śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ |
syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.16)
“O learned ones, taste for discussion of Vāsudeva shall come about for one possessed of śraddhā and desirous to hear [such discussion] as a result of service to a mahat as an outcome of pilgrimage to a holy place.”
śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ Read on →
ūtiḥ syād vāsanā sātra saptame kathyate dvidhā |
aśubhā ca śubhā cāpi kopato’nugrahāt satām ||
santaś ca trividhāḥ śuddha-bhaktā jñānādi-miśritām |
bhaktiṁ dadhānās tan-miśra-jñānavantaś ca kīrtitāḥ ||
hiraṇyakaśipoḥ svābhāvikī yā vāsanāśubhā |
tatra hetuḥ sanandādi-kopaḥ prācīna eva saḥ ||
tasyāpi putro yas tasya prahlādasya śobhottamā |
śuddha-bhaktau vāsanā śrī-nāradāṅghri-kṛpā-bharāt ||
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.1.1)
“Ūti (wish) shall mean [in this case] vāsanā (inclination). This is discussed here in the Seventh Canto and is of two types, inauspicious (aśubha) and auspicious (śubha), as a result of the anger and favor of the sat [i.e., inauspicious ūtis or vāsanās arise as a result of a sādhu’s anger and auspicious vāsanās arise as a result of a sādhu’s favor]. The sat, furthermore, are said to be of three types: (1) pure bhaktas, (2) those who foster bhakti mixed with jñāna and so forth, and (3) those possessed of jñāna mixed with that [i.e., with bhakti]. The cause in regard to the natural, inauspicious vāsanā which Hiraṇyakaśipu had was verily the prior anger of Sananda and so forth [i.e., the four kumāras]. The auspicious vāsanā for pure bhakti of Prahlāda, he who was his [i.e., Hiraṇyakaśipu’s] own son, was because of the abundance of grace [Prahāda received] from the blessed feet of Nārada.”
ūtiḥ syād vāsanā sātra saptame kathyate dvidhā Read on →
ūtiś ca vāsanā proktā tat-tat-karmānusāriṇī |
aśubhā ca śubhā ceti dvidhā sā hetu-bhedataḥ ||
aśubhā mahatāṁ kopāc chubhā mahad-anugrahāt |
harer dvārapayor yadvad vaikuṇṭhe vasator api ||
catuḥsana-ruṣā viṣṇu-dveṣādy-aśubha-vāsanā |
yathā ca daitya-garbhe’pi prahlādasya sataḥ sthirā ||
nāradānugrahād āsa viṣṇau sad-bhakti-vāsanā |
sva-bhaktaṁ ca sadā viṣṇur dviṣantam api rakṣati ||
tṛtīye’tha bhave dvāḥsthāv akarod ātmasāt prabhuḥ |
ato manīṣiṇā yatnaḥ kāryo mahad-anugrahe ||
ity etad artham ūtīnām atra lakṣaṇam ucyate |
tatrādau daśabhir daitya-tat-putra-mati-bhedataḥ ||
mahat-kopānukampottha-vāsanā bheda ucyate |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.1.1)
“An ūti (wish) is also called a vāsanā (inclination) and follows from particular karmas. It is of two types, inauspicious (aśubha) and auspicious (śubha), as a result of a difference in cause. An inauspicious vāsanā occurs as a result of the anger of a great one (mahat), and an auspicious vāsanā occurs as a result of the favor of a great one (mahat), as in the case of the inauspicious vāsanā for enmity and so forth towards Viṣṇu of the door-keepers’ of Hari [i.e., Jaya and Vijaya], even though they were residing in Vaikuṇṭha, as a result of the anger of the catuḥsana [i.e., the four kumāras], and as in the case of the unwavering vāsanā for pure bhakti to Viṣṇu of Prahlāda, even though he was born in the womb of a daitya, that occurred as a result of the favor of Nārada. Also, Viṣṇu always protects his own bhakta, even [when his bhakta is] inimical [towards him, as Jaya and Vijaya became as a result of the four kumāras’ anger and curse upon them]. Also, in the Third Canto, Prabhu accepted the door-keepers as his own [i.e., Bhagavān still considered Jaya and Vijaya his own bhaktas and protected them even though they acquired an inauspicious vāsanā as a result of their actions in relation to the kumāras]. Thus [i.e., the principle to be understood from the aforementioned is that], effort is to be made by the wise for the favor of a great one [i.e., to acquire an auspicious vāsanā, that is, a vāsanā for pure bhakti, one must endeavor to attain the favor a great one (mahat)]. This is the meaning. [Thus,] Here, the characteristics (lakṣaṇas) of ūtis (wishes) are stated. In that regard, by the first ten [chapters of the Seventh Canto], on the basis of the difference in mentality of the daitya [i.e., Hiraṇyakāśipu] and his son [i.e., Prahlāda], the distinction between the vāsanās arising from the anger and favor of a great one (mahat) is stated [i.e., they are distinguished as inauspicious and auspicious].”
