, porilam karma-phanse,

urnanabhi-sama karma-jal

Oh my dear mind! What shall I say to you now? All my time has been spent inside the deep pit of fruitive activities. With high hopes of future happiness in the heavenly planets, I have fallen into the trap of fruitive actions and reaction, which is exactly like the entangling web of a spider.

 

 

 

(2)

upavasa-brata dhori', nana kaya-klesa kori',

bhasme ghrta daliya apar

marilam nija dose, jara-maraner phanse,

hoibare narinu uddhar

Observing many different types of austere vows and fasting to achieve some future heavenly goal, I thus performed such useless physical labor for no real tangible result. This was just like pouring oblations of ghee onto dry ashes only. Now I am being strangled within the noose of karma, being destroyed by my own foolish nonsense. And the only result is that I have not been able to deliver myself from this predicament.

 

(3)

barnasrama-dharma yaji', nana deba-debi bhaji',

mada-garve katainu jibana

sthira na hoilo mana, na labhinu santi-dhana,

na bhyajinu sri-krsna-carana

I conducted many sacrifices in honor of may different demigods and goddesses, as is recommended for householders in the varnasrama-dharma system. But by doing this I only became so puffed up that I wasted my whole life in such delirious pride. I never got any peace of mind by doing all this, for I completely missed out on the golden treasure of spiritual satisfaction. So much trouble I underwent because I never worshiped ;the beautiful lotus feet of Sri Krsna!

 

 

(4)

dhik mor e jibane, dhik mor dhana-jane,

dhik mor barna-abhimana

dhik mor kula-mane, dhik sastra adhyayane,

hari-bhakti na pailo sthana

Therefore to hell with my whole life! To hell with all my wealth and followers! To hell with my caste-pride! To hell with all my so-called dignity of family prestige! To hell with my studies of the karma-khanda scriptures, for I have not become fixed up in pure devotion to Lord Hari!

SONG FOUR --- POISONOUS MAYAVADA PHILOSOPHY

 

 

(1)

ore mana, ki bipada hoilo amar!

mayar duratmya-jvare, bikar jibere dhore,

taha hoite paite nistar

Oh my dear mind, just see what calamity has befallen me now! My soul is captured in a perverted delirium due to maya's cruel tyrannical treatment, which burns me with material miseries just like fire. An with a hope of becoming freed from all this. . .

 

 

(2)

sadhinu advaita mata, jahe maya hoy hata,

bisa sebi' bikar katilo

kintu e durbhagya mor, bikar katilo ghora,

biser jvalay prana gelo

. . . I took to the path of non-dual monistic mayavada philosophy, which finishes all of maya's troubles when one merges with the "oneness"d. Thus drinking poison, I have successfully become rid of the disturbing delirium of maya. But just see what an unfortunate mishap has arisen now! Although the difficulties caused by the material world have been eradicated, my life is now being vanquished by the burning poison of theat deadly mayavada philosophy.

 

(3)

"ami brahma ekamatra", e jvalay dahe gatra,

ihar upay kiba bhai?

bikar je chilo bhalo, ausadha janjal ho'lo,

ausadha-ausadha kotha pay?

By thinking "I am only spirit", one certainly burns up any attachment to the material body. But is that the real final remedy, oh mind, my dear brother? Certainly it is good that the disturbance of material tribulations has been relieved, but the so-called "medicine" of the mayavada philosophy has now become an unwanted burden, another trouble all over again. So now tell me where you will get the medicine which will cure this "medicine"?

 

 

(4)

maya-datta ku-bikar, mayavada bisa-bhar,

e dui apada nibarana

hari-namamrta pana, sadhu baidya-subidhana,

sri-krsna-caitanya sri-carana

These two dangers: 1) nasty troubles given by maya, and 2) the poisonous burden of mayavada philosophy, can be prevented and curbed completely by taking the nice prescription medicine recommended by the devotee-physicians. And that ecstatic prescription is to drink with gusto the immortal nectar of harinama at the divine lotus feet of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

SONG FIVE --- REMEDY FOR MAYAVADA AND MISERY

 

 

(1)

ore mana, klesa-tapad dekhi je asesa

avidya, asmita ar, abhinivesa durbar,

raga, dvesa --- ei panca klesa

My dear mind, all I can see is unlimited material miseries and difficulties on all sides. Especially there are these five specific troubles: 1) ignorance, 2) distraction, 3) mis-concentration, 4) mis-directed love, and 5) impurity.

 

 

(2)

avidyatma-bismarana, asmityanya-bhibhavana,

abhinivesanye gadamati

anye priti ragandhata, vidvesatma bisuddhata,

panca klesa sadai durgati

 

(According to Patanjali's Yoga-sutra, Sadhana-pada, third sutra:)

 

The affliction of these five miseries results in continuous degradation in the following ways:

1) AVIDYA: ignorance makes me completely forgetful of my nature as pure spirit soul

2) ASMITA: conceited egoistic pride causes me to be distracted from the real essence of life.

