Verse 2.23.45-046

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 2.23.45-046:

গজেন্দ্র-বানর-গোপে কি তপ করিল বল দেখি, তারা মোরে কে-মতে পাইল অসুরে ও তপ করে, কি হয তাহার বিনে মোর শরণ লৈলে নাহি পার” ॥ ৪৫-০৪৬ ॥

गजेन्द्र-वानर-गोपे कि तप करिल बल देखि, तारा मोरे के-मते पाइल असुरे ओ तप करे, कि हय ताहार विने मोर शरण लैले नाहि पार” ॥ ४५-०४६ ॥

gajendra-vānara-gope ki tapa karila bala dekhi, tārā more ke-mate pāila asure o tapa kare, ki haya tāhāra vine mora śaraṇa laile nāhi pāra” || 45-046 ||

gajendra-vanara-gope ki tapa karila bala dekhi, tara more ke-mate paila asure o tapa kare, ki haya tahara vine mora sarana laile nahi para” (45-046)

English translation:

(45-046) “Tell Me, what kind of austerities did Gajendra, the monkeys, and the cowherds perform to attain Me? Even the demons perform austerities, but what is the result? Unless they take shelter of Me,

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

they cannot be delivered.”

In the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (11.12.1-8) the Supreme Personality of Godhead speaks to Uddhava as follows:

na rodhayati māṃ yogo na sāṅkhyaṃ dharma eva ca na svādhyāyas tapas tyāgo neṣṭā-pūrtaṃ na dakṣiṇā

vratāni yajñaś chandāṃsi tīrthāni niyamā yamāḥyathā varundhe sat-saṅgaḥ sarva-saṅgāpaho hi mām

“My dear Uddhava, by associating with My pure devotees one can destroy one’s attachment for all objects of material sense gratification. Such purifying association brings Me under the control of My devotee. One may perform the aṣṭāṅga-yoga system, engage in philosophical analysis of the elements of material nature, practice nonviolence and other ordinary principles of piety, chant the Vedas, perform penances, take to the renounced order of life, execute sacrificial performances and dig wells, plant trees and perform other public welfare activities, give in charity, carry out severe vows, worship the demigods, chant confidential mantras, visit holy places or accept major and minor disciplinary injunctions, but even by performing such activities one does not bring Me under his control.

sat-saṅgena hi daiteyā yātudhānā mṛgāḥ khagāḥ gandharvāpsaraso nāgāḥ siddhāś cāraṇa-guhyakāḥ

vidyādharā manuṣyeṣu vaiśyāḥśūdrāḥ striyo ‘ntya-jāḥ rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayas tasmiṃs tasmin yuge yuge

bahavo mat-padaṃ prāptās tvāṣṭra-kāyādha vādayaḥvṛṣaparvā balir bāṇo mayaś cātha vibhīṣaṇaḥ

sugrīvo hanumān ṛkṣo gajo gṛdhro vaṇikpathaḥvyādhaḥ kubjā vraje gopyo yajña-patnyas tathāpare

“In every yuga many living entities entangled in the modes of passion and ignorance gained the association of My devotees. Thus, such living

entities as the Daityas, Rākṣasas, birds, beasts, Gandharvas, Apsarās, Nāgas, Siddhas, Cāraṇas, Guhyakas and Vidyādharas, as well as such lower-class human beings as the vaiśyas, śūdras, women and others, were able to achieve My supreme abode. Vṛtrāsura, Prahlāda Mahārāja and others like them also achieved My abode by association with My devotees, as did personalities such as Vṛṣaparvā, Bali Mahārāja, Bāṇāsura, Maya, Vibhīṣaṇa, Sugrīva, Hanumān, Jāmbavān, Gajendra, Jaṭāyu, Tulādhāra, Dharma-vyādha, Kubjā, the gopīs in Vṛndāvana and the wives of the brāhmaṇas who were performing sacrifice.

te nādhīta-śruti-gaṇā nopāsita-mahattamāḥa vratātapta-tapasaḥ mat-saṅgān mām upāgatāḥ

“The persons I have mentioned did not undergo serious studies of the Vedic literature, nor did they worship great saintly persons, nor did they execute severe vows or austerities. Simply by association with Me and My devotees, they achieved Me.

kevalena hi bhāvena gopyo gāvo nagā mṛgāḥye ‘nye mūḍha-dhiyo nāgāḥ siddhā mām īyur añjasā

“The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, including the gopīs, cows, unmoving creatures such as the twin arjuna trees, animals, living entities with stunted consciousness such as bushes and thickets, and snakes such as Kāliya, all achieved the perfection of life by unalloyed love for Me and thus very easily achieved Me.”

A poet of South India is quoted in the Padyāvalī as follows:

vyādhasyācaraṇaṃ dhruvasya ca vayo vidyā gajendrasya kā kubjāyāḥ kim u nāma rūpam adhikaṃ kiṃ tat sudāmno dhanam vaṃsaḥ ko vidurasya yādava-pater ugrasya kim pauruṣaṃ bhaktyā tuṣyati kevalaṃ na ca guṇair bhakti-priyo mādhavaḥ

“Did the hunter named Dharma have any piety? Did age disqualify the five-year-old Dhruva? Did Gajendra, who lived by Trikūṭa Mountain,

possess any learning? Did Mathurā’s Kubjā, the maidservant of Kaṃsa, have any beauty? Did Sudāmā Brāhmaṇa, the friend of Kṛṣṇa, have any wealth? Did the social status of Vidura disqualify him? Did the prowess of Ugrasena, the King of the Yadus, disqualify him? Mādhava was pleased with their devotional service, He is not pleased by material qualities.”