Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary)

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

The Brihad-bhagavatamrita Verse 2.2.195, 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 2.2.195 contained in Chapter 2—Jnana (knowledge)—of Part two (prathama-khanda).

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.2.195:

सदा वैजात्यम् आप्तानां जीवानाम् अपि तत्त्वतः ।
अंशत्वेनाप्य् अभिन्नत्वाद् विजातीय-भिदा मृता ॥ १९५ ॥

sadā vaijātyam āptānāṃ jīvānām api tattvataḥ |
aṃśatvenāpy abhinnatvād vijātīya-bhidā mṛtā || 195 ||

sadā–always; vaijātyam–of a different category; āptānām–attained; jīvānām–of the minute spirit souls; api–although; tattvataḥ–factually; aṃśatvena–because of having the nature of a part; api–also; abhinnatvāt–because of being nondifferent; vijātīya–due to a difference in category; bhidā–division; mṛtā–is refuted.

All living beings are always distinctly separate parts (vibhinnāṃśa) of Parabrahman. But in reality, as they are parts of Him, they are also nondifferent from Him. Since the characteristics of the source of all parts are found within its parts, this rules out vijātīya-bheda, the difference between members of separate categories.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

The bhakti-śāstras now establish the nonduality, advayam, of the Supreme Brahman in this verse beginning with sadā.

They say, “All living beings, being limited, are perpetually in a separate category (vijātīya) from Parabrahman, who is unbounded. While this separateness, or vijātīya-bhāva, is ever-existent in the jīvas, factually they are all integral parts, or aṃśas, of Parabrahman and are therefore nondifferent from Him. The living beings appear different from Parabrahman because of cid-vilāsa-śakti, the Lord’s potency that assists His variegated transcendental pleasure pastimes, but actually they are His parts. The qualities of the source, or aṃśī, are also shared by the parts, or aṃśas. Therefore, from the standpoint of conclusive truth (tattva), both the source and the expansion (aṃśī and aṃśa) are nondifferent. This, then, negates the supposition that there is difference between members of separate categories (vijātīya-bheda).”

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