Prapanna-Jīvanāmṛtam 1st Chapter, Summary

श्री प्रपन्न-जीबनामृतम्

Śrī Prapanna-Jīvanāmṛtam

by
His Divine Grace

Jagat-Guru

Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara deva Goswāmī

In a new translation
compiled and edited with Sanskrit, Bengali
and Roman transliteration
by 
Michael Dolan, B.V. Mahāyogi

प्रथमो ऽध्यायः

Prathamo’dhyāyaḥ

First Chapter

उपक्रमामृतम्

23

अध्याय-परिचय॒--

अत्रैव प्रथमाध्याये, उपक्रमामृताभिधे

मङ्गलाचरणञ्-चात्मा-, विज्नप्तिर् वस्तु-निर्णयः

ग्रन्थ-परिचयो ‘ध्याय-, विषयश् च निवेशितः [२३]

पूर्णाश्बासकरं साक्षात्, गोबिन्द-बचनामृतम्

समाहृतं पिबन्तु भोः, साधबः शुद्ध-दर्शनः [२२]

adhyāya-paricaya:--

atraiva prathamādhyāye, upakramāmṛtābhidhe

maṅgalācaraṇañ-cātmā-, vijnaptir vastu-nirṇayaḥ

grantha-paricayo ‘dhyāya-, viṣayaś ca niveśitaḥ [23]

Chapter Summary: The first chapter begins with an invocation and a humble request followed by a general introduction to the book a summary of the chapters and the philosophical theme of the book. All this is found in the first chapter called "Preamble to Nectar." (23)

24

द्बितीयाध्यायके नाम, श्री-शास्त्र-बचनामृते

प्रपप्प्ति-बिषया नन-, शास्तोक्तिः सन्निबेशिता [२४]

dvitīyādhyāyake nāma, śrī-śāstra-vacanāmṛte

prapappti-viṣayā nana-, śāstoktiḥ sanniveśitā [24]

The second chapter quotes scripture on the nectar of surrender and so is titled  śrī-śāstra-vacanāmṛtam, or "The Nectar of Scriptural Word." (24)

25

तृतीयतो ‘ष्टमं याबत्, श्री-भक्त-बचनामृते

प्रपत्तिः षड्-बिधा प्रोक्ता, भागबत-गणोदिता [२५]

tṛtīyato ‘ṣṭamaṁ yāvat, śrī-bhakta-vacanāmṛte

prapattiḥ ṣaḍ-vidhā proktā, bhāgavata-gaṇoditā [25]

The third to eighth chapter are dedicated to the nectarean words of the devotees. Their realisations about the six-fold path of surrender are gathered there. This section is titled śrī-bhakta-vacanāmṛtam, "The Nectar of Words spoken by the devotees." (25)

26

Śaraṇāgati

The Sixfold Path of Surrender

आनुकूल्यस्य सङ्कल्पः, प्रातिकूल्य-बिबर्ज्जनम्

रक्षिष्यतिईति बिश्बासो, गोप्र्तृत्बे बरनं तथा [२६]

आत्म-निक्षेप कार्पन्ये, षद्-बिधा शरणगतिः

एबं पर्य्यायतश् चास्मिन्न्, एकैकाध्याय-सङ्ग्रहः [२७]

ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ, prātikūlya-vivarjjanam

rakṣiṣyatiīti viśvāso, goprtṛtve varanaṁ tathā [26]

ātma-nikṣepa kārpanye, ṣad-vidhā śaraṇagatiḥ

evaṁ paryyāyataś cāsminn, ekaikādhyāya-saṅgrahaḥ [27]

Those six chapters are written according to the six-fold path of surrender called Śaraṇagati. 

