L1invocation
rājan patir gurur alaṁ bhavatāṁ yadūnāṁ
rājanO king — the speaker addresses King Parīkṣit vocativeहे राजन् (सम्बोधन)
patiḥhe is the protector, the one who keeps and guards(आपके) स्वामी एवं पालक हैं
guruḥand the guru, the one who teaches and guidesगुरु (उपदेशक) हैं
alamand fully so — ample, more than enough, in every way indeclinable, 'amply / fully'भरपूर, पूर्ण रूप से
bhavatāmfor you — meaning you Pāṇḍavas (said with respect) genitive, honorific pluralआप (पाण्डवों) के
yadūnāmand for the Yadus genitive pluralऔर यदुवंशियों के
rājan — O king; bhavatām yadūnām ca — for you and for the Yadus; patiḥ guruḥ alam — he is amply protector and guru
rājan — हे राजन्; patiḥ — स्वामी/पालक; guruḥ — गुरु; alam — पूर्ण रूप से; bhavatām — आप (पाण्डवों) के; yadūnām — यदुओं के
O king, listen. To you Pāṇḍavas, and to the Yadus, Kṛṣṇa is fully your protector and your guru. He keeps you safe, and he teaches you. And he is this amply — in the fullest measure. This line opens the praise by naming two of his roles toward both families.
हे राजन्! (श्रीकृष्ण) आप पाण्डवों के और यदुवंशियों के भरपूर स्वामी और गुरु हैं।
guru: elsewhere the word can mean simply 'elder' or 'heavy/weighty one'; here Viśvanātha glosses it as upadeṣṭā, the one who instructs — the teacher.
'गुरु' शब्द अन्यत्र केवल 'ज्येष्ठ / बड़ा' अथवा 'भारी, वजनदार' के अर्थ में भी आता है; परन्तु यहाँ विश्वनाथ इसे उपदेष्टा — उपदेश देने वाले, अर्थात् शिक्षक — के अर्थ में लेते हैं।
L2gloss
daivaṁ priyaḥ kula-patiḥ kva ca kiṅkaro vaḥ |
daivamhe is your object of worship, the one you hold as your deity nominative, 'the divine one / one to be worshipped'आराध्य देव (उपास्य) हैं
priyaḥand your dear one, the one who brings you delightप्रियजन हैं
kula-patiḥand the head of the clan, the one who guides the family compound kept wholeकुल के स्वामी (कुलपति) हैं
kva caand now and then, on occasion — at some times, not as a rule 'and somewhere / at times'और कहीं-कहीं, कभी-कभी
kiṅkaraḥeven your servant, running errands for youसेवक (किंकर) भी हैं
vaḥfor you enclitic genitiveआप सबके
daivam — object of worship; priyaḥ — dear one; kula-patiḥ — head of the clan; kva ca — and at times; vaḥ kiṅkaraḥ — your servant
daivam — उपास्य देव; priyaḥ — प्रियजन; kula-patiḥ — कुलपति; kva ca — कहीं-कहीं; kiṅkaraḥ — सेवक; vaḥ — आपके
He is more than that. He is the one you worship. He is your dear one, who delights you. He is the head of your clan. And here is the striking thing: now and then he is even your servant, doing your errands. The line piles up the roles Kṛṣṇa takes toward you — from the one you worship all the way down to your own servant. The 'now and then' marks the servant role as occasional, not his standing rank.
वे आपके आराध्य देव हैं, प्रियजन हैं, कुलपति हैं, और कहीं-कहीं तो आपके सेवक भी हैं।
L3avataranika
astv evam aṅga bhajatāṁ bhagavān mukundo
astulet it be — grant all that, let it stand imperative of 'to be'भले ही ऐसा हो (रहने दो)
evamso, just as said — all those roles toward youइस प्रकार, ऐसा
aṅgadear one — a gentle address to the listener vocative particleहे प्रिय! (सम्बोधन-कण)
bhajatāmfor those who worship him genitive plural present participle, 'of the worshippers'भजने वालों को (जो भजते हैं उनको)
bhagavān mukundaḥBhagavān Mukunda — the Lord who gives liberation nominative; compound name kept wholeभगवान् मुकुन्द
aṅga — dear one; astu evam — let it be so; bhajatām — for those who worship him; bhagavān mukundaḥ — Bhagavān Mukunda
astu — भले ऐसा हो; evam — इस प्रकार; aṅga — हे प्रिय; bhajatām — भजने वालों को; bhagavān mukundaḥ — भगवान् मुकुन्द
Dear one, let all of that stand — grant that he is protector, guru, deity, servant, everything just said. Now set that aside and hear the real point. For the people who actually worship him — Bhagavān Mukunda — the sentence turns here. This line grants the whole eulogy and then pivots to the claim the next line will land: what Mukunda gives, and what he withholds.
हे प्रिय! भले ही ऐसा हो; (परन्तु देखो —) भजने वालों को भगवान् मुकुन्द...
Mukunda: the name means 'giver of mukti (liberation)' — chosen pointedly, since the next line says liberation is exactly the lesser thing he hands out freely.
