2. śrī-kṛṣṇa-dīkṣādi-śikṣaṇaṁ, yathā tatraiva (11.3.22) / 3. viśrambheṇa guroḥ sevā, yathā tatraiva (11.17.27)- / 1. tatra guru-pādāśrayo, yathā ekādaśe (11.3.21)—
Commentary — decoded
Viśvanātha Cakravartī
s1gloss
śābde bhakti-śāstre |
śābdethe verse's word "in scripture" lemma being glossed'शब्दे' अर्थात्
bhakti-śāstremeans: in the scripture of devotion locative, the glossभक्ति-शास्त्र में (यही 'शब्द' का अर्थ)
śābde — [the word] "in scripture"; bhakti-śāstre — [means] in the scripture of devotion
śābde — 'शब्दे' का अर्थ; bhakti-śāstre — भक्ति-शास्त्र में।
He glosses the verse-word śābde. "In scripture" here means: in the scripture of devotion, the bhakti-śāstra. So when the verse says the guru is well-versed śābde, it does not mean grammar or ritual manuals; it means he is expert in the literature of bhakti.
'शब्दे' का तात्पर्य भक्ति-शास्त्र में है।
s2gloss
pare brahmaṇi bhagavad-viṣayaka-śravaṇa-kīrtanādau niṣṇātaṁ pāraṁ gatam ||
pare brahmaṇithe verse's "in the Supreme brahman" lemma being glossed'पर ब्रह्म में' अर्थात्
bhagavad-viṣayaka-śravaṇa-kīrtanādaumeans: in hearing, chanting and the rest that take the Lord for their subject locative, the gloss — reads brahman as the personal Lordभगवान् विषयक श्रवण-कीर्तन आदि में (यहाँ ब्रह्म को सगुण प्रभु पढ़ा गया)
niṣṇātamthe verse's "well-versed" lemma being glossed'निष्णात' अर्थात्
pāraṁ gatammeans: one who has gone to the far shore, mastered it completely accusative, the glossपार को प्राप्त (पारंगत)
pare brahmaṇi — "in the Supreme brahman" [means]; bhagavad-viṣayaka-śravaṇa-kīrtanādau — in Lord-centered hearing, chanting, etc.; niṣṇātam — "well-versed" [means]; pāraṁ gatam — one who has reached the far shore
pare brahmaṇi — 'पर ब्रह्म में' का अर्थ; bhagavad-viṣayaka-śravaṇa-kīrtanādau — भगवान् विषयक श्रवण-कीर्तन आदि में; niṣṇātam — 'निष्णात' अर्थात्; pāraṁ gatam — पार को प्राप्त।
Now he glosses pare brahmaṇi and niṣṇātam. "In the Supreme, in brahman" he takes as the Lord as the object — that is, in hearing, chanting, and the rest that have Bhagavān for their subject. And niṣṇātam, "well-versed," he unpacks as pāraṁ gatam: one who has reached the far shore. So the guru is expert not in abstract brahman-talk but in the actual practices — śravaṇa, kīrtana — centered on the Lord, and he has taken them all the way to completion.
'पर ब्रह्म में निष्णात' अर्थात् भगवान् के श्रवण-कीर्तन आदि में पार पा चुका (पारंगत)।
pare brahmaṇi: Vedānta's default sense of brahman is the impersonal Absolute; Viśvanātha deliberately reads it as bhagavat, the personal Lord, so that "mastery of the Supreme" becomes mastery in the devotional acts of hearing and chanting about him.
