21. atha vaiṣṇava-cihṇa-dhṛtiḥ, yathā pādme—
ye kaṇṭha-lagna-tulasī-nalinākṣā-mālā
ye bāhu-mūla-paricihṇita-śaṅkha-cakrāḥ |
ye vā lalāṭa-phalake lasad-ūrdhva-puṇḍrās
te vaiṣṇavā bhuvanam āśu pavitrayanti ||quoted · pādme
The verse — decoded
L1citation
ye kaṇṭha-lagna-tulasī-nalinākṣā-mālā
yethose who — the ones who wearजो (पुरुष)
kaṇṭha-lagna-tulasī-nalinākṣā-mālāhave on their necks garlands of tulasī, of lotus-seeds, and of akṣa (rosary) beads — 'clinging to the neck' (kaṇṭha-lagna) qualifies them all bahuvrīhi describing 'ye'; kaṇṭha-lagna 'stuck/clinging to the neck'जिनके गले में लगी हुई तुलसी तथा नलिन-अक्ष की माला है
ye — those who; kaṇṭha-lagna-tulasī-nalinākṣā-mālāḥ — have neck-clinging garlands of tulasī, lotus-seeds, and akṣa-beads
ye — जो (पुरुष); kaṇṭha-lagna-tulasī-nalinākṣā-mālā — जिनके गले में लगी हुई तुलसी तथा नलिन (कमल-बीज) की अक्षमाला है
Those who wear on their necks garlands of tulasī, of lotus-seeds, and of akṣa (prayer-bead) rosaries. 'Clinging to the neck' describes all three kinds of garland.
जो लोग अपने गले में तुलसी की और नलिन-अक्ष की माला धारण किए रहते हैं।
Why cited: opens the Padma Purāṇa verse defining a Vaiṣṇava by the tulasī and bead garlands he wears.
क्यों उद्धृत: यह पद्म-पुराण के उस श्लोक का आरम्भ करता है, जो तुलसी और मनकों की माला धारण करने से वैष्णव का लक्षण बताता है।
tulasī: the sacred basil sacred to Viṣṇu; nalina: the lotus, here its dried seeds strung as beads; akṣa: literally the rudrākṣa-type bead, here the standard rosary counted by the fifty syllables a-to-kṣa (see Viśvanātha below).
तुलसी विष्णु को प्रिय पवित्र पौधा है; नलिन कमल है, यहाँ उसके सूखे बीज मनकों के रूप में पिरोए हुए; अक्ष मूलतः रुद्राक्ष-जैसा मनका है, यहाँ 'अ' से 'क्ष' तक के पचास वर्णों के अनुसार गिनी जाने वाली सामान्य माला (आगे विश्वनाथ देखें)।
L2citation
ye bāhu-mūla-paricihṇita-śaṅkha-cakrāḥ |
yethose who — again, the ones whoजो (पुरुष)
bāhu-mūla-paricihṇita-śaṅkha-cakrāḥare marked at the roots of their arms (the shoulders/upper arms) with the conch and the disc bahuvrīhi; bāhu-mūla 'root of the arm = upper arm/shoulder'; paricihṇita 'stamped, marked'जिनके बाहुमूल (कंधों) पर शंख और चक्र अंकित हैं
ye — those who; bāhu-mūla-paricihṇita-śaṅkha-cakrāḥ — are stamped on the upper arms with conch and disc
ye — जो; bāhu-mūla-paricihṇita-śaṅkha-cakrāḥ — जिनके बाहुमूल (भुजा के मूल = कंधे) पर शंख और चक्र के चिह्न अंकित हैं
Those whose upper arms are stamped with the marks of the conch (śaṅkha) and the disc (cakra).
जिनके कंधों पर शंख और चक्र के चिह्न अंकित हैं।
Why cited: continues the Padma verse: the second bodily mark of a Vaiṣṇava is the branded conch and disc on the arms.
