26, Tuya bhakti-pratikula dharma - Rejecting the Unfavourable | Saranagati

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SARANAGATI (SURRENDER) | Sri Laghu-chandrika-bhasya

Varjanatmika: Rejecting the Unfavourable

(Song 26)

tuya bhakti-pratikula dharma yate raya
parama yatane taha tyajiba nischaya [1]

tuya–Your; bhakti–devotion; pratikula–unfavourable; dharma–nature; yate–in which; raya–exists; parama–great; yatane–with care; taha–that; tyajiba–I will abandon; nischaya–certainly. [1]

(1) I will certainly abandon with great care everything that is unfavourable to devotion to You.

tuya bhakti-bahirmukha sanga na kariba
gauranga-virodhi-jana-mukha na heriba [2]

tuya–Your; bhakti–devotion; bahirmukha (krsna-vimukha janera)–of persons averse (to Krishna); sanga–association; na–not; kariba–I will do; gauranga–Sriman Mahaprabhu; virodhi–adverse to; jana–persons; mukha–faces; na–not; heriba–I will see. [2]

(2) I will not associate with those who are averse to devotion to You. I will not even look at the faces of those who are inimical to Sri Gauranga.

(2) bahirmukha sanga: "Associate with those who are averse." This refers to the association of those who are averse to Krishna. The extreme to which such association should be abhorred is described in the Katyayana-samhita:

varam hutavaha-jvala panjarantar-vyavasthitih
na sauri-chinta-vimukha-jana-samvasa-vaisasam

"It is better to endure the pain of being locked in a cage surrounded by blazing fire than keep the distressing association of persons averse to Krishna consciousness."

gauranga-virodhi: "Persons inimical to Sri Gauranga." In his Sri Chaitanya-chandramrta (58), Sri Prabodhananda Saraswati writes:

vaso me varam astu ghora-dahana-jvalavali-panjare
sri-chaitanya-padaravinda-vimukhair ma kutrachit sangamah

"Let me remain within a cage of blazing fire, but never in the association of persons averse to Sri Chaitanya's lotus feet."

bhakti-pratikula sthane na kari vasati
bhaktira apriya karye nahi kari rati [3]

bhakti–towards devotion; pratikula–unfavourable; sthane–in a place; na–not; kari–I do; vasati–residence; bhaktira–of devotion; apriya–not dear; karye–in activities; nahi–not; kari–I do; rati–attachment. [3]

(3) I will not reside in a place that is unfavourable to devotion. I will not have affection for any activities that are unfavourable to devotion.

bhaktira virodhi grantha patha na kariba
bhaktira virodhi vyakhya kabhu na suniba [4]

bhaktira–of devotion; virodhi–adverse to; grantha–literature; patha–read; na–not; kariba–I will do; bhaktira–of devotion; virodhi–adverse to; vyakhya–explanations; kabhu–ever; na–not; suniba–I will listen. [4]

(4) I will not read any literature that is opposed to devotion. I will never listen to any discourses that are opposed to devotion.

(4) bhaktira virodhi grantha: "Literature that is opposed to devotion." Once, when Sriman Mahaprabhu was describing His day of study to Mother Sachi Devi, He quoted the following verse from Sri Mahabharata about worldly literature:

yasmin sastre purane va hari-bhaktir na drsyate
srotavyam naiva tach chhastram yadi brahma svayam vadet

"One should never hear a scripture that does not describe devotion to Hari, even if it is recited by Brahma himself (the original narrator of vedic knowledge)."

gauranga-varjita sthana tirtha nahi mani
bhaktira badhaka jnana-karma tuchchha jani [5]

gauranga–Sriman Mahaprabhu; varjita–bereft of; sthana–place; tirtha–holy place; nahi–not; mani–I consider; bhaktira–of devotion; badhaka–obstructing; jnana–knowledge; karma–action; tuchchha–contemptible; jani–I think. [5]

(5) I will not consider any place bereft of Sri Gauranga to be a holy place. I will consider all knowledge and activity that obstruct devotion to be contemptible.

(5) bhaktira badhaka jnana-karma tuchchha jani: "I will consider all knowledge and activity that obstruct devotion to be contemptible." In Srimad Bhagavatam (1.5.12), Devarsi Narad instructs Vyasadev:

naiskarmyam apy achyuta-bhava-varjitam
na sobhate jnanam alam niranjanam
kutah punah sasvad abhadram isvare
na charpitam karma yad apy akaranam

"Even pure knowledge (jnan) free from all worldly entanglement is never beautiful if it is devoid of devotion to Achyuta. How, then, can action (karma), which is always miserable, ever be beautiful if it is not offered to Him, even if it is selflessly performed?"

bhaktira badhaka kale na kari adara
bhakti-bahirmukha nija jane jani para [6]

bhaktira–of devotion; badhaka–encumbering; kale–of times, occasions; na–not; kari–I do; adara–fondness; bhakti–devotion; bahir–outward; mukha–facing; nija–own; jane–persons; jani–I know; para–strangers. [6]

(6) I will have no fondness for times that are encumbering to devotion. I will consider all my relatives who are averse to devotion to be strangers.

bhaktira badhika sprha kariba varjana
abhakta-pradatta anna na kari grahana [7]

bhaktira–of devotion; badhika–opposing; sprha–desires; kariba–I will do; varjana–rejection; abhakta–non-devotees; pradatta–given; anna–food; na–not; kari–I do; grahana–acceptance. [7]

(7) I will abandon all desires that hinder devotion. I will not accept any food presented to me by non-devotees.

yaha kichhu bhakti-pratikula bali' jani
tyajiba yatane taha e nischaya vani [8]

yaha–which; kichhu–something; bhakti–to devotion; pratikula–unfavourable; bali'–considering; jani–I know; tyajiba–I will reject; yatane–with care; taha–that; e–this; nischaya–certainly; vani–word. [8]

(8) I will carefully abandon whatever I know to be unfavourable to devotion. This is my resolute vow.

bhakati-vinoda padi' prabhura charane
magaye sakati pratikulyera varjane [9]

bhakati-vinoda–Bhakti Vinod; padi'–falling; prabhura–of the Lord; charane–at the feet; magaye–begs; sakati–power; pratikulyera–of what is unfavourable; varjane–to reject. [9]

(9) Falling at the feet of the Lord, Bhakti Vinod prays for the ability to abandon everything unfavourable to devotion.

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CONTENTS:

· Translator's Note
· In Praise of Saranagati (1)
· In Praise of Saranagati (2)
· Editor's Note
· Sri Laghu-chandrika-bhasya: Mangalacharana
· Sri Laghu-chandrika-bhasya: Preface

Saranagati:

Mangalacharana