5 – sad-dharma-pRcchA yathA nAradIye –
acirAd eva sarvArthaH sidhyaty eSAm abhIpsitaH |
sad-dharmasyAvabodhAya yeSAM nirvandhinI matiH ||103||
NArada-pañcarAtra: “One whose intelligence earnestly endeavors to understand eternal religion very soon achieves all goals.”
6 – kRSNArthe bhogAdi-tyAgo yathA pAdma –
harim uddishya bhogAni kAle tyakta-vat astava |
viSNu-loka-sthitA sampad-alolA sA pratikSate ||104||
Padma PurANa: “The imperishable opulence of the spiritual world awaits one who has foregone enjoyable things for Hari’s sake.”
If the course of pleasing Krishna necessitates foregoing something one normally considers enjoyable, one should practice giving up that thing. Foregoing something for Krishna’s sake or on his request (“uddishya”) can manifest bhAva-bhakti.
7 – dvArakAdi-nivAso yathA skAnde –
saMvatsaraM vA SaNmAsAn mAsaM mAsArddham eva vA |
dvArakA-vasinaH sarve narA nAryash caturbhujAH ||105||
SkAnda PurANa: “Any man or woman who resides in DvArakA for a year, six months, a month, or even half a month, becomes four-armed.”
Becoming “four-armed” means to achieve sarUpya-mukti, the liberation in which one manifests a spiritual form identical to NArAyaNa’s.
Adi-padena puruSottama-vAsh ca yathA brAhme –
aho kSetrasya mAhAtmyaM samantAddasha-yojanam |
diviSThA yatra pashyanti sarvAn eva caturbhujAn ||106||
The term “etc.” includes other places like PuruSottama-kSetra.
BrAhma-yAmala: “Aho, the glories of that eighty square-mile field [PuruSottama-kSetra]! The gods see all her inhabitants as having four arms.
Again, having four arms refers to sarUpya-mukti. See comment to shloka 105.
gaNgAdi-vAso yathA prathame –
yA vai lasacchrI-tulasI vimishra kRSNANghrireNvabhy adhikAmbunetrI |
punAti seshAn ubhayatra lokAn kastAn na seveta mariSyamANaH ||107||
Residing at the Ganga, etc., from the First Canto [1.19.6]: “The auspicious water of that river carries the dust washed from Krishna’s feet, mixed with floating TulasI leaves. It purifies all the worlds and their masters, inside and out. What person who faces death would not worship that river?”
Rivers like the Ganga and Yamuna, whose waters touch the transcendental form of Krishna, purify one internally and externally. Such rivers purify both the higher and lower (“ubhayatra”) worlds, along with their masters (Brahma and SHiva). Such ability to internally purify even SHiva indicates the potential of these waters to bestow transcendental benefit. Thus to reside near and regularly bathe in these rivers is very favorable for manifesting bhAva-bhakti in ones heart.
8 – yAvad arthAnuvartitA yathA nAradIye –
yAvatA syAt sva-nirvAhaH svIkAryat tAvad artha-vit |
Adhikye nyUnatA yañca cyavate paramArthataH ||108||
NArada-PañcarAtra: “One who knows the goal of life should endeavor in moderation for his or her daily necessities, for either an excess or a deficiency in such necessities is a disturbance to attaining the highest goal.”
Jiva Goswami’s commentary adds that one should be moderate in one’s approach to daily spiritual practices as well.
9 – hari-vAsara-sammAno yathA brahma-vaivarte –
sarva-pApa-prashamanaM puNyam AtyantikaM tathA |
govinda-smAraNaM nRNAm ekadashy AmupoSaNam ||109||
Brahma-Vaivarta PurANa: “Ekadashi destroys all a person’s sin, bestows limitless piety, and causes them to remember Govinda.”
10 – dhAtry ashvatthAdi-gauravam yathA skAnde –
ashvattha-tulasI-dhAtrI-go-bhUmisura-vaiSNavAH |
pUjitAH praNatAH dhyAtAH kSapayanti nRNAm agham ||110||
SkAnda-purANa: “Worshipping, bowing to, and meditating on the Banyan, TulasI, Myrobalan, Cow, BrahmaNa and VaiSNava wash away a person’s sin.”
