Questions about tsaissri siksastaka

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tsaissri siksastaka is a series of songs written about Mahaprabhu's Sri Siksastaka? Who wrote tsaissri siksastaka? Is it published in any English songbooks?

[suchandra]

 

tsaissri siksastaka is a series of songs written about Mahaprabhu's Sri Siksastaka? Who wrote tsaissri siksastaka? Is it published in any English songbooks?

 

 

 

Eight Prayers of Divine Instruction

(Bengali songs based on Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's Sanskrit Siksastakam)

 

 

Song 1

[Jhanphi-Lopha]

(1)

pita-varana kali-pavana gora

gaoyai aichana bhava-vibhora

1) Lord Gauranga, whose complexion is golden and who is the deliverer of the fallen souls of Kali-yuga, sings as follows, overwhelmed with spiritual ecstasy:

(2)

citta-darpana-parimarjana-kari

krsna-kirtana jaya citta bihari

2) All glories to the chanting of the holy name of Krsna! It thoroughly cleanses the mirror of the heart. This chanting delights the soul.

(3)

hela-bhava-dava-nirvapana-vrtti

krsna-kirtana jaya klesa-nivrtti

3) "All glories to the chanting of the holy name of Krsna! It extinguishes the horrible forest fire of material existence. This chanting removes all material tribulations.

(4)

sreyah-kumuda-vidhu-jyotsna-prakas

krsna-kirtana jaya bhakti-vilas

4) "All glories to the chanting of the holy name of Krsna! It appears like the moon in the heart and distributes its cooling moonlight, thus causing the white lotus of good fortune to bloom. This chanting is the pastime of devotion.

(5)

visuddha-vidya-vadhu jivana-rup

krsna-kirtana jaya siddha-swarup

5) "All glories to the chanting of the holy name of Krsna! It is compared to a young bride, chaste and devoted to transcendental knowledge itself. This chanting is the highest perfection of life.

(6)

ananda-payo-nidhi-vardhana-kirti

krsna-kirtana jaya plavana-murti

6) "All glories to the chanting of the holy name of Krsna! It is glorious, as it causes the ocean of ecstatic bliss to swell and overflow. This chanting is an inundation of love of Godhead.

(7)

pade pade piyusa-swada-pradata

krsna-kirtana jaya prema-vidhata

7) "All glories to the chanting of the holy name of Krsna! It gives one a taste of fully satisfying nectar at every step. This chanting is the bestower of ecstatic love of God."

(8)

bhaktivinoda-swatma-snapana-vidhan

krsna-kirtana jaya prema-nidan

8) All glories to the chanting of the holy name of Krsna! It bathes the soul of Bhaktivinoda. This chanting is a storehouse of love of God.

 

Song 2

(1)

tunhu doya-sagara tarayite prani

nam aneka tuwa sikhaoli ani'

1) O Lord, You are an ocean of mercy. You have brought Your innumerable holy names to this world and have taught the chanting of them to the fallen living beings just for their deliverance.

(2)

sakala sakati dei name tohara

grahane rakholi nahi kala-vicara

2) You invest all Your energies in Your own holy name, and for chanting Your holy name You have not established any rules such as consideration of time or place.

(3)

sri-nama-cintamani tohari samana

visve bilaoli karuna-nidana

3) Your divine holy name, being nondifferent from You, is like touchstone. You have distributed Your holy name throughout the entire creation, and that is the essence of Your kindness.

(4)

tuwa doya aichana parama udara

atisoy manda natha! bhaga hamara

4) Such is Your mercy, which is supremely magnanimous, O Lord, but I am extremely unfortunate.

(5)

nahi janamalo name anuraga mor

bhakativinoda-citta duhkhe vibhor

5) My attraction for the holy name has never come about; therefore the heart of Bhaktivinoda is overwhelmed with sadness.

 

Song 3

(1)

sri-krsna-kirtane jadi manasa tohar

parama jatane tahi labho adhikar

1) If your mind is always absorbed in chanting the glories of Lord Krsna with great care, then by that process of sri-krsna-kirtana you will attain transcendental qualification.

