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Song Lyrics: Namamisvaram Saccidananda Rupam (Sri Damodarastakam)
Purport Author: Sanatana
Goswami
VERSE 1:
1)
Bowing before Sri Damodara-isvara, who is accompanied
by Sri Radha, I now commence my purport of Damodarastaka entitled Dig-Darsini.
In
the beginning of the mula-shloka, the very first
intention is expressed by the word namami - "I
bow down". Obeisances are thus offered with love
and devotion before commencing the description of the Lord's specific
characteristics of excellence that are exhibited by His tattva,
rupa, lila,
guna and so forth. Also mentioned is the essence of
His own divine supremacy as the Supreme Personality of Godhead manifested in Gokula, and also His distinctive features as the origin of
all. Furthermore, the word namami is indicative of an
auspicious invocation (mangalartham). At the start of
all functions it is customary to offer respects to isvara
which expresses and attitude of devotional service unto the Lord. For this
reason, obeisances are offered first unto the Lord in
this verse.
(Now
the commentator, Sri Srila Sanatana
Goswami examines tattva-visesa
or the excellence of the Lord's truth:) Obeisances unto
whom? Unto Ishvara, the
supreme controller. Namely - He who is (1) sarva-shaktimanta
(endowed with all potencies), (2) jagateka-natha (the
only Lord of the universe) and (3) nija-prabhu (my
own Master). In the first instance He is addressed as such in order to obtain
the power of shakti needed to offer the prayer, in
the second instance, He is addressed as such to indicate that He is the one and
only Lord Who is praiseworthy; in the final instance, He is addressed as such
to signify the specific nature of bhakti or devotion.
How is He manifest? As sac-cid-ananda-rupam
or a form composed of compressed clouds of eternity, knowledge and bliss.
This is the statement of His supreme sovereignty in regards to His tattva-visesa attribute or excellence of truth.
(Now
rupa-visesa, the excellence of His beauty is described:) His distinct excellence of beauty is illustrated
as follows: lasanti (the swinging of His earrings)
was manifested when He ran away in fear of Sri Yasoda;
or also, His earrings sport upon His cheeks as a result of His continuously
playing in the transcendental pastimes of childhood. Thus, His divinely splendrous face is especially portrayed. Or also, yet
another meaning of lasat-kundalam is - due to the maha-saubhagya or great fortune of personally kissing His
divine cheeks, these earrings have attained a position of superexcellence
above all His other ornaments. And this superexcellence
also indicates the fortune of the other ornaments adorning His various limbs.
Furthermore, lasanti indicates that these earrings
are glistening because they are enriched with the splendrous
effulgence of the Lord's bodily complexion; therefore Krsna's
body is the ornament of His ornaments. This is the meaning. Consequently, it is
stated by the gopis in the Tenth Canto (Bhagavatam 10.29.40):
"O
Sri Krsna! By seeing Your beauty, which attracts the three worlds, these cows,
birds, trees and deer are all experiencing their hairs standing on end!"
("What is the wonder, then, if we are also bewildered?")
In
the Third Canto (Bhagavatam 3.2.12), it is also
stated by Sri Uddhava to Vidura
regarding Sri Krsna's beauty:
"Sri
Krsna's beauty is so enchanting that it even
astonishes Himself: that beauty represents the supreme zenith of great
opulence, so much so that He is actually the ornament of His ornaments."
Now
the parivara-visesa or attributes of His family
portray His unique excellence. The word gokule
indicates that place where gopas, gopis,
cow, calves and so forth reside. The word bhrajamanam
indicates a particularly befitting place wherein He can manifest an excellence
that surpasses that of previous lilas.
Moreover, He is splendrous because only in Gokula does He manifest His svabhavika-sobha,
or most natural characteristics of brilliance. It is stated in the Tenth Canto
(Bhagavatam 10.32.14):
"(Bhagavan Sri Krsna, Who sits upon the asana formed in the
lotus-like hearts of the siddha-yogis...) Manifesting
a body that is the abode of all the splendour of the
three worlds, He sat upon the asana presented by the gopis,
was worshipped by them, and thereby radiated even more splendour."
