BVT 8 :: Initiation from Bipin Bihari Goswami
This is again a rehashing of a previous article, Bhaktivinoda and Bipin Bihari Goswami, with added material that I also published earlier, Bipin Bihari Goswami's testimonial to his best disciple, Kedarnath Dutt Bhaktivinoda. Some additions and revisions have been made for the purpose of finalizing the introduction to the Jivani.
We have already made a couple of references to Bhaktivinoda Thakur's initiation by Bipin Bihari Goswami in 1880. Since for the most part, Bipin Bihari Goswami (1850-1919) is unknown to many who claim to follow Bhaktivinoda Thakur, we will here give some background information about this great soul.
Born 3 Śrāvaṇa of the Bengali year 1357, Bipin Bihari was twelve years Bhaktivinoda’s junior. He was born in the family of Goswamis whose seat is in Baghna Para, situated between Kalna and Nabadwip in the Burdwan district. This center was established by Ramachandra Goswami in around 1600 CE. Ramachandra Goswami or Ramai Thakur was the grandson of Vamsivadanananda Thakur, an associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu identified as Krishna's flute in Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (179), and the adopted son and disciple of Jahnava Thakurani, the wife of Nityananda Prabhu, identified with Srimati Radharani's younger sister, Ananga Manjari (GGD 66).
Vamsivadanananda Thakur was a younger contemporary and friend of Nimai in Nabadwip, a participant in the early sankirtan lila, and entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of Sachi and Vishnupriya when Mahaprabhu took sannyas. He was the one who had the Mahaprabhu Dhameshwar deity carved and his name is carved onto the bottom of the deity’s base. [See Jaiva Dharma, ch. 11)
Married at the age of 13, Bipin Bihari moved to Hooghly district. He became closely involved with the Brahmo Samaj, causing a reaction from other members of the Baghna Para family, who insisted that he move back to Kalna. Bipin Bihari lost both his parents not long afterwards. He had been having trouble applying himself to his education and after their departure he fell into bad company and was about to take a wrong direction in life when a friend of his father’s, Anupam Chandra, set him straight and told him to take up devotion to Krishna. (DMR 1214)
Bipin Bihari then started frequenting the famous Siddha Bhagavan Das Babaji in Kalna, one of the most notable Vaishnavas of the time. Bipin Bihari Goswami’s in-laws lived in Kalna, so it was easy for him to study with his śikṣā-guru. Bhagavan Das was well versed not only in the scriptures but in Baghnapara history and literature also. When Bipin Bihari first came to him to ask for teaching, Bhagavan Das told him to take shelter of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu:
"Without taking shelter of Gauranga’s lotus feet, nobody gets any information of pure bhakti. I am telling you this truth." (DMR 1214)
When he heard this, then Bipin Bihari Goswami took shelter of the family deities, meaning not only the deities of Krishna and Balaram established by Ramai Thakur in the Baghnapara temple, but the entire family devotional tradition.
"When I first starting studying with Babaji, he told me, “I will tell you about your own thing. I cannot be your teacher, but I can only show you what is already yours by opening your heart.” Having said this he affectionately taught me all the principles of bhajan over the course of time." (DMR 1215)
The point here is that since Bipin Bihari Goswami was from a noble Vaishnava family, being kulīna Chattopadhyaya brāhmaṇas besides, Bhagavan Das followed the etiquette of the sampradāya and did not presume to be his student’s superior.
"In this way I studied with Bhagavan Das Babaji for nine years, learning about bhajan in according with the approved methods. Sometimes I would go to Nabadwip and visit Siddha Chaitanya Das Babaji. I would discuss the siddhāntas related to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and I would return to my home in a joyful mood." (DMR 1215)
Chaitanya Das Babaji was renowned as a worshiper in the Gauranga Nagara mood. His samadhi is at the temple of Dhameshwar Mahaprabhu. According to his biographers, Bhagavan Das also shared the same mood, though it does not seem to have been the case with Bipin Bihari, though here he expresses joy at associating with and hearing about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu from a prominent Gaura Nagara.
