Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta – Anuśīlana.in

kevalaṁ tat-padāmbhoja-sākṣād-īkṣāvaśiṣyate

kevalaṁ tat-padāmbhoja-sākṣād-īkṣāvaśiṣyate |
taj jape’rhati nāsaktiṁ kintu tan-nāma-kīrtane ||
śrīman-madana-gopāla-pādābjopāsanāt param |
nāma-saṅkīrtana-prāyād vāñchātīta-phala-pradāt ||
tal-līlā-sthala-pālīnāṁ śraddhā-sandarśanādaraiḥ |
sampādyamānān nitarāṁ kiñcin nāsty eva sādhanam ||
sañjāta-premakāc cāsmāc catur-varga-viḍambakāt |
tat-pādābja-vaśīkārād anyat sādhyaṁ na kiñcana ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.1.103–106)

“[Gopa Kumāra thinks:] Only direct vision of his [viz., Śrī Madana Gopāladeva’s] lotus feet remains [for this brāhmaṇa to attain]. Thus, he needs attachment not to japa but to kīrtana of his [viz., Śrī Madana Gopāla’s] names. There is certainly no means of accomplishment (sādhana) other than worship of Madana Gopāla’s beautiful lotus feet (1) in which saṅkīrtana of his names is abundant, (2) which is being practiced plentifully with conviction (śraddhā), direct observation (sandarśana), and adoration (ādara) of the places of their [i.e., those lotus feet’s] līlās, and (3) which is [thus] a complete bestower of results beyond [even one’s] desires. There is [also] no object to be accomplished (sādhya) other than this [viz., such worship of Madana Gopāla’s lotus feet], (1) by which prema becomes manifest in full, [since such worship is that] (2) which is a belittler of the catur-varga [viz., dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa], and [that] (3) which is a captivator of his lotus feet.”

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yat tāta tāsām api dhairya-moṣakaṁ

yat tāta tāsām api dhairya-moṣakaṁ
yā vai kula-strī-kula-pūjitāṅghrayaḥ |
rūpeṇa śīlena guṇena karmaṇā
śraiṣṭhyaṁ gatā hanta mahāśriyo’pi yāḥ ||
yad-darśane pakṣma-kṛtaṁ śapanti
vidhiṁ sahasrākṣam api stuvanti |
vañchanti dṛktvaṁ sakalendriyānāṁ
kāṁ kāṁ daśāṁ vā na bhajanti lokāḥ ||
kiṁ varṇyatāṁ vraja-bhuvo mahimā sa tasya
yatraiva tat sa bhagavān vitanoti rūpam |
yat tādṛśa-prakṛtināpy amunā sametā
nānyatrikā dadhati bhāvam ime’pi tadvat ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.109–111)

“O dear one, can that greatness of the land of Vraja be described, [that land of Vraja] alone wherein that Bhagavān [viz., Śrī Kṛṣṇa] manifests that [supremely astonishing] form [of himself] which is a stealer of the composure even of they [viz., the gopīs] whose feet are worshiped by women of noble families and who by virtue of [their] figure, character, qualities, and actions are possessed of superiority even to Mahāśrī [i.e., Mahālakṣmī]; [that form of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa found only in Vraja] by seeing which people curse the Creator, the maker of eyelids, praise even he of a thousand eyes [viz., Indra], desire that all [their] senses become eyes, and attain not what sort of state [i.e., attain all sorts of extraordinary states], since even they who are from elsewhere [e.g., the residents of Vaikuṇṭha and Dvārakā] even [when] together with he of such nature [viz., Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa of Vraja] do not possess bhāva like them [i.e., the people of Vraja]?”

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vrajaḥ sa nandasya guṇaiḥ svakīyair

vrajaḥ sa nandasya guṇaiḥ svakīyair
vilāsa-bhūr āsa mahāvibhūteḥ |
yasyāḥ kaṭākṣena jagad-vibhūtir
vaikuṇṭha-nāthasya gṛheśvarī yā ||
yasyaika-vṛkṣo’pi nijena kenacid
dravyena kāmāṁs tanute’rthino’khilān |
tathāpi tat tan na sadā prakāśayed
aiśvaryam īśaḥ sva-vihāra-vighnataḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.104–105)

“By virtue of its own qualities, that abode of Nanda—even one tree of which can produce with any aspect of itself all the desired objects of any seeker, and by the sidelong glance of which the magnificence of the world exists—has become the play-land of she of great magnificence [viz., Mahālakṣmī], the Mistress of the household of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha. Still, Īśa [viz., Śrī Kṛsṇa] shall not always manifest that particular splendor (aiśvarya) on account of obstruction to his own sporting [i.e., if he were to do so, and thus he doesn’t manifest it always but rather only when doing so is suitable].”

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tat tu laukika-sad-bandhu-buddhyā prema bhayādi-jam

tat tu laukika-sad-bandhu-buddhyā prema bhayādi-jam |
vighnaṁ nirasya tad-gopa-gopī-dāsyepsayārjayet ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.217)

“With the mentality of an excellent kinsmen of the world in relation to him [viz., Kṛṣṇa], one should overcome the obstruction [to prema for Kṛṣṇa] produced by fear and so forth, and with the desire to attain the servitude of those gopas and gopīs [who are so dear to Kṛṣṇa], one should verily acquire prema [for him].”

