Transformed by Dhyana - From Bhakti-sandarbha

In Anuccheda 278 of Bhakti-sandarbha, Jiva Gosvami explains smarana, dividing it into five stages. For the third stage, dhyana, he writes:

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Dhyana is described in these words of the Nrsimha Purana and other scriptures:

"Even a sinner who engages in undivided meditation on the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead finds that all his troubles become transformed into blessings."

Would you care to post the sloka, being a papatma it is of interest to gather such slokas.
Such verses are very encouraging with the thought ksipraM bhavati dharmAtmA

I actually sat down with the Narasimha Purana last night with this very intention but the version I have is a horrible translation (KL Joshi/Dr. Bindiya Trivedi, published by Parimal) and I couldn't locate the specific verse from an English-English correspondence. It is obviously from chapter 16 of Narasimha Purana which is entitled, "Description of attainment of emancipation by virtue of concentration on god Visnu."

I've got a few errands to run today but I'll start on this as soon as I can. The whole Purana is actually quite rich. The next chapter is on chanting "Om Namoh Narayanaya" and there is this nice description:

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It is advisable to the Brahmin that should first establish exclusive attention with the imagination of the god Visnu with his conch, discus and gada weapons in the middle part of his lotus heart. The eight-letter hymn should be recited in solitude, a deserted place before the icon of Sri Visnu or at the band of a pond or reservoir with keen concentration of mind on god Visnu.

I know which pond I would like to sit near but even our local river seems to help soothe the savage beast.

For those interested in social issues, chapter 57 contains a verse stating that "He is a brahmana who has been born from the womb of the woman born a brahmana family and from the semen of a brahmana."

There is a lot of material in here on the benefits of worshipping the deity, visiting the dhama, etc. All in all, quite a valuable Purana it seems.

There is an account of Prahlada in which he is thrown in the ocean but the ocean brings him to the shore safely and praises him. Prahlada begins to pray to the ocean:

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"O great soul you are worth adorable as god Visnu lives within you. It is a well-accepted fact that the god in the form of world merges the universe within him and during the phase of devastation he sleeps within the ocean. O ocean, I want to see god Visnu apparently with these physical eyes. You are lucky as you always see god. Please, tell me of any measures to see him."

Prahlada fell at the feet of the ocean with these words. The ocean then lifted him up and said--"O king Yogi, you always see the god in your heart but if you want to see with physical eyes, pray to him and he will appear." The ocean vanished into the water with these words.

On departure of the ocean, Prahlada stayed there alone at that night and asusming perception of god as an impossible task, began to pray to him.

Prahlada said--"How so easily god Visnu can appear before me when a number of ascetics burn the fire that destroy all wordly attachments with the wind of many hundreds of hymns from the Vedas and sentences and make holy their heart with heating it properly and all this for a mere sight of god. My mind is without discretion, as it is tied with the six cords of anger, jealousy, passion, greed, attachment, eog, etc. A six-layer cover has entrapped me badly. The Brahma, etc., gods is the gimmick of fear and for removing the cause of such a fear visit at the shore of kSIrasAgara and worship him in the divinely prescribed manner and then only get a glimpse of him. Hence, it is only a surprise if a monster like me expects to see god apparently."

O king Prahlada, thus, considering himself not entitled to have a glimpse of god, becamse very sad. His heart sank in ocean of regret and anxiety. His eyes started flowing with tears and he fell down fainted. O king, then within seconds, the omnipresent god appeared there. He took Prahlada into his lap after picking him up from the ground.

On return of consciousness with the sweet touch of gods arms, Prahlada opened his eyes and looked at the god. He saw that gods face was glowing, eyes were large and body was dark as the water of river Yamuna. He was full of unique splendor and fascinating. The conch, discus, gada, and padma were in his four hands. Prahlada shivered with fear, surprise and happiness, etc., when he saw himself in the lap of god. Considering this event a dream he thought--"Hurrah, may it be a dream, but I am seeing god with my eyes." With this he became very happy and again fainted in pleasure of the form of god. The only friend of the devotees, god then sat on the ground and started patting him with his hand so that he would awake.

