Verse Seven, Damodarastakam

Verse Seven
kuverātmajau baddha-mūrtyaiva yadvat
tvayā mocitau bhakti-bhājau kṛtau ca
tathā prema-bhaktiṁ svakāṁ me prayaccha
na mokṣe graho me ’sti dāmodareha
SYNONYMS
kuvera-ātmajau – the two sons of Kuvera (Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva); baddha-mūrtyā – by the divine form (śrī vigraha) which was bound; eva – certainly; yadvat – just as; tvayā – by You; mocitau – delivered both of them [from the species of tree as well as from bondage to the cycle of birth and death]; bhakti-bhājau – both recipients of bhakti; kṛtau – made them both; ca – and; tathā – similarly; prema-bhaktim – loving devotion; svakām – His own; me – upon me; prayaccha – please profusely bestow; na mokṣe – not for liberation; grahaḥ – yearning; me – for me; asti – there is; dāmodara – O bhakta-vatsala Dāmodara; iha – only for this.
TRANSLATION
O Dāmodara, even though You were bound with a rope to the grinding mortar by Your mother, You set the two sons of Kuvera, Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva, free (from Śrī Nārada’s curse that they live as twin arjuna trees), and enabled them to become recipients of the highest possible attainment – bhakti. In the same way, please profusely bestow upon me prema-bhakti for You. I long for this alone; I do not want any other kind of liberation.
Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā
itthaṁ prema-viśeṣeṇa paramotkaṇṭhayā saha sākṣād-darśanaṁ prārthya tata eva sadyo jāta-prema-bhakti-viśeṣeṇa tasya parama-daurlabhyaṁ manyamānas tatra ca paramopāya-bhūtāṁ prema-bhaktim abhijñāya. yadvā, sakṛd-darśane mano’tṛptiṁ viraha-duḥkhottaratāñcāśaṅkya sadā tad-vaśī-karaṇāya prema-bhaktim evaikam upāyam abhijñāya. tatra ca paramāparādhino mama kathaṁ sā sambhavet ity āśaṅkya śrī-bhagavad-vātsalya-mahimnā cāsambhāvyam api sarvam eva sambhaved iti niścitya, mokṣa-tyāgena prema-bhaktim eva prārthayate – kuvereti.
baddhayā gopyā pāśairudūkhale śṛṅkhalitayā mūrtyā śrī-vigraheṇaiveti, tayormadhye svayaṁ praveśāt parama-sundara-līlādi-viśiṣṭasya bhagavataḥ sākṣād-darśana-śparśanādikaṁ sūcitaṁ. [kuverātmajau] mocitau śrī-nārada-śāpāt saṁsārācca. na kevalaṁ tāvadeva, parama-bhaktiśca tābhyāṁ dattetyāha – [bhakti-bhājau] bhaktiṁ bhajataḥ parama-sādhyatvenāśrayataḥ na kathañcidapi tyajata iti tathā tau. evañca prema-bhaktireva dattetyabhipretaṁ.
tathā ca śrī-bhagavad-vacanaṁ (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.10.42) – “sañjāto mayi bhāvo vāmīpsitaḥ paramo ’bhavaḥ” – iti. asyārthaḥ – vāṁ yuvayorīpsito ’pekṣitaḥ, paramo bhāvaḥ premā, mayi samyagjāta eva. na bhavaḥ punar-janma saṁsāra-duḥkhaṁ vā yasmāt sa iti. he dāmodara! tathā tadvat svakaṁ tvac-caraṇāravindaikāśrayāṁ etad rūpaika-viṣayāṁ vā [prema-bhaktiṁ] me mahyaṁ, prakarṣeṇa yaccha dehi.
nanu kim atrāgraheṇa? kuberātmajavan-mokṣo ’pi gṛhyatāṁ, anyathā janma-maraṇādi-saṁsārāpatteḥ. tatrāha – neti. iha asyāṁ prema-bhaktāveva, mama graha āgraho ’sti na ca mokṣe graho ’sti.
ayam arthaḥ – prema-bhaktyā saṁsāra-dhvaṁso bhavati cettarhi bhavatu nāma, na syāccet tarhi māstu nāma. tatra mamāpekṣā nāstīti. atra gūḍho ’yaṁ bhāvaḥ – cintāmanau karasthe, sarvameva svayaṁ setsyati; kiṁ tad-eka-mātra-tuccha-dravya-grahaṇeneti.
yad-vā, he dāmodara! svakām prema-bhaktiṁ prayacchetyevaṁ pāśa-baddhodara-bhagavad-viṣayaka-prema-bhakti-prārthanayā nityam udare pāśa- bandhanāgrahamāśaṅkyāha – mokṣe pāśa-bandhanāt tava mocane mamāgraho nāsti kiṁ? kākvā asty-evety-arthaḥ. kintu iha asminneva rūpe svakām asādhāraṇāṁ prema-bhaktiṁ prayaccheti.
