Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary)

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

The Brihad-bhagavatamrita Verse 2.1.156, 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 2.1.156 contained in Chapter 1—Vairagya (renunciation)—of Part two (prathama-khanda).

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.1.156:

जगद्-ईश्वर-नैवेद्यं स्पृष्टम् अन्येन केनचित् ।
नीतं बहिर् वा सन्दिग्धो न भुङ्क्ते कोऽपि सज्-जनः ॥ १५६ ॥

jagad-īśvara-naivedyaṃ spṛṣṭam anyena kenacit |
nītaṃ bahir vā sandigdho na bhuṅkte ko'pi saj-janaḥ || 156 ||

jagat-īśvara–of the Supreme Lord; naivedyam–the offered food; spṛṣṭam–touched; anyena kenacit–by anyone; nītam–brought; bahiḥ–outside; –or; sandigdhaḥ–dubious propriety; na–not; bhuṅkte–eat; kaḥ api–certain; sat-janaḥ–respectable person.

Overseeing the temple services, I would become distraught when I would notice that if anyone touched the food offered to the Supreme Lord or took it outside the temple, then some respectable people, questioning its purity, would refuse to accept it.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

The brāhmaṇa might argue, “But it is one’s duty to accept all kinds of trouble in the service of the Lord.” Therefore, Śrī Gopa-kumāra speaks this verse beginning with jagad-īśvara.

He says, “If anyone other than authorized brāhmaṇas touched the food offered to Jagadīśvara, or if the mahā-prasāda were taken outside the temple, some respectable people would doubt its purity, and even sādhus would not want to accept it. Even if they accepted the mahā-prasāda, still, they would remain doubtful and would comment on its purity, saying, ‘Observing the strict etiquette of honoring mahā-prasāda is not seen anywhere except in the honoring of Śrī Jagannātha-deva’s mahāprasāda.’ Therefore, those who ate the mahā-prasāda did so only on request and with apprehension, and they were unable to abandon their doubts regarding its sanctity.

I would become distressed to see holy men acting in this manner and thus grew apathetic about living in that kingdom, especially considering these statements about mahāprasāda in the Bṛhad-viṣṇu Purāṇa:

नैवेद्यम् जगद्-ईशस्य अन्न-पानादिकं च यत्
भक्ष्याभक्ष्य-विचारस् तु नास्ति तद्-भक्षणे द्विज
ब्रह्म-वन् निर्विकारं हि यथा विष्णुस् तथैव तत्
विचारं ये प्रकुर्वन्ति भक्षणे तद् द्विजातयः
कुष्ट-व्याधि-समायुक्ताः पुत्र-दार-विवर्जिताः
निरयं यान्ति ते विप्रा यस्मान् नावर्तते पुनः

naivedyam jagad-īśasya anna-pānādikaṃ ca yat
bhakṣyābhakṣya-vicāras tu nāsti tad-bhakṣaṇe dvija
brahma-van nirvikāraṃ hi yathā viṣṇus tathaiva tat
vicāraṃ ye prakurvanti bhakṣaṇe tad dvijātayaḥ
kuṣṭa-vyādhi-samāyuktāḥ putra-dāra-vivarjitāḥ
nirayaṃ yānti te viprā yasmān nāvartate punaḥ

In regard to the offerings of grains or any other type of mahāprasāda of Śrī Jagadīśvara, it is improper to question whether it is fit to be accepted or not. Mahā-prasāda, like Brahman, the Absolute Truth, is unchangeable, and is thus as venerable as Śrī Viṣṇu Himself. Therefore, even brāhmaṇas who hesitate to honor mahā-prasāda contract leprosy, and their sons, wives, and other family members are destroyed. In the future, such brāhmaṇas are banished to hell, after which they can never again be born in a brāhmaṇa lineage. “Like this, there is much scriptural evidence.”

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