Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 120 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

 

শ্রীগৌরাঙ্গ প্রভু মোরে যে বলান বাণী ।

তাহা বিনা ভাল মন্দ কিছুই না জানি ॥

লোকনাথপ্রভু-পদ হৃদয়ে বিলাস ।

প্রেমভক্তিচন্দ্রিকা কহে নরোত্তম দাস ॥ ১২০ ॥

śrī-gaurāṅga prabhu more ye balāna bāṇī |

tāhā binā bhāla manda kichui nā jāni ||

lokanātha-prabhu-pada hṛdaye bilāsa |

prema-bhakti-candrikā kahe narottama dāsa || 120 ||

Other than the words Śrī Gaurāṅga Prabhu caused me to say, I know nothing of what is good or bad, right or wrong. This Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā has been spoken by Narottama Dāsa, in whose heart the lotus feet of Lokanātha Prabhu always shine.

The Actual Author of the Book

Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: At the conclusion of Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya now imparts the identity of the book’s true author. śrī-gaurāṅga prabhu more ye balāna bāṇī, tāhā binā bhāla manda kichui nā jāni. The esteemed author is saying, “Actually, the true author of Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā is Śrī Gaurāṅga Prabhu. I have only said what he caused me to say; I had nothing to do with it. Therefore, unlike other authors who compose a book using their intellect to consider what is good and bad, what will satisfy everyone and what will be popular, I have not produced this Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā from my intellect. Śrī Gaurāṅga Prabhu sat on my tongue and, like a machine, I spoke whatever he caused me to speak. Thus, after learning that the true author of this Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā is Śrī Gaurāṅga Prabhu, the bhaktas will enjoy its sweet nectar.”

At the beginning of his Bhakti-Rasāmṛta-Sindhu (1.1.2), Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmipāda wrote, hṛdi yasya preraṇayā pravartito’haṁ varāka-rūpo’pi. tasya hareḥ pada-kamalaṁ vande caitanya-devasya. “I praise the lotus feet of Bhagavān Śrī Caitanyadeva, by whose inspiration I have been engaged in composing this book, though I am insignificant and unfit to ascertain the unfathomable bhakti-rasa.”

In the context of establishing his reason for writing Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Śrīmat Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmipāda wrote the following in Ādi 8.78-79:

ei grantha lekhāya more madana-mohana |

āmāra likhana yena śukera paṭhana ||

sei likhi, madana-gopāla ye likhāya |

kāṣṭhera puttalī yena kuhake nācāya ||

“Madana-Mohana caused me to write this book. My writing is like the recitation of a parrot. I write whatever Madana-Gopāla inspires me to write. He is like a puppeteer who causes his wooden doll to dance.” Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmipāda composed his books because of Śrī Caitanyadeva’s inspiration. Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmipāda composed Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta because of the direct inspiration of Śrī Madana-Gopāladeva. Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā was also revealed through the inspiration of Śrī Gaurāṅga Prabhu. Therefore, we consider the doctrines of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmipāda, who understood Śrī Caitanya’s inner desire, and the essence of the gosvāmi-śāstras, which are the essence of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, to be contained within Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta and this Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā.

Finally, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya concludes the book by remembering his guru’s lotus feet: lokanātha-prabhu-pada hṛdaye bilāsa, prema-bhakti-candrikā kahe narottama dāsa. “This Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā has been spoken by Narottama Dāsa, in whose heart the lotus feet of Lokanātha Prabhu always shine.” After praising the lotus feet of Śrī Guru in the maṅgalācaraṇa (invocation) at the beginning of the book, he now ends it in the same way. Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya carefully preserved in the box of Śrī Guru’s mercy the jewels of prema-bhakti he obtained by Śrī Gaurāṅga Prabhu’s mercy. Just as jewels are kept within a strongbox, the jewels in this book have been kept in the strongbox of guru-kṛpā. Śrī Guru’s compassion is the key to this box. By taking shelter of Śrī Guru’s mercy, the bhakta-sādhaka is blessed to wear a string of these jewels of prema round his neck. jaya śrī-śrī-guru-gaurāṅgadeva! jaya śrī-śrī-rādhā-mādhava! jaya śrī-śrī-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda!

Thus ends the Sudhā-Kaṇikā commentary on Śrī-Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā.