This item of sAdhana is to respect entities associated with Krishna. The removal of sin is favorable to the manifestation of bhAva as the removal of dampness from wood is favorable to manifesting fire in that wood. Bhagavad Gita states that steady sAdhana occurs after sins are removed: yeSaM tvAnta gataM pApam jananam puNya karmanam. te dvanda moha nirmukta bhajanti mAM dRdhA-vratA.
11 – atha shrI-kriSNa-vimukha-jana saMtyAgo yathA
kAtyAyana-saMhitAyAm –
varaM huta-vaha-jvAlA paSjarAntar-vyavasthitaH |
na shauri-cintA-vimukha-jana-saMvAsa-vaishasam ||111||
KAtyAyana-saMhita: “Better to be in a cage of burning fire than to be in the calamity of being amidst persons averse to thoughts of God.”
viSNu-rahasye ca –
AlinganaM varaM manye vyAla-vyAghra-jalaulasAm |
na sangaH shalya-yuktAnAM nAnA-devaika-sevinAm ||112||
ViSNu-rahasya: “Better to embrace a snake, tiger, or sea-monster than to associate with persons whose wordly motivation causes them to serve many gods.”
12 – 13 – 14 – shiSyAnanubanddhitvAdi-trayaM yathA
saptame –
na shiSyAn anubadhnIta granthAn naivabhyased bahUn |
na vAkhyAm upauSjita nArambhAn Arabhet kvacit ||113||
Seventh Canto [7.13.8]: “Never be attached to having students, nor to studying many books and teaching them to earn money, nor to starting huge projects.”
These items protect one from activities that appear harmless or even favorable to sadhana, but in fact pose a great danger. Accepting students or disciples is dangerous because it exacerbates desires of gain, honor, and position. The twelth item of sadhana therefore prescribes that one be cautious to root out such attachments in regard to students and disciples.
Knowledge and study also seems harmless or even favorable to sadhana, but is dangerous because it too can exacerbate similar material desires. The thirteenth item therefore prescribes that one not study with the purpose of impressing others by one’s lectures and explanations for the sake of gaining worldly things like wealth and respect.
Starting huge projects specifically refers to construction of temples (Vishvanatha Cakravarti defines it as mAThAdi-vyApArAn). Building temples seems quite favorable to sadhana, but is a dangerous thing for the sadhaka because it can exacerbate the desire to expand (“Arabhet”) one’s influence and properties. The fourteenth item of sadhana therefore prescribes that sadhakas be cautious regarding such projects, as they may surreptitiously distract one from the pure motives of sadhana-uttama-bhakti.
15 – vyAvahAre ‘py akArpaNyaM yathA pAdme –
alabdhe vA vinaSTe vA bhakSy AcchAdana sAdhane |
aviklava-matir bhUtvA harim eva dhiyA smaret ||114||
Padma PurANa: “When one doesn’t get what one needs, or loses what one has the proper course is to steadily remember and meditate on Hari with an undisturbed mind.”
Material satisfaction is important even to a sadhaka because, as explained in Gita, it makes the mind peaceful and cooperative, which simplifies the task of focusing the mind on SHrI Krishna. However, this item prescribes that in the event that one’s material satisfaction is not met, or is lost or disturbed, one should practice keeping the mind placid and satisfied – focusing it on Hari, rather than allowing anger to grow through unkind, frustrated behavior, for agner, expressed through unkindness, consumes the thoughts and emotions and thus disturbs sadhana.
16 – shokAdy avasha-vartitA yathA tatraiva –
shokAmarSAdibhir bhAvair AkrAntaM yasya mAnasam |
kathaM tatra mukundasya sphurti-sambhAvanA bhavet ||115|||
Padma PurANa: “How can Mukunda manifest in a mind that is overwhelmed with lamentation, sorrow, etc.?”
The word mukunda indicates one whose face and mouth (mukha) is beautiful like a lotus flower (kunda). This word is used as a name for Krishna, because his mouth, due to always smiling, is beautiful like a pearl-white lotus flower. Krishna and his atmosphere are always happy. Therefore lamentation and sadness in the mind make it an unfit place for him to appear. This item therefore prescribes that the sadhaka practice shaking off such emotions. It may also be noted that this shloka presents a fine reason one should be careful not to cause anyone lamentation or grief.
