विक्रीडितं व्रजवधूभिरिदं च विष्णो:
श्रद्धान्वितोऽनुशृणुयादथ वर्णयेद्य: ।
भक्तिं परां भगवति प्रतिलभ्य कामं
हृद्रोगमाश्वपहिनोत्यचिरेण धीर: ॥
vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ
śraddhānvito’nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ |
bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ
hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.33.39)
“One endowed with śraddhā who shall hear about or describe this extraordinary play and so forth of Viṣṇu with the ladies of Vraja attains superlative bhakti to Bhagavān, quickly casts off the heart disease of kāma, and without delay becomes steadfast.”
Commentary
atha gokule’pi śrīmad-vraja-vadhū-sahita-rāsādi-līlātmakasya parama-vaiśiṣṭyam āha—vikrīḍitaṁ … | ca-kārād anyac ca | atha iti vātha | śṛṇuyād vā varṇayed vā | upalakṣaṇaṁ caitad dhyānādeḥ | parāṁ yataḥ parā nānyā kutracid vidyate, tādṛśīm | hṛd-rogaṁ kāmādikam api śīghram eva tyajati | atra sāmānyato’pi paramātva-siddhe tatrāpi parama-preṣṭha-śrī-rādhā-saṁvalita-līlā-maya-tad-bhajanaṁ tu paramatamam eveti svataḥ sidhyati | kintu rahasya-līlā tu pauruṣa-vikāravad-indriyaiḥ, pitṛ-putra-dāsa-bhāvaiś ca nopāsyā, svīya-bhāva-virodhāt | rahasyatvaṁ ca tasyāḥ kvacid alpāṁśena, kvacit tu sarvāṁśeneti jñeyam |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 338)
“Then, even in Gokula [i.e., in regard even to Śrī Kṛṣṇa of Gokula], he [i.e., Śukadeva] describes the supreme speciality of he who has the līlās of the rāsa and so forth with the beauty ladies of Vraja [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa of Gokula engaged in līlā with the gopīs]: vikrīḍitam …. By the word ca [i.e., ‘and so forth’], others [i.e., other līlās of Śrī Kṛṣṇa] as well [are alluded to]. The word atha means ‘or,’ that is, one shall hear or shall describe [this extraordinary play of Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs]. This [i.e., this mention of hearing and describing] is an indicator (upalakṣaṇa) of meditation and so forth [i.e., and other forms of honoring this extraordinary play]. ‘Superlative’ (parām) means such that there is nothing else superior anywhere. One verily quickly gives up the heart disease (hṛd-rogam) of desire [alt., lust] (kāma) and so forth. In this regard, although this [i.e., worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the midst of his līlā with the Vraja-gopīs] is generally established as supreme, still, in this respect, however, worship (bhajana) unto him within his līlā wherein he is accompanied by his supremely beloved Śrī Rādhā is self-established as definitively the supreme-most. But confidential līlā, however, is not be meditated upon by those whose senses undergo masculine transformation or by those who have the bhāva of a father, son, or servant [in relation to Kṛṣṇa], because it [i.e., such confidential līlā] is contrary to their own bhāva. Its [i.e., Kṛṣṇa’s līlā’s] confidentiality too is to be understood as sometimes slight, and sometimes complete.”
