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Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary)

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

The Brihad-bhagavatamrita Verse 2.2.202, 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 2.2.202 contained in Chapter 2—Jnana (knowledge)—of Part two (prathama-khanda).

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.2.202:

कृष्�-भक्त्यैव साधुत्वं साधन� परमं हि सा �
तय� साध्यं तद�-अङ्घ्र्य�-अब्ज-युगल� परमं फलम् � २०� �

kṛṣṇa-bhaktyaiva dhutva� dhana� parama� hi |
ٲ dhya� tad-aṅghry-abja-yugala� parama� phalam || 202 ||

ṛṣṇa-󲹰ٲ–through devotion to Śī ṛṣṇa; eva–iԻ; ܳٱ–saintly quality; 󲹲Բ–m𲹲Բ; paramam–sܱ𳾱; hi–cٲԱ; –she (bhakti); ٲ–by her; dhyam–aٳٲԳԳ; ٲ-ṅg-Ჹ–His lotus feet; yugalam𲹾; paramam–sܱ𳾱; phalam–rɲ.

Devotion unto the lotus feet of Śī ṛṣṇa is the primary characteristic of saintliness, and one becomes saintly by this ṛṣṇa-󲹰پ alone. Such devotion is the foremost means to attain the service of Śī ṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, and such attainment is, in turn, the ultimate fruit of bhakti.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

Śī Gopa-ܳ might ask, “Can those who observe their ritualistic religious duties or those who cultivate empirical knowledge (ñԲ) not also be regarded as saintly?�

To refute this, the 󲹰پ-śٰ explain, “Only by serving Śī ṛṣṇa with pure love (ṛṣṇa-󲹰پ) can one attain saintliness. Without devotion for Śī ṛṣṇa, the righteousness accrued by performing activities such as regulated religious duties is to be regarded as inferior, or ṇa. Other than devotion for Śī ṛṣṇa, no other quality can be regarded as saintly.

“In the story of Śī Ambarīṣa ѲᲹ (Śīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.4.63), Śī 󲹲 says to Śī Durvā, �bhakta-parādhīno hy asvatantra iva dvija–I am controlled by My devotees and have no independence in their presence.� The Lord concludes by saying that saintly persons control His heart. He says (9.4.68), �dhavo hṛdaya� ⲹ� dhūnā� hṛdaya� tv ahamܲ are My heart, and I am the heart of the dhus.� Since loving service to the Lord is the best means to attain His lotus feet, with these words, Śī 󲹲 has personally established the saintliness of His devotees.

“Although in the beginning stage of bhakti, fruitive activities (karma), speculative knowledge (ñԲ), renunciation (岵ⲹ), etc. are sometimes counted as limbs of pure devotional service, one should still understand that processes such as karma and ñԲ are subsidiary, or ṇa, and bhakti alone is primary, or mukhya. Therefore bhakti is the supreme spiritual practice. The goal of this topmost spiritual practice is the service of Śī ṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. This is the ultimate, or parama, result.� Alternatively, the word parama indicates that when bhakti and liberation are compared, the very nature of pure loving devotion is superior to the experience of Brahman.

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