Prapanna-Jīvanāmṛtam: End of Chapter 1

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

श्रबण-कीर्त्तनादीनां, भक्त्याङ्गानां हि याजने

अक्षमस्यापि सर्ब्बाप्तिः, प्रपत्त्यैब हराब् इति [४०]

śravaṇa-kīrttanādīnāṁ, bhaktyāṅgānāṁ hi yājane

akṣamasyāpi sarvvāptiḥ, prapattyaiva harāv iti [40]

Even one who improperly practices the different forms of  bhakti:  śravanam, kīrtanam, and so on, achieves perfection on this path through surrender to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Reality the Beautiful.

सख्य-रसाश्रित-प्राया, सेति केचित् बदन्ति तु

माधुर्य्यादौ प्रपन्नानां, प्रबेशो नास्ति चेति न [४१]

sakhya-rasāśrita-prāyā, seti kecit vadanti tu

mādhuryyādau prapannānāṁ, praveśo nāsti ceti na [41]

Some give priority to sakhya-rasa. They hold that this is the highest. But it is inaccurate to deny that one may gain entrance into madhurya-rāsa through surrender.   (41)

सकृत् प्रबृत्ति-मात्रेण, प्रपत्तिः सिध्यतीति यत्

लोभोत्पादन-हेतोस् तद्, आलोचन-प्रयोजनम् [४२]

sakṛt pravṛtti-mātreṇa, prapattiḥ sidhyatīti yat

lobhotpādana-hetos tad, ālocana-prayojanam [42]

Once one turns to Kṛṣṇa and takes shelter of Him, the longing for surrender is born within us. There is no turning back. Once we begin on the path of surrender we shall be drawn towards Kṛṣṇa. We might ask ourselves, "Where does this longing come from? Where and how does the search for Śrī Kṛṣṇa begin?"

(42)

अपि तद् आनुकूल्य्यादि-, सङ्कल्पाद्य्-अङ्ग-लक्षनात्

तद् अनुशीलनीयत्बम्, उच्यते हि महाजनैः

api tad ānukūlyyādi-, saṅkalpādy-aṅga-lakṣanāt

tad anuśīlanīyatvam, ucyate hi mahājanaiḥ [43]

Also, since surrender is based on accepting what is favourable to Kṛṣṇa and rejecting what is unfavourable, we should listen to the sayings of the great souls. Their teachings will guide us and help us to understand what is favourable and unfavourable on the path. (43)

भबाऋत्ति-पीड्यमानो बा, भक्ति-मात्राभिलश्य् अपि

बैमुख्य-बाध्यमानो ‘न्य-, गतिस् तच् छरणं ब्रजेत्

bhavāṛtti-pīḍyamāno vā, bhakti-mātrābhilaśy api

vaimukhya-bādhyamāno ‘nya-, gatis tac charaṇaṁ vrajet [44]

Who surrenders to Kṛṣṇa? The fearful, the downtrodden, those who are suffering in the material world and looking for escape turn to God. Those who have no other shelter also seek refuge in God Himself, Kṛṣṇa.  (44)

आश्रयान्तर-राहित्ये, बानश्रय-बिसर्ज्जने

अनन्य-गति-भेदस्-तु, द्बि-बिधः परिकीर्त्तितः

āśrayāntara-rāhitye, vānaśraya-visarjjane

ananya-gati-bhedas-tu, dvi-vidhaḥ parikīrttitaḥ [45]

Some who seek refuge have no other shelter. 