The six-fold path is as follows:

1. Accepting what is favourable for surrender to Kṛṣṇa. 

2 Rejecting what is unfavourable for surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

3. Faith in Kṛṣṇa's protection

4. Throwing oneself at the mercy of Kṛṣṇa's protection

5. Offering oneself completely to Kṛṣṇa.

6. Humility, or considering oneself especially unqualified for the mercy of Kṛṣṇa.

अध्याये नबमे नाम, भगबद्-बचनामृते

श्लोकामृतं समाहृतम्, साक्षद्-भगबतोदितम् [२८]

दशमे चरमाध्याये, चाबशेषामृताभिधे

गुरु-कृष्ण-स्मृतौ ग्रन्थ-स्योपसंहरणं कृतम् [२९]

उद्धृत-श्लोक-पूर्ब्बे तु, तद् अर्थ-सुप्रकाशकम्

बाक्यञ् च यत्नतस् तत्र, यथा-ज्ञानं निबेशितम् [३०]

भगबद्-गौरचन्द्रानां, बदनेन्दु-सुधात्मिका

भक्तोक्तैर् बेशिता श्लोका, भक्त-भाबोदिता यतः [३१]

प्रपत्त्या सह चानन्य-, भक्तेर् नैकट्य-हेतुतः

अनन्य-भक्ति-सम्बन्धं, बहु-बाक्यम् इहोद्धृतम् [३२]

भ्गबद्-भक्त-शास्त्रानां, सम्भन्धो ‘स्ति परस्परम्

तत् तत् प्राधान्यतो नाम्नां, प्रभेद-करणं स्मृतम् [३३]

प्रत्य्-अध्याय-बिशेषस् तु, तत्र तत्रैब बक्ष्यते

महाजन-बिचारस्य, किञ्चिद् आलोच्यते ‘धुना [३४]

adhyāye navame nāma, bhagavad-vacanāmṛte

ślokāmṛtaṁ samāhṛtam, sākṣad-bhagavatoditam [28]

daśame caramādhyāye, cāvaśeṣāmṛtābhidhe

guru-kṛṣṇa-smṛtau grantha-syopasaṁharaṇaṁ kṛtam [29]

uddhṛta-śloka-pūrvve tu, tad artha-suprakāśakam

vākyañ ca yatnatas tatra, yathā-jñānaṁ niveśitam [30]

bhagavad-gauracandrānāṁ, vadanendu-sudhātmikā

bhaktoktair veśitā ślokā, bhakta-bhāvoditā yataḥ [31]

prapattyā saha cānanya-, bhakter naikaṭya-hetutaḥ

ananya-bhakti-sambandhaṁ, bahu-vākyam ihoddhṛtam [32]

bhgavad-bhakta-śāstrānāṁ, sambhandho ‘sti parasparam

tat tat prādhānyato nāmnāṃ, prabheda-karaṇaṁ smṛtam [33]

praty-adhyāya-viśeṣas tu, tatra tatraiva vakṣyate

mahājana-vicārasya, kiñcid ālocyate ‘dhunā [34]

The ninth chapter is composed of saying by Kṛṣṇa Himself, and is so called Śrī Bhagavad-Vacanāmṛtam, or the nectar of words spoken by Bhagavan. (28)

The tenth and final chapeare is called Śrī Avaśeṣāmṛtam, or the Remnants of Nectar,  composed as an epilogue of the book with mind absorbed in guru and Kṛṣṇa.  (29)

According to my best ability, I have set an aphorism before each verse to clarify the purpose of the quotation. (30)

Since Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu, Bhagavad Gauracandra, is God Himself appearing as His own devotee, his sayings are represented in the section of verses by devotees as they represent the heart of pure devotion.  (31)

The sayings and verses found in this work include many expressions of pure devotion or ananya-bhakti, since pure devotion and surrender or Śaraṇagati are closely related.  (32)

And just as ananya-bhakti and Śaraṇagati  are closely related, so too are the different sayings gathered here. The words of Nectar from Bhagavān, Śāstra, and Bhaktas are seen to be in harmony. But we have collected them separately in their own sections to show their particular value.  (33)

In this way, the qualities of each chapter will become self-evident to the reader. Next, we will take up a wider consideration according to the point of view of the great souls. (34)