Devanagari
एतद्ध्यातुरचित्तानां मात्रास्पर्शेच्छया मुहु: ।
भवसिन्धुप्लवो दृष्टो हरिचर्यानुवर्णनम् ॥ ३४ ॥
Verse text
etad dhy ātura-cittānāṁ
mātrā-sparśecchayā muhuḥ
bhava-sindhu-plavo dṛṣṭo
hari-caryānuvarṇanam
Synonyms
etat
—
this
;
hi
—
certainly
;
ātura
—
cittānām — of those whose minds are always full of cares and anxieties
;
mātrā
—
objects of sense enjoyment
;
sparśa
—
senses
;
icchayā
—
by desires
;
muhuḥ
—
always
;
bhava
—
sindhu — the ocean of nescience
;
plavaḥ
—
boat
;
dṛṣṭaḥ
—
experienced
;
hari
—
carya — activities of Hari, the Personality of Godhead
;
anuvarṇanam
—
constant recitation .
Translation
It is personally experienced by me that those who are always full of cares and anxieties due to desiring contact of the senses with their objects can cross the ocean of nescience on a most suitable boat — the constant chanting of the transcendental activities of the Personality of Godhead.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
For persons whose minds are constantly afflicted with desires for enjoyment of sense objects, I have directly experienced that singing the glories of the Lord is the boat for crossing material existence.
Purport
The symptom of a living being is that he cannot remain silent even for some time. He must be doing something, thinking of something or talking about something. Generally the materialistic men think and discuss about subjects which satisfy their senses. But as these things are exercised under the influence of the external, illusory energy, such sensual activities do not actually give them any satisfaction. On the contrary, they become full with cares and anxieties. This is called
māyā,
or what is not. That which cannot give them satisfaction is accepted as an object for satisfaction. So Nārada Muni, by his personal experience, says that satisfaction for such frustrated beings engaged in sense gratification is to chant always the activities of the Lord. The point is that the subject matter only should be changed. No one can check the thinking activities of a living being, nor the feeling, willing or working processes. But if one wants actual happiness, one must change the subject matter only. Instead of talking of the politics of a dying man, one might discuss the politics administered by the Lord Himself. Instead of relishing activities of the cinema artists, one can turn his attention to the activities of the Lord with His eternal associates like the
gopīs
and Lakṣmīs. The almighty Personality of Godhead, by His causeless mercy, descends to the earth and manifests activities almost on the line of the worldly men, but at the same time extraordinarily, because He is almighty. He does so for the benefit of all conditioned souls so that they can turn their attention to transcendence. By doing so, the conditioned soul will gradually be promoted to the transcendental position and easily cross the ocean of nescience, the source of all miseries. This is stated from personal experience by such an authority as Śrī Nārada Muni. And we can have the same experience also if we begin to follow in the footsteps of the great sage, the dearmost devotee of the Lord.
Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
This verse summarizes the topic being discussed. For those whose minds are afflicted by the desire for enjoyment (sparśa) of sense objects (mātrā), which is an ocean, the boat (bhava-sindhu-plavaḥ) for crossing that ocean is praising the Lord’s activities. I have directly seen (experienced) that (dṛṣtaḥ). There is no proof necessary. Because kīrtana is the main aṅga out of many aṅgas of bhakti, it is mentioned. However the statement should mean that all aṅgas of bhakti will be effective.