Text 7

Great eagerness in kṛṣṇa-bhajana is described in the Mukunda-mālāstotram (33):

कृष्ण त्वदीय-पद-पङ्कज-पञ्जरान्तम् अद्यैव मे विशतु मानस-राज-हंसः
प्राण-प्रयाण-समये कफ-वात-पित्तैः कण्ठावरोधन-विधौ भजनं कुतस् ते

kṛṣṇa tvadīya-pada-paṅkaja-pañjarāntam adyaiva me viśatu mānasa-rāja-haṃsaḥ
prāṇa-prayāṇa-samaye kapha-vāta-pittaiḥ kaṇṭhāvarodhana-vidhau bhajanaṃ kutas te

O Kṛṣṇa, my request is that the swan of my mind be confined in the cage of Your lotus feet and dwell there in the ocean of rasa. At the time of death, the throat will be choked up with mucus, air and bile. Under such conditions, how will it be possible to remember Your name?

वृथा दिन याय मोरे मजिया संसारे
ए मानस-राज-हंस भजुक तोमारे

vṛthā dina yāya more majiyā saṃsāre
e mānasa-rāja-haṃsa bhajuka tomāre

अद्यै तोमार पाद-पङ्कज-पञ्जरे
बद्ध ह’ये थाकुक हंस रसेर सागरे

adyai tomāra pāda-paṅkaja-pañjare
baddha ha’ye thākuka haṃsa rasera sāgare

ए प्राण प्रयाण-काले कफ वात पित्त
करिबेक कण्ठरोध अप्रफुल्ल चित्त

e prāṇa prayāṇa-kāle kapha vāta pitta
karibeka kaṇṭharodha apraphulla citta

तखन जिह्वाय ना स्फुरिबे तव नाम
समय छाडिले किसे ह’बे सिद्ध-काम

takhana jihvāya nā sphuribe tava nāma
samaya chāḍile kise ha’be siddha-kāma

Commentary: Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti:

As a person who is inclined to perform nāma-bhajana increases his chanting of the holy name, feelings of repentance increase in his aching heart. Even though he is chanting harināma day and night, he thinks, “Alas, my mind has dwelled on material objects and thus my days have passed in vain. My mind is not fixed at the lotus feet of Nāma Prabhu. O Prabhu, how will I be delivered? It is my request at Your lotus feet that my swan-like mind be confined in the cage of Your lotus feet and always drink nectar. At the time of death, when mucus, air, bile and so forth choke my throat, how will I drink the nectar of Your name? If, at that time Your name does not appear on my tongue, how will I be able to attain perfection? O Prabhu, I pray at Your lotus feet that at the time of death, I will give up my body while constantly chanting Your holy name.”