Hari-bhakti-kalpa-latika, Part 9
BY: SUN STAFF
Jul 04, 2019 — CANADA (SUN) — Fourteen clusters of flowers on 'The Flowering Vine of Devotion to Lord Hari'.
NINTH STABAKA
(Ninth Cluster of Flowers)
Text 1
atha vandanam aha—-tat-pada-padma-pravanaih kaya-manasa-bhashitaihpranamo vasudevasya vandanam kathyate budhaih
atha— now; vandanam— offering respectful obeisances; aha— the author describes; tat— of the Lord; pada— of the feet; padma— with bowing down; pravanaih— ; kaya— with body; manasa— mind; bhashitaih— and words; pranamah— respectful obeisances; vasudevasya— to Lord Vasudeva; vandanam— offering respects; kathyate— is described; budhaih— by the learned devotees.
The author now describes vandanam (offering obeisances to the Lord)—
When those who are devoted to Lord Hari's lotus feet offer respects to Him with their body, mind, or words, this is called vandanam (offering obeisances) by the learned devotees.
Text 2
kim vidyaya parama-yoga-pathais ca kim tair
abhyasato 'pi shatasho janibhir duruhaih
vande mukundam iha yan-nati-matrakena
karmany apohya paramam padam eti lokah
kim— what is the need?; vidaya— of knowledge; parama— transcendental; yoga— of yoga; pathaih— of the path; ca— and; kim— what is the need?; taih— of these; abhyasatah— by continual cultivation; api— even; shatashah— hundreds; janibhih— by births; duruhiah— difficult to attain; vande— I offer my respectful obeisances; iha— here; yat— to whom; nati— by offering obeisances; matrakena— only; karmani— the bondage of karma; apohya— rejecting; paramam— supreme; padam— abode; eti— goes; lokah— a person.
What need is there to perform the different yoga-systems, which are difficult to perfect even in hundreds of births? What need is there to struggle to attain transcendental knowledge? I shall offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Krishna, for simply by offering obeisances to Him, one may become free from the bonds of karma and attain the supreme spiritual world.
Text 3
krishne natis tanu-bhritam ashubham shubham va
karmaugham unmathayatiti kim atra citram
yan niyate niyatam eva mani-prabheda-
sparshena kevalam ayo 'pi hiranmayatvam
krishne— to Lord Krishna; natih— obeisances; tanu-bhritam— of the living entities residing in material bodies; ashubham— inauspicious; shubham— auspicious; va—or; karma— of karmic reactions; ogham— the flood; unmathayati— destroys; iti— thus; kim— what?; atra— in this regard; citram— is amazing; yat— because; niyate— is led; niyatam— certainly; eva— indeed; mani— of jewel; prabheda— of a specific; sparshena— by the touch; kevalam— only; ayah— iron; api— even; hiranmayatvam— to the state of being gold.
Those persons in this material world who offer respectful obeisances to Lord Krishna become free from the bonds of previously performed auspicious and inauspicious works. This is not at all surprising, for a similar process is observed when even iron becomes gold when touched by a certain jewel.
Text 4
duye na duhkha-nivahair vividhair apiha
puyeya tirtha-salila-snapanam vinaiva
duye na cantaka-cirantana-danda-bhitya
huye na karma-nivahair yadi tam-namami
duye— I am distressed; na— not; duhkha— of sufferings; nivahaih— by the multitudes; vividhaih— various; api— even; eha— here, in the material world; puyeya— I become purified; tirtha— of the places of pilgrimage; salila— of the water; snapanam— bathing; vina— without; eva— certainly; dhuye— I tremble; na— not; ca— and; antaka— of Yamaraja; cirantana— ancient; danda— of the scepter; bhitya— with fear; huye— I am called; na— not; karma— of fruitive activities; nivahaih— by multitudes; yadi— if; tam— to Him; namami— I offer respectful obeisances.
I shall not need to bathe in the holy places of pilgrimage to become purified, I shall not experience the various sufferings of material existence, I shall not tremble in fear of Yamaraja's ancient scepter, and I shall not become attracted to materialistic activities, if I offer respectful obeisances to Lord Krishna.
Text 5
kim ca—-
tam sarvatah samam ananta-sukhamburashim
bhaktyanata-pranayinam nikhiladhinatham
tat-pada-pankaja-rasasava-gandha-lubdha
vaca hrida ca vapusha ca namanti dhirah
kim ca— and furthermore; tam— to Him; sarvatah— to everyone; samam— equal; ananta— unlumited; sukha— of bliss; amburashim— ocean; bhakti— with devotion; anata— bowed down; pranayinam— affectionate; nikhila— of everything and everyone; adhinatham— the Supreme Lord; tat— of His; pada— of the feet; pankaja— of the lotus flower; rasa— of the honey; asava— loquor; gandha— aroma; lubdhah— greddy; vaca— with words; hrida— with mind; ca— and; vapusha— with body; ca— and; namanti— offer respectful obeisances; dhirah— intelligent.
