Morning Bhajan— Association of devotee-sādhus, taking shelter of pure devotee— bona fide Guru (Spiritual Guide), devotional practice as per direction of Guru and removal of ulterior desires

[There is no consideration of regulation in uttering Holy Name. Holy Name can be uttered anywhere and everywhere—auspicious or inauspicious time. Holy Name is All-Powerful. Amongst all forms of devotional practice, uttering of Harinām is the best.]

2nd verse of Śrī Śikṣāṣṭaka

nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis
tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ
etādṛśi tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi
durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ

O Supreme Lord! Your Holy Name bestows all kinds of eternal welfare to the conditioned souls. For that reason, your Principal Holy Names (Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, Gopīnāth etc.)— Original Transcendental Spiritual Names have no direct or indirect connection with the non-eternal material world. These Holy Names have descended in this world. Supreme Lord has bestowed all powers to His Names and no restriction is imposed to utter the Holy Names. No restriction of time, space— rules and regulations, for utterance and remembrance of the Holy Names. O Lord! You are so merciful to the conditioned souls i.e. out of compassion you have made easy for the conditioned souls to remember and chant Holy Names, but due to my tenfold offences and my greatest misfortune I have got no liking for Holy Name which has been made so easily obtainable.

aneka lokera vāñchā aneka prakāra,
kripā te karila aneka nāmera pracāra,
khāite śuīte yathā tathā nāma laya,
deśa-kāla-niyama nāhi sarvasiddhi haya,
sarvaśakti nāme dila kariyā vibhāga,
āmāra durdaiva nāme nāhi anurāga

Many persons have got many desires. The significance of these many desires is— many desires for service of Kṛṣṇa with different delightful relations— Ṣānta, Dāsya, Sākhya, Vātsalya, Madhur. To fulfil the desires of the devotees to serve Kṛṣṇa with different delightful relations, Kṛṣṇa appears in this world in different Names. Holy Name can be uttered anywhere and everywhere, even during eating and lying down. There is no consideration of space, time and regulation. Utterance of Holy Names can bestow all kinds of attainments. All powers have been given to the Names appearing in this world according to different delightful devotional relations, but it is my greatest misfortune, that I have got no devoted inclination for this.

Śikṣāṣṭaka song two ~

tuṅhu doyā-sāgara tārayite prāṇī
nāma aneka tuwā śikhāoli āni’ (1)

sakala śakati dei’ nāme tohārā
grahaṇe rākholi nāhi kāla-vicārā (2)

śrī-nāma-cintāmaṇi tohāri samānā
viśve bilāoli karuṇā-nidānā (3)

tuwā doyā aichana parama-udārā
atiśoya manda nātha! bhāga hāmārā (4)

nāhi janamalo nāme anurāga mora
bhakativinoda-citta duḥkhe vibhora (5)

Bhaktivinode Thākur has given reference from Haribhaktivilāsa and significance of that reference in his own Bengali writing in the form of devotional hymn to attain one-pointed devotion:-

ekānta bhaktera mātra kīrtan-smaraṇa,
anya parve ruchi nāhi haya pravartana,
bhāvera sahita haya śrī kṛṣṇa-sevana,
svārasikī-bhāva krame haya uddīpana,
ekānta bhaktera kriyā mudrā rāgodita,
tathāpi sei saba nāhi vidhi viparīta,
sarva tyāga karileo chārā sukaṭhina,
pratiṣṭhāśātyāge yatna payibe praviṇa,
prabhate gabhīra rātre madhyāhne sandhyāya,
anartha chāriyā lao nāmera āśraya,
ei rūpe kīrtana smaraṇa jei kare,
kṛṣṇa-kṛpā haya śigrha, anāyāse tare,
śraddhā kari’ sādhu sange kṛṣṇa-nāma laya,
anartha sakala jāya niṣṭhā upajaya,
prātaḥakāle nityalīlā karibe cintana,
cintite cintite bhāvera haibe sādhana

