CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Analysis of the Goal of Devotional Service (prayojana vicarah)
03.15.43 Brahma to the Demigods
tasyaravinda-nayanasya padaravinda-
kishjalka-mishra-tulasi-makaranda-vayuh
antar-gatah sva-vivarena cakara tesham
sankshobham akshara jusham api citta-tanvoh
tasya--of Him; aravinda-nayanasya--of the lotus-eyed Lord; pada-aravinda—of the lotus feet; kishjalka--with the toes; mishra--mixed; tulasi--the tulasi leaves; makaranda—fragrance; vayuh--breeze; antah-gatah--entered within; sva-vivarena--through their nostrils; cakara--made; tesham--of the Kumaras; sankshobham—agitation for change; akshara jusham--attached to impersonal Brahman realization; api--even though; citta-tanvoh--in both mind and body.
When the breeze carrying the aroma of tulasi leaves from the toes of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead entered the nostrils of those sages, they experienced a change both in body and in mind, even though they were attached to the impersonal Brahman understanding.
03.15.50 The Four Kumaras to Lord Narayana
pradushcakartha yad idam puruhuta rupam
tenesha nirivrtim avapur alam drisho nah
tasma idam bhagavate nama id vidhema
yo 'natmanam durudayo bhagavan pratitah
pradushcakartha--You have manifested; yat—which; idam—this; puruhuta--O greatly worshiped; rupam—eternal form; tena—by that form; isha--O Lord; nirvritim--satisfaction; avapuh--obtained; alam—so much; drishah--vision; nah--our; tasmai--unto Him; idam—this; bhagavate—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; namah--obeisances; it--only; vidhema--let us offer; yah--who; anatmanam--of those who are less intelligent; durudayah—cannot be seen; bhagavan--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pratitah--has been seen by us.
O Lord, we therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto Your eternal form as the Personality of Godhead, which You have so kindly manifested before us. Your supreme, eternal form cannot be seen by unfortunate, less intelligent persons, but we are so much satisfied in our mind and vision to see it.
10.87.38 The Personified Vedas to Maha-Vishnu
sa yad ajaya tv ajam anushayita gunamsh ca jushan
bhajati sarupatam tad anu mrityum apeta-bhagah
tvam uta jahasi tam ahir iva tvacam atta-bhago
mahasi mahiyase 'shta-gunite 'parimeya-bhagah
sah—he (the individual living entity); yat—because; ajaya—by the influence of the material energy; tu—but; ajam—that material energy; anushayita—lies down next to; gunan—her qualities; ca—and; jushan—assuming; bhajati—he takes on; sa-rupatam—forms resembling (the qualities of nature); tat-anu—following that; mrityum—death; apeta—deprived; bhagah—of his assets; tvam—You; uta—on the other hand; jahasi—leave aside; tam—her (the material energy); ahih—a snake; iva—as if; tvacam—its (old, discarded) skin; atta-bhagah—endowed with all assets; mahasi—in Your spiritual powers; mahiyase—You are glorified; ashta-gunite—eightfold; aparimeya—unlimited; bhagah—whose greatness.
The illusory material nature attracts the minute living entity to embrace her, and as a result he assumes forms composed of her qualities. Subsequently, he loses all his spiritual qualities and must undergo repeated deaths. You, however, avoid the material energy in the same way that a snake abandons its old skin. Glorious in Your possession of eight mystic perfections, You enjoy unlimited opulences.
03.15.48 The Four Kumaras to Lord Narayana
natyantikam viganayanty api te prasadam
kimv anyad arpita-bhayam bhruva unnayais te
ye 'nga tvad-anghri-sharana bhavatah kathayah
kirtanya-tirtha-yashasah kushala rasa jnah
na—not; atyantikam--liberation; viganayanti--care for; api--even; te--those; prasadam—benedictions; kim u--what to speak; anyat—other material happinesses; arpita--given; bhayam—fearfulness; bhruvah—of the eyebrows; unnayaih—by the raising; te--Your; ye--those devotees; anga--O Supreme Personality of Godhead; tvat—Your; anghri—lotus feet; sharanah--who have taken shelter; bhavatah--Your; kathayah--narrations; kirtanya--worth chanting; tirtha--pure; yashasah—glories; kushalah—very expert; rasa jnah--knowers of the mellows or humors.
Persons who are very expert and most intelligent in understanding things as they are engaged in hearing narrations of the auspicious activities and pastimes of the Lord, which are worth chanting and worth hearing. Such persons do not care even for the highest material benediction, namely liberation, to say nothing of other less important benedictions like the material happiness of the heavenly kingdom.
