Upadeśa – Song Fourteen

Text 1

mana tumi tīrthe sadā rata
ayodhyā mathurā māyā kāśī kāci abantiyā
dwārabatī āra āche jata

O my heart, you are always eager to visit holy places like Ayodhyā, Mathurā, Māyāpura, Vārāṇasī, Kācipura, Avantipura, and Dvārakā.

Text 2

tumi cāho bhramibāre e sakala bāre bāre
mukti-lābha koribāra tore
se sakala taba bhrama nirarthaka pariśrama
citta sthira tīrthe nāhi kore

To attain liberation you wish to visit all these holy places again and again. O my heart, your visiting them is only useless labor, for you do not become peaceful and determined by all your pilgrimages.

Text 3

tīrtha-phala sādhu-saṅga sādhu-saṅge antaraṅga
śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajana manohara
jathā sādhu tathā tīrtha sthira kori’ nija citta
sādhu-saṅga koro nirantara

The real benefit of holy places is the association of devotees. In the association of devotees please perform the beautiful and secret worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Wherever the devotees stay is a holy place. O my heart, please be peaceful and always associate with the Lord’s devotees.

Text 4

je tīrthe baiṣṇaba nāi se tīrthe nāhi jāi
ki lābha hāṇṭiyā dūra-deśa
jathāya baiṣṇaba-gaṇa sei sthāna bṛndābana
sei sthāne ānanda aśeṣa

I will never visit any holy place where the Vaiṣṇavas do not stay. What will I gain by walking to those far away places? Wherever the Vaiṣṇavas stay, that place is Vṛndāvana. That place is filled with limitless bliss.

Text 5

kṛṣṇa-bhakti jei sthāne mukti dāsī sei-khāne
salila tathāya mandākinī
giri tathā gobardhana bhūmi tathā bṛndābana
ābirbhūta āpani hlādinī

Wherever Lord Kṛṣṇa is worshiped with devotion, the goddess of liberation always stays. The water in that place is the celestial Gaṅgā. The hills are Govardhana. The earth is Vṛndāvana. There the Lord’s pleasure potency personally appears.

Text 6

binoda kohiche bhāi bhramiyā ki phala pāi
baiṣṇaba-sebana mora brata

Bhaktivinoda says: O my brothers, what will I gain by visiting many holy places. My vow is always to serve the Vaiṣṇavas.