Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary)
by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyana Gosvāmī Mahārāja | 2005 | 440,179 words | ISBN-13: 9781935428329
The Brihad-bhagavatamrita Verse 1.7.136, English translation, including commentary (Dig-darshini-tika): an important Vaishnava text dealing with the importance of devotional service. The Brihad-bhagavatamrita, although an indepent Sanskrit work, covers the essential teachings of the Shrimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata-purana). This is verse 1.7.136 contained in Chapter 7—Purna (pinnacle of excellent devotees)—of Part one (prathama-khanda).
Verse 1.7.136
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 1.7.136:
श्री-भगवान् उवाच—
विदग्ध-निकराचार्य को नामायं वरो मतः ।
स्वभावो मत्-कृपा-भक्ति-प्रेम्णां व्यक्तोऽयम् एव यत् ॥ १३६ ॥śrī-bhagavān uvāca—
vidagdha-nikarācārya ko nāmāyaṃ varo mataḥ |
svabhāvo mat-kṛpā-bhakti-premṇāṃ vyakto'yam eva yat || 136 ||Śrī Bhagavān said: O Śrī Nārada, O crest jewel of cunning fellows! What type of boon have you asked for? Everyone is familiar with the nature of My mercy, bhakti and prema.
Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda
(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)
O ācārya of cunning fellows! (out of jest) It is the natural characteristic of bhakti that no one ever becomes satisfied in devotional service, so the prayer for the alleged boon is in vain.
On the contrary, though Śrī Nārada is aware of everything and personally experienced in this truth, still he prays for such a boon out of shrewdness in order to fulfill some confidential purpose. Therefore, Śrī Kṛṣṇa appropriately addressed him in this way. This intention conveyed previously, that is, the nature of Bhagavān’s mercy and so on is well-known right from the beginning; still Śrī Nārada displayed this cunning in order to hear directly from the lips of Śrī Kṛṣṇa only.