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.

The first eight verses of the following are the complete text of the Shikshashtakam, as written in Sanskrit by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

सर्वात्म-स्नपनं परं विजयते श्री-कृष्ण-सङ्कीर्तनम्Literal: Glory to the Shri Krishna sankirtana (congregational chanting of the Lord's holy names), which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death.

nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi

कीर्तनीयः सदा हरिः ॥३॥Literal: One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, feeling oneself lower than the straw in the street.

pulakairnicitaṁ vapuḥ kadā tava nāma-grahaṇē bhaviṣyatiनयनं गलदश्रुधारया वदनं गदगदरुद्धया गिरा। पुलकैर्निचितं वपुः कदा तव नाम-ग्रहणे भविष्यति॥६॥Literal: O Lord, when will my eyes be filled with tears of love flowing incessantly as I chant Your holy names?

मत्प्राण-नाथस्तु स एव नापरः ॥८॥Literal: Let Krishna tightly embrace this maidservant who has fallen at His feet, or let Him trample me or break my heart by not appearing before me.