(2)

trnadhika hina, dina, akincana char

apane manobi sada chadi' ahankar

2) You should give up all false pride and always consider yourself to be worthless, destitute, lower and more humble than a blade of grass.

(3)

vrksa-sama ksama-guna korobi sadhan

prati-himsa tyaji' anye korobi palan

3) You should practice forgiveness like that of a tree, and giving up violence toward other living beings, you should protect and maintain them.

(4)

jivana-nirvahe ane udvega na dibe

para-upakare nija-sukha pasaribe

4) In the course of passing your life, you should never give anxiety to others, but rather do good to them while forgetting about your own happiness.

(5)

hoile-o sarva-gune guni mahasoy

pratisthasa chadi koro amani hrdoy

5) When one has thus become a great soul, possessing all good qualities, one should abandon all desires for fame and honor and make one's heart humble.

(6)

krsna-adhisthana sarva-jive jani' sada

korobi sammana sabe adare sarvada

6) Knowing that Lord Krsna resides within all living creatures, one should with great respect consistently show honor to all beings.

(7)

dainya, doya, anye mana, pratistha-varjan

cari gune guni hoi' koroha kirtan

7) By possessing these four qualities-humility, mercifulness, respect toward others, and the renunciation of desires for prestige-one becomes virtuous. In such a state you may sing the glories of the Supreme Lord.

(8)

bhakativinoda kandi', bole prabhu-pay

heno adhikara kabe dibe he amay

8) Weeping, Bhaktivinoda submits his prayer at the lotus feet of the the Lord: "O Lord, when will you give me the qualification for possessing attributes such as these?"

 

Song 4

[Jhanphi-Lopha]

(1)

prabhu tava pada-yuge mora nivedan

nahi magi deha-sukha, vidya, dhana, jan

1) O Lord! This is my humble submission at Your lotus feet. I do not ask from You sensual pleasure, learning, wealth, or followers.

(2)

nahi magi swarga, ara moksa nahi magi

na kori prarthana kono vibhutira lagi'

2) I do not beg for residence on the celestial planets, nor do I wish liberation from this mundane existence. Nor do I pray for the attainment of any mystic powers.

(3)

nija-karma-guna-dose je je janma pai

janme janme jeno tava nama-guna gai

3) Whatever birth I may obtain due to the faults of my previous worldly activities, I pray that I may sing the glories of Your holy name birth after birth.

(4)

ei matra asa mama tomar carane

ahoituki bhakti hrde jage anuksane

4) This is my only desire, O Lord, and I submit it at Your lotus feet: That unmotivated devotion to You may constantly awaken in my heart.

(5)

visaye je priti ebe achaye amar

sei-mata priti hauk carane tomar

5) As much attachment as I now have for worldly affairs, I pray that a similar degree of attachment may develop for Your holy feet.

(6)

vipade sampade taha thakuk sama-bhave

dine dine vrddhi hauk namera prabhave

6) I pray that my love for You may remain undisturbed both in misfortune and in prosperity, and that day after day it may increase by the power and influence of Your holy name.

(7)

pasu-paksi ho'ye thaki swarge va niroye

tava bhakti rahu bhaktivinoda-hrdoye

7) Be my life in heaven or in hell, be it as a bird or a beast, may devotion to You always remain within the heart of Bhaktivinoda.

 

Song 5

(1)

anadi' karama-phale, podi' bhavarnava-jale,

toribare na dekhi upay

e-visaya-halahale, diva-nisi hiya jwale,

mana kabhu sukha nahi pay

1) As a result of my selfish activities, which are without beginning, I have fallen into the ocean of material existence, and I see no means of deliverance from this great ocean of nescience. Day and night my heart burns from the vicious poison of these worldly activities, and due to this my mind never finds any real happiness.