His
excellence of lila-visesa, or
attributes of His pastimes, are stated in the last two lines of the
verse. The word Yasoda indicates Yasodaya,
or "From His mother Yasoda". Bhiya indicates the fear of being punished for His offense
of breaking the yoghurt pots, stealing fresh butter and so forth. Ulukhalat denotes "from the mortar" - in order to
steal the fresh butter suspended from the rafters, He took a large wooden
grinding mortar that was kept in the same storeroom, turned it on end, and
climbed up on it; but (spotting His mother coming into the room with a stick in
her hand) He immediately gets down again. Dhavamanam
- He speedily runs away. In this regardd, if one
desires to know the particulars of this pastime, it can be found in the Tenth
Canto (Bhagavatam 10.9.8-9) thus:
"Then
Sri Krsna turned the grinding mortar on end, climbed up on it and began
distributing the fresh butter hanging from the rafters to the monkeys as freely
as He liked. Due to knowledge of His own mischievous thievery, His eyes
fearfully darted this way and that. Mother Yasoda saw
Him doing this and slowly crept up from behind to catch Him; but He noticed Her coming with a stick in her hand, and He quickly got down
from the mortar and started running away, just like a person stricken with
fear. Even though highly advanced yogis are enabled by the strength of their
penances to merge their minds with brahma, still they
cannot get a glimpse of this scene - of Yasoda-devi
chasing her son Krsna from behind while attempting to catch Him."
Then,
tato-drutya - she ran very swiftly. Due to the samasa conjunction, these two words become one. Gopya - by Sri Yasoda, para amrstam
- catching hold of His back.
"While
chasing after Krsna, the slim waisted Yasoda's broad hips caused her pace to slow down. From running
quickly, the flowers had come loose from her hair and were falling after her,
but she still continued to pursue Him. In this fashion, after chasing and
chasing Him, she finally caught Him from behind."
Thus
ends Sanatana Goswami's
Dig-Darsini-Tika on the first shloka
of Sri Damodarastakam.
VERSE 2:
After
this, Krsna's lila-visesa
(excellence of pastimes) is mentioned, as confirmed in the Bhagavatam
(10.9.11) thus:
"(Mata
Yasoda saw that) The mischievous child then cried and
cried while rubbing His eyes with His hands, thereby smearing the dark
eye-lining cosmetics from them. (Krsna saw the stick in her hands, and) His
eyes became overwhelmed with fright. In this condition, Yasoda
seized His hand and proceeded to chastise Him in order to instil
fear in Him."
The
details of this pastime are now spoken of in the second verse beginning with rudantam. Seeing the whipping stick in His mother's hand,
and apprehending being struck with it, He behaved as if terrified so that she
would see His distress and think "He is afraid of being punished". He
hoped that by her seeing this attitude of His, she would not hit Him with the
stick. Thinking in this way (that He would be spared punishment), therefore karambhoja-yugmena netra-yugmam mrjantam - He rubbed both eyes again and again with both of
His lotus-like hands at the same time. This is a natural characteristic of balya-lila, and indeed the normal habit of small children.
Or
else, karambhoja-yugmena netra-yugmam
mrjantam may also indicate that by the influence of
His fright, many tears were actually forming in His eyes; therefore He rubbed
them again and again in order to make the tears fall out. Or furthermore, He
rubbed His eyes again and again in order to wipe away the tears that were
falling again and again; this is yet another meaning. Now satanka-netram
- dreading His mother's punishment, Hisss eyes expressed how much He was
terrified in His mind. Or else, it refers to His glancing this way and that in
extreme fear. In this regard also, He tries to avoid being punished; thus
another confidential pastime is disclosed.
Moreover,
muhuh svasena - due to His
crying and sobbing again and again, kampat -
trembling, tri-rekhanka - marked with three lines
just like a conchshell, kanthe
stitham graivam - all His
neck ornaments like pearl necklaces and so forth - He who appears this way. Damodaram - Whose belly is tied with a rope.
He is described thus in the Bhagavatam (10.9.14):
"Just
as an ordinary mother binds her naughty son, Yasoda
Mata considered Sri Krsna to be her own ordinary child and tied Him to the
grinding mortar with a rope."
In
stating that knots were tied on the rope both to His belly and to the mortar,
this indicates the particulars of Sri Krsna's
excellence called bhakta-vasyata, or His quality of
coming under the control of His devotees. Bhaktyaiva baddham - this refers to He Who responds only to bhakti in the following two ways: from His mother's
viewpoint, He is bound by the loving parental devotion she feels for her son;
from His viewpoint, He is bound by His mother's devotion in the form of bhakta-vasyata. Baddham - He
willingly accepted the binding, although no rope had the power to bind Him.
