The Tonic of Sweet Surrender for Dedicated Souls

Prapanna-Jivanāmṛtam

The Tonic of Sweet Surrender for Dedicated Souls

तृतियोऽध्यायः

CHAPTER III

श्री भक्त वचनामृतम्

Śrī Bhakta-vacanāmṛtam

Soul-tonic-words from the bhaktas

continued...
Acceptance of what is favorable.

3.15

तदीय सेवनं न हि तुच्छम्

tadīya sevanaṁ ni hi tuccham

Such service [to devotees]  is not a small thing.

ज्नानावलम्बकः केचित् केचित् कर्म्मावलम्बकाः
वयं तु हरि दासानां पादत्राणावम्बकाः

श्री देशिकाचार्य

jnānāvalambakaḥ kecit kecit karmmāvalambakāḥ

vayaṁ tu hari dāsānāṁ pādatrāṇāvambakāḥ

Śrī Deśikācārya

Some depend on  knowledge as their only hope, while others find support in  karma. We want to cling to the shoes of the servants of Lord Hari as our only shelter. 

Śrī Deśikācārya

http://swamidesikaninfo.blogspot.mx/p/swami-desikan.html

[3.15]

[This verse is found in Padyāvali of Rūpa Goswāmī http://www.krishnapath.org/Library/Goswami-

books/Rupa/Rupa_Goswami_Sri_Padyavali.pdf]

3.16

अस्माद् अनन्य-निष्ठा

asmād ananya-niṣṭhā

With this service one becomes fixed in unconditional love

त्यजन्तु बान्धवाः सर्व्वे निन्दन्तु गुरवो जनाः
तथापि परमानन्दो गोविन्दो मम जीवनम्

श्री कुलशेखर

tyajantu bāndhavāḥ sarvve nindantu guravo janāḥ

tathāpi paramānando govindo mama jīvanam

śrī kulaśekhara

[This is a verse from the Mukunda-mālā stotram by King Kulaśekhara. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kulashekhara_Alwar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VziFNsXeMc 

Here's the Vedabase version of the translation]

Word for word: 

tyajantu — may they reject me; bāndhavāḥ — relatives; sarve — all; nindantu — may they condemn; guravaḥ — superior; janāḥ — persons; tathā api — nonetheless; parama — supreme; ānandaḥ — the embodiment of bliss; govindaḥ — Lord Govinda; mama — my; jīvanam — very life.

Translation: 

Let my relatives all abandon me and my superiors condemn me. Still, the supremely blissful Govinda remains my life and soul.

Purport: 

Ordinary people may condemn the Lord's devotees as ignorant fools, but the truly learned never do so. As Prahlāda Mahārāja states, "One who has dedicated his life to Kṛṣṇa through the nine methods of bhakti should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge" (SB 7.5.24). But in the Kali-yuga, out of ignorance people mock the saintly devotees and praise demonic leaders in government, entertainment, and sports. Taking courage from the examples of saints like King Kulaśekhara and others, the devotees should not be ashamed when ordinary people disrespect them. They should be very concerned, however, that the Vaiṣṇavas and the Supreme Lord are pleased with their behavior.

Even the sage Nārada was condemned for his devotional activities: Dakṣa cursed him because he taught renunciation to Dakṣa's sons. Nārada remained tolerant, however, and continued traveling and preaching. The aim of Nārada and the devotees who follow his example is not to disrupt people's lives, but if their work is misunderstood, they must not abandon their duty but must continue their mission on behalf of the Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, "Because Nārada Muni and the members of his disciplic succession disrupt friendships and family life, they are sometimes accused of being sauhṛda-ghna, creators of enmity between relatives. Actually such devotees are friends of every living entity (suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg. 5.29]), but they are misunderstood to be enemies. Preaching can be a difficult, thankless task, but a preacher must follow the orders of the Supreme Lord and be unafraid of materialistic persons" (SB 6.5.39, purport). Conclusion: A devotee should remain happy executing his duty and not develop a "persecution complex."

The sentiment King Kulaśekhara expresses here is echoed by Mādhavendra Purī in one of his verses: "Let the sharp moralist accuse me of being illusioned; I do not mind. Experts in Vedic activities may slander me as being misled, friends and relatives may call me frustrated, my brothers may call me a fool, the wealthy mammonites may point me out as mad, and the learned philosophers may assert that I am much too proud. Still my mind does not budge an inch from the determination to serve the lotus feet of Govinda, though I am unable to do so."

http://www.vedabase.com/en/mm/