The Process of Fixed Devotional Service

1

anya-abhilāsa chāḍi jñāna karma parihari kāya mane kariba bhajana sādhu-saṅge kṛṣṇa-sebā nā pūjiba devī-devā ei bhakti parama-kāraṇa anya—other; abhilāsa—desires; chāḍi—give up; jñāna—speculative knowledge; karma—fruitive actions; parihari—abandon; kāya mane—with body and mind; kariba—will do; bhajana—worship; sādhu-saṅge—in the association of devotees; kṛṣṇa-sebā—serving Lord Kṛṣṇa; nā—not; pūjiba—will worship; devī—demigodesses; devā—or demigods; ei—this; bhakti—devotional service; parama—the supreme; kāraṇa—process The topmost process of devotional service is to worship the Lord with body and mind, giving up desires for fruitive activities and mental speculation. One should serve Lord Kṛṣṇa in the association of devotees without worshipping any demigods.

2

mahā janera jei patha tāte habe anūrata pūrbāpara kariyā bicāra sādhana-smaraṇa-līlā ihāte nā kara helā kāya mane kariyā sūsāra mahā janera—of the mahājanas; jei—that which; patha—path; tāte—in that; habe—will be; anūrata—attached; pūrbāpara—previous and later; kariyā—doing; bicāra—consideration; sādhana—practise; smaraṇa—remembrance; līlā—pastimes; ihāte—in this; nā—not; kara—do; helā—neglect; kāya-mane—with body and mind; kariyā—doing; sūsāra—essence. The essence of sādhana bhakti is to carefully consider and follow the path displayed by the previous and the present mahājanas (great personalities). One should not neglect the practice of remembering the pastimes of the Lord, for devotional service should be performed with the mind as well as the body.

3

asat-saṅga sadā tyāga chāḍa anya gīta-rāga karmī jñānī parihari dūre kebala bhakata-saṅga prema-kathā-rasa-raṅga līlā-kathā braja-rasa-pūre asat-saṅga—bad association; sadā—always; tyāga—give up; chāḍa—leave; anya—other; gīta-rāga—attachment for worldly songs; karmī—fruitive worker; jñānī—mental speculator; parihari—reject; dūre—away; kebala—only; bhakata-saṅga—association with devotees; prema-kathā—topics of love; rasa—mellows; raṅga—happiness; līlā-kathā—pastimes; braja-rasa-pūre—in braja. O my dear brothers, always give up the bad association of the karmīs and jñānīs from a distance, and give up the attachment for singing songs not related to Kṛṣṇa. Associate only with the devotees and merge in topics of the loving pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in Braja.

4

jogī nyāsī karmī jñānī anya-deba-pūjaka dhyānī iha-loka dūre parihari karma dharma dūḥkha śoka jebā thāke anya joga chāḍi bhaja giribara-dhārī jogī—the yogīs; nyāsī—the renunciates; karmī—fruitive workers; jñānī—impersonalists; anya-deba pūjaka—worshippers of the demigods; dhyānī—the meditators; iha-loka—these people; dūre—far away; parihari—give up; karma—fruitive actions; dharma—religious duties; dūḥkha—miseries; śoka—lamentations; jebā—whatever; thāke—in these; anya—other; joga—attachment; chāḍi—by giving up; bhaja—worship; giribara-dhārī—the lifter of Govardhana Hill. Please give up the association of the yogīs, sannyāsīs, karmīs, jñānīs, meditators, and the worshippers of the demigods. Also abandon attachment for all varieties of fruitive activities, religious duties, distresses, lamentations and material objects. Just worship Kṛṣṇa, the lifter of Govardhana Hill.

5

tīrtha-jātrā pariśrama kebala-manera-bhrama sarba-siddhi gobinda-caraṇa dṛdha-biśwāsa hṛde dhari mada-mātsarjya parihari sadā kara ananyā bhajana tīrtha-jātrā—travelling to the holy places; pariśrama—hard labour; kebala—only; manera—mind; bhrama—illusion; sarba-siddhi—highest perfection; gobinda-caraṇa—the lotus feet of Govinda; dṛdha—firm; biśvāsa—conviction; hṛde—in the heart; dhari—keeping; mada—pride; mātsarjya—envy; parihari—give up; sadā—always; kara—do; ananyā—bhajana—unalloyed. Travelling to the holy places is a waste of energy and born from illusion, for the lotus feet of Śrī Govinda are the perfection of one’s life. Therefore, one should give up pride and envy and with firm determination in the heart, one should always worship the Lord without deviation.

