Dashak 14 · Samāsa 5

Earlier the listener asked a question about hari-kathā-lakṣaṇa. / Alertly, insightfully, let me answer now.

How should hari-kathā be done? How should it be filled with color? / By which is obtained the rank — of Raghunātha's grace.

Gold and fragrance; sugarcane bears fruits; / sweetness, honey, juiciness — this is wondrous.

Likewise haridāsa and virakta; jñātā and loving bhakta; / learned and dispute-free — this too is wondrous.

Rāga-jñānī, tāḷa-jñānī; all-art-brahmajñānī; / without pride moves among people — this too is wondrous.

He who has no jealousy, who is extremely dear to sajjanas; / knows four-limbed-art in mind — antara-niṣṭha.

Jayantī and various festivals; various tīrthas, kṣetras that are wondrous; / where the Devādhi-deva dwells — in power-form.

Those who do not accept such tīrthas; by word-jñāna call [them] false; / to such wretches Śrīpati — whence would he come?

Nirguṇa was taken by doubt; saguṇa was taken by brahma-jñāna; / on both sides by pride — was made desolate.

While saguṇa-mūrti is before, those who recite nirguṇa-kathā; / expounding and extirpating — they are the paḍhat-mūrkhas.

Do not do hari-kathā thus; the interior falls on both paths. / Hear now the marks — of hari-kathā.

Before the saguṇa-mūrti, with bhāva — karuṇā-kīrtana should be done. / Various dhyānas described — of pratāpa-kīrti. / On such singing by svabhāva — juicy kathā flows; / in every heart is stirred — prema-sukha.

The secret of composing kathā — do not bring nirguṇa into saguṇa. / Do not speak faults or virtues — of others, ever.

Describe Deva's vaibhava; various kinds of greatness. / Placing bhāva in saguṇa — hari-kathā should be done.

Abandoning shame of people, abandoning longing for wealth; / hold ever-fresh love — for kīrtana.

Humble at the royal court; fearlessly prostrate; / clap-dance in speech — roar with Name-chant.

Describing one's kīrti before another — does not fit [as] literature. / Therefore separate judgements — where they belong.

When saguṇa-mūrti is not present, but sādhus are in the audience — / then advaita-nirūpaṇa — should necessarily be done.

No image, no sajjana — but faithful people are in the audience; / then do kīrtana — of occasional vairāgya.

Amorous, nine-flavor — in these, one should be dropped: / the delight of women etc. — should not be described.

Describing the beauty of women — vikāra truly afflicts. / The listener falls from resolve — at once.

Therefore abandon what — by svabhāva harms sādhakas. / On taking, gets impressed within — the dhyāna of women.

The dhyāna of women's beauty — mind became kāma-form; / whence will dhyāna be remembered — of Īśvara?

Describing women, he enjoyed; got absorbed in beauty's flow. / He himself is known as fallen — from Īśvara.

In hari-kathā, by bhāva-strength — the color that went is turbulent. / Even for an instant if one grasps — Paramātmā in dhyāna.

Mind engaged in dhyāna — whence would people be remembered? / Fearless, shameless kīrtana — color grows.

Rāga-jñāna, tāḷa-jñāna, learned in svara-jñāna; / kīrtana of meaning-anvaya — he knows to do.

56 languages, various arts; cuckoo-like throat-sweetness; / but the bhakti-path is separate — bhaktas know.

For bhaktas, the dhyāna of Deva; without Deva they know no food. / Art-experts' mind — has become art-shaped.

The art without Śrī Hari — is known as the 'untimely-art.' / Leaving Deva apart — directly fallen.

Serpent encircled the sandal-tree; skeleton in front of the treasure; / various arts obstruct Deva — likewise.

Leaving the all-knowing Deva; becoming absorbed in the nāda — / that itself is directly an obstacle — comes in the way.

One's mind is entangled in svara; who will contemplate Śrī Hari? / By force in secret — service was taken.

On doing the Deva's darśana, rāga-jñāna comes in the way; / by that, holding the mind — it was led behind the svara.

Going to meet at the royal door, by force was made a bonded-laborer; / likewise — kalā has done — for the kalā-vants.

Placing mind on Īśvara — whoever does hari-kathā — / he alone in this samsāra — is blessed, know.

Whoever has a taste for hari-kathā — for whom fresh love arises — / he has gained — the Sarvottama.

Where hari-kathā is set up — he leaves all and runs there. / Setting aside lazyness and sleep for svārtha — eager for hari-kathā.

At the houses of Hari-bhaktas — takes up lowly work; / becomes helpful in every way — by attention.

Such in name is the haridāsa — whose faith is in the Name. / From here this samāsa — is complete.