'मुकुन्द' नाम का अर्थ है 'मुक्ति (मोक्ष) देने वाला' — यह नाम सोच-समझकर चुना गया है, क्योंकि अगली पंक्ति कहती है कि मुक्ति ही वह तुच्छ वस्तु है जिसे वे सहज ही दे देते हैं।
L4conclusion
muktiṁ dadāti karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam ||
muktimliberation — release from the world accusative objectमुक्ति को तो
dadātihe gives, he hands over 3rd sg. presentदे देते हैं
karhicitat any time, ever — and the '-cit' here is the word the commentators seize on indefinite adverb, 'at some / any time'कभी (किसी समय)
sma nanever — but this he does not do sma emphasizing the negation naपरन्तु कभी नहीं (sma से निषेध पर बल)
bhakti-yogamthe yoga of devotion — loving devotional union with him accusative object; compound kept wholeभक्ति-योग को (कभी नहीं देते)
muktim dadāti — he gives liberation; bhakti-yogam — the yoga of devotion; karhicit sma na — but never (at any time)
muktim — मुक्ति; dadāti — देते हैं; karhicit — कभी; sma na — निश्चय ही नहीं; bhakti-yogam — भक्ति-योग
Here is the punchline. Mukunda gives liberation readily. But the yoga of devotion — real loving devotion to him — that he never hands out at any time. So the thing the world prizes, release, he gives away; the thing that is truly precious, devotion, he guards. This is the line the whole commentary turns on. The commentators note the exact word 'karhicit' ('at any time'): because the verse says 'never at any time' rather than 'not even once,' they read a small opening left in it — but that reasoning belongs to their comment, not to this line itself.
भगवान् मुकुन्द (भजने वालों को) मुक्ति तो कभी न कभी दे देते हैं, परन्तु भक्ति-योग निश्चय ही कभी नहीं देते।
Commentary — decoded
Jīva Gosvāmī
s1gloss
karhicin na dadātīty ukte karhicid dadātīty āyāti |
karhicit na dadāti itithe verse says "at no time does He give" — quoted clause; karhicit = interrogative + enclitic cit'कभी नहीं देते' — यह (कथन)
ukteonce this has been said, locative absolute: 'when/once it is said'ऐसा कहे जाने पर
karhicit dadāti itithe sense "at some time He does give" the complementary clause'कभी देते हैं' — यह (अर्थ)
āyāticomes out of it / follows automatically. √yā, 'it results'अपने आप निकल आता है
karhicit na dadāti iti — 'at no time does He give'; ukte — once this is said; karhicit dadāti iti — 'at some time He does give'; āyāti — follows.
karhicit na dadāti iti — 'कभी नहीं देते'; ukte — कहे जाने पर; karhicit dadāti iti — 'कभी देते हैं'; āyāti — निकल आता है
The verse says Mukunda "never" gives the yoga of devotion. But look at how it says it: "at no time He gives." Once you word it that way, the opposite quietly follows — "at some time He does give." Jīva starts from the exact wording, not the loose sense.
'कभी नहीं देते' — ऐसा कहने पर यह भी निकल आता है कि 'कभी देते भी हैं'।
karhicit (home meaning): 'at some/any time,' an indefinite made from the question-word karhi 'when' + the enclitic cit. Here Jīva presses on that indefinite: negating 'at some time' is not the same as negating 'ever.'
'कर्हिचित्' का मूल अर्थ है 'किसी समय / कभी' — प्रश्नवाचक 'कर्हि' (कब) में 'चित्' निपात जुड़ने से बना अनिश्चयवाचक। यहाँ जीव इसी अनिश्चय पर बल देते हैं: 'किसी समय नहीं देते' कहना 'कभी भी नहीं देते' कहने के समान नहीं है।
s2gloss
asākalye tu cic-canau |
asākalyein the sense of "not the whole of it," incompleteness — locative: 'in the meaning of non-totality'; a-sākalya = not-wholenessअपूर्णता (पूर्णता के अभाव) के अर्थ में
tuand this is the point: tu here marks the explanatory turnयहाँ तो (व्याख्या का मोड़)
cit-canauthe two little particles cit and cana are used. nominative dual: the pair cit + cana'चित्' और 'चन' — ये दोनों (प्रत्यय)
cit-canau — the particles cit and cana; asākalye tu — are precisely in the sense of non-totality.
asākalye — असाकल्य (अपूर्णता) के अर्थ में; tu — परन्तु; cit-canau — 'चित्' और 'चन'
Why does "never" not mean "never"? Because of the two enclitic particles cit and cana (as in karhi-cit, karhi-cana). Jīva says these do not signal a flat totality — they carry the sense of "not the whole," incompleteness. So "na karhicit" denies some occasions, not every occasion.
'चित्' और 'चन' — ये दोनों (प्रत्यय) तो असाकल्य अर्थात् अपूर्णता के अर्थ में प्रयुक्त होते हैं।
cit / cana (home meaning): in vyākaraṇa, indefinite enclitics that turn a question-word into an indefinite — karhi 'when?' → karhicit / karhicana 'at some time.' Meaning here: Jīva reads them as marking asākalya, non-totality, so the negation is partial, not absolute.
