1
वाचो वेगं मनसः क्रोध-वेगं
जिह्वा-वेगम् उदरोपस्थ-वेगम्
एतान् वेगान् यो विषहेत धीरः
सर्वाम् अपीमां पृथिवीं स शिष्यात्
2
अत्याहारः प्रयासश् च
प्रजल्पो नियमाग्रहः
जन-सङ्गश् च लौल्यं च
षड्भिर् भक्तिर् विनश्यति
3
उत्साहान् निश्चयाद् धैर्यात्
तत्-तत्-कर्म-प्रवर्तनात्
सङ्ग-त्यागात् सतो वृत्तेः
षड्भिर् भक्तिः प्रसिध्यति
4
ददाति प्रतिगृह्णाति
गुह्यम् आख्याति पृच्छति
भुङ्क्ते भोजयते चैव
षड्-विधं प्रीति-लक्षणम्
5
कृष्णेति यस्य गिरि तं मनसाद्रियेत
दीक्षास्ति चेत् प्रणतिभिश् च भजन्तम् ईशम्
शुश्रूषया भजन-विज्ञम् अनन्यम् अन्य-
निन्दादि-शून्य-हृदम् ईप्सित-सङ्ग-लब्ध्या
6
दृष्टैः स्वभाव-जनितैर् वपुषश् च दोषैर्
न प्राकृतत्वम् इह भक्त-जनस्य पश्येत्
गङ्गाम्भसां न खलु बुद्बुद-फेन-पङ्कैर्
ब्रह्म-द्रवत्वम् अपगच्छति नीर-धर्मैः
7
स्यात् कृष्ण-नाम-चरितादि-सिताप्य् अविद्या-
पित्तोपतप्त-रसनस्य न रोचिका नु
किन्त्व् आदराद् अनुदिनं खलु सैव जुष्टा
स्वाद्वी क्रमाद् भवति तद्-गद-मूल-हन्त्री
8
तन्-नाम-रूप-चरितादि-सुकीर्तनानु-
स्मृत्योः क्रमेण रसना-मनसी नियोज्य
तिष्ठन् व्रजे तद्-अनुरागि-जनानुगामी
कालं नयेद् अखिलम् इत्य् उपदेश-सारम्
9
वैकुण्ठाज् जनितो वरा मधु-पुरी तत्रापि रासोत्सवाद्
वृन्दारण्यम् उदार-पाणि-रमणात् तत्रापि गोवर्धनः
राधा-कुण्डम् इहापि गोकुल-पतेः प्रेमामृताप्लावनात्
कुर्याद् अस्य विराजतो गिरि-तटे सेवां विवेकी न कः
10
कर्मिभ्यः परितो हरेः प्रियतया व्यक्तिं ययुर् ज्ञानिनस्
तेभ्यो ज्ञान-विमुक्त-भक्ति-परमाः प्रेमैक-निष्ठास् ततः
तेभ्यस् ताः पशु-पाल-पङ्कज-दृशस् ताभ्यो ’पि सा राधिका
प्रेष्ठा तद्वद् इयं तदीय-सरसी तां नाश्रयेत् कः कृती
11
कृष्णस्योच्चैः प्रणय-वसतिः प्रेयसीभ्यो ’पि राधा
कुण्डं चास्या मुनिभिर् अभितस् तादृग् एव व्यधायि
यत् प्रेष्ठैर् अप्य् अलम् असुलभं किं पुनर् भक्ति-भाजां
तत् प्रेमेदं सकृद् अपि सरः स्नातुर् आविष्करोति
Text One
vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁ
jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam
etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ
sarvām apīmāṁ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt
vācaḥ — of speech; vegam — urge; manasaḥ — of the mind; krodha — of anger; vegam — urge; jihvā — of the tongue; vegam — urge; udara-upastha — of the belly and genitals; vegam — urge; etān — these; vegān — urges; yaḥ — whoever; viṣaheta — can tolerate; dhīraḥ — sober; sarvām — all; api — certainly; imām — this; pṛthivīm — world; saḥ — that personality; śiṣyāt — can make disciples.
A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind’s demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world.
Text Two
atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca
prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ
jana-saṅgaś ca laulyaṁ ca
ṣaḍbhir bhaktir vinaśyati
ati-āhāraḥ — overeating or too much collecting; prayāsaḥ — over-endeavoring; ca — and; prajalpaḥ — idle talking; niyama — rules and regulations; āgrahaḥ — too much attachment to (or agrahaḥ – too much neglect of); jana-saṅgaḥ — association with worldly-minded persons; ca — and; laulyam — ardent longing or greed; ca — and; ṣaḍbhiḥ — by these six; bhaktiḥ — devotional service; vinaśyati — is destroyed.