(2)

asa-pasa-sata-sata, klesa deya avirata,

pravrtti-urmira tahe khela

kama-krodha-adi choy, batapade deya bhoy,

avasana hoilo asi' bela

2) Bound by hundreds and hundreds of desires like nooses around my neck, they constantly trouble me. In this ocean of nescience play the waves of ever-increasing materialistic tendency. There are also many thieves and rogues, of whom six are prominent: lust, anger, envy, greed, illusion, and madness. They are causing me great fear, and in this way my life is coming to an end.

(3)

jnana-karma-thaga dui, more pratariya loi,

avasese phele sindhu-jale

e heno samaye, bandhu, tumi krsna krpa-sindhu,

krpa kori' tolo more bale

3) The two highway robbers named intellectual knowledge and fruitive activity have cheated and misled me, and finally they have thrown me into the ocean of misery. At such a time as this, dear Krsna, You are my only friend. You are an ocean of mercy. Please be kind and by Your strength uplift me from this condition of suffering.

(4)

patita-kinkore dhori', pada-padma-dhuli kori',

deho bhaktivinode asroy

ami tava nitya-das, bhuliya mayara pas,

baddha ho'ye achi doyamoy

4) Grasping hold of this fallen servant, and fixing him as a particle of dust on your lotus feet, kindly give shelter to Bhaktivinoda. O most merciful Lord! I am actually Your eternal servant, but having forgotten this I have become bound up in the snare of maya.

 

Song 6

[Chota-Dasakusi-Lopha]

(1)

aparadha-phale mama, citta bhelo vajra-sama,

tuwa name na labhe vikar

hatas hoiye, hari, tava nam ucca kori',

boro duhkhe daki bar bar

1) O Lord Hari, as a result of my offenses incurred in previous lifetimes, my heart has become hard as a thunderbolt, and feels no change upon chanting Your holy name. Now in utter hopelessness, O Lord Hari, I loudly sing Your name, and in great distress I call out to You again and again.

(2)

dina doyamoy karuna-nidan

bhava-bindhu dei rakhoha paran

2) O Lord who is compassionate towards the fallen souls! O origin of all mercy! Please give to me a drop of divine ecstasy and thereby save my life!

(3)

kabe tuwa nama-uccarane mor

nayane jharabo dara dara lor

3) When will an incessant stream of tears flow dripping and dripping from my eyes at the articulation of Your holy name?

(4)

gad-gada-swara kanthe upajabo

mukhe bola adha adha bahirabo

4) When will a faltering voice choked with emotion arise in my throat, and when will words garbled due to ecstasy come from my mouth?

(5)

pulake bharabo sarira hamara

sweda-kampa-stambha habe bara bara

5) When will my body be filled with ecstatic rapture, and when will there be perspiration, trembling, and a stunned sensation again and again?

(6)

vivarna-sarire haraobun jnana

nama-samasraye dharobun paran

6) When, out of divine ecstasy, will all consciousness be lost in my pale and discolored body? And when will I hold onto my very life under the shelter of Your holy name?

(7)

milabo hamara kiye aiche din

ro-owe bhaktivinoda mati hin

7) This weeping Bhaktivinoda, who is devoid of all good intelligence, sobs, "O Lord, how will such a day ever be mine?"

 

Song 7

[Jhanphi-Lopha]

(1)

gaite gaite nama ki dasa hoilo

'krsna-nitya-dasa mui' hrdoye sphurilo

1) What was my condition after repeatedly chanting the holy name? The realization that "I am the eternal servant of Krsna" spontaneously became manifest within my heart.

(2)

janilam maya-pase e jada-jagate

govinda-virahe duhkha pai nana-mate

2) I realized that I was ensnared in the noose of maya's illusion, being trapped within this dull mundane universe, and that I simply experience misery in various ways due to separation from Lord Govinda.

(3)

ar je samsara mor nahi lage bhalo

kaha jai' krsna heri-e cinta visalo

3) Furthermore, I realized that I do not like this worldly existence. "Where can I go to see Krsna?"-this was my great anxiety.

