Bhakti · Sanskrit §178 · English §166
Source[१७८] इयम् अकिञ्चनाख्या भक्तिर् एव जीवानां स्वभावत उचिता । स्वाभाविक-तद्- आश्रया हि जीवाः । स कारणं कारणाधिपाधिपः इति श्रुतेः । अंशत्वेऽपि बहिरङ्गव-स्वीकारात् तद्-आश्रयत्वं सूर्य-मण्डल-बहिर्-आतप- परमाणूनाम् इव । अतएव पाद्मोत्तर-खण्डे प्रणव-व्याख्याने - (पगे ८८) अकारश् चाप्य् उ-कारश् च म-कारश् च ततः परम् । वेद-त्रयात्मकं प्रोक्तं प्रणवं ब्रह्मणः पदम् ॥२२॥ अकारेणोच्यते विष्णुः श्रीर् उकारेण चोच्यते । म-कारस् त्व् अनयोर् दासः पञ्चविंशः प्रकीर्तितः ॥ [पद्मप् ६.२२६.२२-२३] अन्ते च-बहगवच्-छेष-रूपोऽसौ म-काराख्यः स-चेतनः इति । तथा -- अवधारण-वाच्य् एवम् उ-कारः कैश्चिद् उच्यते । श्रीश् च तत्-पक्ष-पातित्वाद् अ-कारेणैव चोच्यते । भास्करस्य प्रभा यद्वत् तस्य नित्यानपायिनी ॥ [पद्मप् ६.२२६.२९-३०] इत्य् आदि । अतएव श्री-वैष्णवानां प्रणव एव महा-वाक्यम् इति स्थितम् । तथाष्टादशाक्षर-व्याख्याने - श्रीमते विष्णवे तस्मै दास्यं सर्वं करोम्य् अहम् । देश-कालाद्य्-अवस्थासु सर्वासु कमलापतेः ॥ इति स्वरूप-संसिद्धं सुखं दास्यम् अवाप्नुयात् । एवं विदित्वा मन्त्रार्थं तद् भक्तिं सम्यग् आचरेत् ॥ दास-भूतम् इदं तस्य जगत् स्थावर-जङ्गमम् । श्रीमन्-नारायणः स्वामी जगतां प्रभुर् ईश्वरः ॥ [पद्मप् ६.२२६.३६-३८] इति । तद् एतद् आहुः - स्व-कृत-पुरेष्व् अमीष्व् अबहिर्-अन्तर-संवरणं तव पुरुषं वदन्त्य् अखिल-शक्ति-धृतोऽंश-कृतम् । इति नृ-गतिं विविच्य कवयो निगमावपनं भवत उपासतेऽङ्घ्रिम् अभवं भुवि विश्वसिताः ॥ [भ्प् १०.८७.२०] स्वयेन त्वा कृतेषु परेषु देहेषु वर्तमानं पुरुषं जनं तवैवांश- रूपेण कृतं नित्य-सिद्धं वदन्ति । तत्राखिल-शक्ति-धृतस् तव इत्य् उक्त्वा तद्- अखिल-शक्ति-गुणान्तः-पाति-जीवाख्य-तटस्थ-शक्ति-विशिष्टस्यैव तवांशो न तु स्वरूप-शक्ति-विशिष्टस्य केवल-स्वरूपस्येत्य् आयातम् । ततो मूल-मण्डल- स्थानीय-त्वद्-आश्रयकस् त्वदेवजीवनश् चासौ जीव इति तत्त्वं विविच्य ज्ञात्वा कवयः पण्डिताः विश्वसिताः श्रद्दधाना भवत एवाङ्घ्रिम् उपासते । विश्वासे हेतुर् निगमावपनं सकल-वेद-बीजोज्जीवनैकाश्रय-क्सेत्रं शास्त्र- योनिम् इत्य् अर्थः । अतो नित्यत्वाश्रयैक-जीवनानाम् अपि तेषां त्वद्- वैमुख्येन यत् संसार-दुःखं भवति तद् अपि स्वयम् एव पलायत इत्य् आहुः अभवम् इति । न विद्यते भवः संसारो यत्रेति । अथवा भजनीयस्य नित्यत्वेन भक्तेर् अप्य् अनश्वरत्वं प्रतिपादयन्ति अभवं जन्म-रहितम् अङ्घ्रिम् इति । तस्माद् अकिञ्चानाख्या भक्तिर् एव सर्वोर्ध्वम् अभिधेया ॥ ॥ १०.८७ ॥ श्रुतयः श्री-भगवन्तम् ॥ १७८ ॥
[178] iyam akiñcanākhyā bhaktir eva jīvānāṃ svabhāvata ucitā | svābhāvika-tad- āśrayā hi jīvāḥ | sa kāraṇaṃ kāraṇādhipādhipaḥ iti śruteḥ | aṃśatve'pi bahiraṅgava-svīkārāt tad-āśrayatvaṃ sūrya-maṇḍala-bahir-ātapa- paramāṇūnām iva | ataeva pādmottara-khaṇḍe praṇava-vyākhyāne - (page 88) akāraś cāpy u-kāraś ca ma-kāraś ca tataḥ param | veda-trayātmakaṃ proktaṃ praṇavaṃ brahmaṇaḥ padam ||22|| akāreṇocyate viṣṇuḥ śrīr ukāreṇa cocyate | ma-kāras tv anayor dāsaḥ pañcaviṃśaḥ prakīrtitaḥ || [PadmaP 6.226.22-23] ante ca-bahagavac-cheṣa-rūpo'sau ma-kārākhyaḥ sa-cetanaḥ iti | tathā -- avadhāraṇa-vācy evam u-kāraḥ kaiścid ucyate | śrīś ca tat-pakṣa-pātitvād a-kāreṇaiva cocyate | bhāskarasya prabhā yadvat tasya nityānapāyinī || [PadmaP 6.226.29-30] ity ādi | ataeva śrī-vaiṣṇavānāṃ praṇava eva mahā-vākyam iti sthitam | tathāṣṭādaśākṣara-vyākhyāne - śrīmate viṣṇave tasmai dāsyaṃ sarvaṃ karomy aham | deśa-kālādy-avasthāsu sarvāsu kamalāpateḥ || iti svarūpa-saṃsiddhaṃ sukhaṃ dāsyam avāpnuyāt | evaṃ viditvā mantrārthaṃ tad bhaktiṃ samyag ācaret || dāsa-bhūtam idaṃ tasya jagat sthāvara-jaṅgamam | śrīman-nārāyaṇaḥ svāmī jagatāṃ prabhur īśvaraḥ || [PadmaP 6.226.36-38] iti | tad etad āhuḥ - sva-kṛta-pureṣv amīṣv abahir-antara-saṃvaraṇaṃ tava puruṣaṃ vadanty akhila-śakti-dhṛto'ṃśa-kṛtam | iti nṛ-gatiṃ vivicya kavayo nigamāvapanaṃ bhavata upāsate'ṅghrim abhavaṃ bhuvi viśvasitāḥ || [BhP 10.87.20] svayena tvā kṛteṣu pareṣu deheṣu vartamānaṃ puruṣaṃ janaṃ tavaivāṃśa- rūpeṇa kṛtaṃ nitya-siddhaṃ vadanti | tatrākhila-śakti-dhṛtas tava ity uktvā tad- akhila-śakti-guṇāntaḥ-pāti-jīvākhya-taṭastha-śakti-viśiṣṭasyaiva tavāṃśo na tu svarūpa-śakti-viśiṣṭasya kevala-svarūpasyety āyātam | tato mūla-maṇḍala- sthānīya-tvad-āśrayakas tvadevajīvanaś cāsau jīva iti tattvaṃ vivicya jñātvā kavayaḥ paṇḍitāḥ viśvasitāḥ śraddadhānā bhavata evāṅghrim upāsate | viśvāse hetur nigamāvapanaṃ sakala-veda-bījojjīvanaikāśraya-ksetraṃ śāstra- yonim ity arthaḥ | ato nityatvāśrayaika-jīvanānām api teṣāṃ tvad- vaimukhyena yat saṃsāra-duḥkhaṃ bhavati tad api svayam eva palāyata ity āhuḥ abhavam iti | na vidyate bhavaḥ saṃsāro yatreti | athavā bhajanīyasya nityatvena bhakter apy anaśvaratvaṃ pratipādayanti abhavaṃ janma-rahitam aṅghrim iti | tasmād akiñcānākhyā bhaktir eva sarvordhvam abhidheyā || || 10.87 || śrutayaḥ śrī-bhagavantam || 178 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 166
Anuccheda 166
1 Prahlada Maharaja explains that the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the pure devotee are both free from material desires. He says (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.10.5-6): 2 "A servant who desires material profits from his master is certainly not a qualified servant or pure devotee. Similarly, a master who bestows benedictions upon his servant because of a desire to maintain a prestigious position as master is also not a pure master. 3 "O my Lord, I am Your unmotivated servant, and You are my eternal master. There is no need of our being anything other than master and servant. You are naturally my master, and I am naturally Your servant. We have no other relationship."* 4 The meaning of this verse is clear. This verse was spoken by Prahlada Maharaja to Lord Nrsimhadeva.
Bhakti · Sanskrit §179 · English §167–168
Source[१७९] अथ तस्या एव प्रकारान्तरेण स्थापनाय प्रकरणान्तरं यावत्-तल्-लक्षण- प्रकरणम् । तद् एवं परम-दुर्लभ-स्वरूपं परम-दुर्लभ-फलं चाकिञ्चनाख्य-साक्षाद्-भक्ति-रूपं साम्मुख्यं कथं स्याद् इति वक्तुं साम्मुख्य-मात्रस्य निदानम् उपलक्षयति । (पगे ८९) भवापवर्गो भ्रमतो यदा भवेज् जनस्य तर्ह्य् अचुत सत्-समागमः । सत्-सङ्गमो यर्हि तदैव सद्-गतौ परावरेशे त्वयि जायते मतिः ॥ [भ्प् १०.५१.५३] यदा भ्रमतः संसरतो भवापवर्गो भवेत् सम्प्राप्त-कालः स्यात्, तदा सत्-सङ्गमो भवेत् । तदा भवापवर्गो भवेद् इति वक्तव्ये वैपरीत्येन निर्देशस् तत्र सत्-सङ्गमस्य श्रीघ्रतयावश्यकतया च हेतुता-विवक्षया तथोक्तं नलकूवर-मणिग्रीवौ प्रति श्री-भगवता -- साधूनां सम-चित्तानां सुतरां मत्-कृतात्मनाम् । दर्शनान् नो भवेद् बन्धः पुंसोऽक्ष्णोः सवितुर् यथा ॥ [भ्प् १०.१०.४१] इति । अतएवातिशयोक्ति-नामालङ्कारस्य चतुर्थो भेदोऽयम् इत्य् आलङ्कारिकाः । तद् उक्तं तद्-विवृत्तौ - चतुर्थी सा कारणस्य गदितुं शीघ्र-कारिताम् । या हि कार्यस्य पूर्वोक्तिः इति । तत्र हेतुर् यर्हि यदा सत्-सङ्गमस्य दैव-परावरेशे त्वयि मतिर् भवति तद्-वैमुख्य-करान् आदि-सिद्ध-तज्-ज्ञान-संसर्गाभावान्ते तत्- साम्मुख्यकरं तज् ज्ञानं जायत इत्य् अर्थः । अतएवोक्तं श्री-विदुरेण - जनस्य कृष्णाद् विमुखस्य दैवाद् अधर्म-शीलस्य सुदुःखितस्य । अनुग्रहायेह चरन्ति नूनं भूतानि भव्यानि जनार्दनस्य ॥ [भ्प् ३.५.३] इति । अत्र दैवात् प्राचीन-कर्मणो हेतोस् तदावेशाद् अधर्म-शीलस्य भगवद्- धर्म-रहितस्येत्य् अर्थः । मूल-पद्ये यर्हि यदेति निर्देशान् न काल- विलम्बेन । तत्र चैवकारान् नान्यदा कदाचिद् अपीत्य् अर्थः । तेन तन्-मतौ हेतुः सद्-गतौ यत्र यत्रसन्तः सङ्गच्छन्ते तत्र तत्र गतिः स्फुरणं यस्य तस्मिंस् त्वयीति । तथा च इतिहास-समुच्चये - यत्र रागादि-रहिता वासुदेव-परायणाः । तत्र सन्निहितो विष्णुर् नृपतेर् नात्र संशयः ॥ इति । सतां गताव् इत्य् अत्र व्याखानेऽपि असतां त्व् असौ न गतिः । अतस् तद्- द्वारैवान्येषां तल्-लाभो युक्त इति पूर्ववद् एव । पिङ्गलाया अपि सत्-सङ्गे विदेहानां पुरे ह्य् अस्मिन्न् अहम् एकैव मूढ-धीः [भ्प् ११.८.३३] इत्य् अत्र व्यक्तोऽस्ति । टीका च - सत्-सङ्गतौ सत्याम् अप्य् अहो मे मोह इत्य् आह विदेहानाम् इति इत्य् एषा । तद् एवं यत्र नोपलभ्यते सत्-सङ्गस् तत्राप्य् आधुनिकः प्राक्तनो वा पारम्परिको वानुमेय एव । अत्र कृत-श्री-नारदादि-दर्शनादेर् अपि देवतादेः श्री-नलकूवरादिवत्तादृशत्व-प्राप्तिर् न श्रूयत इत्य् अत एवं विवेचनीयम् । यद्यप्य् अपराध-सद्-भावो वर्तते पुरुषे तदा तद्-दोषेण सत्सु निरादराणां साधारण-पुण्यादि-दृष्टीनां च तद्-दोष-शान्त्य्-अर्थं सत्-सङ्गस्य भगवत्-साम्मुख्य-कारणत्वेऽपि तत्-कृपा-साहाय्यम् अपेक्षते । निरपराधत्वे सति तत्-सङ्गेनैव जात-परमोत्तम-दृष्टीनां तेषु मनोऽवधानाभावेऽपि सत्-सङ्ग-मात्रं तत्-कारणम् इति । अतः सापराधान् एवाधिकृत्योक्तम् अजान् अज-देवैः -- (पगे ९०) तान् वै ह्य् असद्-वृत्तिभिर् अक्षिभिर् ये पराहृतान्तर्-मनसः परेश । अथो न पश्यन्त्य् उरुगाय नूनं ये ते पदन्यास-विलास-लक्ष्याः ॥ [भ्प् ३.५.४४] ते तव पद-न्यास-विलास-क्षण्याः सम्बन्धिओ ये भक्ता इत्य् अर्थः । ते तान् नूनं प्रायो न पश्यन्ति न कृपा-दृष्टि-विषयीकुर्वन्तीत्य् अर्थः । कान् ? य असद्-वृत्तिभिः सापराध-चेष्टैर् अक्षिभिर् इन्द्रियैः पर-कृतान्तर्मनसो दूरीकृतान्तर्मुख-चित्त-वृत्तयो बहिर्मुखा इत्य् एवं व्याख्यानम् अत्राप्य् अनुसन्धेयम् । अत्र साधारणासद्-वृत्तित्वं न गृह्यते । सर्वस्य तत्-कृपायाः प्राक् तथाभूतत्वात् । जनस्य कृष्णाद् विमुखस्य दैवाद् [भ्प् ३.५.