L1invocation
mīmāṁsaka-baḍavāgneḥ kaṭhinām api kuṇṭhayann asau jihvām |
mīmāṁsaka-baḍavāgneḥof the submarine fire that is the Mīmāṁsaka — the ritualist-and-logician opponent pictured as the fire that burns under the sea genitive; the whole compound depends on jihvām (the fire's tongue)मीमांसकरूपी बड़वानल की (जिह्वा) — जिसकी
kaṭhinām apihard though it is — even though that tongue-flame is fierce and unyielding api = 'even, though'; agrees with jihvāmयद्यपि कठोर है, फिर भी (जिह्वा को)
kuṇṭhayanblunting it, dulling its sharpness present participle agreeing with asau (the ocean)कुण्ठित करता हुआ (यह समुद्र)
asauthis — this ocean here (points ahead to the ocean named in line 2)यह (समुद्र)
jihvāmthe tongue — that is, the flame of the fire (a flame is called the fire's 'tongue') object of kuṇṭhayanजिह्वा को
asau — this ocean; mīmāṁsaka-baḍavāgneḥ — of the submarine fire that is the Mīmāṁsaka; kaṭhinām api jihvām — its tongue, the flame, hard though it is; kuṇṭhayan — blunting
mīmāṁsaka-baḍavāgneḥ — मीमांसकरूपी बड़वानल की; kaṭhinām api — यद्यपि कठोर है, फिर भी; kuṇṭhayan — कुण्ठित करता हुआ; asau — यह समुद्र; jihvām — जिह्वा को
Picture the submarine fire that burns beneath the sea. Its flame is called its 'tongue.' Here that fire stands for the Mīmāṁsaka — the ritualist and the logician who oppose pure devotion. Their tongue-flame is hard and fierce. Yet this ocean blunts it, dulls it. (The verse holds the sentence open here: what this ocean is, and the prayer for it, come in the next line.)
मीमांसकरूपी बड़वानल की जिह्वा यद्यपि कठोर है, फिर भी यह समुद्र उसे कुण्ठित करता हुआ [विद्यमान रहता है]।
baḍavāgni: in the tradition, the 'mare's-mouth' fire that burns forever under the ocean; here it is the image for the Mīmāṁsaka opponent whose sharp 'tongue' (argument) the ocean of devotion silences. jihvā normally 'tongue'; here read as the flame of a fire, which idiom calls its tongue.
वडवाग्नि — परम्परा में वह अग्नि जो समुद्र के भीतर निरन्तर जलती रहती है (घोड़ी के मुख वाली, अतः 'वडवा'); यहाँ यह मीमांसक विरोधी का प्रतीक है, जिसकी तीक्ष्ण जिह्वा (तर्क) को भक्ति का समुद्र कुण्ठित कर देता है। जिह्वा का सामान्य अर्थ 'जीभ' है, परन्तु यहाँ अग्नि की ज्वाला को ही जिह्वा समझना है, जैसा मुहावरे में प्रसिद्ध है।
L2invocation
sphuratu sanātana suciraṁ tava bhakti-rasāmṛtāmbhodhiḥ ||
sphuratumay it shine forth — may it blaze up and show itself; this is the prayer of the whole verse 3rd-person imperativeस्फुरित हो / प्रकट होता रहे
sanātanaO Sanātana — addressing his teacher Sanātana; the same word also means 'eternal,' so the ocean is at once Sanātana's and everlasting vocative; double sense (the guru Sanātana / 'eternal')हे सनातन! (गुरु सनातन, अथवा 'शाश्वत')
suciraṁfor a very long time — long and unbroken adverb with sphuratuचिरकाल तक
tavayours — belonging to you (Sanātana) genitive with ambhodhiḥतुम्हारा
bhakti-rasāmṛtāmbhodhiḥthe ocean of the nectar of the rasa of devotion — bhakti's rasa (its devotional mood), which is nectar, gathered into an ocean; this is the book itself nominative; subject of sphuratu — the ocean is what the whole line 1 describedभक्तिरसामृत का समुद्र
he sanātana — O Sanātana; tava — your; bhakti-rasāmṛtāmbhodhiḥ — ocean of the nectar of the rasa of devotion; suciraṁ — for a very long time; sphuratu — may it shine forth
sphuratu — स्फुरित हो; sanātana — हे सनातन (गुरु सनातन, अथवा 'शाश्वत'); suciraṁ — चिरकाल तक; tava — तुम्हारा; bhakti-rasāmṛtāmbhodhiḥ — भक्तिरसामृत का समुद्र
O Sanātana — may your ocean shine forth, and go on shining for a very long time. Which ocean? The ocean of the nectar of the rasa of devotion — bhakti's own mood (its rasa), sweet as nectar, gathered into a whole sea. This is the ocean that was blunting the opponent's fire in the line before. The name 'Sanātana' does double duty: it calls out his teacher Sanātana, and it also means 'eternal,' so the ocean is at once Sanātana's and everlasting.
हे सनातन! तुम्हारा भक्तिरसामृत का समुद्र चिरकाल तक स्फुरित होता रहे।
rasa here = the devotional mood or savour, not 'relish' as a mere flavour. sanātana carries a śleṣa (word-play): the proper name of the guru Sanātana Gosvāmī and the adjective 'eternal' — kept together, not resolved to one.