After his studies with Bhagavan Das, Bipin Bihari Goswami began writing almost immediately and submitted articles on Gaudiya Vaishnavism to various magazines both in Bengali (Prema-pracāriṇī, Saṁvāda-pūrṇa-candrodaya) and English (The Education Gazette). He started to speak publicly on the Bhāgavatam, finding a sponsor in Rakhal Das Sorkar who helped him publish his first book, Hari-nāmāmṛta-sindhu. The king of Burdwan, Mehtab Chand (1820-1879), saw the book and invited Bipin Bihari Goswami to lecture on the Bhāgavatam at the palace, which made it possible for him to make disciples and establish himself further. Aftab Chand, Mehtab Chand’s successor, also regularly invited him to the Burdwan palace.
Bipin Bihari Goswami wrote a number of books. The first, written in Sanskrit, Harināmāmṛta-sindhu, was first published in 1879. His major work, Daśa-mūla-rasa (1898), is over a thousand pages long and covers the gamut of Gaudiya Vaishnava doctrine and practice, as well as much historical information about the Baghna Pada tradition and history. It was published in 1907. Other works were Arcanāmṛta-sāgara (1883), Madhura-milana (1905), Sāra-saṅgraha, Bhāva-saṅgraha, Hari-bhakti-taraṅginī (1902) and a number of Sanskrit and Bengali poems and songs. Many of these books were published by Bhaktivinoda Thakur himself at the Sajjana-toṣaṇī head office. For example, see the title page of Hari-bhakti-taraṅginī, which is clearly marked as such.
Kedarnath Dutt and his wife both took initiation from Bipin Bihari Goswami in 1880, after several years of exchanging letters. Bhaktivinoda Thakur himself summarizes his initiation from his guru in the Jīvanī.
"The summary of the above is that when the guru knows the aspiring disciple to be worthy and the disciple knows the guru to be a pure devotee, then does the guru give the disciple his blessings [in the form of initiation." (JD 246)
And again, in Sajjana-toṣaṇī: "According to scripture, the reverend mantra acharyas should give the mantra to a proper candidate if he is qualified. The Hari-bhakti-vilāsa instructs teachers and disciples is that they should examine each other, but currently this is not being followed. Because of that both guru and disciple fall down and along with him a disruption in the disciplic succession is inevitable. " (Śrī-Mahaprabhura sambandhe vitarka, Sajjana-toṣaṇī 4/1)
In the period that followed, Bipin Bihari and Bhaktivinoda cooperated in the publication of the periodical Sajjana-toṣaṇī, which first appeared while the Thakur was living in Narail in 1881 [180]. Many of his articles appeared there, as well as his translation of Viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma.
In January 1885, just before Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's 400th appearance anniversary, Bipin Bihari Goswami arranged for his disciple to be given the title "Bhaktivinoda" in Baghna Para itself in a ceremony at the Baladeva Krishna temple. Bipin Bihari’s affection for his most prominent disciple is made crystal clear in the following extended passage found near the end of Daśamūla-rasa:
"The greatest of my disciples is Bhaktivinoda Sri Kedarnath Dutt, who brings happiness to all hearts. A heroic devotee who is the ornament of the Datta clan, who has gained profuse respect from the servants of the Raj. For three years we exchanged letters from the time he was in Jagannath Puri in which we discussed devotional subjects and in that way he came to understand me. Then he and his wife took initiation from me at an auspicious moment at their residence in Narail. At the time he was the magistrate in Narail, and it was while residing there that he first took shelter of Guru. Now he lives comfortably at 181 Ram Bagan in Calcutta with his government pension, and has fathered his seventh son." (Daśamūla-rasa, 1216-1219)
Bipin Bihari Goswami writes that they exchanged letters for three years, but since Bhaktivinoda Thakur left Puri five years before the initiation in Narail it would indicate that the latter figure is probably more accurate. We have quoted from the Jīvanī the incident in Puri that is sometimes held out as "proof" that Bhaktivinoda did not "need initiation" as he was nitya-siddha. But at the same time that the Thakur was speaking on the Bhāgavatam to the consternation of the orthodox Vaishnava community, he was still seeking to rectify his situation by looking for a guru who would be both acceptable on the basis of siddhānta and moral character. He knew that initiation was a scriptural requirement and that without it he would not be fully accepted into the Vaishnava society, which he felt to be a necessity. At the same time, he was serious about the injunction to examine the spiritual master's qualifications, and Bipin Bihari Goswami did the same, until Bhaktivinoda "understood him."