३] इत्य् आदिक-विषयं स्याद् इति तस्माद् अपराधासद्-वृत्तौ तेषां कृपा प्रवर्तत एव । कथञ्चिद् अपराधाभावेन तद्-अप्रवृत्ताव् अपि सङ्ग-मात्रेणैव तेषां सम्मतिः स्यात् । यत्र तु सापराधेऽपि स्वैरतयैव कृपां कुर्वन्ति तस्यैव तन्-मतिः स्यान् नान्यस्य नलकूवरवत् साधारण-देवतावच् चेति । तथा श्री- भरतस्य रहूगणे यथा चोपरिचर वसोर् वृत्तं विष्णु-धर्मे-स हि देव- साहाय्यायैव दैत्यान् हत्वा विरज्य च भगवद्-अनुध्यानाय पातालं च प्रविष्टवान् । तं च निवृत्तम् अपि हन्तुं लब्ध-च्छिद्रा दैत्याः समागत्य तत्-प्रभावेणोद्यत-शस्त्रा एवातिष्ठन् । ततश् च व्यर्थोद्यमाः पुनः शक्रोपदेशेन तं प्रति पाषण्ड-मार्गम् उपदिशन्तोऽपि जातया तत्-कृपया भगवद्-भक्ता बभूवुः [विध्प् ३.३४६] इति । अत उक्तं विष्णु-धर्म एव -- अनेक-जन्म-संसार-रचिते पाप-समुच्चये । नाक्षीणे जायते पुंसां गोविन्दाभिमुखी मतिः ॥ इति । ननु, नैतान् विहाय कृपणान् विमुमुक्ष एको नान्यं त्वद् अस्य शरणं भ्रमतोऽनुपश्ये ॥ [भ्प् ७.९.४४] इत्य् एवं श्री-प्रह्लादस्य सर्वस्मिन्न् अपि संसारिणि कृपा जाता तर्हि कथं न सर्व-मुक्तिः स्यात् ? उच्यते, जीवानाम् अनन्तत्वान् न ते सर्वे मनसि तस्यारूढा यावन्तो दृष्ट्वा श्रुतास् तच्- चेतस्यारूढास् तावतां तत्-प्रसादाद् भविष्यत्य् एव मोक्षः । नैतान् इत्य् एतच्- छब्द-प्रयोगात् । ये चान्ये तेषाम् अपि तत्-कीर्तन-स्मरण-मात्रेणैव कृतार्थतावरं स्वयम् एव कृपया दत्तवान् श्री-नृसिंह-देवः -- य एतत् कीर्तयेन् मह्यं त्वया गीतम् इदं नरः । त्वां च मां च स्मरन् काले कर्म-बन्धात् प्रमुच्यते ॥ [भ्प् ७.१०.१४] इति । यस् त्वां कीर्तयेद् अपि किं पुनस् त्वं यान् कृपया स्मरसीति भावः । तस्मात् साधूक्तं भवापवर्गो भ्रमतो यदा भवेद् इति । ॥ १०.५१ ॥ मुचुकुन्दः श्री-भगवन्तम् ॥ १७९ ॥
[179] atha tasyā eva prakārāntareṇa sthāpanāya prakaraṇāntaraṃ yāvat-tal-lakṣaṇa- prakaraṇam | tad evaṃ parama-durlabha-svarūpaṃ parama-durlabha-phalaṃ cākiñcanākhya-sākṣād-bhakti-rūpaṃ sāmmukhyaṃ kathaṃ syād iti vaktuṃ sāmmukhya-mātrasya nidānam upalakṣayati | (page 89) bhavāpavargo bhramato yadā bhavej janasya tarhy acuta sat-samāgamaḥ | sat-saṅgamo yarhi tadaiva sad-gatau parāvareśe tvayi jāyate matiḥ || [BhP 10.51.53] yadā bhramataḥ saṃsarato bhavāpavargo bhavet samprāpta-kālaḥ syāt, tadā sat-saṅgamo bhavet | tadā bhavāpavargo bhaved iti vaktavye vaiparītyena nirdeśas tatra sat-saṅgamasya śrīghratayāvaśyakatayā ca hetutā-vivakṣayā tathoktaṃ nalakūvara-maṇigrīvau prati śrī-bhagavatā -- sādhūnāṃ sama-cittānāṃ sutarāṃ mat-kṛtātmanām | darśanān no bhaved bandhaḥ puṃso'kṣṇoḥ savitur yathā || [BhP 10.10.41] iti | ataevātiśayokti-nāmālaṅkārasya caturtho bhedo'yam ity ālaṅkārikāḥ | tad uktaṃ tad-vivṛttau - caturthī sā kāraṇasya gadituṃ śīghra-kāritām | yā hi kāryasya pūrvoktiḥ iti | tatra hetur yarhi yadā sat-saṅgamasya daiva-parāvareśe tvayi matir bhavati tad-vaimukhya-karān ādi-siddha-taj-jñāna-saṃsargābhāvānte tat- sāmmukhyakaraṃ taj jñānaṃ jāyata ity arthaḥ | ataevoktaṃ śrī-vidureṇa - janasya kṛṣṇād vimukhasya daivād adharma-śīlasya suduḥkhitasya | anugrahāyeha caranti nūnaṃ bhūtāni bhavyāni janārdanasya || [BhP 3.5.3] iti | atra daivāt prācīna-karmaṇo hetos tadāveśād adharma-śīlasya bhagavad- dharma-rahitasyety arthaḥ | mūla-padye yarhi yadeti nirdeśān na kāla- vilambena | tatra caivakārān nānyadā kadācid apīty arthaḥ | tena tan-matau hetuḥ sad-gatau yatra yatrasantaḥ saṅgacchante tatra tatra gatiḥ sphuraṇaṃ yasya tasmiṃs tvayīti | tathā ca itihāsa-samuccaye - yatra rāgādi-rahitā vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ | tatra sannihito viṣṇur nṛpater nātra saṃśayaḥ || iti | satāṃ gatāv ity atra vyākhāne'pi asatāṃ tv asau na gatiḥ | atas tad- dvāraivānyeṣāṃ tal-lābho yukta iti pūrvavad eva | piṅgalāyā api sat-saṅge videhānāṃ pure hy asminn aham ekaiva mūḍha-dhīḥ [BhP 11.8.33] ity atra vyakto'sti | ṭīkā ca - sat-saṅgatau satyām apy aho me moha ity āha videhānām iti ity eṣā | tad evaṃ yatra nopalabhyate sat-saṅgas tatrāpy ādhunikaḥ prāktano vā pārampariko vānumeya eva | atra kṛta-śrī-nāradādi-darśanāder api devatādeḥ śrī-nalakūvarādivattādṛśatva-prāptir na śrūyata ity ata evaṃ vivecanīyam | yadyapy aparādha-sad-bhāvo vartate puruṣe tadā tad-doṣeṇa satsu nirādarāṇāṃ sādhāraṇa-puṇyādi-dṛṣṭīnāṃ ca tad-doṣa-śānty-arthaṃ sat-saṅgasya bhagavat-sāmmukhya-kāraṇatve'pi tat-kṛpā-sāhāyyam apekṣate | niraparādhatve sati tat-saṅgenaiva jāta-paramottama-dṛṣṭīnāṃ teṣu mano'vadhānābhāve'pi sat-saṅga-mātraṃ tat-kāraṇam iti | ataḥ sāparādhān evādhikṛtyoktam ajān aja-devaiḥ -- (page 90) tān vai hy asad-vṛttibhir akṣibhir ye parāhṛtāntar-manasaḥ pareśa | atho na paśyanty urugāya nūnaṃ ye te padanyāsa-vilāsa-lakṣyāḥ || [BhP 3.5.44] te tava pada-nyāsa-vilāsa-kṣaṇyāḥ sambandhio ye bhaktā ity arthaḥ | te tān nūnaṃ prāyo na paśyanti na kṛpā-dṛṣṭi-viṣayīkurvantīty arthaḥ | kān ? ya asad-vṛttibhiḥ sāparādha-ceṣṭair akṣibhir indriyaiḥ para-kṛtāntarmanaso dūrīkṛtāntarmukha-citta-vṛttayo bahirmukhā ity evaṃ vyākhyānam atrāpy anusandheyam | atra sādhāraṇāsad-vṛttitvaṃ na gṛhyate | sarvasya tat-kṛpāyāḥ prāk tathābhūtatvāt | janasya kṛṣṇād vimukhasya daivād [BhP 3.5.3] ity ādika-viṣayaṃ syād iti tasmād aparādhāsad-vṛttau teṣāṃ kṛpā pravartata eva | kathañcid aparādhābhāvena tad-apravṛttāv api saṅga-mātreṇaiva teṣāṃ sammatiḥ syāt | yatra tu sāparādhe'pi svairatayaiva kṛpāṃ kurvanti tasyaiva tan-matiḥ syān nānyasya nalakūvaravat sādhāraṇa-devatāvac ceti | tathā śrī- bharatasya rahūgaṇe yathā coparicara vasor vṛttaṃ viṣṇu-dharme-sa hi deva- sāhāyyāyaiva daityān hatvā virajya ca bhagavad-anudhyānāya pātālaṃ ca praviṣṭavān | taṃ ca nivṛttam api hantuṃ labdha-cchidrā daityāḥ samāgatya tat-prabhāveṇodyata-śastrā evātiṣṭhan | tataś ca vyarthodyamāḥ punaḥ śakropadeśena taṃ prati pāṣaṇḍa-mārgam upadiśanto'pi jātayā tat-kṛpayā bhagavad-bhaktā babhūvuḥ [ViDhP 3.346] iti | ata uktaṃ viṣṇu-dharma eva -- aneka-janma-saṃsāra-racite pāpa-samuccaye | nākṣīṇe jāyate puṃsāṃ govindābhimukhī matiḥ || iti | nanu, naitān vihāya kṛpaṇān vimumukṣa eko nānyaṃ tvad asya śaraṇaṃ bhramato'nupaśye || [BhP 7.9.44] ity evaṃ śrī-prahlādasya sarvasminn api saṃsāriṇi kṛpā jātā tarhi kathaṃ na sarva-muktiḥ syāt ? ucyate, jīvānām anantatvān na te sarve manasi tasyārūḍhā yāvanto dṛṣṭvā śrutās tac- cetasyārūḍhās tāvatāṃ tat-prasādād bhaviṣyaty eva mokṣaḥ | naitān ity etac- chabda-prayogāt | ye cānye teṣām api tat-kīrtana-smaraṇa-mātreṇaiva kṛtārthatāvaraṃ svayam eva kṛpayā dattavān śrī-nṛsiṃha-devaḥ -- ya etat kīrtayen mahyaṃ tvayā gītam idaṃ naraḥ | tvāṃ ca māṃ ca smaran kāle karma-bandhāt pramucyate || [BhP 7.10.14] iti | yas tvāṃ kīrtayed api kiṃ punas tvaṃ yān kṛpayā smarasīti bhāvaḥ | tasmāt sādhūktaṃ bhavāpavargo bhramato yadā bhaved iti | || 10.51 || mucukundaḥ śrī-bhagavantam || 179 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 167–168
Anuccheda 167
1 In the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.11) Prahlada Maharaja explains the relationship between the Lord and the devotee: "The Supreme Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always fully satisfied in Himself. Therefore when something is offered to Him, the offering, by the Lord's mercy, is for the benefit of the devotee, for the Lord does not need service from anyone. To give an example, if one's face is decorated, the reflection of one's face in a mirror is also seen to be decorated."* 2 This verse explains that the Supreme Personality of (ayam prabhuh) Godhead does not wish (na vrnite), for His own personal benefit (atmanah), that His devotees (janan) worship (manam) Him. The reason He accepts their worship is that He is very pleased (purnah) to associate (labha) with His devotees (nija). Another reason is that He is kind (karunah) to His devotees. Elaborate arrangements to worship Him do not of themselves please Him at all. 3 What is the devotee like? The answer is given in the word "avidusah" (unaware). As a child is foolish and unaware in the presence of the father, so the devotee is in the presence of the Supreme Lord. This statement shows the humbleness of the devotees. If it were not for the Lord empowering them to understand, the devotees would not understand anything. That is the meaning. In this way on both sides, for both the Lord and the devotee, there are feelings of love and kindness. 4 Fearing that some materialists might think, 'Why should the people worship the Lord? There is no reason to worship Him?' Prahlada gives a reason for worshipping the Lord. He says that everyone is interested in his own personal welfare, and by serving the Lord one automatically benefits himself. In this way, thinking of one's own happiness, one should worship the Lord. Here he gives the following example: "If one's face is decorated, the reflection of one's face in a mirror is also seen to be decorated.' It is not otherwise. This verse was spoken by Sri Prahlada to Lord Nrsimhadeva.
