শিক্ষাষ্টক

.. শিক্ষাষ্টক ( চৈতন্যমহাপ্রভু) ..

শিক্ষাষ্টকং
  : Lord Chaitanya’s Mission

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu instructed his disciples to write books on the science
of Krishna, a task which his followers have continued to carry out down to the
present day . The elaborations and expositions on the philosophy taught by Lord
Chaitanya are in fact most voluminous, exacting and consistent due to the system
of disciplic succession . Although Lord Chaitanya was widely renowned as a
scholar in his youth, he left only eight verses, called shikshashhTaka . These eight
verses clearly reveal his mission and precepts . These supremely valuable
prayers are translated herein.

শিক্ষাষ্টকং

চেতো-দর্পণ-মার্জনং ভব-মহা-দাবাগ্নি-নির্বাপণং
  শ্রেযঃ-কৈরব-চন্দ্রিকা-বিতরণং বিদ্যা-বধূ-জীবনম্ .
  আনন্দ-অম্বুধি-বর্ধনং প্রতি-পদং পূর্ণামৃতাস্বাদনং
  সর্বাত্মস্নপনং পরং বিজযতে শ্রীকৃষ্ণ সংকীর্তনম্ .. ১..

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 prime 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.

নাম্নাং অকারি বহুধা নিজ-সর্ব-শক্তিঃ
  তত্রার্পিতা নিযমিতঃ স্মরণে ন কালঃ .
  এতাদৃশী তব কৃপা ভগবন্-মমাপি
  দুর্দৈবম্-ঈদৃশম্-ইহাজনি ন-অনুরাগঃ .. ২..

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

তৃণাদপি সুনীচেন তরোরপি সহিষ্ণুনা .
অমানিনা মানদেন কীর্তনীযঃ সদা হরিঃ .. ৩..

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.

ন-ধনং ন-জনং ন-সুন্দরীম্
  কবিতাং বা জগদীশ কামযে .
  মম জন্মনি জন্মনি ঈশ্বরে
  ভবতাদ্ ভক্তিঃ অহৈতুকী ত্বযি .. ৪..

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.

অযি নন্দ-তনূজ কিংকরম্
  পতিতং মাং বিষমে-ভব-অম্বুধৌ .
  কৃপযা তব পাদ-পংকজ-
  স্থিত ধূলি-সদৃশং বিচিংতয .. ৫..

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.

নযনং গলদ্-অশ্রু-ধারযা
  বদনং গদ্গদ-রুদ্ধযা গিরা .
  পুলকৈর্ নিচিতং বপুঃ কদা
  তব নাম-গ্রহণে ভবিষ্যতি .. ৬..

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?

যুগাযিতং নিমেষেণ চক্ষুষা প্রাবৃষাযিতম্ .
শূন্যাযিতং জগত্ সর্বং গোবিন্দ-বিরহেণ মে .. ৭..

O Govinda! Feeling Your separation, 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.

আশ্লিষ্য বা পাদ-রতাং পিনষ্টু
  মাম্-অদর্শনান্ মর্ম-হতাং করোতু বা .
  যথা তথা বা বিদধাতু লংপটঃ
  মত্-প্রাণ-নাথস্ তু স এব ন-অপরঃ .. ৮..

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.