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Shikshashtakam
The Shikshashtakam (IAST: Śikṣāṣṭakam) is a 16th-century Gaudiya Vaishnava Hindu prayer of eight verses composed in the Sanskrit language.
They are the only verses left personally written by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486 – 1534)[1] with the majority of his philosophy being codified by his
primary disciples, known as the Six Goswamis of Vrindavan.[2] The Shikshashtakam is quoted within the Chaitanya Charitamrita,[3] Krishnadasa
Kaviraja Goswami's biography of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, written in Bengali. The name of the prayer comes from the Sanskrit words Śikṣā, meaning
'instruction', and aṣṭaka, meaning 'consisting of eight parts', i.e., stanzas. The teachings contained within the eight verses are believed to contain the
essence of all teachings on Bhakti yoga within the Gaudiya tradition.

Contents
Text
Verse 1
Translation
Verse 2
Translation
Verse 3
Translation
Verse 4
Translation
Verse 5
Translation
Verse 6
Translation
Verse 7
Translation
Verse 8
Translation
Extra verse
Translation
See also
References
External links

Text
The first eight verses of the following are the complete text of the Shikshashtakam, as written in Sanskrit by Sri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. They are found in Krishnadasa Kaviraja's Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita (Antya-līlā,
chapter 20, verses 12, 16, 21, 29, 32, 36, 39 and 47).[4] The final verse is a Bengali quotation from Sri Chaitanya
Charitamrita, Antya-līlā 20.65 - it is not part of the actual Shikshashtakam, but is often appended to the end
when it is recited, describing the result of reciting the Shikshashtakam faithfully.[5][6]

Verse 1

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaḿ

śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaḿ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam

ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaḿ prati-padaḿ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaḿ

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
sarvātma-snapanaḿ paraḿ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-sańkīrtanam

चेतो-दपण-माजनं भव-महा-दावाि -िनवापणं

ेयः -कैरव-च का-िवतरणं िव ा-वधू-जीवनम्

आन ा ुिध-वधनं ित-पदं पूणामृता ादनं

सवा - पनं परं िवजयते ी-कृ -स कीतनम्

Translation

Literal:

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Cleansing the mirror of the heart, mind, and consciousness (citta), extinguishing the great forest fire of material existence, spreading the moonshine
of the lotus of good fortune, the life of the spouse of all knowledge, increasing the ocean of bliss, giving a taste of full nectar (amrita) at each step,
bathing all souls, let there be all victory for the congregational hearing and chanting of the Holy Names of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Verse 2

nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis

tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ

etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi

durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ

ना ामका र ब धा िनज-सव-श स्

त ािपता िनयिमतः रणे न कालः एता शी तव कृपा भगव मािप

दु दवमी शिमहाजिन नानुरागः ॥२॥

Translation

Literal: In your (divine) names manifested various kinds of full potencies (shaktis) therein bestowed, with no rules according to time for
remembering them, O Lord, you are so merciful, but it is my misfortune here that I have no anuraga (interest) in those names.

Verse 3

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror iva sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

तृणादऽिप सुनीचेन

तरोरऽिप सिह ुना अमािनना मानदे न

कीतनीयः सदा ह रः ॥३॥

Translation

Literal:

By considering (self) lower than straw, more tolerant than a tree, giving honour to those devoid honour, always do kirtana of hari.

Verse 4

na dhanaḿ na janaḿ na sundarīḿ

kavitāḿ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye

mama janmani janmanīśvare

bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi

न धनं न जनं न सु रीं

किवतां वा जगदीश कामये मम ज िन ज नी रे

भवताद् भ र् अहै तुकी िय ॥४॥

Translation

Literal:

No wealth, no followers, no beauty or poetic praise desire I; in birth after birth let there be devotion unmotived unto thee o ishvara.
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Alternatively:

O Lord of the Universe, I do not desire wealth, followers, beautiful women, nor the flowery language of the vedas; let me have only causeless
devotion to you, birth after birth.