3) ABHINIVESA: I have become deeply absorbed in trivial pursuits;

4) RAGA: I've developed love and attachment to things which are averse to pure God-consciousness; and

5)DVESA: my soul has become filthy and polluted by nasty qualities.

 

(3)

bhuliya baikuntha-tattva, maya-bhoge su-pramatta,

'ami' 'ami' koriya bedai

'e amar, se amar', e bhavana anibar,

byasta kore' mor citta bhai

Due to all these distracting troubles, I am forgetting my real home in the spiritual world, the eternal land of no anxiety. And I have become completely mad by frantically trying to enjoy all the so-called enjoyments offered by maya's illusions. Thus I surround myself with so many misconceptions of "me, me, me". Oh mind, my dear brother, just see how my heart has become full of so much anxiety due to constant worries about "this is mine, that is mine".

(4)

e roga-samanopay, anvesiya hay hay,

mile baidya sadya yamopama

ami brahma maya-bhrama' ei ausadher krama,

dheki' cinta hoilo bisama

I am searching for the remedy to cure this material disease of being tortured by Yamaraja, but oh no! I've met a doctor who is no better than Yamaraja at all. This 'doctor' has given me the prescription "I am Brahman, maya is false", but now when I see the result of this so-called medicine, I feel an unbearable anxiety in my conscience.

(5)

eke to' roger kasta, yamopama baidya bhrasta,

e jantrana kise jay mor?

sri caitanya doyamoy, koro' jadi samasroy,

par habe e bipada ghor

On one side I feel great difficult and grief from these five material miseries, and on the other side stands the corrupted doctor (the Mayavadi who is just like another Yamaraja). How will I ever be able to get freed from being sandwiched in between this tormenting agony? There is only one remedy, that is: if I would simply take complete shelter of Lord Caitanya, Who is know to be the Most Merciful, then only I will easily cross over this ghastly calamity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PART II

 

NIRVEDA-LAKSANA-UPALABDHI

 

(Attainment of the symptoms of despondent, disinterested callousness towards worldly affairs).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--- 5 songs ---

SONG ONE --- MATERIAL LIFE IS NOT NICE

 

 

(1)

ore mana, bhalo nahi lage e samsar

janama-marana-jara, je samsare ache bhara,

tahe kiba ache bol' sar

Listen, my dear mind. I don't like this material world at all. It is simply filled with the suffering of birth, death, disease and old age. Besides all this suffering, tell me now that good thing could possibly be found here?

 

 

(2)

dhana-jana-parivar, keho nahe kabhu ka'r,

kale mitra, akale apar

jaha raknibare cai, taha nahe thake bhai,

anitya samasta binasvar

Wealth, followers and family members they can never really belong to anyone. For a time they are together, and afterwards they all drift apart. All these relationships which you would love to hold on to, none or them will remain for long, my dear mind. Oh brother, know it for sure that all these temporary things are flimsy and perishable.

 

(3)

ayu ati alpa-dina, krame taha hoy ksina,

samaner nikata darsana

roga-soka anibar, citta kore' charakhar,

bandhava-bijoga durghatana

The lifespan of one living in this world is extremely short, and even that gradually decays more and more until one beholds Yamaraja hovering nearby. Afflicted with continuous diseases and lamenting in heart-broken grief, his consciousness thus degrades more and more. Finally one meets his downfall, and he again suffers the calamity of separation from his dear kinsmen.

 

 

(4)

bhalo ko're dekho bhai, amisra ananda nai,

je ache, se duhkher karana

se sukher tore tabe, keno maya-dasa habe,

haraibe paramartha-dhana

Just see here, my dear brother. Don't go for this mixed pain and pleasure of so-called material happiness, for it is actually the source of all your troubles. If this is the real situation, then why have you become the slave of maya just on account of this miserable so-called happiness? Do you realize what you've done? If you become the slave of maya then you only rob yourself of the eternal treasure waiting for you, the supreme goal of life.

(5)

itihasa-alocane, bheve' dekho nija mane,

koto asurika durasoy

indriya-tarpana sar, kori' koto duracar,

sese labhe marana niscoy

Just become a little thoughtful for once and reflect back on your own life story, how many demoniac temptations you were motivated by. Simply to get a little sense gratification, how many unlimitedly sinful acts have you committed? So now just see the result, the only gain in the long run is your certain death.

 

(6)

marana-samay ta'ra, upay hoiya hara,

anutap-anale jvalilo

kukkuradi pasu-pray, jiban katay hay,

paramartha kabhu na cintilo

Alas! Never having once considered the purpose or goal of human existence, such a person wastes his entire life just like a dog or a pig. Then at the time of death, being bereft and cheated out of any means of deliverance, he laments bitterly and burning the fire of repentance.

 

(7)

emon bisaye mana, keno thako acetana,

chado chado bisayer asa

sri-guru-caranasroy, koro' sabe bhava joy,

e daser sei to' bharasa

My dear mind, so tell me why you remain stupefied and unconscious absorbed in this useless temporary sense gratification? I want you to give it up right now, and give up all hopes for future sense gratification as well. For the expectation of this humble servant is that you will be able to conquer over this miserable material existence by being firmly situated under the protection offered by the lotus feet of sri guru, your most well-wishing spiritual master.