Greedy to attain a tiny drop of the intoxicating honey of His lotus feet, those who are intelligent offer respectful obeisances with body, mind, and words to Lord Krishna. That Lord Krishna is very affectionate to those who offer obeisances to Him with devotion. He is like an unlimited ocean of spiritual bliss, and He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is equal to all.
Text 6
cittena cetasi parisphurad eva nityam
sarvatmakam ca vacasa vapushakhila-stham
vandanta eva kritinas caranaravindam
ananda-sandra-makarandam arindamasya
cittena— by thought; cetasi— in the mind; parisphurat— manifest; eva— certainly; nityam— eternally; sarva— of everyone; atmakam— the soul; ca— and; vacasa— with words; vapusha— with body; akhila— in everything; stham— situated; vandante— offer respectful obeisances; eva— certainly; kritinah— those who are intelligent; carana— feet; aravindam— lotus flower; ananda— of spiritual bliss; sandra—thick; makarandam— with honey; arindamasya— of Lord Krishna, who defeats His enemies.
Those who are intelligent offer respectful obeisances, with body and words to Lord Krishna's lotus feet, which are always manifested within their thoughts. Those lotus feet are filled with the thick honey of transcendental bliss, and they are situated within everything.
Text 7
tad yatha—
sphurad-amala-nakhendu-kanti-kantam
nava-kamalodara-shonimabhiramam
kvanita-kanaka-nupuram prapadye
kishalaya-komalam acyutanghri-padmam
tat— that; yatha— just as; sphurat— manifest; amala— pure; nakha— of the nails; indu—moons; kanti— with the brilliance; kantam— beautiful; nava— fresh; kamala— of a lotus flower; udara— mikkle; shonima— with reddness; abhiramam— delightful; kvanita— tinkling; kanaka— golden; nupuram— with bells; prapadye— i take shelter; kishalaya— like a blossoming branch; komalam— charmingly delicate; acyuta— of the infalliable Supreme Personality of Godhead; anghri— of the feet; padmam— of the lotus flower.
The author describes how to offer obeisances to Lord Krishna—- Let me take shelter of Lord Krishna's lotus feet, which are as charmingly delicate as a newly budding branch and decorated with tinkling golden ankle-bells. They are as delightfully reddish as the middle of a lotus flower, and they are beautifully illumined by the purely shining moons, which are the Lord's toenails.
Text 8
amala-kamala-padmaraga-ramyam
nava-nananita-shirisha-saukumaryam
dhvaja-kamala-yavankushadi-cihnam
hari-caranambujam avyayam prapadye
amala— splendid; kamala— lotus flower; padmaraga— ruby; ramyam— delightful; nava— fresh; navanita— butter; shirisha— sirisa flower; saukumaryam— delicate; dhvaja—flag; kamala—lotus; yava— barley— corn; ankusha— rod for controlling elephants; adi— and other; cihnam— marks; hari— of Lord Hari; carana— feet; ambujam— lotus; avyayam— eternal; prapadye— let me take shelter.
Let me take shelter of Lord Hari's lotus feet, which are as delightfully beautiful as a ruby or a splendid lotus flower. They bear the auspicious impressions of the flag, lotus, barleycorn, and rod for controlling elephants, and many other similar markings. They are as delicate as newly churned butter or the beautiful shirisha flower.
Text 9
vajrankusha-dhvaja-saroja-virajamanam
rajyan-nakhendu-kirana-dvigunarunabham
manjira-manjula-mani-dyuti-dipitangam
vande 'ravinda-nayanasya padaravindam
vajra— thunderbolt; ankusha— rod for controlling elephants; dhvaja— flag; saroja— lotus flower; virajamanam— shining; fajyat— glittering; nakha— nails; indu— moons; kirana— with the effulgence; dve-guna—doubly; aruna— abham— splendor; manjira— ankle-bells; manjula— attractive; mani— jewels; dyuti— with the effulgence; dipita— illumined; angam— limb; vande— I offer respectful obeisances; aravinda— as a lotus flower; nayanasya— of He who has eyes like; pada— the feet; aravindam— lotus flower.
I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Krishna's lotus feet, which are splendidly decorated with the marks of the thunderbolt, flag, lotus flower, and rod for controlling elephants. They glisten with ankle-bells and glittering jewels. They are reddish, and they are illumined by the shining moons which are the toenails of the Lord.
