Verse 13.26

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 13.26:

अन्ये त्व् एवम् अजानन्तः श्रुत्वान्येभ्य उपासते ।
तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुति-परायणाः ॥ २६ ॥

anye tv evam ajānantaḥ śrutvānyebhya upāsate |
te'pi cātitarantyeva mṛtyuṃ śruti-parāyaṇāḥ || 26 ||

anye–others; tu–but; evam–thus; ajānantaḥ–not knowing; śrutvā–after hearing; anyebhyaḥ–from others (self-realized teachers); upāsate–worship; te–they; api ca–also; atitaranti–transcend; eva–this is certain; mṛtyum–death (in the form of material existence); śruti-parāyaṇāḥ–being devoted to hearing (the instruction of realized souls).

Others, however, who are not conversant with this tattva‚ begin to worship the Supreme after hearing from realized persons, who teach by example. Thus, by dedication to the hearing process, they, too, gradually transcend this mortal world. This is certain.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

The word anye means ‘those who hear the kathā (topics) related to Bhagavān here and there at different places’.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

In this verse, Śrī Bhagavān is explaining a very important process. “There are some people who are not atheists, nor are they sceptics, māyāvādīs or philosophers. They are only ordinary people in society, yet they are faithful because they have good past life impressions (saṃskāras). When, in the association of saintly devotees, they hear narrations of topics about Bhagavān and receive instructions from various preachers, they try to worship Me somehow or other. Later, when they have attained the association of pure devotees, they receive the opportunity to hear pure hari-kathā, and by entering bhakti-tattva, they ultimately achieve Me.”

No education about ātma-jñāna, the knowledge of the soul, is given in modern, so-called cultured society, but Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam explain that the process of hearing about it is very powerful. Particularly in recent times, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu placed great emphasis on hearing and chanting harināma: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. His prime teaching was that by the influence of hearing, chanting and remembering the holy name and the narrations of Bhagavān, one can very easily attain service to Bhagavān. The four-headed Brahmā, Śrī Nārada Gosvāmī, Śrī Vedavyāsa, Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī, King Parīkṣit and Prahlāda Mahārāja all attained direct darśana of Bhagavān by following that process.

Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura was one of the associates of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Although he was born in a Yavana family, he used to chant 300,000 names of Śrī Hari every day. All types of people, both rich and poor, had great regard for him. Seeing this, Rāmacandra Khan, a famous landlord of that area, became envious of him. To defame Haridāsa, he lured a beautiful young prostitute by promising her great wealth, and one moonlit night he sent her to Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Sitting in a solitary place on the bank of Bhagavatī Gaṅgā, Haridāsa Ṭhākura, while keeping count of the mantras he had chanted, loudly and attentively chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. The Tulasī plant graced a nearby platform.

The prostitute approached him, and with various bodily postures she expressed her mind, but this had not even the slightest influence on Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Finally, she openly propositioned him. He replied, “I have taken a vow to chant ten million names of Hari. I will fulfil all your desires very shortly, as soon as I have completed this amount.”

Hearing this assurance, the prostitute sat there for the entire night, waiting for him to complete his chanting. In the morning, she returned to her house out of fear of being seen. The next night, she came back and resumed her position. Haridāsa Ṭhākura again told her that he was just about to complete his chanting. That night passed like the previous one. When she arrived on the third night, Haridāsa Ṭhākura again started chanting loudly. Just see! The effect of hearing the holy name from the mouth of a pure devotee was so wonderful that it changed the heart of that prostitute. She fell at his feet crying and asked to be forgiven. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was very pleased and said, “I would have gone elsewhere the very first day you came, but I remained here only for your sake. That your heart has changed is a matter of great pleasure for me. This is the unfailing glory of hearing and chanting the holy name. Now you should fearlessly remain in this āśrama and continuously chant the name of Hari. You should render service to Tulasī-devī and Bhagavatī Gaṅgā (the Ganges).”

She followed these instructions and her life changed completely. Even great devotees started coming to her āśrama to have darśana of her, a topmost Vaiṣṇavī. Remaining humble, lowly and without possessions, she performed bhajana of Hari and was delivered to the abode of Bhagavān within a very short time. In this way, even an ordinary person can attain Bhagavān by hearing and chanting.