'चित्' और 'चन' का मूल अर्थ (व्याकरण में): ये वे निपात हैं जो प्रश्नवाचक शब्द को अनिश्चयवाचक बना देते हैं — 'कर्हि' (कब?) → 'कर्हिचित् / कर्हिचन' (किसी समय)। यहाँ जीव इन्हें असाकल्य (अपूर्णता) का द्योतक मानते हैं, जिससे निषेध पूर्ण नहीं, आंशिक रहता है।
s3conclusion
ata eva karhicid apīti noktam |
ata evafor exactly this reason — ablative of cause: 'therefore, precisely because of that'इसीलिए
karhicit api itithe phrase "not even at any time" (which would have sealed it as absolute) the wording Rūpa could have used; api 'even' would force totality'कर्हिचित् अपि' (कभी भी) — 'अपि' से पूर्णता (सर्वदा) का भाव आ जाता, इसलिए ऐसा
na uktamwas deliberately not used. 'it was not said'नहीं कहा गया
ata eva — for this very reason; karhicit api iti — 'not even at any time'; na uktam — was not said.
ata eva — इसीलिए; karhicit api iti — 'कर्हिचिदपि' (कभी भी); na uktam — नहीं कहा
This is the clincher. If Rūpa had wanted an absolute "never," he could have written "na karhicid api" — "not even at any time," where api "even" slams the door. He did not write that. Leaving out api is deliberate: the door is left open for "at some time He does give."
इसीलिए (रूप गोस्वामी ने) 'कर्हिचिदपि' (अर्थात् 'कभी भी') ऐसा नहीं कहा।
api (home meaning): 'even, also' — an inclusive particle. Here its absence is the argument: with api the negation would be total; without it, the non-totality of cit/cana stands.
'अपि' का मूल अर्थ है 'भी, तक' — एक समावेशक निपात। यहाँ इसका न होना ही तर्क है: यदि 'अपि' होता तो निषेध पूर्ण (सर्वथा) हो जाता; उसके बिना 'चित्/चन' की अपूर्णता बनी रहती है।
s4conclusion
tasmād āsaṅgenāpi kṛte sādhana-bhūte sākṣād bhakti-yoge sati yāvat phala-bhūte bhakti-yoge gāḍhāsaktir na jāyate, tāvan na dadātīty arthaḥ |
tasmātso, putting this together — ablative of conclusion: 'therefore'इसलिए
āsaṅgena api kṛteeven when devotion has been done out of mere attachment (fondness), locative absolute + instrumental of means; api 'even'थोड़े लगाव (आसंग) के साथ भी किए जाने पर
sādhana-bhūte sākṣāt bhakti-yoge satiso that the practice-form of devotion, the yoga of devotion itself, is actually there and going on — locative absolute: 'when it is present'; sādhana-bhūta = 'being the means/practice'साधन-रूप साक्षात् भक्ति-योग के उपस्थित रहने पर
yāvatfor just as long as yāvat … tāvat correlative: 'so long as … until then'जब तक
phala-bhūte bhakti-yogetoward the fruit-form of devotion, the yoga of devotion as the goal (i.e. rati/prema), locative; phala-bhūta = 'being the fruit/result'फल-रूप भक्ति-योग में
gāḍha-āsaktiḥ na jāyatea deep, settled clinging does not yet arise — 'firm attachment is not born'गाढ़ी आसक्ति उत्पन्न नहीं होती
tāvatfor exactly that long correlative with yāvatतब तक
na dadāti iti arthaḥHe does not give it: that is the meaning. closing arthaḥ formula(भगवान् उसे) नहीं देते — यही अर्थ है
tasmāt — therefore; āsaṅgena api kṛte sādhana-bhūte sākṣāt bhakti-yoge sati — even when the practice-form yoga of devotion is present, done through attachment; yāvat phala-bhūte bhakti-yoge gāḍha-āsaktiḥ na jāyate — so long as deep attachment to the fruit-form yoga of devotion has not arisen; tāvat na dadāti — until then He does not give it; iti arthaḥ — that is the meaning.
tasmāt — इसलिए; āsaṅgena api kṛte — लगाव-सहित किए जाने पर भी; sādhana-bhūte sākṣāt bhakti-yoge sati — साधन-रूप भक्ति-योग के रहने पर; yāvat — जब तक; phala-bhūte bhakti-yoge — फल-रूप भक्ति-योग में; gāḍha-āsaktiḥ na jāyate — गाढ़ी आसक्ति नहीं होती; tāvat — तब तक; na dadāti iti arthaḥ — नहीं देते, यह अर्थ
Here is the settled reading. Jīva distinguishes two levels of "yoga of devotion": the practice (sādhana) and the fruit (phala, i.e. rati/prema). A person may already be doing devotional practice out of ordinary attachment or fondness — that practice is really present. Even so, until a deep, wholehearted clinging to devotion-as-the-goal actually arises in him, Mukunda withholds the gift. Only then does He give it. That, says Jīva, is what "never gives" really means — not "never," but "not until the attachment is deep."
इसलिए, थोड़े लगाव के साथ भी साधन-रूप साक्षात् भक्ति-योग के किए जाने पर, जब तक फल-रूप भक्ति-योग में गाढ़ी आसक्ति उत्पन्न नहीं हो जाती, तब तक (भगवान् उसे भक्ति-योग) नहीं देते — यही अर्थ है।
sādhana-bhūta vs phala-bhūta (home meaning): sādhana = the means/practice, phala = the result/fruit. Here the same phrase 'bhakti-yoga' names both — the devotion one performs, and the rati/prema it ripens into — and the giving is keyed to the second, not the first.
