Hari-bhakti-vilāsa – Anuśīlana.in

śrī-gurūpasatti-kāraṇam

śrī-gurūpasatti-kāraṇam—
kṛpayā kṛṣṇa-devasya tad-bhakta-jana-saṅgataḥ |
bhakter māhātmyam ākarṇya tām ichchan sad-guruṁ bhajet ||
atrānubhūyate nityaṁ duḥkha-śreṇī paratra ca |
duḥsahā śrūyate śāstrāt titīrṣed api tāṁ sudhīḥ ||
(Śrī Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 1.28–29)

“The cause of approaching a blessed guru [is described as follows]: Upon hearing by Kṛṣṇadeva’s grace in the company of his bhaktas of the greatness of bhakti and [then consequently] desiring that, one shall worship an excellent guru. A difficult to bear succession of sufferings is experienced continuously here [i.e., in this world] and from the śāstra is heard of [as also continuing] in the hereafter. One of sharp intellect shall desire [at least] just to cross beyond that.”

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ye vai bhagavatā proktā

ye vai bhagavatā proktā upāyā hy ātma-labdhaye |
añjaḥ puṁsām aviduṣāṁ viddhi bhāgavatān hi tān ||
yān āsthāya naro rājan na pramādyeta karhicit |
dhāvan nimīlya vā netre na skhalen na pated iha ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.2.34–35; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.497, 524; Bhakti Sandarbha: 125, 216, 218; Mādhurya-kādambinī: 3.3)

“Know to be Bhāgavatas [i.e., Bhāgavata-dharmas—limbs of bhakti to Bhagavān] those well known means of realization (1) which are stated by Bhagavān for unlearned persons for the sake of [their] easy attainment of the Self (Ātmā) and (2) by taking shelter in which a human being, O King, shall never be hindered. [Even by] Running or keeping the eyes closed, one shall not stumble and shall not fall here.”

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bhakti-yogaḥ puraivoktaḥ prīyamāṇāya te’nagha

bhakti-yogaḥ puraivoktaḥ prīyamāṇāya te’nagha |
punaś ca kathayiṣyāmi mad-bhakteḥ kāraṇaṁ param ||
śraddhāmṛta-kathāyāṁ me śaśvan mad-anukīrtanam |
pariniṣṭhā ca pūjāyāṁ stutibhiḥ stavanaṁ mama ||
ādaraḥ paricaryāyāṁ sarvāṅgair abhivandanam |
mad-bhakta-pūjābhyadhikā sarva-bhūteṣu man-matiḥ ||
mad-artheṣv aṅga-ceṣṭā ca vacasā mad-guṇeraṇam |
mayy arpaṇaṁ ca manasaḥ sarva-kāma-vivarjanam ||
mad-arthe’rtha-parityāgo bhogasya ca sukhasya ca |
iṣṭaṁ dattaṁ hutaṁ japtaṁ mad-arthaṁ yad vrataṁ tapaḥ ||
evaṁ dharmair manuṣyāṇām uddhavātma-nivedinām |
mayi sañjāyate bhaktiḥ ko’nyo’rtho’syāvaśiṣyate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.19.19–24; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.514-517, 526; Bhakti Sandarbha: 228)

“The practice (yoga) of bhakti was indeed explained previously [to you by me]. O sinless one, for you who are finding pleasure [in that], I will describe again the best means of bhakti to me. Continuous śraddhā in the nectar of narration of me, recapitulating related to me, full fixity in ritual worship of me, praising [me] with hymns, attentive regard for adoring service [to me], offering respectful obeisance [to me] with all the limbs, exceeding worship of my bhakta, awareness of me in all entities, body-activity for purposes related to me, speaking of my qualities with the [faculty] of speech, offering of the mind to me, letting go of all desires, relinquishment of wealth, as well as of enjoyment and of pleasure, for my sake, and sacrifice, charity, oblations, utterance (japa), rites, and austerity which are for my sake—by means of such dharmas, O Uddhava, bhakti to me is manifested in full for human beings who are offerers of themselves [to me]. What other object remains for one [i.e., for such a bhakta]?”

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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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atha japa-bhedāḥ tal-lakṣaṇādi ca

atha japa-bhedāḥ tal-lakṣaṇādi ca—
trividho japa-yajñaḥ syāt tasya bhedān nibodhata |
vācikaś ca upāṁśuś ca mānasaś ca tridhā mataḥ |
trayāṇāṁ japa-yajñānāṁ śreyān syād uttarottaraḥ ||
yad ucca-nīca-svaritaiḥ spaṣṭa-śabdavad-akṣaraiḥ |
mantram uccārayed vyaktaṁ japa-yajñaḥ sa vācikaḥ ||
śanair uccārayen mantram īṣad auṣṭhau pracālayet |
kiñcic chabdaṁ svayaṁ vidyād upāṁśuḥ sa japaḥ smṛtaḥ ||
dhiyā yad akṣara-śreṇyā varṇād varṇaṁ padāt padam |
śabdārtha-cintanābhyāsaḥ sa ukto mānaso japaḥ ||
(Nṛsiṁha Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 17.155–158)

