Sūkti Sudhākara

ity ataḥ kathitā nitya-priyā yādava-vallavāḥ

ity ataḥ kathitā nitya-priyā yādava-vallavāḥ |
eṣāṁ laukikavac ceṣṭā līlā mura-ripor iva ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.296)

“Thus, the Yādavas and Vallavas [i.e., gopas] are said to be eternal dear ones [of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa]. Their activity, like the līlā of Mura-ripu [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣna] is like that of the world [i.e., although supramundane, it resembles in certain respects activity of the world].”

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aho bhāgyam aho bhāgyaṁ nanda-gopa-vrajaukasām

aho bhāgyam aho bhāgyaṁ nanda-gopa-vrajaukasām |
yan mitraṁ paramānandaṁ pūrṇaṁ brahma sanātanam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.14.32)

“Aho! The fortune! Aho! The fortune of the residents of Chief Nanda’s Vraja, whose eternal friend is the Complete Brahman, the highest bliss!”

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ete hi yādavāḥ sarve mad-gaṇā eva bhāmini

ete hi yādavāḥ sarve mad-gaṇā eva bhāmini |
sarvadā mat-priyā devi mat-tulya-guṇa-śālinaḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.292)

“All these Yādavas, O Bhāminī [i.e., Satyabhāmā, lit., ‘O beautiful young woman’], are certainly my associates. O Devī, they hold me dear, and they possess qualities like my own.”

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asthūlaś cānaṇuś caiva sthūlo’ṇuś caiva sarvataḥ

asthūlaś cānaṇuś caiva sthūlo’ṇuś caiva sarvataḥ |
avarṇaḥ sarvataḥ proktaḥ śyāmo raktānta-locanaḥ |
aiśvarya-yogād bhagavān viruddhārtho’bhidhīyate ||
tathāpi doṣāḥ parame naivāhāryāḥ kathañcana |
guṇā viruddhā apy ete samāhāryāḥ samantataḥ ||
(Kūrma Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.242–243)

“Said to be in all respects non-gross and non-subtle as well as gross and subtle, in all respects colorless as well as swarthy and of eyes with reddish corners—by virtue of possessing mastery (aiśvarya), Bhagavān is known as Viruddhārtha [i.e., ‘he who is an object of contradiction’]. Still, faults are never to be attributed to the Supreme [i.e., Bhagavān] by any means, whereas even contradictory qualities are always to be attributed in full [to him, i.e., understood to coexist and function cooperatively within him].”

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mitho virodhino’py atra kecin nigaditā guṇāḥ

mitho virodhino’py atra kecin nigaditā guṇāḥ |
harau niraṅkuśaiśvaryāt ko’pi na syād asambhavaḥ ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.241)

“Although some of the aforementioned qualities [of Hari] are contradictory to one another, no sort of impossibility can exist in Hari on account of [his] unchecked capability (aiśvarya) [i.e., his being capable of subduing all and his being the shelter of all].”

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tvaṁ caitad brahma-dāyāda śraddhayātmānuśāsanam

tvaṁ caitad brahma-dāyāda śraddhayātmānuśāsanam |
dhārayaṁś cara gāṁ kāmaṁ kāmānāṁ bharjanaṁ nṛṇām ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.87.44)

“[Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi to Nārada Ṛṣi:] And you, carrying [in your heart and mouth] with śraddhā this instruction on the Ātma [i.e., Paramātmā, or, the jīvātmā], which roasts the desires of human beings [i.e., causes all forms of worldly desire to cease to exist in the minds of human beings], should [now] move at will about the earth.”

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paramātma-vaibhava-gaṇane ca taṭastha-śakti-rūpāṇāṁ cid-eka-rasānām

paramātma-vaibhava-gaṇane ca taṭastha-śakti-rūpāṇāṁ cid-eka-rasānām api anādi-para-tattva-jñāna-saṁsargābhāvamaya-tad-vaimukhya-labdha-cchidrayā tan-māyayāvṛta-svarūpa-jñānānāṁ tayaiva sattva-rajas-tamo-maye jaḍe pradhāne racitātma-bhāvānāṁ jīvānāṁ saṁsāra-duḥkhaṁ ca jñāpitam | … tatas tad-arthaṁ parama-kāruṇikaṁ śāstram upadiśati | tatra ca ye kecit jīvā janmāntarāvṛtta-tad-arthānubhava-saṁskāravanto, ye ca tadaiva vā labdha-mahat-kṛpātiśaya-dṛṣṭi-prabhṛtayas, teṣāṁ tādṛśa-para-tattva-lakṣaṇa-vastūpadeśa-śravaṇārambha-mātreṇaiva tat-kālam eva yugapad eva tat-sāmmukhyaṁ tad-anubhavo’pi jāyate | … athānyeṣāṁ tac-chravaṇa-mātreṇa tādṛśatvaṁ bījāyamānam api kāmādi-vaiguṇyena bījam api doṣeṇa pratihataṁ tiṣṭhati | … tato mukhyena tātparyeṇa para-tattve paryavasite’pi teṣāṁ para-tattvādy-upadeśasya kim abhidheyaṁ prayojanaṁ cety apekṣāyāṁ tad-avāntara-tātparyeṇa tad-dvayam upadeṣṭavyam | tatrābhidheyaṁ tad-vaimukhya-virodhitvāt tat-sāmmukhyam eva | tac ca tad-upāsanā-lakṣaṇaṁ, yata eva taj-jñānam āvirbhavati | prayojanaṁ ca tad-anubhavaḥ | sa cāntar-bahiḥ-sākṣātkāra-lakṣaṇaḥ, yata eva svayaṁ kṛtsna-duḥkha-nivṛttir bhavati | … tad etad ubhayaṁ yadyapi pūrvatra siddhopadeśa evābhipretam asti, yathā “tava gṛhe nidhir asti” iti śrutvā kaścid daridras tad-arthaṁ prayatate labhate ca tam iti, tadvat, tathāpi tac-chaithilya-nirāsāya punas tad-upadeśaḥ | tad evaṁ tān praty anādi-siddha-taj-jñāna-saṁsargābhāvamaya-tad-vaimukhyādikaṁ duḥkha-hetuṁ vadan vyādhi-nidāna-vaiparītyamaya-cikitsā-nibhaṁ tat-sāmmukhyādikam upadiśati |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 1)

