3, Vidyara vilase - Humility | Saranagati

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SARANAGATI (SURRENDER) | Sri Laghu-chandrika-bhasya

Dainyatmika: Humility

(Song 3)

vidyara vilase katainu kala
parama sahase ami
tomara charana na bhajinu kabhu
ekhana sarana tumi [1]

vidyara–of learning; vilase–in the pleasures; katainu–I passed; kala–the time; parama–great; sahase–with confidence; ami–I; tomara–Your; charana–feet; na–not; bhajinu–I served; kabhu–ever; ekhana–now; sarana–shelter; tumi–You. [1]

(1) I spent my time absorbed in the pleasures of learning with great confidence. I never served Your feet. Now You are my shelter.

padite padite bharasa badila
jnane gati habe mani'
se asa biphala se jnana durbala
se jnana ajnana jani [2]

padite–studying; padite–and studying; bharasa–confidence; badila–increased; jnane–through knowledge; gati–goal; habe–will be attained; mani'–considering; se–that; asa–hope; biphala–fruitless; se–that; jnana–knowledge; durbala–powerless; se–that; jnana–knowledge; ajnana–ignorance; jani–I know. [2]

(2) Studying continuously, my confidence that I would attain the fulfilment of life through knowledge increased. Yet that hope was futile, and that knowledge was useless. I now know such 'knowledge' to be ignorance.

(2) jnane gati: "I would attain the fulfilment of life through knowledge." In Srimad Bhagavad-gita (4.33), Krishna says:

sarvam karmakhilam partha jnane parisamapyate

"O Arjun, all actions culminate in knowledge."

se jnana durbala: "That knowledge was useless." Knowledge alone is unable to fulfil one's spiritual desires. This is explained by Sriman Mahaprabhu to Srila Sanatan Goswami Prabhu in Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta (Madhya-lila, 22.17–18):

krsna-bhakti haya abhidheya-pradhana
bhakti-mukha-niriksaka karma-yoga-jnana
ei saba sadhanera ati tuchchha bala
krsna-bhakti vina taha dite nare phala

"Krishna-bhakti is the fundamental means of spiritual progress (because the soul is by nature an eternal servant of Krishna). Karma (pious action), yoga (self-regulation), and jnan (knowledge) are all dependent on bhakti; they have no actual power of their own. Without Krishna-bhakti, they are all unable to deliver results."

se jnana ajnana: "That 'knowledge' is ignorance." All knowledge of the mundane world is really illusory knowledge, in other words, ignorance. This is described in the Katha-upanisad (1.2.5):

avidyayam antare vartamanah
svayam dhirah panditam manyamanah
damdramyamanah pariyanti mudha
andhenaiva niyamana yathandhah

"Insincere fools who remain in ignorance yet consider themselves sober (free from any illusion) and wise (learned authorities) are deluded just like blind persons being led by other blind persons."

jada-vidya yata mayara vaibhava
tomara bhajane badha
moha janamiya anitya samsare
jivake karaye gadha [3]

jada–material; vidya–learning; yata–all; mayara–of the illusory energy; vaibhava–the opulence; tomara–Your; bhajane–in the service; badha–an obstacle; moha–infatuation; janamiya–bringing about; anitya–non-eternal; samsare–in the material world; jivake–to the soul; karaye–makes; gadha–an ass. [3]

(3) All mundane learning is an exhibition of maya and an obstacle to Your service. It brings about infatuation for the temporary world and makes an ass of the soul.

(3) jada-vidya ... jivake karaye gadha: "Mundane learning makes an ass of the soul." This refers to apara-vidya, inferior knowledge, that is, knowledge which construes material objects as meant for one's selfish enjoyment.

In this regard, shortly after returning from Gaya, Nimai Pandit advised His students as follows (Sri Chaitanya-bhagavat: Madhya-lila, 1.158–9):

sastrera na jane marma, adhyapana kare
garddabhera praya yena sastra bahi' mare
padina sunina loka gela chhare-khare
krsna maha-mahotsave vanchila tahare

"Those who do not know the purport of the scriptures yet teach them to others are like asses: they bear the load of the scriptures in vain. Reading and hearing the scriptures leads only to death and destruction for both these teachers and their audiences. They are all deprived of the joy of the grand festival of love for Krishna."

In Srimad Bhagavatam (10.84.13), Krishna Himself explains:

yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke
sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih
yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhichij
janesv abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah

"One who considers his decaying material body, made of mucus, bile, and air, to be his actual self (but does not realise himself to be a servant of the Lord); who considers his spouse, family, and associated paraphernalia to be his possessions (but feels no affectionate attachment for the Lord's devotees); who considers a graven image made of earth or other material elements to be the Lord (but has no reverence for the Lord's devotees); and who considers a body of water to be a place of pilgrimage (but fails to understand that the Lord's devotees are the ultimate place of pilgrimage)—such a person is an ass among cows (a foolish beast fit only to bear the burden of carrying food for other animals)."

Krishna explains the components of His inferior energy (apara-prakrti) in Srimad Bhagavad-gita (7.4–5):

bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva cha
ahankara itiyam me bhinna prakrtir astadha | apareyam

"Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intelligence, and false ego are the eight divisions of My inferior, material energy."

sei gadha ha'ye samsarera bojha
bahinu aneka kala
varddhakye ekhana saktira abhave
kichhu nahi lage bhala [4]

sei–that very; gadha–ass; ha'ye–becoming; samsarera–of material existence, of family life; bojha–the burden; bahinu–I carried; aneka–much; kala–time; varddhakye–in old age; ekhana–now; saktira–of ability; abhave–in the absence; kichhu–something; nahi–not; lage–strikes; bhala–good. [4]

(4) I became such an ass and bore the burden of my household for so long. Now aged and devoid of strength, nothing brings me any pleasure.

jivana yatana ha-ila ekhana
se vidya avidya bhela
avidyara jvala ghatila visama
se vidya ha-ila sela [5]

jivana–life; yatana–agony; ha-ila–became; ekhana–now; se–that; vidya–learning; avidya–ignorance; bhela–became; avidyara–of ignorance; jvala–the burning pain; ghatila–became; visama–torturous; se–that; vidya–learning; ha-ila–became; sela (marma-bhedi astra visesa)–a heart-piercing spear. [5]

(5) Now My life has become agony. My learning has proven to be ignorance, and the burning pain of that ignorance has become unbearably torturous. My 'learning' has turned into a spear (that has pierced my heart).

tomara charana vina kichhu dhana
samsare na achhe ara
bhakati-vinoda jada-vidya chhadi'
tuya pada kare sara [6]

tomara–Your; charana–feet; vina–apart from; kichhu–any; dhana–treasure; samsare–in the material world; na–not; achhe–is; ara–other; bhakati-vinoda–Bhakti Vinod; jada–material; vidya–learning; chhadi'–abandoning; tuya–Your; pada–feet; kare–makes; sara–the essence. [6]

(6) Lord! There is nothing of value in this material world other than Your feet. Bhakti Vinod abandons all mundane learning and accepts Your feet as his be-all and end-all.

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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