Verse 2.3.149-150

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.3.149-150:

बह्यान्तराशेष-हृषीक-चालकं वाग्-इन्द्रियं स्याद् यदि संयतं सदा ।
चित्तं स्थिरं सद् भगवत्-स्मृतौ तदा सम्यक् प्रवर्तेत ततः स्मृतिः फलम् ॥ १४९ ॥
एवं प्रभोर् ध्यान-रतैर् मतं चेद् बुद्ध्येदृशं तत्र विवेचनीयम् ।
ध्यानं परिस्फुर्ति-विशेष-निष्ठा सम्बन्ध-मात्रं मनसा स्मृतिर् हि ॥ १५० ॥

bahyāntarāśeṣa-hṛṣīka-cālakaṃ vāg-indriyaṃ syād yadi saṃyataṃ sadā |
cittaṃ sthiraṃ sad bhagavat-smṛtau tadā samyak pravarteta tataḥ smṛtiḥ phalam || 149 ||
evaṃ prabhor dhyāna-ratair mataṃ ced buddhyedṛśaṃ tatra vivecanīyam |
dhyānaṃ parisphurti-viśeṣa-niṣṭhā sambandha-mātraṃ manasā smṛtir hi || 150 ||

bāhya–without; āntara–within; aśeṣa-hṛṣīka–of all senses; cālakam–driver; vāk–voice; indriyam–senses; syāt–may be; yadi–if; saṃyatam–controlled; sadā–always; cittam–mind; sthiram–steady; sat-bhagavat–on the pure Lord; smṛtau–in remembrance; tadā–then; samyak–completely; pravarteta–one can engage; tataḥ–then; smṛtiḥ–memory;
phalam–result; evam–thus; prabhoḥ–of the Lord; dhyāna-rataiḥ–by they who are devoted to contemplation; matam–considered; cet–if; buddhyā–by intelligence; īdṛśam–like that; tatra–there; vivecanīyam–worthy of consideration; dhyānam–meditation; parisphūrti–appearance; viśeṣa–special; niṣṭhā–determination; sambandha-mātram–simply by the connection; manasā–through the mind; smṛtiḥ–remembrance; hi–indeed.

When the faculty of speech, which drives the external and internal senses, is brought under control, only then does the mind become steady. And only when the mind is steady can one remember Bhagavān. Therefore, kīrtana is favorable to remembrance, and this remembrance is the fruit of the devotional service of kīrtana.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

Even if one accepts, with discriminating intelligence, the opinion of all Vaiṣṇavas who are adept in meditation on the Lord, and thus regards dhyāna to be the fruit of kīrtana, still, in the end, kīrtana reigns supreme. To explain this, the associates of Vaikuṇṭha speak two verses, beginning here with bāhya-āntara.

They say, “Advocates of meditation, or dhyāna, say, ‘All the senses, both internal (such as the mind) and external (such as the ears), are propelled by the sense of speech (the tongue). If this one sense is engaged in the kīrtana of Bhagavān, or if one observes silence, only then may remembrance of Bhagavān arise in the heart. From this statement, one can understand that kīrtana is favorable for remembrance (smaraṇa) and smaraṇa alone is the crest jewel of all the practices of bhakti. Smaraṇa is achieved solely through the means of kīrtana, whose only fruit is remembrance.

“‘Furthermore, although it has been said that the result of meditation is included within saṅkīrtana in Kali-yuga, this should be understood as a statement meant for a particular time. Some say that the extraordinarily great defects of Kali-yuga can be removed by the exceptional power of saṅkīrtana alone, not by meditation or other practices, and this proves that kīrtana is more glorious than dhyāna.

However, it can be countered, “What is the particular greatness of nāma-saṅkīrtana in removing defects, such as the great sins of the age of Kali, that is not found in meditation? Is dhyāna alone not enough to destroy the defects of Kali?” The supremacy of kīrtana cannot necessarily be established as absolute in the face of other scriptural evidence in favor of the power of meditation. In the scriptures, kīrtana has been recommended during Kali-yuga with a particular intention, and with the same intention, the scriptures state: “The innumerable defects and sins of Kali are fully destroyed by simply remembering Bhagavān somehow or other.” There are hundreds of other such statements establishing dhyāna as best.’”

The Vaikuṇṭha pārṣadas continue, “This is the opinion of those who are partial to meditation. It is one’s duty to intelligently examine the opinion of those who are expert in dhyāna. When one’s unwavering faith develops to the fully-ripened stage, the charm and sweetness of Bhagavān’s divine form, from His hair down to the jewel-like toenails of His lotus feet, manifest completely in the heart, and it seems as if He has personally appeared before one’s very eyes–this is dhyāna. Remembrance (smaraṇa), however, is a conviction of the mind that ‘The Supreme Lord exists’ and ‘I am the Lord’s servant.’ In this way, remembrance comprises a mental connection with Bhagavān.”