Bhagavad Arka Marichi Mala, Part 49
BY: SUN STAFF
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur
Dec 30, 2018 — CANADA (SUN) — Bhagavad Arka Marichi Mala by HDG Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur.
Bhagavad Arka Marichi Mala
CHAPTER TWELVE
Devotional Service in Practice (sadhana-bhakti)
07.05.23-24 Prahlada Maharaja to Hiranyakasipu
shri-prahrada uvaca
shravanam kirtanam vishnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
iti pumsarpita vishnau
bhaktish cen nava-lakshana
kriyeta bhagavaty addha
tan manye 'dhitam uttamam
shri-prahradah uvaca—Prahlada Maharaja said; shravanam—hearing; kirtanam—chanting; vishnoh—of Lord Vishnu (not anyone else); smaranam—remembering; pada-sevanam—serving the feet; arcanam—offering worship (with shodashopacara, the sixteen kinds of paraphernalia); vandanam—offering prayers; dasyam—becoming the servant; sakhyam—becoming the best friend; atma-nivedanam—surrendering everything, whatever one has; iti—thus; pumsa arpita—offered by the devotee; vishnau—unto Lord Vishnu (not to anyone else); bhaktih—devotional service; cet—if; nava-lakshana—possessing nine different processes; kriyeta—one should perform; bhagavati—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; addha—directly or completely; tat—that; manye—I consider; adhitam—learning; uttamam—topmost.
Prahlada Maharaja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Vishnu, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming his servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him [in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words] - these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Krishna through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.
11.20.17 Shri Krishna to Uddhava
nri-deham adyam su-labham su-durlabham
plavam su-kalpam guru-karnadharam
mayanukulena nabhasvateritam
puman bhavabdhim na taret sa atma-ha
nr—human; deham—body; adyam—the source of all favorable results; su-labham—effortlessly obtained; su-durlabham—although impossible to obtain even with great endeavor; plavam—a boat; su-kalpam—extremely well suited for its purpose; guru—having the spiritual master; karna-dharam—as the captain of the boat; maya—by Me; anukulena—with favorable; nabhasvata—winds; iritam—impelled; puman—a person; bhava—of material existence; abdhim—the ocean; na—does not; taret—cross over; sah—he; atma-ha—the killer of his own soul.
The human body, which can award all benefit in life, is automatically obtained by the laws of nature, although it is a very rare achievement. This human body can be compared to a perfectly constructed boat having the spiritual master as the captain and the instructions of the Personality of Godhead as favorable winds impelling it on its course. Considering all these advantages, a human being who does not utilize his human life to cross the ocean of material existence should be considered the killer of his own soul.
11.03.21-22 Prabuddha to Maharaja Nimi
tasmad gurum prapadyeta
jijnasuh shreya uttamam
shabde pare ca nishnatam
brahmany upashamashrayam
tasmat—therefore; gurum—a spiritual master; prapadyeta—one should take shelter of; jijnasuh—being inquisitive; shreyah uttamam—about the highest good; shabde—in the Vedas; pare—in the Supreme; ca—and; nishnatam—perfectlyknowledgeable; brahmani—(in these two aspects) of the Absolute Truth; upashama-ashrayam—fixed in detachment from material affairs.
Therefore any person who seriously desires real happiness must seek a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of the bona fide guru is that he has realized the conclusions of the scriptures by deliberation and is able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, should be understood to be bona fide spiritual masters. (21)
tatra bhagavatan dharman
shikshed gurv-atma-daivatah
amayayanuvrittya yais
tushyed atmatma-do harih
tatra—there (in the association of the spiritual master); bhagavatan dharman—the science of devotional service; shikshet—should learn; guru-atma-daivatah—he for whom the spiritual master is his very life and worshipable deity; amayaya—without deceit; anuvrittya—by faithful service; yaih—by which (devotional science); tushyet—can be satisfied; atma—the Supreme Soul; atma-dah—who bestows His own self; harih—Lord Hari.
Accepting the bona fide spiritual master as one's life and soul and worshipable deity, the disciple should learn from him the process of pure devotional service. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, the soul of all souls, is inclined to give Himself to His pure devotees. Therefore, the disciple should learn from the spiritual master to serve the Lord without duplicity and in such a faithful and favorable way that the Supreme Lord, being satisfied, will offer Himself to the faithful disciple. (22)
11.07.32-35 Avadhuta Brahmana to Maharaja Yadu
shri-brahmana uvaca
santi me guravo rajan
bahavo buddhy-upashritah
yato buddhim upadaya
mukto 'tamiha tan shrinu
shri-brahmanah uvaca—the brahmana said; santi—there are; me—my; guravah—spiritual masters; rajan—O King; bahavah—many; buddhi—by my intelligence; upashritah—taken shelter of; yatah—from whom; buddhim—intelligence; upadaya—gaining; muktah—liberated; atami—I wander; iha—in this world; tan—them; shrinu—please hear.