“Now, the divisions of japa and their characteristics [are described]—‘Japa-sacrifice (yajña) shall be [known to be] of three types. Hear of the [three] divisions of this. The three types are known as verbal (vācika), sotto voce (upāṁśu) and mental (mānasa). There shall be successive superiority amid these three [types of] japa-sacrifices [i.e., they are listed in order from lesser to greater]. That which shall pronounce the mantra distinctly with clear, audible syllables and high and low pitches is [called] verbal (vācika) japa-sacrifice. That which shall pronounce the mantra [only] softly, move the lips [only] slightly, and make known [i.e., heard] some sound [only] to oneself is known as sotto voce (upāṁśu) japa. That which is a repetition of contemplation of the meaning of the words [in the mantra] with the mind [moving] from one phoneme to another phoneme in the series of syllables [within each word] and from one word to another word [throughout the mantra] is called mental (mānasa) japa.”

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śrīmad-gopāla-mantro’yaṁ naiva kiñcid apekṣate

śrīmad-gopāla-mantro’yaṁ naiva kiñcid apekṣate |
hṛn-mātra-spṛk phalaty eva spṛṣṭo hi dahano yathā ||
(Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 17.260)
“This divine Gopāla-mantra does not depend on anything [i.e., any saṁskāra, such as the upanayana, or other means of purification, preparation, etc. (DDT: kiñcit saṁskārādikaṁ)]. Upon touching just the heart, it certainly produces results just as fire does upon being touched.”

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dvijānām anupetānāṁ sva-karmādhyayanādiṣu

dvijānām anupetānāṁ sva-karmādhyayanādiṣu |
yathādhikāro nāstīha syāc copanayanād anu ||
tathātrādīkṣitānāṁ tu mantra-devārcanādiṣu |
nādhikāro’sty ataḥ kuryād ātmānaṁ śiva-saṁstutam ||
(Āgama-śāstra; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 2.3–4)
“As the twice-born [i.e., those of the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, and vaiśya varṇas] who have not been invested with the sacred thread do not have eligibility (adhikāra) for their own rites [e.g., chanting the gāyatrī-mantra and conducting yajñas], study [of the Veda], and so forth, and can [have eligibility] in that regard [only] after the upanayana [-saṁskāra, i.e., only after investiture with the sacred thread, meaning, only after receiving the sāvitra-birth and thus actually becoming twice-born], so those without dīkṣā here [i.e., on the path of bhakti] do not have eligibility for [chanting] mantras, [performing] ritual worship of Deva [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān], and so forth. Therefore, one should make oneself truly praised by Śiva!”

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na me priyaś caturvedī mad-bhaktaḥ śvapacaḥ priyaḥ

na me priyaś caturvedī mad-bhaktaḥ śvapacaḥ priyaḥ |
tasmai deyaṁ tato grāhyaṁ sa ca pūjyo yathā hy aham ||
(Itihāsa-samuccaya; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.127; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.19.50, 2.20.58)
“[Śrī Bhagavān:] A caturvedī [i.e., a brāhmaṇa versed in the four Vedas] is not dear to me [if they are not my bhakta]. [Even] A dog-cooker who is my bhakta [however] is dear [to me]. Give [charity, etc.] to him [i.e., such a bhakta] and accept [prasāda, etc.] from him since he is also worshipable as I am.”

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śvapākam iva nekṣeta loke vipram avaiṣṇavam

śvapākam iva nekṣeta loke vipram avaiṣṇavam |
vaiṣṇavo varṇa-bāhyo’pi punāti bhuvana-trayam ||
na śūdrā bhagavad-bhaktās te tu bhāgavatā matāḥ |
sarva-varṇeṣu te śūdrā ye na bhaktā janārdane ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.164–165; Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 5.455; Bhakti Sandarbha: 247)
“Like a dog-cooker [is not to be looked at], one should not look at a non-Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa in this world. Even a Vaiṣṇava outside the varṇas [i.e., who does not belong to any of the four varṇas] purifies the three worlds. Bhaktas of Bhagavān are not śūdras. Rather, they are accepted as Bhāgavatas [i.e., to belong to Śrī Bhagavān and not to any caste]. Among all the varṇas, they are śūdras who are not bhaktas of Janārdana.”

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śūdraṁ vā bhagavad-bhaktaṁ niṣādaṁ śvapacaṁ tathā

śūdraṁ vā bhagavad-bhaktaṁ niṣādaṁ śvapacaṁ tathā |
vīkṣate jāti-sāmānyāt sa yāti narakaṁ dhruvam ||
(Itihāsa-samuccaya; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.119; Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 5.455)
“One who sees a bhakta of Bhagavān to be a śūdra, tribesman (niṣāda), or dog-cooker [i.e., outcaste] because of commonality in caste (jāti) certainly goes to Naraka.”

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