Anuccheda 168
1 Prahlada continues to describe devotional service (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.7.51-52): "My dear friends, O sons of the demons, you cannot please the Supreme Personality of Godhead by becoming perfect brahmanas, demigods or great saints or by becoming perfectly good in etiquette or vast learning. None of these qualifications can awaken the pleasure of the Lord. Nor by charity, austerity, sacrifice, cleanliness or vows can one satisfy the Lord. The Lord is pleased only if one has unflinching, unalloyed devotion to Him. Without sincere devotional service, everything is simply a show."* 2 Here the word "amalaya" means without material desires, "vidambanam" means "simply acting out a show". A devotee that has material desires is simply making an outward show of devotional service because his real interest is in his own benefit. As actors pretend in various ways, these devotees pretend to engage in devotional service. There are two kinds of material desire. One is the desire for benefits in the earthly realm and the other for benefits in the planets of the demigods. Both of these desires are condemned in the following statement of the Nagapatnis (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.16.37): 3 "Those who have attained the dust of Your lotus feet never hanker for the kingship of heaven, limitless sovereignty, the position of Brahma or rulership over the earth. They are not interested even in the perfections of yoga or in liberation itself."* 4 In the same way Vaivasvata Manu's son Prsadhra, who yearned to attain liberation, asked for pure (ekanta) devotional service. 5 Prahlada Maharaja also wished to renounce all material desires in order to attain liberation. He appealed to Lord Nrsimhadeva (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.10.2): "Prahlada Maharaja said: My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, because I was born in an atheistic family I am naturally attached to material enjoyment. Therefore, kindly do not tempt me with these illusions. I am very much afraid of material conditions, and I desire to be liberated from materialistic life. It is for this reason that I have taken shelter of Your lotus feet."* 6 After that, Prahlada Maharaja prayed to Lord Nrsimhadeva (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.10.7): "O my Lord, best of the givers of benediction, if You at all want to bestow a desirable benediction upon me, then I pray from Your Lordship that within the core of my heart there be no material desires."* 7 Before recounting these prayers, Narada Muni explained (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.10.1): "Although Prahlada Maharaja was only a boy, when he heard the benedictions offered by Lord Nrsimhadeva, he considered them impediments on the path of devotional service. Thus he smiled very mildly and spoke as follows."* 8 Sriman Ambarisa, who performed yajnas for the protection of his subjects, was a pure devotee of the Lord. He did not desire anything in this material world and he completely depended on the Lord. The pure devotees are described in the Garuda Purana in these words: "A pure devotee depends on the Lord for his maintenance and protection." 9 In the following words Prahlada Maharaja criticises those that do not accept the devotional path (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.46): "O Supreme Personality of Godhead, there are ten prescribed methods on the path to liberation: to remain silent, not to speak to anyone, to observe vows, to amass all kinds of Vedic knowledge to undergo austerities, to study the Vedas and other Vedic literatures, to execute the duties of varnasrama-dhama, to explain the sastras, to stay in a solitary place, to chant mantras silently and to be absorbed in trance. These different methods for liberation are generally only a professional practice and means of livelihood for those who have not conquered their senses. Because such persons are false proud, these procedures may not be successful."* 10 The different practices, beginning with silence (mauna), described here are used as a means of livelihood (varta bhavanti) by hypocrites who do not control their senses (ajitendriyanam). Such hypocrites do not attain the result that comes from controlling the senses. That is the meaning here. 11 That the pure devotees have no material desires is also explained in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.18.14): "Although those who are interested only in worshipping the Supreme Personality of Godhead do not desire anything material from the Lord and do not even want liberation, Lord Krsna fulfils all their desires."* 12 Srila Sridhara Svami comments: "The word "param" here means "liberation". 13 Prahlada Maharaja again describes the importance of devotional service (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.7.51): "My dear friends, O sons of the demons, you cannot please the Supreme Personality of Godhead by becoming perfect brahmanas, demigods or great saints or by becoming perfectly good in etiquette or vast learning. None of these qualifications can awaken the pleasure of the Lord. Nor by charity, austerity, sacrifice, cleanliness or vows can one satisfy the Lord. The Lord is pleased only if one has unflinching, unalloyed devotion to Him. Without sincere devotional service, everything is simply a show."* 14 This verse was spoken by Prahlada Maharaja to the sons of the demons.
Bhakti · Sanskrit §180 · English §169
Source[१८०] ततः सत्-सङ्गस्यैव तत्र निदानत्वं सिद्धम् । तच् च युक्तम् अनादि-सिद्ध- तज्-ज्ञानमय-तद्-वैमुख्यवताम् । अन्यथा हि तद्-असम्भवः । तद् उक्तम् तर्कोऽप्रतिष्ठः श्रुतयो विभिन्ना नासाव् ऋषिः यस्य मतं न भिन्नम् । धर्मस्य तत्त्वं निहितं गुहायां महाजनो येन गतः स पन्थाः ॥ [म्भ् ३.३१३.११७] (पगे ९१) तथैव श्री-प्रह्लाद-वाक्यम् -- मतिर् न कृष्णे परतः स्वतो वा मिथोऽभिपद्येत गृह-व्रतानाम् । [भ्प् ७.५.३०] इत्य् उपक्रम्य -- नैषां मतिस् तावद् उरुक्रमाङ्घ्रिं स्पृशत्य् अनर्थापगमो यद्-अर्थः । महीयसां पाद-रजो-ऽभिषेकं निष्किञ्चनानां न वृणीत यावत् ॥ [भ्प् ७.५.३२] तथा तद्-विमुख-कर्मादिभिस् तत्-साम्मुख्य-प्रतिपत्तेश् चात्यान्तायोगः । कृताकृताद् अन्यत्र भूताच् च भव्याच् च इति श्रुत्य्-आदेः । तम् एतम् आत्मानं वेदानुवचनेन ब्राह्मणा विविदिषन्ति यज्ञेन दानेन तपसानशकेन [बौ ४.४.२] इति श्रुत्य्-आदिकं तु तत्-साम्मुखेनैव प्रयुक्तानि कर्माण्य् अभिदधाति । तर्हि तद् एव साम्मुख्यं कथं स्याद् इति पुनर् अपि हेतुर् एव प्रष्टव्यः स्यात् । अथ भगवत्-कृपैव तत्-साम्मुख्ये प्राथमिकं कारणम् इति च गौणम् । सा हि संसार-दुरन्तानन्त-सन्ताप-सन्तप्तेष्व् अपि तद्-विमुखेषु स्वतन्त्रा न प्रवर्तते तद्-असम्भवात् । कृपा-रूपश् चेतो-विकारो हि पर-दुःखस्य स्व- चेतसि पर्श सत्य् एव जायते । तस्य तु सदा परमानन्दैकरसत्वेनापहत- कल्मषत्वेन च श्रुतौ जीव-विलक्षणत्व-साधनात् । तेजोमालिनस् तिमिरायोगवत् तच्-चेतस्य् अपि तमोमय-दुःख-स्पर्शनासम्भवेन । तत्र तस्या जन्मासम्भवः अतएव सर्वदा विराजमाणेऽपि कर्तुम् अकर्तुम् अन्यथा कर्तुं समर्थे तस्मिंस् तद्-विमुखानां न संसार-सन्तापाः सन्ति । अतः सत्- कृपैकावशिष्यते । सन्तोऽपि तदानीं यद्यपि सांसारिक-दुःखैर् न स्पृश्यन्त एव तथापि लब्ध-जागराः स्वप्न-दुःखवत् ते कदाचित् स्मरेयुर् अपीत्य् अतस् तेषां संसारिकेऽपि कृपा भवति । यथा श्री-नारदस्य नलकूवर- मणिग्रीवयोः । तस्मात् प्रस्तुतेऽपि संसारिक-दुःखस्य तद्-धेतुत्वाभावात् । परमेश्वर-कृपा तु स एवात्र मम शरणम् इत्य् आदि-दैन्यात्मिका भक्ति- सम्बन्धेनैव जायते, यथा गजेन्द्रादौ व्यतिरेके नारक्यादौ । भक्तिर् हि भक्त-कोटि-प्रविष्ट-तद्-आर्द्रीभावयितृ-तच्-छक्ति-विशेष इति विवृतं विवरिष्यते च । दैन्य-सम्बन्धेन च साध्व् इयम् उच्छलिता भवतीति तत्र तद्-आधिक्यम् । तस्माद् या कृपा तस्य सत्सु वर्तते सा सत्-सङ्ग-वाहनैव वा सत्-कृपा-वाहनैव वा सती जीवान्तरे सङ्क्रमते न स्वतन्त्रेति स्थितम् । तथैव चाहुः - स्वयं समुत्तीर्य सुदुस्तरं द्युमन् भवार्णवं भीमम् अदभ्र-सौहृदाः । भवत्-पदाम्भोरुह-नावम् अत्र ते निधाय याताः सद्-अनुग्रहो भवान् ॥ [भ्प् १०.२.३१] हे द्युमन् स्व-प्रकाश भवत्-पदाम्भोरुह-लक्षणा या नौर् भवार्णव- तरणोपायस् ताम् अत्र भवार्णव-पारे निधाय उत्तरोत्तर-जनेषु प्रकाश्येत्य् अर्थः । ननु कथं तां न स्वयं प्रकाशयामि । कथम् इव तेषाम् अपेक्षा । तत्र सद्भिर् एव द्वार-भूतैर् अन्यान् अनुगृह्णाति यः स सद्-अनुग्रहो भवान् इति । यद् वा सन्त एवानुग्रहो यस्य सः । तवानुग्रहो यः प्रापञ्चिके चरति स तद्-आकारतयैव चरति नान्य-रूपतयेत्य् अर्थः । तथोक्तं श्री-रुद्र-गीते - - (पगे ९२) अथानघाङ्घ्रेस् तव कीर्ति-तीर्थयोर् अन्तर्-बहिः-स्नान-विधूत-पाप्मनाम् । भूतेष्व् अनुक्रोश-सुसत्त्व-शीलिनां स्यात् सङ्गमोऽनुग्रह एष नस् तव ॥ [भ्प् ४.२४.५८] इति । सत्स्व् अनुग्रहो यस्येति व्याख्यानेऽपि तद्-विमुखेष्व् असत्सु तवानुग्रहो नास्तीति प्राप्तेः सद्-द्वारैव तत् प्रकाशनम् उचितम् इत्य् एवायाति । तद् एवं - जायमानं हि पुरुषं यं पश्येन् मधुसूदनः । सात्त्विकस् तु स विज्ञेयो भवेन् मोक्षे च निश्चितः ॥ [म्भ् १२.३३६.६८] इति मोक्ष-धर्म-वचनम् अपि सत्-सङ्गानन्तर-जन्म-परम् एव बोद्धव्यम् । ॥ १०.२ ॥ देवाः भगवन्तम् ॥ १८० ॥
[180] tataḥ sat-saṅgasyaiva tatra nidānatvaṃ siddham | tac ca yuktam anādi-siddha- taj-jñānamaya-tad-vaimukhyavatām | anyathā hi tad-asambhavaḥ | tad uktam tarko'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā nāsāv ṛṣiḥ yasya mataṃ na bhinnam | dharmasya tattvaṃ nihitaṃ guhāyāṃ mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ || [Mbh 3.313.117] (page 91) tathaiva śrī-prahlāda-vākyam -- matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām | [BhP 7.5.30] ity upakramya -- naiṣāṃ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṃ spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ | mahīyasāṃ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekaṃ niṣkiñcanānāṃ na vṛṇīta yāvat || [BhP 7.5.32] tathā tad-vimukha-karmādibhis tat-sāmmukhya-pratipatteś cātyāntāyogaḥ | kṛtākṛtād anyatra bhūtāc ca bhavyāc ca iti śruty-ādeḥ | tam etam ātmānaṃ vedānuvacanena brāhmaṇā vividiṣanti yajñena dānena tapasānaśakena [BAU 4.4.2] iti śruty-ādikaṃ tu tat-sāmmukhenaiva prayuktāni karmāṇy abhidadhāti | tarhi tad eva sāmmukhyaṃ kathaṃ syād iti punar api hetur eva praṣṭavyaḥ syāt | atha bhagavat-kṛpaiva tat-sāmmukhye prāthamikaṃ kāraṇam iti ca gauṇam | sā hi saṃsāra-durantānanta-santāpa-santapteṣv api tad-vimukheṣu svatantrā na pravartate tad-asambhavāt | kṛpā-rūpaś ceto-vikāro hi para-duḥkhasya sva- cetasi parśa saty eva jāyate | tasya tu sadā paramānandaikarasatvenāpahata- kalmaṣatvena ca śrutau jīva-vilakṣaṇatva-sādhanāt | tejomālinas timirāyogavat tac-cetasy api tamomaya-duḥkha-sparśanāsambhavena | tatra tasyā janmāsambhavaḥ ataeva sarvadā virājamāṇe'pi kartum akartum anyathā kartuṃ samarthe tasmiṃs tad-vimukhānāṃ na saṃsāra-santāpāḥ santi | ataḥ sat- kṛpaikāvaśiṣyate | santo'pi tadānīṃ yadyapi sāṃsārika-duḥkhair na spṛśyanta eva tathāpi labdha-jāgarāḥ svapna-duḥkhavat te kadācit smareyur apīty atas teṣāṃ saṃsārike'pi kṛpā bhavati | yathā śrī-nāradasya nalakūvara- maṇigrīvayoḥ | tasmāt prastute'pi saṃsārika-duḥkhasya tad-dhetutvābhāvāt | parameśvara-kṛpā tu sa evātra mama śaraṇam ity ādi-dainyātmikā bhakti- sambandhenaiva jāyate, yathā gajendrādau vyatireke nārakyādau | bhaktir hi bhakta-koṭi-praviṣṭa-tad-ārdrībhāvayitṛ-tac-chakti-viśeṣa iti vivṛtaṃ vivariṣyate ca | dainya-sambandhena ca sādhv iyam ucchalitā bhavatīti tatra tad-ādhikyam | tasmād yā kṛpā tasya satsu vartate sā sat-saṅga-vāhanaiva vā sat-kṛpā-vāhanaiva vā satī jīvāntare saṅkramate na svatantreti sthitam | tathaiva cāhuḥ - svayaṃ samuttīrya sudustaraṃ dyuman bhavārṇavaṃ bhīmam adabhra-sauhṛdāḥ | bhavat-padāmbhoruha-nāvam atra te nidhāya yātāḥ sad-anugraho bhavān || [BhP 10.2.31] he dyuman sva-prakāśa bhavat-padāmbhoruha-lakṣaṇā yā naur bhavārṇava- taraṇopāyas tām atra bhavārṇava-pāre nidhāya uttarottara-janeṣu prakāśyety arthaḥ | nanu kathaṃ tāṃ na svayaṃ prakāśayāmi | katham iva teṣām apekṣā | tatra sadbhir eva dvāra-bhūtair anyān anugṛhṇāti yaḥ sa sad-anugraho bhavān iti | yad vā santa evānugraho yasya saḥ | tavānugraho yaḥ prāpañcike carati sa tad-ākāratayaiva carati nānya-rūpatayety arthaḥ | tathoktaṃ śrī-rudra-gīte - - (page 92) athānaghāṅghres tava kīrti-tīrthayor antar-bahiḥ-snāna-vidhūta-pāpmanām | bhūteṣv anukrośa-susattva-śīlināṃ syāt saṅgamo'nugraha eṣa nas tava || [BhP 4.24.58] iti | satsv anugraho yasyeti vyākhyāne'pi tad-vimukheṣv asatsu tavānugraho nāstīti prāpteḥ sad-dvāraiva tat prakāśanam ucitam ity evāyāti | tad evaṃ - jāyamānaṃ hi puruṣaṃ yaṃ paśyen madhusūdanaḥ | sāttvikas tu sa vijñeyo bhaven mokṣe ca niścitaḥ || [Mbh 12.336.68] iti mokṣa-dharma-vacanam api sat-saṅgānantara-janma-param eva boddhavyam | || 10.2 || devāḥ bhagavantam || 180 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 169
Anuccheda 169
1 That devotional service is the essential teaching of all scriptures is explained in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.5.23-24): 2 "Prahlada Maharaja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Visnu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words) - these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Krsna through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge."* 3 In this verse the words "sravanam kirtanam" mean "hearing and chanting about the Lord's holy names and transcendental qualities", "arcanam" means "worshipping the Lord according to regulative principles", "vandanam" means "offering respectful obeisances", "dasyam" means thinking "I am the Lord's servant", "sakhyam" means "thinking of the Lord as one's friend", and "atma nivedanam" means "offering for the Lord's service the cows, horses, and all other things one may have in one's possession", and it also means "depending on the Lord for maintenance and protection and being aware that it is not by one's own power one is maintained and protected." 4 Ancient sages have given the following description of great devotees adopting different methods of devotional service: "Maharaja Pariksit attained the highest perfection, shelter to Lord Krsna's lotus feet, simply by hearing about Lord Visnu. Sukadeva Gosvami attained perfection simply by reciting Srimad Bhagavatam. Prahlada Maharaja attained perfection by remembering the Lord. The goddess of fortune attained perfection by massaging the transcendental legs of Maha-Visnu. Maharaja Prthu attained perfection by worshipping the Deity and Akrura attained perfection by offering prayers unto the Lord. Vajrangaji (Hanumanji) attained perfection by rendering service to Lord Ramacandra, and Arjuna attained perfection simply by being Lord Krsna's friend. Bali Maharaja attained perfection by dedicating everything to the lotus feet of Krsna."* 5 In the verse quoted in the beginning of this anuccheda the nine kinds of activity described (nava-laksana) are all direct (addha) devotional service to the Supreme Lord (bhagavati). They are not merely the offering to the Lord of the fruits of one's work, but they are direct service to the Lord (bhaktih). These activities of devotional service are offered (arpita) to Lord Visnu (visnau) to please Him. Here Prahlada Maharaja says, "If (cet) someone performs (kriyate) these activities of devotional service, then I think (manye) he is the most learned person (yad-adhitam uttamam)." 6 Pure devotional service is described in the following statement of Sri Gopala-tapani Upanisad (1.18): "Bhakti means devotional service to the Lord which is free from desire for material profit, either in this life or in the next. Devoid of such inclinations, one should fully absorb the mind in the Supreme. That is the purpose of naiskarmya."* 7 It is not necessary to perform all nine kinds of devotional service. By performing any one of them, any combination of them, or all of them with faith and love one will attain the desired result. These nine processes of devotional service are only a general outline of devotional service. Within that outline there are many activities of devotional service. This verse was spoken by Prahlada Maharaja to his father.