One’s devotional service is spoiled when he becomes too entangled in the following six activities: (1) eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than required; (2) over-endeavoring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain; (3) talking unnecessarily about mundane subject matters; (4) practicing the scriptural rules and regulations only for the sake of following them and not for the sake of spiritual advancement, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the scriptures and working independently or whimsically; (5) associating with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness; and (6) being greedy for mundane achievements.
Text Three
utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt
tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt
saṅga-tyāgāt sato vṛtteḥ
ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati
utsāhāt — by enthusiasm; niścayāt — by confidence; dhairyāt — by patience; tat-tat-karma — various activities favorable for devotional service; pravartanāt — by performing; saṅga-tyāgāt — by giving up the association of nondevotees; sataḥ — of the great previous ācāryas; vṛtteḥ — by following in the footsteps; ṣaḍbhiḥ — by these six; bhaktiḥ — devotional service; prasidhyati — advances or becomes successful.
There are six principles favorable to the execution of pure devotional service: (1) being enthusiastic, (2) endeavoring with confidence, (3) being patient, (4) acting according to regulative principles [such as śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam – hearing, chanting and remembering Kṛṣṇa], (5) abandoning the association of nondevotees, and (6) following in the footsteps of the previous ācāryas. These six principles undoubtedly assure the complete success of pure devotional service.
Text Four
dadāti pratigṛhṇāti
guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati
bhuṅkte bhojayate caiva
ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ prīti-lakṣaṇam
dadāti — gives charity; pratigṛhṇāti — accepts in return; guhyam — confidential topics; ākhyāti — explains; pṛcchati — inquires; bhuṅkte — eats; bhojayate — feeds; ca — also; eva — certainly; ṣaṭ-vidham — six kinds; prīti — of love; lakṣaṇam — symptoms.
Offering gifts in charity, accepting charitable gifts, revealing one’s mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially, accepting prasāda and offering prasāda are the six symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another.
Text Five
kṛṣṇeti yasya giri taṁ manasādriyeta
dīkṣāsti cet praṇatibhiś ca bhajantam īśam
śuśrūṣayā bhajana-vijñam ananyam anya-
nindādi-śūnya-hṛdam īpsita-saṅga-labdhyā
kṛṣṇa — the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa; iti — thus; yasya — of whom; giri — in the words or speech; tam — him; manasā — by the mind; ādriyeta — one must honor; dīkṣā — initiation; asti — there is; cet — if; praṇatibhiḥ — by obeisances; ca — also; bhajantam — engaged in devotional service; īśam — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; śuśrūṣayā — by practical service; bhajana-vijñam — one who is advanced in devotional service; ananyam — without deviation; anya-nindā-ādi — of blasphemy of others, etc; śūnya — completely devoid; hṛdam — whose heart; īpsita — desirable; saṅga — association; labdhyā — by gaining.
One should mentally honor the devotee who chants the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, one should offer humble obeisances to the devotee who has undergone spiritual initiation [dīkṣā] and is engaged in worshiping the Deity, and one should associate with and faithfully serve that pure devotee who is advanced in undeviated devotional service and whose heart is completely devoid of the propensity to criticize others.
Text Six
dṛṣṭaiḥ svabhāva-janitair vapuṣaś ca doṣair
na prākṛtatvam iha bhakta-janasya paśyet
gaṅgāmbhasāṁ na khalu budbuda-phena-paṅkair
brahma-dravatvam apagacchati nīra-dharmaiḥ
dṛṣṭaiḥ — seen by ordinary vision; svabhāva-janitaiḥ — born of one’s own nature; vapuṣaḥ — of the body; ca — and; doṣaiḥ — by the faults; na — not; prākṛtatvam — the state of being material; iha — in this world; bhakta-janasya — of a pure devotee; paśyet — one should see; gaṅgā-ambhasām — of the Ganges waters; na — not; khalu — certainly; budbuda-phena-paṅkaiḥ — by bubbles, foam and mud; brahma-dravatvam — the transcendental nature; apagacchati — is spoiled; nīra-dharmaiḥ — the characteristics of water.