17– anya-devAnajSA yathA tatraiva –
harir eva sadArAdhyaH sarva-deveshvareshvaraH |
itare brahma-rudrAdyA nAvajSeyAH kadAcana ||116||
Padma PurANa: “Always worship Hari, the master of all the gods, but also do not disrespect Brahma, Rudra, and others.”
18– bhUtAnudvega-dAyitA yathA mahAbhArate –
piteva putraM paraNo nodvejayati to janam |
vishuddhasya hriSIkesha-tUrNaM tasya prasIdati ||117||
MahAbhArata: “HriSIkesha is pleased with a pure-hearted person who treats all people like a father treats his children, never causing them any fear or pain.”
19 – sevA-nAmAparAdhAnAM varjanaM yathA vArAhe –
mamArcanAparAdhA ye kIrtyante vasudhe mayA |
vaiSNavena sadA te tu varjanIyAH prayatnataH ||118||
VArAha PurANa: “But a VaiSNava must always carefully avoid the offenses to my worship, which I have described.”
As indicated in 1.2.4, sadhana-bhakti is essentially a practiced form of lovingly and continuously keeping Krishna in one’s heart and mind. Clearly, a state of mind that is unloving of Krishna is counterproductive to sadhana. “AparAdhA” is the term for such an unloving state of mind. Apa means “against,” and rAdhA means “worship.” AparAdhA is the state of consciousness that is “un-woshipful” or “unloving.”
One’s state of mind expresses itself through one’s inner thoughts and external actions. Thus an unloving state of mind has symptoms in the mind and senses, and these symptoms are also known as aparAdhA. In this item of sadhana, Rupa Goswami prescribes that one be alert to root out the unloving state of mind by being on guard against it’s symptoms in one’s external service to Krishna (“seva”) and in one’s internal meditations on Krishna’s name (“nAma”).
In this shloka, VArAha says that a VaiSNava must carefully avoid “arcanAparAdhA,” the symptoms of unloving or offensive mentality in one’s external service. Jiva Goswami, in his comment on this shloka, gives a list of 64 external actions that may symptomize such mentality.
The items on this list are suggestions of what may symptomize aparAdhA. Sometimes a VaiSNava may do something on the list without it being symptomatic of aparAdha. For example, one may lie down to sleep in front of the Diety out of great love for him, and not out of disresptect. Furthermore, some of the items are culturally and historically specific. For example, Jiva Goswami suggests that one not wear red or blue in front of the Deities. This is specific to a time when red and blue dyes were so expensive that only royalty and the super-rich could afford them. Thus to wear such colors in front of the Deity might very well have been, at that time, an egotistical expression of self-importance. Today however, the suggestion may not be very applicable.
The essence of Jiva Goswami’s list of 64 offenses is to be on guard against symptoms of an unloving attitude. This unloving attitude shows itself mainly in one minimizing Krishna’s importance. This also causes one to distract others from Krishna and toward oneself, and to lack common good behavior in front of Krishna. All Jiva Goswami’s 64 offenses can be organized under these three headings.
pAdme ca –
sarvAparAdhakrid api mucyate hari saMshrayaH |
harer apy aparAdhAn yaH kuryAd dvipadapAMshulaH ||119||
nAmAshrayaH kadAcit syAt taraty eva sa nAmataH |
nAmno hi sarva-suhrido hy aparAdhAt pataty adhaH ||120||
Padma PurANa: “One who has committed all offenses can be freed by taking full shelter of Hari. But one who, like a two-legged animal, commits and offense to Hari can be delivered by taking full shelter of Hari’s name. If one commits an offense to Hari’s name, the well-wishing friend of everyone, he surely falls to hell.”
