Brahma Samhita
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Çré Brahma-saàhitä FIFTH CHAPTER OTHER TITLES BY ÇRÉLA NÄRÄYAËA MAHÄRÄJA: The Nectar of Govinda-lélä Going Beyond Vaikuëöha Bhakti-rasäyana Çré Çikñäñöaka Veëu-géta Çré Prabandhävalé Çré Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu-bindu Çré Manaù-çikñä Bhakti-tattva-viveka Pinnacle of Devotion Çré Upadeçämåta Arcana-dépikä The Essence of All Advice Çré Gauòéya Géti-guccha Shower of Love Dämodara-lélä-mädhuré Çrémad Bhagavad-gétä Çrémad Bhakti Prajïäna Keçava Gosvämé – His Life and Teachings Five Essential Essays Çré Harinäma Mahä-mantra Secret Truths of the Bhägavata My Çikñä-guru and Priya-bandhu Jaiva-dharma Çré Vraja-maëòala Parikramä The Origin of Ratha-yäträ Çré Bhajana-rahasya Rays of the Harmonist (periodical) For further information, please visit www.igvp.com or www.gaudiya.net Copyright © Gauòéya Vedänta Publications 2003 ISBN 81-86737-10-3 First printing – 5000 copies, May 2003 çré çré guru-gauräìgau jayataù Çré Brahma-saàhitä FIFTH CHAPTER With the full commentary (öékä) of Çréla Jéva Gosvämé, the most expert disciple of Çré Rüpa and Sanätana, president of the Viçva Vaiñëava Räja Sabhä, and protector of the Çré Brahma-Mädhva-Gauòéya sampradäya, in the third disciplic generation from kali-yuga-pävana Çré Kåñëa Caitanya, who descended to perform His own bhajana and distribute to others the ultimate goal of devotion to Çré Kåñëa With foreword, explanations of Çréla Jéva Gosvämé’s commentary, and purports (tätparya) by the eminent personality Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura, in the eighth disciplic generation from Çré Kåñëa Caitanya With a foreword by the effulgent äcärya and founder of Çré Caitanya Maöh and Çré Gauòéya Maöh, Prabhupäda Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Gosvämé Öhäkura, in the ninth disciplic generation from Çré Kåñëa Caitanya Compiled and with expanded commentary by Çré Çrémad Bhaktivedänta Näräyaëa Mahäräja, under the shelter and guidance of äcärya-kesaré Çré Çrémad Bhakti Prajïäna Keçava Gosvämé, founder of Çré Gauòéya Vedänta Samiti and in the tenth disciplic generation from Çré Kåñëa Caitanya Våndävana, Uttar Pradesh, India Table of Contents FOR THE READER’S INTEREST i FEELINGS OF APPRECIATION v INTRODUCTION xv PREFACE xxiii Verse 1 1 Verse 21 128 Verse 2 35 Verse 22 131 Verses 3–4 43 Verse 23 133 Verse 5 56 Verse 24 136 Verse 6 82 Verse 7 85 The eighteen-syllable Verse 8 90 mantra 138 Verse 9 96 Verse 10 98 Verse 25 144 Verse 11 101 Verse 26 146 Verse 12 104 Verse 27 152 Verse 13 107 Verse 28 156 Verse 14 110 Verse 29 158 Verse 15 112 Verse 30 167 Verse 16 115 Verse 31 170 Verse 17 117 Verse 32 175 Verse 18 119 Verse 33 180 Verse 19 121 Verse 34 193 Verse 20 126 Verse 35 198 Verse 36 202 Verse 55 292 Verse 37 206 Verse 56 299 Verse 38 225 Verse 57 306 Verse 39 228 Verse 58 308 Verse 40 231 Verse 59 311 Verse 41 235 Verse 60 314 Verse 42 238 Verse 61 316 Verse 43 241 Verse 62 321 Verse 44 250 Verse 45 255 ÇRÉLA JÉVA GOSVÄMÉ’S SANSKRIT Verse 46 260 COMMENTARY 327 Verse 47 264 SANSKRIT GLOSSARY 355 ENGLISH GLOSSARY 369 Verse 48 266 VERSE INDEX 381 Verse 49 268 INDEX 389 Verse 50 271 Verse 51 274 Verse 52 276 Verse 53 279 Verse 54 282 Çré Çrémad Saccidänanda Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura çré çré mäyäpuracandro jayati For the reader’s interest It is stated in Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya-lélä 9.234, 237–41): sei dina cali’ äilä payasviné-tére snäna kari’ gelä ädi-keçava-mandire mahä-bhakta-gaëa-saha tähäì goñöhé kaila ‘brahma-saàhitädhyäya’-puìthi tähäì päila puìthi päïä prabhura haila änanda apära kampäçru-sveda-stambha-pulaka vikära siddhänta-çästra nähi ‘brahma-saàhitä’ra sama govinda-mahimä jïänera parama käraëa alpäkñare kahe siddhänta apära sakala-vaiñëava-çästra-madhye ati sära bahu yatne sei puìthi nila lekhäiyä ‘ananta padmanäbha’ äilä harañita haïä After accepting the renounced order, Çré Çacénandana Gaurahari resided briefly in Çré Puré-dhäma, and then began His tour of South India on the pretext of visiting the holy places of pilgrimage. After visiting Kanyäkumäré, He arrived in the holy place called Vetapäné, located in Mallära Deça, where He had darçana of Çré Raghunätha and then took rest for the night. A band of gypsies from the nomadic Bhaööathäri community, who had made their camp there, captured Kälä-kåñëadäsa, Çréman Mahäprabhu’s servant and associate, by alluring him with women. However, Mahäprabhu rescued him by the power of His divine opulence, and then immediately proceeded to the sacred banks of the Payasviné River. i Ç RÉ B RAHMA- SAÀHITÄ After taking evening bath in the river, Çréman Mahäprabhu went for darçana of Çré Ädi-Keçava. While beholding the deity, He became absorbed in ecstatic love and began to dance, sing and recite prayers and verses. When the scholarly devotees and thousands of pilgrims there saw Him, they were all struck with wonder. After taking