Sri Sanmodana Bhasyam, Part 12

Sri Sanmodana Bhasyam, Part 12

 

 

 

Jun 04, 2016 — CANADA (SUN) — A commentary on Lord Caitanya’s ‘Siksastakam’ by HDG Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, with a Bengali song for each verse that expands upon Mahaprabhu’s devotional moods (Sanskrit, 1886).

 

ayi – My Lord; nanda-tanuja – son of Nanda Maharaja, Krishna; kinkaram – the servant; mam – Me; visame – horrible; bhavambudhau – in the ocean of nescience; krpaya – by causeless mercy; tava – Your; pada-pankaja – lotus feet; sthita – situated at; dhuli-sadrsam – like a particle of dust; vicintaya – kindly consider.

 

“Oh, My Lord, O Krsna, son of Maharaja Nanda, I am Your eternal servant, but because of My own fruitive acts, I have fallen in this horrible ocean of nescience. Now please be causelessly merciful to Me. Consider Me a particle of dust at Your lotus feet.”

 

Is it proper for a sadhaka who has taken shelter of the holy name to be excessively concerned about the material miseries afflicting him? To answer this question, Lord Caitanya composed this sloka, in which He illuminates the correct attitude of a devotee thusly:

 

“O Lord Krsna! Son of Maharaja Nanda! I am Your eternal servant; but now as a result of my previous activities I have fallen into this terrible ocean of material existence. Lust, greed, anger and envy are my adversaries; they lurk in the waters like big fish to swallow me up. The rough waves of wasted hopes and anxiety are tossing me here and there, making my life miserable. Lashing gales of bad association add further suffering. In this condition I see You as my only shelter.

 

“Occasionally a small bunch of seaweed can be seen floating by; these are the weeds of karma, jnana, yoga, tapasya and so on. Has anyone ever crossed this ocean of nescience by grasping these paltry weeds? All I have ever seen is that some persons, while trying to swim across this ocean, have reached out to hold these weeds for support only to sink, seaweed and all, like dead weights. There is no other hope for safety other than Your unlimited mercy.

 

“The sturdy vessel of Your holy name is the only means to cross over this dangerous ocean of material existence. Knowing this too well, I have acted; I begged passage aboard the ship of the Lord’s holy name from my spiritual master; by His causeless mercy, it was awarded. O Lord! You are known as the protector of Your devotees who are souls surrendered to Your lotus feet. Please accept this homeless destitute, cleanse me of all my faults and consider me a dust particle at Your lotus feet.”

 

[One] accepted by the Lord on the path of bhakti should never return to the ways of sense enjoyment and liberation, despite material difficulties.

 

Caitanya Caritamrita, Antya 20.31,33,34:

 

“In great humility, considering Himself a conditioned soul of the material World, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu again expressed his desire to be endowed with service to the Lord.”

 

“I am your eternal servant, but I forgot Your Lordship. Now I have fallen in the ocean of nescience and have been conditioned by the external energy.

 

“Be causelessly merciful to Me by giving Me a place with the particles of dust at Your lotus feet so that I may engage in the service of Your Lordship as Your eternal servant.”