Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary)
by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyana Gosvāmī Mahārāja | 2005 | 440,179 words | ISBN-13: 9781935428329
The Brihad-bhagavatamrita Verse 2.1.211, 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 2.1.211 contained in Chapter 1—Vairagya (renunciation)—of Part two (prathama-khanda).
Verse 2.1.211
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.1.211:
सुखं रहो जपं कुर्वन् जगन्नाथ-पदाब्जयोः ।
समीपे स्वेच्छया सेवाम् आचरन्न् अवसं ततः ॥ २११ ॥sukhaṃ raho japaṃ kurvan jagannātha-padābjayoḥ |
samīpe svecchayā sevām ācarann avasaṃ tataḥ || 211 ||sukham–happily; rahaḥ–in a solitary place; japam–chanting; kurvan–doing; jagannātha–of Śrī Jagannātha; pada-abjayoḥ–the lotus feet; samīpe–near; sva-icchayā–by my own desire; sevām–service; ācaran–performing; avasam–I resided; tataḥ–then.
Because I was chanting my mantra in a solitary place, my mind remained peaceful, and I began to live there, serving Śrī Jagannātha’s lotus feet as I desired.
Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda
(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)
Śrī Gopa-kumāra says, “From then onwards, I began chanting in solitude, as I had previously contemplated doing.” Elaborating on this, he says, “After relinquishing the burden of running the kingdom, I began to live in a detached manner, as before. Moreover, the result of chanting my mantra in a solitary place was that, mentally, I began to become peaceful.” This indicates that previously, due to Gopa-kumāra’s connection with the affairs of the kingdom, he was unable to happily accomplish his chanting in a solitary place.