जयति निजपदाब्जप्रेमदानावतीर्णो
विविधमधुरिमाब्धिः कोऽपि कैशोरगन्धिः ।
गतपरमदशान्तं यस्य चैतन्यरूपा-
दनुभवपदमाप्तं प्रेम गोपीषु नित्यम् ॥
jayati nija-padābja-prema-dānāvatīrṇo
vividha-madhurimābdhiḥ ko’pi kaiśora-gandhiḥ |
gata-parama-daśāntaṁ yasya caitanya-rūpād
anubhava-padam āptaṁ prema gopīṣu nityam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.1.1)
“Someone—
Who descended to bestow prema
For his own lotus feet,
Who is an ocean
Of various sweetnesses,
Who is fragrant with adolescence,
And whose everlasting prema for the gopīs,
Having attained the ultimate limit
Of the highest state,
Has reached the position of experience [for others]
Because of whose form of Caitanya—
Triumphs!”
Commentary
bhaktir yā nikhilārtha-varga-jananī yā brahma-sākṣātkṛter
ānandātiśaya-pradā viṣayajāt saukhyād vimuktir yayā |
śrī-rādhā-ramaṇaṁ padāmbuja-yugaṁ yasyā mahān-āśrayo
yā kāryā vraja-lokavat gurutara-premnaiva tasyai namaḥ ||
“Obeisance unto her, Bhakti [Devī],
Who is the mother of all goals
[i.e., the cause of attaining all the puruṣārthas],
Who is the bestower of bliss
Surpassing [that of] Brahman realization,
By whom complete liberation from pleasure
Produced by the objects of the senses is attained,
Whose principal shelter
Is the two lotus feet of Śrī Rādhā Ramaṇa,
And who is verily to be performed with very strong prema
Like [that of] the people of Vraja.
namaś caitanyacandrāya sva-nāmāmṛta-sevine |
yad-rūpāśrayaṇād yasya bheje bhaktim ayaṁ janaḥ ||
“Obeisance unto the moon Caitanya,
The Relisher of the nectar of his own name,
Whose bhakti this person received
By taking shelter of whose form
[alt., by taking shelter of whose Rūpa, that is, his dear bhakta Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī].
abhipretārtha-vargānām ekadeśasya darśanāt |
dig-darśinīti-nāmnīyaṁ svayaṁ ṭīkāpi likhyate ||
“Entitled Dig-darśinī [lit., “that which shows a ‘direction,’” meaning, one point of view] because of [its mostly] showing [only] one portion of the multitude of intended meanings [of the verses in this text], this commentary (ṭīkā) too is written by myself.
iha hi granthe dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa-pradāyinī śrī-bhagavato bhaktir nirūpyate | tasyās tu brahmānandānubhavād api parama-mahān sukha-rāśiḥ sampadyate | sā ca gopīnātha-caraṇāravinda-dvandvam adhikṛtyaiva vidheyā | tatra ca premnaiva, tatrāpi śrīman-nanda-vraja-jana-premavat sarva-nirapekṣatayā parama-mahattamenaiveti nirdhāryate | etādṛśīṁ bhaktiṁ kurvatāṁ janānāṁ vaikuṇṭhopari śrīmad-goloke śrīman-nanda-kiśoreṇa samaṁ nirantara-svaira-vihāraḥ prāpyaṁ phalam iti cāgre pradarśyate | etad evākhilaṁ yathā-sthānam agre vyaktatayā vistareṇa nirvacanīyam |
“Here in this text, bhakti to Śrī Bhagavān, [bhakti which is] the bestower of dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa, is described. From it [i.e., bhakti] indeed manifests an abundance of happiness vastly greater than even experience of the bliss of Brahman. Furthermore, it is to be performed specifically in relation to the two lotus feet of Gopīnātha. Therein, furthermore, [it is to be performed] ‘verily with prema’ (premnaiva), and therein furthermore ‘[verily with prema that is] superlatively paramount by virtue of indifference towards [alt., independence from] all else like the prema of the people of Śrīman Nanda’s Vraja’ (vraja-lokavat) is ascertained [i.e., is the intended sense of the phrase vraja-lokavat gurutara-premnaiva]. The result to be attained by persons who engage in such bhakti is endless, free-spirited play together with the beautiful Son of Nanda (Śrī Nanda-kiśora) above Vaikuṇṭha in Śrīmad Goloka. This will be shown ahead as well. Indeed all of this is to be discussed ahead with elaborate explanation at the appropriate place.