'साधन-भूत' और 'फल-भूत' का अन्तर: साधन = अभ्यास रूप उपाय, फल = परिणाम रूप प्राप्ति। यहाँ एक ही शब्द 'भक्ति-योग' दोनों को नामित करता है — जो भक्ति साधी जाती है, और वह रति/प्रेम जिसमें वह परिपक्व होती है — और देना दूसरे (फल) से जुड़ा है, पहले (साधन) से नहीं।
s5citation
tathaiva ca lakṣitam—anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam iti ||
tathā eva caand in exactly this same way — 'and just so'; tathā eva ties it back to the rule just statedऔर ठीक वैसे ही
lakṣitamit has already been defined (in the root definition of bhakti), 'it was characterized/defined,' i.e. by Rūpa's own lakṣaṇa(रूप गोस्वामी ने अपने लक्षण में) यही लक्षित किया
anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam"empty of any craving for anything else" — the quoted defining phrase; anya-abhilāṣitā = desire for other things'अन्याभिलाषिता-शून्यम्' (अन्य कामनाओं से रहित)
itiso runs the wording. quotation markerइति (उद्धरण-समाप्ति)
tathā eva ca — and in just this way; lakṣitam — it was defined; anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam iti — as 'empty of any other desire.'
tathā eva ca — और वैसे ही; lakṣitam — लक्षित किया गया; anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam — 'अन्याभिलाषिता-शून्यम्'; iti — इति
Jīva seals the point by recalling Rūpa's own definition of pure devotion: "empty of every other desire" (anyābhilāṣitā-śūnya). His reading fits that definition exactly. Since real bhakti has no other desire mixed in, the devotion Mukunda finally gives is precisely the desire-free kind — which is why He does not hand it over while lesser attachments still drive the practice.
और ठीक वैसे ही (रूप गोस्वामी ने भक्ति को) 'अन्याभिलाषिता-शून्यम्' कहकर लक्षित भी किया है।
Why cited: cited to show Jīva's reading matches Rūpa's own root definition of bhakti (BRS 1.1.11) — that pure devotion is 'free of any other desire,' so it is given only when such other-desire is gone.
क्यों उद्धृत: यह उद्धरण जीव के पाठ को रूप गोस्वामी की अपनी मूल भक्ति-लक्षण (भ.र.सि. १.१.११) से मिलाकर पुष्ट करता है — कि शुद्ध भक्ति 'अन्य किसी अभिलाषा से रहित' है, अतः वह तभी दी जाती है जब वह अन्य-अभिलाषा मिट जाए।
Mukunda-dāsa Gosvāmī
s1avataranika
rājann iti |
rājannthe word "O king" (rājan) — quoting the verse's opening word to mark which verse he is now taking up pratīka; sandhi rājan + iti
iti"the verse beginning thus" — the citation-marker that turns the quoted word into a heading iti of citation
rājan — the opening word "O king"; iti — the verse that begins so (i.e., "now, on the verse rājan…").
He names the verse he is about to explain by its first word. "On the verse that begins 'rājan' (O king)." This is just the heading; the comment follows.
s2gloss
astv evaṁ yuṣmākaṁ yādavānāṁ ca sneha-sambandhābhyāṁ vaśavartī dūre tiṣṭhatv ity arthaḥ |
astv evaṁ"let it stand just so" — he picks up the verse's own words astu evam and glosses what they concede astu (3sg. imperative) + evam; eva → "just, exactly"
yuṣmākaṁ"toward you" — you, the Pāṇḍavas gen. pl.
yādavānāṁ ca"and toward the Yādavas" — the ca ties the two groups together gen. pl.; ca "and"
sneha-sambandhābhyāṁ"because of the two ties of affection" — bound by the bonds of love, he is held instr. dual of cause; compound kept whole
vaśavartī"he stays under your control, does your bidding" nom. sg.
dūre tiṣṭhatv"let all that stand aside" — set that point apart for now loc. dūre + tiṣṭhatu imperative; idiom "let it stand at a distance"
ity arthaḥ"that is the meaning" — closing the paraphrase iti + arthaḥ
astu evam — let it stand just so; yuṣmākam — toward you; yādavānām ca — and toward the Yādavas; sneha-sambandhābhyām — because of the two ties of affection; vaśavartī — he stays subject, doing your bidding; dūre tiṣṭhatu — let that stand aside; iti arthaḥ — that is the meaning.
He glosses the verse's phrase "let it be so." The two ties of affection — his to you Pāṇḍavas, and his to the Yādavas — keep Kṛṣṇa bound; he stays under your control and does your bidding. "Let it be so" means: grant all that, and set it aside for now. Something greater is coming.