The brahmana said: My dear King, with my intelligence I have taken shelter of many spiritual masters. Having gained transcendental understanding from them, I now wander about the earth in a liberated condition. Please listen as I describe them to you. (32)
prithivi vayur akasham
apo 'gnish candrama ravih
kapoto 'jagarah sindhuh
patango madhukrid gajah
madhu-ha harino minah
pingala kuraro 'rbhakah
kumari shara-krit sarpa
urnanabhih supeshakrit
ete me guravo rajan
catur-vimshatir ashritah
shiksha vrittibhir etesham
anvashiksham ihatmanah
prithivi—the earth; vayuh—the air; akasham—the sky; apah—the water; agnih—the fire; candramah—the moon; ravih—the sun; kapotah—the pigeon; ajagarah—the python; sindhuh—the sea; patangah—the moth; madhu-krit—the honeybee; gajah—the elephant; madhu-ha—the honey thief; harinah—the deer; minah—the fish; pingala—the prostitute named Pingala; kurarah—the kurara bird; arbhakah—the child; kumari—the young girl; shara-krit—the arrow maker; sarpah—the serpent; urna-nabhih—the spider; supesha-krit—the wasp; ete—these; me—me; guravah—spiritual masters; rajan—O King; catuh-vimshatih—twenty-four; ashritah—taken shelter of; shiksha—instruction; vrittibhih—from the activities; etesham—of them; anvashiksham—I have properly learned; iha—in this life; atmanah—about the self.
O King, I have taken shelter of twenty-four gurus, who are the following: the earth, air, sky, water, fire, moon, sun, pigeon and python; the sea, moth, honeybee, elephant and honey thief; the deer, the fish, the prostitute Pingala, the kurara bird and the child; and the young girl, arrow maker, serpent, spider and wasp. My dear King, by studying their activities I have learned the science of the self. (33-35)
11.29.06 Uddhava to Shri Krishna
naivopayanty apacitim kavayas tavesha
brahmayushapi kritam riddha-mudah smarantah
yo 'ntar bahis tanu-bhritam ashubham vidhunvann
acarya-caittya-vapusha sva-gatim vyanakti
na eva—not at all; upayanti—are able to express; apacitim—their gratitude; kavayah—learned devotees; tava—Your; isha—O Lord; brahma-ayusha—with a lifetime equal to Lord Brahma's; api—in spite of; kritam—magnanimous work; riddha—increased; mudah—joy; smarantah—remembering; yah—who; antah—within; bahih—outside; tanu-bhritam—of those who are embodied; ashubham—misfortune; vidhunvan—dissipating; acarya—of the spiritual master; caittya—of the Supersoul; vapusha—by the forms; sva—own; gatim—path; vyanakti—shows.
O my Lord! Transcendental poets and experts in spiritual science could not fully express their indebtedness to You, even if they were endowed with the prolonged lifetime of Brahma, for You appear in two features - externally as the acarya and internally as the Supersoul - to deliver the embodied living being by directing him how to come to You.
12.04.40 Shukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Parikshit
samsara-sindhum ati-dustaram uttitirshor
nanyah plavo bhagavatah purushottamasya
lila-katha-rasa-nishevanam antarena
pumso bhaved vividha-duhkha-davarditasya
samsara—of material existence; sindhum—the ocean; ati-dustaram—impossible to cross; uttitirshoh—for one who desires to cross; na—there is not; anyah—any other; plavah—boat; bhagavatah—of the Personality of Godhead; purusha-uttamasya—the Supreme Lord; lila-katha—of the narrations of the pastimes; rasa—to the transcendental taste; nishevanam—the rendering of service; antarena—apart from; pumsah—for a person; bhavet—there can be; vividha—various; duhkha—of material miseries; dava—by the fire; arditasya—who is distressed.
For a person who is suffering in the fire of countless miseries and who desires to cross the insurmountable ocean of material existence, there is no suitable boat except that of cultivating devotion to the transcendental taste for the narrations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's pastimes.
11.06.47-48 Uddhava to Shri Krishna
vata-vasana ya rishayah
shramana urdhra-manthinah
brahmakhyam dhama te yanti
shantah sannyasino 'malah
vata-vasanah—dressed by the air (naked); ye—those who are; rishayah—sages; shramanah—strict observers of spiritual practices; urdhva-manthinah—who have conserved their semen to the point that it has risen up to their heads; brahma-akhyam—known as Brahman; dhama—the (impersonal) spiritual abode; te—they; yanti—to go; shantah—peaceful; sannyasinah—members of the renounced order of life; amalah—sinless.
Naked sages who seriously endeavor in spiritual practice, who have raised their semem upward, who are peaceful and sinless members of the renounced order, attain the spiritual abode called Brahman. (47)
vayam tv iha maha-yogin
bhramantah karma-vartmasu
tvad-vartaya tarishyamas
tavakair dustaram tamah
vayam—we; tu—on the other hand; iha—in this world; maha-yogin—O greatest of yogis; bhramantah—wandering; karma-vartmasu—on the paths of material work; tvat—of You; vartaya—by discussion of the topics; tarishyamah—will cross over; tavakaih—along with Your devotees; dustaram—insurmountable; tamah—darkness;
O greatest of mystics, although we are conditioned souls wandering on the path of fruitive work, we will certainly cross beyond the darkness of this material world simply by hearing about Your Lordship in the association of Your devotees. (48)
