Continuing our presentation of the upcoming release Sharanagati, in this song Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur describes how devotees dedicate themselves exclusively to the Lord’s service by interacting only with things which are His own.
Sharanagati
Song Thirty
tuyā bhakti-anukūla ye ye kārya haya
parama yatane tāhā kariba niśchaya [1]
tuyā–Your; bhakti–to devotion; anukūla–favourable; ye ye–whatever; kārya–activities; haya–are; parama–great; yatane–with care; tāhā–them; kariba–I will do; niśchaya–certainly. [1]
(1) I will certainly perform with great care all activities that are favourable to devotion to You.
bhakti-anukūla yata viṣaya saṁsāre
kariba tāhāte rati indriyera dvāre [2]
bhakti–to devotion; anukūla–favourable; yata–all; viṣaya–material; saṁsāre–in the world; kariba–I will do; tāhāte–for that; rati (sukhānveṣaṇa)–attach (search for happiness); indriyera–of the senses; dvāre–by the gates. [2]
(2) With my senses, I will take pleasure in those things within this material world that are favourable to devotion.
śuniba tomāra kathā yatana kariyā
dekhiba tomāra dhāma nayana bhariyā [3]
śuniba–I will hear; tomāra–about You; kathā–discussion; yatana–care; kariyā–doing; dekhiba–I will see; tomāra–Your; dhāma–abode; nayana–eyes; bhariyā–filling. [3]
(3) I will carefully listen to discussions about You. Beholding Your abode, I will fill my eyes.
tomāra prasāde deha kariba poṣaṇa
naivedya tulasī ghrāṇa kariba grahaṇa [4]
tomāra–Your; prasāde (uchchhiṣṭe)–with the remnants; deha–body; kariba–I will do; poṣaṇa–nourishment; naivedya–offerings; tulasī–tulasī leaves and flower spikes; ghrāṇa–smell; kariba–I will do; grahaṇa–acceptance. [4]
(4) I will maintain my body with Your remnants alone. I will savour the fragrance of the tulasi leaves and manjaris that have been offered to You.
kara dvāre kariba tomāra sevā sadā
tomāra vasati-sthale vasiba sarvadā [5]
kara–my hands; dvāre–with; kariba–I will do; tomāra–Your; sevā–service; sadā–always; tomāra–Your; vasati–residence; sthale–in the place; vasiba–I will reside; sarvadā–always. [5]
(5) With my hands, I will always engage in Your service. I will always reside in a place where You reside.
tomāra sevāya kāma niyoga kariba
tomāra vidveṣi-jane krodha dekhāiba [6]
tomāra–Your; sevāya–in the service; kāma–desires; niyoga–employ; kariba–I will do; tomāra–Your; vidveṣi–those who are inimical; jane–to the persons; krodha–anger; dekhāiba–I will show. [6]
(6) I will engage all my desires in Your service. I will show anger towards those who are inimical to You.
ei-rūpe sarva-vṛtti āra sarva-bhāva
tuyā anukūla ha’ye labhuka prabhāva [7]
ei-rūpe–in this way; sarva–all; vṛtti–my faculties, my propensities; āra–and; sarva–all; bhāva–thoughts; tuyā–Your; anukūla–favourable; ha’ye–being; labhuka–may obtain; prabhāva–glory. [7]
(7) Having become favourable to devotion in these ways, may all of my actions and thoughts gain glory.
Sri Laghu-chandrika-bhashya
(7) tomāra sevāya … labhuka prabhāva: “May all of my actions and thoughts gain glory.” In his Prema-bhakti-chandrika (2.10), Srila Narottam Thakur describes how one can engage lust, anger, greed, and so forth, in devotional service:
‘kāma’ kṛṣṇa-karmārpaṇe, ‘krodha’ bhakta-dveṣi-jane,
‘lobha’ sādhu-saṅge hari-kathā
‘moha’ iṣṭa-lābha-vine, ‘mada’ kṛṣṇa-guṇa-gāne,
niyūkta kariba yathā tathā
“I will engage my selfish desires by offering my actions to Krishna; I will direct my anger towards those inimical to the devotees; I will engage my greed in hearing and discussing the Lord in the association of sadhus; I will become bewildered if I am unable to obtain my beloved master; and I will madly chant the glories of Krishna in an intoxicated mood. In this way, I will befittingly engage my enemies in the Lord’s service.”
tuyā bhakta-anukūla yāhā yāhā kari
tuyā bhakti-anukūla bali’ tāhā dhari [8]
tuyā–Your; bhakta–to the devotee; anukūla (bhaktera anukūlatā bhagavānera ānukūlyera‑i samāna)–favourable (that which is favourable to devotees is as good as that which is favourable to the Lord); yāhā yāhā–whatever; kari–I do; tuyā–Your; bhakti–devotion; anukūla–favourable; bali’–considering; tāhā–that; dhari–I hold. [8]
(8) Whatever I do that is favourable to Your devotees, I consider to be favourable to devotion to You.
bhakati-vinoda nāhi jāne dharmādharma
bhakti-anukūla tāra ha‑u saba karma [9]
bhakati-vinoda–Bhakti Vinod; nāhi–not; jāne–knows; dharma–piety; adharma–and impiety; bhakti–to devotion; anukūla–favourable; tāra–of him; ha‑u–may be; saba–all; karma–actions. [9]
(9) Bhakti Vinod knows neither religion nor irreligion. May all his actions be favourable to devotion.