Sri Brhad Bhagatamrtam
by
Srila Sanatan Goswami
Part One,
Sri Bhagavata-kripa-nirdhara
(The Search For the Lord's Mercy)
Chapter One: Bhauma Nama (The Earth)
1 Glory to He who is a great ocean of many sweetnesses, who is scented with the fragrance of youth, and who, in the form of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, descended (to this world) to give pure love for His own lotus feet and to personally taste the perfect eternal love felt by the gopis.
2 Glory to the gopis headed by Srimati Radharani, who are famous as the beloveds of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the sweetness of whose intimate relationship with Lord Hari no one will ever have the slightest power to describe.
3 Glory to Lord Hari who, seeing the very sweet love His dear devotees bear for Him, eagerly descended (to this world) in the form of a devotee, who is now splendid as gold, who is dressed as a sannyasi, who is the son of Srimati Saci-devi, and who bears the name Sri Krishna Chaitanya.
4 Glory to Goddess Mathura, the best and most beautiful of cities, dear to Lord Krishna, beautified with His birth-pastime, the place where His pastimes are narrated eternally, the place that, because it removes all sins and grants liberation and devotional service, is eternally glorified in this world.
5 Glory, glory to Vrndavana forest, the place dearer to Lord Krishna than the transcendental realm of Vaikuntha, the place where Lord Krishna eternally protects the surabhi cows, and where, sweetly playing the flute, He arouses the pure love of the gopis in the arena of the rasa dance.
6 Glory to the Yamuna River, which is the daughter of the sun-god, the sister of Yamaraja, the friend of Mathura, superior to Ganges, and very dear to Lord Krishna, and which flows with what seems to be water but is actually the nectar of the lotus flower of Lord Krishna's feet.
7 Glory to Govardhana Hill, the king of mountains, the hill the gopis declared was the best servant of Lord Hari, the hill personally worshipped by Lord Krishna when He stopped the indra-yajna, the hill that for seven days rested on Lord Krishna's lotus hand.
8 Glory, glory to devotional service in pure love for Krishna. Rejected by the devotees, finally understanding the confidential secret of all Vedic knowledge, and abandoning all trust in mantra chanting, Vedic sacrifices, and severe austerity, liberation now worships the feet of devotional service. Liberation now yearns to take shelter of the feet of devotion.
9 All glories, all glories, to the all-blissful holy name of Sri Krishna, which causes the devotee to give up all conventional religious duties, meditation, and worship. When somehow or other uttered even once by a living entity, the holy name awards him liberation. The holy name of Krishna is the highest nectar. It is my very life and my only treasure.*
10 Obeisances to boundlessly merciful Lord Sri Krishnacandra who, appearing as Sri Chaitanya, distributed the nectar of pure love of God in the age of Kali.
11 This book is bhakti literatures' essence, which was revealed by the Lord who is dear to the heart.
Note: The Lord who is dear to the heart is Nanda's son, who plays the flute and whose handsome form gracefully bends in three places. By his mercy He appeared in the heart and revealed the truth of devotional service.
Another interpretation is "Chaitanyadeve" is "Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu" and "rupa" is "Srila Rupa Gosvami". Then the phrase becomes :which was revealed by Srila Rupa Gosvami, who is dear to Lord Chaitanyadeva."
12 May the saintly devotees hear this confidential book, the Bhagavatamrta (the nectar of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His devotees), which Jaimini Rsi affectionately spoke to Maharaj Janamejaya.
13 Hearing the wonderful story of Mahabharata from Jaimini, the king of sages, and becoming very eager to hear more, Maharaj Janamejaya, the son of Maharaj Pariksit, asked:
14 Sri Janamejaya said: O brahmana, the sweet nectar I found in your narration of Mahabharata I did not find in Vaisampayana's version. Please now sweetly finish that story.