क्यों उद्धृत: यह पद्म-श्लोक को आगे बढ़ाता है — वैष्णव का दूसरा शारीरिक लक्षण भुजाओं पर अंकित शंख और चक्र है।
L3citation
ye vā lalāṭa-phalake lasad-ūrdhva-puṇḍrās
ye vāor else those who — 'vā' offers a further/alternative class of marked devoteesअथवा जो (पुरुष)
lalāṭa-phalakeon the tablet of the forehead — the flat surface of the brow locative 'on'; lalāṭa-phalaka 'forehead-slab'ललाट-पट्ट पर
lasad-ūrdhva-puṇḍrāḥbear the shining upright puṇḍra mark (the vertical Vaiṣṇava tilaka) bahuvrīhi; lasat 'shining, bright'; ūrdhva-puṇḍra 'upright/vertical mark'जिनका देदीप्यमान ऊर्ध्वपुण्ड्र (तिलक) शोभित है
ye vā — or those who; lalāṭa-phalake — on the forehead-tablet; lasad-ūrdhva-puṇḍrāḥ — bear the bright upright puṇḍra
ye vā — अथवा जो; lalāṭa-phalake — ललाट-पट्ट पर; lasad-ūrdhva-puṇḍrāḥ — जिनका चमकता हुआ ऊर्ध्वपुण्ड्र सुशोभित है
Or those who bear on the tablet of the forehead the bright, upright puṇḍra (the vertical Vaiṣṇava tilaka mark).
अथवा जिनके ललाट पर चमकता हुआ ऊर्ध्वपुण्ड्र तिलक शोभा पाता है।
Why cited: gives the third mark in the Padma verse — the ūrdhva-puṇḍra tilaka on the brow; 'vā' rounds out the list of marks any of which identifies a Vaiṣṇava.
क्यों उद्धृत: यह पद्म-श्लोक में तीसरा लक्षण देता है — मस्तक पर ऊर्ध्वपुण्ड्र तिलक; 'वा' कहकर उन लक्षणों की सूची पूरी करता है, जिनमें से कोई भी वैष्णव को पहचान देता है।
L4conclusion
te vaiṣṇavā bhuvanam āśu pavitrayanti ||
te vaiṣṇavāḥthose [people] are the Vaiṣṇavas — such marked ones are the true devotees of Viṣṇuवे वैष्णव
bhuvanamthe whole world — the object they purify accusative objectसंसार को
āśuat once, quicklyशीघ्र ही
pavitrayantithey purify, make holy finite verb, 3rd pl.पवित्र कर देते हैं
te vaiṣṇavāḥ — those are the Vaiṣṇavas; bhuvanam — the world; āśu — at once; pavitrayanti — they purify
te vaiṣṇavāḥ — वे वैष्णव; bhuvanam — संसार को; āśu — शीघ्र ही; pavitrayanti — पवित्र कर देते हैं
Such marked ones are the Vaiṣṇavas. They quickly purify the whole world.
वे वैष्णव संसार को शीघ्र ही पवित्र कर देते हैं।
Why cited: the verse's payoff: those bearing these three marks are real Vaiṣṇavas, and their very presence sanctifies the world — the reason marks matter.
क्यों उद्धृत: यह श्लोक का निष्कर्ष है — जो इन तीन लक्षणों को धारण करते हैं वही सच्चे वैष्णव हैं, और उनकी उपस्थिति मात्र से संसार पवित्र हो जाता है; इसी कारण ये लक्षण महत्त्व रखते हैं।
Commentary — decoded
Jīva Gosvāmī
s1other
na vyākhyātam |
na vyākhyātam[it was] not commented on — Jīva offers no gloss here na 'not'; vyākhyātam 'explained, commented'व्याख्या नहीं की गई
na vyākhyātam — [this verse was] not explained [by Jīva]
na vyākhyātam — (इस श्लोक की) व्याख्या नहीं की गई
Jīva Gosvāmī gives no comment on this verse.
इस श्लोक की व्याख्या नहीं की गई।
A common editorial note in these commentary compilations: it records that the named ācārya left the verse unglossed, so the reader does not look for a Jīva explanation that isn't there.
