उत्साहान्निश्चयाद्धैर्यात् तत्तत्कर्म-प्रवर्तनात् ।
संगत्यागात् सतोवृत्तेः षड़्भिर्भक्तिः प्रसिध्यति ॥३॥
utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt
tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt
saṅga-tyāgāt sato vṛtteḥ
ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati
Anvaya
utsāhāt – enthusiasm to carry out the rules which enhance bhakti; niścayāt – firm faith in the statements of śāstra and the guru, whose words are fully in line with śāstra; dhairyāt – fortitude in the practice of bhakti, even in the midst of obstacles, or patience during the practice stage of bhakti even when there is delay in attaining one’s desired goal; tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt – following the limbs of bhakti such as hearing and chanting and giving up one’s material sense enjoyment for the pleasure of Śrī Kṛṣṇa; saṅga-tyāgāt – giving up illicit association with women, the association of those who are overly attached to women and the association of māyāvādīs, atheists and pseudo-religionists; sato vṛtteḥ – adopting the good behaviour and character of pure devotees; ṣaḍbhiḥ – by these six types of practice; bhaktiḥ – pure devotion; prasidhyati – is effected.
Translation
Progress in bhakti may be obtained by the following six practices:
- enthusiasm to carry out the rules that enhance bhakti,
- firm faith in the statements of śāstra and the guru, whose words are fully in line with śāstra,
- fortitude in the practice of bhakti, even in the midst of obstacles, or patience during the practice stage of bhakti, even when there is delay in attaining one’s desired goal,
- following the limbs of bhakti such as hearing (śravaṇa) and chanting (kīrtana) and giving up one’s material sense enjoyment for the pleasure of Śrī Kṛṣṇa,
- giving up illicit connection with women, the association of those who are overly attached to women and the association of māyāvādīs, atheists and pseudo-religionists, and
- adopting the good behaviour and character of pure devotees.
Upadeśa-prakāśikā-ṭīkā
The word utsāha, enthusiasm, refers to eagerness to perform the limbs of sādhana, which enhance bhakti. The word niścaya, conviction, signifies firm faith. Dhairya means not slackening one’s execution of the limbs of bhakti, even when there is delay in obtaining the desired goal. The meaning of tat-tat-karma-pravartana is to fully renounce one’s material enjoyment while endeavouring exclusively for the attainment of Bhagavān. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.19.24) Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa says to Uddhava:
evaṁ dharmair manuṣyāṇām
uddhavātma-nivedinām
mayi sañjayate bhaktiḥ
ko ’nyo ’rtho ’syāvaśiṣyate
Devotion that is saturated with love for Me arises in the hearts of those who offer their very souls unto Me and who follow the religious principles favourable for bhakti. What other object remains to be obtained for those who have attained bhakti for Me?
The meaning of sato-vṛtti is to adopt the exalted conduct of devotees.
Pīyūṣa-varṣiṇī-vṛtti
Maintaining one’s existence by appropriate means and cultivating bhakti are two essential activities for devotees. The first half of this verse indicates attitudes that are favourable for the cultivation of bhakti, and the second half describes how a devotee should conduct his life. Enthusiasm, optimism, patience, executing activities that nourish bhakti, renouncing bad association and adopting the good behaviour of devotees are the means of obtaining success in bhakti.
- Utsāha – eagerness to follow the rules and regulations of bhakti is called utsāha. Without this enthusiasm, one’s bhakti will vanish. Following the limbs of bhakti with great respect is real utsāha.
- Niścaya – the meaning of niścaya is firm faith.
- Dhairya – not slackening one’s execution of the limbs of bhakti, even when there is delay in obtaining the desired goal, is called dhairya, patience.
- Bhakti-poṣaka-karma – there are two types of activities that nourish bhakti: regulations (vidhi) and prohibitions (niṣedha). Performing the limbs of bhakti, headed by śravaṇa and kīrtana, is the prescribed regulation. Renouncing one’s personal enjoyment for the purpose of giving pleasure to Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the primary prohibition.
- Saṅga-tyāga – one should renounce the association of non-devotees, women and those attached to women. “Non-devotees” here means sense enjoyers, māyāvādīs and those who make a pretentious display of religiosity.
