Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.38

Word for word

brahma-ānandaḥ the bliss of Brahman; bhavet were it to become; eṣaḥ this; cet if; parārddha-guṇīkṛtaḥ multiplied by a parārdha; na eti does not reach; bhakti-sukha-ambhodheḥ of the ocean of the happiness of devotion; paramāṇu-tulām equality with an atom; api even

brahma-ānandaḥ ब्रह्मानन्द; bhavet हो जाये; eṣaḥ यह; cet यदि; parārddha-guṇīkṛtaḥ परार्ध से गुणित; na eti नहीं पहुँचता; bhakti-sukha-ambhodheḥ भक्ति-सुख के समुद्र के; paramāṇu-tulām परमाणु की तुलना को; api भी

Construed

eṣaḥ brahma-ānandaḥ — this bliss of Brahman; cet parārddha-guṇīkṛtaḥ bhavet — were it to become multiplied by a parārdha; bhakti-sukha-ambhodheḥ — of the ocean of the happiness of devotion; paramāṇu-tulām api — even equality with an atom; na eti — it does not reach.

eṣaḥ brahma-ānandaḥ — यह ब्रह्मानन्द; cet parārddha-guṇīkṛtaḥ bhavet — यदि परार्ध से गुणित हो जाये; bhakti-sukha-ambhodheḥ — भक्ति-सुख के समुद्र के; paramāṇu-tulām api — परमाणु की तुलना को भी; na eti — नहीं पहुँचता।

Translation

Were this bliss of Brahman to become multiplied by a parārdha, it would not reach even equality with an atom of the ocean of the happiness of devotion.

यदि यह ब्रह्मानन्द परार्ध से गुणित हो जाये, तो भी वह भक्ति-सुख के समुद्र के परमाणु की तुलना को भी नहीं पहुँचता।

Commentary

Jīva Gosvāmī

Durgama-saṅgamanī

parārddheti—parārddha-kāla-samādhinā samuditaṁ tat-sukham apīty arthaḥ ||

On parārddha — On "parārddha": even that happiness arisen through absorption lasting a parārdha of time — that is the meaning.

parārddha — "परार्ध" पर — परार्ध-काल तक की समाधि से उत्पन्न वह सुख भी; यही अर्थ है।

On "parārddha": the meaning is that even that happiness which arises through absorption lasting a parārdha of time is included.

"परार्ध" पद का अर्थ है — परार्ध-काल तक की समाधि से उत्पन्न वह सुख भी।

Viśvanātha Cakravartī

Bhakti-sāra-pradarśinī

parārdheti—parārdhaṁ kālaṁ vyāpya kriyamāṇena samādhinā siddhaṁ brahma-sukham apīty arthaḥ |

On parārdheti and parārdhaṁ — On "parārdha": even the happiness of Brahman accomplished through absorption carried on pervading a parārdha of time — that is the meaning.

parārdheti, parārdhaṁ — "परार्ध" पर — परार्ध-काल तक व्याप्त रहकर की जाने वाली समाधि से सिद्ध ब्रह्म-सुख भी; यही अर्थ है।

bhakti-rūpa-sukha-samudrasya yaḥ paramāṇus tasyāpi tulanāṁ naiti na prāpnoti ||

On paramāṇus and tulanāṁ — It does not reach, does not attain, comparison even with that which is an atom of the ocean of happiness in the form of devotion.

paramāṇus, tulanāṁ — भक्ति-रूप सुख के समुद्र का जो परमाणु है, उसकी भी तुलना को वह नहीं पहुँचता, नहीं प्राप्त करता।

On "parārdha": the meaning is that even the happiness of Brahman, accomplished through absorption carried on so as to pervade a parārdha of time, is included. Such happiness does not reach, does not attain, comparison even with that which is but an atom of the ocean of happiness in the form of devotion.

