Devanagari
यथा वैरानुबन्धेन मर्त्यस्तन्मयतामियात् ।
न तथा भक्तियोगेन इति मे निश्चिता मति: ॥ २७ ॥
Verse text
yathā vairānubandhena
martyas tan-mayatām iyāt
na tathā bhakti-yogena
iti me niścitā matiḥ
Synonyms
yathā
—
as
;
vaira
—
anubandhena — by constant enmity
;
martyaḥ
—
a person
;
tat
—
mayatām — absorption in Him
;
iyāt
—
may attain
;
na
—
not
;
tathā
—
in a like manner
;
bhakti
—
yogena — by devotional service
;
iti
—
thus
;
me
—
my
;
niścitā
—
definite
;
matiḥ
—
opinion .
Translation
Nārada Muni continued: By devotional service one cannot achieve such intense absorption in thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as one can through enmity toward Him. That is my opinion.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
One cannot achieve such intense absorption in thought of the Supreme Lord by devotional service as one can through enmity toward him. That is my opinion.
In part, there is immeasurable glory given to a great criticizer because of absorbing his mind through enmity. By continuous enmity, a person who knows that the Lord will kill him (martyaḥ), and no other person, achieves complete absorption in the Lord (tan-mayatām) and nothing else, just as a lusty man always thinks of a woman. One does not become absorbed so quickly by bhakti-yoga. The word “quickly” should be added to the verse. I have discerned this. One does not have to ask for other proof. If an envious mind is greater than bhakti in causing absorption in the Lord, what can be said of bhakti-yoga which has absorption of mind in the Lord! Previously Parīkṣit has said that he was surprised that their tongues were not attacked by white leprosy, and that they did not enter the darkest region of hellish life.
You criticized continuous enmity, thinking that such practice was not desirable in Śiśupāla and others, whereas I have praised it more than bhakti, which is the best of all practices. Why? Assuming that Śiśupāla and others will have a hellish end, though their inimical attitude is criticized on the path of bhāva, it is praised more than the purifying power of bhakti in one aspect: its power to produce quick absorption in the Lord. But then how much more will I praise the parental affection of Vasudeva, the friendly relationships of others, what to speak of Nanda’s and others’ relationships, which are respected on the path of bhāva, and which cause extreme absorption in the Lord at every moment! This is the hint. Rāgānuga-bhakti of recent practitioners, desiring parental and other bhāvas following after Nanda and others, excels even vaidhi-bhakti. This is another hint.
Purport
Śrīmān Nārada Muni, the topmost pure devotee, praises Kṛṣṇa’s enemies like Śiśupāla because their minds are always completely absorbed in Kṛṣṇa. Indeed, he thinks himself deficient in the inspiration of being feelingly absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This does not mean, however, that the enemies of Kṛṣṇa are more elevated than Kṛṣṇa’s pure devotees. In the
Caitanya-caritāmṛta
(
Ādi
5.205)
Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī also thinks of himself in such a humble way:
jagāi mādhāi haite muṣi se pāpiṣṭha
purīṣera kīṭa haite muṣi se laghiṣṭha
“I am a worse sinner than Jagāi and Mādhāi and am even lower than the worms in the stool.” A pure devotee always thinks himself more deficient than everyone else. If a devotee approaches Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī to offer some service to Kṛṣṇa, even Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī thinks that the devotee is greater than She. Thus Nārada Muni says that according to his opinion the enemies of Kṛṣṇa are better situated because they are fully absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa in terms of killing Him, just as a very lusty man always thinks of women and their association.
The essential point in this connection is that one should be fully absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa, twenty-four hours a day. There are many devotees in
rāga-mārga,
which is exhibited in Vṛndāvana. Whether in
dāsya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa
or
mādhurya-rasa,
all the devotees of Kṛṣṇa are always overwhelmed by thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa is away from Vṛndāvana tending the cows in the forest, the
gopīs,
in the
mādhurya-rasa,
are always absorbed in thoughts of how Kṛṣṇa walks in the forest. The soles of His feet are so soft that the
gopīs
would not dare keep His lotus feet on their soft breasts. Indeed, they consider their breasts a very hard place for the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, yet those lotus feet wander in the forest, which is full of thorny plants. The
gopīs
are absorbed in such thoughts at home, although Kṛṣṇa is away from them. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa plays with His young friends, mother Yaśodā is very much disturbed by thoughts that Kṛṣṇa, because of always playing and not taking His food properly, must be getting weak. These are examples of the exalted ecstasy felt in Kṛṣṇa’s service as manifested in Vṛndāvana. This service is indirectly praised by Nārada Muni in this verse. Especially for the conditioned soul, Nārada Muni recommends that one somehow or other be absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa, for that will save one from all the dangers of material existence. Full absorption in thought of Kṛṣṇa is the highest platform of
bhakti-yoga.