11.13.35 Hamsa-avatara to the Four Kumaras
drishtim tatah pratinivartya nivritta-trishnas
tushnim bhaven nija-sukhanubhavo nirihah
sandrishyate kva ca yadidam avastu-buddhya
tyaktam bhramaya na bhavet smritir a-nipatat
drishtim—sight; tatah—from that illusion; pratinivartya—pulling away; nivritta—ceased; trishnah—material hankering; tushnim—silent; bhavet—one should become; nija—one's own (of the soul); sukha—happiness; anubhavah—perceiving; nirihah—without material activities; sandrishyate—is observed; kva ca—sometimes; yadi—if; idam—this material world; avastu—of not being reality; buddhya—by the consciousness; tyaktam—given up; bhramaya—further illusion; na—not; bhavet—may become; smritih—remembrance; a-nipatat—until giving up the material body.
Having understood the temporary illusory nature of material things, and thus having pulled one's vision away from illusion, one should remain without material desires. By experiencing the happiness of the soul, one should give up material speaking and activities. If sometimes one must observe the material world, one should remember that it is not ultimate reality and therefore one has given it up. By such constant remembrance up till the time of death, one will not again fall into illusion.
11.13.36-37 Hamsa-avatara to the Four Kumaras
deham ca nashvaram avasthitam utthitam va
siddho na pashyati yato 'dhyagamat svarupam
daivad apetam atha daiva-vashad upetam
vaso yatha parikritam madira-madandhah
deham—the material body; ca—also; nashvaram—to be destroyed; avasthitam—seated; utthitam—risen; va—or; siddhah—one who is perfect; na pashyati—does not see; yatah—because; adhyagamat—he has achieved; sva-rupam—his actual spiritual identity; daivat—by destiny; apetam—departed; atha—or thus; daiva—of destiny; vashat—by the control; upetam—achieved; vasah—clothes; yatha—just as; parikritam—placed on the body; madira—of liquor; mada—by the intoxication; andhah—blinded.
Just as a drunken man does not notice if he is wearing his coat or shirt, similarly, one who is perfect in self-realization and who has thus achieved his eternal identity does not notice whether the temporary body is sitting or standing. Indeed, if by God's will the body is finished or if by God's will he obtains a new body, a self-realized soul does not notice, just as a drunken man does not notice the situation of his outward dress. (36)
deho 'pi daiva-vasha-gah khalu karma yavat
svarambhakam pratisamikshata eva sasuh
tam sa-prapashcam adhirudha-samadhi-yogah
svapnam punar na bhajate pratibuddha-vastuh
dehah—the body; api—even; daiva—of the Supreme; vasha-gah—under the control; khalu—indeed; karma—the chain of fruitive activities; yavat—as long as; sva-arambhakam—that which initiates or perpetuates itself; pratisamikshate—goes on living and waiting; eva—certainly; sa-asuh—along with the vital air and senses; tam—that (body); sa-prapashcam—with its variety of manifestations; adhirudha—highly situated; samadhi—the stage of perfection; yogah—in the yoga system; svapnam—just like a dream; punah—again; na bhajate—does not worship or cultivate; pratibuddha—one who is enlightened; vastuh—in the supreme reality.
The material body certainly moves under the control of supreme destiny and therefore must continue to live along with the senses and vital air as long as one's karma is in effect. A self- realized soul, however, who is awakened to the absolute reality and who is thus highly situated in the perfect stage of yoga, will never again surrender to the material body and its manifold manifestations, knowing it to be just like a body visualized in a dream. (37)
11.14.24 Shri Krishna to Uddhava
vag gadgada dravate yasya cittam
rudaty abhikshnam hasati kvacic ca
vilajja udgayati nrityate ca
mad-bhakti-yukto bhuvanam punati
vak—speech; gadgada—choked up; dravate—melts; yasya—of whom; cittam—the heart; rudati—cries; abhikshnam—again and again; hasati—laughs; kvacit—sometimes; ca—also; vilajjah—ashamed; udgayati—sings out loudly; nrityate—dances; ca—also; mat-bhakti-yuktah—one fixed in devotional service to Me; bhuvanam—the universe; punati—purifies.
A devotee whose speech is sometimes choked up, whose heart melts, who cries continually and sometimes laughs, who feels ashamed and cries out loudly and then dances - a devotee thus fixed in loving service to Me purifies the entire universe.