6

kṛṣṇa-bhakta saṅga kari kṛṣṇa-bhakta aṅga heri śraddhānbita śrabaṇa-kīrtana arcana bandaṇa dhyāna naba-bhakti mahā-jñāna ei bhakti parama-kāraṇa kṛṣṇa-bhakta—devotees of Kṛṣṇa; saṅga-kari—by associating; kṛṣṇa-bhakta—devotees of Kṛṣṇa; aṅga heri—seeing Their body; śraddhānbita—with faith; śrabaṇa-kīrtana—hearing and chanting; arcana—worshiping; bandaṇa—offering prayers; dhyāna—meditating; naba-bhakti—nine types of devotional service; mahā-jñāna—highest place; ei-bhakti—this devotional service; parama—supreme; kāraṇa—method. The best process of devotional service is to hear, chant, worship, glorify and meditate with faith on the names, forms, qualities and pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in the association of the devotees of Kṛṣṇa through the nine forms of bhakti.

7

hṛsīke gobinda-sebā nā pūjiba devī-devā ei ta ananya-bhakti-kathā āra jata upālambha biśeṣa sakali dambha dekhite lāgaye mane byathā hṛsīke—with the sense; gobinda-sebā—serving the Supreme Lord Govinda; nā—not; pūjiba—will worship; devī-devā—demigods and demigodesses; ei—this; ta—only; ananya—unalloyed; bhakti—devotional service; kathā—topics; āra jata—everything else; upālambha—condemned; biśeṣa—particularly; sakali—all; dambha—pride; dekhite—to see; lāgaye—feels; mane—in the mind; byathā—pain. I will serve Govinda with all my senses and I will not worship demigods and goddesses. This is the highest principle of devotional service. All other processes are simply born of pride and I feel great pain in my heart by seeing them.

8

dehe baise ripū-gaṇa jateka indriya-gaṇa keha kāra bādhya nāhi haya śunile nā śuna kāṇa jānile nā jāne prāṇa daḍhāite nā pāre niścaya dehe—in the body; baise—reside; ripū-gaṇa—the enemies; jateka—all; indriya-gaṇa—the senses; keha—anybody; kāro—of anyone else; bādhya—controlled; nāhi—not; haya—is; śunile—by hearing; nā—not; śuna—hears; kāṇa—ears; jānile—knowing; nā—not; jāne—knows; prāṇa—life; daḍhāite—to determine; nā—not; pāre—can; niścaya—confidence. The six enemies; lust, anger, greed, illusion, pride and envy and the five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch reside in my body but I am unable to control them. Although I hear and understand repeatedly that one should serve Kṛṣṇa with all his senses, still I cannot accept this fact with firm determination.

9

kāma krodha moha lobha mada mātsarjya dambha-saha sthāne sthāne nijūkta kariba ānanda kari hṛdaya ripū kari parājaya anāyāse gobinda bhajiba kāma—lust; krodha—anger; moha—illusion; lobha—greed; mada—pride; mātsarjya—envy; dambha-saha—with vanity; sthāne sthāne—in their respective places; nijūkta—engage; kariba—will do; ānanda—happiness; kari—doing; hṛdaya—heart; ripū—the enemies; kari—do; parājaya—defeat; anāyāse—easily; gobinda—Lord Govinda; bhajiba—will worship. I will engage lust, anger, greed, illusion, envy and pride in their proper places. In this way, I will defeat the enemies and with ecstacy in my heart, I will worship Govinda without difficulty.

10

kṛṣṇa sevā kāmārpane krodha bhakta-dwesi-jane lobha sādhu-saṅge hari-kathā moha iṣṭa-lābha-bine mada kṛṣṇa-guṇa-gāne nijūkta kariba jathā tathā kṛṣṇa sevā—service to Kṛṣṇa; kāmārpane—engage lust; krodha—anger; bhakta—devotee; dwesi-jane—envious persons; lobha—greed; sādhu-saṅge—in the association of devotees; hari-kathā—opics of Hari; moha—illusion; iṣṭa-lābha—attaining; bine—without; mada—pride; kṛṣṇa—Lord Kṛṣṇa; guṇa-gāne—glorifying the qualities; nijūkta—engaged; kariba—will do; jathā tathā—proper places. I will engage my lust in eagerness to serve Kṛṣṇa and I will use my anger against those who are envious of the devotees. I will be greedy to hear the topics of Hari in the association of the devotees. I will be illusioned if I fail to achieve my worshipable Lord and I will feel proud to chant the glories of Kṛṣṇa. In this way, I will engage them in their respective duties.