Being situated in his original Kṛṣṇa conscious position, a pure devotee does not identify with the body. Such a devotee should not be seen from a materialistic point of view. Indeed, one should overlook a devotee’s having a body born in a low family, a body with a bad complexion, a deformed body, or a diseased or infirm body. According to ordinary vision, such imperfections may seem prominent in the body of a pure devotee, but despite such seeming defects, the body of a pure devotee cannot be polluted. It is exactly like the waters of the Ganges, which sometimes during the rainy season are full of bubbles, foam and mud. The Ganges waters do not become polluted. Those who are advanced in spiritual understanding will bathe in the Ganges without considering the condition of the water.
Text Seven
syāt kṛṣṇa-nāma-caritādi-sitāpy avidyā-
pittopatapta-rasanasya na rocikā nu
kintv ādarād anudinaṁ khalu saiva juṣṭā
svādvī kramād bhavati tad-gada-mūla-hantrī
syāt — is; kṛṣṇa — of Lord Kṛṣṇa; nāma — the holy name; carita-ādi — character, pastimes and so forth; sitā — sugar candy; api — although; avidyā — of ignorance; pitta — by the bile; upatapta — afflicted; rasanasya — of the tongue; na — not; rocikā — palatable; nu — oh, how wonderful it is; kintu — but; ādarāt — carefully; anudinam — every day, or twenty-four hours daily; khalu — naturally; sā — that (sugar candy of the holy name); eva — certainly; juṣṭā — taken or chanted; svādvī — relishable; kramāt — gradually; bhavati — becomes; tat-gada — of that disease; mūla — of the root; hantrī — the destroyer.
The holy name, character, pastimes and activities of Kṛṣṇa are all transcendentally sweet like sugar candy. Although the tongue of one afflicted by the jaundice of avidyā [ignorance] cannot taste anything sweet, it is wonderful that simply by carefully chanting these sweet names every day, a natural relish awakens within his tongue, and his disease is gradually destroyed at the root.
Text Eight
tan-nāma-rūpa-caritādi-sukīrtanānu-
smṛtyoḥ krameṇa rasanā-manasī niyojya
tiṣṭhan vraje tad-anurāgi-janānugāmī
kālaṁ nayed akhilam ity upadeśa-sāram
tat — of Lord Kṛṣṇa; nāma — the holy name; rūpa — form; carita-ādi — character, pastimes and so on; su-kīrtana — in discussing or chanting nicely; anusmṛtyoḥ — and in remembering; krameṇa — gradually; rasanā — the tongue; manasī — and one’s mind; niyojya — engaging; tiṣṭhan — residing; vraje — in Vraja; tat — to Lord Kṛṣṇa; anurāgi — attached; jana — persons; anugāmī — following; kālam — time; nayet — should utilize; akhilam — full; iti — thus; upadeśa — of advice or instruction; sāram — the essence.
The essence of all advice is that one should utilize one’s full time – twenty-four hours a day – in nicely chanting and remembering the Lord’s divine name, transcendental form, qualities and eternal pastimes, thereby gradually engaging one’s tongue and mind. In this way one should reside in Vraja [Goloka Vṛndāvana-dhāma] and serve Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of devotees. One should follow in the footsteps of the Lord’s beloved devotees, who are deeply attached to His devotional service.
Text Nine
vaikuṇṭhāj janito varā madhu-purī tatrāpi rāsotsavād
vṛndāraṇyam udāra-pāṇi-ramaṇāt tatrāpi govardhanaḥ
rādhā-kuṇḍam ihāpi gokula-pateḥ premāmṛtāplāvanāt
kuryād asya virājato giri-taṭe sevāṁ vivekī na kaḥ
vaikuṇṭhāt — than Vaikuṇṭha, the spiritual world; janitaḥ — because of birth; varā — better; madhu-purī — the transcendental city known as Mathurā; tatra api — superior to that; rāsa-utsavāt — because of the performance of the rāsa-līlā; vṛndā-araṇyam — the forest of Vṛndāvana; udāra-pāṇi — of Lord Kṛṣṇa; ramaṇāt — because of various kinds of loving pastimes; tatra api — superior to that; govardhanaḥ — Govardhana Hill; rādhā-kuṇḍam — a place called Rādhā-kuṇḍa; iha api — superior to this; gokula-pateḥ — of Kṛṣṇa, the master of Gokula; prema-amṛta — with the nectar of divine love; āplāvanāt — because of being overflooded; kuryāt — would do; asya — of this (Rādhā-kuṇḍa); virājataḥ — situated; giri-taṭe — at the foot of Govardhana Hill; sevām — service; vivekī — who is intelligent; na — not; kaḥ — who.
