Chaitanya Bhagavata
by Bhumipati Dāsa | 2008 | 1,349,850 words
The Chaitanya Bhagavata 2.1.336, English translation, including a commentary (Gaudiya-bhasya). This text is similair to the Caitanya-caritamrita and narrates the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, proclaimed to be the direct incarnation of Krishna (as Bhagavan) This is verse 336 of Madhya-khanda chapter 1—“The Beginning of the Lord’s Manifestation and His Instructions on Krishna-sankirtana”.
Verse 2.1.336
Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 2.1.336:
বল কৃষ্ণ, ভজ কৃষ্ণ, শুন কৃষ্ণ-নাম অহর্-নিশ শ্রী-কৃষ্ণ-চরণ কর’ ধ্যান ॥ ৩৩৬ ॥
बल कृष्ण, भज कृष्ण, शुन कृष्ण-नाम अहर्-निश श्री-कृष्ण-चरण कर’ ध्यान ॥ ३३६ ॥
bala kṛṣṇa, bhaja kṛṣṇa, śuna kṛṣṇa-nāma ahar-niśa śrī-kṛṣṇa-caraṇa kara’ dhyāna || 336 ||
bala krsna, bhaja krsna, suna krsna-nama ahar-nisa sri-krsna-carana kara’ dhyana (336)
English translation:
(336) “Chant the name of Kṛṣṇa, worship Kṛṣṇa, and hear the name of Kṛṣṇa. Day and night meditate on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.
Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:
“You should give up rasābhāsa, the incompatible mixing of transcendental mellows, and give up useless talk that is opposed to the conclusions of the scriptures and not related to Kṛṣṇa, and constantly chant the holy names of Kṛṣṇa with your nonduplicitous service-inclined tongues. Rather than considering yourselves the enjoyers while enjoying external objects, you should consider yourselves the eternal ingredients for Kṛṣṇa’s service and constantly remain favorably engaged in the chanting of Kṛṣṇa’s pure holy names. You should give up desires for sense gratification, which are born from the propensity for hearing temporary material sound vibrations based on mundane enjoyment, and hear the spiritual sound vibration of topics related to Kṛṣṇa’s names, which are nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa, through your nonduplicitous service- inclined ears.”
Regarding the necessity of hearing about, glorifying, and remembering Śrī Hari; in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (1.2.14) Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī speaks to
the sages headed by Śaunaka as follows:
tasmād ekena manasā bhagavān sātvatāṃ patiḥ śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca dhyeyaḥ pūjyaś ca nityadā
“Therefore, with one-pointed attention, one should constantly hear about, glorify, remember, and worship the Personality of Godhead, who is the protector of the devotees.”
In the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (2.1.5) Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks to Mahārāja Parīkṣit as follows:
tasmād ekena manasā bhagavān sātvatāṃ patiḥ śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca dhyeyaḥ pūjyaś ca nityadā
“O descendant of King Bharata, one who desires to be free from all miseries must hear about, glorify, and also remember the Personality of Godhead, who is the Supersoul, the controller, and the savior from all miseries.”
In the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (2.2.36) Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks to Mahārāja Parīkṣit as follows:
tasmāt sarvātmanā rājan ariḥ sarvatra sarvadā śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca smartavyo bhagavān nṛṇām
“O King, it is therefore essential that every human being hear about, glorify, and remember the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, always and everywhere.”