In the first period of devotional practice Bhakti Vinod Thakur has mentioned ‘Sraddha’ firm faith. Without Sraddha bhajan does not begin at all. ‘Sraddha-sabde visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya Krishna bhakti kaile sarva-krama krta haya’ i.e. firm faith that by serving Krishna all duties are accomplished. There should not be any doubt in it. In Kartik Vrat in the First yama itself it has been mentioned that with such firm faith only the second period of devotional practice begins.

Second period of Devotional Practice (2nd Yama Sadhana)

Morning Worship: sādhu saṅge anartha nivṛtti

Gradual procedure, gradual succession or gradual progress in bhajan has been shown in the Second yama.

First starts with sraddha and then association of bona fide sadhus. Sadhu is one who has got one-pointed devotion to Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. By serving Him we serve all, there should not be any doubt in it. This is the original qualification of a sadhu. Actual sadhu is also Guru. A pure devotee, Sadguru is very rare to find. Taking shelter of a bona fide Guru and as per his direction to start bhajan, worship. Amongst all forms of bhajan Nama Sankirtan, Chanting of the Holy Names is the best. By that you remove all ulterior desires. This is the second period you have to practice.

nāma grahaner kālākāla-vicāra nāhi
nāma sarvaśakti samanvitā

There is no restriction of doing Harinam, any time, in any place, in any circumstance, you can do it. In Kali yuga living beings cannot perform meditation, sacrifices or worship of the Deities, often suffering from diseases, and have short span of life. So, Lord showed us a simple way of chanting the Holy Names, at any time, in whichever place. All powers have been given to the Holy Name. With firm belief and from the core of the heart you have to call Supreme Lord. By calling Him you will get all. Just by Nama, it is not at all difficult to please Supreme Lord, just call Him from the core of the heart. When Prahlad asked his asur-friends to do bhajan, the children who are of just 4-5 years said, Lord is so great, what we children can do. ‘na hy acyutam prinayato bahv-ayaso asuratmajah atmavat sarva-bhutanam siddhatvad iha sarvatah’ (SB 7.6.19). To please Supreme Lord is not very difficult. In the material world it is difficult for a husband to please his wife, and for a woman it is difficult to please her husband in spite of much effort whole day long, parents cannot satisfy the children nor the children can satisfy the parents, a big brother cannot please his younger brother. But it is not very difficult to please Supreme Lord because He is very dear and near to us all. In this world we see mothers have much love for their children. But there is some self-interest in such relationship also. Still when a child gives his mother some eatable which he has tasted and got smeared with mud or dirt due to falling on the ground, thinking the child may be displeased mother eats it even when it is not consumable. So also for the Lord all the living entities are dear. So it is not very difficult to please Him, just call Him by His Name, it costs you nothing. ‘paisa kare na pai’ (Srila Bhakti Sarvasva) Nishkinchan Maharaj used to say, to take the Name of the Lord it does not cost you even a paisa. Lord made such easy way and invested all the powers in the Holy Name.

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)

Caitanya Mahaprabhu is expressing His great regret at the sad plight of the conditioned souls of this world. Sri Nandanandan Krishna Supreme Lord Himself accepting the mood of Srimati Radharani appeared (as a devotee) and is giving teachings by offering His prayers to the Lord. O O Supreme Lord! Certainly Your Holy Name bestows all kinds of eternal welfare to the conditioned souls. Your Principal Original Transcendental Names Krishna, Govinda, Gopinath, etc have no direct or indirect (anvaya and vytireka) connection with the non-eternal material world They are from Goloka Vrndavan Dham, and (secondary names like) Brahma, Paramatma, Vishwanath have connection with the material world. Nama is Supreme Lord Himself and in the form of Nama You have descended in this world. And You have invested all powers in these Name and no rules and regulations have been imposed to utter the Holy Name. At any time, in any place, in any situation, one can chant the Names of the Lord. n He will come. So much compassion of Supreme Lord that He made it easy for the conditioned souls to remember and chant Holy Names, but due to tenfold offenses to the Holy Name it is such great misfortune that we have got no liking to chant the Holy Name.