yadvā, iha vṛndāvane prema-bhaktiṁ prayacchetyanvayaḥ. tataśca tatraiva tasyāḥ sukha-viśeṣāvirbhāvakatvāt prādurbhāva-viśeṣāc-ca tathā tasya sākṣād-darśana-viśeṣākāratvācca tathā tatraiva tad-vihāri-śrī-bhagavad-didṛkṣā-viśeṣācca tatra sadā nivāso ’pi prārthitaḥ ity ūhyaṁ. anyacca pūrvavadeva.
iti śrī-dāmodarāṣṭake saptama-śloke śrī-sanātana gosvāmi-kṛtā dig-darśinī-nāmnī ṭīkā samāptā.
~ Thus ends the Dig-darśinī ṭīkā on the Seventh Verse ~
Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā Bhāvanuvāda
In the previous verse Śrī Satyavrata Muni prayed with great eagerness for direct darśana of Śrī Bhagavān, because he was overcome by a special kind of prema (prema-viśeṣa). However, due to the extraordinary longing in his prayers, a form of prema-bhakti instantly awakened [indicating the sprout of prema, or the stage of bhāva-bhakti], causing him to realize that such direct darśana is only rarely accomplished. Therefore, having determined that prema-bhakti is certainly the only means to attain that darśana, he now prays to Śrī Bhagavān with the hope of attaining prema-bhakti.
Alternatively, the sage fears that his mind will not be satiated after having Śrī Bhagavān’s darśana only once, and at the same time he dreads the agony of separation from Śrī Bhagavān when he will not be able to see Him the very next moment. He therefore prays to attain prema-bhakti, having ascertained that prema-bhakti is the sole means of capturing the Lord forever.
Despite this conclusion, he still felt apprehensive: “How can such a severe offender like me attain the most rare treasure of prema-bhakti?” However, he was comforted when he remembered Śrī Bhagavān’s glorious quality of bhakta-vātsalya, by which Śrī Bhagavān makes the impossible possible. With this conviction he rejected all varieties of mokṣa, and now, in this verse beginning with kuverātmajau, he exclusively prays for prema-bhakti.
With the words baddha-mūrtyaiva the sage says, “Despite exhibiting the exceptional characteristic of allowing Śrī Yaśodā Gopī to bind You to a grinding mortar with rope, in Your divine form (śrī vigraha) of Śrī Dāmodara, [in other words, even in this exceptional form in which You are Yourself bound] You delivered the two sons of Kuvera from their bondage.” This statement reveals the incomparable fortune of the twin arjuna trees who were able to see and touch Śrī Kṛṣṇa personally while He enacted His supremely enchanting pastimes.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa had pulled the grinding mortar behind Him and crawled between the two trees. Although He was Himself in a state of being bound, He liberated (mocitau) the two sons of Kuvera, Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva. But He did not just free them from Śrī Nārada’s curse and liberate them from material existence, He also gave both of them prema-bhakti for Him.
If someone is addressed by the phrase bhaktiṁ-bhājataḥ (recipients of bhakti), it is understood that they have taken irrevocable shelter of bhakti as the ultimate goal and they will never neglect bhakti in any way. Therefore, when the sage says, “bhakti bhājau kṛtau ca – You made (kṛtau) both of them so dedicated to bhakti,” he is clearly indicating that Śrī Bhagavān granted them prema-bhakti.
In this regard, a statement found in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.10.42), spoken to Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva by Śrī Bhagavān Himself is evidence of this:
sañjāto mayi bhāvo vāmīpsitaḥ paramo ’bhavaḥ...”
The prema for Me that you both greatly desired has now fully arisen within your hearts. Because of this prema, you will never again become trapped in material existence.
[Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī explains this verse as follows:] Śrī Bhagavān is saying, “O Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva, the prema (parama-bhāvaḥ) for Me (mayi) that the two of you (vām) desired (īpsitaḥ) has now fully arisen (sañjāto) in you. Therefore, you will no longer have to suffer the pain of repeated birth and death in material existence (abhavaḥ).”
Śrī Satyavrata Muni prays, “O Dāmodara, [just as You granted prema-bhakti to the two sons of Kuvera, without any cause] similarly, please profusely bestow upon me prema-bhakti for You which is characterized by taking absolute shelter of Your lotus feet.” Or, “Please grant me prema-bhakti for Your beautiful form as a small child who is bound by Your mother’s rope.”
Śrī Kṛṣṇa may ask, “Why are you insisting on prema-bhakti to the exclusion of everything else? Why will you not accept liberation (mokṣa) as well, just as the two sons of Kuvera did? Otherwise, you have to repeatedly suffer miseries like birth and death within material existence.” In reply to this, Śrī Satyavrata Muni explains: “I only insist on attaining this prema-bhakti; I do not want to accept moksa.”
