Nectar of Instruction
Text One
वाचो वेगं मनसः क्रोधवेगं जिह्वावेगम- ुदरोपस्थवे- गम् ।
एतान्वेगा- न्यो विषहेत धीरः सर्वामपीमा- ं पृथिवीं स शिष्यात् ॥ १ ॥
vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁ
jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam
etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ
sarvām apīmāṁ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt
~वह धीर व्यक्ति जो वाणी के वेग को, मन की माँग को, क्रोध की क्रियाओं को तथा जीभ, उदर एवं जननेन्द्रि- यों के वेग को सहन कर सकता है, वह सारे संसार में शिष्य बनाने के लिए योग्य है।
~A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind’s demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world.
Text Two:
अत्याहारः प्रयासश्च प्रजल्पो नियमाग्रहः- ।
जनसङ्गश्च- लौल्यं च षड्भिर्भक्- तिर्विनश्य- ति ॥ २ ॥
~जब कोई निम्नलिखत छह क्रियाओं में अत्यधिक लिप्त हो जाता है, तो उसकी भक्ति विनष्ट हो जाती है (१) आवश्यकता से अधिक खाना या आवश्यकता से अधिक धन-संह करना। (२) उन सांसारिक वस्तुओं हेतु उद्यम करना, जिनको प्राप्त करना अत्यंत कठिन है । (३) सांसारिक विषयों के बारे में अनावश्यक बात करना। (४) शास्त्रीय विधिविधानो- ं का आध्यात्मिक- उन्नति के नहीं अपितु केवल नाम के लिए अभ्यास करना या शास्त्रों के विधिविधानो- ं को त्याग कर स्वतंत्रता- पूर्वक या मनमाना कार्य करना। (५) ऐसे सांसारिक विद्वानों की संगति करना जो कृणभावनामृ- त में रुचि नहीं रखते, तथा (६) सांसारिक उपलब्धियों- के लिए लालायित रहना।
atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca
prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ
jana-saṅgaś ca laulyaṁ ca
ṣaḍbhir bhaktir vinaśyati
One’s devotional service is spoiled when he becomes too entangled in the following six activities: (1) eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than required; (2) over-endeavoring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain; (3) talking unnecessarily about mundane subject matters; (4) practicing the scriptural rules and regulations only for the sake of following them and not for the sake of spiritual advancement, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the scriptures and working independently or whimsically; (5) associating with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness; and (6) being greedy for mundane achievements.
Text Three:
उत्साहान्न- िश्चयाद्धै- र्यात्तत्त- त्कर्मप्रव- र्तनात् ।
सङ्गत्याग- ात्सतो वृत्तेः षड्भिर्भक्- तिः प्रसिध्यति- ॥ ३ ॥
utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt
tat-tat-karma-pravart- anāt
saṅga-tyāgāt sato vṛtteḥ
ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati
There are six principles favorable to the execution of pure devotional service: (1) being enthusiastic, (2) endeavoring with confidence, (3) being patient, (4) acting according to regulative principles [such as śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam – hearing, chanting and remembering Kṛṣṇa], (5) abandoning the association of nondevotees, and (6) following in the footsteps of the previous ācāryas. These six principles undoubtedly assure the complete success of pure devotional service.
Text Four:
ददाति प्रतिगृह्ण- ाति गुह्यमाख्य- ाति पृच्छति ।
भुङ्क्ते भोजयते चैव षड्विधं प्रीतिलक्ष- णम् ॥ ४ ॥
~दान में उपहार देना, दान-स्वरूप- उपहार स्वीकार करना, विश्वास में आकर अपने मन की बात काट करना, गोपनीय ढंग से पूछना, प्रसाद ग्रहण करना तथा साथ में अर्पित करना - भक्तों के आपस में व्यवहार ये भक्तो के छह लक्षण हैं ।
dadāti pratigṛhṇāti
guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati
bhuṅkte bhojayate caiva
ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ prīti-lakṣaṇam
Offering gifts in charity, accepting charitable gifts, revealing one’s mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially, accepting prasāda and offering prasāda are the six symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another.
Text Five:
कृष्णेति यस्य गिरि तं मनसाद्रिये- त दीक्षास्ति- चेत्प्रणति- भिश्च भजन्तमीशम्- ।
शुश्रूषया- भजनविज्ञमन- न्यमन्यनिन- ्दादिशून्य- हृदमीप्सित- सङ्गलब्ध्य- ा ॥ ५ ॥
kṛṣṇeti yasya giri taṁ manasādriyeta
dīkṣāsti cet praṇatibhiś ca bhajantam īśam
śuśrūṣayā bhajana-vijñam ananyam anya-
nindādi-śūnya-hṛdam īpsita-saṅga-labdhyā
One should mentally honor the devotee who chants the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, one should offer humble obeisances to the devotee who has undergone spiritual initiation [dīkṣā] and is engaged in worshiping the Deity, and one should associate with and faithfully serve that pure devotee who is advanced in undeviated devotional service and whose heart is completely devoid of the propensity to criticize others.
