Verse Text
23. nirmālya-dhṛtiḥ, yathā ekādaśe—
tvayopabhukta-srag-gandha-vāso'laṅkāra-carcitāḥ |
ucchiṣṭa-bhojino dāsās tava māyāṁ jayema hi ||125||
Translation
Wearing the garlands used by the Lord (verse 84), shown in the Eleventh Canto: Simply by decorating ourselves with the garlands, fragrant oils, clothes and ornaments that You have already enjoyed, and by eating the remnants of Your meals, we, Your servants, will indeed conquer Your illusory energy. SB 11.6.46
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
This is the statement of Uddhava. This statement also applies where Kṛṣṇa is not personally present. Jayemahi means, “We can conquer.” The two verses following this verse are:
vāta-vasanā ya ṛṣayaḥ śramaṇā ūrdhra-manthinaḥ |
brahmākhyaṁ dhāma te yānti śāntāḥ sannyāsīno 'malāḥ || SB 11.6.47
vayaṁ tv iha mahā-yogin bhramantaḥ karma-vartmasu |
tvad-vārtayā tariṣyāmas tāvakair dustaraṁ tamaḥ ||
SB 11.6.48
Naked sages who seriously endeavor in spiritual practice, who have raised their semen upward, who are peaceful and sinless members of the renounced order, attain the spiritual abode called Brahman. O greatest of mystics, although we are conditioned souls wandering on the path of fruitive work, we will certainly cross beyond the darkness of this material world simply by hearing about Your Lordship in the association of Your devotees. SB 11.6.47-48
Tariṣyāmaḥ here means “we can cross over.”
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
Accepting Flower Garlands
The next instruction is that one should put on flower garlands which are offered to the Deity. In this connection, in the Eleventh Canto, Sixth Chapter, verse 46, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Uddhava says to Kṛṣṇa, “My dear Kṛṣṇa, I have taken things which You have used and enjoyed, such as garlands of flowers, scented oils, garments and ornaments, and I eat only the remnants of Your foodstuff, because I am Your menial servant. So, therefore, I am sure that I shall not be attacked by the spell of material energy.” The purport of this verse is that for any person who simply follows these rules and regulations of decorating the body with the marks of tilaka of gopī-candana or sandalwood pulp, and who puts on the garlands which were offered to Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of being conquered by the spell of material energy. At the time of death, there is no question of such a person’s being called by the constables of Yamarāja. Even if one does not accept all the Vaiṣṇava principles, but still takes the remnants of foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa, or kṛṣṇa-prasāda, he will gradually become qualified to rise to the platform of a Vaiṣṇava.