All this confirms that at the age of 42, with the vast knowledge that the Thakur had of shastra, etc., along with his extraordinary intellectual capacity, after testing his guru through several years of interchanges by mail, he made this extremely important decision. If he did not take it lightly, then how can we who claim to follow the Thakur take it so lightly? Or worse yet, make a judgement on the intelligence of the Thakur in making this very important decision?
Bipin Bihari Goswami continues:
"Since taking mantra from me, he has liberally supported me and defrayed all my household expenses. From that day on, I have had no further worries about my personal living costs, all thanks to the devotion of this disciple. Yet although he has performed such extensive service, he has never been satisfied and always expresses regret that he is not able to do more to serve his guru. He quotes the scriptures sac-chiṣyair guru-niṣkṛtiḥ—“Good disciples protect the spiritual master from all danger,” and says that he has not been able to fulfill this command. I know it well, for both he and his wife often sincerely express regrets like this.
"Bhagavati Devi is devoted to her husband-guru and engaged in his service with an attitude of pure devotion, just like the goddess Sati is to Shiva. Just as Kedarnath is a great devotee, his wife Bhagavati is also. When they saw the extent of Kedarnath’s devotion and knowledge, the Goswamis of Sripat Baghna Para were very pleased and gave him the title "Bhaktivinoda" along with a certificate. Everyone is aware of this because it was published in the newspaper. Nevertheless, to bring satisfaction to everyone, I reproduce the text of that document here…" [ibid.]
The document is reproduced in full in the Jīvanī along with the Thakur’s response [184-185], which Bipin Bihari Goswami omits. He goes on:
"The many books that Kedar has written on the subject of bhakti are proof of his vast learning in the subject. After much research into the matter, he discovered the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Nabadwip Mayapur. Genuine devotees always sing his glories and only the false renouncers and cheaters criticize him.
"Because he is my disciple, I shall not go on and on, but have only told the essential so that everyone knows [of our relationship]. I bless him that he, his wife, children and grandchildren will all have long life and conduct their affairs for the pleasure of Krishna. May he and his wife always be engaged in the service of Krishna’s lotus feet." [ibid.]
The entire passage is self-explanatory, though the mention of the birthplace is particularly significant, as it shows Bipin Bihari Prabhu's approval for that work as well. The published edition of the book is dated 1907, which is more than fifteen years after the Janmasthan temple had been established. The indication that there were critics is no doubt related to this issue, since the Mayapur location was controversial from the very beginning. Bhaktivinoda himself says as much in his Jīvanī.
"Much envy arose among the people of the modern town of Nabadwip, i.e, Kulia, over the manifestation of Old Nabadwip. There began to be some gossip and a storm of abusive words against the worshipers of Gauranga, but why should those who have offered their life to the lotus feet of Gauranga retreat because of the talk of wicked people? Not paying heed to the talk of worldly-minded, envious people, they continued to make efforts to build a temple and worship the Supreme Lord there." [208-209]
So even if it is true that Bipin Bihari changed his mind later on the Janmasthan issue, it is still clear that in 1907 (1826 Shaka) when Daśa-mūla-rasa was published, he was still on the side of Bhaktivinoda Thakur -- in full knowledge of the oppositional forces -- and as far as we know, supported it right up until the time of the Thakur's disappearance in 1914.
Other articles in the introduction
BVT 1-2 : Invocation and Introduction to the Autobiography
BVT 3 :: Modern Scholarship on Bhaktivinoda Thakur
BVT 4 :: Bhaktivinoda Thaku and his thirst for knowledge.