Thus mother Yasoda eventually collected all the ropes
in her household, but upon tying them together the length still came out two
fingers too short to fit around His waist. This is described in the following shlokas from the Bhagavatam
(10.9.15-17):
"While
tying up the naughty child, the rope came out two fingers short, so Yasoda Mata tied another length to it. This rope also came
out two fingers short, so she tied yet another length to that one; but no
matter how many ropes she added, it always ended up too short. Thus she was
unable to bind Him, even by combining all the ropes in the house. (Then her gopi friends began to smile and she herself also smiled and
laughed in astonishment)."
Of
furthermore, the reason for this characteristic of the rope around His waist
is: bhaktyaiva baddham - He
can be bound only by devotion and nothing else. By this He becomes controlled.
Such is certainly the conclusion of the afore-mentioned description. In this
connection, it is further stated in the Bhagavatam
(10.9.18-21):
"While
attempting to bind Krsna) Yasoda became fatigued from
tying so many ropes together again and again, and she perspired as the flower
garlands in her hair fell loose. Then the young child Sri Krsna saw her
weariness and mercifully consented to being tied up. O Maharaja Pariksit! Although He controls the entire universe along
with its highly qualified demigods, the supreme independent Hari
thus displayed how He comes under the control of His devotees. Therefore this gopi Yasoda Mata received such a
great benediction from He Who awards liberation - a favour
not granted to Lord Brahma, Mahesvara or even Laksmi Devi herself, who sports
as half the body of all the Lord's incarnations. Bhagavan
Gopika-suta, the Supreme Lord appearing as the son of
a cowherd woman, is thus readily available for His devotees, yet remains far
away from those absorbed in the bodily concept of the eight fold yoga practices
as well as those focusing on visions of the Self through intellectual
pursuits." (In other words, the tapasvis and the
jnanis embark on a very difficult path of spiritual
searching, but - being completely unable to attain Bhagavan
- at best can end up >realising only a minute fraction
of Lord Krsna's true glory".
These
verses from the Bhagavatam indicate direct proof of
all such conclusions. Elsewhere in the Bhagavatam it
is stated (10.10.25):
"Because
Devarsi Narada is My dear devotee, and because these two boys are the sons of
My devotee Kuvera, I will deliver them in order to fulfil the words previously spoken by Mahatma Narada."
The
purport of these words spoken by Sri Krsna is that He totally depends on the
devotion of Sri Narada; (being pleased with Narada's bhakti) Krsna therefore
dragged the grinding mortar and broke down the two trees in which the cursed
brothers stood. This is why the Lord performs these and indeed all other
pastimes (-because of the devotion of His devotees).
Thus
ends Sanatana Goswami's
Dig-Darsini-Tika on the second shloka
of Sri Damodarastakam.
VERSE 3:
Now
the excellences of His guna-visesa (attributes of His
qualities) are expressed in this verse beginning with the word iti. It depicts the reason for His coming under the sway of
His devotees. And furthermore, iti means "by
this Damodara-lila"; it also connotes idrsibhis ca - "by all Sri Krsna's
supremely enchanting childhood pastimes like the Damodara-lila."
The word svasya indicates His own uncommonly divine
pastimes - lilabhih - by all His sportive pastimes
(He drowns all the living beings of Gokula in ecstasy).
This is confirmed by many statements of the Bhagavatam
such as the following (10.11.7-8):
"'If
you dance, then we will give you a sweet' - by these words, or by clapping
their hands, the elder gopis sometimes induced Sri
Krsna to dance. Thus Bhagavan, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, danced just like an ordinary child. Sometimes they made
Him sing, and He therefore sang just like a bewildered innocent boy. In this
way, He came under the control of the cowherd women exactly like a wooden
puppet on strings. Sometimes His relatives would order Him to bring their
shoes, chair or measuring pot; but if He was unable to lift the article called
for, He would grasp it firmly and, just to please His dear relatives, flap His
elbows again and again to demonstrate His childish strength."
On
the basis of these conclusions of the Bhagavatam, it
is further stated - sva-ghosam means all the living
beings dwelling in Gokula - ananda-kunde
nimajjantam - He immersed them in a deep pool
brimming with liquid bliss mellows (ananda-rasa-maya-gabhira-jala). Therefore it is declared in
the Bhagavatam verse quoted above: svanam pritim samudvahan
- by these actions, He stimulated the
And
furthermore, it is especially noted that - tadiyesita-jnesu
- unto those who are attached to knowleedge of the
Lord's majestic opulence (aisvarya), and who worship
Him accordingly, He declares bhaktair jitatvam - only in front of His own pure devotees does He
become totally submissive, being conquered by their loving devotion; akhyapayantam - He has fully displaced this quality for all
to see. The meaning is - "I willingly become submissive to the control of My servants who are attached to bhakti,
but I will never submit Myself to those fond of jnana."