tad-artham eva paramābhīṣṭatarasya śrīmad-daivata-varasyāsādhāraṇa-paramotkarṣa-varṇanena tan-mahāprasādaṁ yācamāna iva prathamaṁ maṅgalam ācarati—jayatīti sarvotkarṣatayā vartata ity arthaḥ |
“For the sake of that specifically [i.e., for the sake of completing this work that describes bhakti to Bhagavān in the manner aforementioned], the author first invokes auspiciousness with a description of the extraordinary, supreme excellence of his supreme, most desired object—his beautiful, beloved Divinity [i.e., his Iṣṭa-devatā]—as though [he is] begging for his special grace (mahāprasādam): jayati … [i.e., he states BB 1.1]. He exists with excellence above all is the meaning [of ‘triumphs’ (jayati)].
utkarṣaś cātrāsaṁkoca-vṛttyā nija-sīmāntaṁ prāpta eva gṛhyate | sa ca sarva-vilakṣaṇa-nija-rūpa-guṇa-līlādi-mādhurī-prakaṭanena sarva-cittākarṣakayoḥ śrīmac-caraṇāravindayor bhakteḥ pradānam eva | tatra ca sa-prema-kāyāḥ, tatrāpi dīna-hīna-janeṣv api tad-vistāraṇam iti |
“‘Excellence’ here furthermore is understood as [meaning] to have attained the extreme point of one’s utmost limit free from any reservation of movement [i.e., to exist with full realization of one’s potential in a state of completely free thought, feeling, and action]. That [i.e., that excellence in this context], furthermore, by means of manifesting the sweetness (mādhurī) of his own figure, qualities, līlā, and so forth, which are exceptional in comparison to all, is itself [here described as] granting of bhakti to his beautiful lotus feet, which are attractors of the hearts of all. Therein too, that [bhakti] is of the nature of prema, and therein furthermore, is extension of that [i.e., such prema-bhakti] even to persons who are distressed and lowly.
sa ko jayati? ity apekṣāyāṁ viśeṣyaṁ darśayan paramotkarṣam evoddiśati—ko’pīti | kenāpi prakāreṇa nirvaktum aśakya ity arthaḥ |
“In expectation of [the question], ‘Who is he who [in this manner] triumphs?’ the author presents the qualificand (viśeṣya) and alludes specifically to [his] supreme excellence by saying ‘someone’ (ko’pi). ‘He who is unable to be described by any means whatsoever’ is the meaning [of referring to him as ‘someone’ (ko’pi) here in lieu of stating one of his names directly].
tad evāha—vividheti vividhānāṁ rūpa-guṇādi-sambandhi-nānā-prakārāṇaṁ madhurimṇām abdhir anavagāhya-sthirāpārāgādhāśrayaḥ |
“Thus, the author says vividha …, that is, he is an ocean (abdhiḥ), that is, an unfathomable, immoveable, boundless, and bottomless reservoir, of varieties (vividha), that is, of various types, of sweetnesses (madhurimā) related to his figure, qualities, and so forth.
tatra rūpa-madhurimāṇam āha—kaiśoreti | kaiśorasya gandhaḥ satata-samparka-viśeṣo yasmin saḥ | bālye’pi tāruṇye’pi parama-mahāsundara-kaiśora-śobhānapagamāt sarvadaiva kaiśora-vibhūṣita ity arthaḥ | ata eva śrīmad-bhāgavate śrī-kapila-devenāpi sva-mātaraṁ praty upadiṣṭam—santaṁ vayasi kaiśore bhṛtyānugraha-kātaram iti |
“In that regard, the author speaks of the sweetness of [his] figure by saying kaiśora …, that is, [he is described as] he in whom exists the fragrance (gandhaḥ), that is, a special constant presence, of adolescence (kaiśora). Because of the non-disappearance of the paramount, supreme beauty of adolescence even in childhood and even in boyhood, he is [able to be considered] always ornamented with adolescence [even when manifest in those early ages]. This is the meaning. Therefore, it was taught by Śrī Kapiladeva to his mother in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (3.28.17): ‘He [i.e., Bhagavān] is situated in the age of adolescence and eager to favor his servants.’