“Also further made known during the consideration of the potencies [i.e., the three śaktis] of Paramātmā [in the discussion thereof in Paramātma Sandarbha] was the suffering in saṁsāra of the jīvas, forms of [his] taṭastha-śakti, who, although solely consciousness (cit) in constitution, have their awareness of their true nature (svarūpa-jñāna) covered by the Para-tattva’s [i.e., the Supreme Entity’s] māyā on account of the acquired fault of obliviousness (vaimukhya) of that [Para-tattva] based on a beginningless absence of the existence of awareness of that [Para-tattva, i.e., a beginningless prior absence (prāg-abhāva) of awareness of the Para-tattva, which can be removed, that is, dispelled by becoming aware of the Para-tattva], and thereby are possessed of a fabricated sense of self (ātma-bhāva) within inert primordial matter (pradhāna) constituted of [the guṇas of] sattva, rajas, and tamas. … Therefore, the supremely compassionate śāstra teaches that object [i.e., the Para-tattva]. Furthermore in that regard, for some of those jīvas, that is, those possessed of a latent saṁskāra of experience of that object [i.e., the Para-tattva] from another birth, and those who alternately then [i.e., in that birth, alt., in this present birth] have received a glance and so forth of profuse grace from a great soul, just by their beginning to hear such teachings about the entity designated as the Para-tattva, intentness (sāmmukhyaṁ) upon that [i.e., the Para-tattva], and experience (anubhava) of that [i.e., the Para-tattva] as well, simultaneously arise at that very time [of hearing about the Para-tattva]. … Now, for others [i.e., those who have no saṁskāra of experience of the Para-tattva from a prior birth, and those who have not received the grace of a great soul capable of leading one to such experience], such [intentness upon and experience of the Para-tattva], even though capable of germinating like a seed [i.e., coming into being] just by hearing of that [i.e., by hearing the teaching of the śāstra about the Para-tattva], remains obstructed [from sprouting, i.e., manifesting] by the faults [in the minds of embodied jīvas] of the defects beginning with kāma. … Therefore, although by the primary intention (tātparya) [of śāstra] the Para-tattva is determined [i.e., although in the course of the first four sandarbhas the nature of the Para-tattva has been determined in this way], in expectation of [the questions], ‘What is the abhidheya [i.e., the principal directive, the means to attainment] and the prayojana [i.e., the objective, the goal to be attained] of that teaching [of the śāstra] about the Para-tattva and so forth for them [i.e., for the jīvas]?’ these two [i.e., the abhidheya and the prayojana] are necessary to be taught [also] by the secondary intention (tātparya) thereof [i.e., of the śāstra]. In that regard, the abhidheya is intentness (sāmmukhyam) upon that [i.e., the Para-tattva], because of [its] being negating of obliviousness (vaimukhya) of that [i.e., of the Para-tattva]. That [i.e., the abhidheya], further, is indicative of upāsanā [lit., ‘sitting near,’ i.e., engaging oneself in] that [i.e., the Para-tattva], on account of which awareness of that [i.e., the Para-tattva] appears. The prayojana is experience of that [i.e., the Para-tattva], and that [i.e., the prayojana], further is indicative of internal and external direct perception (sākṣātkāra) [of the Para-tattva], on account of which alone the complete cessation of suffering occurs of its own accord. … Therefore, although these two [i.e., the abhidheya and prayojana] are implied in the siddhopadeśa [i.e., implied instruction] in the former [i.e., in the earlier discussion in these sandarbhas of the nature of the Para-tattva], just as after hearing, ‘There is a treasure in your home,’ a poor person seeks that object and attains it [without having to be instructed to do so], still again teaching regarding them [i.e., the abhidheya and prayojana] is [given] to dispel laxity regarding [one’s endeavor to attain] them. Thus in this way śāstra tells them [i.e., the jīvas] about the cause of [their] suffering, that is, obliviousness and so forth of that [i.e., the Para-tattva] based on a beginninglessly existent absence of the existence of awareness of that [i.e., the Para-tattva], and teaches [them] intentness (sāmmukhya) upon that [i.e., the Para-tattva], which resembles a treatment consisting of negation of the cause of a disease.”