Bhakti · Sanskrit §181 · English §170
Source[१८१] ततः सत्-सङ्ग-हेतुश् च सतां स्वैर-चारितैव नान्यः । यथाह - त एकदा निमेः सत्रम् उपजग्मुर् यदृच्छया । [भ्प् ११.२.२४] ते नव-योगेश्वरा यदृच्छया स्वैरतया न तु हेत्व्-अन्तर-प्रयुक्तेत्य् अर्थः । यदृच्छा स्वैरिता इत्य् अमरः । सत्सु परमेश्वर-प्रयोक्तृत्वं च सद्- इच्छानुसारेणैव । तद् उक्तं स्वेच्छामयस्य [भ्प् १०.१४.२] इति । अहं भक्त- पराधीनः [भ्प् ९.४.४६] इति च । ॥ ११.२ ॥ श्री-नारदः ॥ १८१ ॥
[181] tataḥ sat-saṅga-hetuś ca satāṃ svaira-cāritaiva nānyaḥ | yathāha - ta ekadā nimeḥ satram upajagmur yadṛcchayā | [BhP 11.2.24] te nava-yogeśvarā yadṛcchayā svairatayā na tu hetv-antara-prayuktety arthaḥ | yadṛcchā svairitā ity amaraḥ | satsu parameśvara-prayoktṛtvaṃ ca sad- icchānusāreṇaiva | tad uktaṃ svecchāmayasya [BhP 10.14.2] iti | ahaṃ bhakta- parādhīnaḥ [BhP 9.4.46] iti ca | || 11.2 || śrī-nāradaḥ || 181 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 170
Anuccheda 170
1 Now we will show that pure devotional service is the best spiritual path. By performing pure devotional service one becomes free of his aversion to the Supreme Lord and instead comes to love Him. 2 The Absolute Truth has three features: 1. the varietyless impersonal Brahman, which approached by the path of jnana (knowledge), 2. the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has a great variety of transcendental qualities, and who is approached by devotional service, and 3. these two features taken together, that feature being approached by offering to the Lord the fruits of one's work. Thus there are three ways to approach the Lord: 1. the pursuit of transcendental knowledge, 2. devotional service, and 3. offering to the Lord the fruits of one's work. These three are the only ways. There are no others. 3 This is explained by the Lord Himself in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.6): "My dear Uddhava, because I desire that human beings may achieve perfection, I have presented three paths of advancement - the path of knowledge, the path of work and the path of devotion. Besides these three there is absolutely no other means of elevation."*** 4 In this verse "yogah" means "the spiritual paths", "maya" means "by Me", the author of the Vedas", and "sreyamsi" means "the attainment of: 1. impersonal liberation, 2. the three goals of economic development, piety and sense gratification, and 3. love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Here fruitive work (karma) is clearly different from devotional service (bhakti).
Bhakti · Sanskrit §182 · English §171
Source[१८२] तथा - तस्यैकदा तु भवनम् अङ्गिरा भगवान् ऋषिः । लोकान् अनुचरन्न् एतान् उपागच्छद् यदृच्छया ॥ [भ्प् ६.१४.१४] तस्य चित्रकेतोः । अत्रापि तदैव तस्य साम्मुख्यं जायम् । कालान्तरे तु प्रादुर्भूतम् इति मन्तव्यम् । अतएव तद्-विलाप-समये श्रीमताङ्गिरसैव - ब्रह्मण्यो भगवद्-भक्तो नावसीदितुम् अर्हति [भ्प् ६.१५.१२] इत्य् उक्तम् । ॥ ६.१४ ॥ श्री-शुकः ॥ १८२ ॥
[182] tathā - tasyaikadā tu bhavanam aṅgirā bhagavān ṛṣiḥ | lokān anucarann etān upāgacchad yadṛcchayā || [BhP 6.14.14] tasya citraketoḥ | atrāpi tadaiva tasya sāmmukhyaṃ jāyam | kālāntare tu prādurbhūtam iti mantavyam | ataeva tad-vilāpa-samaye śrīmatāṅgirasaiva - brahmaṇyo bhagavad-bhakto nāvasīditum arhati [BhP 6.15.12] ity uktam | || 6.14 || śrī-śukaḥ || 182 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 171
Anuccheda 171
1 These three paths are discussed in the following two verses (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.7-8): 2. "Among these three paths, jnana-yoga, the path of philosophical speculation, is recommended for those who are disgusted with material life and are thus detached from ordinary, fruitive activities. Those who are not disgusted with material life, having many desires yet to fulfil, should seek perfection through the path of karma-yoga.* 3 "If somehow or other by good fortune one develops faith in hearing and chanting My glories, such a person, being neither very disgusted with nor attached to material life, should achieve perfection through the path of loving devotion to Me."* 4 The word (nirvinnanam) means "they who are disgusted with the so-called pleasures available in the middle or higher material realms, and who have in the hearts definitely renounced them." These two verses describe they who yearn to attain liberation. Of them, they who have renounced material life should practice jnana-yoga, and they who are still attached to material happinesses and not yet able to renounce them, should practice karma-yoga, which will grant the perfections they desire. 5 Devotional service, however, may be practiced by anyone who has faith in it. He need not be very qualified or renounced. This is described in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.7.46): "Surrendered souls, even from groups leading sinful lives, such as women, the labourer class, the mountaineers and the Siberians, or even the birds and beasts, can also know about the science of Godhead and become liberated from the clutches of the illusory energy by surrendering unto the pure devotees of the Lord and by following in their footsteps in devotional service."* If, somehow or other (yadrcchaya), someone associates with the devotees, he will attain the Lord's mercy and in this way his life will become auspicious. 6 This process of becoming advanced in devotional service by associating with the Lord's devotees is also described in these words (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.16): "O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vasudeva."* 7 The verse quoted in the beginning of this anuccheda was spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Bhakti · Sanskrit §183 · English §172
Source[१८३] सतां कृपा च दुरवस्था-दर्शन-मात्रोद्भवा न स्वोपासनाद्य्-अपेक्षा, यथा श्री-नारदस्य नलकूवर-मणिग्रीवयोः । तद् आह - भजन्ति ये यथा देवान् देवा अपि तथैव तान् । छायेव कर्म-सचिवाः साधवो दीन-वत्सलाः ॥ [भ्प् ११.२.६] इति । स्पष्टम् ॥ ११.२ ॥ श्रीमान् आनकदुन्दुभिः ॥ १८३ ॥
[183] satāṃ kṛpā ca duravasthā-darśana-mātrodbhavā na svopāsanādy-apekṣā, yathā śrī-nāradasya nalakūvara-maṇigrīvayoḥ | tad āha - bhajanti ye yathā devān devā api tathaiva tān | chāyeva karma-sacivāḥ sādhavo dīna-vatsalāḥ || [BhP 11.2.6] iti | spaṣṭam || 11.2 || śrīmān ānakadundubhiḥ || 183 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 172
Anuccheda 172
1 This verse is further explained in the following two verses (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.27-28): 2 "Having awakened faith in the narrations of My glories, being disgusted with all material activities, knowing that all sense gratification leads to misery, but still being unable to renounce all sense enjoyment, My devotee should remain happy and worship Me with great faith and conviction. Even though he is sometimes engaged in sense enjoyment, My devotee knows that all sense gratification leads to a miserable result, and he sincerely repents such activities."*** 3 The word "mat-katha" (narrations of My glories) here means "in many devotional activities, such as hearing about My glories." By having faith in these devotional activities one attains the greatest benefit. Even though he may sometimes feel impelled to perform material activities, the devotee knows (veda) that the happiness he experiences at present due to past pious deeds. 4 This is further explained in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.8): "If somehow or other by good fortune one develops faith in hearing and chanting My glories, such a person, being neither very disgusted with nor attached to material life, should achieve perfection through the path of loving devotion to Me."*** 5 In this verse the Lord says, "One should worship Me, and not be renounced as the impersonalists are." It is the devotees that are genuinely renounced. That is the meaning. 6 Then the Lord says (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.31): "Therefore, for a devotee engaged in My loving service, with mind fixed on Me, the cultivation of knowledge and renunciation is generally not the means of achieving the highest perfection within this world."*** 7 The Lord continues (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.32): "Everything that can be achieved by fruitive activities, penance, knowledge, detachment, mystic yoga, charity, religious duties and all other means of perfecting life is easily achieved by My devotee through loving service unto Me. If somehow or other My devotee desires promotion to heaven, liberation, or residence in My abode, he easily achieves such benedictions."*** 8 Devotional service is not dependent on either karma-yoga or renunciation. The devotees have faith that devotional service is the best spiritual path. The statement that devotional service has something to do with renunciation is merely a figure of speech. If one simply has faith in karma or jnana and does nothing more, then his efforts are all wasted. However, if one simply has faith in devotional service and does nothing more, that faith is accepted and the devotee attains a great benefit. Without faith it is not possible to attain pure devotional service. If one has no faith at all he cannot attain devotional service. Here it is said that the devotee is neither attracted to nor repelled by the objects of the senses. The actions of the devotee are described in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.9): "As long as one is not satiated by fruitive activity and has not awakened his taste for devotional service by sravanam kirtanam visnoh, one has to act according to the regulative principles of the Vedic injunctions."*** When he attains sincere faith in the Lord, the devotee is able to abandon fruitive work. The conclusion is that without engagement in devotional service one cannot attain perfection in spiritual life. 9 The devotional activity of chanting the Lord's holy name is described in the following words of the Skanda Purana, Prabhasa-khanda: "O best of the Bhrgus to anyone who once, either with faith, or with contempt, chants the holy name, the holy name of Lord Krsna brings liberation." 10 Chanting the glories of the Lord is again described in these words (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.25): "In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin."* 11 In these verses it is explained that hearing about the Lord gives the spiritual result of devotional service. 12 The chanting of the Lord's holy name is again described in these words (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.2.49): "While suffering at the time of death, Ajamila chanted the holy name of the Lord and although the chanting was directed toward his son, he nevertheless returned home, back to Godhead. Therefore if one faithfully and inoffensively chants the holy name of the Lord, where is the doubt that he will return to Godhead?"* 13 Faith in hearing and remembering the holy name of the Lord brings the best spiritual results to the devotee. It is not simply another part of spiritual life. It is pre-eminently important. There are no hard and fast rules for chanting the holy name, as there are for performing agni-hotra-yajnas and the other duties of karma-yoga. This is because hearing and chanting the holy name of the Lord has great spiritual power. 14 What happens if one is a fool and does not have faith in the holy name? The answer is given in these words of the Padma Purana: "O best of the Bhrgus, to anyone who once, either with faith, or with contempt, chants the holy name, the holy name of Lord Krsna brings liberation." If out of ignorance one commits the offense of chanting the holy name with contempt and one does not actually bear deep-seated malice towards the holy name, his advancement in devotional service will be swift and without impediments. However, if one actually knows, even a little, of the true nature of the holy name, and bears malice to the name, then when he chants the holy name his advancement in devotional service will meet with obstacles. It will be like a fire fed with only half the needed fuel. 15 The importance of faith is described by the Lord Himself in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.21.17-18): "In worshipping the temple Deity, my dear Uddhava, bathing and decoration are the most pleasing offerings. For the Deity traced on sacred ground, the process of tattva-vinyasa is most dear. Oblations of sesame and barley soaked in ghee are the preferred offering to the sacrificial fire, whereas worship consisting of upasthana and arghya is preferred for the sun. One should worship Me in the form of water by offering water itself. Actually, whatever is offered to Me with faith by My devotee- even if only a little water - is most dear to Me.*** 16 "Even very opulent presentations do not satisfy Me if they are offered by non devotees. But I am pleased by any insignificant offering made by My loving devotees, and I am certainly most pleased when nice presentations of fragrant oil, incense, flowers and palatable foods are offered with love."*** 17 The words "sraddha" (faith) and "bhakti" (devotion) in these verses explain the nature of devotional service to the Lord, devotional service that pleases the Lord and removes offenses and malice to the Lord. Faith in devotional service is not merely a minor aspect of devotional service. It is essential. A person who knows the real nature of devotional service is able to engage in pure devotional service. The Lord Himself describes such a person in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.8): 18 "If somehow or other by good fortune one develops faith in hearing and chanting My glories, such a person, being neither very disgusted with nor attached to material life, should achieve perfection through the path of loving devotion to Me."