ūtiś ca vāsanā proktā tat-tat-karmānusāriṇī Read on →
ghṛṣṭaṁ ghṛṣṭaṁ punar api punaś candanaṁ cāru-gandhaṁ
chinnaṁ chinnaṁ punar api punaḥ svādu caivekṣu-khaṇḍam |
dagdhaṁ dagdhaṁ punar api punaḥ kāścanaṁ kānta-varṇaṁ
prāṇānte’pi prakṛti-vikṛtir jāyate nottamānām ||
(Unknown source)
“Even when ground and ground,
Again and again,
Sandalwood has a beautiful fragrance.
Even when pressed and pressed,
Again and again,
Sugarcane has a sweet taste.
Even when smelted and smelted,
Again and again,
Gold has a beautiful color.
[Similarly,] Even at death
[alt., Even in the face of death],
No aberration in nature
Of the exalted arises.”
ghṛṣṭaṁ ghṛṣṭaṁ punar api punaś candanaṁ cāru-gandhaṁ Read on →
bhagavat-kṛpā-parimala-pātra-bhūtasya śrīmato mahataḥ saṅga eva kāraṇam | … nirguṇāvasthāto’py adhikatvāt parama-nirguṇa eva | … saguṇe devādau tasya kṛpā vāstavī na bhavati, kintu śrīmat-prahlādādiṣv eveti pratipādanān mahatāṁ nirguṇatvābhivyaktyā tat-saṅgasyāpi nirguṇatvaṁ vyaktam |
(Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 6.14.1; 11.25.24; Bhakti Sandarbha: 134)
“The association of a beautiful great personage (mahat) who is a vessel of the fragrance of Bhagavān’s grace is the only cause [of realization of Bhagavān]. … Because of it being superior even to the nirguṇa state [i.e., the state of being free from the material guṇas], it [i.e., such association] is parama-nirguṇa [i.e., the supreme state beyond the material guṇas]. … His [i.e., Bhagavān’s] true grace does not exist in the devas and so forth, who are saguṇa, but the nirguṇatva [i.e., state of being nirguṇa] of even the association of great personages is manifested by the manifestation of their [own] nirguṇatva as a result of bestowal [of Bhagavān’s true grace] upon [such great personages as] Śrīmat Prahlāda and others.”
bhagavat-kṛpā-parimala-pātra-bhūtasya śrīmato mahataḥ saṅga eva kāraṇam Read on →
viṣaya-vairāgye’pi gūḍhaṁ saṁskāravanto’pi sambhavanti |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 187)
“Even in the midst of detachment from the sense objects, also possessing invisible [i.e., latent] saṁskāras [for varieties of sensual experience] is possible [for a mahānta, i.e., one who has attained success on the path of bhakti].”