śraddhayā viśvāsenānvita iti | tad-viparītāvajñā-rūpāparādha-nivṛtty-arthaś ca nairantaryārthaṁ ca | tac ca phala-vaiśiṣṭyārtham | ata eva yo’nu nirantaraṁ śṛṇuyād athānantaraṁ svayaṁ varṇayec ca upalakṣaṇaṁ caitat smarec ca bhaktiṁ prema-lakṣaṇāṁ parāṁ śrī-gopikā-premānusāritvāt sarvottama-jātīyām | pratikṣaṇaṁ nūtanatvena labdhvā | hṛd-roga-rūpaṁ kāmam iti bhagavad-viṣayaḥ kāma-viśeṣo vyavacchinnaḥ | tasya parama-prema-rūpatvena tad-vaiparītyāt | kāmam ity upalakṣaṇam anyeṣām api hṛd-rogāṇām | anyatra śrūyate—brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati | samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām || iti | atra tu hṛd-rogāpahānāt pūrvam eva parama-bhakti-prāptiḥ | tasmāt parama-balavad evedaṁ sādhanam iti bhāvaḥ | dhīraḥ sann iti dhairyaṁ ca labhata ity arthaḥ | yad vā, kāmaṁ yatheṣṭam āśu bhaktiṁ pratilabhya hṛd-rogam ādhiṁ śrī-kṛṣṇāprāpty-ādi-kṛtam acireṇāpahinoti tat-prāptir iti bhāvaḥ | anyat samānam |
(Excerpt from the Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī-ṭīkā)
“‘Endowed with śraddhā’ (śraddhānvito), that is, conviction (viśvāsa), is stated for the purpose of negating its opposite, that is, aparādha in the form of disregard (avajñā), and for the purpose of [indicating] constancy. That too is for the purpose of [indicating] the speciality of the result. Therefore, one who continuously (anu) shall hear about and then, thereafter, shall also personally describe [Viṣṇu’s extraordinary play with the ladies of Vraja]—this is also an indicator (upalakṣaṇa) for ‘shall remember’—attains as new at every moment bhakti which is pure, that is, characterized by prema, meaning, of the highest of all types because of its following the prema of the beautiful gopīkās. Kāma in the form of the disease of the heart is distinct from the type of kāma that has Bhagavān for its object because of its [i.e., kāma related directly to Bhagavān’s] contrariety to that [i.e., to the kāma that is a disease] because of its being the supreme form of prema. ‘Kāma’ is stated as an indicator (upalakṣaṇa) of other diseases of the heart as well. Elsewhere [i.e., in BG 18.55] it is heard, ‘Situated in Brahman and of clear mind, one neither laments nor hankers. Equal to all beings, one attains supreme bhakti to me.’ Here [i.e., in SB 10.33.40], however, [unlike the case described in BG 18.55] the attainment of supreme bhakti is indeed prior to the abandonment of the disease of the heart. Therefore, this sādhana [i.e., the sādhana of hearing and describing Viṣṇu’s extraordinary play with the ladies of Vraja] is supremely powerful. This is the purport. ‘Being steadfast’ (dhīraḥ) indicates that steadfastness (dhairya) is also attained. This is the meaning. Alternately, [the meaning can be taken as follows], as desired (kāmam), one quickly attains bhakti and without delay casts off the disease, that is, the anxiety, in the heart caused by non-attainment of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and so forth, as a result of [then] attaining of him. This is the purport. The rest is the same [if this alternate interpretation is adopted].”
atra sva-priyābhiḥ saṁvalitasya śrī-kṛṣnasya krīḍāyāḥ śravaṇa-varaṇa-mātreṇa bahu-sādhana-duḥsādhyāpi parā bhaktir udayate | udaya-mātreṇa ca hṛd-rogaḥ śīghram apahriyate iti hi spaṣṭam eveti phalātiśaya-kathanena pravartanād vidhitvam eva sidhyati ‘yasya parṇamayī juhūr bhavati, na sa pāpaṁ ślokaṁ śṛṇoti’ itivat; na cādhikarī kaniṣṭha iti vācyaṁ dhīra ity uktatvāt |
(Excerpt from Rādhā-Kṛṣṇārcana-dīpikā)
“Here [i.e., in this verse, SB 10.33.39], [it is said that] superlative (parā) bhakti, which is difficult to attain even by means of profuse sādhana, manifests just by means of hearing and describing the play of Śrī Kṛṣṇa surrounded by his beloveds [i.e., the gopīs during the rāsa-līlā]. And just by that manifestation [of superlative bhakti], the disease of the heart [i.e., kāma] is quickly removed. This [statement made in SB 10.33.39] is certainly very clear, and thus this [statement] establishes [hearing and describing such līlā‘s] being an enjoined practice (vidhi) for the sake of promotion [i.e., for the sake of prompting those of appropriate eligibility (adhikāra) to engage in this practice] by means of hyperbolic description of the result [of this practice] as in [i.e.. as is also done