शृण्वन् सुभद्राणि रथाङ्गपाणे-
र्जन्मानि कर्माणि च यानि लोके ।
गीतानि नामानि तदर्थकानि
गायन् विलज्जो विचरेदसङ्गः ॥
śṛṇvan subhadrāṇi rathāṅga-pāṇer
janmāni karmāṇi ca yāni loke |
gītāni nāmāni tad-arthakāni
gāyan vilajjo vicared asaṅgaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.2.39)
“Hearing of the most auspicious births and activities of he of discus in hand [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān] which are sung in society and singing names [of his] signifying those [births and activities of his], one should roam about, unabashed and free from attachment.”
Commentary
tad-arthakāṇi tāni janmāni karmāṇi cārtho yeṣāṁ tāni nāmāni | etāny api sākalyena jñātum aśakyānīty āśaṅkyāha—yāni loke gītāni prasiddhāni, tāni śṛṇvan gāyaṁś ca vicaret | asaṅgo niḥspṛhaḥ |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā; cited in Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā and Bhakti Sandarbha: 61)
“Expecting [the objection to his last statement], ‘This is completely impossible [to do],’ he [i.e., Śrī Kavi Yogendra, the speaker of the verse] describes an easy to follow path: śṛṇvan … [i.e., he speaks this verse]. ‘Signifying those’ (tad-arthakāṇi) means those names whose signified objects are the those births and activities [of Śrī Bhagavān]. Expecting [the doubt], ‘Even these [births and activities] cannot be known completely,’ [he instructs that] one should roam, hearing and singing of those [births and activities] which are sung, that is, well-known, in society. ‘Free from attachment’ (asaṅgaḥ) means free from desire.”
tad-arthakāni tāni janmāni karmāṇi cārtho yeṣāṁ nāmnām | anena ca nāma-gānenaiva janma-karma-gāna-siddher nāma-gānasya prādhānyam abhipretam | yad vā, tad-arthakāni rathāṅga-pāṇy-artham eva, tat-prāptaye ity arthaḥ | etāny api sākalyena jñātum aśakyānīty āśaṅkyāha—yāni loke gītāni prasiddhāni | yad vā, laukika-gāthāḥ | yadyapi tāsāṁ janmādy-antargatatvena pṛthag-uktir na ghaṭate, tathāpi śāstrokta-vyatirikta-loka-prasiddha-karmādy-apekṣayā rāga-tālādi-rasādy-apekṣayā vā jñeyāḥ | tāni śṛṇvan gāyaṁś ca vicaret | asaṅgo niḥspṛhas tyakta-parigraho vā iti sādhanam uddiṣṭam |
(Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.640)
“‘Signifying those’ (tad-arthakāṇi) means names the signified object of which is those births and activities [of Śrī Bhagavān]. By this, furthermore, the principality of singing of [his] names is intended because of the accomplishment of singing of [his] births and activities just by singing [his] names. Alternately, tad-arthakāṇi means solely for the sake of he of discus in hand [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān], that is, [solely] for the sake of attainment of him. Expecting [the doubt], ‘Even these [births and activities] cannot be known completely,’ [he instructs that] one should roam, hearing and singing those [births and activities] which are sung, that is, well-known, in this society, or, alternately, [which are] folk (laukika) narrations, and although a separate mention of them [i.e., of such births and activities known through folk tradition] does not occur [in the verse] because of [their] being part of [the mention of Śrī Bhagavān’s] births and so on [in the verse itself as it is], still they are to be understood with reference to activities and so on that are well known in society apart from those stated in śāstra or with reference to the pleasure (rasa) and so forth of tunes (rāgas), rhythms (tālas), and so on [with with they are sung]. ‘Free from attachment’ (asaṅgaḥ) means free from desire, or, having relinquished acquisition (parigraha). Thus, the sādhana is explained.”
nanu tathāpi mano-nirodha-rūpeṇa yogābhyāsena bhakti-kaivalya-vyabhicāraḥ syād ity āśaṅkya bhaktyaiva kriyamāṇayā tad-āsaktatvena svata eva mano-nirodho’pi syād iti tan-mātratopāyam āha dvitīyena—śṛṇvann iti | ṭīkā ca— … |
(Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā; Bhakti Sandarbha: 61)
“Expecting [the objection], ‘Well, still deviation from the isolation of bhakti [i.e., deviation from bhakti’s remaining unmixed with karma, jñāna, yoga, or any other path] shall occur because of yoga practice in the form of restrain of the mind [being practiced in accord with the recommendation given in the verse before last],’ he [i.e., Śrī Kavi Yogendra, the speaker of the verse] describes with the second [of the two ensuing verses] the means of its [i.e., bhakti’s] exclusivity since restraint of the mind too shall come about entirely of its own accord as a result of [one] being attached to bhakti by means of bhakti alone being [continuously] performed: śṛṇvan … [i.e., he speaks this verse]. The commentary [of Śrī Śrīdhara Svāmīpāda], furthermore [is as follows] ….”
ekayā bhaktyā tam ābhajed ity uktam | saiva bhaktiḥ kā bhavet? ity ata āha—śṛṇvann iti | yāni śāstra-dvārā sat-paramparā dvārā ca janmāni karmāṇi vartate, yāni ca loke loka-mātre gītāni, apabhraṁśa-bhāṣayāpi nibaddhāni, tathā nāmāny api tad-arthakāni nānā-deśa-bhāṣā-bhedenāpi sa eva artho vācyo yeṣāṁ tāni | kāhnā iti kānaḍa iti kān ity evam ādīny api gāyan | asaṅgaḥ vastv-antarāsakti-śūnyaḥ
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“‘[A wise person] Should fully worship him [viz., Bhagavān] with one-pointed bhakti’ was stated [in SB 11.2.37]. [After hearing this instruction, one may wonder,] ‘What shall be that particular bhakti? [i.e., In what manner should one perform one-pointed worship of Bhagavān?] Thus, he [i.e., Śrī Kavi Yogendra, the speaker] says śṛṇvan … [i.e., he speaks this verse]. [One should roam, hearing and] Singing those births and activities [of Śrī Bhagavān] which are explained by the śāstra and by the successions (paramparās) of the sat, and which are sung in the society, that is, just in society [i.e., not in the śāstra or the paramparās of the sat], meaning, [which are] composed even in vernacular languages, and similarly even those names [of Śrī Bhagavān] signifying those [births and activities], that is, those [names] the object, meaning, referent, of which is him alone even by means of different languages from various countries, such as even [names like] ‘Kāhnā,’ ‘Kānaḍa,’ and ‘Kān.’ ‘Free from attachment’ (asaṅgaḥ) means free from attachment to any other object.”