SONG TWO --- HOW MATERIAL HOPES INCREASE

(1)

ore mana, badibar asa keno koro'?

parthiba unnati jata, sese abanati tata,

santa hao mor bakya dharo'

(2)

asar iyatta nai, asa-patha sada bhai,

nairasya-kantake ruddha ache

bado' jata asa tata, asa nahi hoy hata,

asa nahi nityanitya bache

(3)

ek rajya aj pao, anya rajya ka'l cao,

sarva-rajya koro' jadi labha

tabu asa nahe sesa, indra-pada avasesa,

chadi' ca'be brahmar parabhava

(4)

brahmatva chadiya bhai, siva-pada kise pai,

ei cinta ha'be abirata

sivatva labhiya nara, brahma-samya tadantara,

asa kore' sankaranugata

(5)

ataeva asa-pasa, jahehoy sarva-nasa,

hrdoy hoite rakho dure

akincana-bhava lo'ye, caitanya-caranasroye,

basa koro' sada santipure

 

(1)

My dear mind, why do you want to increase your ambitions unlimitedly? Don't you know that as much as one gets elevated to the high position of a king, to that same degree he meets his downfalling the end? So then calm down, get a grip on yourself and try to catch what I will say to you now.

 

(2)

There is no limit to the increase of material desires. This is how it works: if one obtains a desire, then he gets poked by the thorn of disappointment. By that he is forced to look forward to still another desire, and in this way one keeps on continuously moving on and on from one desire to the next. As much as desires keep on increasing, to that degree there is no cessation, and all such material hopes and aspirations are not stopped even by death, they will still continue increasing even if you keep on changing bodies.

 

(3)

If you get one kingdom today,then tomorrow you will want still another kingdom to increase your domain, and after that you will want to rule the whole world. After getting that, still your desires will not be satisfied, until finally you will be renouncing your post of Lord Indra with high hopes of obtaining the power and influence of Lord Brahma.

 

(4)

If you get the post of Lord Brahma, you will then be constantly plotting how to usurp the post of Lord Siva. If one attains the post of Siva. If one attains the post of Siva, then the only thing lift to be attained is the 'oneness' of merging in the supreme Brahman effulgence. That kind of desire is especially cherished by the impersonalist followers of Sri Sankaracarya.

 

(5)

Therefore, my dear mind, knowing that everything is lost within the endless network of hopes and aspirations, you should keep all such material desires at the maximum distance from your heart. Taking on the mood and behavior of a humble servant under the shelter of Lord Caitanya's lotus feet, you should thus always reside in Vaikuntha, that place which is pervaded with everlasting transcendental peace.

SONG TRHEE --- BHUKTI AND MUKTI REJECTED

(1)

ore mana, bhukti mukti-sprha koro' dura

bhoger nahiko sesa, tahe nahi sukha-lesa,

nirananda tahate pracura

 

(2)

indriya-tarpana bai, bhoge ar sukha kai,

seo sukha abhava-purana

je sukhete ache bhoy, ta'ke sukha bola noy,

te'ke duhkha bole' bijna-jana

 

(3)

phal-sruti jata, sei lobhe koto sata,

mudha-jana bhoga prati dhay

se-saba kaitaba jani', chadiya baisnaba-jnani,

mukhya-phal krsna-rati pay

 

(4)

mukti-banca dusta ati, nasta kore 'sista-mati,

mukti-sprha kaitaba-pradhana

taha je chadite nare, maya nahi chade ta're,

ta'r jatna nahe phalavan

 

(5)

ataeva sprha-dvoy, chadi sodha e hrdoy,

nahi rakho kamer basana

bhoga-moksa nahi cai, sri-krsna-carana pai,

binoder ei to' sadhana

(1)

Oh my dear mind, casst out all your desires for material enjoyment and liberation. There is no end to endeavors for so-called material pleasure, although there is not one iota of real happiness in it; rather, it abounds in exactly the opposite of happiness, simply prufuse misery.

 

(2)

Othere than merely tingling the senses only, tell me where is the actual pleasure ;in enjoying so many sense objects? This type of so-called pleasure is full of deficiency and cannot come up to the mark even to be called "pleasure". Indeed, those who are truly wise will never call that pleasure; they tell it like it is and call such cheap sense gratification by its real name: "suffering". And they even fear that kind of suffering.

 

(3)

Countless persons who are foolish like asses run madly after the material enjoyments which are recommended in the karma-khanda section of the sriptures, becoming intensely greedy to enjoy their material senses. ;But the wise Vaisnava, knowing all this to be a cheating process only, thereby rejects such deficient sense gratification and receives genuine love and atachment to Lord Krsna, which is the real essence and principle fruit of all the scsriptures.

 

(4)

The desire fro emancipation from the material world to merge with God is yet another wicked desire, for such a desire corrupts the righteous mentality of steadfast devotion to God. The hard