All commentators on this shloka in Bhakti RasAmrita Sindhu quote from Padma PurANa the list of ten aparAdhA against Hari’s name. Like the symptomatic offenses that manifest in ones external actions (seva-aparAdhA), the offenses to the name (nAma-aparAdhA) are symptoms of a state of mind that is un-worshipful or unloving towards Hari. The offenses are:
To disrespect or minimize
It is an offense to disrespect the name by misinterpreting or misusing it as follows:
There are two additional offenses:
20– tan-nindAdy sahiSNutA yathA shrI dashame –
nindAM bhagavataH shrNvaMs tat parasya janasya vA |
tato nApaiti yaH so ‘pi yAtyadhaH sukritAccyutaH ||121||
Tenth Canto [10.74.40]: “One falls down and loses all piety if one does not immediately leave the place where one hears insult towards God or God’s devotee.”
21 – atha vaiSNava cihNa dhritiH yathA pAdme:
ye kaNTha-lagna-tulasI-nalinAkSA-mAlA
ye vAhumUla-paricihNita-shankha cakraH |
ye vA lalAta-phalake lasad-Urdha-puNDrA
ste vaiSNavA bhuvanam Ashu pavitrayanti ||122||
PAdma PurANa: “Those with strands of Tualsi and “eye-of-lotus” around the neck, whose bodies bear symbols like the conch and wheel, whose foreheads bear upward pointing lines of sandal-paste, these Vaishnavas purify the whole world.”
22 – nAmAkSara-dhritiH yathA skAnde:
hari-nAmAkSara-yutaM bhAle gopI-mriDankitam|
tulasI-mAlikoraskaM sprisheyurna yamodbhatAH ||123||
SkAnda PurANa: “One who marks the letters of Hari’s name on ones forehead with gopi-clay, and who has a neclace of Tulasi on one’s chest cannot be touched by the servants of Death.”
Gopi-clay (“gopI-mriDa”) is yellowish earth taken from a spot near the city of DvArakA, India, where the Gopis were said to have departed from this word.
Being “untouched by the servants of Death” indicates the attainment of liberation.
The SkAnda PurANa mentions dhatrI-mAlA (a necklace made of the seeds of the Myrobalan – “Pipal” - tree) as a Vaishnava symbol commonly worn around the neck. This has largely fallen out of practice, but Jiva Goswami states that he always saw Rupa Goswami wearing such a necklace.
Having the Tulasi necklace “on the chest” indicates a loosely worn lecklace, such as is the practice among Vallabhites and Madhavites. Caitanyites, however, are accustomed to wear the necklace tightly. Ramanugites wear it only during worship.
pAdme ca:
kriSNa-mAmAkSarair-gAtram anka yec candanAdinA |
sa loka-pAvaNo bhutvA tasya lokam-avApnuyat ||124||
PAdma PurANa: “One who marks ones body with the letters of Krishna’s name using sandalwood, etc. purifies his or her world and attains Krishna’s world.”
23 – nirmAlya-dhritiH yathA ekAdashe:
tvayopabhukta-srag-dandha-vaso ‘lankAra-carcitAH |
ucchiSTa-bhojino dAsAs tava mAyAM jayema hi ||125||
Eleventh Canto [11.6.46]: “Your servants conquer your material illusions by eating the remnants of your meals, and decorating ourselves with flower garlands, perfumes and clothes that you have used.”
skAnde ca:
kriSNottirNantu nirmAlyaM yasyAngaM sprishate mune |
sarva-rogais tathA pApair-mukto bhavati nArada ||126||
SkAnda PurANa: “O Sage, if ones body touches things purified by contact with Krishna, O Narada, that person is released from all disease and sin!”
24 – agre tANDavaM yathA dvArakA-mAhAtmye:
yo nrityati pharriSTAtmA bhAvair-bahu-subhaktitaH |
sa nirdhati pApAni manvantara-shateSv api ||127||
DvArakA MAhAtmya: “One who dances cheerfully and with great and sweet devotional sentiment is released from the sins accumulated over thousands of manvantaras.”
1 manvantara = 71 divya-yugas
1 divya yuga = 1 rotation of the four yugas (4,320,000 years)
Thus one manvantara = 30,672,000 years. This statement from DvArakA MAhAtmya indicates that devotional dancing in front of Krishna frees one from the karmic effects of sins accumulated through lifetimes spaning about 30 billion, 672 million years.
tathA shrI-nAradoktau ca:
nrityAM shrI-pater-agre tAlikA-vAdanair-bhrisham |
uDDiyante sharIra-sthAH sarve pAtaka-pakSiNaH || 128 ||
Narada says: “When one dances in front of the Lord of Lakshmi, clapping enthusiastically, all the sins perched on ones body fly away like birds.”