*** 19 In the following words the Lord describes the devotees that have not yet come to the level of pure devotional service (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.27): "Having awakened faith in the narrations of My glories, being disgusted with all material activities, knowing that all sense gratification leads to misery, but still being unable to renounce all sense enjoyment, My devotee should remain happy and worship Me with great faith and conviction. Even though he is sometimes engaged in sense enjoyment, My devotee knows that all sense gratification leads to a miserable result, and he sincerely repents such activities."*** 20 In this verse the word "tatah" has the sense of the ablative ("from that") and describes the steps by which one attains the stage of atmarama (finding satisfaction in the Supreme Self alone). In this way it is explained that devotional service is the king of all methods of spiritual realisation. 21 This will be further explained in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.34): "Because My devotees possess saintly behaviour and deep intelligence, they completely dedicate themselves to Me and do not desire anything besides Me. Indeed, even if I offer them liberation from birth and death, they do not accept it."*** 22 To confirm that devotional service is the king of all methods of spiritual realisation,, it is also explained in these passages that karma (fruitive work) and jnana (the search for knowledge) cannot reach their final goals without the performance of devotional service. 23 The qualification for attaining pure devotional service is faith alone. Therefore the Lord teaches (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.28), "My devotee should remain happy and worship Me with great faith, love, and conviction." Here the word "sraddhaluh" means "faithful", "pritah" means "attracted to the Lord" and "drdha-niscayah" means "without abandoning the activities of devotional service." Because it may not be possible to renounce material desires all of a sudden, the Lord says, "one may sometimes be engaged in sense gratification." Still, the Lord criticises the activities of sense gratification because "sense gratification leads to a miserable result". The sense gratification described here does not include sinful activities. In the Visnu Purana sinful activities are forbidden in the following words: 24 "O king, Lord Krsna is pleased with a person who does not even think of performing adultery, theft or violence." 25 In the Visnu Purana and other scriptures it is said that one should offer the fruits of one's word to the Lord. Here it is explained that one cannot offer the fruits of sinful work to the Lord. That is forbidden. Later in this book we will quote the prohibition, "One should act without material desires. One should not act in any other way." Here not performing material activities means not performing sinful activities. 26 In the Visnu-dharma Purana it is said: "A person who breaks the rules created by Lord Visnu and acts sinfully is not a devotee of Lord Visnu. Only they who act in a saintly way can worship Lord Visnu." In these words the devotees are forbidden to perform sinful activities. 27 Then again, by engaging in devotional service one loses the desire to act sinfully. Srimad Bhagavatam *4.21.31) explains: "By the inclination to serve the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, suffering humanity can immediately cleanse the dirt which has accumulated in their minds during innumerable births. Like the Ganges water, which emanates from the toes of the lotus feet of the Lord, such a process immediately cleanses the mind, and thus spiritual or Krsna consciousness gradually increases."* 28 Here the word "sadyah" (immediately) means "simply by becoming attracted to the Lord." 29 Visnu-dharma Purana again explains: "When one no longer desires to act sinfully, but instead desires to act in a saintly way, Lord Visnu stays in his heart." 30 The Lord protects the devotees from accidental sins, this is explained in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5.42): "One who has given up everything and taken full shelter at the lotus feet of Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is very dear to Krsna. If he is involved in some sinful activity by accident, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is seated in everyone's heart, removes his sins without difficulty."* 31 In this verse the word "kathancit" (by accident) means that the devotees do not perform sinful activities deliberately. deliberately performing sinful activities is one of the offenses to the holy name, as the Padma Purana, Namaparadha-bhanjana-stotra, explains: "To think that since the Hare Krsna mantra can counteract all sinful reactions one may therefore go on with his sinful activities and then at the same time chant the Hare Krsna mantra to neutralise them is the greatest offense at the lotus feet of Hari-nama. One who thinks in this way cannot be purified by any means, such as by austerities, or by the various punishments of Yamaraja."* 32 Sri Bhagavad-gita (9.30) explains: "Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination."* Here the word "su-duracarah" (committing the most abominable action) means committing offenses and being disrespectful. It does not refer to gross sinful activities. 33 The Lord then explains (Bhagavad-gita 9.31): "He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes."* This verse confirms that it is best not to act badly. The verse quoted in the beginning of this anuccheda was spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Bhakti · Sanskrit §184 · English §173
Source[१८४] तद् एवं सत्-सङ्गमात्रस्य तत्-साम्मुख्य-मात्रे निदानत्वम् उक्तम् । एतद् एव व्यक्तिरेकेणाह - न ह्य् अम्-मयानि तीर्थानि न देवा मृच्-छिला-मयाः । ते पुनन्त्य् उरु-कालेन दर्शनाद् एव साधवः ॥ [भ्प् १०.८४.११] ते कथं नाद्रियन्ते गौणत्वाद् इत्य् आह ते पुनन्तीति । ॥ १०.८४ ॥ श्री-भगवान् मुनि-वर्गम् ॥ १८४ ॥
[184] tad evaṃ sat-saṅgamātrasya tat-sāmmukhya-mātre nidānatvam uktam | etad eva vyaktirekeṇāha - na hy am-mayāni tīrthāni na devā mṛc-chilā-mayāḥ | te punanty uru-kālena darśanād eva sādhavaḥ || [BhP 10.84.11] te kathaṃ nādriyante gauṇatvād ity āha te punantīti | || 10.84 || śrī-bhagavān muni-vargam || 184 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 173
Anuccheda 173
1 Here someone may protest: "So far you have described only karma (fruitive work), jnana (the search for knowledge), and bhakti (devotional service). However, one must also perform his prescribed daily duties and whatever occasional duties are thrust upon him. Therefore jnana (the search for knowledge) and bhakti (devotional service) must always be performed along with these ordinary duties. How can one perform jnana and bhakti without also performing these prescribed duties?" Fearing that someone would say this, the Lord refutes the idea that the devotees must perform a host of material duties prescribed by the Vedas. He says (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.9): 2 "As long as one is not satiated by fruitive activity and has not awakened his taste for devotional service by sravanam kirtanam visnoh, one has to act according to the regulative principle of the Veda injunctions."*** 3 Srila Sridhara Svami comments: "The word 'karmani' here means 'regular and occasional prescribed duties'." 4 However, the Lord also orders everyone to obey the orders of the Vedic literatures. He says: "The Sruti and Smrti scriptures are My commands. A person who disobeys these scriptures is My enemy. He is not My devotee." 5 There is no fault in this statement and it does not contradict what was said before. In order to perform devotional activities that increase one's renunciation and faith one should reject some of the Lord's orders. 6 This is explained by the Lord Himself in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.11.32): "Having taken complete shelter at My lotus feet, however, a saintly person ultimately renounces such ordinary religious duties and worships Me alone. He is thus considered to be the best among all living entities."*** 7 Srila Sridhara Svami comments: "This verse means that by engaging in devotional service one attains the platform of renunciation. When one is renounced he abandons the religious duties meant for those who are not renounced." The platform of renunciation is described by Karabhajana Muni in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5.41): 8 "One who has given up all material duties and taken full shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, who gives shelter to all, is not indebted to the demigods, great sages, ordinary living entities, relatives, friends, mankind, or even one's forefathers who have passed away."* 9 This verse means that the devotee described here is not a servant of the demigods, great sages, and others. He is a servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore he need not serve the demigods and others. The word "kartam" here means "material duties." This means that the devotees are beyond the control of the demigods and others. 10 This is also described in the Garuda Purana in the following words: "A person who does not worship Lord Hari will say, 'I must worship the demigods and sages, Brahma and Brhaspati'." 11 A devotee who accidentally performs a sinful activity does not need to perform an activity of penance to atone for it. Simply by remembering the Lord, he atones for his accidental sin. This is described in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5.42): 12 "One who has given up everything and taken full shelter at the lotus feet of Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is very dear to Krsna. If he is involved in some sinful activity by accident, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is seated in everyone's heart, removes his sins without difficulty."* 13 In this verse the word "tyaktanya-bhava" means "one who has rejected the worship of the demigods and placed all his love and devotion in the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Such a person rejects fruitive work. He has faith and he takes shelter of the Lord. These two things, having faith and taking shelter are the same thing. Faith here means "faith in the scriptures." They who do not take shelter of the scriptures find themselves in a fearful position. The symptom of faith is that one takes shelter of the scriptures. For these reasons one should not worship the various demigods. 14 That the devotees take shelter of the Lord alone and do not worship the demigods is also explained in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.31.14): "As pouring water on the root of a tree energises the trunk, branches, twigs and everything else, and as supplying food to the stomach enlivens the senses and limbs of the body, simply by worshipping the Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service automatically satisfies the demigods, who are parts of that Supreme Personality."* 15 Even if his advancement in devotional service is temporarily blocked by obstacle, a devotee who abandons fruitive work and takes shelter of the Lord is not placed in distress because he has abandoned fruitive work. This is described in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.17): "One who has forsaken his material occupations to engage in devotional service of the Lord may sometimes fall down while in an immature stage, yet there is no danger of his being unsuccessful. On the other hand, a non devotee, though fully engaged in occupational duties, does not gain anything."*
Srila Jiva Gosvami's Sri Bhakti-sandarbha An Essay on Devotional Service Volume Five
Table of Contents The Devotee is Rightly Situated, Anuccheda 173 Page 2 How the Devotees Engage in Karma-yoga, Anucchedas 174-175 Page 5 Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan, Anuccheda 176 Page 6 The Devotees are Beyond Material Good and Evil, Anuccheda 177 Page 10 Engagement in Pure Devotional Service is the Natural Position of Living Entities, Anuccheda 178 Page 11 By Associating with Devotees One Attains Devotional Service, Anucchedas 179-186 Page 13 Different Kinds of Devotees, Anuccheda 187 Page 21 The Advanced and Intermediate Devotees, Anucchedas 188-189 Page 23
16 In the following words Lord Krsna orders the devotees to abandon fruitive work (Bhagavad-gita 18.66): "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear."* 17 From the beginning of devotional service one should renounce fruitive work. That is the meaning of the prefix "pari" used here with the very "tyaj". This verse is also confirmed by the following verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5.41) which has the same meaning: "One who has given up all material duties and taken full shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, who gives shelter to all, is not indebted to the demigods, great sages, ordinary living entities, relatives, friends, mankind or even one's forefathers who have passed away."* 18 In the following words Lord Krsna describes devotional service (Bhagavad-gita 18.65): "Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend."* 19 In the Gautamiya Tantra it is said: "They who have fallen in love with Lord Krsna's lotus feet do not divert their attention to chanting about, meditating on, worshipping, or following the orders of anyone else." 20 The activities of the pure devotee King Bharata are described in the following words of Sri Visnu Purana (2.13.9-10): "Again and again King Bharata would chant, 'O Krsna, O Govinda, O Kesava, O Madhava, O Visnu, O limitless one, O infallible Lord, O master of all yajna, O master of the senses!' Even in his dreams, the king would think only of Lord Krsna. 21 King Bharata did not talk of topics other than Krsna. He renounced talking of other topics and doing other activities. He understood that Lord Krsna is not different from His holy name. In this way King Bharata was a pure devotee of the Lord. 22 In the Padma Purana Lord Krsna explains: "A person who neglects his material duties and only once says My name comes to Me in the spiritual world, but they who carefully perform their duties but never say My name do not." 23 Therefore a faithful devotee should engage in devotional service alone. He should not perform material pious duties or any other non devotional activities. How is spiritual faith known? The signs of faith were already previous described in the description of the symptoms of surrender. The symptoms of surrender will also be described in the discussion of the verse beginning "anukulyasya sankalpah". The absence of materialism, miserliness and other faults is known as another symptom of faith. In this way the scriptures describe faith. 