This is confirmed in the Bhagavatam (10.11.9) thus:
"Bhagavan Sri Krsna has proclaimed to the bhaktas of the universe who are fond of aisvarya-jnana
that He is fully submissive only to His own pure devotees."
The
meaning of this Bhagavatam verse is - the word tad-vidam indicates devotees who are attached to bhagavad-aisvarya-jnana. Or yet another meaning is - tadiyanam suggests that He displays this quality (of
submission to His devotees) only in front of those who are already aware of the
prabhava or power of His most dear, favourite devotees; He does not exhibit this feature to
others. The reason for such behaviour is - those who
are unaware of the special glories of the Vaisnavas,
and those who cultivate kevala-jnana (impersonal
knowledge) are unqualified to be presented with a display of the supremely
confidential truth regarding devotion and the glories of devotion. In this
mood, a further meaning of tad-vidam (from the Bhagavatam verse 10.11.9 quoted above) is - this word
reveals bhrtya-vasyata-vidam, or those who are
unaware of Sri Krsna's quality of submitting to His
devotees. Now (in Damodarastakam) the word prematah denotes "with an excellence of love and
devotion"; satavrtti means hundreds and hundreds
of times; tam - unto that isvara - punah vande - I repeatedly offer
my respectful obeisances. Therefore the only thing
worshipful for me is to offer my obeisances unto the superexcellence of the process of bhakti,
which brings the Supreme Lord under the control of His devotees. Such a
condition can never come about through aisvarya-jnana,
or knowledge of His divine majesty. This alone is the mood of the devotee
offering this specific prayer.
Thus
ends Sanatana Goswami's
Dig-Darsini-Tika on the third shloka
of Sri Sri Damodarastakam.
VERSE 4:
In
this way, continuing the description of the Lord's particular excellences, the
prayer progresses with a request that mentions one's cherished desires. This is
presented in two verses (4 and 5), starting with the word varam.
The word deva means "O supremely effulgent
one!" Or it also implies "O Lord engaged in superexcellent sweet
sports!" The word iha means "here in Vrindavana" -varesad - from
You, Who can bestow any benediction - varam na vrne
- I do not seek any boon. Specifically,,, I do not pray for moksha,
the fourth purushartha or goal of human life (to
achieve freedom from material contact by merging into the brahman
effulgence); nor do I pray for mokshaya-avadhim, the
highest supreme zenith of liberation in the form of eternally living in Sri Vaikuntha-loka, where the excellence of life is the nature
of thickly condensed happiness; nor do I pray for anyan
ca - other things such as the nine methods of devotional service headed by shravana (hearing, chanting, etc.) - I do not desire the
boons that may be obtained by any of these processes. Furthermore - even if You
want to give them to me, and additionally - even if others consider such things
to be very appealing - iha, here in Vrindavana I do not have the slightest desire for them.
This word iha can also be used in relation to the
statements of the rest of the verse. It is naturally understood that the three
benedictions referred to - moksha (liberation), mokshavadhi (the highest zenith of liberation) and anya (other things) - all reflect
an ascending level of superiority, each being greater than the last. In this
regard, the superiority of Vaikuntha to impersonal
liberation is clearly described in my (Srila Sanatana Goswami's) Brhad Bhagavatamrta, Uttara Khanda 1.14-15. And the
superiority of the nine process of devotion (headed by sravana)
to Vaikuntha-loka is described in the Bhagavatam (3.15.49) thus:
"(The
four kumaras headed by Sanat,
after cursing the disrespectful devotees named Jaya
and Vijaya, said to Lord Visnu
Who had just appeared:) Oh Lord, we pray that you let
us be born in any hellish condition of life, as long as our ears are always
filled with the chanting of Your transcendental
qualities."
By
these words, it becomes evident that the nine processes of devotion beginning
with shravana can be perfected even while living in
hell - wherever one is, and in whatever condition of life, one thereby
experiences the perfection of living in the eternal abode of Vaikuntha.
