Śrī Śikṣāṣṭakam
1.
ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ
bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ
śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ
vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam
ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ
prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ
sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate
śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam
Synonyms
cetaḥ — of the heart; darpaṇa — the mirror; mārjanam — cleansing; bhava — of material existence; mahā–dāva–agni — the blazing forest fire; nirvāpaṇam — extinguishing; śreyaḥ — of good fortune; kairava — the white lotus; candrikā — the moonshine; vitaraṇam — spreading; vidyā — of all education; vadhū — wife; jīvanam — the life; ānanda — of bliss; ambudhi — the ocean; vardhanam — increasing; prati–padam — at every step; pūrṇa–amṛta — of the full nectar; āsvādanam — giving a taste; sarva — for everyone; ātma–snapanam — bathing of the self; param — transcendental; vijayate — let there be victory; śrī–kṛṣṇa–saṅkīrtanam — for the congregational chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa.
Translation
Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.
2.
nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ
tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ
etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi
durdaivaṁ īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ
Synonyms
nāmnām — of the holy names of the Lord; akāri — manifested; bahudhā — various kinds; nija–saryyva–śaktiḥ — all kinds of personal potencies; tatra — in that; arpitā — bestowed; niyamitaḥ — restricted; smaraṇe — in remembering; na — not; kālaḥ — consideration of time; etādṛśī — so much; tava — Your; kṛpā — mercy; bhagavan — O Lord; mama — My; api — although; durdaivam — misfortune; īdṛśam — such; iha — in this (the holy name); ajani — was born; na — not; anurāgaḥ — attachment.
Translation
My Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, in Your holy name there is all good fortune for the living entity, and therefore You have many names, such as “Kṛṣṇa” and “Govinda,” by which You expand Yourself. You have invested all Your potencies in those names, and there are no hard and fast rules for remembering them. My dear Lord, although You bestow such mercy upon the fallen, conditioned souls by liberally teaching Your holy names, I am so unfortunate that I commit offenses while chanting the holy name, and therefore I do not achieve attachment for chanting.
3.
tṛṇād api sunīcena taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
Synonyms
tṛṇāt api — than downtrodden grass; su-nīcena — being lower; taroḥ — than a tree; iva — like; sahiṣṇunā — with tolerance; amāninā — without being puffed up by false pride; māna-dena — giving respect to all; kīrtanīyaḥ — to be chanted; sadā — always; hariḥ — the holy name of the Lord.
Translation
One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor but is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.
4.
na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
mama janmani janmanīśvare
bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
Synonyms
na — not; dhanam — riches; na — not; janam — followers; na — not; sundarīm — a very beautiful woman; kavitām — fruitive activities described in flowery language; vā — or; jagat-īśa — O Lord of the universe; kāmaye — I desire; mama — My; janmani — in birth; janmani — after birth; īśvare — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhavatāt — let there be; bhaktiḥ — devotional service; ahaitukī — with no motives; tvayi — unto You.
Translation
O Lord of the universe, I do not desire material wealth, materialistic followers, a beautiful wife or fruitive activities described in flowery language. All I want, life after life, is unmotivated devotional service to You.
5.
ayi nanda-tanuja kiṅkaraṁ
patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau
kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-
sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya
Synonyms
ayi — O My Lord; nanda-tanuja — the son of Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa; kiṅkaram — the servant; patitam — fallen; mām — Me; viṣame — horrible; bhava-ambudhau — in the ocean of nescience; kṛpayā — by causeless mercy; tava — Your; pāda-paṅkaja — lotus feet; sthita — situated at; dhūlī-sadṛśam — like a particle of dust; vicintaya — kindly consider.
Translation
O My Lord, O Kṛṣṇa, son of Mahārāja Nanda, I am Your eternal servant, but because of My own fruitive acts I have fallen into this horrible ocean of nescience. Now please be causelessly merciful to Me. Consider Me a particle of dust at Your lotus feet.
6.
nayanaṁ galad-aśru-dhārayā
vadanaṁ gadgada-ruddhayā girā
pulakair nicitaṁ vapuḥ kadā
tava nāma-grahaṇe bhaviṣyati
Synonyms
nayanam — the eyes; galat-aśru-dhārayā — by streams of tears running down; vadanam — mouth; gadgada — faltering; ruddhayā — choked up; girā — with words; pulakaiḥ — with erection of the hairs due to transcendental happiness; nicitam — covered; vapuḥ — the body; kadā — when; tava — Your; nāma-grahaṇe — in chanting the name; bhaviṣyati — will be.
Translation
My dear Lord, when will My eyes be beautified by filling with tears that constantly glide down as I chant Your holy name? When will My voice falter and all the hairs on My body stand erect in transcendental happiness as I chant Your holy name?
7.
yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam
śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me
Synonyms
yugāyitam — appearing like a great millennium; nimeṣeṇa — by a moment; cakṣuṣā — from the eyes; prāvṛṣāyitam — tears falling like torrents of rain; śūnyāyitam — appearing void; jagat — the world; sarvam — all; govinda — from Lord Govinda, Kṛṣṇa; viraheṇa me — by My separation.
Translation
My Lord Govinda, because of separation from You, I consider even a moment a great millennium. Tears flow from My eyes like torrents of rain, and I see the entire world as void.
8.
āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām
adarśanān marma-hatāṁ karotu vā
yathā tathā vā vidadhātu lampaṭo
mat-prāṇa-nāthas tu sa eva nāparaḥ
Synonyms
āśliṣya — embracing with great pleasure; vā — or; pāda-ratām — who have fallen at the lotus feet; pinaṣṭu — let Him trample; mām — Me; adarśanāt — by not being visible; marma-hatām — brokenhearted; karotu — let Him make; vā — or; yathā — as (He likes); tathā — so; vā — or; vidadhātu — let Him do; lampaṭaḥ — a debauchee, who mixes with other women; mat-prāṇa-nāthaḥ — the Lord of My life; tu — but; saḥ — He; eva — only; na aparaḥ — not anyone else.
Translation
Let Kṛṣṇa tightly embrace this maidservant who has fallen at His lotus feet, or let Him trample Me or break My heart by never being visible to Me. He is a debauchee, after all, and can do whatever He likes, but still He alone, and no one else, is the worshipable Lord of My heart.