First Period of Devotional Practice (1st Yāma Sādhana)

Book, Sreela Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj

First Period of Devotional Practice (1st Yāma Sādhana) - Bhajan at close of night— Śraddhā (Firm Faith)

  • [Therefore, glow of the Holy Name can destroy all sins and deliver conditioned souls from worldly bondage. As for instance Śrī Bhakti-Rasāmṛta-Sindhu, Dakṣiṇ Part, 1/103:- ]

    taṁ nirvyājam bhaja guṇa-nidhe pāvanaṁ pāvanānāṁ
    śraddhā-rajyan-matir atitarām uttamaḥ-śloka-maulim
    prodyann antaḥ-karaṇa-kuhare hanta yan-nāma-bhānor
    ābhāso 'pi kṣapayati mahā-pātaka-dhvānta-rāśim

    That person is addressed as Guṇa-nidhe (one who is richly endowed with good qualities), who has got the aptitude to utter without delay, the Holiest Divine Name ‘Kṛṣṇa’, greatest Redeemer of all redeemers, with firm faith, without hypocrisy and with simple-heartedness. Why? Because the glow of the Holy Name Kṛṣṇa, like the glimpse of the light of Sun at dawn, entering into the cave of his heart, will destroy all great sins and nescience.

    Srila Bhaktivinode Thākur’s instruction (His own writing in Bengali):-

    parama pāvana kṛṣṇa tāṇhāra caraṇa,
    niskapata śraddhā saha karaha bhajana,
    jāṇra nāma suryābhās antare praveśi,
    dhvaṁsa kare mahāpāpa andhakārarāśi,
    ei śikṣāṣṭake kahe kṛṣṇalīlā-krama,
    ihāte bhajana krame līlāra udgama,
    prathame prathama śloka bhaja kichu dina,
    dvitīya ślokete tabe hauta pravīṇa

    Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Redeemer. His Lotus Feet should be worshipped with firm faith and without deceitfulness. Glow of the Holy Name, like dawn of sunrise, entering into the heart, will destroy all great sins and remove all kinds of nescience— deep darkness. Gradual sequential development of the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa is narrated in Śikṣāṣṭaka. By this sequence of bhajan, pastimes will be manifested. At first, the first verse of Śikṣāṣṭaka is to be practised for some days. Thereafter you become eligible for practice of second verse.

    cāri śloke kramaśaḥ bhajana pakkva kara,
    pañcama ślokete nija siddha deha vara,
    ai śloke siddhadehe rādhāpadāśraya,
    ārambha kariyā krame unnati udaya,
    chaya śloka bhajite anartha dure gela,
    tabe jāna siddhadehe adhikāra haila,
    adhikāra nā labhiyā siddhadeha bhāve,
    viparjaya buddhi janme śaktira abhāve

    Then by careful practice of the four verses of Śikṣāṣṭaka, gradually you acquire maturity in bhajan. After that, be eligible for achieving your realized eternal spiritual form by practising the fifth verse. Being well-established in the fifth verse, get the service of the Lotus Feet of Rādhārāni by attaining realized form. Advancement of bhajan will begin from this and will be developed. After being competent in realizing the transcendental sweet ecstatic feelings through practice of sixth verse, your attachment for ulterior reverse desires will be removed totally. Then actually you will be entitled to get eternal realized spiritual form. When eight principal modes of transcendental ecstatic feelings will be revealed, the criterion of your attainment of safety region is achieved. Without the manifestation of these ecstatic feelings, if any aspirant poses to get that realized state, it will be cause of disaster to him due to lack of intrinsic spiritual force from within.

    sāvadhāne krama dhara yadi siddhi cāo,
    sādhura carita dekhi śuddha buddhi pāo,
    siddhadeha peye krame bhajana karile,
    aṣṭakāla sevāsukha anāyāse mile,
    śikṣāṣṭaka cinta kara smaraṇa kīrtan,
    krame aṣṭakāla-sevā habe uddīpana,
    sakala anartha jābe pābe premadhana,
    caturvarge phalguprāya habe adarśana

    If the aspirant wants to get realized state, he should very carefully accept the gradual procedure, strictly following the direction of pure devotee— sādhu, which is the only way of getting eternal pure devotional wisdom. After being eligible for getting eternal realized spiritual form, by sincere bhajan the aspirant can attain easily transcendental blissful service of eight periods of pastimes of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Service of eight periods of pastimes of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa will be gradually manifested by incessantly thinking, remembering and singing of the eight verses of Śikṣāṣṭaka. By this devotional practice, all ulterior desires will be removed, the highest wealth of Transcendental Divine Love will be achieved and undercurrent flow of desires for Caturvarga—the four objects of human pursuits— mundane virtue, wealth, sensuous enjoyment and desire for salvation will disappear.