यहाँ रस का अर्थ भक्ति का भाव या आस्वाद है, न कि केवल स्वाद। 'सनातन' शब्द में श्लेष है — एक ओर गुरु सनातन गोस्वामी का नाम, दूसरी ओर 'नित्य' विशेषण; दोनों अर्थ साथ-साथ रखे गए हैं, किसी एक में सीमित नहीं किए गए।
Commentary — decoded
Jīva Gosvāmī
s1avataranika
atha nija-granthasya virodhi-kṛta-parābhavābhāvakarīṁ sadā sphūrtiṁ śrī-guru-caraṇān prārthayate—mīmāṁsaketi |
athanow (opening the next verse)अब
nija-granthasyafor his own work objective genitive with parābhavaअपने ग्रन्थ का (पराभव)
virodhi-kṛta-parābhava-abhāva-karīmone that prevents any defeat inflicted by opponents accusative, agreeing with sphūrtimविरोधियों द्वारा किए गए पराभव के अभाव को करने वाली (स्फूर्ति को)
sadāalways, without ceasingसदा
sphūrtima shining-forth, a staying-alive of the work the thing prayed forस्फूर्ति को (जिसकी प्रार्थना है)
śrī-guru-caraṇānto the feet of Śrī Guru accusative, object of the prayerश्रीगुरु के चरणों से
prārthayatehe prays forप्रार्थना करते हैं
mīmāṁsaka itiwith the words beginning 'mīmāṁsaka' — i.e. this verse'मीमांसक' इस (श्लोक) से
atha — now; nija-granthasya — for his own work; virodhi-kṛta-parābhava-abhāva-karīm — that prevents defeat inflicted by opponents; sadā — always; sphūrtim — a shining-forth; śrī-guru-caraṇān — to the feet of Śrī Guru; prārthayate — he prays; mīmāṁsaka iti — with the verse beginning 'mīmāṁsaka'.
atha — अब; nija-granthasya — अपने ग्रन्थ का; virodhi-kṛta-parābhava-abhāva-karīm — विरोधियों द्वारा किए गए पराभव के अभाव को करने वाली; sadā — सदा; sphūrtim — स्फूर्ति को; śrī-guru-caraṇān — श्रीगुरुचरणों से; prārthayate — प्रार्थना करते हैं; mīmāṁsaka iti — 'मीमांसक' इस श्लोक से
Now the author prays. He asks the feet of Śrī Guru that his own book keep shining forth for all time. The point of the prayer is that no opponent should ever be able to defeat the work. This is what the verse beginning 'mīmāṁsaka' sets up.
अब अपने ग्रन्थ का विरोधियों द्वारा किया गया पराभव न हो — ऐसी सदा बनी रहने वाली स्फूर्ति के लिए श्रीगुरुचरणों से प्रार्थना करते हैं — 'मीमांसक' इस श्लोक से।
sphūrti (home sense): a sudden flashing-up or vivid appearance. Here it means the book's continued vitality — that it stay alive and effective, always.
स्फूर्ति का मूल अर्थ है सहसा प्रकट होना या स्पष्ट रूप से भासित होना। यहाँ इसका तात्पर्य ग्रन्थ की निरन्तर जीवन्तता से है — कि वह सदा जीवित और प्रभावशाली बना रहे।
s2gloss
mīmāṁsako dvividhaḥ—karma-jñāna-vicāra-bhedena |
mīmāṁsakaḥthe Mīmāṁsaka (the Vedic ritual/knowledge exegete)मीमांसक
dvividhaḥis of two kindsदो प्रकार के (होते हैं)
karma-jñāna-vicāra-bhedenaby the division into inquiry about action (karma) and inquiry about knowledge (jñāna) instrumental of the basis of divisionकर्म और ज्ञान के विचार के भेद से
mīmāṁsakaḥ — the Mīmāṁsaka; dvividhaḥ — is twofold; karma-jñāna-vicāra-bhedena — by the split between inquiry into action and inquiry into knowledge.
mīmāṁsakaḥ — मीमांसक; dvividhaḥ — दो प्रकार के; karma-jñāna-vicāra-bhedena — कर्म और ज्ञान के विचार के भेद से
The Mīmāṁsaka comes in two kinds. One kind inquires into ritual action (karma); the other inquires into knowledge (jñāna). So there are two, split along that line.
मीमांसक दो प्रकार के होते हैं — कर्म और ज्ञान के विचार के भेद से।
Mīmāṁsaka (home sense): a follower of Mīmāṁsā, the school of Vedic 'inquiry' — Pūrva-Mīmāṁsā on ritual action, Uttara-Mīmāṁsā (Vedānta) on knowledge of brahman. Here both, the ritualist and the jñānī, are raised as opponents of pure bhakti.
मीमांसक — मीमांसा-शास्त्र (वैदिक 'विचार' की शाखा) का अनुयायी: पूर्व-मीमांसा कर्मकाण्ड पर, उत्तर-मीमांसा (वेदान्त) ब्रह्मज्ञान पर। यहाँ दोनों, कर्मी और ज्ञानी, शुद्ध भक्ति के विरोधी रूप में प्रस्तुत किए गए हैं।
s3gloss
baḍavāgner jihvā jvālā tad-bhedenaivāgneḥ sapta-jihvatvena prasiddheḥ |
baḍavāgneḥof the submarine fire genitive, whose tongue it isबड़वानल की
jihvāthe 'tongue' — that isजिह्वा
jvālāits flameज्वाला (है)
tad-bhedena evaprecisely by that twofold split (karma and jñāna) instrumental of cause; eva = preciselyक्योंकि उसी (ज्वाला के) भेद के कारण
agneḥthe fire genitive, subject of the renownअग्नि की
sapta-jihvatvenaas being seven-tongued instrumental naming what it is famous asसात जिह्वाओं वाली होने के रूप में
prasiddheḥbecause it is well known ablative/genitive of reasonप्रसिद्धि के कारण
baḍavāgneḥ — of the submarine fire; jihvā — the tongue; jvālā — is its flame; tad-bhedena eva — precisely by that split; agneḥ — the fire; sapta-jihvatvena — as seven-tongued; prasiddheḥ — because it is renowned.
baḍavāgneḥ — बड़वानल की; jihvā — जिह्वा; jvālā — ज्वाला है; tad-bhedena eva — उसी भेद के कारण ही; agneḥ — अग्नि की; sapta-jihvatvena — सात जिह्वाओं वाली होने के रूप में; prasiddheḥ — प्रसिद्धि के कारण
The 'tongue' of the submarine fire just means its flame. And why speak of a tongue? Because fire is famously described as seven-tongued. The word 'tongue' for a flame fits that well-known description, and the two-kinds split (karma and jñāna) hooks onto it.
