Sri Sri Gaur Vidhur-jayati

Sri Sri Sri Brihad-Bhâgavatâmritam

with commentary by

108 Sri Srimad Ananta das Babaji Maharaj,

Pandit and Mahant of Sri Radhakund

First Part

First Chapter (Bhouma)

“vande’ham sriguroh sriyuta-padakamalam sri gurun-vaishnavâmshcha

sri rupam sâgrajâtam sahagana-raghunâthân-vitam tam sajeevam,

sâdwaitam sâvadhutam parijana-sahitam krishna-chaitanya-devam

sri râdhâ-krishna-pâdân sahagana-lalitâ-sri-vishâkhânvitâmshcha.”

“shachi-tanuja-gourachandra-bhaktavrinda-toshakam

swakirtirvardhanam samastasâdhubhih sabhâjitam,

sadaiva râdhikâ-varânghripankajâalimânasam

bhajâmyaham mahâshayam kripâmbudhim sanâtanam.”

Narad Muni out to ascertain the best recepient of kripa

Once upon a time Janamejaya (son of Parikshit) heard the wonderful story of Mahâbhârat from Mahâmuni Jaimini. He heard the last part of the story with special eagerness and said – “Dear brahmin, although I heard Mahâbhârat from Maharshi Vaishampâyan earlier, I did not relish so much ras, as I have relished from you. Now please end the story on a sweet note as well.” Sri Jaimini replied – “O best amongst the kings! Vyâsdev beheld Sri Bhagavân, Bhakti Devi and Maya Shakti in Bhakti–Samadhi-yoga. He realized directly the beauty and sweet pastimes of the Lord and compiled Srimad-Bhâgavatam. His son Sri Shukadev Muni, who was the result of his immense austerity, was âtmârâm^[1] and âptakâm^[2]. He was very much attracted to Sri Krishna and studied the entire Srimad-Bhâgavatam, although it is a very large text. On the other hand, your father had been cursed by a brahmin and was waiting for his death on the banks of the Gangâ. Sri Shukadev recited the nectarine Srimad-Bhâgavatam in his assembly and relieved him from the fear of death as well as aroused supreme bhakti in his heart.

When King Parikshit’s mother Uttarâ saw her son nearing his supremely glorious end – a goal that he desired, she was overwhelmed with sorrow. Maharaj Parikshit explained to his mother about the immortality of the soul and said that birth and death are nothing but the rule of the material world. She was consoled and said, “Dear child, Sripâd Bâdarâyani^[3] is the best of the paramahamsas. He has gifted you with the relish of the nectarine divine ras called Srimad-Bhâgavatam. If you could narrate to me even a slight bit of its gist, that is most enjoyable, then I shall feel blessed.”

When Parikshit heard Uttarâ’s request, he said – “Dear mother, there is hardly any time left for me to journey to the next world, hence if you wish to hear in brief what my most worshiped Spiritual Master Sri Shukadev Muni has narrated to me – the most confidential part – that is – the meditation on the nocturnal pastimes of Sri Vrindâban, then I can describe to you little bit, since time is very short. Mother Uttare replied, “My child, sugar is the condensed form of sugarcane, while amritam is the condensed for the Ksheersâgar (ocean of milk). Similarly, what you are about to describe (the gist of Srimad-Bhâgavatam) is certainly the sweetest portion of the entire Srimad-Bhâgavatam. Please speak from your own realization and make me relish at least little bit.”

King Parikshit was supremely pleased when he saw how eager his mother was to hear the divine discourse. He became impatient with joy and decided to make his mother relish the best and the sweetest portion – the cream – of Srimad-Bhâgavatam. He said, “Dear mother! Although I shall depart very soon, and I had decided to keep a vow of silence, yet your question is so sweet, that it forces me to speak. By the mercy of my Spiritual Master Shukadev Muni, I shall narrate the nectarine Srimad-Bhâgavatam to you. Please listen attentively and with self-control.”

“Dear mother! Once in the month of Mâgh, the best of the sages had gathered around Sri Mâdhav, in Prayâg, which is the king of all holy places. Meanwhile a wealthy brahmin desired to feed some devotees and arrived there with his relatives. He cleaned one spot and worshiped the Supreme Lord in the form of Shâlagrâm shilâ with many ingredients. After the sevâ, he fed many brahmins, Vaishnavs, the poor and the suffering with mahâprasâd with reverence. Ultimately he partook of the prasâd and offered all the fruits of his karma to Sri Bhagavân. Later on, he seated Lord Shâlagrâm on the throne and prepared to leave. Devarshi Nârad, who was watching all this, felt that he wanted to ascertain who the best recipient of Sri Krishna’s kripâ was. Therefore, as the brahmin was about to leave, he got up from the assembly of the sages and told him – “O great brahmin, you alone are the supreme recipient of Sri Krishna-kripâ.” The brahmin replied, “O sage! What characteristic of divine kripâ did you see in me? I don’t think I have received any kripâ whatsoever. If you indeed wish to see what divine kripâ is like, then please go to a king who lives in south India. He is a great devotee and see how wonderfully he, along with his entire family, serves Sri Krishna and His devotees. The manner in which he welcomes guests and his excellent qualities will astonish you.” When Sri Nârad heard this, he became most curious. He went to the city where the king lived. He saw that the king was more wonderful than what the brahmin had described. He was serving the Deity of Sri Bhagavân that is eternal, conscious and blissful in his capital city, in an excellent manner. He used to arrange grand new festivals every day and serve the Vaishnavs with delicious prasâdam.

Sri Nârad was supremely pleased. He approached the king and said, “Dear King! You have indeed received Sri Krishna’s kripâ, for you have engaged all your wealth and facilities to serve the Supreme Being and His devotees.” The Mahârâja was embarrassed to hear his own praise from Devarshi Nârad. He bowed his head and said, “O Devarshi! We are human beings; we are suffering under the threefold misery; how is it possible for worthless beings such as myself to receive Sri Krishna-kripâ? If you wish to see Krishna-kripâ, then please visit the devatâs residing in the heaven. They drink nectar and so do not fall ill or die. Again, Indra is the best of the devatâs. Even Bhagavân Vishnu has accepted the position of his younger brother in the form of Lord Vâman. This means that He has acceded to being under Indra’s command.”

(Here, we should note the point that, ‘bhakti’ implies ‘sevâ’. According to our desire, sometimes we perform sevâ to please God, and at other times we serve to satisfy ourselves. When we serve God with the sole desire to please Him, then it is called ‘pure-bhakti’, while when we perform sevâ to satisfy ourselves, it is called ‘adulterated-bhakti’. This adulteration can comprise of karma, gyân, yog etc. So far, the bhakti we have studied is that adulterated by karma. It is also called ‘ârop-siddha bhakti’.^[4] It means that, although it is not bhakti in the true sense, the person performing this type of bhakti appears to have bhakti-bhâv. Revered Sri Sanâtan Goswâmi wants to prove that pure devotion is the topmost. Therefore at first he has presented the brahmin of Prayâg, whose bhakti is adulterated with karma^[5], as the recipient of Sri Krishna-kripâ.)

(contd……..)