जयति तरणिपुत्री धर्मराजस्वसा या
कलयति मथुरायाः सख्यमत्येति गङ्गाम् ।
मुरहरदयिता तत्पादपद्मप्रसूतं
वहति च मकरन्दं नीरपूरच्छलेन ॥
jayati taraṇi-putrī dharma-rāja-svasā yā
kalayati mathurāyāḥ sakhyam atyeti gaṅgām |
murahara-dayitā tat-pāda-padma-prasūtaṁ
vahati ca makarandaṁ nīra-pūra-cchalena ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.1.6)
“The daughter of Sūrya—
The sister of Dharmarāja,
Who fosters friendship with Mathurā,
Surpasses the Gaṅgā,
Is beloved to Murahara,
And carries the nectar
Emanating from his lotus feet
In the guise of a stream of water—
Triumphs!”
Commentary
tathaiva śrī-vṛndāvanālaṅkāra-bhūtāyāḥ śrī-yamunāyā āha—jayatīti | taraṇeḥ sūryasya putrī iti jagat-prakāśakatvādikaṁ, dharma-rājasya yamasya svaseti dharma-pālakatvādikaṁ coktam | parama-tīrthatvaṁ sarvārtha-pradatvaṁ cāha—yeti mathurāyāḥ sakhyaṁ sakhītvaṁ kalayati bhajate mathurā-maṇḍale sundara-gati-līlayā bahudhā pravahaṇāt | ata eva gaṅgām atikrāmati tato’pi adhika-māhātmyavattvāt | tad uktaṁ śrī-vārāheṇa—‘gaṅgā śataguṇā proktā māthure mama maṇḍale | yamunā viśrutā devi nātra kāryā vicāraṇā || tasyāḥ śataguṇā proktā yatra keśī nipātitaḥ | keśyāḥ śataguṇā proktā yatra viśramito hariḥ ||’ iti | kutaḥ? muraharasya śrī-kṛṣṇasya dayitā gokule madhupuryāṁ dvārakāyām api vicitra-vihārāspadatvāt | kiṁ ca, tasya muraharasya pāda-padmābhyāṁ prasūtaṁ jātaṁ makarandaṁ tad-bhakti-rūpaṁ madhura-rasa-viśeṣaṁ nīra-pūrasya jala-pravāhasya chalena yā vahati yathā-kathañcid āśrayaṇena sadyo’śeṣa-tāpa-haraṇāt paramāpyāyanāc ceti dik |
(Excerpt from the Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“In the very same way, he speaks of Śrī Yamunā, who is like the ornament upon Śrī Vṛndāvana [i.e., like a necklace decorating Śrī Vṛndāvana]: jayati … [i.e., he states this verse]. By [the mention of], ‘The daughter of Sūrya’ (Taraṇa), [Śrī Yamunā’s] being illuminating of the world and so forth is stated, and by [the mention of], ‘The sister of Dharmarāja,’ that is, Yama, [Śrī Yamunā’s] being a protectress of dharma and so forth [is stated]. He also describes [Śrī Yamunā’s] being the supreme sacred river (tīrtha) and being a bestower of all objects (arthas): yā …: [Śrī Yamunā is she] who fosters (kalayati) friendship (sakhyam) with Mathurā on account of flowing in many ways with a play of beautiful movement throughout the district of Mathurā. Therefore, she surpasses Gaṅgā on account of being possessed of more greatness than even her [i.e., than even Gaṅgā]. This is stated by [Śrī Varāhadeva] in Śrī Varāha Purāṇa: ‘O Devī, the renowned Yamunā in my district of Mathurā is said to be one hundred times greater than the Gaṅgā. Doubt is not to be fostered in this regard. She is said to be a hundred times greater than that where Keśī was felled and said to be a hundred times greater where Hari rested [after felling Keśī, viz., at Viśrāma Ghāṭa] than at the site of Keśī’s felling.’ Why? She is beloved to Murahara, that is, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, on account of being a site of [his] wonderful sports in Gokula, Madhupurī [i.e., Mathurā City], and Dvārakā. Furthermore, [Śrī Yamunā is she] who in the guise of a stream (pūra) of water (nīra) carries the nectar (makarandam), that is, the special sweet rasa the nature of which is bhakti to him [viz., Murahara—Śrī Kṛṣṇa], emanating (prasūtam) from his, that is, Murahara’s, lotus feet, on account of the immediate removal of all suffering and paramount satisfaction [that comes about] by taking shelter [in her] somehow or other [i.e., by any means].”