The meaning of Śrī Satyavrata Muni’s words is, “If my repeated birth and death within material existence is destroyed by prema-bhakti, then let it be destroyed. And if it is not, then I do not care. I have no expectation either way.” The sage’s deep mood is understood by a simple example: If someone obtains a wish-fulfilling cintāmaṇi gem, then he will easily attain everything else. Therefore, in the presence of prema-bhakti, what is the use of accepting a single insignificant boon like moksa?
These words of the sage may also be understood in another way. He prays, “O Dāmodara, please grant me prema-bhakti specifically to You (svakām).” Here, by addressing his Lord as Dāmodara, the sage prays for prema-bhakti that is specifically related to the form of Bhagavān whose belly is bound by rope. It is possible to interperet this to mean that the sage selfishly wants Śrī Bhagavān’s waist to remain uncomfortably bound by rope forever. Fearing his prayer may be misunderstood in this way, he says, “na mokṣe graho me ’sti – Do You think that I want You to remain tied, that I do not want You to be released from the bondage of Your mother’s rope?” Overwhelmed with regret, the sage says, “I am certainly concerned for You. However, kindly grant me that uncommon prema-bhakti, which I fervently cherish, in relation to Your exceptional form as Dāmodara, who is bound by the prema of Mother Yaśodā.”
[Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī reveals yet another meaning of this verse:] One can also interpret the word iha (in this) to mean “here in Vṛndāvana”. By this interpretation, it is understood that the sage prays, “Please grant me prema-bhakti in Vṛndāvana.”
Accordingly, the special joy of that prema-bhakti only appears in Śrī Vṛndāvana. Because such prema-bhakti manifests predominantly in Śrī Vṛndāvana, the sage prays to see the bound form of Śrī Bhagavān there. This special form of Śrī Bhagavān when He is bound up can only be seen there. So in order to see this form directly, and also because of his extraordinary desire to see Vṛndāvana-bihārī [Śrī Bhagavān as He who blissfully enjoys in Vṛndāvana in His three-fold bending form], the sage is praying to reside in Śrī Vṛndāvana forever. All this is indirectly conveyed through the word iha. The other portions of this verse are not affected by this and should be understood according to the explanation already given.
~ Thus ends the English Rendition of the Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on the Seventh Verse ~
Dig-darśinī-vṛtti
In the previous verse, Śrī Satyavrata Muni performed nāma-saṅkīrtana with a melted heart. By the potency of nāma-saṅkīrtana, he received direct darśana of his worshipful Dāmodara for just a moment. It is as if Śrī Kṛṣṇa said to him, “O sage, I am pleased with you. Request anything you wish.” Satyavrata Muni now says, “Even though You were Yourself bound, You freed the two sons of Kuvera, Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva, who had been cursed by Śrī Nārada to live as twin arjuna trees and You also delivered them from the repeated cycle of birth and death within material existence. Furthermore, You made them the recipients of the highest form of bhakti to You by granting them prema-bhakti. In the same way, please profusely bestow upon me prema-bhakti for You.”
•••••
Kuvera is the treasurer of the demigods, and his two sons, because of their vast wealth, became intoxicated by pride. The scriptures describe four characteristics that intoxicate a man who possesses them. Great opulence and wealth is one of these. The other three are beauty, learning and noble birth.
A curse given by a saint is identical to his blessing. Both are meant for our ultimate benefit, but we cannot always understand this. Śrī Nārada apparently cursed the sons of Kuvera, Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva: “Intoxicated by the pride of wealth, you have become so dull that you are acting like trees. So be it. Become trees!” The moment these words issued from Śrī Nārada’s mouth, the two sons of Kuvera could feel their bodies turning into trees. They fell at Śrī Nārada’s lotus feet and begged him to arrange for their deliverance. Śrī Nārada consoled them: “Listen, at the end of Dvāpara-yuga, Svayam Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the original personality of Godhead, will appear in Gokula and deliver you.” Saying this, Śrī Nārada left that place, and subsequently the two brothers took birth as twin arjuna trees in the courtyard of Śrī Nanda Mahārāja’s house.
After tying up Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Mother Yaśodā returned to the house to churn yoghurt. At that time Śrī Kṛṣṇa recalled this incident and the statement made by His dear devotee, Śrī Nārada, ordaining the deliverance of the two sons of Kuvera. Pretending that He was simply playing with His friends, He crawled over to the two arjuna trees to deliver them, pulling the grinding mortar behind Him. When He crawled between the two trees, the grinding mortar became lodged between them, and as Śrī Kṛṣṇa pulled it with great force, the massive trees came crashing to the ground, making a tumultuous sound.
