Second Period of Devotional Practice

Morning Worship-sādhu saṅge anartha nivṛtti

Association of Sadhus, taking shelter of Sadguru and as per his direction to do bhajan, by bhajan to remove all ulterior desires.

nāma grahaner kālākāla-vicāra nāhi
nāma sarvaśakti samanvitā

nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis
tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ
etādṛśi tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi
durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ
(2rd Verse of Sri Shikshastaka)

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, seeing the condition of the conditioned souls of this world, is expressing great regret ‘O Supreme Lord! Your Holy Name bestows all kinds of eternal welfare to the conditioned souls. For that reason, You have expanded Yourself in Your Principal Holy Names such as Krishna, Govinda, Gopinath, etc. In every Name You have invested all powers and for utterance and remembrance of them no restrictions regarding time, space have been imposed. O Lord! You are so merciful to the conditioned souls that out of compassion You have made easy for the conditioned souls to remember and chant Holy Names, but due to my tenfold offenses and my greatest misfortune I have got no liking for Holy Name which has been made so easily obtainable’.

aneka-lokera vāñchā — aneka-prakāra
kṛpāte karila aneka-nāmera pracāra
khāite śuīte yathā tathā nāma laya,
deśa-kāla-niyama nāhi sarvasiddhi haya,
sarvaśakti nāme dila kariyā vibhāga,
āmāra durdaiva nāme nāhi anurāga
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya 20.17-19)

A pure devotee who has got one-pointed devotion to Lord has got liking only to perform devotion of chanting and remembering Sri Krishna (i.e. kirtan and smaran). He has not taste to perform any other form of devotion. He serves Krishna with delightful relation of love, giving up all desires for wealth, women and name and fame (pratishta). The aspirant will utter the Name of Krishna in the company of bonafide sadhus with firm faith. Then all ulterior desires will be removed. Simultaneously he will think about the eternal pastimes of RadhaKrishna.

prātaḥakāle nityalīlā karibe cintana,
cintite cintite bhāvera haibe sadhana

Morning pastimes of Radha-Krishna

rādhāṁ snāta-vibhūṣitāṁ vrajapayāhūtāṁ sakhībhiḥ prage
tad-gehe vihitānna-pāka-racanāṁ kṛṣṇāvaśeṣanām
kṛṣṇaṁ buddham avāpta-ḍhenu-sadanaṁ nirvyūḍha-go-dohanaṁ
susnātaṁ kṛta-bhojanaṁ saha-caraistaṁ cātha tāṁ cāśrye
(Sri Govinda-lilamrta)

In the morning, being called by Yashoda Devi, Radharani comes along with Her confidentes (sakhis) from Javat to cook. Early morning She takes bath and decorates Herself in beautiful clothes and ornaments which are pleasing for Sri Krishna and comes along with Her Sakhis to Nandagram. She gets fully engaged in preparing various dishes for Sri Krishna and after Krishna takes food, She honors the remnants with great satisfaction. This is Radharani’s pastimes. This time we take shelter of Her.

And in the morning Krishna wakes up. Then He goes with His sakhas to milk the cows. Then all of them sit together for breakfast and Yashoda Mayya feeds them.