25 – daNDavan natiH yathA nAradIye:
eko ‘pi kriSNAya kritaH praNAmo dashAshvamedhAvabhrithairna tulyaH |
dashAshvamedhI punareti janma kriSNa-praNAmI na punar-bhavAya ||129||
NArada PañcarAtra: “Even only once paying respect to Krishna belittles the performance of ten Ashvamedha sacrifices, because the performer of the ten Ashvamedhas will take another birth, while the one who offers respect to Krishna is not born again.”
This item prescribes offering gestures of respect to Krishna, particularly to bow all the way down to the floor, to a position resembling a stick. An Ashvamedha-yajña is a highly elaborate ritual performed by a king who wishes to become the emporer of a region.
26 – abhyUtthAnaM yathA brahmANDe:
yAnAruDhaM puraH prekSya samAyAntaM janArdanam |
abhyutthAnaM naraH kurvan pAtayet sarva-kilbiSam || 130 ||
BrahmANDa PurANa: “By rising up when one sees JanArdana approaching in a chariot a person destroys all his or her sins.”
“JanArdana” is a name of God meaning, “the nourisher of the people.”
This item prescribes acknowledging the arrival of Krishna by standing up as a gesture of respect. Generally the Deity form of Krishna does not move about entering new places except when atop a chariot.
27 – anuvrajyA yathA bhaviSyottare:
rathena saha gacchanti pArshvataH priSThato ‘grataH |
viSNunaiva samAH sarve bhavanti shvapadAcayaH || 131 ||
BhaviSya PurANa: “By following along with the Lord’s chariot, even a lowborn person attains equality with Vishnu.”
“Equality with Vishnu” (“viSNuna samAH”) refers to one of the four types of personal liberations.
28 – sthAne gatiH
sthAnaM tIrthaM grihañcAsya tatra tIrthe gatir-yathA || 132 ||
The places one should go to are places of pilgrimage and temples.
purANAntare:
saMsAra-marukAntAra-nistAra-karaNa-kSamau |
slAghyau tAveva caraNau yau hares-tIrtha gAminau || 133 ||
In another PurANa: “The two praiseworthy feet that walk to the Hari’s pilgrimage places are the cause for crossing the desert of saMsAra.”
Alaye ca yathA bhari-bhakti-sudhodaya:
pravIshann-AlayaM viSNor-darshanArthaM subhaktimAn |
na bhUyaH pravishen-mAtuH kukSikArAgrihaM sudhIH || 134 ||
And about going to the temple, Hari Bhakti Sudhodaya says, “One of sweet devotional temperment who enters Vishnu’s temple to see the Lord never again enters the confines of a mother’s womb.”
The above two citations from scripture indicate that visiting Hari’s pilgrimage place (“tItha”) or his temple (“griha” or “Alaya”) causes liberation from rebirth.
29 – parikramo yathA tatraiva:
viSNuM pradakSinI-kurvan yas tatrAvartate punaH |
tad evAvantanaM tasya punar-nAvartate bhave || 135 ||
Hari Bhakti Sudhodaya: “One who repeatedly circumambulates Vishnu does not again circulate through the cucle of birth and death.”
skAnde ca caturmAsya-mAhAtmye:
catur-vAraM bhramIbhistu jagat sarvaM carAcaram |
krAntaM bhavati viprAgrya tat tIrtha-gamanAdhikam || 136 ||
SkAnda PurANa, CaturmAsya-MAhAtmya section: “One who walks around the Lord four times has gone around the entire universe of animate and inanimate things. That circumambulation is therefore superior to visiting the holy places.”
Since the entire universe eminates from Vishnu, traveling around him can be considered the same as traveling around the entire universe. If by circumambulating Vishnu one can effectively travel through the whole universe, including all it’s places of pilgrimage, there is minimal need to individually visit each place of pilgrimage.