"परार्ध" पद का अर्थ है — परार्ध-काल तक व्याप्त रहकर की जाने वाली समाधि से सिद्ध ब्रह्म-सुख भी। भक्ति-रूप सुख के समुद्र का जो परमाणु है, उसकी भी तुलना को वह नहीं पहुँचता, अर्थात् उसे प्राप्त नहीं करता।

Word for word

brahma-ānandaḥ the bliss of Brahman; bhavet were it to become; eṣaḥ this; cet if; parārddha-guṇīkṛtaḥ multiplied by a parārdha; na eti does not reach; bhakti-sukha-ambhodheḥ of the ocean of the happiness of devotion; paramāṇu-tulām equality with an atom; api even

brahma-ānandaḥ ब्रह्मानन्द; bhavet हो जाये; eṣaḥ यह; cet यदि; parārddha-guṇīkṛtaḥ परार्ध से गुणित; na eti नहीं पहुँचता; bhakti-sukha-ambhodheḥ भक्ति-सुख के समुद्र के; paramāṇu-tulām परमाणु की तुलना को; api भी

Construed

eṣaḥ brahma-ānandaḥ — this bliss of Brahman; cet parārddha-guṇīkṛtaḥ bhavet — were it to become multiplied by a parārdha; bhakti-sukha-ambhodheḥ — of the ocean of the happiness of devotion; paramāṇu-tulām api — even equality with an atom; na eti — it does not reach.

eṣaḥ brahma-ānandaḥ — यह ब्रह्मानन्द; cet parārddha-guṇīkṛtaḥ bhavet — यदि परार्ध से गुणित हो जाये; bhakti-sukha-ambhodheḥ — भक्ति-सुख के समुद्र के; paramāṇu-tulām api — परमाणु की तुलना को भी; na eti — नहीं पहुँचता।

Translation

Were this bliss of Brahman [brahmānanda — in Advaita Vedānta, the bliss of realizing the featureless absolute (nirviśeṣa-brahman), regarded there as the supreme and final happiness; here, that bliss is admitted as real yet ranked immeasurably beneath the happiness of devotion] multiplied by a parārdha, it would not reach even equality with an atom of the ocean of the happiness of devotion.

यदि यह ब्रह्मानन्द [brahmānanda — अद्वैत वेदान्त में निर्विशेष ब्रह्म (nirviśeṣa-brahman) के साक्षात्कार का आनन्द, जिसे वहाँ परम तथा अन्तिम सुख माना गया; यहाँ उस आनन्द को वास्तविक तो स्वीकार किया गया, किन्तु भक्ति-सुख से अपरिमित रूप से नीचे रखा गया] परार्ध से गुणित हो जाये, तो भी वह भक्ति-सुख के समुद्र के परमाणु की तुलना को भी नहीं पहुँचता।

Commentary

Jīva Gosvāmī

Durgama-saṅgamanī

parārddheti—parārddha-kāla-samādhinā samuditaṁ tat-sukham apīty arthaḥ ||

On parārddha — On "parārddha" — even that happiness arisen through absorption lasting a parārdha of time; that is the meaning.

parārddha — "परार्ध" पर — परार्ध-काल तक की समाधि से उत्पन्न वह सुख भी; यही अर्थ है।

On "parārddha": even that happiness which arises through absorption lasting a parārdha of time is what is meant.

"परार्ध" पद से यह अर्थ है कि परार्ध-काल तक की समाधि से उत्पन्न वह सुख भी।

Viśvanātha Cakravartī

Bhakti-sāra-pradarśinī

parārdheti—parārdhaṁ kālaṁ vyāpya kriyamāṇena samādhinā siddhaṁ brahma-sukham apīty arthaḥ |

On parārdheti and parārdhaṁ — On "parārdha" — even the happiness of Brahman accomplished through absorption [samādhi — in Pātañjala Yoga, the deepest limb of meditation, in which the mind is wholly gathered upon its object until subject-object distinction fades; here, the prolonged contemplative absorption by which the knowledge-path reaches the bliss of Brahman] carried on across a parārdha of time; that is the meaning.

parārdheti, parārdhaṁ — "परार्ध" पर — परार्ध-काल तक व्याप्त रहकर की जाने वाली समाधि से [samādhi — पातञ्जल योग में ध्यान का गूढ़तम अंग, जिसमें चित्त अपने ध्येय पर पूर्णतः एकाग्र होकर विषयी-विषय का भेद तक विलीन हो जाता है; यहाँ वह दीर्घ चिन्तन-समाधि जिससे ज्ञान-मार्ग ब्रह्म-सुख को प्राप्त करता है] सिद्ध ब्रह्म-सुख भी; यही अर्थ है।

bhakti-rūpa-sukha-samudrasya yaḥ paramāṇus tasyāpi tulanāṁ naiti na prāpnoti ||

On paramāṇus and tulanāṁ — It does not reach — does not attain — comparison even with what is a single atom of the ocean of happiness in the form of devotion.

