Shikshashtakam


The Shikshashtakam is a 16th-century Gaudiya Vaishnava Hindu prayer of eight verses composed in the Sanskrit language. They are the only verses left personally written by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with the majority of his philosophy being codified by his primary disciples, known as the Six Goswamis of Vrindavan. The Shikshashtakam is quoted within the Chaitanya Charitamrita, Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami's biography of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, written in Bengali. The name of the prayer comes from the Sanskrit words , meaning 'instruction', and aṣṭaka, meaning 'consisting of eight parts', i.e., stanzas. The teachings contained within the eight verses are believed to contain the essence of all teachings on Bhakti yoga within the Gaudiya tradition.

Text

The first eight verses of the following are the complete text of the Shikshashtakam, as written in Sanskrit by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. They are found in Krishnadasa Kaviraja's Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita. The final verse is a Bengali quotation from Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, Antya-līlā 20.65 - it is not part of the actual Shikshashtakam, but is often appended to the end when it is recited, describing the result of reciting the Shikshashtakam faithfully.

Verse 1

Translation

Literal:
Cleansing the mirror of the heart, mind, and consciousness, extinguishing the great forest fire of material existence, spreading the moonshine of the lotus of good fortune, the life of the spouse of all knowledge, increasing the ocean of bliss, giving a taste of full nectar at each step, bathing all souls, let there be all victory for the congregational hearing and chanting of the Holy Names of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Verse 2

Translation

Literal:
In your names manifested various kinds of full potencies therein bestowed, with no rules according to time for remembering them, O Lord, you are so merciful, but it is my misfortune here that I have no anuraga in those names.

Verse 3

Translation

Literal:
By considering lower than straw, more tolerant than a tree, giving honour to those devoid honour, always do kirtana of hari.

Verse 4

Translation

Literal:
No wealth, no followers, no beauty or poetic praise desire I; in birth after birth let there be devotion unmotived unto thee o ishvara.
Alternatively:
O Lord of the Universe, I do not desire wealth, followers, beautiful women, nor the flowery language of the vedas; let me have only causeless devotion to you, birth after birth.

Verse 5

Translation

Literal:
o son of nanda, servitor me fallen in venom of ocean of material existence, by your mercy consider me as particle of dust at your lotus-feet.

Verse 6

Translation

Literal:
With eyes flowing tear-streams, voice faltering, words choked, with ecstatic feelings in body, when shall i be able to chant thy name?

Verse 7

Translation

Literal:
moment comparable to yuga, eyes showering tears, empty appears whole world to me in separation of govinda

Verse 8

Translation

Literal:
by embracing with enraptment or trampling with feet, or breaking my heart by not granting vision, or flirting here and there as destined, master of my life is he, verily no other.

Extra verse 9

This verse was added to the 8 verses written by Chaitanya.

Translation

If anyone recites or hears these eight verses of instruction by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, their ecstatic love and devotion for Kṛṣṇa increases day by day.