viṣaya-vairāgye’pi gūḍhaṁ saṁskāravanto’pi sambhavanti Read on →
sākṣātkāra-mātrasyāpi yadyapi puruṣa-prayojanatvaṁ, tathāpi tasminn api sākṣātkāre yāvān yāvān śrī-bhagavataḥ priyatva-dharmānubhavaḥ, tāvāṁs tāvān utkarṣaḥ | nirupādhi-prīty-āspadatā-svabhāvasya priyatva-dharmānubhavaṁ vinā tu sākṣātkāro’py asākṣātkāra eva, mādhuryaṁ vinā duṣṭa-jihvayā khaṇḍasyeva | … tataḥ prema-tāratamyenaiva bhakta-mahattva-tāratamyaṁ mukhyam | … yatra tu premādhikyaṁ sākṣātkāraḥ, kaṣāyādi-rāhityādikam apy asti, sa paramo mukhyaḥ | tatraikaikāṅga-vaikalye nyūna-nyūna iti jñeyam |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 187)
“Despite solely direct perception [of Bhagavān] being the goal of human life, even in that respect there is [a gradation of] excellence in that direct perception in so far as there is experience of Śrī Bhagavān’s quality of being dear (priyatva). Without experience of the quality of being dear in [Bhagavān,] he who is by nature the object of unconditional love (prīti) [for all living beings], however, even direct perception (sākṣātkāra) [of him] is verily non-perception (asākṣātkāra), and just like a sugar candy [tasted to be] without sweetness by a diseased tongue [i.e., as someone with jaundice does not experience the sweet taste of sugar candy even after eating the candy, so direct perception of Bhagavān without experience of his quality of being unconditionally lovable (i.e., experiencing him without prema, or at least its initial manifestation in the form of rati), is akin to having had no perception of him at all]. … Therefore, gradation in the greatness of bhaktas based specifically on a gradation in [their] prema is principal [i.e., is the primary means by which the relative stature of bhaktas is to be determined]. … One in whom, however, there is superiority in prema, direct perception [of Bhagavān], and the absence of impurities and so forth, is foremost. When there is deficiency in [these] aspects, one by one, there is [relative] inferiority and [further] inferiority [in the stature of a mahānta]. This is to be understood.”
sākṣātkāra-mātrasyāpi yadyapi puruṣa-prayojanatvaṁ Read on →
mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā
vimanyavaḥ suhṛdaḥ sādhavo ye |
ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthā
janeṣu dehambhara-vārtikeṣu ||
gṛheṣu jāyātmaja-rātimatsu
na prīti-yuktā yāvad-arthāś ca loke ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.5.2–3; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.17, 69; Bhakti Sandarbha: 186; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.22.82)
“Service to the mahats is said to be the door to mukti of various types, and attachment to those who are attached to women [is said to be] the door to darkness. The mahāntas [lit., ‘the great’] are they who are of equal mind, tranquil, free from anger, friendly, and virtuous, and alternately, they who (1) have made affection [i.e., prema] for me, Īśa, their aim, (2) [they] who are unpossessed of affinity for homes, wives, children, friends, and persons fixed upon affairs related to bodily maintenance, and (3) [they] who are possessed of only so much wealth [as is necessary] in this world.”
mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā Read on →
tvayy ambujākṣākhila-sattva-dhāmni
samādhināveśita-cetasaike |
tvat-pāda-potena mahat-kṛtena
kurvanti govatsa-padaṁ bhavābdhim ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.2.30)
“O you of lotus eyes, with the boat of your feet made by the great through the mind being absorbed in meditation (samādhi) upon you, the abode of pure existence, the exalted turn the ocean of material existence into the hoofprint of a calf.”
tvayy ambujākṣākhila-sattva-dhāmni Read on →
sodāharaṇam iti—atrodāharaṇāni caturbhiḥ pramāṇair labdhāni | śāstreṇa, tat-tātparyeṇa, tad-anusāri-mahājana-prasiddhyā, tat-tad-anusāri-sambhavena ca |
(Durgama-saṅgamanī-ṭīkā on Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.44)
“‘With illustration’ here means illustrations attained by four pramāṇas (means of knowing): (1) by śāstra, (2) by its intention (tātparya), (3) by the realization of mahājanas following that [i.e., the śāstra’s intention], and (4) by that which is produced following that [realization] of that [intention of the śāstra].”
sodāharaṇam iti—atrodāharaṇāni caturbhiḥ pramāṇair labdhāni Read on →
