# Śrī Śrī Śikṣāṣṭaka Eight Instructions Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed His disciples to write books on the science of Kṛṣṇa, 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 Caitanya are, in fact, the most voluminous, exacting, and consistent, due to the unbreakable system of disciplic succession of any religious culture in the world. Yet Lord Caitanya in His youth widely renowned as a scholar, in fact, left us only eight verses, called Śikṣāṣṭaka. These eight verses clearly reveal His mission and precepts. These supremely valuable prayers are translated herein. ### Text One > 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-darpaṇa* — the mirror of the heart; *mārjanam* — cleansing; *bhava* — of material existence; *mahā-dāva-agni* — the greatly blazing forest fire; *nirvāpaṇam* — extinguishing; *śreyaḥ-kairava* — the white lotus of good fortune; *candrikā-vitaraṇam* — spreading the moonbeams; *vidyā-vadhū* — the wife of all education; *jīvanam* — the life; *ānanda-ambudhi* — the ocean of bliss; *vardhanam* — increasing; *prati-padam* — at every step; *pūrṇa-amṛta* — the full nectar; *āsvādanam* — giving a relishable taste; *sarva-ātma-snapanam* — bathing all souls; *param* — transcendental; *vijayate* — let there be victory; *śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam* — for the congregational chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. **Translation** Glory to the śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This saṅkīrtana 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. ### Text Two > nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis > tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ > etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi > durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ **Synonyms** *nāmnām* — of the holy names of the Lord; *akāri* — manifested; *bahudhā* — various kinds; *nija-sarva-śaktiḥ* — all types of personal potency; *tatra* — in that; *arpitā* — bestowed; *niyamitaḥ* — restricted; *smaraṇe* — in remembering; *na* — not; *kālaḥ* — consideration of time; *etādṛśī* — so much; *tava kṛpā* — Your mercy; *bhagavan* — O Lord!; *mama* — my; *api* — although; *durdaivam* — misfortune; *īdṛśam* — such; *iha* — in this (the holy name); *ajani* — was born; *na anurāgaḥ* — no attachment. **Translation** O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names, like Kṛṣṇa 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. ### Text Three > tṛṇād api sunīcena > taror api sahiṣṇunā > amāninā mānadena > kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ **Synonyms** *tṛṇāt api* — than even downtrodden grass; *su-nīcena* — by feeling oneself much lower; *taroḥ api* — than a tree; *sahiṣṇunā* — with more tolerance; *amāninā* — by not accepting respect; *mānadena* — by giving respect to all others; *kīrtanīyaḥ* — should be chanted; *sadā* — always; *hariḥ* — the holy name of Hari. **Translation** 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. ### Text Four > na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ > kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye > mama janmani janmanīśvare > bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi **Synonyms** *na dhanam* — not wealth; *na janam* — not followers; *na sundarīm* — not beautiful women; *kavitām* — fruitive activities described in flowery language; *vā* — or; *jagat-īśa* — O Lord of the universe!; *kāmaye* — I desire; *mama* — my; *janmani janmani* — in birth after birth; *īśvare* — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; *bhavatāt* — let there be; *bhaktiḥ* — devotional service; *ahaitukī* — unmotivated; *tvayi* — unto You. **Translation** 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 in my life, birth after birth. ### Text Five > ayi nanda-tanuja kiṅkaraṁ > patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau > kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja- > sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya **Synonyms** *ayi nanda-tanuja* — O son of Nanda Mahārāja!; *kiṅkaram* — Your 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* — the dust; *sadṛśam* — just like; *vicintaya* — please consider. **Translation** O son of Mahārāja Nanda [Kṛṣṇa], 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. ### Text Six > nayanaṁ galad-aśru-dhārayā > vadanaṁ gadgada-ruddhayā girā > pulakair nicitaṁ vapuḥ kadā > tava-nāma-grahaṇe bhaviṣyati **Synonyms** *nayanam* — my eyes; *galat-aśru-dhārayā* — by streams of tears running down; *vadanam* — my mouth; *gadgada* — faltering; *ruddhayā* — by being choked up; *girā* — my words; *pulakaiḥ* — by thrilled hairs standing erect; *nicitam* — covered; *vapuḥ* — my body; *kadā* — when?; *tava* — Your; *nāma-grahaṇe* — in chanting the holy name; *bhaviṣyati* — will be. **Translation** 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? ### Text Seven > yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa > cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam > śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ > govinda-viraheṇa me **Synonyms** *yugāyitam* — makes like a great millennium; *nimeṣeṇa* — by a moment; *cakṣuṣā* — from my eyes; *prāvṛṣāyitam* — makes tears fall like torrents of rain; *śūnyāyitam* — makes void; *jagat sarvam* — the entire world; *govinda-viraheṇa* — by the separation from Govinda; *me* — my. **Translation** 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. ### Text Eight > 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* — tightly embracing; *vā* — or; *pāda-ratām* — who is fallen at the lotus feet; *pinaṣṭu* — let Him trample; *mām* — me; *adarśanāt* — by not being visible; *marma-hatām* — broken-hearted; *karotu* — let Him make; *vā* — or; *yathā tathā* — as He likes, so He does; *vā* — or; *vidadhātu* — let Him do; *lampaṭaḥ* — the debauchee; *mat-prāṇa-nāthaḥ* — the Lord of my life; *tu* — but; *saḥ eva* — only Him; *na aparaḥ* — no one else. **Translation** I know no one but Kṛṣṇa 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 worshipable Lord, unconditionally.