    1st verse of Śrī Śikṣāṣṭaka

    ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ
    śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam
    ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ
    sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam

    Chanting of the Holy Name Śrī Kṛṣṇa, completely, loudly in the company of devotees and without tenfold offences, which can bestow seven attainments— viz. cleansing of the mind-mirror, extinguishing of the forest fire of birth, death and threefold afflictions, bestowing eternal soothing benefit like moonlight, life of spiritual learning i.e. awakening of the real self, increasing of the ocean of bliss, bestowing at every step sweet taste of complete transcendental ambrosia, holy immersion of body-mind-real self— be supremely glorified.

    Śikṣāṣṭaka Song 1 ~

    pīta-varaṇa kali-pāvana gorā
    gāoāi aichana bhāva-vibhorā (1)

    citta-darpana-parimārjaṇa-kārī
    kṛṣṇa-kīrtana jaya citta bihārī (2)

    helā-bhava-dāva-nirvāpaṇa-vṛtti
    kṛṣṇa-kīrtana jaya kleśa-nivṛtti (3)

    śreyaḥ-kumuda-vidhu-jyotsnā-prakāśa
    kṛṣṇa-kīrtana jaya bhakti-vilāsa (4)

    viśuddha-vidyā-vadhū jīvana-rūpa
    kṛṣṇa-kīrtana jaya siddha-swarūpa (5)

    ānanda-payo-nidhi-vardhana-kīrti
    kṛṣṇa-kīrtana jaya plāvana-mūrti (6)

    pade pade pīyūṣa-swāda-pradātā
    kṛṣṇa-kīrtana jaya prema-vidhātā (7)

    bhaktivinoda-svātma-snapana-vidhāna
    kṛṣṇa-kīrtana jaya prema-nidāna (8)

    Thinking of Kṛṣṇa-līlā (pastimes of Kṛṣṇa)

    At the close of night absorbing meditation of the break of sleep of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in their secret grove (Awakening song). Provision for relishing Kṛṣṇa-līlā— Transcendental sweet pastimes of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa can only be relished by Citta (mind) gradually. [Citta indicates store of thoughts. Actually, there is no synonym of ‘Citta’ in English.]

    rātryante trasta-vṛnderita bahu-viravairbodhitau kiraśārī
    padyair-hṛdyair ahṛdyair api sukha-śayanād-utthitau tau sakhibhiḥ
    dṛṣṭau hṛṣṭau tadātvoditarati-lalitau kakkhaṭīgīḥ saśaṅkau
    rādhā-kṛṣṇau satṛṣṇāv api nija-nija dhāmnyāpta talpau smarāmi
    Govindalīlāmṛta 1.10

    Vṛndā Devi apprehending day-break sends Śuk-Śārikā (male and female parrots) and other birds to start chirping to awaken Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Here chirping indicates sweet singing of the glories of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. There is competition between Śuk and Śārikā to sing the glories of Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā more than each other. When Śuk sings more qualities of Kṛṣṇa, devotees on behalf of Kṛṣṇa are satisfied, but when female parrot Śārikā sings glories of Rādhārāni more than Kṛṣṇa, the personal associates of Rādhārāni become happy. In this way, competition of singing continues. By hearing this sweet competition of songs and also sweet songs of the gopīs, Rādhārāni is awakened and opens her eyes but Kṛṣṇa is not awakened. Kṛṣṇa remains with closed eyes. So long, gopīs had the responsibility to awaken Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, but when Rādhārāni is awakened, their responsibility to awaken Kṛṣṇa is over. Rādhārāni is worried and afraid seeing the light of the Sun increasing, but she cannot push Kṛṣṇa to wake-up for fear of offence. There is one female monkey of the name ‘Kakkhati’ to serve Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, by her own capacity and she wants permission of the gopīs to make a harsh loud sound to awake Kṛṣṇa. But gopīs are not giving permission considering by hearing her harsh voice, Kṛṣṇa will be disturbed. But Kṛṣṇa is gracious to all, He wants to give scope of service to all devotees without considering their qualities. Kṛṣṇa does not open His eyes and gopīs are compelled to allow female monkey to make a harsh sound. On hearing the harsh sound, Kṛṣṇa opens His eyes. Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā looking at each other with wistful eyes— both are afraid thinking it is high time to return to their respective houses. They quickly run to their respective houses and entering into their houses go to bed to sleep. By the influence of Yogamāyā, Nanda Mahārāja, Yaṣodā Devi, mother-in-law of Rādhārāni ‘Jatilā’ and her husband ‘Āyan Ghoṣ’ cannot detect them.

    Lila kirtan one ~

    dekhiyā aruṇodoy, vṛndā-devi byasta hoy,
    kuñje nānā raba korāilo
    śuka-śārī padya śuni, uṭhe rādhā-nīlamaṇi,
    sakhī-gaṇa dekhi’ hṛṣta hoilo (1)

    kālocita sulalita, kakkhaṭīra rabe bhīta
    rādhā-kṛṣṇa sa-tṛṣṇa haiyā
    nija nija gṛhe gelā, nibhṛte śayana kailā
    duṅhe bhaji se līlā smariyā (2)

    ei līlā smaro ār gāo kṛṣṇa-nāma,
    kṛṣṇa-līlā prema-dhana pābe kṛṣṇa-dhāma (3)

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