Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary)

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

The Brihad-bhagavatamrita Verse 2.3.180, 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 2.3.180 contained in Chapter 3—Bhajana (loving service)—of Part two (prathama-khanda).

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.3.180:

सर्वेषां साधनानां तत्-साक्षात्-कारो हि सत्-फलम् ।
तदैवामूलतो माया नश्येत् प्रेमापि वर्धते ॥ १८० ॥

sarveṣāṃ sādhanānāṃ tat-sākṣāt-kāro hi sat-phalam |
tadaivāmūlato māyā naśyet premāpi vardhate || 180 ||

sarveṣām–of all; sādhanānām–practices for transcendental realization; tat–with Him; sākṣāt-kāraḥ–causing direct meeting; hi–indeed; sat-phalam–the ultimate benefit; tadā–then; eva–indeed; ā-mūlataḥ–from the root; māyā–illusion; naśyet–can be destroyed; premā–love; api–also; vardhate–flourishes.

The reason for this is that direct meeting with Śrī Bhagavān is the consummate result of all processes of attainment, and by the power of seeing the Lord, all illusion is destroyed at the root, allowing prema to blossom.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

In this verse beginning with sarveṣāṃ, the Vaikuṇṭha pārṣadas explain that direct darśana of Śrī Bhagavān is the ultimate fruit of the nine processes of bhakti and of the devotional practices of meditation (dhyāna), concentration (dharaṇā), etc. They say, “Meeting with Śrī Bhagavān is the most excellent result of all devotional practices because as soon as one directly sees the Lord, all illusion (Māyā) is uprooted. In other words, ignorance in the form of forgetfulness of Bhagavān is destroyed.”

This is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.21):

भिद्यते हृदय-ग्रन्थिश् छिद्यन्ते सर्व-संशयाः
क्षीयन्ते चास्य कर्माणि दृष्ट एवात्मनीश्वरे

bhidyate hṛdaya-granthiś chidyante sarva-saṃśayāḥ
kṣīyante cāsya karmāṇi dṛṣṭa evātmanīśvare

Just by receiving direct darśana of Bhagavān, all the knots of false ego in the devotee’s heart are severed. Fears and doubts, such as feelings of hopelessness and hostility, are shattered and the reactions of past activities, such as prārabdhakarma (the sinful reactions which one is presently suffering), are destroyed.

Here, the word ātmani, meaning ‘within the self,’ indicates the destruction of attachments that are binding the heart, of doubts, and of reactions to past activities. Alternatively, it indicates that the destruction of doubts and knots of fruitive activities takes place upon seeing the supremely lovable Lord either in the mind or directly by one’s eyes.

However, prema, or in other words, the special ecstasies (bhāvas) related to the Lord, also increases when one experiences His beauty, sweetness, and so on, by directly seeing Him. Here, it is worthy of consideration that the severing of the knots in the heart, the destruction of doubts, and the eradication of all types of fruitive reactions are not the main results of seeing Bhagavān, but are only secondary results. The main result of directly meeting the Lord is love for His beautiful lotus feet.

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