11

anyathā swatantra kāma anarthādi jāra nāma bhakti-pathe sadā deya bhaṅga kibā bā karite pāre kāma-krodha sādhakere jadi haya sādhu-janāra saṅga anyathā—otherwise; swatantra—independent; kāma—lust; anarthādi—unwanted things; jāra—whose; nāma—names; bhakti-pathe—on the path of devotional service; sadā—always; deya—gives; bhaṅga—ruins; kibā—what; bā—else; karite pāre—can do; kāma—lust; krodha—anger; sādhakere—to the practitioners; jadi—if; haya—is; sādhu-janāra—of the devotees; saṅga—association. Otherwise, independent lusty desires, which are the source of all unwanted things will always disturb the path of devotional service. What harm can lusty desires and anger do to a practioner of devotional service if he associates with devotees?

12

krodha bā nā kare kibā krodha-tyaga sadā dibā lobha moha ei ta kathana chaya ripū sadā hīna kariba manera adhīna kṛṣṇacandra kariyā smaraṇa krodha—by anger; bā nā—what not; kare—does; kibā—what; krodha—anger; tyaga—give up; sadā—always; dibā—will give; lobha—greed; moha—illusion; ei—this; ta—is all; kathana—opinion; chaya—six; ripū—enemies; sadā—always; hīna—inferior; kariba—will do; manera—of the mind; adhīna—under the control; kṛṣṇacandra—Lord Kṛṣṇa; kariyā smaraṇa—by remembering. Anger spoils everything. Therefore, I will always give up anger, greed and illusion. I will control the six enemies with the help of my mind while remembering Lord Kṛṣṇa.

13

āpani pālābe saba śuniyā gobinda raba siṁha-rabe jena kari-gaṇa sakali vipatti jābe mahānanda sūkha pābe jāra haya ekāṅta bhajana āpani—automatically; pālābe—run away; saba—all; śuniyā—by hearing; gobinda—Lord Govinda; raba—sound; siṁha-rabe—by the sound of a lion; jena—just as; kari-gaṇa—deers; sakali—all; vipatti—dangers; jābe—will vanquish; mahānanda—great pleasure; sūkha—happiness; pābe—will; jāra—who; haya—is; ekāṅta—unalloyed; bhajana—worship. All the enemies will run away by hearing the sound vibration of Govinda’s name just as a deer flee upon hearing the roar of a lion. One who performs unalloyed devotional service will feel great happiness and all his dangers will be vanquished.

14

nā kariha asat-ceṣṭa lābha pūjā pratiṣṭha sadā cinta gobinda-caraṇa sakalī vipatti jābe mahānanda sūkha pābe prema-bhakti parama-kāraṇa nā—not; kariha—do; asat—ill; ceṣṭa—endeavour; lābha—profit; pūjā—adoration; pratiṣṭha—distinction; sada—always; cinta—remember; gobinda-caraṇa—lotus feet of Govinda; sakalī—all; vipatti—danger; jābe—will go; mahānanda—ecstacy; sūkha—happy; pābe—will receive; prema-bhakti—loving devotional service; parama—supreme; kāraṇa—process. Therefore my dear mind, do not endeavour for bad association, profit, adoration and distinction, but always remember the lotus feet of Govinda. Please engage in loving devotional service with great happiness and all your dangers will be destroyed.

15

asat-kriya kuṭināṭi chāḍa anya paripāṭī anya debe nā kariha rati āpana āpana sthāne pirīti sabhāya ṭane bhakti-pathe paḍaye bigati asat-kriya—sinful activities; kuṭināṭi—duplicity; chāḍa—give up; anya—other; paripāṭī—bodily care; anya debe—to other demigods; nā—not; kariha—do; rati—attachment; āpana āpana—respective; sthāne—places; pirīti—love; sabhāya—all; ṭane—attracts; bhakti-pathe—on the path of devotion; paḍaye—happens; bigati—checked. Please give up all duplicity, illusory activities and the search for bodily happiness. Do not be attached to the worship of various demigods. Mundane love and affection for material relationships attracts everyone to their respective illusions and thus advancement on the path of devotional service is checked.

16

Naiṣṭhika Bhajana Fixed Devotional Service āpana bhajana-patha tahe habe anūrata iṣṭa-deva-sthāne-līlā-gāṇa naiṣṭhika bhajana ei tomāre kahinū bhāi hanumān tāhāte pramāna āpana—one’s own; bhajana-patha—the path of worship; tahe—in that; habe—will be; anūrata—attached; iṣṭa-deva—worshipable Lord; sthāne—in the place; līlā-gāṇa—sing the pastimes; naiṣṭhika—fixed; bhajana—worship; ei—this; tomāre—to you; kahinū—speaking; bhāi—O brother; hanumān—Śrī Hanumān; tāhāte—in that; pramāṇa—example. O dear brother, my mind, be continuously engaged on the path of devotional worship and be attached to glorifying the pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana. This process of devotional service is known as steady devotional service. The prime example of this is Hanumān.