BVT 5 :: Bhaktivinoda Thakur and Christianity
BVT 6 :: Bhaktivinoda Thakur in Jagannath Puri
BVT 7 :: Bhaktivinoda and the Meat-eating issue
BVT 8 :: Initiation from Bipin Bihari Goswami
BVT 9 :: Bipin Bihari Goswami in the Thakur's Writings
BVT 10 :: Lalita Prasad Thakur
BVT 11 :: Bhaktivinoda Thakur and Sampradaya
BVT 12 :: The Authenticity of the Autobiography
Other articles inspired by the Autobiography:
A Bengali Zamindar's education in the 1840's
Bipin Bihari's testimonial to his best disciple Kedarnath Datta
Longfellow and Bhaktivinoda Thakur's poems
And also,
Hari-nama-cintamani related posts
Siddhi-lalasa
Born 3 Śrāvaṇa of the Bengali year 1357, Bipin Bihari was twelve years Bhaktivinoda’s junior. He was born in the family of Goswamis whose seat is in Baghna Para, situated between Kalna and Nabadwip in the Burdwan district. This center was established by Ramachandra Goswami in around 1600 CE. Ramachandra Goswami or Ramai Thakur was the grandson of Vamsivadanananda Thakur, an associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu identified as Krishna's flute in Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (179), and the adopted son and disciple of Jahnava Thakurani, the wife of Nityananda Prabhu, identified with Srimati Radharani's younger sister, Ananga Manjari (GGD 66).
Vamsivadanananda Thakur was a younger contemporary and friend of Nimai in Nabadwip, a participant in the early sankirtan lila, and entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of Sachi and Vishnupriya when Mahaprabhu took sannyas. He was the one who had the Mahaprabhu Dhameshwar deity carved and his name is carved onto the bottom of the deity’s base. [See Jaiva Dharma, ch. 11)
Married at the age of 13, Bipin Bihari moved to Hooghly district. He became closely involved with the Brahmo Samaj, causing a reaction from other members of the Baghna Para family, who insisted that he move back to Kalna. Bipin Bihari lost both his parents not long afterwards. He had been having trouble applying himself to his education and after their departure he fell into bad company and was about to take a wrong direction in life when a friend of his father’s, Anupam Chandra, set him straight and told him to take up devotion to Krishna. (DMR 1214)
Bipin Bihari then started frequenting the famous Siddha Bhagavan Das Babaji in Kalna, one of the most notable Vaishnavas of the time. Bipin Bihari Goswami’s in-laws lived in Kalna, so it was easy for him to study with his śikṣā-guru. Bhagavan Das was well versed not only in the scriptures but in Baghnapara history and literature also. When Bipin Bihari first came to him to ask for teaching, Bhagavan Das told him to take shelter of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu:
gaura-padāśraẏa binā sad-bhaktira tathya |
keha nāhi pāẏa ei kahilāma satya ||
When he heard this, then Bipin Bihari Goswami took shelter of the family deities, meaning not only the deities of Krishna and Balaram established by Ramai Thakur in the Baghnapara temple, but the entire family devotional tradition.
śikṣā ārambhaṇa kāle bābājī āmāẏa |
kahilā tomāra katha kahiba tomāẏa ||
muñi tuẏā śikṣā-dātā ha ite nā pāri |
tomāẏa tomāra bastu diba hṛd ughāri ||
The point here is that since Bipin Bihari Goswami was from a noble Vaishnava family, being kulīna Chattopadhyaya brāhmaṇas besides, Bhagavan Das followed the etiquette of the sampradāya and did not presume to be his student’s superior.
"In this way I studied with Bhagavan Das Babaji for nine years, learning about bhajan in according with the approved methods. Sometimes I would go to Nabadwip and visit Siddha Chaitanya Das Babaji. I would discuss the siddhāntas related to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and I would return to my home in a joyful mood." (DMR 1215)
Chaitanya Das Babaji was renowned as a worshiper in the Gauranga Nagara mood. His samadhi is at the temple of Dhameshwar Mahaprabhu. According to his biographers, Bhagavan Das also shared the same mood, though it does not seem to have been the case with Bipin Bihari, though here he expresses joy at associating with and hearing about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu from a prominent Gaura Nagara.
After his studies with Bhagavan Das, Bipin Bihari Goswami began writing almost immediately and submitted articles on Gaudiya Vaishnavism to various magazines both in Bengali (Prema-pracāriṇī, Saṁvāda-pūrṇa-candrodaya) and English (The Education Gazette). He started to speak publicly on the Bhāgavatam, finding a sponsor in Rakhal Das Sorkar who helped him publish his first book, Hari-nāmāmṛta-sindhu. The king of Burdwan, Mehtab Chand (1820-1879), saw the book and invited Bipin Bihari Goswami to lecture on the Bhāgavatam at the palace, which made it possible for him to make disciples and establish himself further. Aftab Chand, Mehtab Chand’s successor, also regularly invited him to the Burdwan palace.