This
being the case, then what boon does one want from the Lord? The answer is given
in this fourth verse of Damodarastakam: he natha! - iha
idam te vapur
gopala-balam - O Lord! This form of Yours as a cowherd child in Vrindavana
- sada me
Still
- (even if Krsna were to personaally address the devotee and offer:) "O he! The
above-mentioned three kinds of boons beginning with moksha
are not ordinary; they are most desirous, and anyone would immediately accept
them...would you accept them?" The answer is given herein - kim anyaih
- "What is the use of all these
Or
else, the words kim anyaih show yet another meaning. (Again the Lord may ask)
"Even though you do not pray for the boons beginning with moksham, would you care then for the boon of directly
seeing and conversing with My supremely worshipable
four-armed form (of Sri Narayana and other aisvarya-maya-murtis)?" The answer remains the same - kim anyaih - "Other boons
are useless to me.&" The intention behind this is - "If Your
divine form of a cowherd child (which is the crest-jewel of all splendours) would always be manifest in my heart, then I
would feel very, very pleased; nothing short of that would satisfy me."
This is the mood.
For
further details regarding the glories of antar-darsana
(seeing the Lord within the heart), please see Brhad Bhagavatamrta, Uttara-Khanda
2.86-96. Therein the sage Sri Pippalayana on the
planet Tapoloka has explained all these principles
very elaborately. Now the Damodarastaka prayer
offered by Satyavrata Muni
similarly demonstrates that the longing for inner darsana
is the best goal of all - from this prayer all these things can be clearly
understood.
Thus
ends Sanatana Goswami's
Dig-Darsini-Tika on the fourth shloka
of Sri Sri Damodarastakam.
VERSE 5:
And
furthermore, the longing to see Your sri-mukha, Your divine lotus face that is parama-manohara (supremely enchanting) is stated in this
verse beginning with idam te.
Sometime while one is meditating deeply within and perceives such indescribable
beauty and splendour - that is what is revealed in
this verse. His face is praphulla-kamalakara 0 it
resembles a fully-blossomed lotus flower; nikhila-santapa-hari
- His face is the remover of all kinds oof distress; and paramananda-rasa-maya
- and it is pervaded with the supreme
What
does that lotus face look like? It is surrounded (vrtam)
by curling hair (kuntala) that is very dark blue (avyakta-nila), glossy (snigdha) and
tinged with red (rakta). The word vrtam
suggests that just as a lotus flower is surrounded with hovering honeybees,
similarly the Lord's lotus face is encircled with curly locks that bounce
around whenever He moves. The word gopya ("by
the gopi") indicates that His face is kissed
again and again by either Sri Yasoda or by Sri Radha. The word muhuh (again and
again) is relative to this word gopya, and it reads
properly exactly where it is in the verse. This being the case, may that divine
lotus face - muhus-cumbitam - kissed repeatedly by
the supremely foortunate gopi-mama
manasi - in my mind - avirastam
- may it manifest even once. This is
Or
else - the word sada (always) found in the previous
verse carries over to is definitive conclusion in the present verse, thereby
indicating "may it always manifest" - this intention can also be
accepted. Finally, that lotus face is especially described thus - bimba-vad-raktadharam - He Whose
lips are cherry red like the bimba fruit. (If that
form is manifest within my mind, I will be fully satisfied). Therefore it is
said about laksa-labhaih, the attainment of millions
and millions of other types of benedictions - alam -
they are of no use to me whatsoever. This is the meaning. This is most
definitely the message that is conveyed by the fifth verse.
Thus
ends Sanatana Goswami's
Dig-Darsini-Tika on the fifth shloka
of Sri Sri Damodarastakam.
VERSE 6:
Now,
by the potency of prayer, feelings of spontaneous love arise and one especially
craves to have the direct vision of the Lord. In this regard, when referring to
topics about saksat-darsana or direct vision of the
Lord, only sri nama-sankirtana
is the parama sadhana or
supreme method for this attainment. After fixing His beauty in the mind, one
then offers sorrowful prayers by way of sri nama-kirtana, as in this verse beginning with namo. In the text of a mula-shloka
such as this sixth verse, usually the word tubhyam
("unto You") would be found in order to complete the sense of the
prayer; but in this case, the excitement of prema
causes the reciter to neglect all feelings of awe or
reverence. Therefore, in the mood of being in the personal presence of the
Lord, the word tubhyam is neglected.
He
prabho - means he madiya isvara, O my controller! (Offering You
my obeisances, I beg) prasida
- this word indicates prasadam, or be pleased with me
and show Your mercy. (The reason for praying is) I am duhkha-jalabdhi-magnam
- immersed in the ocean of misery.
