Upadesa: Song 13

(1) mana, tumi sannyasi sajite keno cao? bahirer saja jata, antarete phanki tata, dambha puji' sarira nacao (2) amar bacana dharo, antara bisuddha koro, krishnamrta sada koro pana jibana sahaje jay, bhakti-badha nahi pay, tadupaya koroho sandhana (3) anayase jaha pao, tahe tusta hoye jao, arambare na koro prayas purna-bastra jadi nai, kaupina paro he bhai, sita-bastra kantha bahirbas (4) aguru candana nai, mrttika-tilaka bhai, harer badale dharo mala eirupe asa-pas, sukhadir kubilas, kharbi charo samsarer jvala (5) sannyasa-bairagya-bidhi, sei asramer nidhi, tahe kabhu na koro' adar se-saba adare bhai, samsare nistar nai, dambhiker linga nirantar (6) tumi to' caitanya-das, hari-bhakti taba as, asramer linge kiba phal? pratista koroho dura, basa taba santipura, sadhu krpa tomar sambal (7) baisnaber paricoy, abasyaka nahi hoy, arambare kabhu nahi jao binoder nebedana, radha-krishna-guna-gana, phukari' phukari' sada gao

(1) My dear mind, why do you want to disguise yourself as a sannyasi? As much as you decorate yourself externally with this garb, to that same degree you deceive yourself internally with this hoax. Worshiping your own false pride, your simply make a show of your material body by artificially accepting the dress of the renounced order. (2) Now please try to understand my advice on how to become a true sannyasi. Just make your heart completely pure, and constantly drink the nectar of Krishna consciousness. Search for that life-style which allows your spiritual life to be executed easily and automatically, free from any distracting obstacles to pure devotion. (3) Just be satisfied with whatever you get easily, and never endeavor for any type of artificial pomp and grandeur. Even if you do not have proper clothes to wear, just wear a loin-cloth, dear brother! And in cold weather you can simply wear an old torn quilt. (4) There is no need for fancy sandalwood pulp scented with perfume, my dear brother, you can use some ordinary earth or clay to mark your forehead with tilaka. Your fancy necklaces can be exchanged for a nice tulasi mala. Living like this in such a simple state of mind, all the nonsense material arrangements for so-called happiness will diminish, and you will thus be able to escape from the burning fever of materialistic existence. (5) In reality it is the strict rule of renunciation that is the wealth of the sannyasa asrama. By following this rule, one would certainly never look forward to receiving respect from others. Beware, dear brother! Deliverance from this material world is not possible for one who wants to get such respect by taking sannyasa. Instead, he gets ensnared in mundane existence due to constantly maintaining the conceited pride of subtle profit, adoration and distinction. (6) You are actually an eternal servant of Lord Caitanya, and your real interest as such, is devotion to Hari. What other wonderful thing could you get from the external form of thesannyasa asrama? Casting all false prestige to a far distant place, just make your residence in the transcendentally peaceful realm, beyond the varnasrama-dharma system and just live on the mercy of the Rupanuga Vaisnavas as your only life-giving substance. (7) It is actually not even necessary to introduce oneself a Vaisnava, and once should never try to make a show of external pomp and grandeur, Bhaktivinoda’s humble submission to you is that you should constantly sing songs about the glorious qualities of Radha and Krishna at the top of your lungs.