Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary)
by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyana Gosvāmī Mahārāja | 2005 | 440,179 words | ISBN-13: 9781935428329
The Brihad-bhagavatamrita Verse 1.7.3-4, 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 1.7.3-4 contained in Chapter 7—Purna (pinnacle of excellent devotees)—of Part one (prathama-khanda).
Verse 1.7.3-4
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 1.7.3-4:
तम् अपूर्व-दशा-भाजं प्रेष्ठ-प्रणय-कातरम् ।
निगूढ-निज-माहात्म्य-भर-प्रकटनोद्धतम् ॥ ३ ॥
महा-नारायणं ब्रह्मा पितरं गुरुम् आत्मनः ।
स-चमत्कारम् आलोक्य ध्वस्त-धैर्योऽरुदत् क्षणम् ॥ ४ ॥tam apūrva-daśā-bhājaṃ preṣṭha-praṇaya-kātaram |
nigūḍha-nija-māhātmya-bhara-prakaṭanoddhatam || 3 ||
mahā-nārāyaṇaṃ brahmā pitaraṃ gurum ātmanaḥ |
sa-camatkāram ālokya dhvasta-dhairyo'rudat kṣaṇam || 4 ||Śrī Brahmā saw that his father and original guru, Mahā-Nārāyaṇa Śrī Kṛṣṇa, had fallen into a state of bewilderment. Thus, he became unable to maintain his composure, seeing his Lord and master tormented with prema for His beloved devotees as He readied to show the sweetness of his most confidential prema.
Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda
(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)
Upon seeing Śrī Bhagavān, Brahmā became overwhelmed, lost his composure for a moment then began to weep. In what condition did he find Bhagavān? Bhagavān was in a curious condition of bewilderment, in other words, never before had he experienced such an extraordinary condition. How did He come into such a state of perplexity? The reason was that being so helplessly in love for His beloved associates He was fully intent upon exhibiting His most confidential glories. In other words, He appeared to display His most confidential glories without any impediments, and thus reached a stage of bewilderment. Therefore, He is Mahā-Nārāyaṇa because He did not reveal such glories even in His svarūpa as Śrī Nārāyaṇa in Vaikuṇṭha.
Moreover, Śrī Brahmā seemed to console the vastly learned Mahā Nārāyaṇa, but the reason for his weeping was that Śrī Bhagavān is his father, and being the teacher of the Vedas and other scriptures, He is also his guru. Thus, it is probable that He began to cry by the upsurge of intense bhakti and subjugation by prema. Otherwise, it was impossible to cry and in so doing show a want of prowess and composure.