nanu īdṛśo bhagavān śrī-kṛṣṇacandro vaikuṇṭhopari śrīmad-goloke viharati | tasya ca parama-durlabhatvāt tadīya-bhakti-mahima-varṇanādi-mahāprasādo’py atiduṣprāpya evety atrāyāso vyartha evety āśaṅkya tatrottaraṁ vadan guṇa-madhurimāṇaṁ darśayitum ādau paramaudāryam āha—nijeti |
“[An objection is raised:] ‘Well, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇacandra, endowed with such qualities, sports above Vaikuṇṭha in Śrīmad Goloka. Because of his being most difficult to attain, even the special grace of [hearing and understanding] descriptions of the greatness of bhakti to him and so forth is very difficult to attain. Therefore, exertion for that is just useless [i.e., therefore, there is no point in even trying to attain him or find such descriptions of him].’ Expecting this [objection] and [thus] stating an answer to this [objection], the author first describes [Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s] supreme magnanimity to show the sweetness of [his] qualities with nija … [i.e., he states the compound nija-padābja-prema-dānāvatīrṇaḥ].
nija-padābjayoḥ prema tasya dānārthaṁ bhūtale mathurāyāṁ golokād avatīrṇa ity arthaḥ | atas tat-prasādaś cāsau suprāpya iveti bhāvaḥ |
“His descent (avatīrṇaḥ) from Goloka to Mathurā on the surface of the earth is for the sake of bestowing (dāna) prema for his own (nija) lotus feet (padābja). This is the meaning [of the compound nija-padābja-prema-dānāvatīrṇaḥ]. Therefore, his grace, as well as this [i.e., as well as the prema he descended to bestow], is as though easily attainable. This is the purport.
yadyapi kaṁsa-vadhādy-artham avatīrṇo’sti, tathāpi tat-prayojanam īṣat-karaṁ, prema-dānam evāsādhāraṇatayā mukhyam |
“Although he has descended for the purpose of killing Kaṁsa and so forth, still that objective is easily fulfilled [alt., minor]; bestowing prema is primary [i.e., is his primary objective] because of [its] being exceptional [i.e., something more wonderful and unique that his other avatāras cannot do in the manner that he can].
tathā ca śrī prathama-skandhe śrī-kuntī-stutau—‘tathā paramahaṁsānāṁ munīnām amalātmanām | bhakti-yoga-vidhānārthaṁ kathaṁ paśyema hi striyaḥ ||’ iti vyākhyātaṁ ca śrīdhara-svāmi-pādaiḥ—ātmārāmān api sva-guṇair ākṛṣya bhakti-yogaṁ kārayitum avatīrṇaṁ tvāṁ kathaṁ vayaṁ striyaḥ paśyema iti |
“Furthermore, in the praise of Śrī Kuntī in the First Canto, [it is said,] ‘How shall women behold you whose objective is [to bring about] the practice of bhakti-yoga within the most discerning sages of untainted mind?’ This has also been explained by Śrīdhara Svāmīpāda [as follows]: ‘How shall we women behold you who have descended to attract even those who are satisfied in the self (ātmārāmas) and cause them to perform bhakti-yoga [to you]?’ [It is evidenced here in this statement of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and the commentary of Śrīdhara Svāmīpāda thereupon that bestowing bhakti is an objective of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa when he descends to the earth.]
ata evādāv idaṁ viśeṣaṇaṁ nirdiśya paścāt prema-sampradānopakaraṇatvena vividha-madhurimābdhir ity-ādi-viśeṣaṇāny uktāni |
“Therefore, after first stating this modifier (viśeṣaṇa) [of the subject of the sentence, that is, after first describing Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s great magnanimity in descending for the purpose of bestowing bhakti to himself upon jīvas in saṁsāra], then the modifiers of “an ocean of various sweetnesses” (vividha-madhurimābdhiḥ) and so forth are stated as being means of [his] bestowing prema [i.e., his attractive qualities which are mentioned in the verse are to be understood as means by which he instills prema in the hearts of jīvas].
punar asādhāraṇaṁ tasya lakṣaṇam eva nirdiśan līlā-mādhurīm āha—gatety-ardhena | gopīṣu śrīman-nanda-vraja-ballavīṣu yasya nityaṁ prema ballavī-gaṇa-vallabha ity arthaḥ | bahuvrīhiṇā sa evārthaḥ jñeyaḥ | evaṁ daśākṣara-mahāmantra-varārthaḥ sūcitaḥ, agre goloka-māhātmyopākhyānārambhe tathaiva māhātmya-bhara-kathanāt |
“Further, the author describes the sweetness of [his] līlā by stating an exceptional characteristic of his in the [second] half [of the verse] gata …. ‘He who has everlasting (nityam) prema for the gopīs (gopīṣu), the cowherd ladies (ballavīs) of Śrīman Nanda’s Vraja,’ that is, ‘He whose beloveds are the ballavīs’ (ballavī-gaṇa-vallabha) is the meaning. As an adjectival compound (bahuvrīhi), this meaning specifically is to be understood. In this way, the meaning of the exalted great mantra of ten-syllables (daśākṣara-mahāmantra-vara) is indicated on account of the description of the abundance of [his] greatness ahead at the beginning of the narration of the greatness of Goloka [being] exactly so [i.e., on account of it later being explained in the course of describing that greatness of the ten-syllable mantra that Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa is he whose beloveds are the gopīs of Vraja].