I did say I had errands to do, didn't I? For some reason I'm find it hard to stop typing.

Would you believe that Jagat has actually supplied us with all the Sandarbhas!?

And with Madhava's convertor we can therefore post the following:

[278]

atha pUrvavat krama-sopAna-rItyA sukha-labhyaM guNa-parikara-sevA-lIlA-smaraNaM cAnusandheyam | tad idaM smaraNaM paJca-vidham | yat kiJcid anusandhAnaM smaraNam | sarvataz cittam AkRSya sAmAnyAkAreNa mano-dhAraNaM dhAraNA | vizeSato rUpAdi-vicintanaM dhyAnam | amRta-dhArAvad avicchinnaM tad dhruvAnusmRtiH | dhyeya-mAtra-sphuraNaM samAdhir iti |

tatra smaraNam –
yena kenApy upAyena
smRto nArAyaNo'vyayaH |
api pAtaka-yuktasya
prasannaH syAn na saMzayaH || [NArP 1.1.77] iti bRhan-nAradIyAdau |

dhAraNA –
viSayAn dhyAyataz cittaM viSayeSu visajjate |
mAm anusmarataz cittaM mayy eva pravilIyate || [BhP 11.14.27] ity Adau |

dhyAnam --
bhagavac-caraNa-dvandva-dhyAnaM nirdvandvam Iritam |
pApino’pi prasaGgena vihitaM suhitaM param || iti nArasiMhAdau |

tatra nirdvandavaM zItoSNAdimaya-duHkha-paramparAtItam | IritaM zAstra-vihitam | tac ca pApino’pi prasaGgenApi param utkRSTaM suhitaM vihitaM tatraivety arthaH |

dhruvAnusmRtiz ca mad-guNa-smRti-mAtreNa [BhP 3.29.10] ity Adau tribhuvana-vibhava-hetave’py akuNTha-smRtiH [BhP 11.2.51] ity Adau ca | eSaiva zrI-rAmAnuja-bhagavat-pAdaiH prathama-sUtre darzitAsti |

samAdhim Aha –
tayor AgamanaM sAkSAd Izayor jagad-AtmanoH |
na veda ruddha-dhI-vRttir AtmAnaM vizvam eva ca || [BhP 12.10.9]

tayo rudra-tat-patnyoH | bhagavad-aMza-tac-chaktitvAt jagad-AtmanoH tat-pravartakayor api | tatra hetuH ruddha-dhI-vRttir bhagavad-AviSTa-cittaH bhaktiM parAM bhagavati labdhavAn [BhP 12.10.6] iti pUrvokteH | tasmAd asamprajJAta-nAmno brahma-samAdhito bhinna evAsau |

|| 12.10 || zrI-sUtaH || 278 ||

This is called real iSTa-goSThI. I like this bhakta-sammelan.

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Sandarbhas!?

I don't like to add a minus sign "-" when discussing Gaudiya literature. It's all so positive.

How about "sandarbha+s"?

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I don't like to add a minus sign "-" when discussing Gaudiya literature. It's all so positive. How about "sandarbha+s"?

Oh! I thought you meant "sandarbhAbhAsa+s" since they were not supplied with translations!

kRSNa-bhakta baro catur!

QUOTE

In Anuccheda 278 of Bhakti-sandarbha, Jiva Gosvami explains smarana, dividing it into five stages.

Smarana is of five kinds:

Any slight searching out of the object of meditation is called smaraNa or "remembering."

When one repeatedly drags the mind from other objects and controls it in a general way, that is dhAraNA or "recollection."

A more concentrated meditation on specific aspects of the Lord's form, etc., is called dhyAna or "meditation."

When such meditation becomes uninterrupted like a flowing stream of nectar, that is called dhruvAnusmRti or "firm and constant recall."

Finally, samAdhi or trance refers to the stage where the object of meditation appears constantly before the meditator.

(Jagat has posted this on indiadivine boards a few years ago)

From Jagat:
Starting with Harinama-Cintamani Chapter 15

Please don't copy and paste into topics such lengthy passages, especially without retaining the formatting. There is a copy-paste section for things like this, and this particular text is there already. - Mod.