24 In Bhagavad-gita (9.22), Lord Krsna describes faith in these words: "But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form, to them I carry what they lack and I preserve what they have."* 25 A faithful person does not lose faith even in seemingly ordinary things, relatives, qualities and activities that nevertheless have a relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Only they who have ordinary vision see things as faulty or material. A person who is actually making spiritual advancement will not renounce these things. 26 The power of devotional service is described in the following words of the Narada Purana: "The auspicious water that has washed Lord Krsna's feet stops all sufferings, all diseases, and even untimely death." 27 Some faithful devotees commit offences and therefore they do not at once attain the desired result. The result remains hidden from them. The faithful devotees naturally become washed of all impurities. This is described in the statement of scripture: "One who remembers the lotus-eyed Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes pure both within and without." By properly honouring the great sages and devotees in the disciplic succession, which begins with Sri Narada and Sri Vyasa, one becomes purified in this way. However, if one does not honour the great devotees, he commits an offense. 28 The rules of etiquette that govern civilised society are meant to prevent these kinds of offenses to the great souls. In this way it should be understood. When a person has faith and understand the difference between spiritual perfection and what falls short of that perfection, he becomes like a goldsmith who, desiring to attain pure gold, works very strenuously (to refine the impure gold he has). Thus a sincere devotee takes great trouble to become free of material vices, and when all material faults are destroyed, then Lord Krsna personally appears before him. In this way it should be understood. 29 When the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears before him, the devotee becomes free from even the slightest trace of desire for an exalted position in the material world. When the devotee is enlightened in this way he will never insult the great devotees of commit any kind of offense. All offenses are then stopped. 30 Here may be seen the example of King Citraketu. Unaware of Lord Siva's true identity as a great devotee of the Lord because Lord Siva's true nature was covered by activities that seemed to be beyond the realm of devotional service, King Citraketu committed an offense to him. Even a faithful devotee may, because of past karma, still be engaged in material activities. However, by humbly engaging in devotional service, the devotee will certainly shake away all attraction to matter. 31 This is seen in the following words of Srimad Bhagavatam (11.20.28), where Lord Krsna explains: "Having awakened faith in the narrations of My glories, being disgusted with all material activities, knowing that all sense gratification leads to misery, but still being unable to renounce all sense enjoyment, My devotee should remain happy and worship Me with great faith and conviction. Even though he is sometimes engaged in sense enjoyment. My devotee knows that all sense gratification leads to a miserable result, and he sincerely repents such activities."*** 32 In Srimad Bhagavatam (11.14.18) Lord Krsna explains: "My dear Uddhava, if My devotee has not fully conquered his senses, he may be harassed by material desires, but because of his unflinching devotion for Me, he will not be defeated by sense gratification."*** 33 In the following words (Bhagavad-gita 9.30) Lord Krsna describes the nature of unalloyed faith: "Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination."* 34 In Bhagavad-gita (17.1) Arjuna asks the following question: "O Krsna, what is the situation of those who do not follow the principles of scripture but worship according to their own imagination? Are they in goodness, in passion or in ignorance?"* 35 This kind of faith is understood through the disciplic succession. It is not necessarily the conclusion of all the scriptures. Many scriptural passages affirm that materialistic behaviour is always inappropriate. For example, in the Visnu Purana it is said: "Lord Krsna is never pleased by a person who is a thief or an adulterer, or who does harm to others." These words contradict the previous statement that Lord Visnu may sometimes be pleased with His devotee even if the devotee is engaged in abominable actions. In the Visnu-dharma Purana it is said: "One who does not follow the rules of proper conduct cannot be considered a devotee of Lord Visnu. The Lord is worshipped only by they who act in a saintly way." These words contradict the previous statement that a person engaged in abominable actions may still be considered a devotee. The truth is that it is certainly not to a devotee's credit that he perform abominable actions. That sinful actions should be avoided by the devotees is confirmed by the use of the words "api cet" (even though) inn this quote from Bhagavad-gita. It is also confirmed by the verse that immediately follows. 36 Immediately after saying that the devotee is rightly situated even though he may be engaged in abominable actions, Lord Krsna explains (Bhagavad-gita 9.31): "He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kunti declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes."* However, it should also be noted that the following is explained the description of offenses to the holy name: "It is an offense to commit sin on the strength of chanting the holy name." 37 The faith of a devotee who follows the scriptures is better than other kinds of faith. That faith should be followed. Other kinds of faith are mentioned only to show the glory and power of devotional service. This kind of faith situates the devotee in the mode of goodness. However, faith should not be directed to worship of the demigods. That is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita 17.1. The perfection of faith is described in the following passage of Brahma-vaivarta Purana. 38 "One should consider: What is reality? What is illusion? O King, when one thinks in this way he comes to renounce the illusion of material life. Then he can attain perfection. Then he attains the perfection of faith, a perfection that brings a great result." 39 The manifestation of faith among the devotees is described by the Supreme Lord Himself in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.8-9): "If somehow or other by good fortune one develops faith in hearing and chanting My glories, such a person, being neither very disgusted with nor attached to material life, should achieve perfection through the path of loving devotion to Me.*** 40 "As long as one is not satiated by fruitive activity and has not awakened his taste for devotional service by sravanam kirtanam visnoh, one has to act according to the regulative principle of the Vedic injunctions."*** 41 In this way the conversation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and Narada Muni explains who is qualified and who is not qualified to engage in devotional service. 42 Lord Krsna further explains (Bhagavad-gita 3.26): "So as not to disrupt the minds of ignorant men attached to the fruitive results of prescribed duties, a learned person should not induce them to stop work. Rather, by working in the spirit of devotion, he should engage them in all sorts of activities (for the gradual development of Krsna consciousness)."* 43 It is also said in (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.15): "The people in general are naturally inclined to enjoy, and you have encouraged them in that way in the name of religion. This is verily condemned and is quite unreasonable. because they are guided under your instructions, they will accept such activities in the name of religion and will hardly care for prohibitions."* 44 The infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead further explains (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.9.50): "A pure devotee who is fully accomplished in the science of devotional service will never instruct a foolish person to engage in fruitive activities for material enjoyment, not to speak of helping him in such activities. Such a person is like an experienced physician, who never encourages a patient to eat food injurious to his health, even if the patient desires it."* 45 Although faith makes a person qualified to engage in devotional service, and faith does not manifest in a person who does not know the truth, nevertheless, there is no fault in considering the previous purifying activities of a potential recipient of transcendental knowledge, and there is a fault on the part of a preacher of transcendental knowledge if he does not consider these previous activities. Therefore it is said: "One should not teach transcendental knowledge to a faithless person averse to the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Later in this book, in the discussion of offenses, we will explain how teaching faithless persons is an offense to the Lord. Now we will return to the discussion at hand.
Bhakti · Sanskrit §185 · English §174–175
Source[१८५] तद् एवं सत्सङ्गमात्रस्य तत्-साम्मुख्य-मात्रे निदानत्वम् उक्तम् । एतद् एव व्यतिरेकेणाह -- ज्ञानं विशुद्धं परमार्थम् एकम् अनन्तरं त्व् अबहिर् ब्रह्म सत्यम् । प्रत्यक् प्रशान्तं भगवच्-छब्द-संज्ञं यद् वासुदेवं कवयो वदन्ति ॥ रहूगणैतत् तपसा न याति न चेज्यया निर्वपणाद् गृहाद् वा । (पगे ९३) न च्छन्दसा नैव जलाग्नि-सूर्यैर् विना महत्-पाद-रजो-ऽभिषेकम् ॥ [भ्प् ५.१२.१२] तर्हि किं सत्यम् ? ज्ञानं सत्यम् । व्यावहारिक-सत्यत्वं व्यावर्तयति । परमार्थम् । वृत्ति-ज्ञान-व्यवच्छेदार्थानि षड्-विशेषणानि । विशुद्धं तत् तु आविद्यकम् । एकं तत् तु नाना-रूपम् । अनन्तरं तु बहिर् बाह्याभ्यन्तर- शून्यं तत् तु विपरीतं ब्रह्म परिपूर्णं तत् तु परिच्छिन्नम् । प्रत्यक् तत् तु विषयाकारम् । प्रशान्तं निर्विकारं, तत् तु स-विकारम् । तद् एवं स्वरूपं ज्ञानं सत्यम् इत्य् उक्तम् । कीदृशं तत् ? ऐश्वर्यादि-षड्-गुणत्वेन भगवच्- छब्दः संज्ञा यस्य । यच् च ज्ञानं वासुदेवं वदन्ति । तत्-प्राप्तिश् च महत्-सेवां विना न भवतीत्य् आह हे रहूगण । एतज् ज्ञानं तपसा पुरुषो न याति इज्यया वैदिक-कर्मणा निर्वपणाद् अन्नादि-संविभागेन गृहाद् वा तन्-निमित्त-परोपकारेण छन्दसा वेदाभ्यासेन जलाग्न्य्-आदिभिर् उपासितैर् इत्य् एषा । अत्र ब्रह्मत्वादिना जीव-स्वरूपं सूक्ष्मत्वादि-धर्मकं ज्ञानम् अपि निरस्तं वेदितव्यम् ॥ ॥ ५.१२ ॥ श्री-ब्राह्मणो रहूगणम् ॥ १८५ ॥
[185] tad evaṃ satsaṅgamātrasya tat-sāmmukhya-mātre nidānatvam uktam | etad eva vyatirekeṇāha -- jñānaṃ viśuddhaṃ paramārtham ekam anantaraṃ tv abahir brahma satyam | pratyak praśāntaṃ bhagavac-chabda-saṃjñaṃ yad vāsudevaṃ kavayo vadanti || rahūgaṇaitat tapasā na yāti na cejyayā nirvapaṇād gṛhād vā | (page 93) na cchandasā naiva jalāgni-sūryair vinā mahat-pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekam || [BhP 5.12.12] tarhi kiṃ satyam ? jñānaṃ satyam | vyāvahārika-satyatvaṃ vyāvartayati | paramārtham | vṛtti-jñāna-vyavacchedārthāni ṣaḍ-viśeṣaṇāni | viśuddhaṃ tat tu āvidyakam | ekaṃ tat tu nānā-rūpam | anantaraṃ tu bahir bāhyābhyantara- śūnyaṃ tat tu viparītaṃ brahma paripūrṇaṃ tat tu paricchinnam | pratyak tat tu viṣayākāram | praśāntaṃ nirvikāraṃ, tat tu sa-vikāram | tad evaṃ svarūpaṃ jñānaṃ satyam ity uktam | kīdṛśaṃ tat ? aiśvaryādi-ṣaḍ-guṇatvena bhagavac- chabdaḥ saṃjñā yasya | yac ca jñānaṃ vāsudevaṃ vadanti | tat-prāptiś ca mahat-sevāṃ vinā na bhavatīty āha he rahūgaṇa | etaj jñānaṃ tapasā puruṣo na yāti ijyayā vaidika-karmaṇā nirvapaṇād annādi-saṃvibhāgena gṛhād vā tan-nimitta-paropakāreṇa chandasā vedābhyāsena jalāgny-ādibhir upāsitair ity eṣā | atra brahmatvādinā jīva-svarūpaṃ sūkṣmatvādi-dharmakaṃ jñānam api nirastaṃ veditavyam || || 5.12 || śrī-brāhmaṇo rahūgaṇam || 185 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 174–175
Anuccheda 174
1 After describing (in anuccheda 173, texts 39 and 40) the way one is qualified to engage in the three kinds of yoga (karma-yoga, jnana-yoga and bhakti-yoga), the Supreme Lord next explains how they who are devotees and try to please the Supreme Lord engage in karma-yoga. The Lord says (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.10-11): 2 "My dear Uddhava, a person who is situated in his prescribed duty, properly worshipping by Vedic sacrifices but not desiring the fruitive result of such worship, will not go to the heavenly planets. Similarly, by not performing forbidden activities he will not go to hell."*** 3 "One who is situated in his prescribed duty, free from sinful activities and cleansed of material contamination, in this very life obtains transcendental knowledge or, by fortune, devotional service unto Me."*** 4 Srila Sridhara Svami comments: "In these verses "anasih-kamah" means "not desiring the fruits of action and 'anyat' means 'forbidden actions'. One may go to the hellish planets in two ways. One way is to neglect ones prescribed duties, and the other way is to perform actions that are forbidden. Because he performs his prescribed duties and also shuns forbidden actions, the devotee does not go to the hellish planets, and because he does not desire the fruits of action he does not go to Svargaloka either. That is the meaning. The phrase 'asmil loke' means 'in this body'. 'Anaghah' means 'he who shuns all forbidden actions', and 'sucih' means 'free from the contamination of material passions'. The word 'yadrcchaya' (by good fortune) shows that devotional service is more rare and difficult to attain than the realisation of impersonal Brahman." 5 The meaning here is that the sincere souls do not desire to enjoy the fruits of material actions and thus they perform Vedic rituals and duties only because the Lord has ordered that they be performed. When association with jnanis, is attained by them, these sincere souls present the results of these prescribed fruitive activities as an offering to the Supreme Lord. When the association of devotees of the Lord is attained by them, these sincere souls engage in devotional activities that please the Supreme Lord directly. That is why the word "yadrcchaya" (by good fortune) is used here. By the association of the devotees and by attaining their mercy, the sincere souls attain good fortune. That is explained here. 6 This is explained in the following words of Srimad Bhagavatam (2.3.11): "All the different kinds of worshippers of multi demigods can attain the highest perfectional benediction, which is spontaneous attraction unflinchingly fixed upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by the association of the pure devotee of the Lord."* 7 The verse quoted in the beginning of this anuccheda was spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Anuccheda 175