We have been hearing this all the time. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is expressing His extreme regret. Supreme Lord has descended in this world in various Names Original Names, all powerful and there is no restriction in uttering the Name or remembering the Name. Any where, any time, in any circumstance you can do. All power has been given to the Name. Name is more powerful than the Supreme Lord’s Transcendental form, more merciful, compassionate than the Named Transcendental form. Getting this opportunity in the Kaliyuga they have got no aptitude to do Harinam, that is the greatest misfortune and is because of tenfold offenses. They have committed offenses and so have got no liking for doing Harinam.

aneka-lokera vāñchā — aneka-prakāra
kṛpāte karila aneka-nāmera pracāra
khāite śuīte yathā tathā nāma laya

While eating or while lying down chant the Holy Names, there is no restriction.

deśa-kāla-niyama nāhi sarvasiddhi haya,
sarvaśakti nāme dila kariyā vibhāga,
āmāra durdaiva nāme nāhi anurāga
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya 20.17-19)

Here giving evidence from Hari Bhakti Vilas, Bhakti Vinod Thakur has written this song:

ekānta bhaktera mātra kīrtan-smaraṇa,
anya parve ruchi nāhi haya pravartana,
bhāvera sahita haya śrīkṛṣṇa-sevana,
svārasikī-bhāva krame haya uddīpana

The quality of a pure devotee, Suddha Bhakta is ‘mayy ananya bhavena bhaktim kurvanti ye drdham’ (SB 3.25.22). This is his original quality. Such a pure devotee has got liking to perform devotion of chanting and remembering Sri Krishna (kirtan and smaran). He does not have liking for any other form of devotion, he cannot be persuaded or forced by rules to change his taste. Even when engaged in other forms of devotion, he continues to perform chanting of the Holy Names alongside. Nama Kirtan is in itself Lord’ direct service. Name and the Named (Nama and Nami) are non-different. A pure devotee chants the Holy Names of the Lord always, even while cooking. Forgetting the Lord we have come to this world. Name and Named are non-different. ‘atah Sri Krishna namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaiah.’ A conditioned soul cannot chant the Holy Names of the Lord with the materially contaminated senses. It will self-manifest on spiritually service inclined senses. When one is inclined to serve, there should be desire to serve, that serving mood is necessary to get the grace of Supreme Lord. Then the Supreme Lord will descend, His Name is also transcendental, the transcendental Name, the Deity and the transcendental Form are the same.

We have heard Pujyapad Bharati Maharaj speak about the teachings before chanting of the verse ‘Ceto darpana marjanam’. When we write letters and articles we begin with the words ‘Sri Sri Guru Gaurango Jayatah’ all glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga. But here our Param Gurudev Bhakti Siddhantha Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupad wrote in his explanation of the first verse of Sikshastaka ‘Sri Krishna Kirtanaya Namah’. We can make obeisances to a person, how one can bow down to ‘Krishna Kirtan’? ‘Sri Krishnaya Namah’, ‘Sri Ramaya Namah’, ‘Sri Narayanaya Namah’ are easy to understand, but how to understand ‘Sri Krishna Kirtanaya Namah’. It seems to be absurd. He is indicating by his words that ‘Krishna Kirtan’ and ‘Krishna’ are both identical, non-different. If we think they are different then we cannot chant Lord’s Name. ‘Sri Krishna Kirtanaya Namah’ and ‘Sri Krishnaya Namah’ are one and the same. So before his explanation on the first verse ‘ceto darpan marjanam’ he gave this teaching that Sri Krishna, His Name, and His Nama Kirtan are all one and the same, all are direct association of the Lord. Every one has no such realization, no eligibility. In the material world sound and the thing indicated by the sound are not the same. By uttering the word ‘fire, fire’ our tongue does not burn and by uttering ‘water, water’ our thirst is not quenched. By uttering words ‘rice, dal’ or ‘kadi, chawal’ will our stomach fill? They are different, by sound a thing is indicated. We need to eat the thing, sound is not the thing in this material world. This we can comprehend. But Lord’s Name is not like this. Lord is Complete Reality, Purna-vastu, Purna Brahma and He and His Name are non-different, there is no obstacle between them (vyavadhan). The Name is the Named, so there is direct contact. So who can do Sri Krishna Kirtan? He has written ‘Sri Krishna Sankirtanakari Gurudev ka jaya ho!!’ meaning Sadguru, suddha bhakta Sri Gurudeva only can actually utter the Name of Krishna, we cannot do. So we pray for His grace to chant the Holy Names. Not every one can do kirtan. Next line: ‘Sri Krishna Kirtanakari Gurudev ki Jaya ho!!’ And who is Caitanya Mahaprabhu? He is Sri Krishna Kirtana Vigraha. He wrote this. By Sri Krishna Sankirtan and chanting of Gauranga’s Name we get contact with Him in person. So this is the experience of a pure devotee and so it is said, he has no taste or liking for any form of devotion other than chanting of the Holy Names and Remembrance of the Lord, i.e. kirtan and smaran which is inclusive of all limbs of devotion.