(4)

kandite kandite mor ankhi-varisoy

varsa-dhara heno cakse hoilo udoy

4) Crying and crying, tears poured from my eyes, appearing just like torrents of rain in the monsoon season.

(5)

nimese hoilo mora sata-yuga-sam

govinda-viraha ar sahite aksam

5) Unable to bear separation from Lord Govinda any longer, for me the passing of a moment became like a hundred long ages.

[Dasakusi]

(6)

sunya dhara-tala, caudike dekhiye,

parana udasa hoy

ki kori, ki kori, sthira nahi hoy,

jivana nahiko roy

6) As I look about in all directions, the surface of the earth appears to be void, and my very life-breath feels empty. What am I doing? What am I doing? I do not feel at all tranquil, and the life within my body is slipping away.

(7)

braja-basi-gan, mora prana rakho,

dekhao sri-radha-nathe

bhakativinoda, minati maniya,

laohe tahare sathe

7) O residents of Vraja-dhama! Please save my life and show me the Lord of sri Radha! O consider the prayers of this Bhaktivinoda and take him into His company!

[Eka-tala]

(8)

sri-krsna-viraha ar sahite na pari

paran chadite ar din dui cari

8) I am unable to further tolerate this separation from my Lord sri Krsna and am ready to give up my life in two days or four.

[Dasakusi]

(1)

gaite govinda-nam, upajilo bhava-gram,

dekhilam jamunara kule

brsabhanu-suta-sange, syama-nata-bara range,

bansari bajaya nipa-mule

1) Upon singing the holy name of Govinda, a host of ecstasies arose within me... and I saw Lord syamasundar, the best of dancing actors, standing on the banks of the Yamuna in the company of the daughter of Maharaja Vrsabhanu. He was playing His flute with great delight at the base of a kadamba tree.

(2)

dekhiya yugala-dhana, asthira hoilo mana,

jnana-hara hoinu takhon

koto-ksane nahi jani, jnana-labha hoilo mani,

ara nahi bhelo darasan

2) Seeing the treasured Divine Couple of Vraja, my mind became unsteady and I lost consciousness. I do not know for how long I was unconscious, but when I awoke that vision of Radha and Krsna was no longer present.

[Jhanphi-Lopha]

(1)

sakhi go, kemate dharibo paran

nimesa hoilo yugera saman

1) O my dear girlfriend! How will I maintain my life? The passing of a mere moment has become like a vast age of time.

[Dasakusi]

(2)

sravanera dhara, ankhi-varisoy,

sunya bhelo dhara-tala

govinda-virahe, prana nahi rohe,

kemone vancibo bolo

2) Tears flow from my eyes like torrents of rain in the month of sravana, and the face of the earth has become totally void. In separation from Govinda my life cannot go on... please tell how I will be able to live.

(3)

bhakativinoda, asthira hoiya,

punah namasraya kori'

dake radha-natha, diya darasan,

prana rakho, nahe mari

3) Bhaktivinoda has become very restless and again takes shelter of the holy name, calling out, "O Lord of Radha! By bestowing Your audience, please save my life! By Your mercy alone I shall not perish!"

 

Song 8

[Dasakusi]

(1)

bandhu-gan! sunoha vacana mor

bhavete vibhora, thakiye jakhon,

dekha deya citta-cor

1) O my dear friends! Please hear my words. When the thief of my heart appears to me, I remain overwhelmed in pure ecstasy.

(2)

vicaksana kori', dekhite cahile,

hoy ankhi-agocara

punah nahi dekhi', kandaye paran,

duhkhera nahi thake or

2) When I scheme to see Him more closely, He suddenly becomes invisible. Thus losing sight of Him again, my soul weeps, and there is no limit to the unhappiness that I feel.

(3)

jagatera bandhu sei kabhu more loy satha

jatha tatha rakhu more amara sei prana-natha

3) Sometimes that friend of the universe takes me as one of His associates; but however He chooses to treat me, He is still the Lord of my life.

