Bābāra Kathā – Page 49

yat pītaṁ śruti-vāṅ-manobhir aniśaṁ tṛṣṇā-pradam adbhutaṁ

yat pītaṁ śruti-vāṅ-manobhir aniśaṁ tṛṣṇā-pradam adbhutaṁ
saṁsārāmaya-hāry api praṇayajonmādāndhya-mohādi-kṛt |
śaśvac carvitam apy analpa-rasadaṁ dehādi-hṛt-puṣṭidaṁ
taj jīyād amṛta-spṛhā-haram idaṁ govinda-līlāmṛtam ||
(Govinda Līlāmṛta: 1.5)

“May this wonderful Govinda-līlāmṛtam triumph! [Why is it wonderful?] Even when it is drunk with the ears, tongue, and mind, it incessantly produces thirst [for more of itself] and [simultaneously] gives nourishment to the body, heart, and so forth; even though it cures the disease of saṁsāra, it gives rise to the madness, blindness, delusion, and so forth manifest by love (praṇāya) [i.e., the “disease” of Kṛṣṇa-prema]; even when it is chewed constantly [as it wonderfully can continually be both drunk and chewed], it produces no small amount of rasa [i.e., as sugarcane does, but rather again and again produces an abundance of sweet prema-rasa]; and even though it is itself amṛta (nectar), it removes all desire for amṛta [i.e., be it the nectarean beverage drunk by the devas to remain ever-youthful sought by the karmīs or the various forms of liberation from māyā sought by the jñānīs and yogīs].”

Read on →

nābhuktaṁ kṣīyate karma kalpa-koṭi-śatair api

nābhuktaṁ kṣīyate karma kalpa-koṭi-śatair api |
avaśyam eva bhoktavyaṁ kṛtaṁ karma śubhāśubham ||
(Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa)

“Karma that is not experienced does not dissipate, even after hundreds of millions of kalpas. Past karma, be it auspicious or inauspicious, must certainly be experienced.”

Read on →

sukhāya karmāṇi karoti loko

sukhāya karmāṇi karoti loko
na taiḥ sukhaṁ vānyad upāramaṁ vā |
vindeta bhūyas tata eva duḥkhaṁ
yad atra yuktaṁ bhagavān vaden naḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.5.2)

“People engage in karma in pursuit of happiness, but by that they attain neither happiness nor the cessation of its opposite [i.e., suffering]. Rather, they attain only more suffering. O illustrious sage, please explain what is befitting [for us to do] here [i.e., in this condition in saṁsāra].”

Read on →

yadākṣaiś caritān dhyāyan karmāṇy ācinute’sakṛt

yadākṣaiś caritān dhyāyan karmāṇy ācinute’sakṛt |
sati karmaṇy avidyāyāṁ bandhaḥ karmaṇy anātmanaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.29.78)

“[How is the mind the cause of saṁsāra?] When one repeatedly performs karmas thinking of objects attained [previously] by the senses, then, since karma [i.e., a karmic reaction] is present and thus [also] avidyā [i.e., the underlying basis of karma is also present], bondage to the karma of the non-ātmā occurs.”

Read on →

tat karma hari-toṣaṁ yat sā vidyā tan-matir yayā

tat karma hari-toṣaṁ yat sā vidyā tan-matir yayā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.29.49)

“That which satisfies Hari is karma [i.e., only action that is a cause of Hari’s satisfaction is truly action that ought to be performed], and that by which one becomes endowed with understanding of him is vidyā [i.e., only knowledge based on śāstra by which one comes to perceive Hari is true knowledge].”

Read on →

jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva

jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva
jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām |
sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir
ye prāyaśo’jita jito’py asi tais trilokyām ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.14.3)

[Brahmā to Kṛṣṇa:] “O you who are generally unconquerable throughout the three worlds, you are certainly conquered by those who throw away endeavor for jñāna, live situated in their position, and simply honor with their body, speech, and mind the narrations about you they hear resounded by the sādhus.”

Read on →

buddhīndriya-manaḥ-prāṇān janānām asṛjat prabhuḥ

buddhīndriya-manaḥ-prāṇān janānām asṛjat prabhuḥ |
mātrārthaṁ ca bhavārthaṁ ca ātmane’kalpanāya ca ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.87.2)

[Translation as per Śrīdhara Svāmīpada’s ṭīkā:] “Prabhu emanated the intellect, senses, mind, and prāṇas of living beings for the sake of the objects [i.e., for the sake of enabling perception of objects of the senses constituted of the five elements], for the sake of production [i.e., for the sake of enabling karma to be performed], for the sake of the ātmā [i.e, for the sake of enabling the ātmā to travel to and experience various lokas], and for the sake of non-formulation [i.e, for the cessation of desire, that is, mukti for the ātmā].”

Read on →

āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca

āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca
sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām |
dharmo hi teṣām adhiko viśeṣo
dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ ||
(Hitopadeśa: Maṅgalācaraṇam, 25)

“Eating, sleeping, fearing, and mating—these on the part of humans are common with animals. Dharma is their [i.e., humans’] greater, distinguishing quality. Those who are devoid of dharma are the same as animals.”

Read on →

labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte

labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte
mānuṣyam arthadam anityam apīha dhīraḥ |
tūrṇaṁ yateta na pated anumṛtyu yāvan
niḥśreyasāya viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.9.29)

“Having attained after many births here [i.e., in this world of saṁsāra] this rare to attain human form, which is highly valuable but temporary, the wise should immediately endeavor for the highest good so long as the body has not fallen to its inevitable death; objects of the senses (viṣaya) [which are satisifying to the senses of one’s present body] can be had everywhere [i.e., in all forms of life into which one is perpetually born throughout the beginningless and endless course of saṁsāra].”

Read on →

taṁ tvām ahaṁ deva-varaṁ vareṇyaṁ

taṁ tvām ahaṁ deva-varaṁ vareṇyaṁ
prapadya īśaṁ pratibodhanāya |
chindhy artha-dīpair bhagavan vacobhir
granthīn hṛdayyān vivṛṇu svam okaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.24.53)

[Satyavrata Rāja to Matsya Avatāra:] “I take shelter in him—you—the Best of the devas, the Supreme Īśa, for the purpose of awakening [by means of your teaching from my sleep on the bed of saṁsāra]. O Bhagavān, please cut the knots in my heart with your words that are illuminating of the [supreme] object (artha). Please reveal your own abode [i.e., please teach me the path that leads to attainment of it].”

Read on →