1 In this way there are different qualifications for: 1. offering the results of one's work to the Lord, 2. spiritual knowledge, and 3. spiritual devotional service to the Lord. The Lord discusses these qualifications in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.21.2): 2 "Steadiness in one's own position is declared to be actual piety, whereas deviation from one's position is considered impiety. In this way the two are definitely ascertained."*** 3 The meaning of this verse is clear. This verse was spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Bhakti · Sanskrit §186 · English §176
Source[१८६] तद् एवं सत्-सङ्ग एव तत्-साम्मुख्ये द्वारम् इत्य् उक्तम् । ते च सन्तस् तत्- सम्मुखा एवात्र गृह्यन्ते । न तु वैदिकाचार-मात्र-परा अनुपयोगित्वात् । तत्र यादृशः सत्-सङ्गस् तादृशम् एव साम्मुख्यं भवतीति वक्तुं तेषु सत्सु ये महान्तस् तेषां द्वैविध्यम् आह सार्धेन । महान्तस् ते सम-चित्ताः प्रशान्ता विमन्यवः सुहृदः साधवो ये । ये वा मयीशे कृत-सौहृदार्था जनेषु देहम्भर-वार्तिकेषु ॥ गृहेषु जायात्मज-रातिमत्सु न प्रीति-युक्ता यावद्-अर्थाश् च लोके ॥ [भ्प् ५.५.२-३] ये सम-चित्ता निर्विशेष-ब्रह्म-निष्ठास् ते महान्तस् तेषां शीलम् आह प्रशान्ता इत्य् आदि । महद्-विशेषम् आह ये वेति । वा-शब्दः पक्षान्तरे । उत्तर-पक्षत्वाद् अस्यैव श्रेष्ठत्वं मयि कृतं सिद्धं यत् सौहृदं प्रेम तद् एव अर्थः पुरुषार्थो येषां यथा-भूता ये ते महान्त इति पूर्वेणान्वयः । यतो मयि सौहृदार्थास् तत एव देअम्भअरवार्तिकेषु विषय-वार्ता-निष्ठेषु जनेषु तथा गेहेषु जायात्मज-बन्धु-वर्ग-युक्तेषु न प्रीति-युक्ताः, किन्तु यावद्-अर्थः यावान् अर्थः श्री-भगवद्- भजनानुरूपं प्रयोजनं तावान् अर्थो धनं येषां तथाभूता इत्य् अर्थः । उभयोर् महत्त्वं च महा-ज्ञानित्वान् महा-भागवतत्वाच् च, न तु द्वयोः साम्याभिप्रायेण । मुक्तानाम् अपि सिद्धानां नारायण-परायणः [भ्प् ६.१४.५] इत्य् आद्य्-उक्तेः । अत्र ज्ञान-मार्गे ब्रह्मानुभविनो महान्तो भक्ति- मार्गे लब्ध-भगवत्-प्रेमाणो महान्त इति लक्षण-सामान्यम् इति ज्ञेयम् । ॥ ५.५ ॥ श्री-ऋषभः स्व-पुत्रान् ॥ १८६ ॥
[186] tad evaṃ sat-saṅga eva tat-sāmmukhye dvāram ity uktam | te ca santas tat- sammukhā evātra gṛhyante | na tu vaidikācāra-mātra-parā anupayogitvāt | tatra yādṛśaḥ sat-saṅgas tādṛśam eva sāmmukhyaṃ bhavatīti vaktuṃ teṣu satsu ye mahāntas teṣāṃ dvaividhyam āha sārdhena | mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā vimanyavaḥ suhṛdaḥ sādhavo ye | ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthā janeṣu dehambhara-vārtikeṣu || gṛheṣu jāyātmaja-rātimatsu na prīti-yuktā yāvad-arthāś ca loke || [BhP 5.5.2-3] ye sama-cittā nirviśeṣa-brahma-niṣṭhās te mahāntas teṣāṃ śīlam āha praśāntā ity ādi | mahad-viśeṣam āha ye veti | vā-śabdaḥ pakṣāntare | uttara-pakṣatvād asyaiva śreṣṭhatvaṃ mayi kṛtaṃ siddhaṃ yat sauhṛdaṃ prema tad eva arthaḥ puruṣārtho yeṣāṃ yathā-bhūtā ye te mahānta iti pūrveṇānvayaḥ | yato mayi sauhṛdārthās tata eva deambhaaravārtikeṣu viṣaya-vārtā-niṣṭheṣu janeṣu tathā geheṣu jāyātmaja-bandhu-varga-yukteṣu na prīti-yuktāḥ, kintu yāvad-arthaḥ yāvān arthaḥ śrī-bhagavad- bhajanānurūpaṃ prayojanaṃ tāvān artho dhanaṃ yeṣāṃ tathābhūtā ity arthaḥ | ubhayor mahattvaṃ ca mahā-jñānitvān mahā-bhāgavatatvāc ca, na tu dvayoḥ sāmyābhiprāyeṇa | muktānām api siddhānāṃ nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇaḥ [BhP 6.14.5] ity ādy-ukteḥ | atra jñāna-mārge brahmānubhavino mahānto bhakti- mārge labdha-bhagavat-premāṇo mahānta iti lakṣaṇa-sāmānyam iti jñeyam | || 5.5 || śrī-ṛṣabhaḥ sva-putrān || 186 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 176
Anuccheda 176
1 When he has no knowledge of the Supreme Lord's transcendental form and no devotion to Him, the soul is in an unfortunate position. In that position the idea that God is impersonal and has no qualities becomes prominent. The most important feature of God is His feature as a person who has transcendental qualities. This feature is manifested in two ways: 1. as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and 2. as the Supersoul. In this way the soul may have faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead or faith in the Supersoul. 2 These three features of the Supreme (Brahma, Paramatma and Bhagavan) are described in the Bhagavad-gita. There the Supreme Personality of Godhead said (8.3): "The indestructible, transcendental living entity is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is called adhyatma, the self. Action pertaining to the development of the material bodies of the living entities is called karma, or fruitive activities."* 3 The word "aksara" here refers to the impersonal Brahman, which has already been described. That Brahman is worshipped by the path of transcendental knowledge. This is described by the Lord in the following words (Bhagavad-gita 8.11): 4 "Person who are learned in the Vedas, who utter omkara and who are great sages in the renounced order enter into Brahman. Desiring such perfection, one practices celibacy. I shall now briefly explain to you this process by which one may attain salvation."* 5 Lord Krsna then describes His Supersoul feature in these words (Bhagavad-gita 8.4): "O best of the embodied beings, the physical nature, which is constantly changing, is called adhibhuta (the material manifestation). The universal form of the Lord, which includes all the demigods, like those of the sun and moon, is called adhidaiva. And I, the Supreme Lord, represented as the Supersoul in the heart of every embodied being, am called adhiyajna (the Lord of sacrifice)."* 6 In this way the Supreme Lord appears in two forms, as 1. the universal form, and 2. the all-pervading Supersoul. Now will be shown the two kinds of devotional service employed to worship these two forms of the Lord. 7 Lord Krsna Himself explains this in the following words (Bhagavad-gita 8.8): "He who meditates on Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the path, he, O Partha, is sure to reach Me."* 8 In Bhagavad-gita (8.9) the Lord continues: "One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, as He who is the oldest, who is the controller, who is smaller than the smallest, who is the maintainer of everything, who is beyond all material conception, who is inconceivable and who is always a person. He is luminous like the sun, and He is transcendental, beyond this material nature."* 9 Using the word "Me", Lord Krsna confirms that He is the real object of devotional service in these words (Bhagavad-gita 8.14): 10 "For one who always remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to obtain, O son of Prtha, because of his constant engagement in devotional service."* 11 Lord Kapiladeva describes these three features of the Supreme Lord in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.32.26): 12 "The Supreme Personality of Godhead alone is complete transcendental knowledge, but according to the different processes of understanding He appears differently, either as impersonal Brahman, as Paramatma, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead or as the purusa-avatara."* 13 "Drsih" here means "philosophical knowledge", and "prthak bhavaih" means "according to different processes of understanding". In this way the Lord is known as the Supreme Brahman, the Supersoul, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 14 The impersonal Brahman is understood by cultivation of philosophical knowledge, the Supersoul is understood by a specific kind of devotional service, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is understood by full devotional service. In this verse "jnana-matram" means "knowledge of the nature of the Supreme Brahman", "isvarah" means "the Supersoul", and "puman" means "the Supreme Personality of Godhead". These three features of the Lord have already been described in the Bhagavat-sandarbha and Paramatma-sandarbha. 15 The way of understanding the impersonal Brahman is given in these words (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.14.6): "Non devotees, however, cannot realise You in Your full personal feature. Nevertheless, it may be possible for them to realise Your expansion as the impersonal Supreme by cultivating direct perception of the Self within the heart. But they can do this only by purifying the mind and senses of all conceptions of material distinctions and all attachment to material sense objects. Only in this way will Your impersonal feature manifest itself to them."*** 16 The way of understanding the Supersoul is given in these words (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.2.8): "Others conceive of the Personality of Godhead residing within the body in the region of the heart and measuring only eight inches, with four hands carrying a lotus, a wheel of a chariot, a conchshell and a club respectively."* 17 The way of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead is given in these words (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.7.4): "Thus he fixed his mind, perfectly engaging it by linking it in devotional service (bhakti-yoga) without any tinge of materialism, and thus he saw the Absolute Personality of Godhead along with His external energy, which was under full control."* 18 Although these three methods (karma, jnana, and bhakti) all act to counteract the conditioned soul's aversion to the Supreme, nevertheless the following explanation is given about them (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.14.4): 19 "My dear Lord, devotional service unto You is the only auspicious path. If one gives it up simply for speculative knowledge or the understanding that these living beings are spirit soul and the material world is false, he undergoes a great deal of trouble. He only gains troublesome and inauspicious activities. His actions are like beating a husk that is already devoid of rice. One's labour becomes fruitless."* In this way it is seen that spiritual knowledge without reference to devotional service is useless. It has no power to bring real spiritual advancement. 20 In Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.20.31) Lord Krsna explains: "Therefore, for a devotee engaged in My loving service, with mind fixed on Me, the cultivation of knowledge and renunciation is generally not the means of achieving the highest perfection within this world."*** In this way it is seen that devotional service is independent of knowledge and renunciation. 21 Lord Krsna also explains (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.32): "Everything that can be achieved by fruitive activities, penance, knowledge, detachment, mystic yoga, charity, religious duties and all other means of perfecting life is easily achieved by My devotee through loving service unto Me. If somehow or other My devotee desires promotion to heaven, liberation or residence in My abode, he easily achieves such benedictions."*** Here the Lord explains that because all good results are obtained by devotional service, the cultivation of impersonal knowledge is not a very commendable activity. 22 Some, not giving any importance to the transcendental form of Lord Visnu who is worshipped in devotional service, the path of spiritual variety, instead worship the impersonal Supreme. In the following quote from scripture their method of worship is shown to be inferior. 23 Hiranyakasipu gives the following explanation (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.2.22): "The spirit soul, the living entity, has no death, for he is eternal and inexhaustible. Being free from material contamination, he can go anywhere in the material or spiritual worlds. He is fully aware and completely different from the material body, but because of being misled by misuse of his slight independence, he is obliged to accept subtle and gross bodies created by the material energy and thus be subjected to so-called material happiness and distress. Therefore, no one should lament for the passing of the spirit soul from the body."* 24 In Srimad Bhagavatam (7.2.39) the Lord says: "O weak women! Only by the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is never diminished, is the entire world created, maintained and again annihilated. This is the verdict of the Vedic knowledge. This material creation, consisting of the moving and non moving, is exactly like His plaything. Being the Supreme Lord, He is completely competent to destroy and protect."* Thus in these words of Srimad Bhagavatam, and also in Brahma's prayers, the conception of the Supreme as formless and having a form are compared. The idea that Lord Visnu is an ordinary demigod is also criticised there. In these verses the idea that the individual spirit soul is the worshipable Supreme is forcefully refuted. Such an idea is laughed at by the pure devotees, just as the Yadavas laughed at the demon Paundraka who pretended that he was Lord Vasudeva. 25 In Srimad Bhagavatam (3.29.13) the Lord explains: "A pure devotee does not accept any kind of liberation: salokya, sarsti, samipya, sarupya or ekatva, even though they are offered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead."* Because the result attained by they who think the Supreme is impersonal is thus rejected, the conclusion of impersonalism is thus shown to be untrue. 26 Sri Hanuman explains: "Only a fool will give up service to the Lord and try instead to become the Lord Himself." In the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.34) the Supreme Lord explains that pure devotional service is the best of all attainments: 27 "Because My devotees possess saintly behaviour and deep intelligence, they completely dedicate themselves to Me and do not desire anything besides Me. Indeed, even if I offer them liberation from birth and death, they do not accept it."* 28 Srila Sridhara Svami comments: "Here the word 'dhirah' means 'intelligent' and 'mamaikantinah' means 'filled with love for Me'. The Lord says, 'Even though I offer liberation to them, they will not accept it'. What more can be said? They have no material desires. That is the meaning. The word 'apunar-bhavam' here means 'great liberation'." 29 The great glory of pure devotes like these is described in these words of the Garuda Purana: 30 "A performer of yajnas is better than many thousands of brahmanas. A scholar who has crossed to the farther shore of the Vedanta is better than many thousands of performers of yajnas. 31 "A devotee of Lord Visnu is better than many millions of scholars learned in Vedanta. A pure devotee of Lord Visnu is better than many thousands of devotees who have not yet come to the stage of pure devotion."