in a statement in Jaimini-sūtra 4.3], ‘One who has a sacrificial ladle (juhū) made of parṇa [i.e., the wood of a Butea monosperma tree] does not hear verses of sin’ [i.e., ‘Even someone who just has the ladle required to perform the sacrifice becomes freed from all sins,’ meaning, as there are hyperbolic statements like this that highly praise the effects even of the paraphernalia or partial execution of certain Vedic rituals for the sake of inspiring people to perform such rituals even though such results cannot actually be obtained unless one performs the whole of the ritual properly, so it is stated in SB 10.33.39 that as a result of hearing or describing Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa-līlā with the gopīs superlative bhakti manifests in the heart and lust (kāma) is quickly dispelled from the heart even though in reality this may not happen quickly and may not happen to everyone because the purpose of this statement in SB 10.33.39, which is categorized as a phala-śruti, that is, a statement that makes know the potential benefit that can be attained from the totality of the practice being praised when the practice is performed properly by a person of appropriate eligibility, is prompting persons endowed with appropriate eligibility to take up the practice]. ‘And not a neophyte bearer of eligibility (kaniṣṭha adhikārī)’ is to be stated because of ‘steadfast’ (dhīraḥ) being mentioned [i.e., and because the verse mentions one being ‘steadfast’ (dhīraḥ), it should be understood that this practice is not intended for those who are not steadfast, that is, those who have only elementary eligibility (kaniṣṭha-adhikārīs), meaning, the effects of the practice of hearing and describing Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa-līlā with the gopīs which are praised in SB 10.33.39 will not actually come about for those who lack sufficient eligibility, meaning faith (śraddhā) and purity of heart (citta-śuddhi), to engage in such practice in a manner that gives rise to the praised effect, that is, the attainment of superlative bhakti and complete purification of kāma, and rather an absence or opposite of the praised effect will come about in the case of those who engage in the practice without sufficient eligibility].”
ব্রজবধূ-সঙ্গে কৃষ্ণের রাসাদি-বিলাস ।
যেই ইহা কহে শুনে করিয়া বিশ্বাস ॥
হৃদ্রোগ কাম তার তৎকালে হয় ক্ষয় ।
তিনগুণ-ক্ষোভ নহি, মহাধীর হয় ॥
উজ্জ্বল মধুর প্রেমভক্তি সেই পায় ।
আনন্দে কৃষ্ণমাধুর্য্যে বিহরে সদায় ॥ …
যে শুনে, যে পঢ়ে, তার ফল এতাদৃশী ।
সেই ভাবাবিষ্ট যেই সেবে অহর্নিশি ॥
তার ফল কি কহিব, কহনে না যায় ।
নিত্যসিদ্ধ সেই প্রায়, সিদ্ধ তার কায় ॥
vraja-vadhū-saṅge kṛṣṇera rāsādi-vilāsa |
yei ihā kahe śune kariyā viśvāsa ||
hṛd-roga kāma tāra tat-kāle haya kṣaya |
tina-guṇa-kṣobha nahi, mahādhīra haya ||
ujjvala madhura prema-bhakti sei pāya |
ānande kṛṣṇa-mādhurye vihare sadāya || …
ye śune, ye paḍhe, tāra phala etādṛśī |
sei bhāvāviṣṭa yei seve ahar-niśi ||
tāra phala ki kahiba, kahane nā yāya |
nitya-siddha sei prāya, siddha tāra kāya ||
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.5.45–47, 49–50)
“The [worldly] desire (kāma), the disease of the heart, of one who faithfully speaks or hears of this—Kṛṣṇa’s play of rāsa and so forth with the ladies of Vraja—is destroyed at that time [i.e., right from the time of hearing or speaking of Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa-līlā]; one [from that time] undergoes no agitation because of the three guṇas and becomes deeply steadfast (mahādhīra). One attains brilliant, sweet prema-bhakti [i.e., the pure madhura-rasa prema of the Vraja-gopīs] and in bliss constantly delights in Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness (mādhurya). … Such is the result of one who hears and one who recites [Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa-līlā with the gopīs]. [So,] What can I say of the result of one who [not only hears or speaks of that līlā but] serves [Kṛṣṇa] absorbed day and night in that bhāva [i.e., the bhāva of the gopīs described throughout the rāsa-līlā]? It cannot be described. He [i.e., one who serves day and night absorbed in gopī-bhāva] is like a nitya-siddha [i.e., like an eternally realized associate of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Vraja], and his body is siddha [i.e., supramundane].”