बड़वानल की जिह्वा उसकी ज्वाला है, क्योंकि उसी (ज्वालाओं के) भेद के कारण ही अग्नि 'सप्तजिह्व' (सात जीभों वाली) रूप में प्रसिद्ध है।
Fire being 'seven-tongued' (sapta-jihvā) is a standard Vedic-Purāṇic image; the flames are named as seven tongues. Jīva uses it to justify calling a flame a 'tongue.'
अग्नि का 'सप्त-जिह्व' (सात जीभों वाला) होना वैदिक-पौराणिक प्रसिद्ध कल्पना है; ज्वालाओं को ही सात जिह्वाएँ कहा जाता है। जीव इसी आधार पर ज्वाला को 'जिह्वा' कहना उचित ठहराते हैं।
s4gloss
tāṁ yathā kuṇṭhayann ambhodhir vartate, tathāyam api mīmāṁsakānāṁ vacana-śaktim ity arthaḥ |
tāmthat tongue (the flame) accusative, object of kuṇṭhayanउस (जिह्वा) को
yathājust asजैसे
kuṇṭhayanblunting, dulling itकुण्ठित करता हुआ
ambhodhiḥthe oceanसमुद्र
vartateabides, staysविद्यमान रहता है
tathāso tooवैसे ही
ayam apithis one as well (this ocean of devotion)यह (समुद्र) भी
mīmāṁsakānāmof the Mīmāṁsakas genitive, whose power of speechमीमांसकों की
vacana-śaktimthe power of speech — (blunts it) accusative, object carried over from kuṇṭhayanवचनशक्ति को (कुण्ठित करता हुआ)
ity arthaḥthis is the meaningऐसा अर्थ है
yathā — just as; ambhodhiḥ — the ocean; tām — that tongue; kuṇṭhayan — blunting; vartate — abides; tathā — so; ayam api — this one too; mīmāṁsakānām — of the Mīmāṁsakas; vacana-śaktim — the power of speech (blunts); ity arthaḥ — such is the meaning.
tām — उस जिह्वा को; yathā — जैसे; kuṇṭhayan — कुण्ठित करता हुआ; ambhodhiḥ — समुद्र; vartate — विद्यमान रहता है; tathā — वैसे ही; ayam api — यह भी; mīmāṁsakānām — मीमांसकों की; vacana-śaktim — वचनशक्ति को; ity arthaḥ — ऐसा अर्थ है
Here is the comparison spelled out. Just as the ocean sits there blunting that flame-tongue of the submarine fire, so this ocean of devotion blunts the debating-power of the Mīmāṁsakas. The submarine fire is the Mīmāṁsaka; its flame-tongue is the Mīmāṁsaka's power of speech; the ocean that dulls it is the ocean of bhakti-rasa. The comparison is offered in support: as water beats fire, devotion silences the opponents' arguments. That is the meaning.
जैसे समुद्र उस (बड़वानल की) जिह्वा को कुण्ठित करता हुआ विद्यमान रहता है, वैसे ही यह [भक्तिरस का समुद्र] भी मीमांसकों की वचनशक्ति को कुण्ठित करता हुआ रहता है — ऐसा अर्थ है।
dṛṣṭānta (worked analogy): ocean : submarine-fire's flame :: ocean-of-bhakti : Mīmāṁsakas' speech-power. The point of contact is 'blunting'; the mapping is confirmed by 'ity arthaḥ' as the settled sense, not a counter-case.
दृष्टान्त (व्यवस्थित उपमा) — समुद्र : वडवाग्नि की ज्वाला :: भक्ति-रस का समुद्र : मीमांसकों की वचन-शक्ति। मिलान-बिन्दु है 'कुण्ठित करना'; 'इत्यर्थः' इस मिलान को स्थिर अभिप्रेत अर्थ के रूप में पुष्ट करता है, विरोधी दृष्टान्त के रूप में नहीं।
s5gloss
tat-kuṇṭhanātiśaya-vivakṣāyām eva tātparyāt |
tat-kuṇṭhana-atiśaya-vivakṣāyāmwhen what is meant to be conveyed is the surpassing degree of that blunting locative, the condition under whichजब उसके कुण्ठन की अतिशयता को कहने की इच्छा हो, तभी
evaprecisely, and nothing elseही
tātparyātbecause the whole intent of the verse points there ablative of reasonक्योंकि तात्पर्य (इसी में) है
tat-kuṇṭhana-atiśaya-vivakṣāyām eva — precisely when the intent is to convey the surpassing degree of that blunting; tātparyāt — because that is where the verse's whole thrust lies.
tat-kuṇṭhana-atiśaya-vivakṣāyām — उसके कुण्ठन की अतिशयता को कहने की इच्छा होने पर; eva — ही; tātparyāt — तात्पर्य होने के कारण
Why read it this way? Because the verse's whole aim is to stress how completely the ocean blunts the flame. The point being made is the sheer degree of the blunting — that and nothing else. The verse is steered entirely toward that.
क्योंकि तात्पर्य उस (जिह्वा तथा वचनशक्ति के) कुण्ठन की अतिशयता को ही कहने में है।
tātparya (home sense): the overall intent or purport of an utterance — what the speaker is really driving at, beyond the bare words. Here: the verse's controlling aim is the extremeness of the blunting.
