Devanagari
ज्ञाननिष्ठाय देयानि कव्यान्यानन्त्यमिच्छता ।
दैवे च तदभावे स्यादितरेभ्यो यथार्हत: ॥ २ ॥
Verse text
jṣāna-niṣṭhāya deyāni
kavyāny ānantyam icchatā
daive ca tad-abhāve syād
itarebhyo yathārhataḥ
Synonyms
jṣāna
—
niṣṭhāya — to the impersonalist or the transcendentalist desiring to merge into the Supreme
;
deyāni
—
to be given in charity
;
kavyāni
—
ingredients offered to the forefathers as oblations
;
ānantyam
—
liberation from material bondage
;
icchatā
—
by a person desiring
;
daive
—
the ingredients to be offered to the demigods
;
ca
—
also
;
tat
—
abhāve — in the absence of such advanced transcendentalists
;
syāt
—
it should be done
;
itarebhyaḥ
—
to others (namely, those addicted to fruitive activities)
;
yathā
—
arhataḥ — comparatively or with discrimination .
Translation
A person desiring liberation for his forefathers or himself should give charity to a brāhmaṇa who adheres to impersonal monism [jṣāna-niṣṭhā]. In the absence of such an advanced brāhmaṇa, charity may be given to a brāhmaṇa addicted to fruitive activities [karma-kāṇḍa].
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
A person desiring liberation for his forefathers or himself should give offerings meant for the Pitṛs or the devatās to a brāhmaṇa who is fixed in jṣāna. In the absence of such an advanced brāhmaṇa, charity may be given to other brāhmaṇas.
Kavyāni refers to offerings meant for the Pitṛs. Daive refers to offerings meant for the devatās. Those articles should be offered to a brāhmaṇa fixed in jṣāna in order to achieve liberation for oneself or one’s ancestors. It is mentioned here that the householders desiring liberation should serve the sannyāsīs, because the subject of liberation is also included in these last five chapters. Though those practicing pure bhakti should not perform karma, the devotees who are householders are included when discussing about karma and jṣāna. However, by performing these actions of karma through appointed representatives, just as Bharata or Ambarīṣa did to preserve the normal social standards, they do not produce obstacles to bhakti.
The Fifth and Eleventh Cantos explain that just as the person desiring liberation worships mainly the jṣānī, and does not worship others, so the person desiring prema worships mainly the pure devotees. Vai puṇyatamo deśaḥ: the best place is where the devotee resides. (SB 7.14.21) The devotee is said to be superior to the jṣānī:
muktānām api siddhānāṁ nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇaḥ
su-durlabhaḥ praśāntātmā koṭiṣv api mahā-mune
O great sage! Greater than those who are jīvanmukta and those who attain liberation is the devotee of Lord Nārāyaṇa. Such as devotee, who is in śānta or another rasa, is very rare, even among ten million people. SB 6.14.5
It is also said that gifts can be given to someone other than a brāhmaṇa if he is a devotee:
na me priyaś catur-vedi mad-bhaktaḥ śvapacaḥ priyaḥ
tasmai deyaṁ tato grāhyaṁ sa ca pūjyo yathā hy aham
If a brāhmaṇa, well-versed in the four Vedas is not a devotee, he is not dear to me, but if a person, though born in a Caṇḍāla family, is a devotee, then he is very dear to me. His remnants must be accepted by all. One should know him to be worthy of everyone’s worship just as I am. Itihāsa-samuccaya
Immature persons (kaniṣṭādhikāris) or the jṣānīs are recommended to worship the deity when enmity between living entities becomes prominent, as mentioned in the previous chapter.
dṛṣṭvā teṣāṁ mitho nṛṇām avajṣānātmatāṁ nṛpa
tretādiṣu harer arcā kriyāyai kavibhiḥ kṛtā
My dear King, when great sages saw that people were disrespectful of each other at the beginning of Tretā-yuga, deity worship in the temple was introduced. SB 7.14.39
This statement however does not apply to the devotees. For the devotees, worship of the deity is a principal aṅga of bhakti.
mal-liṅga-mad-bhakta-jana- darśana-sparśanārcanam
paricaryā stutiḥ prahva-guṇa-karmānukīrtanam
One may purify oneself by seeing, touching, worshiping, serving, and offering prayers of glorification and obeisances to my form as the deity and to my pure devotees. One should also glorify my transcendental qualities and activities, hear with love and faith the narrations of my glories and constantly meditate on me. SB 11.11.34
mamārcā-sthāpane śraddhā svataḥ saṁhatya codyamaḥ
One should faithfully and lovingly support the installation of my deity. SB 11.11.38
vastropavītābharaṇa-patra-srag-gandha-lepanaiḥ
alaṅkurvīta sa-prema mad-bhakto māṁ yathocitam
My devotee should then lovingly decorate me with clothing, a brāhmaṇa thread, various ornaments, marks of tilaka and garlands, and he should anoint my body with fragrant oils, all in the prescribed manner. SB 11.27.32
Those who are considered foolish in regards to the deity are the jṣānīs. In the Nṛsiṁha Purāṇa also the great glory of worshipping the deity is mentioned, with descriptions of worship by Brahmā and Ambarīṣa. In the Viṣṇu-dharma was as well Viṣṇu speaks to Ambarīṣa:
tasyāṁ cittaṁ samāveśya tyajatānyān vyapāśrayān
pūjitā saiva te bhaktyā dhyātā caivopakāriṇī
gacchaṁs tiṣṭhan svapan bhuṣjaṁs tām evāgre ca pṛṣṭhataḥ
upary adhas tathā pārśve cintayaṁs tām athātmanaḥ
Absorbing the mind in the deity, and giving up all else, one should with devotion worship the deity, one’s benefactor, and meditate on the deity. While walking, standing, sleeping or eating, one should think of the Lord in front, behind, above, below and at one’s side.
