Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary)

by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyana Gosvāmī Mahārāja | 2005 | 440,179 words | ISBN-13: 9781935428329

The Brihad-bhagavatamrita Verse 1.1.8, 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 1.1.8 contained in Chapter 1—Bhauma (the earthly plane)—of Part one (prathama-khanda).

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 1.1.8:

जयति जयति कृष्ण-प्रेम-भक्तिर् यद्-अङ्घ्रिं निखिल-निगम-तत्त्वं गूढम् आज्ञाय मुक्तिः ।
भजति शरण-कामा वैष्णवैस् त्यज्यमाना जप-यजन-तपस्या-न्यास निष्ठां विहाय ॥ ८ ॥

jayati jayati kṛṣṇa-prema-bhaktir yad-aṅghriṃ nikhila-nigama-tattvaṃ gūḍham ājñāya muktiḥ |
bhajati śaraṇa-kāmā vaiṣṇavais tyajyamānā japa-yajana-tapasyā-nyāsa niṣṭhāṃ vihāya || 8 ||

Despite being forsaken by the Vaiṣṇavas, liberation herself, who aptly researched all Vedic truths, has given up her firm determination on the duties of the four āśramas of spiritual life, in the chanting of japa, performance of tapasyā, yajña and acceptance of sannyāsa, in order to eagerly glorify the one-pointed shelter at the lotus feet of prema-bhakti for Śrī Kṛṣṇa. All glories to the premabhakti to Śrī Kṛṣṇa that stands graciously before you.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

In order to obtain the tangible mercy of premabhakti to Śrī Kṛṣṇa which is blissful, cognizant and eternal by nature (sac-cid-ananda-rūpā), the author is describing the superexcellence of śrī-kṛṣṇa prema-bhakti with the words beginning with jayati jayati.

Prema-bhakti to Śrī Kṛṣṇa is graciously present in all her glories and radiant charm. Mukti or liberation herself worships premabhakti with single-minded devotion. Simply by accepting even the slight haven of one of the limbs of ninefold bhakti, such as hearing, chanting and so forth, one achieves liberation. If one remarks, “Why has liberation herself given up her dependence on stringent religious vows of the four hallmarks of human society, especifically in chanting mantras (japa), sacrificial worship (yajña), austerities (tapasyā) and renunciation (sannyāsa)?” In reply to this, he says, “By full deliberation on all the deeply confidential truths of the Vedas and on the Upaniṣads, the essence of the Vedas, when one adheres to the above-mentioned religious principles of four āśramas, actual liberation still cannot be obtained from this—realizing this, she abandoned her conviction in these practices.”

Although Vaiṣṇavas are by nature liberated, nevertheless they do not think highly of mukti, considerating her to be merely trivial. Here “vaiṣṇavas” may refer to those persons who have received instructions and initiation into a Vaiṣṇava mantra (vaiṣṇavamantra-dīkṣa). “Liberation is fit to be abandoned by the Vaiṣṇavas,” means “although liberation may personally stand before them as a maidservant, Vaiṣṇavas disregard her.” The use of tyajyamānā (having abandoned) in the present tense indicates that in spite of liberation being personally before them, she is always apt to be disregarded by the devotees. Therefore, this has been stated emphatically three times—past, present and future. Agreed, but why does mukti worship the lotus feet of bhakti? Is it the desire to accept refuge her constituent aim, or rather her own end by not possessing the symptoms of surrender? In other words, if bhakti is not accepted, her platform of true liberation will also be violated.

The purport is that even if anyone slightly accepts the shelter of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, then mukti approaches them like a maidservant. However, ignorant, lusty persons do not even receive the sidelong glance of mukti in spite of dedicating their entire life to her. People who abandon devotional service (bhakti) and practice japa (chanting), yajña (sacrifices), tapa (austerities) and sannyāsa (renunciation) and so forth, with the desire to obtain liberation, can never achieve that liberation (mukti). Therefore, liberation is said to be rare and unattainable for them—ignorant persons do not understand this most confidential secret of scripture.

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