इन टीका-संग्रहों में यह एक सामान्य सम्पादकीय टिप्पणी है — यह दर्ज करती है कि नामित आचार्य (जीव) ने इस श्लोक पर कोई व्याख्या नहीं दी, ताकि पाठक ऐसी जीव-व्याख्या न खोजे जो है ही नहीं।
Mukunda-dāsa Gosvāmī
s1gloss
ye kaṇṭha-saktety atra dhātrī-mālā-dhāraṇaṁ ca jñeyam |
ye kaṇṭha-sakta iti atrahere in the phrase 'ye kaṇṭha-sakta…' (those with [garlands] clinging to the neck) iti 'the words…'; atra 'here, in this place'
dhātrī-mālā-dhāraṇam cathe wearing of the dhātrī (āmalakī) garland too is to be included — 'ca' adds it to the tulasī etc. already named ca 'and, also'
jñeyamshould be understood / is to be known gerundive 'ought to be known'
ye kaṇṭha-sakta iti atra — here in 'those with neck-clinging [garlands]'; dhātrī-mālā-dhāraṇam ca — also the wearing of an āmalakī garland; jñeyam — should be understood
Mukunda: in the verse's phrase 'those with garlands clinging to the neck,' understand that wearing a dhātrī (āmalakī / myrobalan) garland is included as well, not only tulasī.
dhātrī / āmalakī: the myrobalan (Indian gooseberry), sacred to Viṣṇu; its wood is strung into neck-beads like tulasī. Mukunda reads the verse's 'neck garland' broadly to cover it.
s2avataranika
tad yathā skānde—
tad yathāand this is so, as [shown by the following] — introducing the proof-text tat 'that'; yathā 'as, for example'
skāndein the Skānda [Purāṇa] locative 'in the text called…'
tad yathā — this, as follows; skānde — in the Skānda Purāṇa
To back this up, Mukunda says: as it is stated in the Skānda Purāṇa —
An avataraṇikā: it merely announces the coming citation and names its source (Skānda Purāṇa).
s3citation
dhātrī-phala-kṛtāṁ mālāṁ kaṇṭhasthāṁ yo vahen na hi | vaiṣṇavo na sa vijñeyo viṣṇu-pūjā-rato yadi ||
dhātrī-phala-kṛtāṁ mālāṁa garland made from dhātrī (āmalakī) fruits accusative object of 'wears'
kaṇṭha-sthāṁresting on the neck accusative agreeing with mālā
yaḥ na hi vahetwhoever does not wear — 'na hi' emphatic 'simply does not' yaḥ 'who'; vahet optative 'would wear'; na hi 'certainly not'
vaiṣṇavaḥ na saḥ vijñeyaḥhe is not to be recognized as a Vaiṣṇava vijñeyaḥ gerundive 'to be known/recognized'
viṣṇu-pūjā-rataḥ yadieven if he is devoted to the worship of Viṣṇu yadi 'even if' (concessive here)
yaḥ — who; dhātrī-phala-kṛtāṁ kaṇṭha-sthāṁ mālāṁ — a neck-worn garland made of āmalakī fruit; na hi vahet — does not wear at all; saḥ — he; viṣṇu-pūjā-rataḥ yadi — even if devoted to Viṣṇu's worship; vaiṣṇavaḥ na vijñeyaḥ — is not to be known as a Vaiṣṇava
The Skānda verse: whoever does not wear an āmalakī-fruit garland on his neck is not to be counted a Vaiṣṇava — even if he is devoted to worshiping Viṣṇu.