A Pure devotee who has got one-pointed devotion to Lord has got liking only to perform devotion of chanting and remembering Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He cannot be persuaded to change his taste to any other form of devotion. They serve Kṛṣṇa with delightful relation of love. According to their delightful relation, there is inspiration of gradual development of love. Devoted devotee’s all actions are inspired by pure love originating from delightful relation (Rāga-bhakti). Such devotee’s actions may seem to be against regulated devotion persuaded by reverence (Vaidhi-bhakti), but the purpose of service to satisfy the object of worship is preserved in Rāga-bhakti. Hence, devotion of a pure devotee with delightful relation, which gives satisfaction to the object of worship, cannot be against the purpose of devotion. We can renounce everything but it is very difficult to give up the desire for name and fame. The wise votary who wants development of pure devotion must be very careful in regard to this. The votary who wants Raga-Bhakti should do Harinām giving up all ulterior desires in the morning, midnight, mid-day and in the evening, i.e.— always. With this devoutness when the said votary performs ‘Kīrtan’ and ‘Smaraṇ’, he will get grace of Kṛṣṇa soon and will be able to get the highest objective by which he will be actually emancipated from all attachments. The aspirant should utter the Name of Kṛṣṇa in the company of bona fide sādhus with firm faith, then all ulterior desires will be removed and he will get permanent fixation of the mind to the object of worship. We are to think about the second period of eternal pastimes of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in the morning. By thinking, only by thinking, we can get development of pure divine love.

Morning pastimes of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa

rādhāṁ snāta-vibhūṣitāṁ vrajapayāhūtāṁ sakhībhiḥ prage
tad-gehe vihitānna-pāka-racanāṁ kṛṣṇāvaśeṣanām
kṛṣṇaṁ buddham avāpta-ḍhenu-sadanaṁ nirvyūḍha-go-dohanaṁ
susnātaṁ kṛta-bhojanaṁ saha-caraistaś cātha tāś cāśraye
Govindalīlāmṛta 2.1

I take shelter at the Lotus Feet of Srīmati Rādhārāni who, after taking bath in the morning at Jāvaṭ, decorating herself with beautiful dress and various ornaments liked by Śrī Kṛṣṇa, goes to the house of Nanda Mahārāja (Nandagrām) along with other confidantes (sakhis), being called by Yaṣodā Devi, to engage herself for cooking different varieties of food for Kṛṣṇa. After Kṛṣṇa’s taking of that food, she honours the remnants with great satisfaction. Here it is to be carefully noted, why Yaṣodā Devi without cooking food herself, has called Rādhārāni to cook the food. Because she has come to learn, if my beloved son takes the food prepared by Rādhārāni, His span of life will be increased as Rādhārāni has got such boon from Durvāsā Ṛśī. Nanda Mahārāja and Yaṣodā Devi can never think ‘Kṛṣṇa’ to be Supreme Lord, Lord of all lords, but always think Him as their beloved little child. This is the speciality of pure love of Nanda-Yaṣodā in Braja Dhām. Pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in the morning of being awakened from the sleep is also to satisfy His parents Nanda Mahārāja and Yaṣodā Devi. Nanda Mahārāja and Yaṣodā Devi do no know what happened in the night. They are happy seeing their son rising from the bed. Kṛṣṇa is always careful to give satisfaction to the cows and cowherd boys— other personal associates. As per His regular duty given by the parents to Him, He goes to the cowshed to milk the cows to give them satisfaction by touching them and after returning from cowshed, calls the cowherd boys who are His bosom friends and always anxious of getting His company to take bath. After taking bath, Kṛṣṇa sits down with other cowherd boys to eat the food cooked by Rādhārāni and distributed by Yaṣodā Devi. During these pastimes union of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa also occurs. I also take the shelter of the Lotus Feet of such ‘Kṛṣṇa’. The aspirants for getting such Braja Prema should think about these pastimes of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa while doing Harinām in the company of śuddha bhaktas— pure devotees in the morning. By thinking about the pastimes and doing saṇkīrtan, the aspirants can get inspiration of Transcendental Divine Love immediately.

Lila kirtan two

rādhā snāta vibhūṣita, śrī-yaśodā-samāhūta,
sakhī-saṅge tad-gṛhe gamana
tathā pāka-viracana, śrī-kṛṣṇāvaśeṣāśana
madhye madhye duṅhāra milana (1)

kṛṣṇa nidrā porihori’, goṣthe go-dohana kori’,
snānāśana sahacara-saṅge
ei līlā cintā koro, nāma-preme goro-goro,
prāte bhakta-jana saṅge raṅge (2)

ei līlā cinto ār koro saṅkīrtana
acire pāibe tumi bhāva-uddīpana (3)