paramāṇus, tulanāṁ — भक्ति-रूप सुख के समुद्र का जो परमाणु है, उसकी भी तुलना को वह नहीं पहुँचता, नहीं प्राप्त करता।

On "parārdha": even the happiness of Brahman, accomplished through absorption [samādhi — in Pātañjala Yoga, the deepest limb of meditation, in which the mind is wholly gathered upon its object until the subject-object distinction fades; here, the prolonged contemplative absorption by which the knowledge-path reaches the bliss of Brahman] carried on across a parārdha of time, is what is meant. Even that does not reach, does not attain, comparison with so much as a single atom of the ocean of happiness that takes the form of devotion.

"परार्ध" पद से यह अर्थ है कि परार्ध-काल तक व्याप्त रहकर की जाने वाली समाधि से [samādhi — पातञ्जल योग में ध्यान का गूढ़तम अंग, जिसमें चित्त अपने ध्येय पर पूर्णतः एकाग्र होकर विषयी-विषय का भेद तक विलीन हो जाता है; यहाँ वह दीर्घ चिन्तन-समाधि जिससे ज्ञान-मार्ग ब्रह्म-सुख को प्राप्त करता है] सिद्ध हुआ ब्रह्म-सुख भी — भक्ति-रूप सुख के समुद्र का जो परमाणु है, उसकी भी तुलना को वह नहीं पहुँचता, अर्थात् नहीं प्राप्त करता।

The verse — decoded

L1other

brahmānando bhaved eṣa cet parārddha-guṇīkṛtaḥ |

eṣathis — the bliss of Brahman just spoken ofयह (ब्रह्मानन्द)

brahmānandaḥthe bliss of Brahman, the joy of realizing the absolute nominative; subjectब्रह्म का आनन्द — यही कर्ता है

cetif — opening the supposition conditional particleयदि

parārddha-guṇīkṛtaḥwere it multiplied a parārdha times over — a parārdha being a staggeringly huge number predicate adjective agreeing with brahmānandaḥपरार्द्ध से गुणित कर दिया गया (ब्रह्मानन्द का विशेषण)

bhavetshould it become, suppose it were made optative; protasis with cetहो जाए (यदि के साथ पूर्वार्ध)

eṣa brahmānandaḥ — this bliss of Brahman; cet bhavet — if it were to become; parārddha-guṇīkṛtaḥ — multiplied by a parārdha

eṣa — यह; brahmānandaḥ — ब्रह्म का आनन्द; cet — यदि; parārddha-guṇīkṛtaḥ — परार्द्ध से गुणित; bhavet — हो जाए

Take the bliss of Brahman, the joy of realizing the absolute. Now suppose you multiplied it by a parārdha. A parārdha is an almost unimaginably huge number. Even so magnified, that bliss still would not measure up. The verse holds this thought open; the next line finishes it.

यदि यह ब्रह्म का आनन्द परार्द्ध गुना बढ़ा दिया जाए —

brahmānanda: in Advaita Vedānta, the bliss of realizing the featureless absolute, held there to be the highest happiness of all. Here that bliss is granted as real, but ranked far below the happiness of devotion.

ब्रह्मानन्द: अद्वैत वेदान्त में निर्विशेष ब्रह्म के साक्षात्कार से उत्पन्न आनन्द, जिसे वहाँ समस्त सुखों में सर्वोच्च माना जाता है। यहाँ उस आनन्द को यथार्थ तो स्वीकार किया गया है, परन्तु भक्ति के सुख से बहुत नीचे रखा गया है।

L2conclusion

naiti bhakti-sukhāmbhodheḥ paramāṇu-tulām api ||

bhakti-sukhāmbhodheḥof the ocean of the happiness of devotion — bhakti's joy is a whole sea genitive; depends on paramāṇu (an atom of that ocean)भक्ति-सुख के समुद्र का

paramāṇu-tulāmthe level of a single atom — being equal to one tiny atom of it accusative; object of etiएक परमाणु की बराबरी को

apieven — not even that little emphatic particleभी

na etiit does not reach, it never gets there na + eti (present indicative)नहीं पहुँचता

bhakti-sukhāmbhodheḥ — of the ocean of the happiness of devotion; paramāṇu-tulām api — even equality with a single atom [of it]; na eti — it does not reach

bhakti-sukhāmbhodheḥ — भक्ति-सुख के समुद्र का; paramāṇu-tulām — एक परमाणु की बराबरी को; api — भी; na eti — नहीं पहुँचता

The happiness of devotion is like an ocean. Take just one atom of that ocean. Even the vastly multiplied bliss of Brahman does not come up to that one atom. It does not reach even that. So the joy of devotion stands immeasurably above the bliss of the absolute.

