Sri Bhakti Ratnavali, Strand One, 31-45

Continuing with general observations on the nature of bhakti.

tam eva vatsāśraya bhṛtya-vatsalaṁ

mumukṣubhir mṛgya-padābja-paddhatim

ananya-bhāve nija-dharma-bhāvite

manasy avasthāpya bhajasva pūruṣam

(Suniti to Dhruva)

My dear son, to that Supreme Lord repair,

Who doth for his servants affection bear;

Whom those in search of salvation implore,

Whose lotus-feet they worship and adore;

Thus to your own duty being consigned,

With concentration singular of mind,

He should by you be worshipped and adored,

Who is the Supreme illustrious Lord. 31

(4.8.22)

nānyaṁ tataḥ padma-palāśa-locanād

duḥkha-cchidaṁ te mṛgayāmi kañcana

yo mṛgyate hasta-gṛhīta-padmayā

śriyetarair aṅga vimṛgyamāṇayā

Certes I know of none other beside

The Lord Almighty and the lotus-eyed,

Who can afford his refugees relief,

And cut away their sorrow and their grief;

For even Shree, sought by many and great,

That would by her be bless'd and fortunate,

Yet she who in her hand a lots bears,

To serve his feet with love to him repairs. 32

(4.8.23)

athābhaje tvākhila-pūruṣottamaṁ

guṇālayaṁ padma-kareva lālasaḥ

apy āvayor eka-pati-spṛdhoḥ kalir

na syāt kṛta-tvac-caraṇaika-tānayoḥ

(Prithu to Narayana )

Now I to serve the Supreme Lord am fain,

The repository of hallowed fame,

As she a lotus in her hand who bears,

That longing to serve your lotus-feet shares;

Will not some contention from this ensue,

And rivalry arise between us two? 33

(4.20.27)

jagaj-jananyāṁ jagad-īśa vaiśasaṁ

syād eva yat-karmaṇi naḥ samīhitam

karoṣi phalgv apy uru dīna-vatsalaḥ

sva eva dhiṣṇye ’bhiratasya kiṁ tayā

O Universal Lord and Deity,

I think for this she may be wroth with me,

I may the mother of the world offend,

Considering that I with her contend.

But you will show your favours all the more,

Who are greatly affected to the poor;

For you are satisfied in your own bliss,

Therefore, what need is she to you in this? 34

(4.20.28)

yaḥ paraṁ raṁhasaḥ sākṣāt

tri-guṇāj jīva-saṁjñitāt

bhagavantaṁ vāsudevaṁ

prapannaḥ sa priyo hi me

(Lord Shiva to the Pracetas)

Whoever hath surrendered to the Lord

Illustrious Vasudeva adored;

The Master of souls and the gunas three,

Are most exceedingly belov'd of me. 35

(4.24.28)

atha bhāgavatā yūyaṁ

priyāḥ stha bhagavān yathā

na mad bhāgavatānāṁ ca

preyān anyo ’sti karhicit

Ye are indeed great devotees I ween,

As dear to me as is the Lord Supreme,

And for devotees of the Deity,

There is no one, no, none as dear as me. 36

(4.24.30)

tat karma hari-toṣaṁ yat

sā vidyā tan-matir yayā

harir deha-bhṛtām ātmā

svayaṁ prakṛtir īśvaraḥ

(Narada to Prachinabarhi)

That act is worthy which pleaseth Hari,

And learning of him is the best study;

Lord Hari doth himself nature control,

And is the self of each embodied soul. 37

(4.29.49)

yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā

sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ

harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā

manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ

(Prahlada’s eulogy)

Those who are with selfless devotion blest,

Of all god-like qualities are possessed,

But those without devotion for Hari,

What higher virtues in them could there be?

Who are to outward conceptions confined,

Carried on the chariot of the mind. 38

(5.18.12)

harir hi sākṣād bhagavān śarīriṇām

ātmā jhaṣāṇām iva toyam īpsitam

hitvā mahāṁs taṁ yadi sajjate gṛhe

tadā mahattvaṁ vayasā dampatīnām

Sri Hari is himself the Supreme whole,

And of all creatures embodied the soul;

All have their being and subsist in him,

As fishes in the ocean like to swim.

Whoever such a wondrous state forsakes,

Fondly bound to the home his way betakes;

His only claim to greatness in this life,

Is that he might be older than his wife. 39

(5.18.13)

sa vai patiḥ syād akutobhayaḥ svayaṁ

samantataḥ pāti bhayāturaṁ janam

sa eka evetarathā mitho bhayaṁ

naivātmalābhād adhi manyate param

(Lakshmi’s eulogy)

He is the worthy consort I revere,

For whom there is no one to cause him fear;

Since those who are themselves by fear aggrieved,

Approaching him, of all fear are relieved.

He revels in his own inherent bliss,

With nothing incongruous or amiss;

As he is one and the exclusive truth,

There is no one for him to fear forsooth. 40

(5.18.20)

suro ’suro vāpy atha vānaro naraḥ

sarvātmanā yaḥ sukṛtajñam uttamam

bhajeta rāmaṁ manujākṛtiṁ hariṁ

ya uttarān anayat kosalān divam iti

(Hanuman's speech)

Let all, whether of god or demon clan,

A sylvan creature of the wood or man,

Worship Hari as Rama, in the guise

As son of man, with lotus-petal eyes;

Who upon the inhabiters conferred,

Of Upper Koshala to be transferred,

And to his divine region all attained,

And the bliss of supreme salvation gained. 41

(5.19.8 )

na janma nūnaṁ mahato na saubhagaṁ

na vāṅ na buddhir nākṛtis toṣa-hetuḥ

tair yad visṛṣṭān api no vanaukasaś

cakāra sakhye bata lakṣmaṇāgrajaḥ

Nor noble birth nor worthy pedigree,

Nor eloquence, nor vast prosperity,

Nor subtle wit, nor comeliness of face,

Can win from Lakshman's elder his fair grace;

Mark how friendship even with us he made,

Who dwell in the forest and woody shade. 42

(5.19.7)

satyaṁ diśaty arthitam arthito nṛṇāṁ

naivārthado yat punar arthitā yataḥ

svayaṁ vidhatte bhajatām anicchatām

icchāpidhānaṁ nija-pāda-pallavam

(The gods observe)

In truth he grants boons to those who implore

With motive, yet they soon beseech for more;

But those who selflessly his love entreat,

He fills their wants and grants his lotus-feet. 43

(5.19.27)

tat sādhu manye ’sura-varya dehināṁ

sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt

hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ

vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta

(Prahalada to Hiranyakashipu)

O chief of Asuras, I think it best,

For bodied souls, deluded and distressed,

To forsake home, like a dark empty well,

And seeking Hari, in the forest dwell. 44

(7.5.5)