तात्पर्य का मूल अर्थ है वाक्य का समग्र अभिप्राय — वक्ता शब्दों के परे वास्तव में जो कहना चाहता है। यहाँ: पद्य का नियन्त्रक लक्ष्य कुण्ठन की अतिशयता (पराकाष्ठा) है।
s6gloss
ubhayatrāpi tadīya-rasa-svābhāvyād iti bhāvaḥ |
ubhayatra apiin both cases alike (fire-and-ocean, and Mīmāṁsaka-and-devotion)दोनों ही स्थानों में
tadīya-rasa-svābhāvyātbecause it is the very nature of its rasa — its water/its mood — to do so ablative of causeक्योंकि उसके रस का स्वभाव ही ऐसा है
iti bhāvaḥsuch is the underlying purportऐसा भाव है
ubhayatra api — in both cases; tadīya-rasa-svābhāvyāt — because of the natural quality of its rasa; iti bhāvaḥ — such is the purport.
ubhayatra api — दोनों ही स्थानों में; tadīya-rasa-svābhāvyāt — उसके रस के स्वभाव के कारण; iti bhāvaḥ — ऐसा भाव है
And in both cases the blunting happens for one and the same reason: it is simply the nature of the thing's rasa to do it. On the ocean side, 'rasa' is its water — water's nature is to quench fire. On the devotion side, 'rasa' is the devotional mood — its nature is to overpower dry argument. Both work by their own inner nature. That is the underlying idea.
दोनों ही स्थानों में [यह कुण्ठन] उसके (समुद्र के) रस के स्वभाव के कारण ही होता है — ऐसा भाव है।
rasa here rides a double sense: 'liquid, water' (the ocean quenches fire by its watery nature) and 'the devotional mood' (bhakti-rasa overpowers the opponents by its own nature). The single word 'rasa-svābhāvya' carries both sides of the comparison.
यहाँ 'रस' दो अर्थ धारण करता है — एक ओर 'जल' (समुद्र अपने जलस्वभाव से अग्नि को बुझाता है), दूसरी ओर 'भक्ति-रस का भाव' (भक्ति-रस अपने स्वभाव से ही विरोधियों को पराभूत करता है)। एक ही 'रस-स्वाभाव्य' शब्द उपमा के दोनों पक्षों को वहन करता है।
s7alternative
athavānyābhodhito vilakṣaṇatvam atroktam |
athavāor else — a second way to take itअथवा
anya-abdhitaḥfrom every other ocean ablative of comparison / distinctionअन्य समुद्र से (उसकी भिन्नता)
vilakṣaṇatvamits being of a wholly different character, its distinctivenessविलक्षण लक्षण वाला होना
atrahere (in this verse)यहाँ
uktamis what is being statedकहा गया है
athavā — or else; anya-abdhitaḥ — from every other ocean; vilakṣaṇatvam — its distinctiveness; atra — here; uktam — is stated.
athavā — अथवा; anya-abdhitaḥ — अन्य समुद्र से; vilakṣaṇatvam — विलक्षणता; atra — यहाँ; uktam — कहा गया है
Or else take it a second way. On this reading the verse is stating how this ocean is unlike every other ocean. Ordinary oceans hold a submarine fire that belongs there by nature; this ocean instead blunts its fire. So what the verse states is the special, one-of-a-kind character of this ocean. Jīva offers this as an alternative and leaves it standing beside the first reading; he does not choose between them.
अथवा — यहाँ [इस समुद्र की] अन्य समुद्रों से विलक्षणता कही गई है।
s8conclusion
tad evam etat-padya-trayeṇa sindhu-rūpakatvaṁ tridhāpi sthāpitam |
tattherefore, to sum upतो
evamin this wayइस प्रकार
etat-padya-trayeṇaby these three verses (taken together) instrumental of meansइन तीन पद्यों के द्वारा
sindhu-rūpakatvamthe metaphor of calling it an ocean (a 'sindhu')सिन्धु (समुद्र) का रूपक होना
tridhā apiin all three ways as wellतीनों ही प्रकारों से
sthāpitamhas been firmly establishedस्थापित किया गया
tat evam — thus; etat-padya-trayeṇa — by these three verses; sindhu-rūpakatvam — the ocean-metaphor; tridhā api — in all three ways; sthāpitam — has been established.
tat — तो; evam — इस प्रकार; etat-padya-trayeṇa — इन तीन पद्यों के द्वारा; sindhu-rūpakatvam — सिन्धु का रूपक होना; tridhā api — तीनों ही प्रकारों से; sthāpitam — स्थापित किया गया
So, to gather it up: across these three verses the ocean-image for this book has now been set on a firm footing, and in all three of its aspects. Calling the work an 'ocean' (sindhu) — which is the book's own title, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu — has been justified threefold.
तो इस प्रकार इन तीन पद्यों के द्वारा [इस ग्रन्थ का] समुद्र-रूपक होना तीनों ही प्रकारों से स्थापित कर दिया गया।
rūpaka (home sense): metaphor, where one thing is spoken of straight-out as another. Here the book is called an 'ocean' outright; over the three verses that identification is made to hold in three respects.
रूपक का मूल अर्थ है वह अलंकार जहाँ एक वस्तु को सीधे दूसरी ही कह दिया जाता है। यहाँ ग्रन्थ को स्पष्टतः 'समुद्र' कहा गया है; तीन पद्यों के द्वारा यह पहचान तीन प्रकारों से सिद्ध की गई है।
s9gloss
sindhāv anyatra baḍavāgneḥ svābhāvikī sthitiḥ |
sindhau anyatrain any other ocean locative of locationअन्य (साधारण) समुद्र में
baḍavāgneḥof the submarine fire genitive, whose presenceबड़वानल की
svābhāvikīnatural, belonging there of itselfस्वाभाविक
sthitiḥits presence, its residing thereस्थिति (होती है)
anyatra sindhau — in any other ocean; baḍavāgneḥ — of the submarine fire; sthitiḥ — the presence; svābhāvikī — is natural.
sindhau anyatra — अन्य समुद्र में; baḍavāgneḥ — बड़वानल की; svābhāvikī — स्वाभाविक; sthitiḥ — स्थिति
Take an ordinary ocean. There the submarine fire simply belongs; its presence is natural, part of how such an ocean is. Nobody has to pray for the fire to be there. This sets up the contrast that the next sentence draws.