Text Six:
दृष्टैः स्वभावजनित- ैर्वपुषश्च- दोषैर्न प्राकृतत्व- मिह भक्तजनस्य पश्येत् ।
गङ्गाम्भस- ां न खलु बुद्बुदफेन- पङ्कैर्ब्र- ह्मद्रवत्व- मपगच्छति नीरधर्मैः ॥ ६ ॥
dṛṣṭaiḥ svabhāva-janitair vapuṣaś ca doṣair
na prākṛtatvam iha bhakta-janasya paśyet
gaṅgāmbhasāṁ na khalu budbuda-phena-paṅkair
brahma-- dravatvam apagacchati nīra-dharmaiḥ
Being situated in his original Kṛṣṇa conscious position, a pure devotee does not identify with the body. Such a devotee should not be seen from a materialistic point of view. Indeed, one should overlook a devotee’s having a body born in a low family, a body with a bad complexion, a deformed body, or a diseased or infirm body. According to ordinary vision, such imperfections may seem prominent in the body of a pure devotee, but despite such seeming defects, the body of a pure devotee cannot be polluted. It is exactly like the waters of the Ganges, which sometimes during the rainy season are full of bubbles, foam and mud. The Ganges waters do not become polluted. Those who are advanced in spiritual understanding will bathe in the Ganges without considering the condition of the water.
Text Seven:
स्यात् कृष्णनामचर- ितादिसिताप- ्यविद्यापि- त्तोपतप्तर- सनस्य न रोचिका नु ।
किन्त्वाद- रादनुदिनं खलु सैव जुष्टा स्वाद्वी क्रमाद्भवत- ि तद्गदमूलहन- ्त्री ॥ ७ ॥
syāt kṛṣṇa-nāma-caritādi-si- tāpy avidyā-
pittopatapta-rasanasya- na rocikā nu
kintv ādarād anudinaṁ khalu saiva juṣṭā
svādvī kramād bhavati tad-gada-mūla-hantrī
The holy name, character, pastimes and activities of Kṛṣṇa are all transcendentally sweet like sugar candy. Although the tongue of one afflicted by the jaundice of avidyā [ignorance] cannot taste anything sweet, it is wonderful that simply by carefully chanting these sweet names every day, a natural relish awakens within his tongue, and his disease is gradually destroyed at the root.
Text Eight:
तन्नामरूपच- रितादिसुकी- र्तनानुस्म- ृत्योः क्रमेण रसनामनसी नियोज्य ।
तिष्ठन्व्- रजे तदनुरागिजन- ानुगामी कालं नयेदखिलमित- ्युपदेशसार- म् ॥ ८ ॥
tan-nāma-rūpa-caritādi-s- ukīrtanānu-
smṛtyoḥ krameṇa rasanā-manasī niyojya
tiṣṭhan vraje tad-anurāgi-janānugāmī
kāl- aṁ nayed akhilam ity upadeśa-sāram
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.
Text Nine:
वैकुण्ठाज्- जनितो वरा मधुपुरी तत्रापि रासोत्सवाद- ्वृन्दारण्- यमुदारपाणि- रामणात्तत्- रापि गोवर्धनः ।
राधाकुण्ड- मिहापि गोकुलपतेः प्रेमामृता- प्लावनात्क- ुर्यादस्य विराजतो गिरितटे सेवां विवेकी न कः ॥ ९ ॥
vaikuṇṭhāj janito varā madhu-purī tatrāpi rāsotsavād
vṛndāraṇyam udāra-pāṇi-ramaṇāt tatrāpi govardhanaḥ
rādhā-kuṇḍa- m ihāpi gokula-pateḥ premāmṛtāplāvanāt
kuryād- asya virājato giri-taṭe sevāṁ vivekī na kaḥ
The holy place known as Mathurā is spiritually superior to Vaikuṇṭha, the transcendental world, because the Lord appeared there. Superior to Mathurā-purī is the transcendental forest of Vṛndāvana because of Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa-līlā pastimes. And superior to the forest of Vṛndāvana is Govardhana Hill, for it was raised by the divine hand of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and was the site of His various loving pastimes. And, above all, the superexcellent Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa stands supreme, for it is overflooded with the ambrosial nectarean prema of the Lord of Gokula, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Where, then, is that intelligent Person who is unwilling to serve this divine Rādhā-kuṇḍa, which is situated at the foot of Govardhana Hill?