Text 10
lila-lasya-kala-madalasa-gatam vrindavanantash-ciram
go-vrindanupadanugam madhurata-dhamabhiramarunam
sandrananda-rasakaram vraja-vadhu-vrindena samsevitam
shri-govinda-padaravindam atulanandaya vandamahe
lila— with pastimes; lasya— of dancing; kala— with the art; mada— with great enthusiasm; alasa-gatam— fatigued; vrindavana— of Vrndavana forest; antah— in the mikkle; ciram— for a long time; go— of cows; vrinda— of the herd; anupada— close behind; anugam— following; madhurata— sweetness; dhama— abode; abhirama— beautiful; arunam— reddish; sandra— intense; ananda— bliss; rasa— of the mellows; akaram— mine; vraja— of Vrajabhumi; vadhu— of the gopis; vrindena— by the multitude; samsevitam— served; shri-govinda— of Lord Govinda; pada— feet; aravindam— lotus flower; atula— incomparable; anandaya— to attain bliss; vandamahe— lit us offer respedtful obeisances.
In order to attain incomparable transcendental bliss, let us offer our respectful obeisances to Lord Krishn's lotus feet. Those feet become fatigued by enthusiastic playful dancing, and they spend a long time in the middle of Vrindavana forest, closely following the surabhi cows. They are the abode of all sweetness, and they are delightfully reddish. They are filled with intense transcendental bliss, and they are worshipped by the gopis of Vrajabhumi.
Text 11
evam sancintayann eva
jalpann eva muhur muhuh
sashtangam nipatan bhumau
vandetananda-sagaram
evam— in this way; sancintayan— meditating; eva— certainly; jalpan— speaking; eva— certainly; muhuh muhuh— at every monent; sa— with; ashta— eight; angam— limbs; niptan— falling; bhumau— on the ground; vandeta— one should offer obeisances; ananda— of spiritual bliss; sagaram— like an ocean.
Meditating and offering prayers in this way and repeatedly falling down on the ground, one should offer obeisances to Lord Krishna, who is like an ocean of spiritual bliss.
Text 12
vidya-tapo-'bhijanata-dhana-sampadader
manam madam ca ripuvat parihritya dhirah
akitam ashvapacam atrina-vidvaraham
sarvam jagatkshitishu dandavad anamanti
vidya— of knowledge; tapah— austerity; abhijanata—high birth; dhana— wealth; sampat— good fortune; adeh— etc.; manam— pride; madam— intoxication; ca— and; ripu— an enemy; vat— like; parihritya— avoiding; dhirah— ; akitam— down to the insects; ashvapacam— down to the dog-eaters (outcastes); atrina— to the blades of grass; vid-varaham— to the hogs; sarvam— the entire; jagat— to the universe; kshitishu— on the ground; dandavat— falling down like a stick; anamanti— offer respectful obeisances.
Those who are intelligent avoid the intoxicating pride connected with acquisition of knowledge, austerity, noble birth, wealth and good-fortune, considering these things to be their enemies. Those intelligent persons fall down of the ground like a stick to offer respectful obeisances to all living entities in the universe. They offer respects in this way even to the outcastes, hogs, insects, and blades of grass.
Text 13
akita-brahma-paryantam
yavantah sthira-jangamah
krishnatmakan manyamanas tan
sarvan pranamed budhah
akita— from the insect; brahma— Lord Brahma; paryantam— up to; yavantah— as many as there are; sthira— stationary; jangamah— and moving entities; krishna— to Lord Krishna; atmakana— devoted with life and soul; manyamanah— considering; tan— them; sarvan— all; pranamet— may offer respectful obeisances; budhah— an intelligent devotee.
An intelligent person may offer respectful obeisances to all moving and non-moving entities from Brahma down to the insects, for he considers them all to be pure devotees who have surrendered to Lord Krishna with their life and soul.
Text 14
ittham caracara-guroh purushottamasya
shashvat-pranama-parimarjita-shuddha-sattvah
tat-pada-padma-vishaye rasikendriyaugha
dasyam harer vidadhate pranayopaharaih
ittham— in this way; cara— of the moving; acara— and unmoving entities; guroh— of the master; purisha— person; uttamasya— supreme; shashvat— continual; pr\nama— by obeisances; parimarjita— purified; shuddha— sattvah— beyond the modes of material nature; tat— of the Lord; pada— of the feet; padma— lotus flower; vishaye— in the area; rasika— relishing the happiness; indriya— of senses; oghah— multitude; dasyam—devotional service; hareh— of Lord Hari; vidadhate— perform; pranaya— of love; upaharaih— with offerings.
In this way the devotees, all material impurity washed away by repeatedly offering obeisances to the Lord and their senses delighting in the Lord's lotus feet, lovingly serve Lord Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and master of all moving and non-moving living entities.
Permission for publication of this series granted by Touchstone Media, the publisher. www.touchstonemedia.com.