अन्य (साधारण) समुद्र में बड़वानल की स्थिति स्वाभाविक होती है।
The baḍavāgni ('mare's-fire') is, in Purāṇic cosmology, the fire that dwells submerged in the ocean — so its being there is natural. Jīva notes this only to contrast it with the fire in the ocean of bhakti.
वडवाग्नि पौराणिक भूगोल में समुद्र के भीतर डूबी रहने वाली अग्नि है — अतः उसका वहाँ रहना स्वाभाविक है। जीव इसका उल्लेख केवल भक्ति-समुद्र की अग्नि से भेद दिखाने के लिए करते हैं।
s10reply
atra tu mīmāṁsakasya yathā kathaṁcid āgantukī syād ity āśaṅkya tad eva prārthitam ||
atra tubut here (in this ocean of bhakti), by contrastपरन्तु यहाँ (इस समुद्र में)
mīmāṁsakasyaof the Mīmāṁsaka (the fire in this case) genitive, whose presenceमीमांसक की (स्थिति)
yathā kathaṁcitin some way or other, somehowकिसी न किसी प्रकार
āgantukīadventitious — a mere intruder, not naturally belongingआगन्तुक (बाहर से आई हुई)
syātmight be, could turn out to be optative, the feared possibilityकहीं हो न जाए
iti āśaṅkyafearing / anticipating just this gerund: having raised the worryऐसी आशंका करके
tat evathat very thing (its blunting / removal)उसी की
prārthitamis what has been prayed forप्रार्थना की गई
atra tu — but here; mīmāṁsakasya — of the Mīmāṁsaka; yathā kathaṁcit — somehow; āgantukī — adventitious; syāt — might be; iti āśaṅkya — anticipating this; tat eva — that very thing; prārthitam — is prayed for.
atra tu — परन्तु यहाँ; mīmāṁsakasya — मीमांसक की; yathā kathaṁcit — किसी न किसी प्रकार; āgantukī — आगन्तुक; syāt — हो जाए; iti āśaṅkya — ऐसी आशंका करके; tat eva — उसी की; prārthitam — प्रार्थना की गई
But this ocean is different. Here the 'fire' is the Mīmāṁsaka, and his presence is not natural to the ocean of devotion — he might somehow have crept in as an outsider. Anticipating exactly that worry, the author prays for precisely this: that the ocean blunt the intruding fire. So the prayer answers the concern raised — the fire that does not belong here is the very thing to be quelled.
परन्तु यहाँ [इस समुद्र में] मीमांसक की [स्थिति] कहीं किसी न किसी प्रकार आगन्तुक (बाहर से आई हुई) न हो जाए — ऐसी आशंका करके उसी (कुण्ठन के सदा बने रहने) की प्रार्थना की गई है।
āgantuka (home sense): incidental, adventitious — arriving from outside rather than intrinsic (opposed to svābhāvika, 'natural'). Here the opponent's presence is treated as an intruder in the ocean of bhakti, and its removal is what is asked for.
आगन्तुक का मूल अर्थ है बाहर से आया हुआ, आकस्मिक — स्वाभाविक के विपरीत। यहाँ विरोधी की उपस्थिति भक्ति-समुद्र में बाहरी घुसपैठिये-सी मानी गई है, और उसी का निवारण प्रार्थित है।
Mukunda-dāsa Gosvāmī
s1avataranika
atha nija-granthasya virodhi-kṛta-pratibandha-nāśa-pūrvikāṁ bahu-kāla-sphūrtiṁ śrī-kṛṣṇa-gurū prārthayate—mīmāṁsaketi |
athanow (he begins the closing prayer)
nija-granthasyafor his own book, this work of his genitive; the thing prayed over
virodhi-kṛta-pratibandha-nāśa-pūrvikāmone that comes only after the obstacles raised by opponents have been destroyed -pūrvikā 'preceded by'; qualifies the shining-forth
bahu-kāla-sphūrtima shining-forth that lasts a long time the object of 'prays for'
śrī-kṛṣṇa-gurūto Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the guru (both) dual — the two addressed
prārthayatehe prays, he asks
mīmāṁsaketiwith the word 'mīmāṁsaka' — that is, in this verse names the verse being introduced
atha — now; śrī-kṛṣṇa-gurū — to Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the guru; nija-granthasya — for his own book; virodhi-kṛta-pratibandha-nāśa-pūrvikām — one preceded by the destruction of the obstacles made by opponents; bahu-kāla-sphūrtim — a long-lasting shining-forth; prārthayate — he prays; mīmāṁsaka iti — with the verse beginning 'mīmāṁsaka.'
Now the author prays. He asks for his book to keep shining for a long time. But first the obstacles his opponents have raised must be destroyed. Notice who he prays to here: both Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the guru. He does this in the verse that starts with the word 'mīmāṁsaka.'
Mukunda's setup differs from Jīva's and Viśvanātha's on two points: the prayer is aimed at both Kṛṣṇa and the guru (not the guru's feet alone), and it asks for the obstacles to be destroyed first (nāśa-pūrvikā), not merely prevented.
s2gloss
pūrvottara-bhedena mīmāṁsako dvividhaḥ |
pūrvottara-bhedenaby the split into the earlier and the later (schools) instrumental of the dividing principle: pūrva- + uttara-mīmāṁsā
mīmāṁsakaḥthe Mīmāṁsaka, the exegete-opponent
dvividhaḥis of two kinds
pūrvottara-bhedena — by the division into earlier and later; mīmāṁsakaḥ — the Mīmāṁsaka; dvividhaḥ — is twofold.
