Fifth Period of Devotional Practice (5th Yāma Sādhana)

Book, Sreela Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj

Afternoon Bhajan— Attachment to Kṛṣṇa

  • 5th Verse of Śrī Śikṣāṣṭaka

    ayi nanda-tanuja kiṅkaraṁ
    patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau
    kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-
    sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya

    O Nandanandan, in spite of my being your eternal servant, due to predicament of my own deeds, I am drowned in the terrible ocean of births and deaths. Out of compassion kindly think me as dust particle of your Lotus Feet.

    Bhaktivinode Thākur’s Bengali hymn (invoking Kṛṣṇa’s grace)

    I am your eternal servant. By forgetting you I am entangled by your illusory energy and have been drowned in the ocean of births and deaths. Kindly please consider me as dust particle of your Lotus Feet. I am your eternal servant, engage me in your service.

    Śikṣāṣṭaka song five

    anādi karama-phale pori’ bhavārnava-jale
    taribāre nā dekhi upāy
    e viṣaya-halāhale divā-niśi hiyā jvale
    man kabhu sukha nāhi pāy (1)

    āśā-pāśa śata śata kleśa deya avirata
    pravṛtti ūrmira tāhe khelā
    kāma-krodha-ādi choy bāṭapāḍe deya bhoy
    avasān hoilo āsi’ belā (2)

    jṣāna-karma-ṭhog dui, more pratāriyā loi’
    avaśeṣe phele sindhu-jale
    e-heno samaye bandhu, tumi kṛṣṇa kṛpā-sindhu
    kṛpā kori’ tolo more bole (3)

    patita-kiṅkore dhori’, pāda-padma-dhuli kori’
    deho bhaktivinode āśroy
    āmi tava nitya-dāsa, bhuliyā māyāra pāś
    baddha hoye āchi doyā-moy (4)

    Indication of afternoon eternal pastimes of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa

    śrī rādhām prāpta-gehāṁ nija-ramaṇa-kṛte kḷpta nānopahārām
    susnātāṁ ramya-veśāṁ priya-mukha-kamalāloka-pūrṇa-pramodām
    śrī kṛṣṇaṁ cāparāhṇe vrajam anucalitaṁ dhenu-vṛindair vayasyai
    śrī rādhāloka-tṛptaṁ pitṛ-mukha-militaṁ mātṛ-mṛṣṭaṁ smarāmi
    Govindalīlāmṛta 19.1

    I remember such Srīmati Rādhārāni who has returned from Rādhā-kuṇḍa to Jāvaṭ in the afternoon and is engaged for preparing various good dishes of different names— ‘Amṛtkelī’, ‘Karpurkelī’ etc. for presentation to beloved Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Rādhārāni also takes bath nicely, dresses herself with good garments, to satisfy Śrī Kṛṣṇa and very anxiously waits on the path for the return of Kṛṣṇa from pasture and is extremely delighted to see the Lotus Face of Śrī Kṛṣṇa [ It is to be very carefully noted here that whatever Rādhārāni is doing is not to satisfy her or to satisfy other persons, her ultimate target is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa alone. Means is justified by the end.]

    Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes in the afternoon— Kṛṣṇa with cows or calves and cowherd boys, returns from the grazing ground of the cows— Braja Dhām and on seeing Rādhārāni on the way, is extremely delighted. [Kṛṣṇa is attracted by the pure love of Rādhārāni.] After returning to the house, Kṛṣṇa meets His father Nanda Mahārāja and other father-like milkmen as well as mother Yaṣodā and other mother-like milkwomen. All gopa-gopīs are extremely delighted to get Kṛṣṇa back and to see Him. Yaṣodā Devi out of affection embraces and cleanses Kṛṣṇa. I remember such Kṛṣṇa in the afternoon.

    Lila kirtan five

    śrī rādhīkā gṛhe gelā, kṛṣṇa lāgi viracilā,
    nānā-vidha khādya upahāra
    snāta ramya veśa dhori’, priya-mukhekṣaṇa kori’,
    purṇānanda pāilo apāra (1)

    śrī-kṛṣṇāparāhṇa-kāle, dhenu mitra loiyā cole,
    pathe rādhā-mukha nirakhiyā
    nandādi milana kori, yaśodā mārjita hari,
    smara man ānandita hoiyā (2)

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