Why cited: scriptural proof that the dhātrī (āmalakī) garland is a required Vaiṣṇava mark — supporting Mukunda's claim that the verse's 'neck garland' includes it.
s4avataranika
tatraiva—
tatra evain that very same [text] — again in the Skānda Purāṇa tatra 'there'; eva 'the very same'
tatra eva — in that same [Skānda Purāṇa]
And in the same Skānda Purāṇa it also says —
Points the next quotation to the same source just named, so the reader knows both verses are from the Skānda Purāṇa.
s5citation
na jahyāt tulasī-mālāṁ dhātrī-mālāṁ viśeṣataḥ | mahā-pātaka-saṁhantrīṁ dharma-kāmārtha-dāyinīm ||
na jahyāt tulasī-mālāṁone should not give up the tulasī garland jahyāt optative of 'give up'; na 'not'
dhātrī-mālāṁ viśeṣataḥand the dhātrī (āmalakī) garland especially — 'viśeṣataḥ' singles it out for still greater care viśeṣataḥ adverb 'particularly, above all'
mahā-pātaka-saṁhantrīṁ[the garland] that destroys even the gravest sins accusative describing dhātrī-mālā; saṁhantrī 'destroyer (f.)'
dharma-kāma-artha-dāyinīmand that bestows dharma, desires fulfilled, and wealth accusative describing dhātrī-mālā; dāyinī 'giver (f.)'
tulasī-mālāṁ — the tulasī garland; na jahyāt — one should not abandon; viśeṣataḥ dhātrī-mālāṁ — the āmalakī garland especially; mahā-pātaka-saṁhantrīṁ — destroyer of great sins; dharma-kāma-artha-dāyinīm — giver of dharma, desire, and wealth
A second Skānda verse: never give up the tulasī garland — and the dhātrī (āmalakī) garland above all, since it wipes out even the worst sins and grants dharma, one's desires, and prosperity.
Why cited: further scriptural proof that the dhātrī garland must be kept — reinforcing that it belongs among the Vaiṣṇava neck-marks the mūla intends.
s6conclusion
ity ādi-vacanebhyaḥ śrī-grantha-kṛdbhiḥ sadā dhāraṇāc ca ||
iti ādi-vacanebhyaḥbecause of these and similar statements — 'therefore, on the strength of such texts' ablative of reason; iti closes the quotes; ādi 'and the rest'; vacana 'statements'
śrī-grantha-kṛdbhiḥand because the revered authors of scripture (the ācāryas who composed the texts) instrumental agent
sadā dhāraṇāt cahave always worn [these garlands] — 'ca' adds their settled practice as a second ground ablative of reason; sadā 'always'; dhāraṇa 'wearing'; ca 'and'
iti ādi-vacanebhyaḥ — from these and like statements; śrī-grantha-kṛdbhiḥ — by the holy authors of scripture; sadā dhāraṇāt ca — and from their always wearing [them]
So, on the strength of these and similar scriptural statements, and because the revered authors of scripture themselves have always worn such garlands, the dhātrī garland is to be counted among the Vaiṣṇava marks.
Why cited: Mukunda's wrap-up: he grounds including the dhātrī garland on two things — the quoted texts, and the settled practice of the ācāryas who wrote the śāstra.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī
s1gloss
kaṇṭhāsakta-tulasīnām evaṁ nalinānāṁ kamala-karṇikā-madhyastha-pakva-bījānāṁ ca |
kaṇṭha-āsakta-tulasīnāmof tulasī [beads] fastened to the neck — glossing the verse's 'kaṇṭha-lagna-tulasī' genitive plural; āsakta 'attached, fastened'गले में बंधी हुई तुलसियों की
evaṁ nalinānāmand likewise of nalina — that is, of lotus [beads] genitive plural; evaṁ 'similarly'तथा इसी प्रकार नलिनों की
kamala-karṇikā-madhyastha-pakva-bījānāṁ cawhich are the ripe seeds sitting in the middle of the lotus's seed-cup (pericarp) — Viśvanātha specifies exactly what 'nalina' means here genitive plural in apposition to nalinānām; karṇikā 'pericarp/seed-cup'; madhyastha 'situated in the middle'; pakva-bīja 'ripe seed'अर्थात् कमल की कर्णिका के मध्य स्थित पके हुए बीजों की
kaṇṭha-āsakta-tulasīnām — of neck-fastened tulasī [beads]; evaṁ nalinānām — and likewise of lotus [beads]; kamala-karṇikā-madhyastha-pakva-bījānāṁ ca — namely the ripe seeds set in the middle of the lotus's seed-cup
kaṇṭha-āsakta-tulasīnām — गले में बंधी हुई तुलसियों की; evaṁ nalinānām — तथा उसी प्रकार नलिनों की; kamala-karṇikā-madhyastha-pakva-bījānāṁ ca — अर्थात् कमल की कर्णिका के मध्य स्थित पके हुए बीजों की
Viśvanātha: the verse means garlands of tulasī fastened to the neck, and likewise of nalina — and by 'nalina' he means the ripe seeds found in the center of the lotus's seed-cup (the pericarp), strung as beads.
