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The Process of Fixed Devotional Service

Bhajan | Narottama Dasa Thakura

Verses

Verse 1

anya-abhilāsa chāḍi jñāna karma parihari

kāya mane kariba bhajana

sādhu-saṅge kṛṣṇa-sebā nā pūjiba devī-devā

ei bhakti parama-kāraṇa

Verse 2

mahā janera jei patha tāte habe anūrata

pūrbāpara kariyā bicāra

sādhana-smaraṇa-līlā ihāte nā kara helā

kāya mane kariyā sūsāra

Verse 3

asat-saṅga sadā tyāga chāḍa anya gīta-rāga

karmī jñānī parihari dūre

kebala bhakata-saṅga prema-kathā-rasa-raṅga

līlā-kathā braja-rasa-pūre

Verse 4

jogī nyāsī karmī jñānī anya-deba-pūjaka dhyānī

iha-loka dūre parihari

karma dharma dūḥkha śoka jebā thāke anya joga

chāḍi bhaja giribara-dhārī

Verse 5

tīrtha-jātrā pariśrama kebala-manera-bhrama

sarba-siddhi gobinda-caraṇa

dṛdha-biśwāsa hṛde dhari mada-mātsarjya parihari

sadā kara ananyā bhajana

Verse 6

kṛṣṇa-bhakta saṅga kari kṛṣṇa-bhakta aṅga heri

śraddhānbita śrabaṇa-kīrtana

arcana bandaṇa dhyāna naba-bhakti mahā-jñāna

ei bhakti parama-kāraṇa

Verse 7

hṛsīke gobinda-sebā nā pūjiba devī-devā

ei ta ananya-bhakti-kathā

āra jata upālambha biśeṣa sakali dambha

dekhite lāgaye mane byathā

Verse 8

dehe baise ripū-gaṇa jateka indriya-gaṇa

keha kāra bādhya nāhi haya

śunile nā śuna kāṇa jānile nā jāne prāṇa

daḍhāite nā pāre niścaya

Verse 9

kāma krodha moha lobha mada mātsarjya dambha-saha

sthāne sthāne nijūkta kariba

ānanda kari hṛdaya ripū kari parājaya

anāyāse gobinda bhajiba

Verse 10

kṛṣṇa sevā kāmārpane krodha bhakta-dwesi-jane

lobha sādhu-saṅge hari-kathā

moha iṣṭa-lābha-bine mada kṛṣṇa-guṇa-gāne

nijūkta kariba jathā tathā

Verse 11

anyathā swatantra kāma anarthādi jāra nāma

bhakti-pathe sadā deya bhaṅga

kibā bā karite pāre kāma-krodha sādhakere

jadi haya sādhu-janāra saṅga

Verse 12

krodha bā nā kare kibā krodha-tyaga sadā dibā

lobha moha ei ta kathana

chaya ripū sadā hīna kariba manera adhīna

kṛṣṇacandra kariyā smaraṇa

Verse 13

āpani pālābe saba śuniyā gobinda raba

siṁha-rabe jena kari-gaṇa

sakali vipatti jābe mahānanda sūkha pābe

jāra haya ekāṅta bhajana

Verse 14

nā kariha asat-ceṣṭa lābha pūjā pratiṣṭha

sadā cinta gobinda-caraṇa

sakalī vipatti jābe mahānanda sūkha pābe

prema-bhakti parama-kāraṇa

Verse 15

asat-kriya kuṭināṭi chāḍa anya paripāṭī

anya debe nā kariha rati

āpana āpana sthāne pirīti sabhāya ṭane

bhakti-pathe paḍaye bigati

Verse 16

āpana bhajana-patha tahe habe anūrata

iṣṭa-deva-sthāne-līlā-gāṇa

naiṣṭhika bhajana ei tomāre kahinū bhāi

hanumān tāhāte pramāna

Verse 17

śrīnāthe jānakī-nāthe

cābhedaḥ paramātmani

tathāpi mama sarvasvaṁ

rāmaḥ kamala-locanaḥ

Verse 18

devaloka pitṛloka pāya tārā- mahā-sūkha

sādhu sādhu bale anūkṣana

jūgala bhajana jārā premānande bhāse tārā

tribhūbana tāṅdera nichani

Verse 19

pṛthak ābāsa-joge dūḥkamaya-viṣaya-bhāge

braja bāsa gobinda-sevana

kṛṣṇa-kathā kṛṣṇa-nāma satya-satya rasa-dhāma

braja-loka-saṅge anūkṣaṇa.

Verse 20

vṛndāvane kimathavānija mandira vā

kārāgṛhe kimathavā kanakasane vā

īndram jaje kimathavā narakaṁ bhajāmi

śrī kṛṣṇa-sevanāmṛta na sukhaṁ kadāpi

Verse 21

sadā sebā-abhilāṣa mane kari biśoyāsa

sarbakhāya haiyā nirbhaya

narottama dāsa bole paḍinū asat-bhole

paritrāṇa kara mahāśaya

Translation

Verse 1

The topmost process of devotional service is to worship the Lord with body and mind, giving up desires for fruitive activities and mental speculation. One should serve Lord Kṛṣṇa in the association of devotees without worshipping any demigods.