Or
else, another meaning of the word ati-dinam is - I am
completely bereft of the association of saintly persons, and consequently
without their assistance I am extremely fallen. Or else, yet another meaning is
- (due to not seeing >You) I am just like a living
dead man. In this regard, I am also ajnam - I am
particularly ignorant about how to resolve this problem. Then krpaya drsti-vrstya - showing Your own mercy, please shower me with Your nectar-laden
glances - anugrhana - thereby uplifting me and once
more enthusing me with life. This alone is the purport of the prayer. Then aksi-drsyo-edhi - please become
visible before my eyes.
Prayers
are usually made according to the sequence in which this one is prayed; as such
it is not appropriate in this case to first mentioned
the boon that is being requested, due to its nature of being the topmost of
rarely attained benedictions.
The
glory of attaining the direct vision of the Lord (saksat-darsana)
within the mind is explained very logically by the personal associates of the
Lord (sri bhagavat parsada) in the Brhad Bhagavatamrta, Uttara Khanda 3.179-182. From
this passage one may gain specific knowledge of these topics.
(Now
the devotional kirtana of the Lord's names, used to
address Him at the beginning of the mula-shloka, will
be explained:) In this sixth verse the word deva indicates he divya rupa - O Lord of divine beauty! This beauty is the cause
for desiring His darsana. The address of damodara intimates specifically that He is glorified for
His excellence of bhakta-vatsalya, or affection for
His devotees (up to the point of allowing them to bind Him around the waist).
Therefore I will be qualified only by bhakti to see
Him with my own eyes. He Who has no end (Whose mercy
has no limits) is addressed as ananta. Therefore He
will certainly shower His glance of mercy and thus favour
me. The address prabhu connotes he acintya-ananta-adbhuta-maha-sakti-yukta - O You Who are
endowed with inconceivable, limitless, astonishingly grand potency! Therefore
You Who cannot be perceived by the senses can only become visible to my eyes by
dint of this same inconceivable sakti of Yours. Addressing Him as isa
suggests - he parama-svatantra
- O You Who are supremely independent! IIn showing Your
favour even to unfit souls, You are dependent on no
one else. And moreover, the address visnu means he sarva-vyapaka - O You Who are
all-pervading! Furthermore, it means - O You Who are
fond of entering into Vrindavana's secluded caves and
bower-cottages! Praying like this indicates that it is not difficult for Him to
come before one's eyes; He does not have to labour
hard to come from a distance.
(Some
additional interpretations of the above-mentioned forms of address are now given:) Or else, he ananta means
that He is aparicchinna or continuously existent
without interval or separation. The address of visnu
means He is sarva-vyapin or living everywhere.
Therefore, he damodara proclaims Him thus - under the
sway of His own parama-vatsalya-visesa or supremely
affectionate attribute, there is absolutely nothing that He cannot do. The
purport of the other words used for addressing Him may also be understood in
terms of these expanded indications.
Thus
ends Sanatana Goswami's
Dig-Darsini-Tika on the sixth shloka
of Sri Sri Damodarastakam.
VERSE 7:
In
this way, by the attributes of pure ecstatic love (prema-visesa)
one becomes infused with supreme longing and prays for direct audience with the
Lord (saksat-darsana). From the attributes of that
prayerful longing arises ecstatic loving service (prema-bhakti), which demonstrates the supreme rarity of saksat-darsana. This prema-bhakti
is verily the only means for attaining His darsana;
first establishing this as a fact, prayer is then offered to Him. Or else - if
one does receive His vision but once, the mind is unsatisfied, and (due to not
seeing Him the very next second) the agony of separation sets in. Holding an
apprehension like this, which perpetually brings the Lord under one's sway, is
a feature of prema-bhakti - which is the one and only
means of maintaining such a condition. This being declared the case, then how
could it possibly be accomplished by such an utmost
offender like me? The answer to this concern is that Sri Bhagavan's
quality of bhakta-vatsalya (affection for His
devotees) makes the impossible quite possible. In order to resolve this for
certain, the proposal of moksha is again rejected
here in the seventh verse beginning with kuveratmajau,
where the prayer is made purely for attaining prema-bhakti.
The
words baddha-murtya indicate
that His sri vigraha
(divine bodily form) was bound with ropes tied to the grinding mortar by Sri Yasoda; by that sri vigraha (He liberated the two sons of Kuvera).
