Verse Text
yathā vā –
āmnāya-prathitānvayā smṛtimatī bāḍhaṁ ṣaḍ-aṅgojjvalā
nyāyenānugatā purāṇa-suhṛdā mīmāṁsayā maṇḍitā |
tvāṁ labdhāvasarā cirād gurukule prekṣya svasaṅgārthinaṁ
vidyā nāma vadhūś caturdaśa-guṇā govinda śuśrūṣate ||77||
Translation
Another example: O Govinda! The bride of knowledge with fourteen branches whose lineage is distributed by the four Vedas, and which includes the smṛtis, is made brilliant by the six aṅgas, is followed by the saḍ-darśaṇas, is assisted by the Purāṇas, and decorated with the karma and jṣāna-kāṇḍas. This bride known as knowledge, seeing You eager for gaining her association (knowledge) at the house of Your guru, desires to serve You--finding this opportunity after a long time.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
These are words of praise by the Siddhas and Cāraṇas. In terms of branches of knowledge, the verse can be analyzed as follows. The original knowledge was distributed and passed down through the four Vedas. Smṛti refers to the scriptures such as Manu-smṛti. [Note: These are numbered as eighteen. This classification is distinct from the term smṛti which means all texts other than the four Vedas.] The six aṅgas of the Vedas are defined by the wise as śikṣa (pronunciation), kalpa (rules of ritual), vyākaraṇa (grammar), jyotiṣa (astrology and astronomy), chandas (meter), and nirukta (etymology). Nyāya here means the scriptures based on reasoning (ṣaḍ-darśana). The Purāṇas such as Bhāgavatam are the assistants. Mīmāmsā refers to both pūrva and uttara forms: karma and jṣāna. In this way, there are fourteen types (guṇāḥ) of knowledge. The authoritative statement is as follows:
aṅgāni vedāś catvāro mīmāṁsā nyāya-vistaraḥ
dharma-śāstraṁ purāṇaṁ ca vidyā hy etāś caturdaśa
The fourteen branches of knowledge are the four Vedas, the six aṅgas, the mīmāmsā, scriptures based on logic, the dharma-śāstras and the Purāṇas. Viṣṇu Purāṇa 3.6.28
Knowledge or vidyā is also considered a bride (vadhū). The fourteen divisions can be interpreted in relation to a wife. Āmnāya means good family. Ānvaya means the dynasty. Smṛti means memory or intelligence. The ṣaḍ-aṅgas are head, torso, two hands and two feet. Nyāya means good conduct. Purāṇa means elders, who assist the wife. Mīmāṁsā means deliberation. Thus the bride comes from a good family and dynasty, is endowed with intelligence, is beautiful in head, torso, two hands and two feet, is followed by good conduct, is assisted by the elders and decorated with discernment. This bride, endowed with fourteen good qualities equal to knowledge, while staying in the house of her father (guru-kule), on seeing that You desire her association, desires to serve You.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
The Siddhas, the inhabitants of Siddhaloka (where all are born with fully developed mystic powers), and the Cāraṇas, the inhabitants of a similar planet, pray to Kṛṣṇa as follows: “My Lord Govinda, the goddess of learning is decorated with fourteen kinds of educational ornaments, her intelligence is all-pervading within the four departments of the Vedas, her attention is always on the lawbooks given by great sages like Manu, and she is appareled in six kinds of expert knowledge—namely Vedic evidence, grammar, astrology, rhetoric, vocabulary and logic. Her constant friends are the supplements of the Vedas, the Purāṇas, and she is decorated with the final conclusion of all education. And now she has acquired an opportunity to sit with You as a class friend in school, and she is now engaged in Your service.”
Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, does not require any education, but He gives a chance to the goddess of learning to serve Him. Being self-sufficient, Kṛṣṇa does not require the service of any living entity, although He has many devotees. It is because Kṛṣṇa is so kind and merciful that He gives everyone the opportunity to serve Him, as though He required the service of His devotees.