Upadeśa – Song Nineteen

Text 1

keno mana kāmere nacāo prema-prāya
carma-māṁsa-moya kāma joḍa-sukha abirāma
joḍa-biṣayete sadā dhāya

O my heart, why, pushed by lust to dance, do you thinṇ you dance in spiritual love? Your desires always go to this body of skin and flesh. You yearn for dull material pleasures without stop. You always chase the objects of the senses.

Text 2

jībera swarūpa dharma cit-swarūpe prema-marma
tāhāra biṣaya-mātra hari
kāma-ābaraṇe hāya prema ebe supta-prāya
prema jāgāo kāma dūra kori’

The soul’s nature is spiritual. In the soul’s heart is pure love (prema), love for Kṛṣṇa alone. Now the soul is covered with lust. Now that original love for Kṛṣṇa sleeps. Chase the lust far away. Waken the spiritual love.

Text 3

śraddhā hoite sādhu-saṅge bhajanera kriyā-raṅge
niṣṭhā-ruci-āsakti-udoya
āsakti hoite bhāba tāhe prema prādurbhāba
ei krame prema upajoya

In the beginning there must be faith. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service. Thereafter one develops taste and attachment. This is the way of sādhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify, and finally there is an awakening of love. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead (prema) for the devotee interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.*

Text 4

ihāte jatana jā’ra sei pāya prema-sāra
krama-tyāge prema nāhi jāge
e-krama-sādhane bhoya keno koro’ durāśoya
kāme prema kabhu nāhi lāge

One who works in this way will attain true spiritual love for Kṛṣṇa. One who rejects these stages will not awaken that love. O wicked heart, why do you fear these stages of sādhana-bhakti? By cultivating lust you will never attain spiritual love.

Text 5

nāṭakābhinoya prāya sa-kapaṭa prema bhāya
tāhe mātra indriya-santoṣa
indriya-toṣaṇa chāra sadā koro’ parihāra
chāro bhāi aparādhā-doṣa

Your cheating so-called spiritual love is only the pretending of an expert actor. It is only sense gratification. Sense gratification is worthless like a pile of ashes. Reject it. O my brother, reject these offenses.