(4)

darsana-ananda-dane, sukha deya mora prane,

bole more pranaya-vacan

punah adarsana diya, dagdha kore mora hiya,

prane mora mare prana-dhan

4) By bestowing His blissful audience, He gives happiness to my soul, and He speaks words of love to me. But again by His absence He burns my heart, and He who is the treasure of my life gives distress to my soul.

(5)

jahe ta'r sukha hoy, sei sukha mama

nija sukhe-duhkhe mor sarvada-i sama

5) Whatever His happiness is, that is also my happiness. Therefore I do not care about my own happiness or distress-they are equal in all ways.

(6)

bhakativinoda, samyoge, viyoge,

tahe jane pranesvara

ta'ra sukhe sukhi, sei prana-nath,

se kabhu na hoy para

6) In meeting or in separation, Bhaktivinoda knows only Krsna to be the Lord of his life and is made happy only by His happiness. He is the Lord of Bhaktivinoda's soul, and He will never be looked upon with indifference.

[Dasakusi]

(1)

yoga-pithopari-sthita, asta-sakhi-suvestita,

brndaranye kadamba-kanane

radha-saha vamsi-dhari, visva-jana-citta-hari,

prana mor tanhara carane

1) Situated upon the Yoga-Pitha surrounded by the eight chief gopis in a kadamba tree grove within Vrndavana with His beloved Radha is the holder of the flute the stealer of the hearts of all living beings in the universe-I lay down my life at Their lotus feet.

(2)

sakhi-ajna-mata kori donhara sevan

palya-dasi sada bhavi donhara caran

2) According to the directions of my superior sakhi, I render service to the Divine Couple. I always consider myself a dependent maidservant of the lotus feet of the Divine Couple.

(3)

kabhu krpa kori, mama hasta dhori',

madhura vacana bole

tambula loiya, khay dui jane,

mala loya kutuhale

3) Sometimes, out of great mercy, my sakhi holds my hand and speaks sweet words to me. Taking the betel nuts I have prepared she offers them to those two persons and accepts flower garlands for Them in great delight.

(4)

adarsana hoy kakhon ki chale

na dekhiya donhe hiya jwale

4) By some deception They periodically disappear from my sight. Not seeing the Divine Couple of Vraja, my heart burns in agony.

(5)

jekhane sekhane, thakuka du'jane,

ami to' carana-dasi

milane ananda, virahe jatana,

sakala samana basi

5) Wherever those two may be I am certainly a humble maidservant of Their lotus feet. I consider the ecstasies of meeting Them and the agonies of separation from Them to be exactly the same.

(6)

radha-krsna prana mor jivane marane

more rakhi' mari' sukhe thakuka du'jane

6) In life or death, Radha and Krsna are my life and soul. May They always be happy, whether They choose to protect me or kill me.

(7)

bhakativinoda, ana nahi jane,

podi' nija-sakhi-pay

radhikara gane, thakiya satata,

yugala-carana cay

7) This Bhaktivinoda knows nothing beyond this. Falling down at the lotus feet of the sakhi whom he serves and always remaining among the associates of sri Radhika he prays for the lotus feet of the Divine Couple of Vraja.

 

 

 

Thus ends Gitavali by Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura

 

nrtya-gita-samapti-kale

When the dancing and chanting is concluded:

 

jaya sri godruma-candra gora-canda ki jaya

jaya prema-data sri nityananda ki jaya!

jaya sri santipura-natha ki jaya!

jaya sri gadadhara pandita goswami ki jaya!

jaya sri srivasadi bhakta-vrnda ki jaya!

jaya sri navadvipa-dhama ki jaya!

jaya sri nama-hatta ki jaya!

jaya sri srotr-varga ki jaya!

sri sri nam hattera parimarjjaka jhadudar

dina-hina sri kedaranath bhaktivinoda

 

Signed, the sweeper of the Marketplace of the Holy Name, the lowly and destitute Kedaranath Bhaktivinoda