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gavāṁ keva kathā kṛṣṇa te te’pi bhavataḥ priyāḥ

gavāṁ keva kathā kṛṣṇa te te’pi bhavataḥ priyāḥ |
mṛgā vihaṅgā bhāṇḍīra-kadambādyāś ca pādapāḥ ||
latāni kuñja-puñjāni śādvalāny api jīvanam |
bhavaty evārpayāmāsuḥ kṣīṇāś ca sarito’drayaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.6.116–117)

“[Baladeva to Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā:] Why talk like this [only] of the cows, O Kṛṣṇa? The animals, birds, and trees like the bhāṇḍīras and kadambas—they all too are dear to you. The creepers, multitudes of bowers, and greenswards have all offered their lives to you alone. The rivers and hills too are emaciated [in your absence].”

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yathā ca tatra tat-kālaṁ bhakter yogyaṁ na sat-phalam

yathā ca tatra tat-kālaṁ bhakter yogyaṁ na sat-phalam |
sañjātam iti tac chuddha-bhaktimadbhir vinindyate ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.4.222)

“Furthermore, since the real result befitting of bhakti is not produced at that time in that case [i.e., in an instance of desirous (sakāma) bhakti], that is condemned by those endowed with pure bhakti.”

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te’pi nūnaṁ na tāṁ pūjāṁ tyajeyur yadi sarvathā

te’pi nūnaṁ na tāṁ pūjāṁ tyajeyur yadi sarvathā |
tadā tan-niṣṭhayā citte śodhite guṇa-darśinām ||
kṛpayā kṛṣṇa-bhaktānāṁ prakṣīṇāśeṣa-dūṣaṇāḥ |
kālena kiyatā te’pi bhavanti paramottamāḥ ||
yathā sakāma-bhaktā hi bhuktvā tat-kāmitaṁ phalam |
kāle bhakti-prabhāvena yogyaṁ vindanti tat-phalam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.4.219–221)

“If even they [who perform worship in the manner aforesaid in BB 2.4.213–15, that is, in SB 11.2.47, 3.29.21–24, and 7.9.11] shall assuredly not forsake [even] that [manner of] worship under any circumstance, then when [their] minds are purified by [their] fixity in that [i.e., in such inapt worship] and they have all their faults destroyed by the grace of bhaktas of Kṛṣṇa, who are observers of qualities [in them rather than faults], they too after some time become most excellent, just as desirous (sakāma) bhaktas enjoy that desired result [which they performed bhakti with a desire to attain, viz., insignificant enjoyment of objects of the senses and the like] and in time by the power of bhakti attain that result which is befitting [of bhakti to Śrī Bhagavān and beyond even what one can desire, as alluded to in BB 2.4.216–217, viz., the result of attaining prema, entrance in Śrī Bhagavān’s abode, and the privilege of meeting, sporting, and so forth with him there in the spirit of prema].”

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tāni tāni purāṇādi-vacanāny akhilāny api

tāni tāni purāṇādi-vacanāny akhilāny api |
tat-tad-viṣayakāny eva manyasva na tu sarvataḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.4.218)

“You should also consider all those particular statements from the Purāṇas and elsewhere to be related to them in particular [i.e., to those who engage in worship of an image in the aforementioned inapt manner], and not rather, to everyone [i.e., all worshipers of an image of Bhagavān].”

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yadyapy aśeṣa-sat-karma-phalato’dhikam uttamam

yadyapy aśeṣa-sat-karma-phalato’dhikam uttamam |
teṣām api phalaty eva tat-pūjā-phalam ātmanā ||
tathāpi bhagavad-bhakti-yogyaṁ na jāyate phalam |
iti sādhu-varais tat tat tatra tatra vinindyate ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.4.216–217)

“A result even of that worship on their part, which is superior to the result of all [varieties] of right action [on the path of karma] and excellent, certainly ensues of its own accord. Still, the result in keeping with bhakti to Bhagavān does not manifest [i.e., they do not attain prema for Śrī Bhagavān’s lotus feet, thereby attain his domain (loka), and thereby attain the ultimate result in keeping with performance of bhakti to Śrī Bhagavān, viz., forever meeting, sporting, and so forth with Śrī Bhagavān in his domain in the spirit of prema]. Thus, those two [i.e., (1) the worship of the manner described in BB 2.4.213–15, that is, in SB 11.2.47, 3.29.21–24, and 7.9.11, and (2) its result] here and there [i.e., in the Purānas and elsewhere] is condemned by the best of sādhus [i.e., those who are one-pointed upon Bhagavān, that is, those who aspire for the ultimate result of bhakti to him].”

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ye tu tat-pratimāṁ nūtnām adhiṣṭhānāṁ harer iti

ye tu tat-pratimāṁ nūtnām adhiṣṭhānāṁ harer iti |
bheda-dṛṣṭyātha śailādi-buddhyā sampūjayanti hi ||
na mānayanti tad-bhaktān sarva-bhūtāvamāninaḥ |
pūjā-garveṇa vedājñāṁ atikramanti ca prabhoḥ ||
ta eva sarva-bhaktebhyo nyūnās te manda-buddhayaḥ |
pūjā-phalaṁ na vindanti ta eva hi yathoditam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.4.213–215)

“Those specifically, however, (1) who worship a new image of him with thought of [the image] being stonen and so on and thus with a vision of distinction, ‘This is a dwelling place of Hari [i.e., this is not Hari himself but rather a separate object, a mere image made of stone or another material, in which we are imagining him to be is present],’ (2) [who] do not honor his bhaktas, (3) [who] are disrespectful towards all living beings, and (4) [who] transgress Prabhu’s order in the form of the Vedas out of pride in [their aforesaid] worship, are the least of all bhaktas. They are of meager intelligence since they certainly do not attain the result of worship as [it is] described [in the śāstra].”

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