bhāvera sahita haya śrīkṛṣṇa-sevana,
svārasikī-bhāva krame haya uddīpana

When there is love relation then there is seva. There should be delightful relation of love with the Lord. It is called stayi bhava, which is permanent, not changing like sometimes shanta rasa, some time dasya, some time in sakhya, etc. In such a state they serve Lord inspired by pure love, they beg for seva and serve. If they do not get seva, they are unhappy. And we are like if we get seva we feel lightning has struck and we will die. There without getting seva they feel lightening has struck. Just the opposite, they think our whole life is useless, wasted. They serve day and night but think we are not doing anything. And we, if we do some service occasionally like cooking we say we did so much, how much more can I do? The same person if goes into the outside world, enters family life, he will work day and night, serve his wife and children, work in the shop to earn living, cooking at home if wife is sick, shopping, everything. Then he is able to do so much work, why, because he has love there. And the same person if comes to the math he cannot serve so and thinks I will die if have to serve whole day because he has no love here. When there is love, he will not feel anything in spite of working day and night and thinks I have not served at all, always he feels deficit because through the medium of seva he has association of the Object of Worship Krishna, Krishna’s devotee. They are not objects of sense enjoyment.

sarva tyāga karile o chārā sukaṭhina,
pratiṣṭhāśātyāge yatna payibe praviṇa

We can give up everything, but to give up desire for name and fame is difficult. But till it is given up bhakti is not possible. This is the most dangerous thing and so it is said to give up this desire is very difficult. When this desire for name and fame is not fulfilled, satisfied, it gives rise to anger within and the intelligence to judge what is good and bad, what is superior and inferior (laghu, guru) is destroyed. Desire for wealth and women is bad, all know and who does, he regrets his mistakes, is humbled and rectifies himself. But where there is desire for prestige, name and fame there is lack of humility and as a result chances of his committing offenses at the lotus feet of Guru and sadhus more. And by offenses all Bhakti is destroyed. Our Param Gurudev called ‘pratishta’ as pig’s stool ‘suvar ka vista’. A pig eats human stool and so said stool’s stool, so condemned. A devotee objected to Parama Pujyapad Sridhar Dev Gosvami Maharaj why he used such a word for ‘desire for prestige’ and he replied, I did not find a worst word than this so used that word.

prabhate gabhīra rātre madhyāhne sandhyāye,
anartha chāriyā lao nāmera āśraya

Always do Harinama but giving up ulterior desires. Target should not be any other thing except service of Krishna. If there is any other target then that is not bhajan. I do lot of bhajan, I will read Srimad Bhagavatam for you but I take thousand rupees. Then it is kirtan for money. In Chandigarh heard that one speaker asked for ten thousand rupees. Such katha is money-katha.

Hari katha should be done for the satisfaction of Krishna. Does Lord lack anything? He is Purna Vastu, Complete Reality, He is the Lord of infinite Universes (brahmandas), He is the possessor of All-wealth. What katha you will do taking money for it? When one speaks with ulterior desires Lord does not accept his offerings. One who speaks Hari katha for the pleasure of Krishna he does not demand any money.

ei rūpe kīrtana smaraṇa jei kare,
kṛṣṇa-kṛpā haya śigrha, anāyāse tare

If kirtan is performed in this manner then one will get the grace of Krishna. When one tries to perform kirtan sincerely, without deceit, he may have shortcomings in him but not deceit, then he becomes eligible for Guru Vaishnavas’ grace. One who is deceitful does not want grace, he does for other ulterior motives, he will remain deprived. Simple-hearted persons who perform bhajan but have deficiencies and weaknesses and are unhappy because of it, then Lord and His devotees stand at their back and help them.