'पर ब्रह्म' — वेदान्त में ब्रह्म का सामान्य अर्थ निर्विशेष परम तत्त्व है; विश्वनाथ जानबूझकर इसे सगुण भगवान् मानते हैं, जिससे 'पर की निष्णाति' उन्हीं के श्रवण-कीर्तन रूप भक्ति-कर्मों में पारंगति बन जाती है।
s3gloss
guru evātmā ātmavat priyaḥ |
guruḥ evathe guru himself eva restricts — it is the guru, preciselyगुरु ही (eva सीमित करता है — ठीक गुरु ही)
ātmāis "the self" [in the compound] the word being explained'आत्मा' (जिस शब्द की व्याख्या है)
ātmavat priyaḥmeans: dear as one's own self the glossआत्मा के समान प्रिय
guruḥ eva ātmā — the guru himself [is] "the self"; ātmavat priyaḥ — [meaning] dear as one's own self
guruḥ eva — गुरु ही; ātmā — 'आत्मा' अर्थात्; ātmavat priyaḥ — आत्मा के समान प्रिय।
He unpacks the compound gurv-ātma-daivataḥ, first the ātma part. "The guru is the ātmā" means: the guru is dear as one's own self. So holding the guru as ātmā is not a metaphysical claim that he is your soul; it is that you cherish him the way you cherish your own self.
'आत्मा' अर्थात् गुरु ही, जो आत्मा के समान प्रिय है।
s4gloss
daivatam iṣṭa-devataś ca yasya tathābhūtaḥ |
daivatam"deity" [in the compound] the word being explained'दैवत' (जिस शब्द की व्याख्या है)
iṣṭa-devataḥmeans: one's chosen, cherished God the glossइष्टदेवता
caand [joining to the ātmā sense already given]और
yasyaof whom [the guru is such] genitive, the relative that makes it a bahuvrīhiजिसका (यह षष्ठी इसे बहुव्रीहि बनाती है)
tathābhūtaḥone who has become like that [is the learner] nom., resolves the compound onto the discipleवैसा (समास का शिष्य पर समाधान)
daivatam — "deity" [means]; iṣṭa-devataḥ ca — and one's chosen God; yasya — of whom [it is so]; tathābhūtaḥ — [he] being such [is the disciple]
daivatam — 'दैवत' अर्थात्; iṣṭa-devataḥ — इष्टदेवता; ca yasya — और जिसका (गुरु ही आत्मा एवं इष्टदेव हो); tathābhūtaḥ — वैसा (शिष्य)।
Now the daivatam part of the same compound, read as a bahuvrīhi. "Deity" means one's chosen worshipful God, the iṣṭa-devatā. So the whole compound gurv-ātma-daivataḥ describes the learner as tathābhūtaḥ — one who has become like that: one for whom the guru is both his dear self and his chosen deity.
'दैवत' अर्थात् इष्टदेवता; और जिसका आत्मा तथा इष्टदेव गुरु ही है, वैसा शिष्य।
bahuvrīhi: a possessive compound resolved by "of whom" — gurv-ātma-daivata does not name a thing but describes a person "whose self-and-deity is the guru," i.e. the disciple; hence tathābhūtaḥ, "the one who is like that."
बहुव्रीहि — 'जिसका' से हल होनेवाला समास; 'गुरु-आत्म-दैवत' किसी वस्तु का नाम नहीं, बल्कि उस व्यक्ति (शिष्य) का वर्णन है 'जिसका आत्मा और इष्टदेव गुरु है'; इसीलिए 'तथाभूत' = 'जो ऐसा है'।
s5gloss
anuvṛttyā sevayā |
anuvṛttyāthe verse's "by faithful following" lemma being glossed'अनुवृत्ति' से अर्थात्
sevayāmeans: by service instrumental, the glossसेवा के द्वारा
anuvṛttyā — "by faithful following" [means]; sevayā — by service
anuvṛttyā — 'अनुवृत्ति' का अर्थ; sevayā — सेवा से।
He glosses the verse-word anuvṛttyā. It means sevayā — by service. So "faithful following" in the verse is spelled out as rendering service to the guru and the Lord.