Text Ten:
कर्मिभ्यः परितो हरेः प्रियतया व्यक्तिं ययुर्ज्ञान- िनस्तेभ्यो- ज्ञानविमुक- ्तभक्तिपरम- ाः प्रेमैकनिष- ्ठास्ततः ।
तेभ्यस्ता- ः पशुपालपङ्क- जदृशस्ताभ्- योऽपि सा राधिका प्रेष्ठा तद्वदियं तदीयसरसी तां नाश्रयेत्क- ः कृती ॥ १० ॥
karmibhyaḥ parito hareḥ priyatayā vyaktiṁ yayur jñāninas
tebhyo jñāna-vimukta-bhakti-paramā- ḥ premaika-niṣṭhās tataḥ
tebhyas tāḥ paśu-pāla-paṅkaja-dṛśas- tābhyo ’pi sā rādhikā
preṣṭhā tadvad iyaṁ tadīya-sarasī tāṁ nāśrayet kaḥ kṛtī
In the śāstra it is said that of all types of fruitive workers, he who is advanced in knowledge of the higher values of life is favored by the Supreme Lord Hari. Out of many such people who are advanced in knowledge [jñānīs], one who is practically liberated by virtue of his knowledge may take to devotional service. He is superior to the others. However, one who has actually attained prema, pure love of Kṛṣṇa, is superior to him. The gopīs are exalted above all the advanced devotees because they are always totally dependent upon Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the transcendental cowherd boy. Among the gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the most dear to Kṛṣṇa. Her kuṇḍa [lake] is as profoundly dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa as this most beloved of the gopīs. Who, then, will not reside at Rādhā-kuṇḍa and, in a spiritual body surcharged with ecstatic devotional feelings [aprākṛta-bhāva], render loving service to the Divine Couple Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, who perform Their aṣṭa-kālīya-līlā, Their eternal eightfold daily pastimes. Indeed, those who execute devotional service on the banks of Rādhā-kuṇḍa are the most fortunate people in the universe.
Text Eleven:
कृष्णस्योच- ्चैः प्रणयवसतिः- प्रेयसीभ्य- ोऽपि राधा कुण्डं चास्या मुनिभिरभित- स्तादृगेव व्यधायि ।
यत्प्रेष्- ठैरप्यलमसु- लभं किं पुनर्भक्ति- भाजां तत्प्रेमेद- ं सकृदपि सरः स्नातुरावि- ष्करोति ॥ ११ ॥
kṛṣṇasyoccaiḥ praṇaya-vasatiḥ preyasībhyo ’pi rādhā
kuṇḍaṁ cāsyā munibhir abhitas tādṛg eva vyadhāyi
yat preṣṭhair apy alam asulabhaṁ kiṁ punar bhakti-bhājāṁ
tat premedaṁ sakṛd api saraḥ snātur āviṣkaroti
Of the many objects of favored delight and of all the lovable damsels of Vraja-bhūmi, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is certainly the most treasured object of Kṛṣṇa’s love. And, in every respect, Her divine kuṇḍa is described by great sages as similarly dear to Him. Undoubtedly Rādhā-kuṇḍa is very rarely attained even by the great devotees; therefore it is even more difficult for ordinary devotees to attain. If one simply bathes once within those holy waters, one’s pure love of Kṛṣṇa is fully aroused.
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is conducted under the supervision of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. The Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, or Bengali Vaiṣṇavas, are mostly followers of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, of whom the Six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana are direct disciples. Therefore Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung:
rūpa-raghunātha-pade ha-ibe ākuti
kabe hāma bujhaba se yugala-pīriti
“When I am eager to understand the literature given by the Gosvāmīs, then I shall be able to understand the transcendental loving affairs of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in order to bestow upon human society the benediction of the science of Kṛṣṇa. The most exalted of all the activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa are His pastimes of conjugal love with the gopīs. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in the mood of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, the best of the gopīs. Therefore, to understand the mission of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and follow in His footsteps, one must very seriously follow in the footsteps of the Six Gosvāmīs – Śrī Rūpa, Sanātana, Bhaṭṭa Raghunātha, Śrī Jīva, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa and Dāsa Raghunātha.
Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī was the leader of all the Gosvāmīs, and to guide our activities he gave us this Upadeśāmṛta (The Nectar of Instruction) to follow. As Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu left behind Him the eight verses known as Śikṣāṣṭaka, Rūpa Gosvāmī gave us Upadeśāmṛta so that we may become pure Vaiṣṇavas.
In all spiritual affairs, one’s first duty is to control his mind and senses. Unless one controls his mind and senses, one cannot make any advancement in spiritual life. Everyone within this material world is engrossed in the modes of passion and ignorance. One must promote himself to the platform of goodness, sattva-guṇa, by following the instructions of Rūpa Gosvāmī, and then everything concerning how to make further progress will be revealed.
Advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness depends on the attitude of the follower. A follower of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should become a perfect gosvāmī. Vaiṣṇavas are generally known as gosvāmīs. In Vṛndāvana, this is the title by which the director of each temple is known.
One who wants to become a perfect devotee of Kṛṣṇa must become a gosvāmī. Go means “the senses,” and svāmī means “the master.” Unless one controls his senses and mind, one cannot become a gosvāmī. To achieve the highest success in life by becoming a gosvāmī and then a pure devotee of the Lord, one must follow the instructions known as Upadeśāmṛta, which have been given by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has given many other books, such as Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Vidagdha-mādhava and Lalita-mādhava, but Upadeśāmṛta constitutes the first instructions for neophyte devotees. One should follow these instructions very strictly. Then it will be easier to make one’s life successful. Hare Kṛṣṇa!
(Courtesy: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada)
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