Smaraṇa – Anuśīlana.in

kathañcana smāraṇam eva teṣām

kathañcana smāraṇam eva teṣām
avehi taj-jīvana-dānam eva |
teṣāṁ yato vismaraṇaṁ kadācit
prāṇādhikānāṁ maraṇāc ca nindyam ||
na sambhaved asmaraṇaṁ kadāpi
sva-jīvanānāṁ yad api priyāṇām |
tathāpi kenāpi viśeṣaṇena
smṛtiḥ praharṣāya yathā su-jīvitam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.129–130)

[Bhagavān to Nārada:] “Understand that somehow producing remembrance of them [i.e., those who are dear] is to give [those endowed with prema] life itself because any sort of forgetfulness of them who are more [dear] than one’s very life is more contemptible than dying [for those endowed with prema]. Although forgetting those who are as dear as one’s very life is never possible, still any sort of special remembrance [of them] is as great a joy as an abundant life.”

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icchet punas tādṛśam eva bhāvaṁ

icchet punas tādṛśam eva bhāvaṁ
kliṣṭaṁ kathañcit tad-abhāvataḥ syāt |
yeṣāṁ na bhātīti mate’pi teṣāṁ
gāḍhopakārī smṛti-daḥ priyāṇām ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.128)

“[Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa to Śrī Nārada:]
It shall wish for a bhāva of that very type again,
And because of the absence of that [bhāva] somehow,
It shall become afflicted.
Even in the view of those for whom this [aforesaid explanation] does not shine [i.e., to whom it does not appeal],
A giver of remembrance of dear ones is highly supportive.”

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atha śrī-bhagavan-nāma-japasya smaraṇasya ca

atha śrī-bhagavan-nāma-japasya smaraṇasya ca |
śravaṇasyāpi māhātmyam īṣad bhedād vilikhyate ||
(Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.472)

“Now [i.e., now that the greatness of chanting (kīrtana) of Śrī Bhagavān’s names has been described], the greatness of japa, as well as remembrance and hearing, of Śrī Bhagavān’s names is delineated because of a slight distinction [between these and chanting (kīrtana) of Śrī Bhagavān’s names].”

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viṣayābhiniveśena nātmānaṁ yat smaret punaḥ |

viṣayābhiniveśena nātmānaṁ yat smaret punaḥ |
jantor vai kasyacid dhetor mṛtyur atyanta-vismṛtiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.22.38)
“Complete non-remembrance as a consequence of some cause on account of which one shall not remember again the [previous] body [one had] as a result of absorption in objects of the senses [while in one’s new body] is [called] death.”

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kṛṣṇasyānugraho’py ebhyo nānumīyeta sattamaiḥ

kṛṣṇasyānugraho’py ebhyo nānumīyeta sattamaiḥ |
sa cāvirbhavati śrīmann adhikṛtyaiva sevakam ||
hanūmad-ādivat tasya kāpi sevā kṛtāsti na |
paraṁ vighnākule citte smaraṇaṁ kriyate mayā ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.4.19–20)

“Even Kṛṣṇa’s favor shall not be inferred from these [i.e., from someone’s overcoming impediments, teaching children, acting like a sādhu, being compassionate to living beings in distress, not accepting mokṣa, pleasing people in general, and other characteristics spoken of in the previous verse] by the best of the sat. O blessed one, furthermore that [i.e., Kṛṣṇa’s favor] appears only towards a servant [i.e., it is not bestowed upon someone like me who does not engage in service to Bhagavān]. Not sort of service to him like Hanumān [performs] has been performed by me. Only remembrance [of him] with a mind beset with disturbances is performed by me.”

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adhokṣajālambham ihāśubhātmanaḥ

adhokṣajālambham ihāśubhātmanaḥ
śarīriṇaḥ saṁsṛti-cakra-śātanam |
tad brahma-nirvāṇa-sukhaṁ vidur budhās
tato bhajadhvaṁ hṛdaye hṛd-īśvaram ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.7.37)

“The wise know the impure mind’s contact with Adhokṣaja [i.e., Bhagavān] to be destructive of the cycle of saṁsāra for an embodied being in this world and to be [inclusive of] the bliss of immersion (nirvāṇa) in Brahman. Therefore, you all should worship the Lord of the heart in the heart.”

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yaśaḥ-śriyām eva pariśramaḥ paro

yaśaḥ-śriyām eva pariśramaḥ paro
varṇāśramācāra-tapaḥ-śrutādiṣu |
avismṛtiḥ śrīdhara-pāda-padmayor
guṇānuvāda-śravaṇādarādibhiḥ ||
avismṛtiḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ
kṣiṇoty abhadrāṇi ca śaṁ tanoti |
sattvasya śuddhiṁ paramātma-bhaktiṁ
jñānaṁ ca vijñāna-virāga-yuktam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 12.12.54–55)

“Great endeavor in regard to the conduct of the varṇas and āśramas, austerity, learning, and so on is only for [worldly] wealth and fame. By hearing, honoring, and so forth narrations of [his] qualities, [however,] non-forgetfulness of Śrīdhara’s lotus feet comes about. Non-forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet dispels inauspiciousness and produces equanimity, purity of mind, bhakti to the Supreme Self, and knowledge accompanied by realization and non-attachment.”

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naitan manas tava kathāsu vikuṇṭhanātha

naitan manas tava kathāsu vikuṇṭhanātha
samprīyate durita-duṣṭam asādhu tīvram |
kāmāturaṁ harṣa-śoka-bhayaiṣaṇārtaṁ
tasmin kathaṁ tava gatiṁ vimṛśāmi dīnaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.9.39; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 1)

“O Lord of Vaikuṇṭha!
This mind—
Corrupted by sin,
Unholy,
Impetuous,
Afflicted by kāma,
And beset with elation, sorrow, fear, and desire—
Does not take great pleasure
In narrations about you.
Therewith,
How can this wretch
Contemplate your existence?”

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tāṁ nāradīyām anusṛtya śikṣāṁ

tāṁ nāradīyām anusṛtya śikṣāṁ
śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmāni nija-priyāṇi |
saṅkīrtayan susvaram atra līlās
tasya pragāyann anucintayaṁś ca ||
tādīya-līlā-sthala-jātam etad
vilokayan bhāva-daśe gato ye |
tayoḥ sva-citte karaṇena lajje
kathaṁ parasminn kathayāny ahaṁ te ||
sadā mahārtyā karuṇā-svarai rudan
nayāmi rātrīr divasāṁś ca kātaraḥ |
na vedmi yad yat sucirād anuṣṭhitaṁ
sukhāya vā tat tad utārti-sindhave ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.6.1–3)

“Following that instruction of Nārada, here [in Vraja] melodiously chanting names of Śrī Kṛṣṇa dear to myself, singing aloud of and meditating upon his līlās, and beholding the sites of his līlās, this bhāva and state which arose [in me]—I feel embarrassed [just] by thinking of them in my own heart. [So,] How can I describe them to someone else? Crying continuously in pitiful tones out of great distress (ārti), I spent nights and days disconcerted. I did not know whether all that I had practiced for so long would lead to joy or an ocean of distress.”

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na hy acyutaṁ prīṇayato bahv-āyāso’surātmajāḥ

na hy acyutaṁ prīṇayato bahv-āyāso’surātmajāḥ |
ātmatvāt sarva-bhūtānāṁ siddhatvād iha sarvataḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.6.19)

“[Prahlāda Mahārāja:] O sons of asuras! On account of [his] being the Self of all beings and [his] being present everywhere here [in this world], there is certainly no huge endeavor [required] for the sake of pleasing Acyuta.”

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