s3gloss
bhakti-yogaṁ rati-rūpaṁ karhicin na dadātīty ukteḥ karhicid dadātīty āyāti—asākalye tu cic-canau |
bhakti-yogaṁ"the yoga of devotion" — the very thing the verse says he does not give acc. sg.; compound kept whole
rati-rūpaṁ"that is, the kind made of rati (loving attachment)" — he specifies which bhakti-yoga is meant: the one whose form is rati acc. sg. in apposition; compound kept whole
karhicin na dadāti"he never gives it" — quoting the verse's own "never gives" karhicit + na; sandhi karhicin
ity ukteḥ"because it is put this way" — since the verse is worded so abl. of ukti "the saying"; ablative of reason → "because…"
karhicid dadāti"at some time he does give" — the opposite that the wording lets in karhicit + dadāti
ity āyāti"this follows" — the implication comes out on its own iti + āyāti "it arrives, follows"
asākalye tu"for they mark non-totality" — but the point is, these particles signal "not the whole, not always" loc. asākalya "incompleteness"; tu here explanatory "for, the point being"
cic-canau"namely cit and cana" — the two little particles in karhi-cit / karhi-cana that carry that "not-always" force nom. dual; the enclitics cit, cana
bhakti-yogam rati-rūpam — the yoga of devotion, the kind made of rati; karhicit na dadāti iti ukteḥ — because it is said "he never gives it"; karhicit dadāti iti āyāti — it follows that "at some time he does give"; asākalye tu cit-canau — for the two particles cit and cana mark non-totality.
Now the grammatical heart. First he pins down which bhakti-yoga the verse denies: the one whose very form is rati, real loving attachment. The verse says he "never" gives it. But of the wording itself: to say "never gives" leaves open "at some time he does give." Why? Because the two particles cit and cana — the ones tucked inside karhi-cit and karhi-cana ("ever") — mark non-totality: they say "not in every case," not "not in any case whatsoever." So a door is left ajar.
cit / cana: in Sanskrit grammar (vyākaraṇa), enclitic particles suffixed to an interrogative (kim → karhi-cit, karhi-cana) to make it indefinite, "at some/any time." Home meaning: simple indefiniteness. Here Mukunda (like Jīva) reads them as marking asākalya, non-totality — so "never gives" is read as "does not give in every instance," not "gives in no instance at all."
s4reply
ata eva karhicid apīti noktam |
ata eva"for exactly this reason" — because those particles mean "not-always," not "not-ever" atas + eva; eva "precisely"
karhicid apīti"the phrase 'not even at some time' (karhicid api)" — the wording that would have shut the door completely karhicit + api + iti (citation)
noktam"was not used" — the verse pointedly did not say it na + uktam
ata eva — for exactly this reason; karhicit api iti — the phrase "not even at some time"; na uktam — was not said.
This confirms the reading. Precisely because cit and cana mean "not always" and not "not ever," the verse stopped short of saying "not even at some time" (karhicid api). Had it added that "even," the door would be shut and he would give bhakti-yoga in no case at all. It did not — so the opening stands: at some time he does give it.
s5conclusion
tasmāt svasminn āskatyāṁ satyām eva deyatvam ||
tasmāt"so, in the end" — drawing the conclusion from all the above abl. as connective, "therefore"
svasminn"toward him" — toward Kṛṣṇa himself loc. sg. of sva; locative as object of attachment
āskatyāṁ satyām"once attachment is actually there" — when, and only when, loving attachment to him has arisen loc. absolute → "when/once…"; āskatyām = āsaktyām "attachment," text corrupt
eva"and only then" — the eva makes attachment the strict condition eva "alone, precisely"
deyatvam"it is his to give" — the bhakti-yoga becomes fit to be given nom. sg., abstract "the being-to-be-given"
tasmāt — therefore; svasmin āsaktyām satyām eva — only when attachment toward him is present; deyatvam — it is fit to be given.
So here is the settled conclusion. He does give bhakti-yoga — but only on one condition: when real attachment to Kṛṣṇa himself has arisen in the person. Then, and only then (the "only" is emphatic), it becomes his to give. Not withheld forever, but reserved for the one who already loves him.
Text note: the manuscript reads āskatyāṁ; this is a scribal slip for āsaktyām, the locative of āsakti "attachment." Read with the locative-absolute svasmin āsaktyām satyām, "when attachment toward him is present."
Viśvanātha Cakravartī
s1gloss
he rājan ! bhavatāṁ pāṇḍavānāṁ yadūnāṁ ca patiḥ pālakaḥ |
he rājanO king! — he addresses Yudhiṣṭhira directly vocativeहे राजन् (सम्बोधन)
bhavatāṁ pāṇḍavānāmof you, that is, of the Pāṇḍavas genitiveआप पाण्डवों के
yadūnāṁ caand of the Yadus too ca = 'and'और यदुओं के
patiḥ pālakaḥHe is the 'patiḥ' — meaning the one who protects and sustains you'पति' अर्थात् पालक (रक्षक)
he rājan — O king; bhavatāṁ pāṇḍavānāṁ yadūnāṁ ca — of you the Pāṇḍavas and of the Yadus; patiḥ pālakaḥ — He is 'patiḥ,' the protector, the sustainer.
he rājan — हे राजन्; bhavatāṁ pāṇḍavānām — आप पाण्डवों के; yadūnāṁ ca — और यदुओं के; patiḥ pālakaḥ — पति अर्थात् पालक
O king! He is your 'patiḥ.' Viśvanātha unpacks that word: it means the one who protects and sustains you. And this holds for both households at once — for you the Pāṇḍavas and for the Yadus.
