Śrīla Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur’s commentary on the first verse of Śrī Upadeśāmṛta.
The following is a translation of Śrīla Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur’s poetic Bengali translation, Bhāṣā, and Bengali prose commentary, Pīyūṣa-varṣiṇī-vṛtti, on Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī Prabhu’s Śrī Upadeśāmṛta.
These texts were published in Śrī Gauḍīya Darśan, in Volume 2, Issue 11, 10 June 1957, Volume 2, Issue 12, 12 July 1957, and Volume 3, Issue 1, 12 August 1957. In combination with Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswatī Ṭhākur’s Anuvṛtti, they were also published as a book from Śrī Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh by Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj in 1970.
“The Upadeśāmṛta of Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī is also extremely good for us; we published Upadeśāmṛta before.”
—Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj,
Affectionate Guidance
Śrī Upadeśāmṛta Verse One
vācho vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁ
jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam
etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ
sarvām apīmāṁ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt [1]
saḥ dhīraḥ–A sober soul yaḥ–who viṣaheta–can control etān–these vegān–urges— vācho-vegaṁ–the urge of speech, manasaḥ vegaṁ–the urge of the mind, krodha-vegaṁ–the urge of anger, jihvā-vegam–the urge of the tongue, udara–[the urge of] the belly, [and] upastha-vegam–the urge of the genitals— api śiṣyāt–can also conquer imāṁ–the sarvām–entire pṛthivīṁ–world.
“A sober soul who can control the urges of speech, the mind, anger, the tongue, the belly, and the genitals can conquer the entire world.”
Bhāṣā
guru-kṛpā-bale labhi’ sambandha-vijñāna
kṛti-jīva hayena bhajane yatnavān [1]
Attaining a proper conception of their relationship with the Lord by the mercy of Śrī Guru, fortunate souls take up the practice of devotion.
sei jīve śrī-rūpa-gosvāmī-mahodaya
upadeśāmṛte dhanya karena niśchaya [2]
Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī has certainly blessed such souls with his Upadeśāmṛta.
gṛhī gṛhī-tyāgī bhede dvi-prakāra jane
upadeśa bheda vichāribe vijña-gaṇe [3]
There are two types of practitioners—householders and renunciants, and the wise should deduce that there are different instructions for each of them.
gṛhī prati ei saba upadeśa haya
gṛha-tyāgī prati ihā parākāṣṭāmaya [4]
All these instructions are for householders, as these instructions are already fully manifest in renunciants.
vākya-vega mano-vega krodha-vega āra
jihva-vega udara-upastha-vega chhāra [5]
ei chhaya vega sahi kṛṣṇa-nāmāśraye
jagat śāsite pāre parājiyā bhaye [6]
One who tolerates the six base urges—the urges of speech, the mind, anger, the tongue, the belly, and the genitals—by taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa’s Name can conquer the world and overcome all fear.
kevala śaraṇāgati kṛṣṇa-bhaktimaya
bhakti pratikūla tyāga tāra aṅga haya [7]
Rejecting that which is unfavourable to devotion is a limb of exclusive surrender, which is filled with devotion to Kṛṣṇa.
chhaya vega sahi’ yukta-vairāgya āśraye
nāme aparādha-śūnya ha-ibe nirbhaye [8]
One who tolerates the six urges by practising proper renunciation will fearlessly become free from the offences to the Name.
Pīyūṣa-varṣiṇī-vṛtti
śrī-śrī-godrumachandrāya namaḥ
I offer my obeisance to the moon of Śrī Godrumadwīp.
yat kṛpā-sāgarodbhutam upadeśāmṛtaṁ bhuvi
śrī-rūpeṇa samānītaṁ gaurachandraṁ bhajāmi taṁ
natvā grantha-praṇetāraṁ ṭīkā-kāraṁ praṇamya cha
mayā virachyate vṛttiḥ pīyūṣa-pariveśanī
I serve Gaurachandra. The nectar of instruction (Upadeśāmṛta) was born from the ocean of His mercy and brought to the world by Śrī Rūpa. Offering my obeisance to the author of the text and the commentator, I write this commentary which showers that nectar (Pīyūṣa-varṣiṇī-vṛtti).
anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
(Śrī Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: Pūrva-vibhāga, 1.11)
[“Pure devotion is constant endeavour to please Kṛṣṇa that is free from ulterior motives and unobstructed by pious action and renunciation.”]
Devotional practice based on the acceptance of the favourable and rejection of the unfavourable that is prescribed in this verse is extremely necessary for devotees. Acceptance of the favourable and rejection of the unfavourable are not limbs of pure devotion itself, but are limbs of surrender, which gives one the qualification for devotion and is the primary characteristic of faith.
ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlya vivarjanam
rakṣiṣyatīti viśvāso goptṛtve varaṇaṁ tathā
ātma-nikṣepa kārpaṇye ṣaḍ-vidhā śaraṇāgatiḥ
(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 22.97)
[“Accepting the favourable, rejecting the unfavourable, confidence that Kṛṣṇa will grant His protection, embracing Kṛṣṇa’s guardianship, fully offering one’s self, and humility are the six limbs of surrender.”]
In this verse, rejection of the unfavourable is prescribed. One who can completely tolerate the urges of speech, the mind, anger, the tongue, the belly, and the genitals can conquer the entire world.
śokāmarṣādibhir bhāvair ākrāntaṁ yasya mānasam
kathaṁ tatra mukundasya sphūrtti-sambhāvanā bhavet
(Śrī Padma-purāṇa)
[“The Lord does not appear in the heart of one whose heart is disturbed by lamentation, anger, and other disorders.”]
Lust, anger, greed, bewilderment, pride, and envy—it is known through the purport of this verse that these disturbances always arise in the human mind and engross it in mundanity through the urge of speech—using words that disturb others; the urge of the mind—various desires; the urge of anger—using harsh words; the urge of the tongue—craving the six different tastes, namely sweet, sour, astringent, salty, pungent, and bitter; the urge of the belly—excessive eating; and the urge of the genitals—craving male-female union. As a result, no pure practice of devotion takes place within the heart. The Āchārya of devotion, Śrīmad Rūpa Goswāmī, started first of all with this verse to make the heart of one engaged in service fit for devotion. Trying to check these six urges is not itself devotional practice. Rather, it is the practice of becoming fit to enter the temple of devotion. There are instructions for checking these six urges within the practice of pious action (karma) and the practice of renunciation (jñān), but such methods should not be followed by devotees. Hearing about Kṛṣṇa’s Name, Form, Pastimes, and so forth, chanting about them, and remembering them is [the practice of] devotion itself.
During devotional activities, these six urges arise and disturb the practice of immature practitioners. At that time, during their endeavour to give up the ten offences to the Name through unconditional surrender, a devotee becomes capable of avoiding these obstructions by the mercy of the Name and the power of pure devotees’ association.
śrutvāpi nāma-māhātmyaṁ yaḥ prīti-rahito ’dhamaḥ
ahaṁ-mamāti-paramo nāmni so ’py aparādha-kṛt
(Śrī Padma-purāṇa)
[“One who, even after hearing the glories of the Name, has no love for the Name and remains degraded and engrossed in “I” and “mine” is an offender to the Name.”]
Devotees practise proper renunciation; they should not practise dry renunciation. Thus, there is no prescription for them to give up all contact with material affairs. As soon as the urge of the mind—thirst for the mundane—goes away, the urges of the eyes, nose, and ears become controlled. Therefore, one who conquers the six urges and adheres to the soul conquers the world. This instruction to tolerate these urges is only for householder devotees, as renunciants have already completely given up all these urges before leaving their homes.