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तन्नामरूपचरितादिसुकीर्तनानु-
स्मृत्योः क्रमेण रसनामनसी नियोज्य ।
तिष्ठन् व्रजे तदनुरागिजनानुगामी
कालं नयेदखिलमित्युपदेशसारम ॥८॥

tan-nāma-rūpa-caritādi-sukīrtanānu-
smṛtyoḥ krameṇa rasanā-manasī niyojya
tiṣṭhan vraje tad-anurāgi janānugāmī
kālaṁ nayed akhilam ity upadeśa-sāram

tatplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtat

establishment of the statement tat tvam asi.—of Lord Kṛṣṇa; nāmaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bignama

a dancing appearance of the player, technically known as udghātyaka.—the holy name; rūpaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigrupa

and of beauty; beautiful; beautiful appearance; beauty; by beauty; by personal beauty, which attracts everyone; characteristics; color and form; form; form and feature; forms; having the form; in beauty; in the form of; like; My dear Rūpa; of the beauty; of the form; of the name Rūpa; of Your nature or position; personal beauty; personal feature s; possessing the bodily features; Rūpa Gosvāmī; the beauty; the form; the transcendental form; to Rūpa Gosvāmī; various forms and colors; with beauty; Śrī Rūpa; Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī; Śrīla Rūpa; Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.—form; caritaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigcarita

activities; characteristic; characteristics; the activities; the character; the characteristics.-ādiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigādi

a beginning; all such places; all these; all together; and other arrangements; and other things; and others; and similar other persons; and so on; and the other; beginning; beginning with; by artificially practicing detachment, by the mechanical practice of yoga, by studying the Sāṅkhya philosophy, and so on; etc; everything; first; headed by; heading; heading the list; in the beginning; in the beginning of the millennium; original; originally; other subject matters; primarily; the beginning; the first; the original.—character, pastimes and so on; suplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsu

beautiful.-kīrtanaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigkīrtana

saṅkīrtana, chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra; saṅkīrtana; chanting; chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra; chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra; chanting of the holy name; congregational chanting; congregational chanting of the holy name; kīrtana; of saṅkīrtana; of chanting; the saṅkīrtana movement; the chanting; the chanting of the holy names; the congregational chanting.—in discussing or chanting nicely; anusmṛtyoḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biganusmṛtyoḥ

and in remembering.—and in remembering; krameṇaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigkrameṇa

gradually.—gradually; rasanāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigrasana

the sense of taste.—the tongue; manasīplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigmanasi

in a mind; in his mind; in the heart; in the mind; in the minds; into the mind; the mind; unto the mind; upon the mind; within the mind.—and one’s mind; niyojyaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigniyojya

associates; engaging.—engaging; tiṣṭhanplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtiṣṭhan

being seated; being situated; being situated in; existing; or staying anywhere; residing; standing; staying in this way; while standing.—residing; vrajeplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvraje

at Vṛndāvana; in Goloka Vṛndāvana; in the land surrounding the cowshed; in the pasturing ground; in Vraja (Vṛndāvana); in Vraja; in Vrajabhūmi; in Vrajabhūmi, Vṛndāvana; in Vṛndāvana; to Vṛndāvana-dhāma; Vṛndāvana.—in Vraja; tatplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtat

establishment of the statement tat tvam asi.—to Lord Kṛṣṇa; anurāgiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biganuragi

attached.—attached; janaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigjana

a person; by persons; followers; in the devotee; inhabitants; of people; of persons; of the associates; people; people in general; person; personalities; persons; souls; the person.—persons; anugāmīplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biganugāmī

following.—following; kālamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigkalam

elements; energies; very sweetly.—time; nayetplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bignayet

he must bring; must bring in; one should lead it to; should draw; should utilize.—should utilize; akhilamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigakhilam

all; entire; entirely; full; in totality; total aggregate; whole subject.—full; itiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigiti

thus; all these; also; and so on; as; as such; considering all these things; considering in that way; here; in this way (after giving everything to the brāhmaṇas); in this way; it is thus; known by these names; like that; like this; so it is; such; taking it as; that; therefore; they; this; thus (Hariścandra said); thus (saying out of contempt); thus (thinking in the above-mentioned way); thus (thinking); thus; thus accepted; thus accepting the words of Lord Brahmā; thus deciding; thus stated; thus thinking; thus vituperating.—thus; upadeśaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigupadeśa

advice; instruction; of advice or instruction.—of advice or instruction; sāramplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsaram

cream; essence; essential; firmness; patience; the essence; very substantial.—the essence. ¶

The essence of all advice is that one should utilize one’s full time—twenty-four hours a day—in nicely chanting and remembering the Lord’s divine name, transcendental form, qualities and eternal pastimes, thereby gradually engaging one’s tongue and mind. In this way one should reside in Vraja [Goloka Vṛndāvana dhāma] and serve Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of devotees. One should follow in the footsteps of the Lord’s beloved devotees, who are deeply attached to His devotional service. ¶

Since the mind may be one’s enemy or one’s friend, one has to train the mind to become his friend. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is especially meant for training the mind to be always engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s business. The mind contains hundreds and thousands of impressions, not only of this life but also of many, many lives of the past. These impressions sometimes come in contact with one another and produce contradictory pictures. In this way the mind’s function can become dangerous for a conditioned soul. Students of psychology are aware of the mind’s various psychological changes. In Bhagavad-gītā (8.6)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 8.6

Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail. it is said: ¶

yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ taṁ evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ

“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” ¶

At the time of death, the mind and intelligence of a living entity create the subtle form of a certain type of body for the next life. If the mind suddenly thinks of something not very congenial, one has to take a corresponding birth in the next life. On the other hand, if one can think of Kṛṣṇa at the time of death, he can be transferred to the spiritual world, Goloka Vṛndāvana. This process of transmigration is very subtle; therefore Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī advises devotees to train their minds in order that they will be unable to remember anything other than Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, the tongue should be trained to speak only of Kṛṣṇa and to taste only kṛṣṇa-prasāda. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī further advises, tiṣṭhan vraje: one should live in Vṛndāvana or any part of Vrajabhūmi. Vrajabhūmi, or the land of Vṛndāvana, is supposed to be eighty-four krośas in area. One krośa equals two square miles. When one makes Vṛndāvana his residence, he should take shelter of an advanced devotee there. In this way one should always think of Kṛṣṇa and His pastimes. This is further elucidated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.294): ¶

kṛṣṇaṁ smaran janaṁ cāsya
preṣṭhaṁ nija-samīhitam
tat-tat-kathā-rataś cāsau
kuryād vāsaṁ vraje sadā

“A devotee should always reside in the transcendental realm of Vraja and always engage in kṛṣṇaṁ smaran janaṁ cāsya preṣṭham, the remembrance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His beloved associates. By following in the footsteps of such associates and by entering under their eternal guidance, one can acquire an intense desire to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” ¶

Again Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī states in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.295): ¶

sevā sādhaka-rūpeṇa
siddha-rūpeṇa cātra hi
tad-bhāva-lipsunā kāryā
vraja-lokānusārataḥ

“In the transcendental realm of Vraja [Vraja-dhāma] one should serve the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, with a feeling similar to that of His associates, and one should place himself under the direct guidance of a particular associate of Kṛṣṇa and should follow in his footsteps. This method is applicable both in the stage of sādhana [spiritual practices executed while in the stage of bondage] and in the stage of sādhya [God realization], when one is a siddha-puruṣa, or a spiritually perfect soul.” ¶

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has commented as follows upon this verse: “One who has not yet developed interest in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should give up all material motives and train his mind by following the progressive regulative principles, namely chanting and remembering Kṛṣṇa and His name, form, quality, pastimes and so forth. In this way, after developing a taste for such things, one should try to live in Vṛndāvana and pass his time constantly remembering Kṛṣṇa’s name, fame, pastimes and qualities under the direction and protection of an expert devotee. This is the sum and substance of all instruction regarding the cultivation of devotional service. ¶

“In the neophyte stage one should always engage in hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā. This is called śravaṇa-daśā, the stage of hearing. By constantly hearing the transcendental holy name of Kṛṣṇa and hearing of His transcendental form, qualities and pastimes, one can attain to the stage of acceptance called varaṇa-daśā. When one attains this stage, he becomes attached to the hearing of kṛṣṇa-kathā. When one is able to chant in ecstasy, he attains the stage of smaraṇāvasthā, the stage of remembering. Recollection, absorption, meditation, constant remembrance and trance are the five items of progressive kṛṣṇa-smaraṇa. At first, remembrance of Kṛṣṇa may be interrupted at intervals, but later remembrance proceeds uninterrupted. When remembrance is uninterrupted, it becomes concentrated and is called meditation. When meditation expands and becomes constant, it is called anusmṛti. By uninterrupted and unceasing anusmṛti one enters the stage of samādhi, or spiritual trance. After smaraṇa-daśā or samādhi has fully developed, the soul comes to understand his original constitutional position. At that time he can perfectly and clearly understand his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is called sampatti-daśā, the perfection of life. ¶

”Caitanya-caritāmṛta advises those who are neophytes to give up all kinds of motivated desires and simply engage in the regulative devotional service of the Lord according to the directions of scripture. In this way a neophyte can gradually develop attachment for Kṛṣṇa’s name, fame, form, qualities and so forth. When one has developed such attachment, he can spontaneously serve the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa even without following the regulative principles. This stage is called rāga-bhakti, or devotional service in spontaneous love. At that stage the devotee can follow in the footsteps of one of the eternal associates of Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana. This is called rāgānuga-bhakti. Rāgānuga-bhakti, or spontaneous devotional service, can be executed in the śānta-rasa when one aspires to be like Kṛṣṇa’s cows or the stick or flute in the hand of Kṛṣṇa, or the flowers around Kṛṣṇa’s neck. In the dāsya-rasa one follows in the footsteps of servants like Citraka, Patraka or Raktaka. In the friendly sakhya-rasa one can become a friend like Baladeva, Śrīdāmā or Sudāmā. In the vātsalya-rasa, characterized by parental affection, one can become like Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā, and in the mādhurya-rasa, characterized by conjugal love, one can become like Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī or Her lady friends such as Lalitā and Her serving maids (mañjarīs) like Rūpa and Rati. This is the essence of all instruction in the matter of devotional service.” ¶