SRI SRI PREMA-VIVARTA: CHAPTER SIX

The Journey of the Soul

chit-kana jiva, krsna chinmaya bhaskara
nitya-krsna dekhi' krsne karena adara [1]

jiva–The soul [is] chit-kana–a spiritual spark, [and] krsna–Krishna [is] chinmaya bhaskara–the spiritual sun. dekhi'–Seeing nitya-krsna–eternal Krishna, adara karena–the soul adores krsne–Krishna. [1]

The soul is a spiritual spark, and Krishna is the spiritual sun. Seeing eternal Krishna, the soul adores Him.

krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vanchha kare
nikatastha maya tare japatiya dhare [2]

[When] hana–souls become krsna-bahirmukha–averse to Krishna [and] vanchha kare–desire bhoga–enjoyment, nikatastha–nearby maya–Maya japatiya dhare–seizes tare–them. [2]

When souls become averse to Krishna and desire enjoyment, nearby Maya seizes them.

pisachi paile yena mati-chchhanna haya
maya-grasta jivera haya se bhava udaya [3]

pisachi paile–When someone is possessed by a ghost, haya–they become mati-chchhanna–bewildered. se bhava–This condition yena–similarly jivera udaya haya–overtakes souls maya-grasta–bound by Maya. [3]

When someone is possessed by a ghost, they become bewildered. This condition overtakes souls bound by Maya.

"ami nitya krsna-dasa" ei katha bhule
mayara naphara hana chira-dina bule [4]

"ami–I [am] nitya krsna-dasa"–an eternal servant of Krishna." bhule–Forgetting ei–this katha–principle, hana–souls become naphara–slaves mayara–of Maya [and] bule–wander chira-dina–indefinitely. [4]

Forgetting, "I am an eternal servant of Krishna", souls become slaves of Maya and wander indefinitely.

kabhu raja kabhu praja kabhu vipra sudra
kabhu duhkhi kabhu sukhi kabhu kita ksudra [5]

[They are] kabhu–sometimes raja–kings, [and] kabhu–sometimes praja–subjects; kabhu–sometimes vipra–brahmans, [and] kabhu–sometimes sudra–sudras; kabhu–sometimes duhkhi–sad, kabhu–sometimes sukhi–happy, [and sometimes] kita ksudra–insignificant ants. [5]

They are sometimes kings, and sometimes subjects; sometimes brahmans, and sometimes sudras; sometimes sad, sometimes happy, and sometimes insignificant ants.

kabhu svarge, kabhu martye, narake va kabhu
kabhu deva, kabhu daitya, kabhu dasa prabhu [6]

[They are] kabhu–sometimes svarge–in heaven, kabhu–sometimes martye–on earth, kabhu va–and sometimes narake–in hell; kabhu–sometimes deva–gods, [and] kabhu–sometimes daitya–demons; kabhu–sometimes dasa–servants, [and sometimes] prabhu–masters. [6]

They are sometimes in heaven, sometimes on earth, and sometimes in hell; sometimes gods, and sometimes demons; sometimes servants, and sometimes masters.

ei-rupe samsara bhramite kona jana
sadhu-sange nija-tattva avagata hana [7]

bhramite–While wandering samsara–throughout the world ei-rupe–in this way, kona–some jana–souls hana–become avagata–aware nija-tattva–of their true nature sadhu-sange–through association with the sadhus. [7]

While wandering throughout samsara in this way, some souls become aware of their true nature by associating with the sadhus.

nija-tattva jani' ara samsara na chaya
"kena va bhajinu maya" kare haya haya [8]

jani'–Understanding nija-tattva–their true nature, ara chaya na–they no longer desire samsara–the world, [and] haya haya kare–lament, "kena va–"Why bhajinu–have I been serving maya"–Maya?" [8]

Understanding their true nature, they no longer desire samsara, and lament, "Why have I been serving Maya?"

kende bale, "ohe krsna ami tava dasa
tomara charana chhadi' haila sarva-nasa" [9]

kende–Crying, bale–they say, "ohe–O krsna–Krishna! ami–I [am] tava–Your dasa–servant, [but] chhadi'–I have left tomara–Your charana–feet [and] sarva-nasa haila"–became utterly ruined. [9]

Crying, they say, "O Krishna! I am Your servant, but I have left Your feet and become utterly ruined."

krpa kari' krsna tare chhadana samsara
kakuti kariya krsne yadi dake eka-bara [10]

krsna–Krishna krpa kari'–mercifully tare chhadana–causes them to leave samsara–the world yadi–if kakuti kariya–they earnestly [even] eka-bara–once dake–call out krsne–to Krishna. [10]

Krishna mercifully frees souls from samsara if they even once earnestly call out to Him.

mayake pichhane rakhi' krsna-pane chaya
bhajite bhajite krsna-pada-padma paya [11]

mayake pichhane rakhi'–Leaving Maya behind, chaya–souls hanker krsna-pane–for Krishna, [and] bhajite bhajite–by continuously serving [Krishna,] paya–they reach krsna-pada-padma–Krishna's lotus feet. [11]

Leaving Maya behind, souls hanker for Krishna, and by continuously serving Krishna, they reach His lotus feet.

krsna tare dena nija chich-chhaktira bala
maya akarsana chhade ha-iya durbala [12]

krsna–Krishna dena–gives tare–them nija chich-chhaktira bala–the power of His spiritual energy, [and] maya–Maya, durbala ha-iya–becoming powerless, chhade–stops akarsana–attracting [them]. [12]

Krishna gives them His spiritual power, and Maya, becoming powerless, stops attracting them.

sadhu-sange krsna-nama—ei matra chai
samsara jinite ara kona vastu nai [13]

chai–I want matra–only ei–this: [to chant] krsna-nama–the Name of Krishna sadhu-sange–in the association of the sadhus. ara kona vastu nai–There is no other way jinite–to conquer samsara–the world. [13]

I want only to chant the Name of Krishna in the association of the sadhus—there is no other way to conquer samsara.

sakala bharasa chhadi' gora-pade asa
kariya basiya achhe jagai gorara dasa [14]

chhadi'–Giving up sakala–all [other] bharasa–prospects, gorara–Gora's dasa–servant jagai–Jagai basiya achhe–sits asa kariya–hopefully gora-pade–at Gora's feet. [14]

Giving up all other prospects, Gora's servant Jagai sits hopefully at Gora's feet.

Translator's Note
Introduction
In Praise of Sri Sri Prema-vivarta
Sri Sri Prema-vivarta:
1 Invocation of Auspiciousness
2 The Composition of this Book
3 First Obeisances
4 Gaura's Greatness
5 Transformations of Ecstasy in Service
6 The Journey of the Soul
7 The Name is for Everyone
8 Give up Deceit
9 Proper Renunciation
10 Caste and Class
11 The Light of Nabadwip
12 Glories of the Vaisnavas
13 Eagerness to see Sri Gaura
14 Contradictory Transformations
15 Morning Pastimes in Nabadwip
16 What is Love?
17 Different Practices for Different Devotees
18 Sri Ekadasi
19 A Collection of Hidden Truths about the Name
20 The Glories of the Name
+ The Ten Offences to the Holy Name
+ Glossary