Thus by His dragging the mortar between (the two trees known as yamalarjuna) Bhagavan personally
demonstrates the supreme fortune that comes in the form of saksat-darsana
(seeing His form), personally touching His form, and so forth, which are
integral attributes of His supremely beautiful pastimes. (Even though He
Himself was tied up, now it is described how he liberated Nalakuvara
and Manigriva:) The word mocitau denotes that
they were liberated not just from the curse of Sri Narada,
but from samsara (the material world) as well; they
were not awarded with kevalam or impersonal liberation
of merging into His all-pervading effulgence, but it is definitely stated that
they were gifted with prema-bhakti. These two boys
are described as bhakti-bhajau - they took shelter of
bhakti as the supreme goal. Those who cannot give up
the shelter of devotion in any way, shape or form are called bhakti -bhajam. (Krsna personally
transformed them in this way). Thus it is the intention of the author to
specifically declare that not only were they liberated, but that they were also
awarded with prema-bhakti. In this regard, the Lord
has declared to these two boys in the Bhagavatam
(10.10.42):
"The
sprout of prema for Me,
which was your most supremely cherished goal, has now fully arisen in both of
you. From this ecstatic mood, you will never take birth in the material world
again."
(Srila Sanatana Goswami has elucidated upon this verse in his own
commentary on the Bhagavatam). The purport is - The
word vam ("You two") indicates that Lord
Krsna was addressing the two boys thusly: "The most desire thing you have
prayed for is parama-bhava and you both have fully
developed this prema for Me.
Therefore you will never again experience bhava, the
repeated birth and death in the material world, nor will you feel the misery of
samsara even while living here."
Then,
he damodara! tatha - just
like that - svakam - the exclusive shelter (ashraya) of Your own lotus feet, or else - the exclusive
objective (vishaya) of such a beautiful form as
Yours; namely prema-bhakti - me - unto me - prayaccha - please bestow it unto me in the most lavish
way. (yaccha means
"please give" and the prefix pra indicates prakarshena or "with profusion or intensity").
Verily,
it is just like Lord Sri Krsna is saying, "O he! Why are you so
enthusiastic for prema-bhakti? Just accept liberation
like the two sons of Kuvera, whereby the miseries of
birth and death in the material world are finished." To that, the answer
remains the same - neti - no, thank you. Other than iha, this goal named prema-bhakti - na
mokshe graho me
Or
else, the phrase he damodara! prema-bhaktim
svakam me prayaccha means -
this Bhagavan's belly is bound with ropes, so from
Him one prays for prema-bhakti in order to
perpetually bind His belly; the eagerness for this reciprocation makes it
actually possible. Apprehending such, the prayer continues (na mokshe grahah, etc.), wherein the alarmed devotee offers -
"Do I not have eagerness for You to become liberated from the ropes?"
The purport is: "Yes, I certainly care." This is precisely the
meaning. But all I want from You (in Your bound up
form) is that You bestow my most cherished benediction of prema
bhakti.
Or
else, yet another meaning is - the word iha indicates
"please bestow prema-bhakti here in Vrindavana" - this intention also follows. To
interpret further,, one prays thus because Sri Vrindavana
is the exclusive agent for the arising of prema-bhakti's
unique happiness, also, only in Vrindavana Sri Krsna
especially appears; also, the attributes of His sakshat-darsana
are found there in that form) with His belly bound); and further, one prays for
perpetual residence in Vrindavana because only there
does Sri Bhagavan desire to especially manifest as
the enjoyer of the forest - Vrindavana-Vihari. All
this is additionally evidence. Further details of these topics could be
ascertained as we have been doing herein.
Thus
ends Sanatana Goswami's
Dig-Darsini-Tika on the seventh shloka
of Sri Sri Damodarastakam.
VERSE 8:
Now
at the conclusion of the prayer, in order to summarize the presentation of
topics that are being prayed for, and also to arouse the attributes of bhakti, obeisances are given
separately unto Bhagavan's unique binding,, bodily
limbs, associates, and so on in the verse beginning with namas
te 'stu. It is stated te damne
namo 'stu - I bow to the maha-pasha, the magnificent rope that binds Your belly.
What is this grand rope like? It is sphurantya dipte dhama - the source or
shelter of a splendrous
effulgence. In this regard, it is suggested by the author that such a maha-pasha is the very abode of the (endlessly radiant)
concentrated brahma-teja, or all-pervading brahman effulgence.
