SRI SIKSASTAKAM
The sublime prayers of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
1
ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha--davagni-nirvapanam
sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamrtasvadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam
Glory to the Sri-Krishna-sankirtana, which cleanses the heart of all the
dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional
life, of repeated birth and death. This sankirtana movement is the
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.
2
namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis
tatrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalah
etadrsi tava krpa bhagavan mamapi
durdaivam idrsam ihajani nanuragah
O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living
beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names, like Krishna
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.
3
trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih
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.
4
na dhanam na janam na sundarim
kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye
mama janmani janmanisvare
bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi
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.
5
ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram
patitam mam visame bhavambudhau
krpaya tava pada-pankaja-
sthita-dhuli-sadrsam vicintaya
O son of Maharaja Nanda (Krishna], 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.
6
nayanam galad-asru-dharaya
vadanam gadgada-ruddhaya gira
pulakair nicitam vapuh kada
tava nama-grahane bhavisyati
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?
7
yugayitam nimesena
caksusa pravrsayitam
sunyayitam jagat sarvam
govinda-virahena me
>O Govinda! Feeling Your separations 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.
8
aslisya va pada-ratam pinastu mam
adarsanan marma-hatam karotu va
yatha tatha va vidadhatu lampato
mat-prana-nathas tu sa eva naparah
I know no one but Krishna 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 worshipful Lord, unconditionally.