Sri Manah-siksa
[Instructions to the Mind]

by Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswami

1

gurau gosthe gosthalayisu sujane bhusura-gane
sva-mantre sri-namni vraja-nava-yuva-dvandva-sarane
sada dambham hitva kuru ratim apurvam atitaram
aye svantardhatas catubhir abhiyace dhrta-padah

O mind, I grasp your feet and beg you with sweet words: Please cast away all hypocrisy and develop intense, unprecedented love for my spiritual master, Vrajabhumi, the people of Vraja, the Vaisnavas, the brahmanas, the Gayatri mantra, the holy name, and the transcendental shelter that is the fresh young couple of Vraja, Radha and Krsna.

2

na dharmam nadharmam sruti-gana-niruktam kila kuru
vraje radha-krsna-pracura-paricaryam iha tanuh
saci-sunum nandisvara-pati-sutatve guru-varam
mukunda-presthatve smara padam ajasram nanu manah

O Mind, don't concern yourself with the pious and impious deeds described in the Vedas. Rather, intently serve Sri Sri Radha-Krsna in Vraja. Always remember that Lord Caitanya is the son of Maharaja Nanda and that my guru is most dear to Lord Mukunda.

3

yadiccher avasam vraja-bhuvi sa-ragam prati-janur
yuva-dvandvam tac cet paricaritum arad abhilase
svarupam sri-rupam sa-ganam iha tasyagrajam api
sphutam premna nityam smara nama tada tvam srnu manah

O Mind, just listen to me! If you desire to reside in Vraja birth after birth, and if you desire to directly serve the divine youthful couple there with great attraction, then with intense love always remember and bow down to Srila Svarupa Damodara Gosvami; to Srila Rupa Gosvami and his elder brother, Srila Sanatana Gosvami; and to all their associates and followers.

4

asad-varta-vesya visrja mati-sarvasva-haranih
katha mukti-vyaghrya na srnu kila sarvatma-gilanih
api tyaktva laksmi-pati-ratim ito vyoma-nayanim
vraje radha-krsnau sva-rati-mani-dau tvam bhaja manah

O mind, give up friendship with nondevotees, which is nothing but a prostitute who will steal the treasure of your heart… “your desire to serve Radha-Krsna. Don't listen to talks of impersonal liberation, which are a tigress who devours everyone. You should even give up attraction for Lord Narayana, which leads to the world of Vaikuntha. Instead, O mind, just worship Sri Sri Radha-Krsna in Vraja, for They bestow upon their worshipers the jewel of pure love for Themselves.

5

asac-cesta-kasta-prada-vikata-pasalibhir iha
prakamam kamadi-prakata-pathapati-vyatikaraih
gale baddhva hanye 'ham iti bakabhid vartmapa-gane
kuru tvam phutkaran avati sa yatha tvam mana itah

The highwaymen of lust and his friends have bound me around the neck with the painful, horrible, powerful ropes of many wicked deeds. O mind, please scream out to the devotees of Krsna, the killer of Baka, "I am being killed!" Then He will save me.

6

are cetah prodyat-kapata-kuti-nati-bhara-khara-
ksaran-mutre snatva dahasi katham atmanam api mam
sada tvam gandharva-giridhari-pada-prema-vilasat-
sudhambhodhau snatva svam api nitaram mam ca sukhaya

O Mind, why do you burn us both by bathing in the urine trickling from the ass of great deviousness and hypocrisy? Instead, you should delight us by eternally bathing in the glistening nectar-ocean of pure love for Sri Sri Gandharva-Giridhari (Sri Sri Radha-Krsna).

7

pratisthasa dhrsta svapaca-ramani me hrdi natet
katham sadhu-prema sprsati sucir etan nanu manah
sada tvam sevasva prabhu-dayita-samantam atulam
yatha tam niskasya tvaritam iha tam vesayati sah

As long as the impudent untouchable woman of the desire for fame dances in my heart, why should pure love for Radha-Krsna touch me? O mind, continuously serve my spiritual master, the leader of those who are dear to the Lord. Then my master will quickly kick out that harridan and allow that pure love to enter.

8

yatha dustatvam me darayati sathasyapi krpaya
yatha mahyam premamrtam api dadaty ujjvalam asau
atha sri-gandharva-bhajana-vidhaye prerayati mam
tatha gosthe kakva giridharam iha tvam bhaja manah

So That He will mercifully smash my wickedness (even though I am a great rascal), so that He will give me the splendid nectar of transcendental love, and so He will engage me in Sri Radha's service, please, O mind, with words choked with emotion, worship Lord Giridhari here in Vraja.

9

mad-isa-nathatve vraja-vipina-candram vraja-vane-
svarim tan-nathatve tad-atula-sakhitve tu lalitam
visakham siksali-vitarana-gurutve priya-saro-
girindrau tat-preksa-lalita-rati-datve smara manah

O mind, please meditate on Krsna, the moon of Vraja forest, as the Lord of my controller, Srimati Radharani. And please meditate upon Srimati Radharani, the queen of Vraja forest, as Krsna's controller. Also please meditate upon Lalita as the peerless friend of Radha and Krsna, Visakha as the guru who teaches Them many things, and Radha-kunda and Govardhana Hill as two places the mere sight of which bestows charming transcendental love for the divine couple.

10

ratim gauri-lile api tapati saundarya-kiranaih
saci-laksmi-satyah paribhavati saubhagya-balanaih
vasi-karais candravali-mukha-navina-vraja-satih
ksipaty arad ya tam hari-dayita-radham bhaja manah

O mind, please worship Lord Hari's beloved Radha. with the splendor of Her beauty She makes Rati, Gauri, and Lila burn with envy, with the power of Her good fortune She defeats Saci, Laksmi, and Satyabhama, and with Her ability to control Krsna She completely eclipses Candravali and the other pious young girls of Vraja.

11

samam sri-rupena smara-vivasa-radha-giribhrtor
vraje saksat-seva-labhana-vidhaye tad-gana-yujoh
tad-ijyakhya-dhyana-sravana-nati-païcamrtam idam
dhayan nitya govardhanam anudinam tvam bhaja manah

O mind, in order to attain the direct service of the two divine lovers, Sri Sri Radha-Giridhari, in the company of Their friends, every day you must constantly drink, with Sri Rupa Gosvami, the five nectars of worshiping Them, chanting Their names, meditating on Them, hearing about Them, and bowing down before Them, and every day you must worship Govardhana Hill.

12

manah-siksa-daikadasaka-varam etam madhuraya
gira gayaty uccaih samadhi-gata-sarvartha-tati yah
sa-yuthah sri-rupanuga iha bhavan gokula-vane
jano radha-krsnatula-bhajana-ratnam sa labhate

These eleven excellent instructions to the mind grant all spiritual benedictions. A person who stays with the devotees, follows Srila Rupa Gosvami, and with a sweet voice loudly sings these eleven verses will attain the matchless jewel of direct service to Sri Sri Radha-Krsna in the forest of Gokula.


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