darçana of the deity, Çréman Mahäprabhu noticed that some devotees, who were immensely learned and realized in philosophical principles, were lecturing on this book, the Fifth Chapter of Çré Brahma-saàhitä. He was overjoyed to hear this devotional treatise, and after reading only a few verses Himself, He was unable to maintain His composure. The eight symptoms of transcendental ecstasy, such as tears, horripilation and trembling, became manifest. Indeed, Brahma-saàhitä is unprecedented and unique among the literature of the bhakti tradition. It is filled with descriptions of the paramount glories of Svayam Bhagavän Çré Govindadeva, and with knowledge of the essential reality of the Supreme Personality and the essential reality of bhakti. It is as if a vast ocean has been bottled in one succinct treatise. Here one will find the collected essence of all Vaiñëava scripture, including the Vedas, the Puräëas, Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad-Bhägavatam. Çréman Mahäprabhu had this great literature copied very care- fully, and then He brought it back with Him to Çrédhäma Jagannätha Puré. I have no right to say anything more about this text. Nevertheless, I simply wish to suggest that if this literature is accepted in the category of extremely ancient scriptures, it is exceptional evidence to support the doctrine of kåñëa-bhakti. Alternatively, one may argue that Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu must have written it Himself, since no mention of this scripture can be found anywhere in this region of Northern India. If such an opin- ion were to be established conclusively, what could possibly be ii For the reader’s interest a greater source of joy? The reason is that, in the Vaiñëava world, every last doubt about philosophical conclusions would at once be dispelled upon the discovery of a thesis of established philosophical truths written personally by Çréman Mahäprabhu. Whatever one’s opinion may be, this Brahma-saàhitä is worshipable for Vaiñëavas, and is also worthy of their thorough study. ÇRÉ BHAKTIVINODA ÖHÄKURA iii Çré Srémad Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura Prabhupäda çré çré guru-gauräìgau jayataù Feelings of appreciation It is common knowledge that Çré Brahma-saàhitä was not prop- agated in India prior to its being collected by Çré Gaurasundara. Rather, the literary composition that had been widely popular- ized throughout the nation was Çrémad-Bhägavatam, the sätvata- saàhitä (compilation for those in pure goodness) that was previously spoken in Naimiñäraëya. The word brahma means both “Veda” and also “the factual substance or reality established by the Vedas,” which is none other than the Supreme Personality and Enjoyer, Çré Kåñëa, or Çré Govinda. The understanding of the word apauruñeya (“not of human origin,” or “divine”) is consid- ered marginal if the word is used to confound the mundane conception by eliminating the irrelevant (“neti neti”), but does not refer to the Supreme Personality and Enjoyer, Çré Kåñëa. Çré Caturmukha Brahmä discarded mundane considerations from within the Vedas, which are called apauruñeya (of divine origin), and then described in a saàhitä (compilation) of one hundred chapters whatever essence of pure bhakti he had been holding in his heart in connection with the Supreme Enjoyer. Among those chapters, this Fifth Chapter is most worshipable for Gauòéya Vaiñëavas because it is extremely practical and advanta- geous for the living entity. Especially from the point of view of the Çré Brahma sampradäya, the factual substance of reality has been revealed in the four original verses of Çrémad-Bhägavatam by the mercy of Bhagavän. The Supreme Personality can never be included in the category of insignificant worldly material enjoyers. The distinction between the two is that the Supreme Personality Çré Kåñëa is the absolute controller of all predominated potencies, whereas the v Ç RÉ B RAHMA- SAÀHITÄ individual living entity is completely bound by the Lord’s poten- cies. Thus, the word apauruñeya (not of mundane origin), is applied to Çré Kåñëa from the perspective of the conditioned living entity (puruña) who tries to conceive of Him who is beyond material existence. It is stated in the first verse of the Çrémad-Bhägavatam: janmädyasya yato ’nvayäd itarataç cärtheñv abhijïaù svaräö tene brahma hådä ya ädi-kavaye muhyanti yat sürayaù tejo-väri-mådäà yathä vinimayo yatra tri-sargo ’måñä dhämnä svena sadä nirasta-kuhakaà satyaà paraà dhémahi Çrémad-Bhägavatam (1.1.1) I meditate upon Çré Kåñëa, who is the Absolute Truth and the orig- inal cause of the creation, maintenance and annihilation of the mundane universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent, because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He who first imparted the Vedic knowl- edge unto the heart of Brahmäjé, the original living being. By Him even great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water.