After
that, tvadiyaya udaraya namo 'stu - I bow to Your belly. The reason for this is because while bound with
ropes, You especially manifest the beauty and other
qualities of Your belly as well as the glorious characteristics of vatsalya-lila and other pastimes. What is that belly like?
It is stated vishvasya dhama
- that belly is the support for all theee universes in creation, including all
the stationary and moving beings contained therein. From the lotus navel on His
abdomen has sprouted a gigantic lotus flower that sustains the fourteen worlds.
Additionally, (during His childhood pastimes in Vrindavana)
He bodily displayed the vishva-rupa or universal form
to His mother on two occasions. This is another indication. Therefore, in such
a pastime of binding Him by the waist, mother Yasoda
bound up the whole universe, indeed, she brought the entire creation under her
control. This is the proclamation.
It
is never possible to factually bind the (all-pervading, limitlessly potent)
Lord, Who is Isha (the supreme controller), but He
willingly accepts binding as an attribute of His superexcellent affection for
His devotees (bhakta-vatsalya-visesa). And by that
acceptance of binding we are informed that such pastimes are imperceptible to
all the logic and reasoning available within all the material universes. This
is an intimation of His aisvarya-visesa or attributes
of majesty.
The
reason for offering obeisances first unto the rope (dama) and then unto the Lord's belly (udara)
is - because the rope is situated upon His belly. Or furthermore, to indicate
the ascending superiority in the significance of different things, (respects
are first offered to the rope, then to His belly).
Now,
namo radhikayai - obeisances are offered unto His beloved, Bhagavati Sri Radhika. This is
done in order to show that the mercy of His beloved enables one to fully attain
the desire objective - including objectives that are even beyond the range of
desire. By offering obeisances unto Sri Radhika, it is implied that obeisances
are also being offered unto all the gopis. Or else,
since Sri Radhika is the foremost of them all, obeisances are offered only unto Her.
The
word radhika is used here to denote the attributes
and excellence of one who is always engaged in Sri Bhagavan's
aradhana or worship (arranging only for His
pleasure); this is the purpose of using Her specific
name "Radhika" in this text. Therefore - tvadiya-priyayaih - obeisances
unto Your beloved. Or else, this name "Radhika" indicates rudhi (in
grammatical terms, it is capable of conveying a meaning not supported by
derivation). Therefore, regardless of Her aradhana or worship of You, She is still Your eternally dearmost beloved (nitya-priya).
In this connection also, the word tvadiya indicates
that not only is She dear to Yourself, but to all Your
other devotees as well; what more, then, could be said about how dear She is to
You? Additionally, this statement implies that You are
also Her nitya-priya (eternally dear beloved). By such the excellence of Sri Radhika's
love for Sri Krsna (prema-visesa) is suggested.
This the words priyayaih namah in this verse can either mean - my obeisances unto You, Radhika's
beloved; or, my obeisances unto Radhika,
Your beloved. Whoever is beloved to You, such a person
is certainly worshipable for the entire universe.
Therefore, since Radhika is Your
own dearmost beloved, namo
'stu - I bow before Her.
And
finally at the conclusion of the prayer, the author desires to describe the
supreme superexcellence of the rasa-lila
and other transcendental pastimes that Lord Sri Krsna performs with Sri Radhika, but since these are the topmost of confidential
topics, they are not mentioned directly. The logic of madhurena
samapayet - "all undertakings should be
completed sweetly" - applies here. Therefore such confidential pastimes
are referred to only by a mere dint as they are offered obeisances
with the words namo 'nanta-lilaya
(obeisances unto Your
limitless pastimes).
The
word devaya indicates that obeisances
are offered unto Bhagavan Who
is lokottara - supernatural, divine, transcendental.
With this it is intimated that by Damodara Krsna's divinely supernatural quality, then all the lilas performed by Him are also
similarly transcendental. Or else, it could also be interpreted to mean - my obeisances unto You Who are continuously engaged in
pastimes along with Sri Radhika. Therefore, ananta-lilaya tubhyam namah - I offer my respectful obeisances
unto You Who are thus performing limitless pastimes. By the words ananta-lila, it is suggested to include all the pastimes
associated with the realm of Gokula Vrindavana. I offer my obeisances
unto all those lilas, such a
mood is most certainly expressed in this verse.
Thus
ends Sanatana Goswami's
Dig-Darsini-Tika on the eighth sloka
of Sri Sri Damodarastakam.
UPDATED: April 1, 2009