Bhagavata KathA - Prthu raja's solicitation

Here are three exceptional couplets from the 4th Skandha in the words of Adi raja Prthu.

na kAmaye nAtha tadapyahaM kvacin-
na yatra yuSmaccharaNAmbujAsavah/
mahattamAntarhRdayAnmukhacyuto
vidhatsva karNAyutameSa me varah//

sa uttamazloka mahanmukhacyuto
bhavatpadAmbhojasudhAkaNAnilah/
smRtiM punarvismRtatattvavartmanAM
kuyoginAM no vitaratyalaM varaih//

yazah zivaM suzrava Aryasangame
yadRcchayA copazRnoti te sakRt/
kathaM guNajno viramedvinA pazuM
zrIryatpravavre guNasaMgRhecchayA//

I care not even for liberation, if it be a state devoid
of facilities to imbibe the ambrosial beverage of
the narratives of thy glory and excellences, oozing
from the hearts of thy voteries and flowing through
their mouths. So if a boon of my chioce is to be bestowed,
grant unto me ten thousand ears with which I may
support my soul in the boundless joy that listening
to the narratives of great men on thy excellences
can alone impart.

O glorious one! Even a little of the breeze surcharged
with the particles of the nectar of thy narratives
dispersed from the mouths of the great ones,
can purify the fallen yogis and restore to them
the knowledge of the self, from which they had
gone astray. Such being the case, what other
boon shall I seek than eternal absorbtion in the
contemplation of thy endless glories and excellences?

O thou far famed for thy virtues! He is indeed a brute
who, having by chance aquired the aquaintence of
holy men, feels surfieted with, and withdraws from
the recital of thy hallowed deeds and glory heard
in such company. None endowed with disernment
of virtues would ever do so. For, mark how even Sridevi,
thy consort, in quest for one embodying in himself
all that is glorious and virtuous, found in thee alone
such a person - one whom she could select without
hesitation.

Bhag 4/20/24 - 26

O the power of Hari katha! When separated from Krishna the gopis were able to sustain their lives only by doing His katha. An example of this from bhramara gItA...

divi bhuvi ca rasAyAM kAH striyas tad-durApAH
kapaTa-rucira-hAsa-bhrU-vijRmbhasya yAH syuH |
caraNa-raja upAste yasya bhUtir vayaM kA
api ca kRpaNa-pakSe hy uttamaH-zloka-zabdaH || SB 10.47.15 ||

O bee, what woman can be found in the three worlds that will not fall victim to His bewitching playful eyes accompanied by His cunning and winsome smile? Who are we in His eyes? The dust of His feet is worshipped even by Lakshmi Devi herself. The epithet "Uttamasloka" is being applied to one who espouses the causes of the forlorn. It surely was the ignorant folk who designated Him as Uttamasloka, us gopis will not refer to Him as such. He is merciful to others, but not us forlorn gopis.

When He departs, at least He leaves His kathA behind.

Just while I remember, but have no time now, there is reference somewhere to the effect that Hari kathA is even more relishable than Hari sanga.

QUOTE(Madanmohan das @ Dec 7 2005, 11:56 AM)

Just while I remember, but have no time now, there is reference somewhere to the effect that Hari kathA is even more relishable than Hari sanga.

I heard something like that too. I also heard something to the effect that in some instances Hari katha is more potent than Hari Himself. I hope you can find the reference.

Yep. Just don't have many books right now. I remember a purport of ADB either in VKA or RRSN, the topic being the virtues of prasanga seva and paricarya, the former refering to Hari kathA; the latter to ministering direct seva. Again, I think, Sri JIva brings up the subject somewhere in Bhakti Sandarbha. If Advaita das sees this, he might help to find some sweet reference.

Unfortunately I had to leave behind in India a nice copy of Bhakti Sandarbha with Bengali anuvad. I'm sure Bh.S is one book that would do much good if it was available in English. Especially Bhakti Sandarbha, from what little I've heard, analises in great depth the various aspects of bhakti, with special emphasis on the glory of Hari kathA.

Excuse the spelling; just can't get my head round that.