हे राजन्! (श्रीकृष्ण) आप पाण्डवों के और यदुओं के 'पति' अर्थात् पालक हैं।
s2gloss
gurur upadeṣṭā daivam upāsyaḥ |
gurur upadeṣṭāHe is the 'guru' — meaning the one who instructs, the teacher'गुरु' अर्थात् उपदेश देने वाले
daivam upāsyaḥHe is the 'daivam' — meaning the one to be worshipped'दैव' अर्थात् उपास्य (आराध्य)
guruḥ upadeṣṭā — 'guru' means the instructor; daivam upāsyaḥ — 'daivam' means the one to be worshipped.
gurur upadeṣṭā — गुरु = उपदेष्टा; daivam upāsyaḥ — दैव = उपास्य
He decodes two more words of the verse. 'Guru' means the one who instructs — the teacher. 'Daivam' means the one to be worshipped.
'गुरु' अर्थात् उपदेश देने वाले, और 'दैव' अर्थात् उपास्य (आराध्य)।
s3gloss
priyaḥ prītikṛt |
priyaḥ prītikṛtHe is the 'priyaḥ' — meaning the one who brings joy, who gives delight'प्रिय' अर्थात् प्रीति (आनन्द) उपजाने वाले
priyaḥ prītikṛt — 'priyaḥ' means the one who brings joy.
priyaḥ prītikṛt — प्रिय = प्रीति करने वाले
'Priyaḥ' means the dear one — and Viśvanātha spells it out: the one who brings you joy, who gives delight.
'प्रिय' अर्थात् प्रीति उपजाने वाले।
s4gloss
kula-patir niyanteti |
kula-patir niyantāHe is the 'kula-patiḥ' — meaning the controller, the one who directs the clan'कुलपति' अर्थात् नियन्ता (नियन्त्रण करने वाले)
iti— so much for glossing the words; this closes the word-by-word run iti closes the gloss seriesइति (इस प्रकार पद-व्याख्या समाप्त)
kula-patiḥ niyantā — 'kula-patiḥ' means the controller; iti — thus (closing the word-gloss).
kula-patir niyantā — कुलपति = नियन्ता; iti — इति
'Kula-patiḥ,' head of the clan, means the controller — the one who directs the family. With this word the run of glosses closes.
'कुलपति' अर्थात् नियन्ता — इस प्रकार (पदों की व्याख्या हुई)।
s5reply
yaduṣv avatarato’pi kṛṣṇasya teṣu bhavatsu ca tulya eva vyavahāro dṛṣṭaḥ |
yaduṣu avatarataḥ api kṛṣṇasyaeven though Kṛṣṇa had come down and appeared among the Yadus api = 'even though'; genitive of the one whose conductयदुओं में अवतार लेने पर भी श्रीकृष्ण का
teṣu bhavatsu catoward them, the Yadus, and toward you, the Pāṇḍavas locative of the ones treatedउन (यदुओं) और आप (पाण्डवों) के प्रति
tulya eva vyavahāraḥhis dealings were exactly equal — eva stresses 'just the same' eva = 'exactly, just'बिलकुल समान ही व्यवहार
dṛṣṭaḥand this was plainly seen to be soदेखा गया
yaduṣu avatarataḥ api kṛṣṇasya — though Kṛṣṇa had appeared among the Yadus; teṣu bhavatsu ca — toward them and toward you; tulya eva vyavahāraḥ dṛṣṭaḥ — his conduct was seen to be exactly equal.
yaduṣu avatarataḥ api kṛṣṇasya — यदुओं में अवतरित होने पर भी कृष्ण का; teṣu bhavatsu ca — उनके और आपके प्रति; tulya eva vyavahāraḥ — समान ही व्यवहार; dṛṣṭaḥ — देखा गया
Kṛṣṇa took his birth among the Yadus. Even so, the way he dealt with the Yadus and the way he dealt with you Pāṇḍavas was seen to be exactly the same. Being born among the Yadus gave them no extra claim on him.
यदुओं में अवतार लेने पर भी श्रीकृष्ण का उन (यदुओं) और आप (पाण्डवों) — दोनों के प्रति बिलकुल समान ही व्यवहार देखा गया।
s6conclusion
kiṁ ca, kva ca kadācit vaḥ pāṇḍavānāṁ dūty-ādiṣu kiṅkaro, na ca tathā yadūnām iti yadubhyo’pi premavattve bhavatām ādhikyam eveti bhāvaḥ |
kiṁ caand there is more — moreover kiṁ ca = 'furthermore'और भी (इसके अतिरिक्त)
kva ca kadācitand 'kva ca' in the verse means 'at times, now and then'और कहीं कभी-कभी
vaḥ pāṇḍavānāmof you, the Pāṇḍavas genitiveआप पाण्डवों के
dūty-ādiṣu kiṅkaraḥhe became a servant — carrying messages and doing such errands locative of the tasks he served inदूत आदि कार्यों में सेवक (बने)
na ca tathā yadūnāmbut he did no such servant's work for the Yadus na … tathā = 'not in that way'परन्तु यदुओं के लिए वैसा नहीं (बने)
iti— from which it follows that:इति
yadubhyaḥ api premavattve bhavatām ādhikyam evain being loved by him you stood higher even than the Yadus — eva makes it definite; api caps it with 'even' ablative of comparison; eva = 'definitely'यदुओं की अपेक्षा भी प्रेमवत्ता में आप पाण्डवों की ही अधिकता है
iti bhāvaḥthat is the underlying point he is driving at bhāvaḥ = the intended senseयह अभिप्राय है
kiṁ ca — moreover; kva ca kadācit — 'and at times'; vaḥ pāṇḍavānāṁ dūty-ādiṣu kiṅkaraḥ — for you Pāṇḍavas he was a servant in errands and the like; na ca tathā yadūnām — but not so for the Yadus; iti — hence; yadubhyaḥ api premavattve bhavatām ādhikyam eva — in being loved you rank even above the Yadus; iti bhāvaḥ — that is the point.