तो भी वह भक्ति-सुख के समुद्र के एक परमाणु की बराबरी तक भी नहीं पहुँचता।

paramāṇu: the smallest particle, an atom. Here it fixes the scale of the contrast: not the ocean, not a drop, but a single atom of it still outweighs a parārdha-fold brahmānanda.

परमाणु: सबसे सूक्ष्म कण, अणु। यहाँ यह तुलना का माप स्थिर करता है — समुद्र नहीं, बूँद भी नहीं, अपितु उसका एक अणु भी परार्ध-गुणित ब्रह्मानन्द से बढ़कर है।

Commentary — decoded

Jīva Gosvāmī

s1gloss

parārddheti—parārddha-kāla-samādhinā samuditaṁ tat-sukham apīty arthaḥ ||

parārddhā ititaking up the verse-word "parārddha" to explain it pratīka: parārddhā + iti, citing the word being glossed'परार्द्ध' इस पद को उद्धृत करके

parārddha-kāla-samādhināby the meditative absorption (samādhi) that lasts a parārddha of time instrumental of meansपरार्द्ध-काल तक की समाधि के द्वारा

samuditamwhich has arisen, been produced past participle, describing tat-sukhamउदित हुआ (वह सुख का विशेषण)

tat-sukhamthat happiness — the bliss of Brahman named in the verseवह सुख

apieven (even this happiness does not reach an atom of bhakti's joy)भी

iti arthaḥthat is the meaning closing gloss-formulaऐसा अर्थ है

parārddhā iti — on the word "parārddha"; tat-sukham — that happiness; parārddha-kāla-samādhinā — by absorption lasting a parārddha of time; samuditam — arisen; api — even; iti arthaḥ — that is the meaning.

parārddhā iti — 'परार्द्ध' इस पद से; parārddha-kāla-samādhinā — परार्द्ध-काल तक की समाधि से; samuditam — उदित हुआ; tat-sukham — वह सुख; api — भी; iti arthaḥ — ऐसा अर्थ है

Jīva takes up the verse-word "parārddha" to explain it. The point is about what "multiplied by a parārddha" means. He reads it as the happiness that arises through meditative absorption (samādhi) kept up across a parārddha of time — an almost endless span. So it means: even that happiness — the bliss of Brahman, sustained that long — is what the verse has in view. And the force of "even" is that even this does not reach a single atom of the ocean of bhakti's joy.

'परार्द्ध' पद से यह कहा गया कि परार्द्ध-काल तक चलने वाली समाधि से उदित हुआ वह सुख भी — ऐसा अर्थ है।

parārddha (also parārdha): a specific number in the traditional Indian scale of large numbers — half of a parārdha's parent unit, standing for a practically immeasurable span of time. Here it is not literal arithmetic but a way of saying "however unimaginably long the absorption is sustained."

परार्द्ध (परार्ध भी): बड़ी संख्याओं की पारम्परिक भारतीय गणना में एक विशिष्ट संख्या — अपनी मूल इकाई का आधा, जो व्यवहार में प्रायः अपरिमेय काल का द्योतक है। यहाँ यह अक्षरशः गणित नहीं, अपितु "समाधि चाहे कितने ही अकल्पनीय काल तक बनी रहे" — इस भाव को कहने की रीति है।

