Sep 12, 2014 — CANADA (SUN) — A Songbook of 62 Bengali Songs by Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Published in 1880. Translation by Dasaratha-suta dasa. Published to commemorate the 500th Appearance Anniversary of Lord Caitanya.
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'S 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
ny 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.