The word 'Mīmāṁsaka' covers two kinds of thinker. There is the earlier school and the later school. So 'Mīmāṁsaka' here means both of them.
mīmāṁsaka: an adherent of Mīmāṁsā, the Vedic school of 'inquiry.' The earlier (pūrva-) Mīmāṁsā of Jaimini studies ritual action; the later (uttara-) Mīmāṁsā, i.e. Vedānta, studies knowledge of brahman. Mukunda splits them as pūrva/uttara; Jīva makes the same split as karma-inquiry vs. jñāna-inquiry.
s3gloss
yathāmbhodhir bāḍavāgner jvālātmikāṁ jihvāṁ kaṭhinām amṛdvīm api svasya rasa-svabhāvena kuṇṭhayan suciraṁ sphurati, tathāyam api mīmāṁsakānāṁ tāṁ kuṇṭhayan pūrva-pakṣāsamarthāṁ kurvan sphuratu virājatāṁ—tat-kṛpayaiva bhavatv ity arthaḥ |
yathājust as — (the first half of the comparison)
ambhodhiḥthe ocean
bāḍavāgneḥof the submarine fire (the fire that burns under the sea) genitive: whose tongue
jvālātmikāṁ jihvāmthe tongue that is made of flame — the fire's flame-tongue the object being blunted
kaṭhinām amṛdvīm apieven though it is hard, not soft at all api 'even though' — a concession: hard as it is, it still gets blunted
svasya rasa-svabhāvenaby its own nature as rasa — simply by being sweet water, not by fighting instrumental of means; the how
kuṇṭhayanblunting it, dulling it
suciraṁ sphuratiit shines / surges on for a very long time
tathāso too — (the second half applies it)
ayam apithis one as well — this ocean of bhakti-rasa
mīmāṁsakānāṁ tāṁthat (tongue) of the Mīmāṁsakas — their power of speech 'tāṁ' points back to jihvā: here it is the opponents' argument
kuṇṭhayanblunting it
pūrva-pakṣāsamarthāṁ kurvanmaking it powerless as an opening objection glosses what 'blunting' means here
sphuratu virājatāmmay it shine forth, may it stand out in splendor the two verbs restate the verse's 'sphuratu'
tat-kṛpayaiva bhavatuand may it come about by His grace alone — nothing else eva 'alone'; the prayer's real ground
ity arthaḥthis is the meaning
yathā — just as; ambhodhiḥ — the ocean; bāḍavāgneḥ jvālātmikāṁ jihvām — the flame-tongue of the submarine fire; kaṭhinām amṛdvīm api — hard and unsoft though it is; svasya rasa-svabhāvena — by its own rasa-nature; kuṇṭhayan — blunting; suciraṁ sphurati — shines forth for a long time; tathā ayam api — so this one too; mīmāṁsakānāṁ tāṁ — that (tongue/speech-power) of the Mīmāṁsakas; kuṇṭhayan — blunting; pūrva-pakṣāsamarthāṁ kurvan — rendering it powerless as an opening objection; sphuratu virājatām — may it shine forth, may it be resplendent; tat-kṛpayaiva bhavatu — may it be so by His grace alone; ity arthaḥ — such is the meaning.
This is the comparison at the heart of the verse. Picture the ocean and the fire that burns beneath the sea. That fire has a flame for a tongue, and the flame is hard — nothing soft about it. Yet the ocean blunts it and keeps surging for ages. And here is the key: the ocean does not blunt the fire by fighting it. It blunts it simply by being what it is — sweet water, rasa by nature. Now apply it. The ocean is this book, the ocean of bhakti-rasa. The submarine fire is the Mīmāṁsaka opponent. The flame-tongue is the Mīmāṁsakas' power of speech — their argument. 'Blunting the tongue' means making that argument powerless as an opening objection (pūrva-pakṣa). So the prayer is: just as the ocean dulls the flame by its own sweet nature, may this book dull the opponents' arguments by its own rasa and shine on. The analogy is offered in support — the two halves match point for point. And Mukunda adds one thing the picture alone does not give: may it happen by His grace alone.
In Mukunda's telling the ocean wins not by force but svasya rasa-svabhāvena — by its own rasa-nature. That is where the analogy carries its weight: the book overcomes the exegetes' objections not by counter-argument but by the sweetness of devotional rasa itself. pūrva-pakṣa: in śāstric debate the 'prior side,' the opponent's thesis stated first so the settled conclusion can answer it; here the Mīmāṁsaka objection, rendered powerless.
s4alternative
guru-pakṣe tu rasya-bhāvatvena taveti sambandhaḥ ||
guru-pakṣe tubut on the guru-side reading — taking 'sanātana' as the guru Sanātana, not as 'eternal' tu 'but' marks the shift to the second construal
rasya-bhāvatvenabecause (the ocean) is the thing to be relished — his to savor instrumental of reason; grounds the link to 'your'
tava iti sambandhaḥthe connection is with the word 'tava' ('your') says which word in the verse this reading hooks onto
guru-pakṣe tu — but on the guru-side reading; rasya-bhāvatvena — by (the ocean's) being the relishable; tava iti sambandhaḥ — the word 'tava' ('your') connects (to it).
Now a second reading, left standing beside the first. The verse says 'sanātana.' Read one way it means 'eternal'; read the other way it is a name, Sanātana the guru. On this guru-side reading, the ocean of bhakti-rasa is the thing he is to relish — it is his to savor. That is why the verse calls it 'tava,' 'your' ocean. So the word 'your' hooks onto Sanātana the guru. Mukunda gives this reading without cancelling the other; both stand.