17

śrīnāthe jānakī-nāthe cābhedaḥ paramātmani tathāpi mama sarvasvaṁ rāmaḥ kamala-locanaḥ śrīnāthe—the Lord of Lakṣmi; jānakī-nāthe—the Lord of Sītā; ca—also; abhedaḥ—no difference; paramātmani—Supersoul; tathāpi—still; mama—my; sarvasvaṁ—all in all; rāmaḥ—Lord Ramacandra; kamala-locanaḥ—lotus eyed. As spoken by Sri Hanumān, “Although Śrī Nārāyaṇa, the Husband of Lakṣmīdevī and Śrī Rāma, the Husband of Sītadevī are both the Supersoul, still the lotus-eyed Śrī Rāma is my all in all.”

18

devaloka pitṛloka pāya tārā- mahā-sūkha sādhu sādhu bale anūkṣana jūgala bhajana jārā premānande bhāse tārā tribhūbanatāṅdera nichani devaloka—heavenly planets; pitṛloka—the planets of the ancestors; pāya—receive; tārā—they; mahā-sūkha—great happiness; sādhū—sādhū—well done, well done; bale—addressed; anūkṣana—always; jūgala-bhajana—worship of the Divine Couple; jāṅrā—those; premānande—in the ocean of love; bhāse—float; tārā—they; tribhūbana—the three worlds; tāṅdera—of his; nichani—insignificant. Those who worship Their Divine Lordships Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, float in the ocean of ecstatic love, and the inhabitants of all the three worlds worship such persons. The demigods and the forefathers become greatly pleased and shower their blessings saying, “well done, well done.”

19

pṛthak ābāsa-joge dūḥkamaya-viṣaya-bhāge braja bāsa gobinda-sevana kṛṣṇa-kathā kṛṣṇa-nāma satya-satya rasa-dhāma braja-loka-saṅge anūkṣaṇa. pṛthak—separate; ābāsa-joge—reside in; dūḥkamaya—full of misery; viṣaya-bhāge—material enjoyments; braja—in Braja; bāsa—reside; gobinda-sevana—service to Śrī Govinda; kṛṣṇa-kathā—topics of Lord Kṛṣṇa; kṛṣṇa-nāma—the holy names of Kṛṣṇa; satya-satya—trully; rasa-dhāma—the abode of transcedental bliss; braja-loka-saṅge—in the association of the residents of Braja; anūkṣaṇa—constantly. One should not reside in ordinary places and enjoy material objects which are full of miseries, but should live in Braja and serve Śrī Govinda. The names and topics of Śrī Kṛṣṇa are actually the reservoir of all pleasures and one should constantly glorify Them in the association of the residents of Braja.

20

vṛndāvane kimathavānija mandira vā kārāgṛhe kimathavā kanakasane vā īndram jaje kimathavā narakaṁ bhajāmi śrī kṛṣṇa-sevanāmṛta na sukhaṁ kadāpi vṛndāvane—in Vṛndāvana; kimathavā—or; nija mandira—own house; vā—or; kārāgṛhe—in prison; kimathavā—or; kanakasane—on a golden throne; vā—or; īndram—the post of Indra; jaje—awarded; kimathavā—or; narakaṁ—in the hell; bhajāmi—reach; śrī kṛṣṇa—Lord Kṛṣṇa; sevanāmṛta—the nectar of this service; na—not; sukhaṁ—happiness; kadāpi—ever. "Whether I live in Vṛndāvana or at home, whether I live in the prison or I sit on a golden throne, whether I am awarded the post of Indra or go to hell, there is no happiness anywhere without the worship of Kṛṣṇa."

21

sadā sebā-abhilāṣa mane kari biśoyāsa sarbakhāya haiyā nirbhaya narottama dāsa bole paḍinū asat-bhole paritrāṇa kara mahāśaya sadā—always; sebā—service; abhilāṣa—desire; mane kari—in the mind; biśoyāsa with faith; sarbakhāya—by all respects; haiyā—being; nirbhaya—fearless; narottama dāsa—Narottama dāsa; bole—says; paḍinū—fell; asat-bhole—in the false conception; paritrāṇa—deliver; kara—please do; mahāśaya—O Lord. In my mind, with firm faith and fearlessness, I always desire the service of Their Lordships in all respects. Narottama dāsa prays, “O Śrī Kṛṣṇa, most merciful Lord! I have fallen into miserable material illusion, please deliver me.”