Kedarnath Dutt and his wife both took initiation from Bipin Bihari Goswami in 1880, after several years of exchanging letters. Bhaktivinoda Thakur himself summarizes his initiation from his guru in the Jīvanī.
I had been searching for a suitable guru for a long time, but had not found one, so I was feeling disturbed. Whenever I met someone in whom I could have a little faith, when I studied his teachings and character, I would lose whatever little faith I had. I was quite worried, but Prabhu eradicated these worries in a dream. In that dream, I had a hint of what would happen and when morning came, I felt joyful. A day or two later, Gurudeva wrote me a letter saying, "I will come soon and give you initiation." When he came and performed the initiation rituals, I became cheerful. From that day on the sin of meat eating vanished from my heart and I began to feel a little compassion toward all beings. [175]This shows that both Bhaktivinoda Thakur and Bipin Bihari Goswami followed the injunction to examine each other before finalizing the initiation process. He writes in Jaiva Dharma,
"The summary of the above is that when the guru knows the aspiring disciple to be worthy and the disciple knows the guru to be a pure devotee, then does the guru give the disciple his blessings [in the form of initiation." (JD 246)
And again, in Sajjana-toṣaṇī: "According to scripture, the reverend mantra acharyas should give the mantra to a proper candidate if he is qualified. The Hari-bhakti-vilāsa instructs teachers and disciples is that they should examine each other, but currently this is not being followed. Because of that both guru and disciple fall down and along with him a disruption in the disciplic succession is inevitable. " (Śrī-Mahaprabhura sambandhe vitarka, Sajjana-toṣaṇī 4/1)
In the period that followed, Bipin Bihari and Bhaktivinoda cooperated in the publication of the periodical Sajjana-toṣaṇī, which first appeared while the Thakur was living in Narail in 1881 [180]. Many of his articles appeared there, as well as his translation of Viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma.
In January 1885, just before Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's 400th appearance anniversary, Bipin Bihari Goswami arranged for his disciple to be given the title "Bhaktivinoda" in Baghna Para itself in a ceremony at the Baladeva Krishna temple. Bipin Bihari’s affection for his most prominent disciple is made crystal clear in the following extended passage found near the end of Daśamūla-rasa:
"The greatest of my disciples is Bhaktivinoda Sri Kedarnath Dutt, who brings happiness to all hearts. A heroic devotee who is the ornament of the Datta clan, who has gained profuse respect from the servants of the Raj. For three years we exchanged letters from the time he was in Jagannath Puri in which we discussed devotional subjects and in that way he came to understand me. Then he and his wife took initiation from me at an auspicious moment at their residence in Narail. At the time he was the magistrate in Narail, and it was while residing there that he first took shelter of Guru. Now he lives comfortably at 181 Ram Bagan in Calcutta with his government pension, and has fathered his seventh son." (Daśamūla-rasa, 1216-1219)
Bipin Bihari Goswami writes that they exchanged letters for three years, but since Bhaktivinoda Thakur left Puri five years before the initiation in Narail it would indicate that the latter figure is probably more accurate. We have quoted from the Jīvanī the incident in Puri that is sometimes held out as "proof" that Bhaktivinoda did not "need initiation" as he was nitya-siddha. But at the same time that the Thakur was speaking on the Bhāgavatam to the consternation of the orthodox Vaishnava community, he was still seeking to rectify his situation by looking for a guru who would be both acceptable on the basis of siddhānta and moral character. He knew that initiation was a scriptural requirement and that without it he would not be fully accepted into the Vaishnava society, which he felt to be a necessity. At the same time, he was serious about the injunction to examine the spiritual master's qualifications, and Bipin Bihari Goswami did the same, until Bhaktivinoda "understood him."
All this confirms that at the age of 42, with the vast knowledge that the Thakur had of shastra, etc., along with his extraordinary intellectual capacity, after testing his guru through several years of interchanges by mail, he made this extremely important decision. If he did not take it lightly, then how can we who claim to follow the Thakur take it so lightly? Or worse yet, make a judgement on the intelligence of the Thakur in making this very important decision?
