Raghunath Das's instructions to the mind
I have started making video lectures on the Manaḥ-śikṣā by Raghunath Das Goswami. These are being posted on my YouTube channel. I found this translation on the internet and made a few changes.
Manaḥ-śikṣā
by Raghunath Das Goswami
sva-mantre śrī-nāmni vraja-nava-yuva-dvandva-smaraṇe
sadā dambhaṁ hitvā kuru ratim apūrvām atitarāṁ
aye svāntar bhrātaś caṭubhir abhiyāce dhṛta-padaḥ ||1||
O mind, I grasp your feet and beg you with sweet words: Please cast away all hypocrisy and develop intense, unprecedented love for the spiritual master, Vrajabhumi, the people of Vraja, the Vaishnavas, the brahmins, your initiation mantra, the holy name, and in remembering the fresh young couple of Vraja, Radha and Krishna.
vraje rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pracura-paricaryām iha tanu |
śacī-sūnuṁ nandīśvara-pati-sutatve guru-varaṁ
mukunda-preṣṭhatve smara param ajasraṁ nanu manaḥ ||2||
O mind, don’t concern yourself with the duties and impious deeds described in the Vedas. Rather, intently serve Sri Sri Radha-Krishna in Vraja. Always remember that the son of Sachi is the son of Maharaja Nanda, and that the guru is Mukunda's dearmost.
yuva-dvandvaṁ tac cet paricaritum ārād abhilaṣeḥ |
svarūpaṁ śrī-rūpaṁ sa-gaṇam iha tasyāgrajam api
sphuṭaṁ premṇā nityaṁ smara nama tadā tvaṁ śṛṇu manaḥ ||3||
O Mind! If you desire to reside in Vraja birth after birth, and if you desire to directly serve the youthful Divine Couple there with attachment, then with intense love always remember and bow down to Srila Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, to Srila Rupa Gosvami and his elder brother, Srila Sanatana Gosvami, and to all their associates and followers, and then listen to them.
kathā mukti-vyāghryā na śṛṇu kila sarvātma-gilanīḥ |
api tyaktvā lakṣmī-pati-ratim ito vyoma-nayanīṁ
vraje rādhā-kṛṣṇau sva-rati-maṇidau tvaṁ bhaja manaḥ ||4||
O mind, give up talking of the unreal. Such talks are a prostitute who will steal the most valuable possession of your heart. Don’t listen to talks of liberation, which are a tigress that devours your entire soul. You should even give up attraction for Lord Narayana, which leads to the world of Vaikuntha. Instead, O mind, just worship Sri Sri Radha-Krishna in Vraja, for they will bestow on you the jewel of pure love for themselves.
prakāmaṁ kāmādi-prakaṭa-pathapāti-vyatikaraiḥ |
gale baddhvā hanye'ham iti bakabhid-vartmapa-gaṇe
kuru tvaṁ phutkārān avati sa yathā tvāṁ mana itaḥ ||5||
The highwaymen of lust and his friends have bound me around the neck with the painful, horrible, powerful ropes of wicked deeds. O mind, scream out to those who protect the path to Krishna, the killer of Baka, "I am being killed!" so that they will save you from it.
kṣaran-mūtre snātvā dahasi katham ātmānam api mām |
sadā tvaṁ gāndharvā-giridhara-pada-prema-vilasat-
sudhāmbhodhau snātvā svam api nitarāṁ māṁ ca sukhaya ||6||
O mind, why do you burn us both by bathing in the urine trickling from the ass of great deviousness and hypocrisy? Instead, you should delight us by eternally bathing in the glistening nectar ocean of pure love for Sri Sri Gandharva-Giridhari (Sri Sri Radha-Krishna).
kathaṁ sādhu premā spṛśati śucir etan nanu manaḥ |
sadā tvaṁ sevasva prabhu-dayita-sāmantam atulaṁ
yathā tāṁ niṣkāśya tvaritam iha taṁ veśayati saḥ ||7||
As long as the impudent untouchable woman of the desire for fame dances in my heart, why should pure love for Radha-Krishna touch me? O mind, continuously serve my spiritual master, the leader of those who are dear to the Lord. Then my master will quickly kick out that harridan and allow that pure love to enter.
yathā mahyaṁ premāmṛtam api dadāty ujjvalam asau |
yathā śrī-gāndharvā-bhajana-vidhaye prerayati māṁ
tathā goṣṭhe kākvā giridharam iha tvaṁ bhaja manaḥ ||8||
So That he will mercifully smash my wickedness (even though I am a great rascal), so that he will give me the splendid nectar of transcendental love, and so he will engage me in Sri Radha’s service, please, O mind, with words choked with emotion, worship Lord Giridhari here in Vraja.
śvarīṁ tan-nāthatve tad-atula-sakhītve tu lalitām |
viśākhāṁ śikṣālī-vitaraṇa-gurutve priyasaro-
girīndrau tat-prekṣā-lalita-ratidatve smara manaḥ ||9||
O mind, meditate on Krishna, the moon of Vraja forest, as the Lord of my controller, Srimati Radharani. And meditate upon Srimati Radharani, the queen of Vraja forest, as Krishna’s controller. Also meditate upon Lalita as the peerless friend of Radha and Krishna, Vishakha as the guru who distributes the teachings [to the manjaris], and Radha-kunda and Govardhana Hill as two places the mere sight of which bestows charming transcendental love for the Divine Couple.
śacī-lakṣmī-satyāḥ paribhavati saubhāgya-valanaiḥ |
vaśīkāraiś candrāvali-mukha-navīna-vraja-satīḥ
kṣipaty ārād yā tāṁ hari-dayita-rādhāṁ bhaja manaḥ ||10||
O mind, worship Lord Hari’s beloved Radha. With the splendor of her beauty She makes Rati, Gauri, and Lila burn with envy. Due to the power of her good fortune she defeats Sachi, Lakshmi, and Satyabhama, and with her ability to control Krishna she completely eclipses Chandravali and the other pure maidens of Vraja.
vraje sākṣāt-sevā-labhana-vidhaye tad-gaṇa-yujoḥ |
tad-ijyākhyā-dhyāna-śravaṇa-nati-pañcāmṛtam idaṁ
dhayan nītyā govardhanam anudinaṁ tvaṁ bhaja manaḥ ||11||
O mind, in order to attain the direct service with Sri Rupa Manjari of the two divine lovers, Sri Sri Radha-Giridhari, and their friends, then worship Govardhana daily, drinking the five nectars of worship, repeating their names, meditating, hearing, and paying obeisances.
girā gāyaty uccaiḥ samadhigata-sarvārtha-tati yaḥ |
sa-yūtha-śrī-rūpānuga iha bhavan gokula-vane
jano rādhā-kṛṣṇātula-bhajana-ratnaṁ sa labhate ||12||
One who with a sweet voice loudly sings these eleven verses of instructions to the mind, understanding all of its meanings, will become a follower of Sri Rupa Gosvami, along with his associates, here in the forest of Gokula and then and attain the matchless jewel of direct service to Sri Sri Radha and Krishna.
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