kathambhūtam? gataḥ prāptaḥ parama-daśāyāḥ carama-kāṣṭhāyā anto’vasānaṁ yena tat | evaṁ nija-padābja-prema-dānāvatīrṇatvāt tat-kṛpayānyeṣāṁ tasmin premety uktam | tasya tu gopīṣu premeti tāsāṁ parama-mahātmyam uddiṣṭam |
“Of what nature [i.e., is that prema of his for the gopīs]? That by which the ultimate limit (antam), that is, the boundary, of the highest state (parama-daśā), that is, the outermost extremity, has been attained (gata), that is, reached. In this way, because of [his] having descended to bestow prema for his own lotus feet, others’ [having] prema for him by his grace is indicated. By [the statement] ‘[his] prema for the gopīs’ (prema gopīṣu) however, their supreme greatness is particularized.
yadyapi yeṣāṁ tasmin premā, te’pi tasya prema-viṣayā eva, tathāpi teṣāṁ yāvanta eva prema-viśeṣās tasmin, tasyāpi teṣu tādṛk prema-viṣayatā | tās tu tasya nitya-siddha-nirupādhi-prema-viṣayā iti nitya-priyāṇāṁ tāsāṁ māhātmya-viśeṣaḥ svata eva sidhyet |
“Although those who have prema for him are also indeed objects of his prema [for them], still, only as far as they have a particular type of prema for him does he too have such objectivity of prema for them [i.e., reciprocal prema for them]. They [i.e., the gopīs], however, are objects of his eternally existent, unconditional prema. Therefore, the special greatness of them, [his] eternal beloveds, can be established of its own accord.
kiṁ ca, nityam ity anena kadācit kathañcid api tasya tāsūpekṣādikaṁ kiñcin nāstīty api bodhyate | etac ca śrīmad-goloka-māhātmye śrī-nāradādy-uktyā vyaktībhaviṣyati |
“Furthermore, by ‘everlasting’ (nityam), his never at all even by any means neglecting them or otherwise [i.e., his always invariably reciprocating with the gopīs’ prema in full and never neglecting them in any way] is also conveyed [i.e., any potential doubt that he has, does, will, or could ever show any actual indifference or otherwise towards the gopīs is dispelled]. This too will become clear by statements of Śrī Nārada and others in the [the section in the text on the] greatness of Śrīmad Goloka.
nanu īdṛśāś cet te kathaṁ tarhi teṣāṁ māhātmyaṁ jñāna-gamyaṁ syāt, manaso’py agocaratvāt?
“[A question is raised:] ‘Well, if that [i.e., the gopīs’ greatness] is such, then how can their greatness be comprehensible, since it is beyond the scope of even the mind?’
satyaṁ, tasyaivāvatārasya prabhāva-viśeṣād ity āha—caitanyeti | yasyeti—atrāpy artha-balād anvety eva | yasya caitanyākhyaṁ rūpam avatāraḥ, tasmād anubhavasya sākṣātkārasyāpi kim uta jñānasya padaṁ vyavasitir viṣayaṁ vā prāptam |
“[To that it should be said:] True [i.e., the material mind and senses on their own have no ability to acquire any knowledge of that]. [The greatness of the gopīs still can, however, be understood] ‘Because of the special power of his own avatāra.’ Thus the author says Caitanya …. [The pronoun] ‘Whose’ (yasya) follows here as well on the strength of the meaning [i.e., it should be understood that the pronoun ‘whose’ (yasya) is to be applied here as well as elsewhere in the verse in the process of construing the meaning of the sentence because the meaning that emerges by doing so warrants this]. Because of he who has the form (rūpād), that is, avatāra, known as Caitanya, that [i.e., the greatness of the gopīs] has reached (āptam) the position (padam), that is, [become an] ascertainment, or, [an] object, of experience (anubhāva), that is, [it has] even [become a] direct realization (sākṣātkāra), much less knowledge [i.e., because of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s avatāra as Śrī Caitanya, his ever-lasting prema for the gopīs has not only become known to jīvas in saṁsāra but has become something they can have direct experience and realization of].
