Upadeśa – Song Fifteen

Text 1

dekho mana brate jena nā hao ācchanna
kṛṣṇa-bhakti āśā kori’ ācho nānā brata dhori’
rādhā-kṛṣṇe korite prasanna

O my heart, look. Don’t observe many vows. Yearning for direct devotional service, you perform many vows to make Rādha and Kṛṣṇa pleased with you and kind to you.

Text 2

bhakti se sahaja tattwa citte tā’ra āche sattwa
tāhāra samṛddhi taba āśā
dekhibe bicāra kori’ su-kaṭhina brata dhori’
sahajera nā koro bināśa

Desiring to improve the natural devotion in the heart, you observe many hard vows. But be careful you do not destroy that natural devotion.

Text 3

kṛṣṇa-arthe kaya-kleśa tā’ra phala āche śeṣa
kintu tāhā sāmānya nā hoya
bhaktira bādhaka ho’le bhakti āra nāhi phale
tapaḥ-phala hoibe niścoya

Troubling the body with austerities to please Lord Kṛṣṇa, you will attain a result that is not ordinary. But if your austerities are obstacles to devotional service, you will not attain devotion as your result. You will attain only the benefits of austerity.

Text 4

kintu bhebe dekho bhāi tapasyāra kāja nāi
jadi hari ārādhita hana
bhakti jadi nā phalila tapasyāra tuccha phala
baiṣṇaba nā loya kadācana

O my brothers, look. A person who worships Lord Kṛṣṇa need not perform austerities. If they do not lead to devotional service, austerities bring a only a petty result. Vaiṣṇavas never accept those austerities.

Text 5

ihāte je gūḍha marma bujho baiṣṇabera dharma
pātra-bhede adhikāra bhinna
binodera nibedana bidhi-mukta anukhaṇa
sāra-grāhī śrī-kṛṣṇa-prapanna

Please try to understand the secret heart of Vaiṣṇava-dharma. Every person is qualified in a different way. Here is Bhaktivinoda’s request: Turn from the myriad of complicated rules. Accept what is truly important. At every moment surrender to Lord Kṛṣṇa.