- Sad-vṛtti – one should adopt the virtuous conduct of pure devotees and thereby maintain one’s life in a suitable manner. Renunciant devotees should beg alms, preferably by performing mādhukarī. This is a process of begging where, like a bee (madhukara) taking nectar from many different flowers, they accept very little alms from many different households. Householder devotees should sustain their lives by means that are favourable to the regulations pertaining to the Vedic system of social order (varṇāśrama).
Anuvṛtti
Utsāha means to remain indifferent to the cultivation of jñāna, the activities of karma, spiritual practices that have any aim other than to please Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and one’s preferred variety of material enjoyment, while resolutely executing the limbs of sādhana-bhakti. “Bhagavad-bhakti alone is the ultimate objective of all living beings” – such firm faith is called niścaya. Sometimes wandering onto the paths of karma, jñāna and so forth makes one’s mind restless, and following their sādhanas will only produce suffering in the end. “Therefore, the path of bhakti is the sole constitutional path for all jīvas” – such firm conviction is called dhairya, fortitude. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.2.32–3) describes those jñānīs who commit offence at Bhagavān’s lotus feet by falsely considering themselves liberated, and also the steadfastness of loving (premī) devotees upon the path of bhakti:
ye ’nye ’ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas
tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ
āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ
patanty adho ’nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ
O lotus-eyed Lord, those who do not take shelter of Your lotus feet vainly consider themselves to be liberated. Because they are devoid of affection and devotion for You, their intelligence is impure. Even though such persons approach the platform of liberation by undergoing severe austerities and following spiritual practices, they fall from that position due to neglecting Your lotus feet.
tathā na te mādhava tāvakāḥ kvacid
bhraśyanti mārgāt tvayi baddha-sauhṛdāḥ
tvayābhiguptā vicaranti nirbhayā
vināyakānīkapa-mūrdhasu prabho
O Mādhava, the jñānīs who imagine themselves to be liberated may fall from their so-called position of liberation, but Your devotees who are bound to You by a tie of intimate affection never fall from the path of bhakti. Because such devotees are fully protected by You, they fearlessly cross over all obstacles by placing their feet upon the heads of the predominating deities who are empowered to instigate the most severe types of impediments.
Concerning the path of bhakti, Haridāsa Ṭhākura took a steadfast vow to chant in the face of all obstacles. This ideal in the realm of bhakti is related in this verse from Śrī Caitanya-Bhāgavata (Ādi-khaṇḍa 16.94):
khaṇḍa-khaṇḍa hai deha jāya yadi prāṇa
tabu āmi vadane nā chāḍi harināma
Regardless if my body is cut to pieces and the life-air exits my body, I will never abandon the chanting of harināma.
Such determination to remain upon the path of bhakti is called dhairya, fortitude. To execute the limbs of bhakti, such as hearing hari-kathā, performing kīrtana of bhagavān-nāma and meditating on Bhagavān’s names, form and pastimes with such determination, is tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt.
The association of Bhagavān’s devotees is very desirable. One should never associate with karmīs, jñānīs or those who are filled with extraneous desires, knowing them to be less intelligent and of an enjoying tendency. What to speak of approaching them to fulfil any type of desire for prestige, to maintain any type of relationship with them is not proper. Keeping such bad association at a safe distance, one should adopt the ways of those saintly devotees who are always immersed in chanting harināma. Karma, jñāna, aṣṭāṅga-yoga and so forth, which are devoid of the desire to please Kṛṣṇa, are not steps along the path of bhakti. Even if one possesses all good qualities, if he is devoid of bhakti, those very qualities merely transform into faults. But all virtuous qualities certainly reside within one who possesses bhakti. Therefore the path of bhakti is characterised by saintly conduct.
Enthusiasm to serve Śrī Kṛṣṇa, full faith and steadfastness in that service, ensuring that all endeavours are solely for Kṛṣṇa’s service, renouncing the company of all others except Kṛṣṇa’s devotees and following in the footsteps of Kṛṣṇa’s devotees – these six practices enhance bhakti.
[CC-by-ND GVP]