ayam arthaḥ—yadyapi śrī-caitanyadevo bhagavad-avatāra eva, tathāpi prema-bhakti-viśeṣa-prakāśanārthaṁ svayam avatīrṇatvāt, tena tad-arthaṁ svayaṁ gopī-bhāvo’pi vyajyate | tad-anurūpeṇa nirantaram udyatā tasya śrī-kṛṣṇa-viṣayaka-prema-viśeṣeṇa tad-viṣayaka-śrī-kṛṣṇa-premādi tādṛśa eva bodhyate |
“This is the meaning: although Śrī Caitanyadeva is indeed an avatāra of Bhagavān, still, because of [his] having descended personally for the sake of manifesting a special type of prema-bhakti [i.e., the gopīs’ prema], gopī-bhāva too is manifested by him personally [i.e., he personally adopts the bhāva of the gopīs within himself and expresses it in the form of his kīrtana and other acts of bhakti] for the sake of that. By his accordingly constantly manifest special type of prema for Śrī Kṛṣṇa [i.e., the prema manifest in him by virtue of the gopīs-bhāva he has adopted], Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s prema and so forth for them [i.e., the gopīs] is made known to verily be such [i.e., to have such greatness, which is to say, jīvas in saṁsāra possessed only of material minds and senses which on their own have no capacity to ever know the nature of Bhagavān’s supramundane prema for gopīs can come to know and experience that prema and the full extent of its greatness because Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa himself adopted the bhāva of the gopīs within his heart and descended as Śrī Caitanya to bestow that experience upon jīvas in saṁsāra by means of his own infinite spiritual capacity which can imbue understanding and experience of such prema into even those who have no such prema or the capacity to understand it inherent in their own nature].
evaṁ tasya dīna-nīca-janaika-bandhor māhātmya-viśeṣeṇādhunikair nīcair api sarvair gopī-viṣayakaṁ bhagavat-prema sākṣād eva tad-anubhūtam iti | evaṁ gopīnāṁ parama-māhātmya-bhara-siddhyā tat-priyasya bhagavato’pi paramotkarṣa-viśeṣaḥ siddhaḥ |
“In this way, by the special greatness of him [i.e., of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa manifest as Śrī Caitanya], the foremost friend of humble and lowly persons, that prema of Bhagavān for the gopīs is itself [able to be] experienced directly by all, [including] even present-day lowly persons. In this way, by establishment of the abundance of the supreme greatness of the gopīs, the special supreme excellence of their beloved, Bhagavān, too is established.
anena caitad-grantha-pratipādyārthaś ca sūcitaḥ bhagavat-kṛpā-bhara-pātra-nirdhāraṇādinā paryavasāne gopīnām eva māhātmya-bhara-pratipādana-dvārā sa-parikarasya tad-viṣayaka-bhagavat-prema-viśeṣasyaiva nirūpaṇād ity eṣā dik |
“By this [description] as well, the object to be established in this text is also indicated because of the delineation of Bhagavān’s special prema for them [i.e., the gopīs] in particular along with [its] retinue [i.e., Bhagavān’s prema for his various other companions] by way of establishing in [the] conclusion [of each of the two sections of this text] the abundance of the greatness of the gopīs in particular through the determination of the recipient of an abundance of Bhagavān’s grace and so forth [i.e., through the first section of this text which, examines the question of who is the recipient of the greatest grace from Bhagavān, and through the second section of the text, which examines the question of who is most dear to Bhagavān]. This is the direction [i.e., the primary indicated meaning of the verse under discussion].
evam anubhūtatvāc cātrārabdhaṁ tad-varṇanaṁ na duḥśakaṁ, na ca kiñcit sandehāspadam apīti śraddhayā sarvaiḥ śrī-vaiṣṇava-varaiḥ vakṣyamāṇam idam aśeṣaṁ śrotavyam iti bhāvaḥ |
“Also, because of [Bhagavān’s prema for the gopīs] being experienced in this way, the commenced description here thereof [i.e., of that prema] is not impossible, and is not an object of any doubt either [i.e., there is no impossibility of describing that prema and no doubt of there being any impossibility in that regard either]. Thus, the forthcoming [text] is to be heard in full by all the blessed, exalted Vaiṣṇavas with śraddhā. This is the purport.”