Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary)
by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyana Gosvāmī Mahārāja | 2005 | 440,179 words | ISBN-13: 9781935428329
The Brihad-bhagavatamrita Verse 2.2.234, 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 2.2.234 contained in Chapter 2—Jnana (knowledge)—of Part two (prathama-khanda).
Verse 2.2.234
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.2.234:
श्री-भगवान् उवाच—
निज-प्रियतमां याहि माथुरीं तां व्रज-क्षितिम् ।
तत्-तन्-मत्-परम-क्रीडा-स्थल्य्-आवलि-विभूषितम् ॥ २३४ ॥śrī-bhagavān uvāca—
nija-priyatamāṃ yāhi māthurīṃ tāṃ vraja-kṣitim |
tat-tan-mat-parama-krīḍā-sthaly-āvali-vibhūṣitam || 234 ||śrī-bhagavān uvāca–the Supreme Lord said; nija-priya-tamām–most dear to Me; yāhi–go; māthurīm–the land of Mathurā; tām–that; vraja-kṣitim–to the land of Vraja; tat-tat–various; mat-paramakrīḍā–connected with My most exalted pleasure-pastimes; sthalīāvali–by the multitude of places; vibhūṣitām–adorned.
Śrī Bhagavān said: You should go the land of Vraja in Mathurā, which is very dear to Me and which is decorated with My excellent pastime places.
Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda
(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)
The Mathurā brāhmaṇa may ask, “What instruction did Śrī Bhagavān give?”
The Lord’s instructions are narrated in six verses, beginning here with nija-priyatamām. Śrī Bhagavān says, “You should go to that most indescribable and celebrated land of Vraja in Mathurā, which is decorated with the excellent pastime places of the rāsa dance and other sweet līlās.” This proves that Vraja-bhūmi is far superior even to Brahmaloka.