Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary)
by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyana Gosvāmī Mahārāja | 2005 | 440,179 words | ISBN-13: 9781935428329
The Brihad-bhagavatamrita Verse 2.2.158, 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 2.2.158 contained in Chapter 2—Jnana (knowledge)—of Part two (prathama-khanda).
Verse 2.2.158
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.2.158:
मुक्तेः परमम् उत्कर्षं दौर्लभ्यं च निशम्य तान् ।
सर्वज्ञान् पुनर् अप्रक्षं तद्-उपायं तद्-ईप्सया ॥ १५८ ॥mukteḥ paramam utkarṣaṃ daurlabhyaṃ ca niśamya tān |
sarvajñān punar aprakṣaṃ tad-upāyaṃ tad-īpsayā || 158 ||mukteḥ–of liberation; paramam utkarṣam–supreme excellence; daurlabhyam–difficulty of attainment; ca–and; niśamya–hearing; tān–those; sarva-jñān–all-knowing persons; punaḥ–repeatedly; aprākṣam–I inquired; tat–that; upāyam–means to achieve; tatīpsayā–with a desire for it.
The brahmarṣis described to me the super-excellence and rarity of liberation. Hearing them, I desired it myself and asked the omniscient personified Vedas and others present there about the method for attaining it.
Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda
(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)
Śrī Gopa-kumāra says, “Thereafter, the brahmarṣis (brāhmaṇa sages) of Brahmaloka described to me the excellence, importance and rarity of that exalted state of liberation, or mukti. Hearing this, I again asked the omniscient Vedas and others living in Brahmaloka how to achieve that state.”
The brāhmaṇa might wonder, “Why did you inquire again?” Gopakumara replies, “Because I wanted to attain mukti.”