Verse 5

ayi nanda-tanūja kińkaraḿ

patitaḿ māḿ viṣame bhavāmbudhau

kṛpayā tava pāda-pańkaja-

sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaḿ vicintaya

अिय न -तनुज िक रं

पिततं मां िवषमे भवा ुधौ

कृपया तव पाद-प ज-

थत-धूली-स शं िविच य ॥५॥

Translation

Literal:

o son of nanda, servitor me fallen in venom of ocean of material existence, by your mercy (kripa) consider me as particle of dust at your lotus-feet.

Verse 6

nayanaḿ galad-aśru-dhārayā

vadanaḿ gadgada-ruddhayā girā

pulakair nicitaḿ vapuḥ kadā

tava nāma-grahaṇe bhaviṣyati

नयनं गलद ु-धारया

वदनं ग द- या िगरा पुलकैिनिचतं वपुः कदा

तव-नाम- हणे भिव ित ॥६॥

Translation

Literal:

With eyes flowing tear-streams, voice faltering, words choked, with ecstatic feelings in body, when shall i be able to chant thy (divine) name?

Verse 7

yugāyitaḿ nimeṣeṇa

cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam

śūnyāyitaḿ jagat sarvaḿ

govinda-viraheṇa me

युगाियतं िनमेषेण

च ुषा ावृषाियतम् शू ाियतं जग व गोिव -िवरहे ण मे ॥७॥

Translation

Literal:

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moment comparable to yuga, eyes showering tears, empty appears whole world to me in separation of govinda

Verse 8

āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāḿ pinaṣṭu mām

adarśanān marma-hatāḿ karotu vā

yathā tathā vā vidadhātu lampaṭo

mat-prāṇa-nāthas tu sa eva nāparaḥ

आ वा पाद-रतां िपन टु माम्

अदशना म-हताम्-हतां करोतु वा यथा तथा वा िवदधातु ल टो

म ाण-नाथ ु स एव नापरः ॥८॥

Translation

Literal:

by embracing with enraptment or trampling with feet, or breaking my heart by not granting vision, or flirting here and there as destined, master of
my life is he, verily no other.

Extra verse
This verse follows the 8 verses written by Chaitanya in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta:

prabhura ‘śikṣāṣṭaka’-śloka yei paḍe, śune kṛṣṇe prema-bhakti tāra bāḍe dine-dine

Translation

If anyone recites or hears these eight verses of instruction by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, their ecstatic love and devotion (prema-bhakti) for Kṛṣṇa
increases day by day. [7]

See also
Hare Krishna
Vrindavan
Vaishnavism
Svayam Bhagavan
Radha Krishna
Chaitanya Bhagavata

References
1. Satsvarupa, Dasa Goswami (2005). "Gaura Purnima - Sri Siksastakam - Reflections" (http://sdgonline.org/satsvarupa_dasa_goswami/japa/siksa
stakam). www.iskcon.com. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
2. Gaudiya.com (http://www.gaudiya.com/index.php?topic=history) "Sri Chaitanya is not known to have written anything but a series of verses
known as the Siksastaka, the eight verses of instruction. He requested a select few among his followers, who later came to be known as the Six
Goswamis of Vrindavan, to systematically present in their writings the theology of bhakti he had taught."
3. CC-Al 6.239 (http://vedabase.com/cc/antya/6/239/en1) "One who thinks himself lower than grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who
does not expect personal honor but is always prepared to give respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord."
4. [1] (http://vedabase.com/cc/antya/20/12/en)
5. [2] (http://kksongs.org/songs/c/cetodarpana.html)
6. "Archived copy" (https://web.archive.org/web/20100621225708/http://vedabase.net/cc/antya/20/65/). Archived from the original (http://vedabase.
net/cc/antya/20/65/) on 2010-06-21. Retrieved 2010-05-17.
7. https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/antya/20/65/

External links
Sikshashtaka: Lord Chaitanya's Mission (http://www.vedabase.net/tlc/mission/en1) (vedabase.net)
Shikshashtakam / िश ा कं in English and Devanagari (https://sites.google.com/site/vedicscripturesinc/home/shikshashtakam)
"Sri Siksastakam" (http://sdgonline.org/satsvarupa_dasa_goswami/japa/siksastakam). www.iskcon.com.

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