kiṁ ca — और भी; kva ca kadācit — कहीं कभी-कभी; vaḥ pāṇḍavānām — आप पाण्डवों के; dūty-ādiṣu kiṅkaraḥ — दूत आदि में सेवक; na ca tathā yadūnām — यदुओं के लिए वैसा नहीं; iti — इति; yadubhyaḥ api premavattve bhavatām ādhikyam eva — यदुओं से भी प्रेम में पाण्डवों की अधिकता; iti bhāvaḥ — यह भाव
There is more. The verse says 'kva ca' — 'at times.' At times Kṛṣṇa acted as your servant, carrying your messages and running such errands for you. He did no such thing for the Yadus. So when it comes to being loved by him, you Pāṇḍavas stood even higher than the Yadus. That is the point he is making.
और भी — कहीं कभी-कभी वे आप पाण्डवों के दूत आदि कार्यों में सेवक बने, परन्तु यदुओं के लिए वैसा नहीं किया; इससे यदुओं की अपेक्षा भी प्रेम में आप पाण्डवों की ही अधिकता (सिद्ध होती) है — यही अभिप्राय है।
s7conclusion
bhavadbhyo hy abhajadbhyo’pi parama-premādhikya-dānasya vārtā kiyatī vaktavyā ? sā sarvopari virājatām |
bhavadbhyaḥ hi abhajadbhyaḥ apifor to you — and mind you, you were not even worshipping him hi = 'for'; api = 'even'; dative of the recipientsक्योंकि भजन न करने पर भी आप लोगों को
parama-prema-ādhikya-dānasyaof his giving you the fullest measure of the highest love genitive: the giving that is the topicपरम प्रेम की अधिकता के दान की
vārtā kiyatī vaktavyāhow much could one even begin to say about that? — it is beyond telling rhetorical questionबात ही क्या कही जाए (कितनी बड़ी बात है)
sā sarva-upari virājatāmlet that giving shine out above everything else imperative: 'let it stand supreme'वह (दान) सबके ऊपर विराजमान रहे
bhavadbhyaḥ hi abhajadbhyaḥ api — for to you, who were not even worshipping him; parama-prema-ādhikya-dānasya — of his giving the abundance of supreme love; vārtā kiyatī vaktavyā — how much can be said?; sā sarva-upari virājatām — let that shine above all.
bhavadbhyaḥ hi abhajadbhyaḥ api — भजन न करने वाले आप लोगों को भी; parama-prema-ādhikya-dānasya — परम प्रेम की अधिकता के दान की; vārtā kiyatī vaktavyā — क्या ही बात कही जाए; sā sarva-upari virājatām — वह सबके ऊपर विराजे
And here is the wonder. You Pāṇḍavas were not even worshipping him — and still he gave you the fullest measure of the highest love. How much could anyone even say about a gift like that? It is beyond words. Let that stand shining above everything else.
क्योंकि भजन न करने पर भी आप लोगों को परम प्रेम की अधिकता के जो दान (उन्होंने किया), उसकी क्या ही बात कही जाए? वह तो सबके ऊपर विराजमान रहे।
s8avataranika
anyebhyo bhajadbho’pi na bhakti-yogaṁ bhāva-bhaktim api prāyo na dadāti, kiṁ ca tato’py atinikṛṣṭāṁ muktim evety āha astv eveti |
anyebhyaḥ bhajadbhyaḥ apibut as for others — even ones who do worship him api = 'even'; dative of the recipientsभजन करने वाले अन्य लोगों को भी
na bhakti-yogaṁ bhāva-bhaktim api prāyaḥ na dadātihe mostly does not give the yoga of devotion — that is, he does not even give bhāva-bhakti, loving devotion prāyaḥ = 'usually, for the most part'; api = 'even'भक्ति-योग तो क्या, भाव-भक्ति भी प्रायः नहीं देते
kiṁ ca tataḥ api atinikṛṣṭāṁ muktim evaand instead he gives only mukti, liberation — a thing far lower than that devotion ablative of comparison; eva = 'only'और भी, उससे भी अत्यन्त निकृष्ट मुक्ति ही (देते हैं)
iti āha astv eva iti— to say this he speaks the words 'astv eva,' 'let it be so' iti āha = 'this he states, introducing the next line'यह (दिखाने) के लिए 'अस्तु एव...' (यह पंक्ति) कही
anyebhyaḥ bhajadbhyaḥ api — even to others who worship him; na bhakti-yogaṁ bhāva-bhaktim api prāyaḥ na dadāti — he mostly gives not the yoga of devotion, not even bhāva-bhakti; kiṁ ca tataḥ api atinikṛṣṭāṁ muktim eva — and rather gives only mukti, far lower than that; iti āha astv eva iti — to say this he speaks 'astv eva.'
