Ceto Darpana Marjanam
Sri Sri Sikshastakam
Song_Śrī Śrī Śikṣāṣṭaka (ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ) — Eight Instructions
Listen
6 versionsGlory to the śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This saṅkīrtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious.
O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names, like Kṛṣṇa and Govinda. In these transcendental names You have invested all Your transcendental energies. There are not even hard and fast rules for chanting these names. O my Lord, out of kindness You enable us to easily approach You by Your holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them.
One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street, one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.
O almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor do I desire beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service, birth after birth.
O son of Mahārāja Nanda [Kṛṣṇa], I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or other I have fallen into the ocean of birth and death. Please pick me up from this ocean of death and place me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet.
O my Lord, when will my eyes be decorated with tears of love flowing constantly when I chant Your holy name? When will my voice choke up, and when will the hairs of my body stand on end at the recitation of Your name?
O Govinda! Feeling Your separation, I am considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from my eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in Your absence.
I know no one but Kṛṣṇa as my Lord, and He shall remain so even if He handles me roughly by His embrace or makes me brokenhearted by not being present before me. He is completely free to do anything and everything, for He is always my worshipable Lord, unconditionally.
About Ceto Darpana Marjanam
The opening verse of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's Siksastaka, His only written work, preserved in Chaitanya-caritamrta. It describes the holy name's power to cleanse the mirror of the heart and extinguish the blazing fire of material existence — among the most quoted verses in the Gaudiya tradition.
Srila Prabhupada on this song
Srila Prabhupada spoke on this song in one of his classes:
“Lord Caitanya gave us eight stanzas of His mission, what He wanted to do. They are explained in eight stanzas, and they are known as Siksastaka. Siksa means instruction, and astaka means eight”
In a class given in Los Angeles on December 28, 1968, Srila Prabhupada spoke on this song:
“Glories to the sri-krsna-sankirtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years together. Thus the fire of conditioned life, of repeated birth and death is extinguished”
In a class given in Los Angeles on December 28, 1968, Srila Prabhupada spoke on this song:
“The elaboration and exposition on the philosophy taught by Lord Caitanya are in fact the most voluminous, exacting and consistent, due to the unbreakable system of disciplic succession of any religious culture in the world.”
Excerpted from Srila Prabhupada's recorded classes, © Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Read the complete purport at the Vanisource link above.
Frequently asked
Who wrote Ceto Darpana Marjanam?
Ceto Darpana Marjanam was composed by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It appears in Songs of Vaishnava Acaryas.
What is the meaning of Ceto Darpana Marjanam?
Glory to the śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This saṅkīrtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious.
Where can I listen to Ceto Darpana Marjanam?
You can listen to 6 recordings of Ceto Darpana Marjanam on this page, including versions sung by Srila Prabhupada, HG Jai Sachinandana Prabhu, HG Swarupa Damodar Prabhu, HG Sivarama Prabhu.
How many verses does Ceto Darpana Marjanam have?
Ceto Darpana Marjanam has 8 verses.
Can I download Ceto Darpana Marjanam as a PPT or PDF?
Yes. A ready-to-display slide deck for Ceto Darpana Marjanam — verse and translation on each slide — is available to download in both PowerPoint (.pptx) and PDF formats from this page, for use in kirtan or temple programs.
Audio courtesy of ISKCON Desire Tree. All glories to the devotee singers.