Vṛtrāsura-stuti
Vṛtrāsura-stuti
Six verses illustrating the nature of pure prīti for Bhagavān spoken by Vṛtrāsura.
Excerpted from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.11.22–27.
Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā
tathāpi saṅgaḥ parivarjanīyo
tathāpi saṅgaḥ parivarjanīyo
guṇeṣu māyā-raciteṣu tāvat |
mad-bhakti-yogena dṛḍhena yāvad
rajo nirasyeta manaḥ-kaṣāyaḥ ||
yathāmayo’sādhu cikitsito nṛṇāṁ
punaḥ punaḥ santudati prarohan |
evaṁ mano’pakva-kaṣāya-karma
kuyoginaṁ vidhyati sarva-saṅgam ||
kuyogino ye vihitāntarāyair
manuṣya-bhūtais tridaśopasṛṣṭaiḥ |
te prāktanābhyāsa-balena bhūyo
yuñjanti yogaṁ na tu karma-tantram ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.28.27–28)
“[Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] Nevertheless [i.e., even though brahman is not influenced by the guṇas or the ahaṅkāra], association with the guṇas [i.e., objects of the senses] fabricated by māyā is to be avoided so long as the impurity in the mind—passion (rajas)—is not removed by means of steadfast bhakti-yoga to me. As an improperly treated disease of people again and again crops up and causes trouble, so a mind with unburnt [i.e., undestroyed] impurities and actions that retains attachment to everything thwarts an immature yogī. One who remains an immature yogī [thwarted] because of ordained obstacles existent in the form of human beings sent by the devas, again [i.e., in another birth] by the strength of previous practice engages in yoga, and not rather, in a multitude of karma.”
santo’napekṣā mac-cittāḥ praśāntāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
santo’napekṣā mac-cittāḥ praśāntāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
nirmamā nirahaṅkārā nirdvandvā niṣparigrahāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.26.27; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.65; Bhakti Sandarbha: 247)
“Those who are disinterested, of mind fixed on me, completely peaceful, equal seers, free from attachment, free from egotism, free from duality, and free from acquisition are the sat.”
teṣu nityaṁ mahābhāga mahābhāgeṣu mat-kathāḥ
teṣu nityaṁ mahābhāga mahābhāgeṣu mat-kathāḥ |
sambhavanti hi tā nṝṇāṁ juṣatāṁ prapunanty agham ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.26.27; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.277)
“O you of great fortune [i.e., O Uddhava], discussions of me continuously take place among they who are most fortunate [i.e., among the sat as described in the prior verses], and they [i.e., those discussions] completely wash away the sin of human beings who honor [alt., delight in, them].”
tato duḥsaṅgam utsṛjya satsu sajjeta buddhimān
tato duḥsaṅgam utsṛjya satsu sajjeta buddhimān |
santa evāsya chhindanti mano-vyāsaṅgam uktibhiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.26.26; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.318; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.1.59)
“[Śrī Kṛṣṇa to Uddhava:] Thus, an intelligent person should leave bad association and associate with the sat. Only the sat cut away the undue attachment of one’s mind with their words.”
satyāśiṣo hi bhagavaṁs tava pāda-padmam
satyāśiṣo hi bhagavaṁs tava pāda-padmam
āśīs tathānubhajataḥ puruṣārtha-mūrteḥ |
apy evam arya bhagavān paripāti dīnān
vāśreva vatsakam anugraha-kātaro’smān ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.9.17; cited in Prīti Sandarbha: 6)
“[Dhruva Mahārāja:] O Bhagavān! For those who in this [aforementioned] manner continuously worship [you], the lotus feet of you who are the embodiment of the ultimate goal (puruṣārtha-mūrti) are certainly the true blessing in comparison to [all other] blessings. Although this is so, O Master, O Bhagavān, you protect us, who are lowly, like a cow anxious to nurture a new-born calf.”
bhagavat-kṛpā-parimala-pātra-bhūtasya śrīmato mahataḥ saṅga eva kāraṇam
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.”
sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje |
ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.6)
“That [dharma] because of which causeless and unobstructed bhakti to Adhokṣaja [i.e., Bhagavān, lit., ‘he who is transcendent’] can come to be, and by which the self [i.e., the mind] becomes fully satisfied, is alone the highest dharma for humanity.”
ayaṁ hi sarva-kalpānāṁ sadhrīcīno mato mama
ayaṁ hi sarva-kalpānāṁ sadhrīcīno mato mama |
mad-bhāvaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu mano-vāk-kāya-vṛttibhiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.29.19; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 332)
“[Śrī Kṛṣṇa to Uddhava:] Indeed, this thought of me in all beings [performed] with the functions of the mind, speech, and body is considered by me to be the proper one among all processes.”
visṛjya smayamānān svān dṛśaṁ vrīḍāṁ ca daihikīm
visṛjya smayamānān svān dṛśaṁ vrīḍāṁ ca daihikīm |
praṇamed daṇḍavad bhūmāv ā-śva-cāṇḍāla-go-kharam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.29.16; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 332; Caitanya-bhāgavata: 3.3.27)
“[Śrī Kṛṣṇa to Uddhava:] Disregarding the laughing of friends, bodily vision, and embarrassment, one should offer obeisance like a stick on the ground even to dogs, outcasts, cows, and donkeys.”