The vocative sanātana carries a double sense the commentators keep open: the guru Sanātana Gosvāmī, and the adjective 'eternal.' Mukunda's earlier construal (s1) prayed to Kṛṣṇa-and-guru; here he shows how, if 'sanātana' is taken as the guru's name, the verse's 'tava' ('your') is accounted for — the ocean being the guru's own to relish. The two readings are left side by side, not merged.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī
s1avataranika
atha nija-granthasya virodhi-kṛta-parābhavābhāva-karīṁ sadā sphūrtiṁ prārthayate—mīmāṁsaka iti |
athanow (he begins the prayer) opening particleअब
nija-granthasyafor his own book genitive: object of the protection prayed forअपने ग्रन्थ का
virodhi-kṛta-parābhava-abhāva-karīṁone that keeps off any defeat inflicted by opponents accusative, agreeing with sphūrtim; -karī = 'making, causing'विरोधियों द्वारा किए गए पराभव के अभाव को करने वाली (स्फूर्ति को)
sadāalways, without a breakसदा
sphūrtiṁa shining-forth (of the book) accusative: what he asks forस्फूर्ति की (जिसकी वे प्रार्थना करते हैं)
prārthayatehe prays for main verbप्रार्थना करते हैं
mīmāṁsaka itiwith the words 'mīmāṁsaka…' (i.e. this verse) pratīka naming the verse being commented'मीमांसक' इस श्लोक से
atha — now; nija-granthasya — for his own book; virodhi-kṛta-parābhava-abhāva-karīṁ — one that wards off any defeat inflicted by opponents; sadā — always; sphūrtiṁ — a shining-forth; prārthayate — he prays for; mīmāṁsaka iti — with the verse beginning 'mīmāṁsaka'.
atha — अब; nija-granthasya — अपने ग्रन्थ का; virodhi-kṛta-parābhava-abhāva-karīṁ — विरोधियों द्वारा किए गए पराभव के अभाव को करने वाली; sadā — सदा; sphūrtiṁ — स्फूर्ति की; prārthayate — प्रार्थना करते हैं; mīmāṁsaka iti — 'मीमांसक' इस श्लोक से
Now the author prays for his own book. He asks that it keep shining forth without a break. He wants it protected so that opponents can never defeat it. This is the point of the verse that begins 'mīmāṁsaka.'
अब अपने ग्रन्थ का विरोधियों द्वारा किया गया पराभव न हो — ऐसी सदा बनी रहने वाली स्फूर्ति की प्रार्थना करते हैं — 'मीमांसक' इस श्लोक से।
avataraṇikā: the commentator's lead-in that says what the coming verse is doing before glossing it word by word.
अवतरणिका — टीकाकार की वह भूमिका जो पद-पद का अर्थ खोलने से पूर्व यह बताती है कि आने वाला पद्य क्या कर रहा है।
s2gloss
he sanātana ! tava bhakti-rasāmṛtāmbhodhiḥ suciraṁ mayi sphuratu |
he sanātana !O Sanātana! (addressing his guru) vocativeहे सनातन!
tavayour genitive, qualifying the oceanतुम्हारा
bhakti-rasa-amṛta-ambhodhiḥocean of the nectar of the rasa (the mood) of devotion nominative: the subjectभक्तिरसामृत का समुद्र
suciraṁfor a very long timeचिरकाल तक
mayiin me locative: where it should shine forthमुझमें
sphuratumay it shine forth imperative: the prayer properस्फुरित हो
he sanātana — O Sanātana; tava — your; bhakti-rasa-amṛta-ambhodhiḥ — ocean of the nectar of the rasa of devotion; suciraṁ — for a very long time; mayi — in me; sphuratu — may it shine forth.
he sanātana ! — हे सनातन!; tava — तुम्हारा; bhakti-rasa-amṛta-ambhodhiḥ — भक्तिरसामृत का समुद्र; suciraṁ — चिरकाल तक; mayi — मुझमें; sphuratu — स्फुरित हो
O Sanātana! May your ocean shine forth in me for a very long time. That ocean is the nectar of the rasa (the mood) of devotion. He asks that it appear within himself and stay.
हे सनातन! तुम्हारा भक्तिरसामृत का समुद्र चिरकाल तक मुझमें स्फुरित होता रहे।
s3gloss
kiṁ kurvan ? mīmāṁsaka-rūpa-baḍavāgner jihvā jvālā tat-tad-bhedenaivāgneḥ sapta-jihvatvena prasiddheḥ |
kiṁ kurvan ?doing what? (while it shines forth) he raises the question the participle 'kuṇṭhayan' answersक्या करता हुआ?
mīmāṁsaka-rūpa-baḍavāgnerof the submarine fire that is the Mīmāṁsaka (the ritualist-cum-logician opponent, pictured as the fire under the sea) genitive, depending on 'jihvā'मीमांसकरूपी बड़वानल की
jihvā jvālāthe 'tongue' means its flame gloss: jihvā = jvālā, since a fire's tongues are its flamesजिह्वा अर्थात् ज्वाला (है)
tat-tad-bhedena evajust by that manifold division (of the opponents) instrumental of cause; eva = precisely that divisionक्योंकि उन-उन (ज्वालाओं के) भेद के कारण ही
agneḥof fire genitiveअग्नि की
sapta-jihvatvenaas being seven-tongued instrumental: the standing descriptionसात जिह्वाओं वाली होने के रूप में
prasiddheḥbecause it is well known ablative/genitive of reason: 'since fire is famously seven-tongued'प्रसिद्धि के कारण
kiṁ kurvan — doing what?; mīmāṁsaka-rūpa-baḍavāgneḥ — of the submarine fire that is the Mīmāṁsaka; jihvā jvālā — its 'tongue' is its flame; agneḥ — of fire; tat-tad-bhedena eva — precisely by that manifold division; sapta-jihvatvena — as seven-tongued; prasiddheḥ — because it is well known.
