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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 2.4.232, 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 2.4.232 contained in Chapter 4—Vaikuntha (the spiritual world)—of Part two (prathama-khanda).

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.4.232:

�-प्रेमक� भक्तिर� अती�-दुर्लभ� स्वर्गाद�-भोगः सुलभोऽभवश् � सः �
चिन्तामणिः सर्व-जनैर� � लभ्यते लभ्येत काचादि कदाप� हातकम् � २३� �

-𳾲 bhaktir atīva-durlabhā svarg徱-Dz� sulabho'bhavaś ca � |
Գ峾ṇi� sarva-janair na labhyate labhyeta kāc徱 kadāpi hātakam || 232 ||

-𳾲–with love; 󲹰پ�–d𱹴dzپDz; atīva durlabhā–extremely rare; -徱–of Svargaloka and so on; Dz�–eDz⳾Գ; ܱ�–easy to attain; 󲹱�–cessation of material existence, or liberation; ca–aԻ; –t󲹳; Գ峾ṇi�–wish-fulfilling gem; -ᲹԲ�–by everybody; na–ndz; labhyate–is obtainable; labhyeta–may be obtained; 峦-徱–glass and so forth; kadā api–sdzپ; ṭa첹–gDZ.

Anyone can obtain a piece of glass and sometimes a piece of gold, but not everyone can obtain a Գ峾ṇi because it is most rare. Similarly, the pleasures of heaven and liberation are easily achieved, but prema-bhakti is extremely rare.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

Śī Gopa-ܳ might ask, “How did devotees like you (Śī ) attain that prema-bhakti?�

In reply, Śī 岹 speaks this verse beginning with sa-prema. He says, “The enjoyment of heaven is easily acheived.� Here, the term Svarga (heaven) indicates that all the excellent objects for sense enjoyment are available there. The word indicates ū- (heaven on the earthly plane), bila-svarga (subterranean heavenly planets, or the seven lower planets), and the abodes situated above divya-svarga (the upper heavenly planets), such as Maharloka, the planet of the sages.

He continues, “The seekers of liberation (ܳܰṣu) maintain that liberation is extremely difficult to achieve, but actually liberation is also easily achieved. In this connection, there is an example–enjoyment in the heavenly planets is like a piece of glass, liberation is like a piece of gold, and prema-bhakti is like a desire stone (Գ峾ṇi). Just as gold is more difficult to obtain than glass, similarly, liberation is more rare than material enjoyment. With little endeavor, anyone can get a piece of glass. Gold is not as easy to procure, but with substantial effort, some are able to obtain it. The Գ峾ṇi touchstone, however, is far more rare than gold. What to speak of actually obtaining a Գ峾ṇi stone, hardly anyone ever even gets a chance to see it.

“The purport is that everyone can obtain the pleasures of the heavenly planets, which are comparable to common glass. Liberation cannot be had if one maintains any desire for heavenly enjoyment. Therefore, liberation is more difficult to obtain than Svarga. Finally, Գ峾ṇi is far more rare than gold, and so loving devotional service has been compared to Գ峾ṇi. One cannot attain prema-bhakti if there is even a scent of desire for sense gratification (bhukti) or liberation (mukti). When one abandons all types of desires, one can sometimes obtain the Գ峾ṇi of prema-bhakti by the mercy of 󲹲.�

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