Skanda Purāṇa says śālagrāmaśilā yatra tattīrthaṁ yojanatrayam: the place extending three yojanas around the śālagrāma is holy. Padma Purāṇa says:
śālagrāma samīpe tu krośa-mātraṁ samantataḥ
kīkaṭe ’pi mṛto yāti vaikuṇṭha-bhavanaṁ naraḥ
The person who dies near a śālagrāma or a distance of a krośa from it, even in Kīkata, goes to Vaikuṇṭha.
Purport
There are two processes by which to get free from material bondage. One involves
jṣāna-kāṇḍa
and
karma-kāṇḍa,
and the other involves
upāsanā-kāṇḍa.
Vaiṣṇavas never want to merge into the existence of the Supreme; rather, they want to be everlastingly servants of the Lord to render loving service unto Him. In this verse the words
ānantyam icchatā
refer to persons who desire to achieve liberation from material bondage and merge into the existence of the Lord. Devotees, however, whose objective is to associate personally with the Lord, have no desire to accept the activities of
karma-kāṇḍa
or
jṣāna-kāṇḍa,
for pure devotional service is above both
karma-kāṇḍa
and
jṣāna-kāṇḍa.
Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jṣāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam.
In pure devotional service there is not even a pinch of
jṣāna
or
karma.
Consequently, when Vaiṣṇavas distribute charity, they do not need to find a
brāhmaṇa
performing the activities of
jṣāna-kāṇḍa
or
karma-kāṇḍa.
The best example in this regard is provided by Advaita Gosvāmī, who, after performing the
śrāddha
ceremony for his father, offered charity to Haridāsa Ṭhākura, although it was known to everyone that Haridāsa Ṭhākura was born in a Mohammedan family, not a
brāhmaṇa
family, and was not interested in the activities of
jṣāna-kāṇḍa
or
karma-kāṇḍa.
Charity, therefore, should be given to the first-class transcendentalist, the devotee, because the
śāstras
recommend:
muktānām api siddhānāṁ
nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇaḥ
sudurlabhaḥ praśāntātmā
koṭiṣv api mahā-mune
“O great sage, among many millions who are liberated and perfect in knowledge of liberation, one may be a devotee of Lord Nārāyaṇa, or Kṛṣṇa. Such devotees, who are fully peaceful, are extremely rare.” (
Bhāg.
6.14.5
) A Vaiṣṇava is in a higher position than a
jṣānī,
and therefore Advaita Ācārya selected Haridāsa Ṭhākura to be the person to accept His charity. The Supreme Lord also says:
na me ’bhaktaś catur-vedī
mad-bhaktaḥ śva-pacaḥ priyaḥ
tasmai deyaṁ tato grāhyaṁ
sa ca pūjyo yathā hy aham
“Even though a person is a very learned scholar of the Sanskrit Vedic literatures, he is not accepted as My devotee unless he is pure in devotional service. However, even though a person is born in a family of dog-eaters, he is very dear to Me if he is a pure devotee who has no motive to enjoy fruitive activity or mental speculation. Indeed, all respect should be given to him, and whatever he offers should be accepted. Such devotees are as worshipable as I am.” (
Hari-bhakti-vilāsa
10.127) Therefore, even if not born in a
brāhmaṇa
family, a devotee, because of his devotion to the Lord, is above all kinds of
brāhmaṇas,
whether they be
karma-kāṇḍīs
or
jṣāna-kāṇḍīs.
In this regard, it may be mentioned that
brāhmaṇas
in Vṛndāvana who are
karma-kāṇḍīs
and
jṣāna-kāṇḍīs
sometimes decline to accept invitations to our temple because our temple is known as the
aṅgarejī
temple, or “Anglican temple.” But in accordance with the evidence given in the
śāstra
and the example set by Advaita Ācārya, we give
prasāda
to devotees regardless of whether they come from India, Europe or America. It is the conclusion of the
śāstra
that instead of feeding many
jṣāna-kāṇḍī
or
karma-kāṇḍī brāhmaṇas,
it is better to feed a pure Vaiṣṇava, regardless of where he comes from. This is also confirmed in
Bhagavad-gītā
(9.30)
:
api cet sudurācāro
bhajate mām ananya-bhāk
sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ
samyag vyavasito hi saḥ
“Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated.” Thus it doesn’t matter whether a devotee comes from a
brāhmaṇa
family or non-
brāhmaṇa
family; if he is fully devoted to Kṛṣṇa, he is a
sādhu.