गले में बंधी तुलसियों की, तथा नलिनों की — अर्थात् कमल की कर्णिका के बीच स्थित पके हुए बीजों की (माला)।
nalina normally just means 'lotus'; Viśvanātha pins it down to the lotus's ripe pericarp-seeds, the actual beads worn — so the reader doesn't picture lotus flowers.
नलिन का सामान्य अर्थ 'कमल' ही है; विश्वनाथ इसे कमल की कर्णिका के पके हुए बीजों तक सीमित कर देते हैं — वही मनके जो वस्तुतः धारण किए जाते हैं — ताकि पाठक कमल-पुष्प की कल्पना न करे।
s2gloss
akṣa-mālā a-kārādi-kṣa-kāra-paryanta-varṇa-saṅkhaka-mālā yeṣām ||
akṣa-mālāand akṣa-mālā, the [third] rosary — Viśvanātha now unpacks the 'akṣa' of the compound nominative, the term being definedअक्षमाला
a-kāra-ādi-kṣa-kāra-paryanta-varṇa-saṅkhaka-mālāmeans a rosary whose bead-count equals the number of the alphabet's letters, from the letter 'a' up to the letter 'kṣa' — i.e. the fifty syllables, hence fifty (or 108) beads bahuvrīhi; a-kārādi 'beginning with the letter a'; kṣa-kāra-paryanta 'ending with the letter kṣa'; varṇa-saṅkhaka 'having the number of the letters''अ' कार से आरम्भ होकर 'क्ष' कार तक के वर्णों की संख्या वाली माला
yeṣām— [garlands] which those [Vaiṣṇavas] have; this closes the bahuvrīhi back onto 'ye' of the verse genitive plural relative 'of whom / whose'जिनकी (है)
akṣa-mālā — the akṣa-rosary; a-kāra-ādi-kṣa-kāra-paryanta-varṇa-saṅkhaka-mālā — a rosary counted by the letters from 'a' to 'kṣa'; yeṣām — which are theirs (the Vaiṣṇavas')
akṣa-mālā — अक्षमाला; a-kāra-ādi-kṣa-kāra-paryanta-varṇa-saṅkhaka-mālā — 'अ' कार से आरम्भ होकर 'क्ष' कार तक के वर्णों की संख्या के बराबर मनकों वाली माला; yeṣām — जिनकी (है)
Viśvanātha: 'akṣa-mālā' means a rosary whose number of beads matches the number of letters in the alphabet, from the first letter 'a' to the last, 'kṣa' — that is, one bead per syllable. These are the garlands the Vaiṣṇavas of the verse wear.
अक्षमाला अर्थात् 'अ' से 'क्ष' तक के वर्णों की संख्या के बराबर मनकों वाली माला, जो जिनके पास है।
akṣa here is derived from the varṇa-akṣara series a…kṣa: the rosary's bead-count is fixed by the count of Sanskrit syllables, which is why such a strand is called an akṣa-mālā. This resolves 'yeṣām' back to the 'ye' (those who) of the mūla.
यहाँ 'अक्ष' शब्द 'अ' से 'क्ष' तक के वर्ण-अक्षरों की श्रेणी से बना है; माला के मनकों की संख्या संस्कृत वर्णों की गिनती से निश्चित होती है, इसीलिए ऐसी माला अक्षमाला कहलाती है। यह 'येषाम्' को मूल श्लोक के 'ये' (जो लोग) से जोड़ देता है।