Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary)

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

The Brihad-bhagavatamrita Verse 1.4.34, 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 1.4.34 contained in Chapter 4—Bhakta (the devotee)—of Part one (prathama-khanda).

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 1.4.34:

यस्य श्री-भगवत्-प्राप्ताव् उत्कटेच्छा यतो भवेत् ।
स तत्रैव लभेतामुं न तु वासोऽस्य लाभ-कृत् ॥ ३४ ॥

yasya śrī-bhagavat-prāptāv utkaṭecchā yato bhavet |
sa tatraiva labhetāmuṃ na tu vāso'sya lābha-kṛt || 34 ||

Whoever eagerly desires to achieve Śrī Bhagavān can attain Śrī Bhagavān at that same place. Our Lord resides at no definite place, therefore He is achievable at any place, there is no injunction.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

Now, since you say that there is no fixed location of Bhagavān, how can faith in His place of residence be perfected? Therefore, he speaks the verse beginning with yasya.

Whoever and whatever place the desire in the topic of achieving Bhagavān is aroused, that is, where one’s excessive longing becomes strong, they can also achieve Bhagavān at that same place. However, simply desire alone is sufficient for achieving Him. That Śrī Bhagavān also resides at some special place, therefore He can be seen only at that same place—this is not the injunction.

In other words, without loving greed and longing, simply by one’s whereabouts one can not obtain Him. Otherwise, Bhagavān Śrī Vāsudeva, due to always residing everywhere, anyone can obtain Him anywhere. Thus, faith alone culminates in a strong desire for obtaining Him, and by this excessive greed, Bhagavān is obtained. Although Śrī Vṛndāvana is His dearmost place of pastimes, sometimes one obtains His darśana without obtaining such faith. Nevertheless, by the power of this special, dear place of Bhagavān this happens, that is, by the immense potency of Śrī Dhāma the darśana of Bhagavān is obtained. Ultimately, wherever Bhagavān resides—it is not the reason.

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