kiṁ kurvan ? — क्या करता हुआ?; mīmāṁsaka-rūpa-baḍavāgner — मीमांसकरूपी बड़वानल की; jihvā jvālā — जिह्वा अर्थात् ज्वाला; tat-tad-bhedena eva — उन-उन भेद के कारण ही; agneḥ — अग्नि की; sapta-jihvatvena — सात जिह्वाओं वाली होने के रूप में; prasiddheḥ — प्रसिद्धि के कारण
Doing what, while it shines forth? Here the opponent, the Mīmāṁsaka, is pictured as the submarine fire — the fire that burns under the sea. Its 'tongue' means its flame, because the flames of a fire are called its tongues. And fire is famously called 'seven-tongued.' That fits the opponent, because the Mīmāṁsaka himself comes in several kinds. So the many flames answer to the several sorts of opponent. This clause sets up the picture; the next clause says what the ocean does to that tongue.
क्या करता हुआ? मीमांसकरूपी बड़वानल की जिह्वा उसकी ज्वाला है, क्योंकि उन-उन (ज्वालाओं के) भेद के कारण ही अग्नि 'सप्तजिह्व' (सात जीभों वाली) रूप में प्रसिद्ध है।
mīmāṁsaka: an adherent of Mīmāṁsā, the Vedic school of 'inquiry' — the ritualist (Pūrva-Mīmāṁsā) and the knowledge-seeker (Uttara-Mīmāṁsā/Vedānta), raised here as opponents of pure devotion. The 'manifold division' is why the single fire is figured with many (seven) tongues.
मीमांसक — मीमांसा (वैदिक 'विचार' की शाखा) का अनुयायी: कर्मकाण्डी (पूर्व-मीमांसा) और ज्ञानान्वेषी (उत्तर-मीमांसा/वेदान्त), यहाँ शुद्ध भक्ति के विरोधी रूप में प्रस्तुत। 'नाना भेद' ही वह कारण है जिससे एक ही अग्नि को अनेक (सात) जिह्वाओं द्वारा चित्रित किया जाता है।
s4gloss
tāṁ yathā kuṇṭhayann ambhodhir vartate, tathāyam api mīmāṁsakānāṁ vacana-śaktim ity arthaḥ ||
tāṁthat (tongue, i.e. the flame just named) accusative, object of kuṇṭhayanउस (जिह्वा) को
yathājust as sets up the comparisonजैसे
kuṇṭhayannblunting, taking the edge off present participle, agreeing with ambhodhiḥकुण्ठित करता हुआ
ambhodhirthe ocean (the literal sea) nominative: subject of the example-halfसमुद्र
vartatekeeps on being / abides verb of the example-halfविद्यमान रहता है
tathāso too answering yathā: applies the exampleवैसे ही
ayam apithis one as well (the bhakti-ocean) api = 'likewise'यह (समुद्र) भी उसी प्रकार
mīmāṁsakānāṁof the Mīmāṁsakas genitive, depending on vacana-śaktimमीमांसकों की
vacana-śaktimtheir power of speech (blunts it) accusative: object carried over from kuṇṭhayanवचनशक्ति को (कुण्ठित करता हुआ)
ity arthaḥsuch is the meaning closing formulaऐसा अर्थ है
yathā — just as; ambhodhiḥ — the ocean; tāṁ — that tongue; kuṇṭhayan — blunting; vartate — abides; tathā — so too; ayam api — this ocean as well; mīmāṁsakānāṁ — of the Mīmāṁsakas; vacana-śaktim — their power of speech (blunts it); ity arthaḥ — such is the meaning.
tāṁ — उस जिह्वा को; yathā — जैसे; kuṇṭhayann — कुण्ठित करता हुआ; ambhodhir — समुद्र; vartate — विद्यमान रहता है; tathā — वैसे ही; ayam api — यह भी उसी प्रकार; mīmāṁsakānāṁ — मीमांसकों की; vacana-śaktim — वचनशक्ति को; ity arthaḥ — ऐसा अर्थ है
Just as the literal ocean keeps on blunting that tongue of flame, so this ocean too blunts the Mīmāṁsakas' power of speech. Read the picture point by point: the ocean is the ocean of devotional rasa; the submarine fire is the Mīmāṁsaka opponent; its tongue of flame is the opponent's power of speech; and the ocean's blunting of the flame is the way this ocean disables the opponent's arguments. The comparison is offered in support — it shows that devotion silences the opponent as surely as the sea quenches the fire's flame. That is the meaning of the verse.
जैसे समुद्र उस (बड़वानल की) जिह्वा को कुण्ठित करता हुआ विद्यमान रहता है, वैसे ही यह [समुद्र] भी मीमांसकों की वचनशक्ति को कुण्ठित करता हुआ रहता है — ऐसा अर्थ है।
dṛṣṭānta (worked example): the mapping is ocean = the bhakti-rasa ocean; submarine fire = the Mīmāṁsaka; its flame-tongue = his power of speech; the blunting = the silencing of his arguments. It is offered in support of the prayer, not as a counter-case.
दृष्टान्त (व्यवस्थित उपमा) — समुद्र = भक्ति-रस का समुद्र; समुद्रस्थ अग्नि = मीमांसक; उसकी ज्वाला-जिह्वा = उसकी वचन-शक्ति; कुण्ठन = उसके तर्कों का शमन। यह प्रार्थना के समर्थन में दिया गया है, विरोधी दृष्टान्त के रूप में नहीं।