Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary)
by Śī Śīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyana Gosvāmī ѲᲹ | 2005 | 440,179 words | ISBN-13: 9781935428329
The Brihad-bhagavatamrita Verse 1.4.13, 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 1.4.13 contained in Chapter 4—Bhakta (the devotee)—of Part one (prathama-khanda).
Verse 1.4.13
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 1.4.13:
श्री-नारद उवाच�
भो वैष्णव-श्रेष्� जितस� त्वयेत� कि� वाच्यं मुकुन्दो बलिनाप� निर्जितः �
पौत्रे� दैते�-गणेश्वरे� ते संरक्षित� द्वारि तव प्रसादतः � १३ �śrī-nārada uvāca�
bho vaiṣṇava-śreṣṭha jitas tvayeti ki� vācya� mukundo balināpi nirjita� |
pautreṇa daiteya-gaṇeśvareṇa te saṃrakṣito dvāri tava prasādata� || 13 ||Śī 岹 said: O best of the ղṣṇ, you have conquered Śī Mukunda. What more can I say? By your mercy the chief ruler of the demons, your grandson Bali, also captured Śī and subjugated Him to be your doorkeeper.
Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda
(By Śīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)
You conquered ; in this connection what more can I say? The 岹ٲⲹᲹ, king of demons, your grandson ѲᲹ Bali also became victorious over by your mercy. This is not possible by any other means except by your mercy. This should be understood without a doubt. The characteristics of Bali ѲᲹ’s victory are being told: Having conquered Śī completely means “having kept Him in the form of our own doorkeeper.�
In this connection, in the Eighth Canto you yourself have said (Śīmad-岵ٲm or 岵ٲ ʳܰṇa 8.23.6):
नेमं विरिञ्चो लभते प्रसाद� � श्रीर् � सर्व� किम् उतापरे ये
यन� नो’सुराणाम� अस� दुर्�-पालो विश्वाभिवन्द्यैर� अभिवन्दिताङ्घ्रि�nema� viriñco labhate prasāda� na śrīr na sarva� kim utāpare ye
yan no’surāṇām asi durga-pālo viśvābhivandyair abhivanditāṅghri�O Madhusūdana, all glories unto You whom all living entities, both moving and non-moving, glorify Your divine lotus feet. Although being worshipable by the entire world, You have become the doorkeeper of the demons. What to speak of others such as Śī , Śī ṣmī, Śī Maheśa, what have they ever achieved by such mercy? To be precise, nothing was achieved.
In the ٱ-ٳⲹ section of the ʰ岹-ṃh (Skanda ʳܰṇa 4.19.2-3) it has also been stated:
पराधीनो’स्म� विप्रेन्द्� भक्त�-क्रीतो’स्म� नान्यथ�
बलेर� आदेश-कारी � दैत्येन्द्�-वश-गो ह्य् अहम्
तस्मात� प्रार्थय विप्रेन्द्�, दैत्यं वैरोचन� बलिम�
अस्यादेशात� करिष्याम�, यद� अभीष्टं तवाधुन�parādhīno’smi viprendra bhakti-krīto’smi nānyathā
baler ādeśa-kārī ca daityendra-vaśa-go hy aham
tasmāt prārthaya viprendra, daitya� vairocana� balim
asyādeśāt kariṣyāmi, yad abhīṣṭa� tavādhunāAt a time when the residents of ٱ were being subjugated by the ś demon and were severely distressed, then Śī ٳܰ went to the residence of ѲᲹ Bali to bring . told ٳܰ, ‘O best of the ṇa, I am dependent, being purchased and paid off by bhakti, by the price of devotion. Without ѲᲹ Bali, I cannot do anything independently. You have to pray to 岹ٲⲹᲹ Bali. I am his order-supplier; by receiving his order I can fulfill your desires.�
Hearing this, ٳܰ narrated his request to 岹ٲⲹᲹ Bali. ѲᲹ Bali did not accept his request. Therefore, ٳܰ ṛṣī took a vow of fasting.
Seeing him ready to die, ѲᲹ Bali said (Skanda ʳܰṇa 7.4.19.16):
यद� भाव्यं तद� भवतु ते यज� जानासि तथ� कुरु
ब्रह्म-रुद्रादि-नमित� नाहं त्यक्स्य� पद-द्वयम्yad bhāvya� tad bhavatu te yaj jānāsi tathā kuru
brahma-rudrādi-namita� nāha� tyaksye pada-dvayamO topmost ṇa, whatever is my fate and whatever is yours will happen. Whatever feels good, you may also do. Nevertheless, I cannot give up the divine lotus feet of that are worshipable by demigods, even if they are Śī or Rudra.