Bipin Bihari Goswami continues:
"Since taking mantra from me, he has liberally supported me and defrayed all my household expenses. From that day on, I have had no further worries about my personal living costs, all thanks to the devotion of this disciple. Yet although he has performed such extensive service, he has never been satisfied and always expresses regret that he is not able to do more to serve his guru. He quotes the scriptures sac-chiṣyair guru-niṣkṛtiḥ—“Good disciples protect the spiritual master from all danger,” and says that he has not been able to fulfill this command. I know it well, for both he and his wife often sincerely express regrets like this.
"Bhagavati Devi is devoted to her husband-guru and engaged in his service with an attitude of pure devotion, just like the goddess Sati is to Shiva. Just as Kedarnath is a great devotee, his wife Bhagavati is also. When they saw the extent of Kedarnath’s devotion and knowledge, the Goswamis of Sripat Baghna Para were very pleased and gave him the title "Bhaktivinoda" along with a certificate. Everyone is aware of this because it was published in the newspaper. Nevertheless, to bring satisfaction to everyone, I reproduce the text of that document here…" [ibid.]
The document is reproduced in full in the Jīvanī along with the Thakur’s response [184-185], which Bipin Bihari Goswami omits. He goes on:
"The many books that Kedar has written on the subject of bhakti are proof of his vast learning in the subject. After much research into the matter, he discovered the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Nabadwip Mayapur. Genuine devotees always sing his glories and only the false renouncers and cheaters criticize him.
"Because he is my disciple, I shall not go on and on, but have only told the essential so that everyone knows [of our relationship]. I bless him that he, his wife, children and grandchildren will all have long life and conduct their affairs for the pleasure of Krishna. May he and his wife always be engaged in the service of Krishna’s lotus feet." [ibid.]
The entire passage is self-explanatory, though the mention of the birthplace is particularly significant, as it shows Bipin Bihari Prabhu's approval for that work as well. The published edition of the book is dated 1907, which is more than fifteen years after the Janmasthan temple had been established. The indication that there were critics is no doubt related to this issue, since the Mayapur location was controversial from the very beginning. Bhaktivinoda himself says as much in his Jīvanī.
"Much envy arose among the people of the modern town of Nabadwip, i.e, Kulia, over the manifestation of Old Nabadwip. There began to be some gossip and a storm of abusive words against the worshipers of Gauranga, but why should those who have offered their life to the lotus feet of Gauranga retreat because of the talk of wicked people? Not paying heed to the talk of worldly-minded, envious people, they continued to make efforts to build a temple and worship the Supreme Lord there." [208-209]
So even if it is true that Bipin Bihari changed his mind later on the Janmasthan issue, it is still clear that in 1907 (1826 Shaka) when Daśa-mūla-rasa was published, he was still on the side of Bhaktivinoda Thakur -- in full knowledge of the oppositional forces -- and as far as we know, supported it right up until the time of the Thakur's disappearance in 1914.
Other articles in the introduction
BVT 1-2 : Invocation and Introduction to the Autobiography
BVT 3 :: Modern Scholarship on Bhaktivinoda Thakur
BVT 4 :: Bhaktivinoda Thaku and his thirst for knowledge.
BVT 5 :: Bhaktivinoda Thakur and Christianity
BVT 6 :: Bhaktivinoda Thakur in Jagannath Puri
BVT 7 :: Bhaktivinoda and the Meat-eating issue
BVT 8 :: Initiation from Bipin Bihari Goswami
BVT 9 :: Bipin Bihari Goswami in the Thakur's Writings
BVT 10 :: Lalita Prasad Thakur
BVT 11 :: Bhaktivinoda Thakur and Sampradaya
BVT 12 :: The Authenticity of the Autobiography
Other articles inspired by the Autobiography:
A Bengali Zamindar's education in the 1840's
Bipin Bihari's testimonial to his best disciple Kedarnath Datta
Longfellow and Bhaktivinoda Thakur's poems
And also,
Hari-nama-cintamani related posts
Siddhi-lalasa
Comments
"Move away from enjoying external sense objects, fix one’s mind upon the inner sound, pierce through sprinkling a shower of droplets which moisten one's head; go connect and unite with the light which dispels all darkness."
There is much more to "sac-chiṣyair guru-niṣkṛtiḥ" than first meets the eye; readers would do well to translate this passage even further.