sarva-līlā-cūḍāmaṇeḥ rāsasya śravaṇa-kīrtana-phalam api sarva-phala-cūḍāmaṇi-bhūtam evety āha—vikrīḍitam iti | ca-kārād īdṛśam anyad apy anya-kavi-varṇitaṁ tābhiḥ saha vikrīḍitam | viṣṇor iti tāsāṁ madhye dvayor dvayor ity ādy ukta-vyāpakatvābhiprāyeṇa nu niścitam anudinaṁ vā śṛṇuyāt | atha varṇayet kīrtayet sva-kavitayā kāvya-rūpatvena vibadhnīteti vā | parāṁ prema-lakṣaṇāṁ prāpyeti ktvā-pratyayena hṛd-rogavaty apy adhikāriṇi prathamata eva premṇaḥ praveśas tatas tat-prabhāvenaivācirato hṛd-roga-nāśa iti premāyaṁ jñāna-yoga iva na durbalaḥ para-tantraś ceti bhāvaḥ | hṛd-roga-rūpaṁ kāmam iti bhagavad-viṣayakaḥ kāma-viśeṣo vyavacchinnas tasya premāmṛta-rūpatvena tad-vaiparītyāt | dhīraḥ paṇḍita iti hṛd-roga saty api kathaṁ premā bhaved ity anāstikya lakṣaṇena mūrkhatvena rahita ity arthaḥ | ataeva śraddhānvita iti śāstrāviśvāsinaṁ nāmāparādhinaṁ premāpi nāṅgīkarotīti bhāvaḥ |
(Sārārtha-daśinī-ṭīkā)
“The result also of hearing and praising the crest-jewel of all līlās, the rāsa [-līlā], is indeed the crest-jewel of all results. Thus, he speaks this verse (vikrīḍitam … ). By the word ca, other such extraordinary play with them [i.e., of Śrī Kṛṣṇa with the ladies of Vraja] described by other poets (kavis) [is alluded to, i.e., the result being described in this verse also applies to other similar narrations of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s līlā with the gopīs presented elsewhere]. [The usage of] ‘Viṣṇoḥ’ [i.e., the name ‘Viṣṇu’ for Śrī Kṛṣṇa here] is with reference to his stated pervasiveness [of manifesting] ‘in between each pair of them’ [i.e., in between every two gopīs during the rāsa dance]. [The word nuśṛṇuyāt means] ‘Nu,’ that is, with certainty, or [taken rather as anu rather than nu by application of certain rules of sandhi] continuously, one who shall hear. [The word varṇayet means] Then one shall describe, that is, shall praise, or, compose in poetic form with one’s own poeticism. ‘Attaining [bhakti which is] supreme, that is, characterized by prema’—by the ktvā affix [in the word pratilabhya] prema’s first entering even into a bearer of eligibility [adhikārī] who is possessed of the disease of the heart and then the destruction of the disease of the heart before long by its influence alone is indicated. Thus, this prema is not, like jñāna-yoga, weak and dependent on another [process]. This is the purport. Kāma in the form of the disease of the heart is distinct from the type of kāma that has Bhagavān for its object because of its [i.e., kāma related directly to Bhagavān’s] contrariety to that [i.e., to the kāma that is a disease] because of its being a form of the nectar of prema. ‘Steadfast’ (dhīra) means one who is learned (paṇḍita), that is, one who is free from the foolishness of the disbelief [characterized as follows], ‘How can prema manifest even when the disease of the heart is present?’ Therefore, ‘endowed with śraddhā’ (śraddhānivita) implies that even prema does not accept one who has no faith in śāstra and is an offender (aparādhī) to the name [of Bhagavān]. This is the purport.”