Verse 2

The essence of sādhana bhakti is to carefully consider and follow the path displayed by the previous and the present mahājanas (great personalities). One should not neglect the practice of remembering the pastimes of the Lord, for devotional service should be performed with the mind as well as the body.

Verse 3

O my dear brothers, always give up the bad association of the karmīs and jñānīs from a distance, and give up the attachment for singing songs not related to Kṛṣṇa. Associate only with the devotees and merge in topics of the loving pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in Braja.

Verse 4

Please give up the association of the yogīs, sannyāsīs, karmīs, jñānīs, meditators, and the worshippers of the demigods. Also abandon attachment for all varieties of fruitive activities, religious duties, distresses, lamentations and material objects. Just worship Kṛṣṇa, the lifter of Govardhana Hill.

Verse 5

Travelling to the holy places is a waste of energy and born from illusion, for the lotus feet of Śrī Govinda are the perfection of one’s life. Therefore, one should give up pride and envy and with firm determination in the heart, one should always worship the Lord without deviation.

Verse 6

The best process of devotional service is to hear, chant, worship, glorify and meditate with faith on the names, forms, qualities and pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in the association of the devotees of Kṛṣṇa through the nine forms of bhakti.

Verse 7

I will serve Govinda with all my senses and I will not worship demigods and goddesses. This is the highest principle of devotional service. All other processes are simply born of pride and I feel great pain in my heart by seeing them.

Verse 8

The six enemies—lust, anger, greed, illusion, pride and envy and the five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch reside in my body but I am unable to control them. Although I hear and understand repeatedly that one should serve Kṛṣṇa with all his senses, still I cannot accept this fact with firm determination.

Verse 9

I will engage lust, anger, greed, illusion, envy and pride in their proper places. In this way, I will defeat the enemies and with ecstacy in my heart, I will worship Govinda without difficulty.

Verse 10

I will engage my lust in eagerness to serve Kṛṣṇa and I will use my anger against those who are envious of the devotees. I will be greedy to hear the topics of Hari in the association of the devotees. I will be illusioned if I fail to achieve my worshipable Lord and I will feel proud to chant the glories of Kṛṣṇa. In this way, I will engage them in their respective duties.

Verse 11

Otherwise, independent lusty desires, which are the source of all unwanted things will always disturb the path of devotional service. What harm can lusty desires and anger do to a practioner of devotional service if he associates with devotees?

Verse 12

Anger spoils everything. Therefore, I will always give up anger, greed and illusion. I will control the six enemies with the help of my mind while remembering Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Verse 13

All the enemies will run away by hearing the sound vibration of Govinda’s name just as elephants flee upon hearing the roar of a lion. One who performs unalloyed devotional service will feel great happiness and all his dangers will be vanquished.

Verse 14

Therefore my dear mind, do not endeavour for bad association, profit, adoration and distinction, but always remember the lotus feet of Govinda. Please engage in loving devotional service with great happiness and all your dangers will be destroyed.

Verse 15

Please give up all duplicity, illusory activities and the search for bodily happiness. Do not be attached to the worship of various demigods. Mundane love and affection for material relationships attracts everyone to their respective illusions and thus advancement on the path of devotional service is checked.

Verse 16

O dear brother, my mind, be continuously engaged on the path of devotional worship and be attached to glorifying the pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana. This process of devotional service is known as steady devotional service. The prime example of this is Hanumān.

Verse 17

As spoken by Sri Hanumān, “Although Śrī Nārāyaṇa, the Husband of Lakṣmīdevī and Śrī Rāma, the Husband of Sītadevī are both the Supersoul, still the lotus-eyed Śrī Rāma is my all in all.”

Verse 18

Those who worship Their Divine Lordships Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, float in the ocean of ecstatic love, and the inhabitants of all the three worlds worship such persons. The demigods and the forefathers become greatly pleased and shower their blessings saying, “well done, well done.”

Verse 19

One should not reside in ordinary places and enjoy material objects which are full of miseries, but should live in Braja and serve Śrī Govinda. The names and topics of Śrī Kṛṣṇa are actually the reservoir of all pleasures and one should constantly glorify Them in the association of the residents of Braja.

Verse 20

"Whether I live in Vṛndāvana or at home, whether I live in the prison or I sit on a golden throne, whether I am awarded the post of Indra or go to hell, there is no happiness anywhere without the worship of Kṛṣṇa."

Verse 21

In my mind I always yearn for service and become fearless in every way. Narottama dasa says: I have fallen under the spell of falsehood. O great soul, please deliver me.

TraditionBhajan
ComposerNarottama Dasa Thakura
SourcePrema Bhakti Chandrika
LanguagesEnglish, Hindi
Verses21 verses

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