'अनुवृत्ति' अर्थात् सेवा।
s6gloss
yair dharmair vastuta ātmā ātma-pradaś copāsakānāṁ, yathā—bali-prabhṛtīnām ||
yaiḥ dharmaiḥby which dharmas instrumental plural, the relative resumedजिन धर्मों से (relative पुनः लिया गया)
vastutaḥin truth, not just as a manner of speaking adverb — presses that it is literalवस्तुतः (यह अक्षरशः है, इस पर बल)
ātmā[Hari becomes] the very Self nom., predicate of Hari(हरि) आत्मा है
ātma-pradaḥand the giver of his own self nom., predicate — synonym of ātma-daḥअपने आपको देनेवाला (ātma-da का पर्याय)
caand [linking the two predicates]और
upāsakānāmfor his worshippers genitive — those to whom he gives himselfउपासकों के (जिन्हें वे अपने आपको देते हैं)
yathāas, for exampleजैसे
bali-prabhṛtīnāmof Bali and others like him genitive plural — the illustrative devoteesबलि आदि (उदाहरणस्वरूप भक्तों) के विषय में
yaiḥ dharmaiḥ — by which dharmas; vastutaḥ — in truth; upāsakānām — for the worshippers; [hariḥ] ātmā ātma-pradaḥ ca — Hari [becomes] the Self and the giver of himself; yathā bali-prabhṛtīnām — as in the case of Bali and others
yaiḥ dharmaiḥ — जिन धर्मों से; vastutaḥ — वस्तुतः; upāsakānām — उपासकों के लिए; ātmā ātma-pradaḥ ca — (हरि) आत्मा एवं आत्मदाता हैं; yathā bali-prabhṛtīnām — जैसे बलि आदि के विषय में।
He explains yaiḥ and the ātma / ātma-da of the verse, and gives an example. "By which dharmas" — by these Hari really becomes, for his worshippers, both the Self and the giver of himself. Vastutaḥ, "in truth," stresses that this is no figure of speech: he genuinely gives himself. The example: as with Bali and others like him — devotees to whom the Lord actually gave his own self. So the analogy works like this — the dharmas are the sincere service; the worshippers are people like Bali; and the point proved is that such service really does win the Lord's own self, exactly as Bali won it. The example does not limit the gift to Bali; Bali just shows it has happened.
जिन धर्मों से हरि उपासकों के लिए वस्तुतः आत्मा और अपने आपको देनेवाले बनते हैं — जैसे बलि आदि भक्तों के विषय में।
Bali: the daitya king who gave everything to Vāmana; the Lord then made himself Bali's doorkeeper — the standard case of Bhagavān literally giving his own self (ātma-da) to a surrendered devotee. Cited here to show the verse's ātma-da is meant literally.
बलि — वह दैत्यराज जिसने वामन को सर्वस्व दे दिया; तब भगवान् ने स्वयं को बलि का द्वारपाल बना लिया — शरणागत भक्त को भगवान् के अक्षरशः अपने आपको दे देने (आत्म-द) का प्रसिद्ध उदाहरण; यहाँ यह दिखाने के लिए उद्धृत कि श्लोक का 'आत्म-द' शब्द अक्षरशः अभिप्रेत है।
s7gloss
ācāryaṁ māṁ madīyam |
ācāryamthe ācārya, the teacher lemma'आचार्य'
mām[the verse's] "Me" lemma being glossed'मुझको' अर्थात्
madīyammeans: one who is Mine, My own accusative, the glossमेरा (जो है)
ācāryam mām — "the ācārya [as] Me"; madīyam — [means] one who is Mine
ācāryam — 'आचार्य'; mām — 'मुझको' अर्थात्; madīyam — मेरा (जो है)।
He glosses ācāryaṁ māṁ from the next verse. "The ācārya as Me" means: the ācārya who is Mine — madīyam. So the Lord is not simply identifying himself with the teacher; he is saying the teacher belongs to him, is his own. Recognize in the ācārya the one who is the Lord's own representative.
'आचार्य को मुझको' अर्थात् उस आचार्य को जो मेरा है।
Viśvanātha softens a bald identity: māṁ vijānīyāt is read not as "know him to be Me" flatly, but "know the teacher to be Mine" — the Lord's own — so reverence for the guru is reverence directed through him to the Lord.
