15. vyavahāre’py akārpaṇyam, yathā pādme—
Commentary — decoded
Jīva Gosvāmī + Viśvanātha Cakravartī
s1avataranika
alabdha iti |
alabdha itithe verse beginning "alabdha…" ("if he gets nothing…") — quoting its first word to point us to it pratīka (verse-tag)'अलब्ध' इत्यादि — श्लोक की प्रतीक ('अलब्धे' से आरम्भ होने वाला श्लोक)
alabdha iti — the verse that opens with the word alabdha is the one now taken up.
alabdha iti — 'अलब्ध' इत्यादि (प्रतीक)
Jīva and Viśvanātha flag the next verse by its first word, "alabdha…" That verse says: if at some time he gets no food he should not be sad, and when he does get food he should not rejoice — a steady man knows both come from providence. They quote only the opening word and now explain it.
'अलब्ध' इत्यादि — यह उस श्लोक की प्रतीक है जो 'अलब्धे' से आरम्भ होता है।
pratīka: an ācārya names a verse by citing its first word or two, the way we say "the Lord's Prayer" by its opening. Here "alabdha iti" = "the verse starting alabdhvā…."
प्रतीक: आचार्य किसी श्लोक को उसके पहले एक-दो शब्द उद्धृत करके पहचान देते हैं — जैसे हम किसी प्रसिद्ध स्तोत्र को उसके आरम्भिक शब्दों से नाम देते हैं। यहाँ 'अलब्ध इति' = 'अलब्धे…' से आरम्भ होने वाला श्लोक।
s2gloss
smaraṇādi-parāṇām eveyaṁ rītiḥ |
smaraṇādi-parāṇāmfor those whose main practice is remembering the Lord and the like gen. pl., "for/of…"स्मरण आदि में तत्पर भक्तों के लिए (षष्ठी — जिनके लिए)
evaonly — it fits these people, not everyoneही
iyaṁ rītiḥthis is the rule (of staying calm whether food comes or not)यह रीति (मार्ग)
smaraṇādi-parāṇām — for those devoted to remembrance and the like; eva — only; iyaṁ rītiḥ — this is the rule.
smaraṇādi-parāṇām — स्मरणादि में तत्पर भक्तों के लिए; eva — ही; iyaṁ rītiḥ — यह रीति
This rule fits only one kind of devotee. It is meant for those whose main practice is inward — remembering the Lord (smaraṇa) and such contemplative service. For them, whether or not food arrives, one stays even-minded and undisturbed. The "eva" (only) restricts it: this is their way, not a blanket rule for all.
यह रीति तो केवल उन्हीं भक्तों के लिए है जो स्मरण आदि अन्तरंग साधना में तत्पर हैं।
smaraṇa: one of the nine limbs of bhakti — internal, contemplative remembrance of the Lord; "smaraṇādi-para" = a devotee for whom such inward practice is primary, as opposed to one busy with outward service.
स्मरण: भक्ति के नौ अंगों में से एक — भगवान् का अन्तरंग, ध्यानमय स्मरण। 'स्मरणादि-पर' वह भक्त है जिसके लिए यह अन्तरंग साधना ही मुख्य है, न कि वह जो बाह्य सेवा में लगा हो।
s3gloss
sevādi-parais tu yathā-lābham eva sevā kāryā |
sevādi-paraiḥbut by those whose main practice is active service and the like inst. pl. = the ones who must actसेवा आदि में तत्पर भक्तों के द्वारा (तृतीया — जिन्हें करना है)
tuwhereas — marking the contrast with the previous groupपरन्तु
yathā-lābhamaccording to what one can get — as means allowजितना जो कुछ मिल जाए, उसी के अनुसार
evajust — precisely to that extent, no moreही
sevā kāryāservice is to be doneसेवा करनी चाहिए (कर्मवाच्य — सेवा की जानी चाहिए)
sevādi-paraiḥ tu — but by those devoted to active service and the like; yathā-lābham eva — just according to what is obtained; sevā kāryā — service is to be done.
sevādi-paraiḥ — सेवा आदि में तत्पर भक्तों को; tu — परन्तु; yathā-lābham — जितना मिले उसी के अनुसार; eva — ही; sevā kāryā — सेवा करनी चाहिए
For the other kind of devotee the rule is different. Those whose main practice is active, outward service should indeed keep serving — but they serve with whatever means they can actually get. "yathā-lābham": as much as comes to hand, and only that much. So the calm indifference to gain does not cancel their duty to serve; it simply sets the scale of it.
परन्तु जो भक्त सेवा आदि में तत्पर हैं, उन्हें जितना जो कुछ मिल जाए उसी के अनुसार ही सेवा करनी चाहिए।
sevā here = outward, active devotional service (arcana, physical care of the Deity, and the like), contrasted with the inward smaraṇa of the previous sentence.
यहाँ सेवा = बाह्य, सक्रिय भक्ति-सेवा (अर्चन, श्रीविग्रह की शारीरिक परिचर्या आदि), जो पिछले वाक्य के अन्तरंग स्मरण के विपरीत है।
s4conclusion
na tu yācñādy-atiśayena kārpaṇyaṁ kāryam iti jñeyam ||
na tubut not — the flip side of the same instructionपरन्तु ऐसा नहीं (कि)
yācñādy-atiśayenaby overdoing begging and the like — by pressing for more than comes on its own inst. of meansअत्यधिक याचना आदि के द्वारा (तृतीया — साधन)
kārpaṇyaṁ kāryamone should not sink into wretched, cringing needinessदीनता की जाए
iti jñeyamthis is to be understoodऐसा जानना चाहिए
na tu — but not; yācñādy-atiśayena — through excessive begging and the like; kārpaṇyaṁ kāryam — should wretchedness be practised; iti jñeyam — so it should be understood.
na tu — परन्तु ऐसा नहीं; yācñādy-atiśayena — अत्यधिक याचना आदि के द्वारा; kārpaṇyaṁ kāryam — दीनता की जाए; iti jñeyam — ऐसा जानना चाहिए
There is a limit on the last point, and this is it. The server takes what comes, but must not chase more by hard begging and similar pressing. One should not fall into kārpaṇya — a cringing, pitiful neediness — to scrape together the means of service. Serve as much as your means allow; do not degrade yourself begging for more. That, they say, is the correct understanding of the verse.
परन्तु अत्यधिक याचना करके दीनता नहीं दिखानी चाहिए — ऐसा समझना चाहिए।
kārpaṇya: from kṛpaṇa, "miser / wretch" — abject, self-pitying neediness. The point is not that begging is banned outright, but that anxious over-begging to fund one's service betrays the very equanimity the verse teaches.
कार्पण्य: 'कृपण' अर्थात् 'कंजूस/दीन' से बना — दयनीय, आत्म-दयायुक्त कातरता। तात्पर्य यह नहीं कि याचना सर्वथा वर्जित है, अपितु यह कि सेवा के लिए व्याकुल होकर अत्यधिक माँगना उसी समता को नष्ट कर देता है जिसका यह श्लोक उपदेश देता है।