Others abandon their shelter and seek refuge in God. (45)

अपूर्ब्ब-फलत्बं--

The Fruits of Śaraṇāgati

मनो-वाक्-काय-भेदाच् च, त्रि-विधा शरणागतिः

तासां सर्व्वाङ्ग-सम्पन्ना, शीघ्रं पूर्ण-फल-प्रदा

न्यूनाधिक्येन चिअतासां, तारतम्यं फले ‘पि च [४६]

mano-vāk-kāya-bhedāc ca, tri-vidhā śaraṇāgatiḥ

tāsāṁ sarvvāṅga-sampannā, śīghraṁ pūrṇa-phala-pradā

nyūnādhikyena ciatāsāṃ, tāratamyaṁ phale ‘pi ca [46]

How does one surrender? Mind, word, and work are the ways of surrender. One may surrender to Kṛṣṇa with his words, with thought, or with action. This is the  threefold path of śaraṇāgati.  Complete dedication of mind, words, and deeds will yield the complete fruit of surrender. But there is gradation everywhere. The fruit of surrender will be ripened according to the gradation of surrender.(46)

बिनाश्य सर्ब्ब-दुःखानि, निज-माधुर्य्य-बर्षणम्

करोति भगबान् भक्ते, शरणागत-पालकः [४७]

apūrvva-phalatvaṁ--

vināśya sarvva-duḥkhāni, nija-mādhuryya-varṣaṇam

karoti bhagavān bhakte, śaraṇāgata-pālakaḥ [47]

The ripened fruit of śaraṇāgati: Kṛṣṇa, God as Reality the Beautiful, relieves the distress of his bhaktas out of love, filling the hearts of those surrendered souls with his own sweet divinity. (47)

अप्य् असिद्धं तदीयत्बं, बिना च शरणागतिम्

इत्य् अपूर्ब्ब-फलत्बं हि, तस्याः शंसन्ति पण्डिताः [४८

apy asiddhaṁ tadīyatvaṁ, vinā ca śaraṇāgatim

ity apūrvva-phalatvaṁ hi, tasyāḥ śaṁsanti paṇḍitāḥ [48]

Where there is śaraṇāgati one thinks, "I am His and He is mine." There is no independence. Where there is no śaraṇāgati,  this sense is absent.  I belong to Krsna, wholesale. I am His property, He can use me in any way. I am not free to leave Him; my fate is all within His service, within His area of service, and not outside. And  Krsna Himself gives us this assurance: "You are My own. Your interest is My interest; My interest is your interest."  The learned paṇḍitas welcome this understanding; it is considered the full fruit of surrender in the scriptures.  (48)

अथबा बहुभिर् एतैर्, उक्तिभिः किं प्रयोजनम्

सर्ब्ब-सिद्धैर् भबेद् एब, गोबिन्द-चरणाश्रयत् [४९]

athavā bahubhir etair, uktibhiḥ kiṁ prayojanam

sarvva-siddhair bhaved eva, govinda-caraṇāśrayat [49]

The statements in the scriptures praising surrender are plentiful. Why do they praise surrender so highly? It is because surrender leads to something far beyond liberation and all the other promises of the scriptures;  surrender leads to the to the highest perfection:  the lotus feet of Śrī Govinda.(49)

श्री-सनातन-जीवादि-, महाजन-समाहृतम्

अपि चेन् नीच-संस्पृष्तं, पीयूषं पीयतां बुधाः [५०]

śrī-sanātana-jīvādi-, mahājana-samāhṛtam

api cen nīca-saṁspṛṣtaṁ, pīyūṣaṁ pīyatāṁ budhāḥ [50]

Oh learned ones! This, then is the conclusion of all the great ācāryas, headed by Śrī Sanātana Goswāmī, Śrī Jīva Goswāmi and the other Goswāmīs as well as their followers. Erudite devotees: Drink!  Drink deeply of this tonic: it will cure what ails you. Oh you sons of nectar: Even though it has been touched by this lowly soul: Drink this nectar. (50)

इति श्री-प्रपन्न-जीवनामृते

उपक्रमामृतम् नाम प्रथमो ‘ध्ययः |

iti śrī-prapanna-jīvanāmṛte

upakramāmṛtam nāma prathamo ‘dhyayaḥ

Here ends the first chapter of 

Prapanna-jīvanāmṛtam, 

called "Preamble to Nectar"