Text 6

When one cultivates this kind of devotion, bhāva will gradually arise and dāsya-rati will naturally awaken within him. This is evident in Vṛtrāsura’s prayer in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.11.24):

अहं हरे तव पादैक-मूलदासानुदासो भवितास्मि भूयः
मनः स्मरेतासु-पतेर् गुणांस् ते गृणीत वाक् कर्म करोतु कायः

ahaṃ hare tava pādaika-mūladāsānudāso bhavitāsmi bhūyaḥ
manaḥ smaretāsu-pater guṇāṃs te gṛṇīta vāk karma karotu kāyaḥ

The living entity is Your eternal servant, but by the misuse of his free will, he has forgotten his position of eternal servitude. Consequently, he is caught in the snare of the illusory energ y and endures many kinds of aff lictions in this material existence. Moreover, the desire to become the servant of Your servant can only be fulfilled by the causeless compassion of guru and Vaiṣṇavas. This mood of servitorship can only be obtained by performing bhakti. O Lord, please bestow such mercy upon me that in my next birth, I may obtain the opportunity to exclusively serve the servants who have taken shelter of Your lotus feet. May my mind always remember Your all-auspicious qualities, may my speech always chant the glories of these qualities, and may my body always remain engaged in Your service.

छिनु तव नित्य-दास, गले बाङ्धि’ माया-पाश,
संसारे पाइनु नाना-क्लेश
एबे पुनः करि आश, हैया तव दासेर दास,
भजि’ पाइ तव भक्ति-लेश

chinu tava nitya-dāsa, gale bāṅdhi’ māyā-pāśa,
saṃsāre pāinu nānā-kleśa
ebe punaḥ kari āśa, haiyā tava dāsera dāsa,
bhaji’ pāi tava bhakti-leśa

प्रानेश्वर तव गुण, स्मरुक् मन पुनः पुनः,
तव नाम जिह्वा करुक् गान
कर-द्वय तव कर्म, करिया लभुक् शर्म,
तव पदे संपिनु पराण

prāneśvara tava guṇa, smaruk mana punaḥ punaḥ,
tava nāma jihvā karuk gāna
kara-dvaya tava karma, kariyā labhuk śarma,
tava pade saṃpinu parāṇa