QUOTE(Madanmohan das @ Dec 7 2005, 03:34 PM)

Unfortunately I had to leave behind in India a nice copy of Bhakti Sandarbha with Bengali anuvad. I'm sure Bh.S is one book that would do much good if it was available in English. Especially Bhakti Sandarbha, from what little I've heard, analises in great depth the various aspects of bhakti, with special emphasis on the glory of Hari kathA.
Excuse the spelling; just can't get my head round that.

Actually, paricaryA and prasanga sevA have been dicussed in the sudhA kaNikA vyAkhyA of ADB also. I will search and see if I can locate it and see if some issues of relevance to this topic are to be found. I have a version of zrI bhakti sandarbha here....Let us see what we can find.

Though not related to prasanga sevA, this verse is presented in anuccheda 86, text 1 of zrI bhakti sandarbha. This verse is from zrImad bhAgavatam where zrI zukadeva is wrapping up his instructions.

saMsAra-sindhum ati-dustaram uttitIrSor
nAnyaH plavo bhagavataH puruSottamasya |
lIlA-kathA-rasa-niSevaNam antareNa
puMso bhaved vividha-duHkha-davArditasya || SB 12.4.40

For a person who is suffering in the ocean of saMsAra, and desires to cross it's insurmountable barrier, there is no capable boat other than relishing the rasa of puruSottama's lIlA kathA.

From the TIkA of zrIdhara svAmI:

The words na anyaH plavaH mean that there is no other way to cross the ocean of saMsAra, so one should hear lIlA kathA as much as possible.
Of all the services in bhakti, zravaNam, hearing Hari kathA comes first. Without the zravaNam of Hari kathA it will not be possible to do any other devotional sevA.

I was wanting to present examples of prasanga sevA where Radhaji's sakhis are serving Her by speaking about Krishna's rUpa, guNa, and so on, but as I just came across this example of prasanga sevA between guru and disciple, I will present it for now.

This describes the sevA of Izvara purI to his guru zrI mAdhavendra purI. This occured as zrI mAdhavendra purI was nearing his departure from this world.

nirantara kRSNa-nAma karAya smaraNa |
kRSNa-nAma, kRSNa lIlA zunAya anukSana || CC 3.8.29

He continuously reminded him of Krishna by uttering His name and reciting His lila.

Well here is an interesting paralel. First a sloka from 11th Skandha chapter 2. The first of the navayogis to begin the discourse on Bhagavat dharma Kavi, says;

kAyena vAcA manasendriyairvA buddhyAtmamanA vAnusratasvabhAvAt/
karoti yad yat sakalaM parasmai nArAyaNayeti samarpayetum//

Whatever a person does with his body, word, mind and senses,
by intellect and self and by the prompting of svabhAva
or individual nature and karma; all that should be fully dedicated to Narayana.
Bhag 11/2/36

Compare this quite well known sloka which is found in most editions of Raja Kulasekhara's Mukunda Mala.

kAyena vAcA manasendriyaizca buddhyAtmanA vAnuzruti svabhAvAt/
karomi yad yat sakalaM parasmai nArAyaNAyaiva samarpayAmi//

Whatever I do with my body, word, mind and senses, intellect and self,
and by the prompting of my individual nature due to karma,
all that I fully dedicate unto Narayana.

I'm not to sure about the vAnuzruti or vAnusrata in either verse. If anyone has the word-for-word it would be interesting to see.

Another sloka, this from the Gopi Gita.

na khalu gopIkAnandano bhavAn-
akhiladehinAmantarAtmadRk/
vikhanasArthito vizvaguptaye
sakha udeyivAn sAtvatAM kule//

O friend! Thou art not merely the dear child of the cowherdess,
but the witness of the inner self of all embodied beings.
Besaught by Brahma, O beloved, thou hast arisen like the sun
in the clan of the Satvatas for the protection of the world.

Bhag. 10/31/4

Aha

Gopi Gitam!?
I love this one on Katha-
Tava kathamritam tapta jivanam
kavibhiriditam kalmashapaham
sravanamangalayam sri madhatatam
bhuvi grinantije bhurida janaha//
this was phonetic from memory so please forgive the total mis-spell/mis-phrasing.
"the nectar of your words is the life for those scortched by the world. Words which have been uttered by the knowers of truth, which wipe out sin, the very hearing of which are beneficial, pleasing to the ear, pleasing to the heart, which are inexhaustible.
Those who recount them on the earth are the givers of the greatest gift//
Jay Radhe!