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Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary)

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

The Brihad-bhagavatamrita Verse 1.1.12, 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 1.1.12 contained in Chapter 1—Bhauma (the earthly plane)—of Part one (prathama-khanda).

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 1.1.12:

शृण्वन्त� वैष्णवाः शास्त्रम� इद� भागवतामृतम� �
सु-गोप्यं प्रा� यत� प्रेम्णा जैमिनिर् जनमेजयम् � १२ �

śṛṇvantu ṣṇ� śāstram ida� bhāgavatāmṛtam |
su-gopya� prāha yat premṇ� jaiminir janamejayam || 12 ||

O ղṣṇ, please hear this scripture known as Śī 岵峾ṛt. Although this book is extremely confidential, the sage Jaimini related it to King Janamejaya with deep affection and tenderness.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

Therefore, this scripture, being a collection from the essence of scriptures about devotion to Śī 󲹲, gives the highest education about sad-dharma or actual religion to direct one along the proper path. Moreo ver, this scripture being the supreme essential sweetness of all scriptures conc erning bhagavad-bhakti, is appropriately entitled 岵峾ṛt. This is the initial understanding. Later we will examine the speciality of this topic. O assembly of saintly ղṣṇ, all must hear this Śī Bhāgavatamṛtam.

Here the expression ṣṇ� or ղṣṇ indicates that only those who are eager to drink the honey from the lotus feet of Śīman Ի岹쾱śǰ are qualified to hear this scripture. All others are not qualified to hear this—as it insinuates. The hearts of non-devotees are dry, devoid of transcendental mellows (rasa). Therefore, they have no faith to hear such a scripture. Due to hearing without faith, their misfortune is inevitable, and therefore the characteristic sign of the faithlessness of non-devotees is to cast-off the hearing of this scripture.

Although the expression ṣṇ� or ղṣṇ means simply a person initiated by the śī-ṣṇ-Գٰ, the Pādma Purāṇa mentions:

साङ्गं �-मुद्रं �-न्यासं �-ऋष�-च्छन्द-दैवतम्
&न्ब्स्प्; �-दीक्षा-विधि �-ध्यानं �-यन्त्र� द्वादशाक्षरम�
अष्टाक्षरम� अथान्य� वा ये मन्त्र� समुपासते
&न्ब्स्प्; ज्ञेयास् ते वैष्णव लो� विष्ण्व्-अर्च�-रताः सद�

sāṅga� sa-mudra� sa-Բ� sa-ṛṣi-cchanda-daivatam
  sa-dīkṣ�-vidhi sa-dhyāna� sa-yantra� dvādaśākṣaram
aṣṭākṣaram athānya� vā ye mantra� samupāsate
  jñeyās te vaiṣṇava loka viṣṇv-arcana-ratā� sadā

Those persons who accept īṣa or initiation of the śī-ṛṣṇaԳٰ of ten, twelve syllables or other, and are daily engaged in the worship of Śī վṣṇ by Բ (secondary rituals), ܻ (hand positions), ṛṣ (priestly sages) and chanda (meters) are known as ղṣṇ.

However, in this place all persons who are expert in devotional service should be considered qualified to hear this book. Even among expert devotees, those who are desirous of drinking the honey from the lotus feet of Śī Ի岹-쾱śǰ are especially qualified to hear this scripture, and they will receive a special sentiment in hearing it.

Although these qualified ղṣṇ are directly present before the author, he addresses them with śṛṇvantu ṣṇ�, “O ղṣṇ, please hear.� Why is this type of indirect expression given? Always being affectionate to the lotus feet of the ղṣṇ, he addresses them indirectly out of deep honor, though they are present personally. Addressing them by the evocative term “O ղṣṇ,� he uses the honorific words, “all of you, please hear.�

This scripture is extremely confidential. Thus the meaning of this is narrated in a historical context. In other words, the illustrious sage, -muni Śī Jaimini sweetly sings this scripture named Śī 岵峾ṛt to King Janamejaya, a parama 岵ٲ or topmost devotee. Both are renowned as first-class devotees of Śī 󲹲. Some people say Śī Jaimini Muni was a sage who supported fruitive activities. However, in Śī ī (10.22) in the վūپ-Dz chapter, Śī 󲹲 says, -’s: “Of the Vedas I am the Sāmaveda.� Śī Jaimini Muni is the teacher of that 峾-veda, the crown jewel of the four Vedas; therefore, he is conversant with the essential truth of the 峾-veda. This is the indication here.

Thus Śī Jaimini Muni is not a karma-ī, a proponent of frutive work devoid of bhakti. Rather, he is a preceptor on the path of bhakti having a prominence of karma, rooted in the culmination of bhagavadbhakti. Especially, he documented the glories of Śī Բٳ-deva. Śī Janamejaya is also the son of the topmost 岵ٲ Śī ʲīṣi, and himself among the topmost of devotees. Moreover, he is a relisher of the pastimes of Śī վṣṇ and the ղṣṇ. Thus the speaker and listener of this most confidential scripture of Śī 岵峾ṛt, which is full of transcendental mellows (bhakti-rasa), are mutually appropriate. Mainly, out of deep affection the topmost 岵ٲ Śī Jaimini instructs this confidential scripture to his disciple, the exalted Śī Janamejaya.

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