Bābāra Kathā – Page 66

bhaktir hi svataḥ prabalatvād anya-nirapekṣā

bhaktir hi svataḥ prabalatvād anya-nirapekṣā | na tu jñānādivat samyag vairāgyādi-sāpekṣā |
(Durgama-saṅgamanī-ṭīkā on Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.15)

“Bhakti, because of its own great power, is independent of others [i.e., is not dependent on the paths of jñāna or karma], and not, rather, dependent on complete vairāgya and so forth like jñāna and so forth [i.e., is not like jñāna and karma dependent, respectively, on vairāgya and eligibility for varṇāśrama-dharma].”

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dūrān niśamya mahimānam upetya pārśvam

dūrān niśamya mahimānam upetya pārśvam
antaḥ praviśya śubha-bhāgavatāmṛtābdheḥ |
paśyāmi kṛṣṇa-karuṇāñjana-nirmalena
hṛl-locanena bhagavad-bhajanaṁ hi ratnam ||
(Viṣṇu Purī’s Bhakti-ratnāvalī: 6)

“After hearing from afar, approaching the bank [i.e., studying], and then entering within [i.e., understanding the confidential meaning of] the greatness of the ocean of the nectar that is the bountiful Bhāgavatam, I see with the eyes of my heart purified by the collyrium of Kṛṣṇa’s compassion that Bhagavad-bhajana alone is the jewel [i.e., bhakti is essential to the attainment of all puruṣārthas and furthermore is the ultimate puruṣārtha itself].”

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te’pi tan-mukhataḥ sarvaṁ

te’pi tan-mukhataḥ sarvaṁ śrutvā tat-tan-mahādbhutam |
sāra-saṅgrāhiṇo’śeṣam anyat sarvaṁ jahur dṛḍham ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.152)

“Grasping the essence [i.e., the tattva] after hearing from his [i.e., Nārada’s] mouth all of these profound wonders [i.e., the extraordinary things which were experienced by Nārada during his journey for the recipient of the essence of Kṛṣṇa’s grace], they too [i.e., the sages at Prayāga listening to Nārada’s account] resolutely and completely gave up everything else [i.e., jñāna, karma, and all other paths apart from Kṛṣṇa-bhakti].”

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bhaktir asya bhajanam

bhaktir asya bhajanam | tad ihāmutropādhi-nairāsyenāmuṣmin manaḥ-kalpanam | etad eva ca naiṣkarmyam ||
(Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad: Pūrva, 14; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 1.166; Bhakti Sandarbha 169, 234)

“Bhakti is worship (bhajana) of him [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa]. It is engaging the mind in him free from upādhis (adjuncts) [i.e., desires] related to this world and the next [i.e., engaging in hearing, praising, remembering, and so forth related to him without any motivation of attaining anything related to this world or the next but rather with the motivation solely of attaining him such that one can serve and satisfy him]. And this is indeed [secondarily] naiṣkarmya [i.e., mukti, syn., jñāna; lit., exoneration from and transcendence of karma].”

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na vā etad viṣṇudatta

na vā etad viṣṇudatta mahad-adbhutaṁ yad asambhramaḥ sva-śiraś-chedana āpatite’pi vimukta-dehādy-ātma-bhāva-sudṛḍha-hṛdaya-granthīnāṁ sarva-sattva-suhṛd-ātmanāṁ nirvairāṇāṁ sākṣād bhagavatānimiṣāri-varāyudhenāpramattena tais tair bhāvair abhirakṣyamāṇānāṁ tat-pāda-mūlam akutaścid-bhayam upasṛtānāṁ bhāgavata-paramahaṁsānām |
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.9.20)

[Śukadeva to Parīkṣit Mahārāja:] “O Viṣṇudatta, it is not greatly astonishing that the topmost ascetic devotees of Bhagavān (Bhāgavata-paramahaṁsas) are undisturbed even in the event of their own head being cut off, as they are completely free from the extremely tight knot in the heart of identification with the body and so forth [i.e., the mind, etc.], are by nature well-wishers of all beings, are free from enmity, are completely protected by ever-vigilant Bhagavān himself armed with the most excellent disc of time in various states of being [i.e., in various forms, such as Bhadrakālī (in this particular case in the life of Jaḍa Bharata), or, on account of his (i.e., Bhagavān’s) various qualities], and have approached the soles of his [i.e., Bhagavān’s] feet, wherein there is no fear [whatsoever].”

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tad-bhāva-bhāvita-svāntāḥ

tad-bhāva-bhāvita-svāntāḥ kṛṣṇa-bhaktā itīritāḥ ||
te sādhakāś ca siddhāś ca dvi-vidhāḥ parikīrtitāḥ ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.273, 275)

“[The definition of a Kṛṣṇa-bhakta:] Those whose hearts are imbued with that bhāva [i.e., their particular, highly exalted and personally desired rati for Kṛṣṇa] are called Kṛṣṇa-bhaktas. … They are said to be of two types: sādhakas and siddhas.”

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prabhu bole “torā āra nā karis pāpa”

prabhu bole “torā āra nā karis pāpa” |
jagāi-mādhāi bale “āra nāre bāpa” ||
prabhu bale “śuna śuna tumi dui-jana |
satya ei āmi tore balila vacana ||
koṭi koṭi janme yata āche pāpa tora |
āra yadi nā karis, saba dāya mora ||
(Caitanya-bhāgavata: 2.13.225–227)

“Prabhu said, ‘You should not commit sin any more.‘
Jagāi and Mādhāi replied, ‘We shall not any more, O Father.’
Prabhu said, ‘Listen, listen you two. True are these words I am telling you: all of your sin from crores and crores of births—if you do not commit any more—is all my responsibility [i.e., I will absolve you of all of it].”

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ei tore satya kahi, baḍa priya tumi

ei tore satya kahi, baḍa priya tumi |
veda-mukhe baliyāchi yata kichu āmi ||
ye ye karma kaile haya ye ye divya-gati |
tāhā ghucāite pāre kāhāra śakati? ||
muñi pāro̐ sakala anyathā karibāre |
sarva-vidhi-upare āmāra adhikāre ||
(Caitanya-bhāgavata: 2.10.246–248)

[Mahāprabhu:] “I tell you the truth, since you are very dear [to me]. Who has the power to do away with all the various duties that I have stated through the mouth of the Vedas by performing which various divine attainments occur? I [alone] can change them all, since I have authority over all injunctions.”

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varaṁ varaya bhadraṁ te

varaṁ varaya bhadraṁ te vareśaṁ mābhivāñchitam |
brahmañ chreyaḥ-pariśrāmaḥ puṁso mad-darśanāvadhiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.9.21)

[Bhagavān:] “O Brahmā! Auspiciousness to you. Request your desired benediction from me, the master [i.e., capable bestower] of [all] benedictions, as a person’s endeavor for well-being culminates in darśana of me.”

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tvan-māyā-racite loke

tvan-māyā-racite loke vastu-buddhyā gṛhādiṣu |
bhramanti kāma-lobherṣyā-moha-vibhrānta-cetasaḥ ||
adya naḥ sarva-bhūtātman kāma-karmendriyāśayaḥ |
moha-pāśo dṛḍhaś chinno bhagavaṁs tava darśanāt ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 9.8.25–26)

“Those whose minds are bewildered by kāma, greed, envy, and delusion wander about their houses and elsewhere in this plane made by your māyā with the mentality that it is real [i.e., that the world of their present experience is of ultimate importance]. O Ātmā of all beings! O Bhagavān! Today the strong rope of our bewilderment, which is the seat of kāma, karma, and the senses, has been cut by your darśana.”

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