anyebhyaḥ bhajadbhyaḥ api — भजने वाले अन्यों को भी; na bhakti-yogaṁ bhāva-bhaktim api prāyaḥ na dadāti — भक्ति-योग, भाव-भक्ति भी प्रायः नहीं देते; kiṁ ca tataḥ api atinikṛṣṭāṁ muktim eva — उससे भी निकृष्ट मुक्ति ही; iti āha astv eva iti — यह कहकर 'अस्तु एव' कहा
Now the contrast is set up. Take others — even people who do worship him. To them he mostly does not give the yoga of devotion; he does not even give bhāva-bhakti, the stage of loving devotion. What he gives instead is only mukti, liberation — and that is far lower than devotion. It is to make this point that he now speaks the verse's words 'astv eva,' 'let it be so.' This sentence sets up the line that follows.
भजन करने वाले अन्य लोगों को भी (भगवान्) भक्ति-योग तो क्या, भाव-भक्ति भी प्रायः नहीं देते; और भी — उससे भी अत्यन्त निकृष्ट मुक्ति ही (देते हैं) — यह कहने के लिए 'अस्तु एव...' यह पंक्ति कही।
bhakti-yoga / bhāva-bhakti: bhakti-yoga here is not a general 'path of devotion' but its ripened fruit — bhāva-bhakti, the awakening of loving emotion. mukti (liberation) is ranked below it, not above; that inversion is the verse's whole surprise.
यहाँ 'भक्ति-योग' कोई सामान्य 'भक्ति-मार्ग' नहीं, अपितु उसका परिपक्व फल — भाव-भक्ति, प्रेममय भाव का उदय — है। मुक्ति उससे नीचे रखी गई है, ऊपर नहीं; यही उलटफेर इस श्लोक का सारा चमत्कार है।
s9gloss
bhajatāṁ bhajadbhyaḥ |
bhajatāṁ bhajadbhyaḥ'bhajatām' in the verse means 'for those who worship him' resolves the genitive/dative form'भजताम्' अर्थात् भजने वालों को
bhajatām bhajadbhyaḥ — 'bhajatām' means: for those who worship him.
bhajatāṁ bhajadbhyaḥ — भजताम् = भजने वालों को
He glosses one word of the verse. 'Bhajatām' means 'for those who worship him.'
'भजताम्' का अर्थ है — भजने वालों को।
s10reply
atra karhicid apīty anukte muktim anicchadbhyaḥ śuddha-bhaktebhyas tu bhaktim eva dadātīty artho labhyate ||
atra karhicid api iti anuktehere, since the words 'not even at some time' were not spoken locative absolute: 'given that … was left unsaid'यहाँ 'कर्हिचिदपि' ऐसा न कहे जाने से
muktim anicchadbhyaḥ śuddha-bhaktebhyaḥ tubut for the pure devotees, the ones who do not want liberation — tu marks them off as the exception tu = 'but'; dative of the recipientsपरन्तु मुक्ति न चाहने वाले शुद्ध भक्तों को
bhaktim eva dadātihe gives devotion, and devotion alone — eva excludes anything less eva = 'only'भक्ति ही देते हैं
iti arthaḥ labhyatethis is the meaning that comes out of the verse labhyate = 'is obtained, is yielded'यह अर्थ प्राप्त होता है
atra karhicid api iti anukte — here, since 'not even at some time' was not said; muktim anicchadbhyaḥ śuddha-bhaktebhyaḥ tu — but for the pure devotees who do not desire liberation; bhaktim eva dadāti — he gives devotion alone; iti arthaḥ labhyate — this meaning is obtained.
atra karhicid api iti anukte — 'कर्हिचिदपि' न कहे जाने से; muktim anicchadbhyaḥ śuddha-bhaktebhyaḥ tu — मुक्ति न चाहने वाले शुद्ध भक्तों को; bhaktim eva dadāti — भक्ति ही देते हैं; iti arthaḥ labhyate — यह अर्थ प्राप्त होता है
Notice what the verse did not say. It did not say 'not even at some time.' That one silence opens a door. For the pure devotees — those who do not even want liberation — the meaning that comes out is this: to them he gives devotion, and devotion alone. The blanket 'never gives devotion' was never absolute; it leaves this exception standing.
यहाँ 'कर्हिचिदपि' ऐसा न कहे जाने से यह अर्थ प्राप्त होता है कि मुक्ति न चाहने वाले शुद्ध भक्तों को तो (भगवान्) भक्ति ही देते हैं।
karhicid api ('not even at some time'): the argument turns on a word the verse omits. Because 'never — not even once' was not written, the flat 'never gives devotion' is left non-total, making room for the pure devotee to receive exactly that. The whole reading hangs on the missing 'api.'
'कर्हिचिद् अपि' ('किसी समय भी नहीं'): सारा तर्क उस शब्द पर टिका है जिसे श्लोक ने छोड़ दिया। 'कभी नहीं — एक बार भी नहीं' ऐसा न लिखे जाने से 'भक्ति कभी नहीं देते' यह निषेध अपूर्ण रह जाता है, जिससे शुद्ध भक्त को वही (भक्ति) पाने का अवकाश बनता है। सारा पाठ इस लुप्त 'अपि' पर लटका है।