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yasmād evaṁ sarvānandātikrama-liṅgena paramānanda-svarūpāsau

yasmād evaṁ sarvānandātikrama-liṅgena paramānanda-svarūpāsau bhaktis tasmāt tatra svabhāvata eva pravṛttir guṇaḥ, tathābhūtām api tan-mādhurīṁ svadoṣeṇānubhavitum asamarthānāṁ tu kevala-vidhi-niṣedha-sambhava-guṇa-doṣa-dṛṣṭyaiva pravṛttir api pūrvāpekṣayā doṣa eva | … ||177|| iyam akiñcanākhyā bhaktir eva jīvānāṁ svabhāvata ucitā | svābhāvika-tad-āśrayā hi jīvāḥ ‘sa kāraṇaṁ karaṇādhipādhipaḥ’ iti śruteḥ | aṁśatve’pi bahiraṅgatva-svīkārāt tad-āśrayatvaṁ sūrya-maṇḍala-bahir-ātapa-paramāṇūnām iva | ata eva pādmottara-khaṇḍe praṇava-vyākhyāne—‘a-kāraś cāpy u-kāraś ca ma-kāraś ca tataḥ param | veda-trayātmakaṁ proktaṁ praṇavaṁ brahmaṇaḥ padam || a-kāreṇocyate viṣṇuḥ śrīr u-kāreṇa cocyate | ma-kāras tu tayor dāsaḥ pañcaviṁśaḥ prakīrtitaḥ ||’ … ||178||
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 177–178)

“Since, in this way, this bhakti is of the essential nature of the highest bliss by virtue of [its possessing] the characteristic of surpassing all [other forms of] bliss, inclination (pravṛtti) towards it just naturally is a quality, whereas even inclination [towards it] solely because of consideration only of the merits and demerits [i.e., consequences for oneself] produced by [observation and transgression of] injunctions and prohibitions [related to it] on the part of those who are unable to experience its sweetness even as such [i.e., even though it is a cause of experience of superlative bliss] because of their own faults [e.g., their absence of intentness upon Bhagavān, their inclinations, desires, and attachments related to objects other than Bhagavān, their offenses (aparādhās) against Bhagavān, and so on] is verily a fault (doṣa) in comparison to the former [i.e., in comparison to an inclination towards bhakti that is impelled naturally]. … ||177||
“This bhakti known an ‘unconditional’ [alt., ‘pure,’ lit., ‘without anything’] (akiñcanā) [i.e., unconditional bhakti] alone is befitting naturally for jīvas, since jīvas are they whose dependence upon him [viz., Bhagavān, the object of unconditional bhakti] is natural, as per the Śruti [i.e., Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.9], ‘He is the Cause [of everything (sarvasya), as per Śrī Śaṅkarācārya’s commentary] and the Ruler of the ruler of the means of action [i.e., the Ruler of the jīva, who is the ruler of the senses in their bodies, as per Śrī Raṅga Rāmānuja’s commentary].’ Even with [the existence of their] part-hood (aṁśatva) [i.e., even though the jīvas are parts (aṁśas) of Bhagavān’s Paramātmā aspect], [their] being of dependence (āśrayatva) upon him is because of acceptance of their externality (bahiraṅgatva) [lit., their being regarded as an outer part of Bhagavān] as is so of the particles of light outside the orb of the sun [i.e., as light particles that have been emitted by the sun are understood to be situated outside the orb of the sun yet also dependent upon the sun for their existence, the jīvas are understood to be distinct parts (vibhinnāṁśas) of Śrī Bhagavān uet also dependent upon Śrī Bhagavān for their existence; as only something that is considered distinct from something else can be considered to be dependent upon it (since otherwise it would simply be the thing it is being said to be sheltered within), so the jīvas are considered to be dependent upon Bhagavān because it is understood that they exist ‘outside’ him in the sense that they are considered dependent external parts (aṁśas) of him]. Therefore [i.e., because the jīva is a dependent, external part of Śrī Bhagavān], in the explanation of praṇava in the Uttara-khaṇḍa of Padma Purāṇa (PP 6.227.22-23) [it is said that the jīva is a servant of Śrī Bhagavān], ‘The letter a along with the letter u and the letter m after that—praṇava [i.e., the word Aum]—is declared to be the basis of the three Vedas and the word for [alt., dwelling place] of Brahman. Viṣṇu is referred to by the letter a, and Śrī is referred to by the letter u. The servant of the two [i.e., of Viṣṇu and Śrī], the twenty-fifth [element in the universe, viz., the jīva], is declared to indeed be the letter m.” ||178||

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