विश्वनाथ खरे अभेद-कथन को कोमल कर देते हैं — 'māṁ vijānīyāt' का अर्थ सपाट रूप से 'उसे मैं ही जानो' नहीं, बल्कि 'उस गुरु को मेरा जानो' — भगवान् का अपना; अतः गुरु के प्रति आदर उसके माध्यम से भगवान् तक पहुँचता है।
s8reply
ata eva guru-varaṁ mukunda-preṣṭhatvena smarety ādy-uktir api saṅgacchate |
ata evafor exactly this reason [because "Me" = "Mine"] connective drawing the consequenceइसीलिए (परिणाम निकालनेवाला संबंध)
guru-varamthe best of gurus accusative, object of "remember" — from the quoted lineश्रेष्ठ गुरु को ('स्मरण कर' का कर्म — उद्धृत पंक्ति से)
mukunda-preṣṭhatvenaas one most dear to Mukunda instrumental — the manner of rememberingमुकुन्द के परम प्रिय रूप में (स्मरण का प्रकार)
smararemember! imperative, the quoted instructionस्मरण कर (उद्धृत आदेश)
ity-ādy-uktiḥthe statement beginning thus nom. — names the quoted teachingइत्यादि वचन (उद्धृत उपदेश का नाम)
apialso, too adds this as a further corroborationभी (इसे एक और पुष्टि के रूप में जोड़ता है)
saṅgacchatefits, hangs together [with this verse] 3 sg. — the two agreeसंगत होता है (दोनों में मेल)
ata eva — for just this reason; guru-varam mukunda-preṣṭhatvena smara iti ādi-uktiḥ api — also the instruction "remember the best of gurus as dearest to Mukunda," etc.; saṅgacchate — fits together
ata eva — इसीलिए; guru-varam mukunda-preṣṭhatvena smara — 'श्रेष्ठ गुरु को मुकुन्द के परम प्रिय रूप में स्मरण कर'; ity-ādy-uktiḥ api — यह इत्यादि वचन भी; saṅgacchate — संगत हो जाता है।
Because of this reading, another statement also fits. Since the ācārya is "Mine," the Lord's own, the well-known instruction "Remember the best of gurus as most dear to Mukunda," and so on, hangs together with this verse. That teaching tells you to remember the guru precisely as Mukunda's dearest one — and that matches reading ācāryaṁ māṁ as "the teacher who is Mine." So the two instructions agree. "Ata eva" — "for just this reason" — marks that the earlier gloss is what makes them consistent.
इसीलिए 'श्रेष्ठ गुरु को मुकुन्द के परम प्रिय रूप में स्मरण कर' — यह इत्यादि उपदेश भी संगत बैठ जाता है।
Why cited: An external instruction ("remember the guru as Mukunda's dearest") adduced to confirm that reading ācāryaṁ māṁ as "the teacher who is Mine" is correct — the two teachings then agree.
क्यों उद्धृत: एक बाह्य उपदेश ('गुरु को मुकुन्द के परम प्रिय रूप में स्मरण कर') उद्धृत करके पुष्टि करता है कि 'ācāryaṁ mām' को 'वह आचार्य जो मेरा है' पढ़ना ठीक है — तब दोनों उपदेश परस्पर संगत हो जाते हैं।
s9gloss
sāmānya-manuṣya-buddhyā nāvamanyeta ||
sāmānya-manuṣya-buddhyāwith the idea that he is an ordinary human being instrumental — glosses martya-buddhyāसाधारण मनुष्य की बुद्धि से (martya-buddhyā का अर्थ)
na avamanyetaone should not disrespect [him] optative — the verse's prohibition restatedअवमानना न करे (श्लोक का निषेध पुनः कहा)
sāmānya-manuṣya-buddhyā — with the notion of [his being] a common man; na avamanyeta — one should not disrespect [him]
sāmānya-manuṣya-buddhyā — साधारण मनुष्य की बुद्धि से; na avamanyeta — अवमानना न करे।
Finally he glosses martya-buddhyā nāvamanyeta. It means: do not disrespect the guru by thinking of him as an ordinary human being. Sāmānya-manuṣya-buddhyā spells out martya-buddhi — the common-man idea. So the prohibition is against the attitude that the guru is just an average person like anyone else.
साधारण मनुष्य की बुद्धि से (गुरु की) अवमानना न करे।