From the ancient trees, two heavenly personalities at once emerged, circumambulated Śrī Kṛṣṇa and began offering prayers to Him. Śrī Kṛṣṇa then blessed them both with prema-bhakti. Those two personalities became the famous narrators, Madhu-kaṇṭḥa and Snigdha-kaṇṭha in aprakaṭa Vraja (the unmanifest Vraja-dhāma situated in the heart of the spiritual sky). There, they eternally recite the sweet pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Śrī Nanda Maharāja’s assembly.
•••••
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmipāda explains how one can attain prema-bhakti:
ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo ’tha bhajana-kriyā
tato ’nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ
athāsaktis tato bhāvas tataḥ premābhyudañcati
sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ
Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.4.15–6)
In the heart of the sādhaka, first śraddhā (faith) develops. After that come sādhu-saṅga (association with saints), bhajana-kriyā (regulated devotional activities) and then anartha-nivṛtti (the clearing of unwanted habits). Next the sādhaka develops niṣṭhā in bhajana (fixed determination in devotional service), followed by ruci (taste). Then he develops āsakti (intense attachment) to bhajana and to the object of bhajana, Vrajendra-nandana Śrī Kṛṣṇa. After this, śuddha-sattva (pure unalloyed transcendental existence) descends in the heart of the sādhaka in the form of bhāva (spiritual emotions) and finally prema arises. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead.
Prema-bhakti actually develops in many sequences but the most celebrated process and the one that is delineated in the scriptures is described here. From time immemorial, all the souls who are averse to Śrī Bhagavān have been tossed about by the countless waves of misery in the fathomless ocean of material existence. They have simply been wandering aimlessly. However, when, by the special grace of Śrī Bhagavān, the time comes for their worldly entanglement to end, they attain the company of devotees. In the association of saints, a sādhaka obtains the great fortune of hearing the glories of the bhaktas, of bhakti and of Bhagavān, directly from the mouths of exalted personalities.
Next, as a result of bhakti-unmukhī-sukṛti (pious merits related to bhakti), transcendental faith, or parmarthika-śraddhā, arises within the sādhaka’s heart. The indication that this kind of śraddhā has awakened in his heart is that he firmly believes in the statements of the scriptures and longs to hear hari-kathā. Upon the dawning of such faith, in a sincere way, he begins to associate with devotees. At this point he begins to practise bhajana and his anarthas start to vanish. His bhajana soon becomes steadfast (niṣṭhā) and he subsequently acquires a taste (ruci) for the process. Eventually he develops profound attachment (āsakti) for his bhajana and for the object of his bhajana, his worshipful Lord. When this stage matures it becomes bhāva, the sprouting stage of ecstatic loving emotions. Then prema finally arises in his heart. This is the sequence in which prema appears within the heart of a sādhaka.
Hearing the prayers of Satyavrata Muni Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, “O sage, you should accept liberation, which includes complete freedom from all the miseries of material existence.” The sage responds, “O my Lord, I may encounter innumerable troubles in this life, and according to my past deeds and impressions, I may have to take birth in any species of life or even in hell, but I have no concern for my material fate. I just beg You to give me abundant prema-bhakti for You. This is my only prayer.”
All of our ācāryas explain that if a sādhaka wants to attain this prema-bhakti, he must always seek the association of those who have prema-bhakti for Śrī Bhagavān in their heart. Vṛtrāsura’s prayer, found in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.11.27) illustrates such a strong aspiration for this type of association:
mamottamaśloka-janeṣu sakhyaṁ
saṁsāra-cakre bhramataḥ sva-karmabhiḥ
tvan-māyayātmātmaja-dāra-geheṣv-
āsakta-cittasya na nātha bhūyāt
O Master, I do not want liberation. I am not concerned if I must repeatedly roam about in this vicious circle of birth and death as a result of my actions. But I pray that wherever I go, and in whichever species I take birth, may I maintain loving friendships with Your dear devotees, who have prema-bhakti for You. O master, I pray that I will not have to maintain any relation with those who are subjected to Your illusory potency and are therefore attached to their bodies, homes, wives, children, families and others.
A genuine sādhaka should aspire to have such lobha (intense greed) to attain prema-bhakti for Śrī Bhagavān. This lobha can appear in anyone, in any stage of life. If rāgānuga-bhakti (spontaneous loving devotion), which is characterized by intense greed, arises in someone’s heart, he becomes worshipful for the whole world. Furthermore, by his prema-bhakti, he even brings Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is unconquerable, under his control.
Thus, Śrī Satyavrata Muni prays, “O master, You are bound by the rope of Your mother’s love. Please profusely bestow upon me prema-bhakti for Your form as Dāmodara who is bound by His devotee.”
Thus ends the Dig-darśinī-vṛttī on the Seventh Verse, by Gaudiya Vedanta Publications