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 119 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

 

আপন ভজন কথা,        না কহিব যথা তথা,

ইহাতে হইব সাবধান ।

না করিহ কেহ রোষ,        না লইহ কেহ দোষ,

প্রণমহ ভক্তের চরণ ॥ ১১৯ ॥

āpana bhajana kathā,        nā kahiba yathā tathā,

ihāte haiba sābadhāna |

nā kariha keha roṣa,        nā laiha keha doṣa,

praṇamaha bhaktera caraṇa || 119 ||

I will not speak indiscriminately of my bhajana. In this, I will be very diligent. Let none be angry; let none take offense. I bow to the feet of the bhaktas.

Keeping Bhajana Realizations Private

Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya concludes this Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā with a discussion of the private nature of a bhakta’s realizations from bhajana. The light from the moon of prema-bhakti must always be kept hidden in one’s heart. It illuminates the heart and makes it cool. It causes the cakora bird of the heart to taste the sweet nectar of prema. The bhakta must be careful not to reveal his bhajana realizations anywhere and everywhere. If necessary, the sādhaka may discuss his or her bhajana experiences with Śrī Gurudeva and trusted rasika-bhaktas, but by no means with anyone else. Otherwise, his humility will be destroyed and his bhajana will inevitably be harmed. Previously, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has repeatedly warned the sādhakas about this in verses such as rākha prema hṛdaye bhariyā (protect the love in your heart), gupate sādhibe siddhi (you will secretly attain success) and so on. We can understand the particular importance of this matter due to its being mentioned again and again. 

Śrīmat Jīva Gosvāmipāda has written the following at the end of Śrī-Bhakti-Sandarbhaḥ (339 Anuḥ): atra ca śrī-guroḥ śrī-bhagavato vā prasāda-labdhaṁ sādhana-sādhya-gataṁ svīya-sarvasva-bhūtaṁ yat kim api rahasyaṁ, tat tu na kasmaicit prakāśanīyam; yathāha (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.17.20) naitat parasmā ākhyeyaṁ pṛṣṭayāpi kathañcana. sarvaṁ sampadyate devi deva-guhyaṁ susaṁvṛtam. “You should not reveal to anyone your confidential realizations about your svarūpa, which is your only possession, and which is obtained by the mercy of Śrī Gurudeva or Śrī Bhagavān through sādhana. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrī Viṣṇu said to Śrī Aditi Devī, ‘O Goddess! If anyone ever asks about the confidential topics that I have discussed with you, you must not reveal them. The secrets hidden in the Vedas will bear fruit only if kept private.” beda-guhya kathā ei ayogya kahite (Śrī-Caitanya-Caritāmṛta, Ādi 5.159).

Then Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya said, nā kariha keha roṣa, nā laiha keha doṣa, praṇamaha bhaktera caraṇa. In order to establish the doctrine of pure bhakti given in this Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā, many transcendental topics have been discussed that may be objectionable to some people. yemana anya debāśraya nāi; nā pūjiba debī-debā. “Do not take shelter of other gods; do not worship gods and goddesses.” Worshipers of other gods or goddesses may be distressed by this, but it had to be said because this type of worship can cause damage to one’s single-minded bhajana. karmī jñānī bhakti-hīna, ihāke kariba bhina; yogī, nyāsī, karmī, jñānī, anya-deba pūjaka, dhyānī ihaloka dūre parihari; jñāna-kāṇḍa, karma-kāṇḍa, kebali biṣera bhāṇḍa.* Statements such as these may certainly upset the karmī, jñānī, yogī, nyāsī and so forth, but in the context of ascertaining pure bhakti, free from any mixture with jñāna or karma, this also had to be said in an impartial way. Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya makes it known here at the end of Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā that whatever he has said in this book is in accord with the doctrines of the Vedas, śāstras, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (the essence of all the Vedas), Nārada-Pañcarātra and so on. Let none be offended by this; rather, if they are eager to learn the truth, let them be blessed to inquire into their svarūpas and take shelter on the path of pure kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Then he said, praṇamaha bhaktera caraṇa. Lastly, he offers obeisance at the feet of the bhaktas.  They are the cakora birds who drink this moonlight of loving devotion. If they taste the sweet nectar of this Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā, the true purpose of its revelation will be fulfilled. This is the meaning.

*These statements all basically say to avoid the association of those who are devoid of bhakti.