Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary)

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

The Brihad-bhagavatamrita Verse 2.4.16-17, 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 2.4.16-17 contained in Chapter 4—Vaikuntha (the spiritual world)—of Part two (prathama-khanda).

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.4.16-17:

परमानन्द-युक्तेन दुर्वितर्क्येन वर्त्मना ।
जगद्-विलक्षणेनाहं वैकुण्ठं तैः सह व्रजन् ॥ १५ ॥
तेषु लोकेष्व् अलोकेष्व् आवरणेष्व् अपि सर्वतः ।
दृष्टि-पातेऽपि लज्जेयं पूज्ये तद्-अधिकारिभिः ॥ १६ ॥
लोक-पालदिभिश् चोर्ध्व-मुखैः साञ्जलि-मस्तकैः ।
वेगाद् उत्क्षिप्यमानाभिः पुष्प-लाजादि-वृष्टिभिः ॥ १७ ॥

paramānanda-yuktena durvitarkyena vartmanā |
jagad-vilakṣaṇenāhaṃ vaikuṇṭhaṃ taiḥ saha vrajan || 15 ||
teṣu lokeṣv alokeṣv āvaraṇeṣv api sarvataḥ |
dṛṣṭi-pāte'pi lajjeyaṃ pūjye tad-adhikāribhiḥ || 16 ||
loka-pāladibhiś cordhva-mukhaiḥ sāñjali-mastakaiḥ |
vegād utkṣipyamānābhiḥ puṣpa-lājādi-vṛṣṭibhiḥ || 17 ||

paramānanda-yuktena–endowed with supreme bliss; durvitarkyena–incomprehensible; vartmanā–by a pathway; jagat–the material world; vilakṣaṇena–completely extraordinary; aham–I; vaikuṇṭham–to Vaikuṇṭha; taiḥ saha–with them; vrajan–going; teṣu lokeṣu–in the heavenly worlds; alokeṣu–in the Aloka planets; āvaraṇeṣu–amongst the eight coverings; api–also; sarvataḥ–from all sides; dṛṣṭi-pāte–glance; api–also; lajjā–embarassment; iyam–this; pūjye–being worshipable; tad-adhikāribhiḥ–by the authorities; loka-pāla–protectors of the planets; ādibhiḥ–and others; ca–also; ūrdhva-mukhaiḥ–with faces raised upwards; sa-añjali–with folded hands; mastakaiḥ–to their heads; vegāt–forcefully; utkṣipyamānābhiḥ–casting; puṣpa–of flowers; lāja–of puffed rice; ādi–and so forth; vṛṣṭibhiḥ–with rains.

While traveling to Vaikuṇṭha in their company, I again passed over all the planets along a path that was incomprehensible, supremely blissful, and unlike anything in this world. Feeling embarrassed, I could not even look at planets such as Svarga, or at Aloka, the area outside the fourteen planetary systems, or at the eight layers covering the universe. However, Indra and other demigods, who are the presiding authorities of all those planets, began to worship me. Looking up, they joined their palms above their foreheads and then vigorously cast flowers, parched rice, and other auspicious items upon me.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

The Mathurā brāhmaṇa might wonder, “First, you went to the abode of liberation by penetrating the sun globe. Now, how did you go to Vaikuṇṭha?” Addressing this question, Śrī Gopakumāra speaks two verses, beginning here with paramānanda. He says, “I went to the abode of Vaikuṇṭha by a path that was full of great bliss, unlike anything in this world, and absolutely inconceivable.”

The word durvitarkya is used to indicate that the path is different from anything in this world and is extraordinary. In other words, the name of this route is ‘the path of bhakti.’ It is totally distinct from this world because in all circumstances it is supremely blissful. Alternatively, durvitarkya means that when one traverses this path, the entire world is seen from a radically different perspective, and this path is realized to be even more special than the all-excellent Mukti-pada, the abode of liberation.

“When I reached the point of traversing that path, such an immense joy arose within me that, out of shame and aversion, I could not even glance at the places I had formerly visited, such as the fourteen planetary systems, including planets like Svarga; outside them, including Aloka, the sun, and other planets which are located near the Lokāloka mountain; Anāloka, the abode untouched by the rays of the sun; and even the eight coverings that comprise the shell of the universe. In the past, while ascending to the abode of liberation, I had seen those planets as allurements of Māyā, but now I considered even Mukti-pada to be completely insignificant, and the idea of glancing anywhere else became repugnant. Therefore, the presiding rulers of each of those planets, including Indra and other demigods, looked up and offered me obeisances by joining their palms above their foreheads, and then they began to worship me by offering flowers, parched rice, and other auspicious items.”

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