The holy place known as Mathurā is spiritually superior to Vaikuṇṭha, the transcendental world, because the Lord appeared there. Superior to Mathurā-purī is the transcendental forest of Vṛndāvana because of Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa-līlā pastimes. And superior to the forest of Vṛndāvana is Govardhana Hill, for it was raised by the divine hand of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and was the site of His various loving pastimes. And, above all, the superexcellent Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa stands supreme, for it is overflooded with the ambrosial nectarean prema of the Lord of Gokula, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Where, then, is that intelligent Person who is unwilling to serve this divine Rādhā-kuṇḍa, which is situated at the foot of Govardhana Hill?
Text Ten
karmibhyaḥ parito hareḥ priyatayā vyaktiṁ yayur jñāninas
tebhyo jñāna-vimukta-bhakti-paramāḥ premaika-niṣṭhās tataḥ
tebhyas tāḥ paśu-pāla-paṅkaja-dṛśas tābhyo ’pi sā rādhikā
preṣṭhā tadvad iyaṁ tadīya-sarasī tāṁ nāśrayet kaḥ kṛtī
karmibhyaḥ — than all fruitive workers; paritaḥ — in all respects; hareḥ — by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; priyatayā — because of being favored; vyaktim yayuḥ — it is said in the śāstra; jñāninaḥ — those advanced in knowledge; tebhyaḥ — superior to them; jñāna-vimukta — liberated by knowledge; bhakti-paramāḥ — those engaged in devotional service; prema-eka-niṣṭhāḥ — those who have attained pure love of God; tataḥ — superior to them; tebhyaḥ — better than them; tāḥ — they; paśu-pāla-paṅkaja-dṛśaḥ — the gopīs who are always dependent on Kṛṣṇa, the cowherd boy; tābhyaḥ — above all of them; api — certainly; sā — She; rādhikā — Śrīmatī Rādhikā; preṣṭhā — very dear; tadvat — similarly; iyam — this; tadīya-sarasī — Her lake, Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa; tām — Rādhā-kuṇḍa; na — not; āśrayet — would take shelter of; kaḥ — who; kṛtī — most fortunate.
In the śāstra it is said that of all types of fruitive workers, he who is advanced in knowledge of the higher values of life is favored by the Supreme Lord Hari. Out of many such people who are advanced in knowledge [jñānīs], one who is practically liberated by virtue of his knowledge may take to devotional service. He is superior to the others. However, one who has actually attained prema, pure love of Kṛṣṇa, is superior to him. The gopīs are exalted above all the advanced devotees because they are always totally dependent upon Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the transcendental cowherd boy. Among the gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the most dear to Kṛṣṇa. Her kuṇḍa [lake] is as profoundly dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa as this most beloved of the gopīs. Who, then, will not reside at Rādhā-kuṇḍa and, in a spiritual body surcharged with ecstatic devotional feelings [aprākṛta-bhāva], render loving service to the Divine Couple Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, who perform Their aṣṭa-kālīya-līlā, Their eternal eightfold daily pastimes. Indeed, those who execute devotional service on the banks of Rādhā-kuṇḍa are the most fortunate people in the universe.
Text Eleven
kṛṣṇasyoccaiḥ praṇaya-vasatiḥ preyasībhyo ’pi rādhā
kuṇḍaṁ cāsyā munibhir abhitas tādṛg eva vyadhāyi
yat preṣṭhair apy alam asulabhaṁ kiṁ punar bhakti-bhājāṁ
tat premedaṁ sakṛd api saraḥ snātur āviṣkaroti
kṛṣṇasya — of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; uccaiḥ — very highly; praṇaya-vasatiḥ — object of love; preyasībhyaḥ — out of the many lovable gopīs; api — certainly; rādhā — Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī; kuṇḍam — lake; ca — also; asyāḥ — of Her; munibhiḥ — by great sages; abhitaḥ — in all respects; tādṛk eva — similarly; vyadhāyi — is described; yat — which; preṣṭhaiḥ — by the most advanced devotees; api — even; alam — enough; asulabham — difficult to obtain; kim — what; punaḥ — again; bhakti-bhājām — for persons engaged in devotional service; tat — that; prema — love of Godhead; idam — this; sakṛt — once; api — even; saraḥ — lake; snātuḥ — of one who has bathed; āviṣkaroti — arouses.
Of the many objects of favored delight and of all the lovable damsels of Vraja-bhūmi, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is certainly the most treasured object of Kṛṣṇa’s love. And, in every respect, Her divine kuṇḍa is described by great sages as similarly dear to Him. Undoubtedly Rādhā-kuṇḍa is very rarely attained even by the great devotees; therefore it is even more difficult for ordinary devotees to attain. If one simply bathes once within those holy waters, one’s pure love of Kṛṣṇa is fully aroused.