15-17 Sri Jaimini said: Sri Pariksit was the best of kings, and by Sukadev's instructions he had become free of all fears, wise in all spiritual knowledge, and plunged in love for Sri Krishna. At that moment when he was about to ascend to his desired destination in the spiritual world, his mother, Uttara, who was a great devotee of Lord Krishna, and who was flooded with love, and who was first distressed but who was then encouraged by her son, had at last become cheerful, she asked:
18 Sri Uttara said: Son, as nectar was taken from the ocean of milk, please extract for me the essence of Sukadev's teachings.
19 Sri Jaimini said: Maharaj Pariksit, who was both affectionate to his mother and eager to repeat the very wonderful nectar history of Lord Govinda he had heard, respectfully said:
20 Maharaj Pariksit said: Mother, although at this time I wished to follow a vow of silence, the sweetness of your question makes me eager to speak.
21-3 Bowing down, by my guru Srila Sukadev Gosvami's mercy, to the infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead, who gave life to both you and your son, by the power of his mercy I will speak the beautiful Bhagavatamrta, the nectar of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His devotees, which the great devotees extracted with great effort, which is the great conclusion of the assembly of sages, and which is a great secret. Please listen with great attention.
24-5 Once, during the month of Magha, at Prayaga, the best of holy places, many great sages bathed in the morning, happily sat down near the Deity of Lord Madhava and, thinking how to attain spiritual success, praised each other, saying "You are dear to Lord Krishna."
26 O mother, then a great brahmana devotee of the Lord came there to Dasasvamedha-tirtha.
27 A wealthy landowner, he and his associates had come to feed the brahmanas.
28 That great soul performed his morning duties, set aside a large area, and brought many wonderful things.
29 He quickly fashioned a charming courtyard, set up many open tents, and anointed the ground with his own hand.
30 Then he placed Lord Krishna, in His Salagrama-sila form, on a beautiful golden throne. Filled with happiness, and carefully following the proper rituals, he devotedly worshipped the Deity.
31 He offered delicious foods, costly garments and many other valuables to Lord Hari. Then he celebrated a great festival wherein he himself danced to the accompaniment of singing instrumental music.
32 Then he bowed down to offer respects to the brahmanas, who could eloquently speak on the Vedas, Puranas, and other scriptures. He bowed down to the sannyasis, householders, and brahmacaris.
33 Then with sweet words and polite behaviour he pleased the many Vaishnavas, who were always eager to taste the bliss of chanting Lord Krishna's glories.
34 He placed on his head the water that had washed their feet. He worshipped them by giving them the food and valuables that had been offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
35 Then he respectfully fed the poor and the outcastes, and he satisfied even the dogs, jackals, birds, and insects.
36 When everyone was satisfied in this way the saintly persons requested that he also eat. He and his associates then happily ate the remnants of the nectarean feast.
37 Then he approached Lord Krishna, and with folded hands offered the fruits of all his actions to the Lord.
38-40 Then he put the Lord to rest and was about to go home when Sri Narada, who is always eager to serve the Lord, and who had been observing all his actions from far away, suddenly stood up in the assembly of sages, again and again said, "This person is very dear to Lord Maha-Vishnu", Narada quickly went to the brahmana and, proclaiming to the world that this person is the object of Sri Krishna's great mercy, said:
41 Sri Narada said: O king of brahmanas, Lord Krishna is very merciful to you. I have seen how in this sacred place you (have given) your money, property, generosity, and power.
42 The learned brahmana then said to sage Narada: It is not true. My lord, what signs of Lord Krishna's mercy do you see in me?
43 I am insignificant. Who am I? How much can I give in charity? What power do I have? Where is my devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead?
44 In the south is a great king in whose country are many temples of the Lord. This king is the real object of Lord Krishna's mercy.
45 Sustained by eating food offered to Lord Krishna, many sannyasis, pilgrims, and others comfortably travel through his country.
46 Near the royal palace is a deity of the Lord. It is as if the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, whose spiritual form is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss, has, out of His great kindness, personally come there, and is deliberately standing still without moving even slightly.
