Gems of Cakravartipada 003

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

BhagavatKathaSrimadBhagavatamSukadevaGosvamiSararthaDarsiniSriKrishna

From the sweet ocean of Srila Visvanatha Cakravartipada’s tikas on Srimad Bhagavatam, we have collected some of the most rare and incredibly amazing jewels—each one glittering with a uniquely soothing and enlightening effulgence. So now please bask in their beneficial rays and rejuvenate your soul! For easier understanding and reference the gems are presented by category.

BHAKTI  LASTS FOREVER:

“If a person gives up his duties and karmas in varnaashrama to worship Sri Krishna’s lotus feet, but then deviates or fails to attain perfection, still one will not experience misfortune in the future.” (SB 1.5.17)

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti tika: “Without any other practices, bhakti is independently powerful and not dependent on prior inner purification.Even in the beginning stage of bhakti, practice of karma is forbidden.

“Having given up ones dharma (tyaktväsvadharmän(SB 1.5.17) and Bg.18.66), even at the beginning stages of bhakti, a person who worships Krishna’s lotus feet will not incur any sin by giving up that dharma. And if one dies without attaining Sri Krishna, or if while alive one falls down to sinful acts because of attachment to material pleasures, even then, one meets no misfortune from giving up prescribed karmas. One will not be punished and take a low body in the next life because of omitting karmas.

“However, the impressions created by bhakti are indestructible and remain in a subtle form within the chitta. Surely, the sprout of bhakti, being productive, will eventually bear leaves, flowers and the fruit of Krishna prema [in this or some future life].

DEVOTEE MEETS NO MISFORTUNE:

“O! Unlike practitioners of other processes, the person who serves Mukunda will never under any condition return to the material world. By remembering the embrace of the Mukunda Sri Krishna’s lotus feet, and being eager for that taste one has experienced, one will not desire to give up Krishna’s feet again.” (SB 1.5.19)

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti tika:

“This verse establishes that there is no misfortune for a devotee. Even if overcome because of poor determination, one who serves Mukunda never returns to the samsara for enjoying the results of karma. But those practicing karma (anyavat) will definitely return. The devotee does not experience happiness and distress from karmas, since he experiences only the fruit of happiness and distress directly given by Bhagavan Sri Krishna.

This is proven in Srimad Bhagavatam 10.87.40:

“When one realizes Sri Krishna, one no longer cares about one’s good and bad fortune arising from past pious and sinful acts because it is Krishna alone who control this good and bad fortune [of His devotee].”

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti continues: “Remembering from previous practice alone the mental embrace (upaguhanam sb1.5.19) of Sri Krishna’s lotus feet, one will no longer want to give it up. The verse does not say ‘“remembering Krishna’s lotus feet” but rather “remembering the embrace of Krishna’s lotus feet.” 

“The implication is that by one’s own choice or desire one may give up Krishna’s worship, once, twice or three times because of poor determination. However, after some time, by remembering the state of bliss derived from meditation on Sri Krishna, and considering the present state of distress being experienced from not remembering Sri Krishna, one will repent crying out, ‘O! O! What have I foolishly done? Anyway, let that be. I will never ever again abandon worship of my beloved Bhagavan Sri Krishna!

“Then the sadhaka again begins to worship Sri Krishna. In the verse (SB 1.5.19) the phrase rasa graha means one who is eager to taste, or one who possesses a taste which cannot be given up, like being haunted by the ghost of rasa which is experienced at the stage of bhava in spiritual advancement. However, even from the first day of worshipping Sri Krishna, a beginning sadhaka will taste some bhakt rasa although in a very covered form.”

Srimad Bhagavatam ki jai! Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti ki jai!