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Loving Association

Śrīla Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur’s commentary on the fourth 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 Four

dadāti pratigṛhṇāti guhyam ākhyāti pṛchchhati
bhuṅkte bhojayate chaiva ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ prīti-lakṣaṇam [4]

dadāti–Giving, pratigṛhṇāti–accepting, guhyam ākhyāti–speaking confidentially, pṛchchhati–asking, bhuṅkte–eating, cha–and bhojayate–feeding— [these are] eva–certainly ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ–the six types prīti-lakṣaṇam–of characteristics of love.

Giving and accepting gifts, discussing and enquiring about confidential matters, and giving and partaking of foods are the six forms of loving association.”

Bhāṣā

asat-saṅga tyāji’ sādhu-saṅga kara bhāi
prītira lakṣaṇa chhaya vichāri’ sadāi [1]

Brother, give up bad association and associate with the sādhus, always observing the six exchanges of love.

dāna-graha sva-sva-guhya jijñāsā varṇana
bhuñjana bhojana-dāna saṅgera lakṣaṇa [2]

(1–2) Giving and accepting gifts, (3–4) asking about and describing confidential matters, and (5–6) eating and distributing food are the characteristics of such association.

Pīyūṣa-varṣiṇī-vṛtti

Association with non-devotees is unfavourable to devotion and should therefore be rejected. The association of pure devotees, which purifies the effects of association with non-devotees, is necessary for persons engaged in devotional practice. Love, in the form of association with sādhus that is nourishing to devotion, is prescribed in this fourth verse. Lovingly offering devotees things that are necessary for devotees, accepting things given by devotees, speaking about confidential matters with devotees, asking devotees about confidential matters, eating food given by devotees, and feeding devotees—these are the six characteristics of real love. Through them, one should serve the sādhus.

Reference

Read Śrīla Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur’s commentary on Śrī Upadeśāmṛta: verses onetwo, and three.

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