47 In that place is always a newer and newer festival where are every moment many newer and newer valuable presentations are made to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
48 He respectfully feeds all the residents of his kingdom, as well as many visitors from foreign lands, with prasadam offered to Lord Vishnu.
49-50 Because they are very eager to see the Deity of the lotus-eyed Supreme Personality of Godhead, because they are filled with happiness by tasting the remnants of food offered to the Deity, and because in this place they may meet many saintly persons, many devotees of Lord Vishnu come from foreign lands and permanently reside in his country.
51 The king worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the brahmanas, and he has given his country to them as their property. For this reason, in his country there is no calamity, no suffering, and no fear.
52 In his country the ground produces crops even without being plowed. The rain falls as much as one could desire, and excellent fruit, roots, and garments are very easy to obtain.
53 Righteously engaged in their various occupational duties, and completely devoted to Lord Krishna, all the people of his country are very happy. They all follow their king as if they were his sons and daughters.
54 Prideless, and always humbly engaged in the service of the Lord, he pleases everyone. He is very dear to the infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead.
55-6 In the presence of the Deity regularly chanting the Lord's holy names with his brothers, wives, children, grandchildren, servants, government ministers, priests, and other associates, and in that sankirtana personally dancing, singing transcendental songs, and playing musical instruments, he always brings great happiness to the Lord.
57 A host of good qualities follow his great devotion to Lord Krishna. How many of them can I enumerate? Of how many of them am I aware?
58 Sri Pariksit said: Then Narada went to see that great king. As he was travelling in that king's country he noticed that the people were intently and happily engaged in the worship of the Supreme Lord.
59 Happily playing his vina, Narada entered the palace and could see the king there. Impelled by the brahmana's words, Narada approached him and said:
60 Sri Narada said: You have great royal power, saintly subjects, a host of good qualities, piety, wealth, learning and devotion to the Lord. You are certainly the object of Lord Krishna's mercy.
61 Sri Pariksit said: Narada Muni, the best of Vaishnavas, played his vina and glorified the king's good qualities in song. Narada embraced the king again and again.
62 His head bowed down with embarrassment to hear so much praise of himself, the humble king worshipped the great sage Narada and then spoke the following words:
63-4 Devarsi Narada, my life is short. My power is very circumscribed, I have very little to give in charity. I am not independent. I am governed by fear. I remain under the dominion of the three-fold miseries. Why, without considering all these points, do you consider me, who am so unqualified, to be the object of Lord Krishna's mercy?
65 The demigods have effulgent and very powerful bodies. They are always worshipped by human beings. They are the actual object of Lord Vishnu's mercy.
66 The demigods are sinless. They are situated in the mode of goodness. They never suffer. They are always happy. They are completely independent. They have the power to fulfil all the desires of their devotees.
67 Whenever they wish they can drink nectar that satisfies all their hunger and thirst and frees them from old-age, disease, death and all distress.
68 My lord, by the power of their great good fortune these demigods reside in Svargaloka. The human beings who reside in Bharata-varsa may enter that Svarga realm only by performing many pious deeds.
69 The most important of these demigods is Maharaj Indra. He has the power to reward or punish. It is he who nourishes the world with rain.
70 For 71 yugas he is the master of the three planetary systems. If a human king performs 100 asvamedha-yajnas he will not obtain such a post.
71 His horse is Uccahisrava, his great elephant Airavata, his cow Kamadhuk, and his garden the Nandana.
72 In the Nandana garden are parijatas and many other flowers that fulfil all desires, and there are also many kalpa-druma trees and kalpa-lata vines that also fulfil all desires.
73 A single flower from that garden fulfils all desires. Indra's abode is filled with very wonderful singing, dancing, instrumental music, colourful garments, delicious food, and a host of other opulences and pleasures.
74 Ah! What more can I say about his good fortune? The Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Vishnu became his younger brother Vamana.
75 Lord Vamana brings Indra great happiness. Lord Vamana protects Indra from all calamities. Lord Vamana personally accepts the opulent worship Indra offers. You know all this. What more need I say?
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