Fifth Period of Devotional Practice (5th Yāma Sādhana)
5th Verse of Śrī Śikṣāṣṭaka
O Nandanandan, in spite of my being your eternal servant, due to predicament of my own deeds, I am drowned in the terrible ocean of births and deaths. Out of compassion kindly think me as dust particle of your Lotus Feet.
Bhaktivinode Thākur’s Bengali hymn (invoking Kṛṣṇa’s grace)
I am your eternal servant. By forgetting you I am entangled by your illusory energy and have been drowned in the ocean of births and deaths. Kindly please consider me as dust particle of your Lotus Feet. I am your eternal servant, engage me in your service.
Śikṣāṣṭaka song five
Indication of afternoon eternal pastimes of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa
I remember such Srīmati Rādhārāni who has returned from Rādhā-kuṇḍa to Jāvaṭ in the afternoon and is engaged for preparing various good dishes of different names— ‘Amṛtkelī’, ‘Karpurkelī’ etc. for presentation to beloved Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Rādhārāni also takes bath nicely, dresses herself with good garments, to satisfy Śrī Kṛṣṇa and very anxiously waits on the path for the return of Kṛṣṇa from pasture and is extremely delighted to see the Lotus Face of Śrī Kṛṣṇa [ It is to be very carefully noted here that whatever Rādhārāni is doing is not to satisfy her or to satisfy other persons, her ultimate target is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa alone. Means is justified by the end.]
Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes in the afternoon— Kṛṣṇa with cows or calves and cowherd boys, returns from the grazing ground of the cows— Braja Dhām and on seeing Rādhārāni on the way, is extremely delighted. [Kṛṣṇa is attracted by the pure love of Rādhārāni.] After returning to the house, Kṛṣṇa meets His father Nanda Mahārāja and other father-like milkmen as well as mother Yaṣodā and other mother-like milkwomen. All gopa-gopīs are extremely delighted to get Kṛṣṇa back and to see Him. Yaṣodā Devi out of affection embraces and cleanses Kṛṣṇa. I remember such Kṛṣṇa in the afternoon.
Lila kirtan five