Text 21

Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī states in Śrī Manaḥ-śikṣā (7) that one should give up the desire for prestige and the wickedness of deceit and hypocrisy:

प्रतिष्ठाशा धृष्टा श्वपच-रमणी मे हृदि नटेत् कथं साधु-प्रेमा स्पृशति शुचिर् एतन् ननु मनः
सदा त्वं सेवस्व प्रभु-दयित-सामन्तम् अतुलं यथा तां निष्काश्य त्वरितम् इह तं वेशयति सः

pratiṣṭhāśā dhṛṣṭā śvapaca-ramaṇī me hṛdi naṭet kathaṃ sādhu-premā spṛśati śucir etan nanu manaḥ
sadā tvaṃ sevasva prabhu-dayita-sāmantam atulaṃ yathā tāṃ niṣkāśya tvaritam iha taṃ veśayati saḥ

[Why does deceit not go away even after one has given up all material sense enjoyment? This verse has been composed in order to remove this doubt.] O mind, tell me, how can pure divine love appear in my heart (you, O mind, are my heart) as long as the shameless outcaste woman of the desire for prestige is audaciously dancing there? Therefore, without delay remember and serve the immeasurably powerful commanders of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s army, the very dear devotees of the Supreme Lord. They will quickly chase away this outcaste woman and initiate the flow of pure vraja-prema in my heart.

Commentary: Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti:

The desire (āśā) for prestige (pratiṣṭhā ) is called pratiṣṭhāśā. Although all other anarthas may be dispelled, the desire for pratiṣṭhā is not easily removed. The desire for prestige is the root of all anarthas; all kinds of deceit and hypocrisy arise from it and are gradually nourished by it. The svaniṣṭha-sādhaka^[1] is someone who is virtuous, benevolent, sinless, a renounced devotee of the Lord, a learned scholar, and so on. Therefore, as long as the desire for prestige remains in the heart, one is unable to drive away deceit. And until one becomes free from deceit, one cannot obtain immaculate divine love. In other words, if deceit remains, one does not attain prema for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, which is endowed with a sense of great possessiveness (mamatā) and which makes the heart melt.

Service to pure Vaiṣṇavas is the only means to dispel anarthas like wickedness, deceit and hypocrisy. The rays of the hlādinīśakti are to be seen in the hearts of pure Vaiṣṇavas. These rays are transmitted into the heart of a faithful sādhaka, where they dispel these anarthas and manifest vraja-prema. Always serve the immeasurably merciful and powerful commanders of Śrī Nandanandana’s army, His beloved devotees. The embrace of pure Vaiṣṇavas, the dust from their lotus feet, the remnants of their prasāda, the water that has washed their feet, their instructions, and so forth are all fully competent to transmit hlādinī-śakti into the heart.

This is confirmed in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Antya-līlā 16.60–61):

भक्त-पद-धूलि आर भक्त-पद-जल
भक्त-भुक्त-अवशेष,—एइ तिन महा-बल

bhakta-pada-dhūli āra bhakta-pada-jala
bhakta-bhukta-avaśeṣa,—ei tina mahā-bala

एइ तिन-सेवा हैते कृष्ण-प्रेमा हय पुनः
पुनः सर्व-शास्त्रे फुकारिया कय

ei tina-sevā haite kṛṣṇa-premā haya punaḥ
punaḥ sarva-śāstre phukāriyā kaya

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

This term is further explained in the commentary to Text 22.