śraddhā kari’ sādhu sange kṛṣṇa-nāma laye,
anartha sakala jāye niṣṭhā upajaye

With firm faith and in the association of sadhus you should do Krishna Nama, then all other ulterior desires will be removed and your mind will be concentrated on the Object of Worship(nishta). When the heart is purified then you will get the eligibility to think and meditate on the pastimes of the Lord.

prātaḥakāle nityalīlā karibe cintana,
cintite cintite bhāvera haibe sadhana

Only in a purified heart which is nirgun, transcendental, can the Lord’s transcendental pastimes be meditated upon. Everything can be attained by the study and following of Sikshastaka.

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)

RadhaKrishna are our Worshipable Lords. Radharani serves Krishna all the time in all respects. We are worshiping RadhaKrishna but do not have inclination to serve, so what bhajan are we doing? Whose worship we do, their qualities, their service inclination will come to us.

In the morning Radharani takes bath and adorning Herself in fine beautiful clothes and ornaments which are pleasing to Krishna, comes to Nandagrama being called by Yashoda Devi. Yashoda Devi herself can cook, she also desires to cook. But she has great affection for her son, she sees Krishna as her son, this is vraja bhav. She has so much attachment for her son. When Yashoda Mayya heard that Radharani has blessings of Durvasa Rsi being pleased by her service, that those who eat the food prepared by her their life span will increase. She desires that if I serve my son food prepared by Radharani then my child’s life span will increase, so she calls Radharani. Radharani comes along with gopis. We people are learned scholars (tattvajna vyakti) and we go to Nandagram and tell ‘Yashoda Devi, what you think of Krishna, you have no knowledge of Krishna tattva, Krishna is Complete Reality, Supreme Lord Himself. To increase His life span you call Radharani to cook and feed Him with the food prepared by her. If we go to speak to her like this, we will not attain Vraja prema, we will not get the grace of Yashoda Devi and Nanda Maharaj. In Vraja bhava the vraj vasis do not see Krishna as Supreme Lord, His friends see Him as their companion, friend, see themselves as His equals. Here Radharani and gopis all engage in service of cooking. In seva there is great bliss and in between get contact and glimpses of Krishna. They serve Krishna with great love and so whatever they prepare Krishna likes them very much. Radharani cooks very well. Later Yashoda Devi feeds Krishna and His remnant prasad is relished by Radharani and Her sakhis. This is Radharani’s pastimes. We take shelter of such Radharani so that we also serve following her footsteps. If when we get seva we feel lightning has struck us and we fall down to the ground, then there is no point in coming to Gaudiya Math.

And Krishna also serves His devotees in the same mood and intensity as they do to Him. He repeatedly sleeps and wakes up, sleeps and wakes up, this way He makes His devotees dance. After awakening pastimes at the grove (kunja-bhaga lila) He comes home and sleeps. He comes home hidingly so that Nanda Baba does not get a clue of it, otherwise He will be in difficulty. And He wakes up in the morning and then Nanda Maharaj Yashoda Mayya are happy and pleased. Though the pastime is very elaborate, here it is mentioned in brief. There Krishna acts in such ways that everyone gets eager to serve Him. They have great desire to serve Him and so He plays many pastimes. To give seva to that female monkey, Krishna kept His eyes closed and acted asleep. Till she got orders to serve, Krishna decides I will not open My eyes. Here also Krishna is sleeping and all His principal cow-herd friends (gwal-bal) come and tell it is time now, please wake up, we have to go for milking the cows. Madhumangal also coaxed Him to get up. Then He woke up and again acting drowsy goes back to sleep. Oh what a difficult situation! Even Lord feels sleepy like us! (We think) if Lord feels like this, then it is but natural that we also feel so. They are tired after trying so much and go to Yashoda Devi and report that it is very difficult to awaken Krishna, He gets up and goes to sleep again. Yashoda Devi comes and tries to wake Him up but to no avail. Then Paurnamani comes to the scene and speaks very convincingly to Krishna and He wakes up. So why was Krishna playing so many tricks? Like others Paurnamasi also desired to serve Krishna. Thus He gives service to all. Later Krishna goes to milk the cows. There cows are always hankering for the touch and glimpse of Krishna, they are full of affection for Him and upon seeing Him milk flows from their udders even before milking. They are satisfied by the touch and darshan of Krishna. After returning from cowshed even before Yashoda Devi prepares to give bath to Krishna alone, His friends call out without waiting even a moment ‘Oh Kannaiah, Oh kannaiah, let us have bath together’. After bathing together they all sit down for breakfast. Krishna loves to eat with His friends on the banks of the river (Pulina bhojan). Yashoda mata feeds them all. We take shelter of such Krishna.