In2-MeC

Wroclaw, Poland
16 September 2004 

Notes on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura's rendition of Srimad-Bhagavatam 1. 2. 20, translated by Punya-palaka Prabhu of ISKCON Prague.

The verse as it appears in the BBT edition of Srimad-Bhagavatam, translated by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:

evam prasanna-manaso
bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah
bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam
mukta-sangasya jayate

Thus established in the mode of unalloyed goodness, the man whose mind has been enlivened by contact with devotional service to the Lord gains positive scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead in the stage of liberation from all material association.

Srila Sarasvati Thakura's prose order (anvaya) translation from Sanskrit to Bengali, with English meanings of the Bengali phrases added:

Evam (purvokta-prakarena = achieved in the above-mentioned way) bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah (bhagavad-bhajana-prabhavat = by the influence of worshiping the Lord) prasanna-manasah (prasanta-cittasya ataeva = of the mind therefore pacified) mukta-sangasya (kamadi-basana-sunyasya sadhakasya = of the sadhaka who is free from desires based on lust etc. ) bhagavat-tattva-vijnana (bhagavatah tattvasya sac-cid-ananda-vigrahatva-vibhu-caitanyatvasya vijnanam anubhavah saksat-kara iti sri-jiva-padah = the one who directly realizes the truth about the Lord as the all-pervading living force who has His form which is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss, that is the glorious spirit soul) jayate (bhavati = becomes)

Srila Sarasvati Thakura's Bengali form of the verse:

ei prokar santo-ceta kamadi basona-sunyo sadhaker sa-saktika bhagavaj-jnan ba saksad-anubhaver udoe hoe

English translation:

In the practitioner who has in this way pacified his mind and has become free from all desires based on lust etc. appears the empowered knowledge of the Lord, or the direct realization.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura's Sanskrit comment:

evam anena prakarenasakti-purvakam pratiksanam bhagavatah krsnasya bhajanam kurvatah prasanna-manasah utpanna-rater ity arthah ratya vina sarvatha visayasam-sparsasyan-utpattes tena vina ca manah prasadasambhavad iti. tatas ca bhagavati bhakti-yogah prema tasmac ca bhagavatas tattvasya sva-rupa-guna-lilaisvarya-madhuryasya vijnanam anubhavah ity anubhavah ity anusamhitam bhakteh phalam uktam (Bhag. 1. 2. 7) janayaty asu vairagyam jnanam ca yad ahaitukam iti yat purvam uktam tad idam eva jneyam mukta-sangasya utpanna-vairagyasya.

Srila Sarasvati Thakura's rendition of Srila Cakravartipada's comment:

The point is that the mind of the sadhaka who always worships Lord Sri Krsna, having achieved attachment to it in this way, becomes satisfied which means that his attraction to the topics of the Lord has developed. The reason for this is that without rati (or bhava), one is not freed from the contact with all kinds of sense enjoyments, and without becoming free from the enjoying spirit it is impossible for the mind to become satisfied. Thereafter (after the awakening of bhava-bhakti) loving connection with the Lord, or love for Him (prema) appears, and from this love in bhakti-yoga comes the knowledge or realization of His form, qualities, activities, opulence and sweetness. About this knowledge it has been said in the scripture that it is the result of fixed, unfailing bhakti. As it was stated earlier: "If one engages in devotional service to Lord Vasudeva, he quickly acquires detachment and causeless knowledge"--here we can see that. Mukta-sangasya means "of one whose detachment has arisen. "

Srila Sarasvati Thakura explains:

After the living entity became free from unwanted desires and situated in steady devotional service, he realizes the truth about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. At that time his mind becomes satisfied, because through loving devotional service it has become liberated from the clutches of lamentation and hankering. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita [18. 55]:

bhaktya mam abhijanati
yavan yas casmi tattvatah
tato mam tattvato jnatva
visate tad-anantaram

One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.

<< Back