O mind, serve the son of Nanda's lotus feet, which make one fearless. Having
attained this rare human birth, cross over the ocean of material existence by
associating with sadhus.
sita atapa vata varisana
e dina yamini jagi re
viphale sevinu krpana durajana
chapala sukha-lava lagi' re [2]
Day and night I remain awake, suffering from the heat and the cold, the wind
and the rain. For a moment of flickering happiness I have uselessly served
wicked and miserly men.
e dhana, yauvana, putra, parijana
ithe ki achhe paratiti re
kamala-dala-jala jivana talamala
(ei achhe ei nai jivana talamala)
bhajahu hari-pada niti re [3]
What is there in having wealth, youth, sons, and family? Life is tottering
like water on a lotus petal (it is here, and then it is gone). O mind, serve
the Lord's feet.
sravana, kirtana, smarana, vandana
pada-sevana, dasya re
pujana, sakhi-jana, atma-nivedana
govinda-dasa-abhila sare [4]
Govinda Das desires to engage in the nine practices of devotion: hearing
about, glorifying, remembering, praying to, attending to, serving,
worshipping, befriending, and surrendering to the Lord.
'Sometimes it may come to your mind that what you are doing is bhajan,
service, but it may be all karma. If you follow your Gurudev, serve the
Vaishnavs, then you can easily call it service.'