Bhakti · Sanskrit §187 · English §177
Source[१८७] अत्र चैवं विवेचनीयम् । तत्-तन्-मार्गे सिद्धा महान्तो द्विविधा दर्शिताः । अत्र च ज्ञान-सिद्धाः । देहं च नश्वरम् अवस्थितम् उत्थितं वा सिद्धो न पश्यति यतोऽध्यगमत् स्वरूपम् [भ्प् ११.१३.३५] इत्य् आदौ वर्णिताः । (पगे ९४) अत्र भक्त-सिद्धास् त्रिविधाः । प्राप्त-भगवत्-पार्षद-देहा निर्धूत- कषाया मूर्च्छित-कषायाश् च । यथा श्री-नारदादयः श्री-शुकादयः प्राग्- जन्म-गत-नारदादयः । प्रयुज्यमाने मयि तां शुद्धां भागवतीं तनुम् । आरब्ध-कर्म-निर्वाणो न्यपतत् पाञ्च-भौतिकः ॥ [भ्प् १.६.२९] इत्य् आदौ । स्व-सुख-निभृत-चेतास् तद्-व्युदस्तान्य-भावोऽप्य् अजित-रुचिर-लीलाकृष्ट-सारः [भ्प् १२.१२.५२] इत्य् आदौ । हन्तास्मिन् जन्मनि भवान् मा मां द्रष्टुम् इहार्हति । अविपक्व-कषायाणां दुर्दर्शोऽहं कुयोगिनाम् ॥ [भ्प् १.६.२२] इत्य् आदौ च प्रसिद्धेः । श्री-नारदस्य पूर्व-जन्मनि स्थित-कषायस्य प्रेम वर्णितं स्वयम् एव । प्रेमातिभर-निर्भिन्न- पुलकाङ्गोऽतिनिर्वृतः । आनन्द-सम्प्लवे लीनो नापश्यम् उभयं मुने ॥ [भ्प् १.६.१८] इत्य् आदौ । श्री-भरत एवात्रोदाहरणीयः । तस्य च भूत-पिपालयिषा-रूपः प्रारब्धालम्बनः सात्त्विक-कषायो निगूढ आसीत् प्रेमा च वर्णित इति । तद् एवं आ̆समान-प्रेम्णि त्रिविधे पूर्व-पूर्वाधिक्यं ज्ञेयम् । क्वचित् स्थ्तितेऽपि प्राकृत-देहादित्वे यदि प्रेम्णः परिणामतः स्वरूपतो वाधिक्यं दृश्यते तदा प्रेमाधिक्येनैवाधिक्यं ज्ञेयम् । तच् च भजनीयस्य भगवतोऽंशांशित्व-भेदेन भजतश् च दास्य-सख्यादि-भेदेन स्वरूपाधिक्यं, प्रेमाङ्कुर-प्रेमादि-भेदेन परिमाणाधिक्यं च प्रीति- सन्दर्भे विवृत्य दर्शयिष्यामः । साक्षात्कार-मात्रस्यापि यद्यपि पुरुष- प्रयोजनत्वं तथापि तस्मिन्न् अपि साक्षात्कारे यावान् यावान् श्री-भगवतः प्रियत्व-दर्मानुभवस् तावांस् तावान् उत्कर्षः । निरुपाधि- प्रीत्यास्पदतास्वभावस्य प्रियत्व-धर्मानुभवं विना तु साक्षात्कारोऽप्य् असाक्षात्कार एव माधुर्यं विना दुष्ट-जिह्वया खण्डस्येव । अतएवोक्तं श्री-ऋषभदेवेन -- प्रीतिर् न यावन् मयि वासुदेवे; न मुच्यते देह-योगेन तावत् । [भ्प् ५.५.६] इति । ततः प्रेम-तारतम्येनैव भक्त-महत्त्व-तारतम्यं मुख्यम् । अतएव मयीशे कृत-सौहृदार्थाः [भ्प् ५.५.३] इत्य् एव तल्-लक्षणत्वेनोक्तम् । यत्र तु प्रेमाधिक्यं साक्षात्कारः कषायादि-राहित्यादिकम् अप्य् अस्ति स परमो मुख्यः । तत्रैकैकाङ्ग-वैकल्ये न्यून इति ज्ञेयम् । तद् एवं ये वा मयीशे [भ्प् ५.५.३] इत्य् आदिना ये उक्तास् ते तु प्राप्त-पार्षद-देहा न भवन्ति, तथा विषय-वैराग्येऽपि गूढ-संस्कारवन्तोऽपि सम्भवन्ति । अतस् तद्-विवेचनाय प्रकरणान्तरम् उत्थाप्यते । यथा राजोवाच -- अथ भागवतं ब्रूत यद्-धर्मो यादृशो नृणाम् । यथार्चरति यद् ब्रूते यैर् लिङ्गैर् भगवत्-प्रियः ॥ [भ्प् ११.२.४४] अथानन्तरं भागवतं ब्रूत तज्-ज्ञानार्थम् । स च ब्रूणां मध्ये यद्- धर्मो यत्-स्वभावस् तं स्वभावं ब्रूत । यथा च स आचरति अनुतिष्ठति तद्-अनुष्ठानं ब्रूत । यद् ब्रूते तद्-वचनं च ब्रूतेति मानस-कायिक- वाचिक-लिङ्ग-पृच्छा ।
[187] atra caivaṃ vivecanīyam | tat-tan-mārge siddhā mahānto dvividhā darśitāḥ | atra ca jñāna-siddhāḥ | dehaṃ ca naśvaram avasthitam utthitaṃ vā siddho na paśyati yato'dhyagamat svarūpam [BhP 11.13.35] ity ādau varṇitāḥ | (page 94) atra bhakta-siddhās trividhāḥ | prāpta-bhagavat-pārṣada-dehā nirdhūta- kaṣāyā mūrcchita-kaṣāyāś ca | yathā śrī-nāradādayaḥ śrī-śukādayaḥ prāg- janma-gata-nāradādayaḥ | prayujyamāne mayi tāṃ śuddhāṃ bhāgavatīṃ tanum | ārabdha-karma-nirvāṇo nyapatat pāñca-bhautikaḥ || [BhP 1.6.29] ity ādau | sva-sukha-nibhṛta-cetās tad-vyudastānya-bhāvo'py ajita-rucira-līlākṛṣṭa-sāraḥ [BhP 12.12.52] ity ādau | hantāsmin janmani bhavān mā māṃ draṣṭum ihārhati | avipakva-kaṣāyāṇāṃ durdarśo'haṃ kuyoginām || [BhP 1.6.22] ity ādau ca prasiddheḥ | śrī-nāradasya pūrva-janmani sthita-kaṣāyasya prema varṇitaṃ svayam eva | premātibhara-nirbhinna- pulakāṅgo'tinirvṛtaḥ | ānanda-samplave līno nāpaśyam ubhayaṃ mune || [BhP 1.6.18] ity ādau | śrī-bharata evātrodāharaṇīyaḥ | tasya ca bhūta-pipālayiṣā-rūpaḥ prārabdhālambanaḥ sāttvika-kaṣāyo nigūḍha āsīt premā ca varṇita iti | tad evaṃ ā̆samāna-premṇi trividhe pūrva-pūrvādhikyaṃ jñeyam | kvacit sthtite'pi prākṛta-dehāditve yadi premṇaḥ pariṇāmataḥ svarūpato vādhikyaṃ dṛśyate tadā premādhikyenaivādhikyaṃ jñeyam | tac ca bhajanīyasya bhagavato'ṃśāṃśitva-bhedena bhajataś ca dāsya-sakhyādi-bhedena svarūpādhikyaṃ, premāṅkura-premādi-bhedena parimāṇādhikyaṃ ca prīti- sandarbhe vivṛtya darśayiṣyāmaḥ | sākṣātkāra-mātrasyāpi yadyapi puruṣa- prayojanatvaṃ tathāpi tasminn api sākṣātkāre yāvān yāvān śrī-bhagavataḥ priyatva-darmānubhavas tāvāṃs tāvān utkarṣaḥ | nirupādhi- prītyāspadatāsvabhāvasya priyatva-dharmānubhavaṃ vinā tu sākṣātkāro'py asākṣātkāra eva mādhuryaṃ vinā duṣṭa-jihvayā khaṇḍasyeva | ataevoktaṃ śrī-ṛṣabhadevena -- prītir na yāvan mayi vāsudeve; na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat | [BhP 5.5.6] iti | tataḥ prema-tāratamyenaiva bhakta-mahattva-tāratamyaṃ mukhyam | ataeva mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthāḥ [BhP 5.5.3] ity eva tal-lakṣaṇatvenoktam | yatra tu premādhikyaṃ sākṣātkāraḥ kaṣāyādi-rāhityādikam apy asti sa paramo mukhyaḥ | tatraikaikāṅga-vaikalye nyūna iti jñeyam | tad evaṃ ye vā mayīśe [BhP 5.5.3] ity ādinā ye uktās te tu prāpta-pārṣada-dehā na bhavanti, tathā viṣaya-vairāgye'pi gūḍha-saṃskāravanto'pi sambhavanti | atas tad-vivecanāya prakaraṇāntaram utthāpyate | yathā rājovāca -- atha bhāgavataṃ brūta yad-dharmo yādṛśo nṛṇām | yathārcarati yad brūte yair liṅgair bhagavat-priyaḥ || [BhP 11.2.44] athānantaraṃ bhāgavataṃ brūta taj-jñānārtham | sa ca brūṇāṃ madhye yad- dharmo yat-svabhāvas taṃ svabhāvaṃ brūta | yathā ca sa ācarati anutiṣṭhati tad-anuṣṭhānaṃ brūta | yad brūte tad-vacanaṃ ca brūteti mānasa-kāyika- vācika-liṅga-pṛcchā |
English translation
English witness · section(s) 177
Anuccheda 177
1 Because it brings the greatest of all blisses, devotional service is naturally filled with bliss. For they who, because of some defect on their part, are not able to taste the sweetness of devotional service, orders to perform certain activities, prohibitions forbidding other activities, and the state of mind that distinguishes a host of virtues and vices, are given. However, to be situated in the state where one sees virtues and vices, is itself a fault on one's part. 2 This is described in the previous chapter (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.19.36-45) where Lord Krsna describes virtues and faults in direct devotional service: "Absorbing the intelligence in Me constitutes mental equilibrium and complete discipline of the senses is self control. Tolerance means patiently enduring unhappiness, and steadfastness occurs when on conquers the tongue and genitals. The greatest charity is to give up all aggression toward others, and renunciation of lust is understood to be real austerity. Real heroism is to conquer one's natural tendency to enjoy material life, and reality is seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead everywhere. Truthfulness means to speak the truth in a pleasing way, as declared by great sages. Cleanliness is detachment in fruitive activities, whereas renunciation is the sannyasa order of life. The true desirable wealth for human beings is religiousness, and I, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, am sacrifice. Religious remuneration is devotion to the acarya with the purpose of acquiring spiritual instruction, and the greatest strength is the pranayama system of breath control.*** "Actual opulence is My own nature as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, through which I exhibit the six unlimited opulences. The supreme gain in life is devotional service to Me, and actual education is nullifying the false perception of duality within the soul. Real modesty is to be disgusted improper activities, and beauty is to possess good qualities, such as detachment. Real happiness is to transcend material happiness and unhappiness, and real misery is to be implicated in searching for sex pleasure. A wise man is one who knows the process of freedom from bondage, and a fool is one who identifies with his material body and mind. The real path in life is that which leads to Me, and the wrong path is sense gratification, by which consciousness is bewildered. Actual heaven is the predominance of the mode of goodness, whereas hell is the predominance of ignorance. I am everyone's true friend, acting as the spiritual master of the entire universe, and one's home is the human body. My dear friend Uddhava, one who is enriched with good qualities is actually said to be rich, and one who is unsatisfied in life is actually poor. A wretched person is one who cannot control his senses, whereas one who is not attached to sense gratification is a real controller. One who attaches himself to sense gratification is the opposite, a slave. Thus, Uddhava, I have elucidated all the mattes about which you have inquired. There is no need of a more elaborate description of these good and bad qualities, since to constantly see good and bad is itself a bad quality. The best quality is to transcend material good and evil."*** 3 They who taste the sweetness of devotional service are beyond rules, prohibitions, virtues and vices. This is explained by Lord Krsna Himself in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.36): 4 "Material piety and sin, which arise from the good and evil of this world, cannot exist within my unalloyed devotees, who, being free from material hankering, maintain steady spiritual consciousness in all circumstances. Indeed, such devotees have achieved Me, the Supreme Lord, who am beyond anything that can be conceived by material intelligence."*** 5 Srila Sridhara Svami comments: "The word "gunah' here means 'the piety and sin that is created by virtues and faults and by following rules or transgressing prohibitions'."