Viśvanātha Cakravartī

s1gloss

parārdheti—parārdhaṁ kālaṁ vyāpya kriyamāṇena samādhinā siddhaṁ brahma-sukham apīty arthaḥ |

parārdha itithe word 'parārdha' — taking up the verse-word to explain it pratīka (lemma citation)'परार्द्ध' इस पद को उद्धृत करके

parārdhaṁ kālaṁ vyāpyaspreading out over a parārdha of time kālaṁ acc. (extent); vyāpya gerundपरार्द्ध काल को व्याप्त करके (उतने काल भर)

kriyamāṇena samādhināby the deep absorption that is being kept up instrumental of meansकी जाती हुई समाधि के द्वारा

siddhaṁbrought to completion, reached past participleसिद्ध हुआ (ब्रह्म-सुख का विशेषण)

brahma-sukhamthe happiness of Brahman the subject-word being glossedब्रह्म का सुख — यही विशेष्य पद है

apieven (even this happiness) concessive particleभी

iti arthaḥthat is the meaning closing formulaऐसा अर्थ है

parārdha iti — the word 'parārdha'; parārdhaṁ kālaṁ vyāpya — spreading over a parārdha of time; kriyamāṇena samādhinā — by the absorption being kept up; siddhaṁ — reached; brahma-sukham — the happiness of Brahman; api — even; iti arthaḥ — that is the meaning.

parārdha iti — 'परार्द्ध' इस पद से; parārdhaṁ kālaṁ vyāpya — परार्द्ध काल को व्याप्त करके; kriyamāṇena samādhinā — की जाती हुई समाधि से; siddhaṁ — सिद्ध हुआ; brahma-sukham — ब्रह्म-सुख; api — भी; iti arthaḥ — ऐसा अर्थ है

He picks up the verse-word 'parārdha' to explain it. Think of a spiritual absorption (samādhi) that is kept going for a whole parārdha of time. The happiness of Brahman that such long absorption finally reaches — even that happiness is what the verse means. So the word 'parārdha' describes the length of the absorption by which the bliss of Brahman is won.

'परार्द्ध' पद से — परार्द्ध काल भर की जाने वाली समाधि से सिद्ध हुआ ब्रह्म-सुख भी — ऐसा अर्थ है।

samādhi: in Pātañjala Yoga, the deepest limb of meditation, where the mind is wholly gathered on its object until the sense of a separate subject and object fades. Here it names the long contemplative absorption by which the knowledge-path (jñāna) reaches the bliss of Brahman.

समाधि: पातञ्जल योग में ध्यान का सबसे गहन अंग, जहाँ चित्त अपने ध्येय पर पूर्णतया एकाग्र होकर स्थिर हो जाता है, यहाँ तक कि द्रष्टा और दृश्य का पृथक् भाव लुप्त हो जाता है। यहाँ यह उस दीर्घकालीन चिन्तन-समाधि को कहता है जिसके द्वारा ज्ञान-मार्ग ब्रह्म-सुख तक पहुँचता है।

s2gloss

bhakti-rūpa-sukha-samudrasya yaḥ paramāṇus tasyāpi tulanāṁ naiti na prāpnoti ||

bhakti-rūpa-sukha-samudrasyaof the ocean of happiness that takes the form of devotion (bhakti) genitive (whose atom)भक्ति-रूप सुख के समुद्र का

yaḥ paramāṇuḥthe single atom that it has relative pronoun + subjectजो एक परमाणु है

tasya apieven with that one atom correlative genitive; api = evenउसकी भी

tulanāṁa matching, being on a par accusative objectतुलना को

na etidoes not come up to it the verse-phrase being glossedनहीं पाता ('न एति' पद का)

na prāpnotithat is, does not reach it Viśvanātha's own synonym for na etiअर्थात् नहीं प्राप्त करता

bhakti-rūpa-sukha-samudrasya — of the ocean of happiness in the form of devotion; yaḥ paramāṇuḥ — the single atom it has; tasya api — even with that; tulanāṁ — a matching; na eti — does not come up to it; na prāpnoti — does not attain it.

bhakti-rūpa-sukha-samudrasya — भक्ति-रूप सुख के समुद्र का; yaḥ paramāṇuḥ — जो परमाणु; tasya api — उसकी भी; tulanāṁ — तुलना को; na eti — नहीं पाता; na prāpnoti — नहीं प्राप्त करता

Now he explains the second line. Picture the happiness of devotion as a whole ocean. Take one single atom of that ocean. Even with that one atom the bliss of Brahman cannot be put on a par. He glosses the verse's 'na eti' with his own plain word: na prāpnoti, it simply does not reach it. So the smallest particle of devotional happiness already outweighs the entire bliss of Brahman.

भक्ति-रूप सुख के समुद्र का जो एक परमाणु है, उसकी भी तुलना को यह 'नहीं पाता' — अर्थात् नहीं प्राप्त करता।