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Reject the Unfavourable!

Continuing our present­a­tion of the upcom­ing release Sharanagati, in this song Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur describes the surrendered soul’s deep resolve to reject everything unfavourable to devotion.

Sharanagati

Song Twenty-Seven

tuyā bhakti-pratikūla dharma yāte raya
parama yatane tāhā tyajiba niśchaya
[1]

tuyā–Your; bhakti–devotion; pratikūla–unfavourable; dharma–nature; yāte–in which; raya–exists; parama–great; yatane–with care; tāhā–that; tyajiba–I will abandon; niśchaya–certainly. [1]

(1) I will certainly abandon with great care everything that is unfavourable for devotion to You.

tuyā bhakti-bahirmukha saṅga nā kariba
gaurāṅga-virodhi-jana-mukha nā heriba
[2]

tuyā–Your; bhakti–devotion; bahirmukha (kṛṣṇa-vimukha janera)–of persons averse (to Kṛṣṇa); saṅga–association; nā–not; kariba–I will do; gaurāṅga–Śrīman Mahāprabhu; virodhi–adverse to; jana–persons; mukha–faces; nā–not; heriba–I will see. [2]

(2) I will not associate with those who are averse to devotion to You. I will not even look at the faces of those who are inimical to Sri Gauranga

Sri Laghu-chandrika-bhashya:

(2) bahirmukha saṅga: “Association with those who are averse.” This refers to the association of those who are averse to Krishna. The extreme to which such association should be abhorred is described in the Katyayana-samhita:

varaṁ hutavaha-jvālā pañjarāntar-vyavasthitiḥ
na śauri-chintā-vimukha-jana-samvāsa-vaiśasam

It is better to endure the pain of being locked in a cage surrounded by blazing fire than keep the distressing association of persons averse to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”

gaurāṅga-virodhi: “Persons inimical to Sri Gauranga.” In his Sri Chaitanya-chandramrita (58), Sri Prabodhananda Saraswati writes:

vāso me varam astu ghora-dahana-jvālāvalī-pañjare
śrī-chaitanya-padāravinda-vimukhair mā kutrachit saṅgamaḥ

Let me remain within a cage of blazing fire, but never in the association of persons averse to the lotus feet of Sri Chaitanya.”

bhakti-pratikūla sthāne nā kari vasati
bhaktira apriya kārye nāhi kari rati
[3]

bhakti–towards devotion; pratikūla–unfavourable; sthāne–in a place; nā–not; kari–I do; vasati–residence; bhaktira–of devotion; apriya–not dear; kārye–in activities; nāhi–not; kari–I do; rati–attachment. [3]

(3) I will not reside in a place that is unfavourable to devotion. I will not have affection for any activities that are unfavourable to devotion.

bhaktira virodhī grantha pāṭha nā kariba
bhaktira virodhī vyākhyā kabhu nā śuniba
[4]

bhaktira–of devotion; virodhī–adverse to; grantha–literature; pāṭha–read; nā–not; kariba–I will do; bhaktira–of devotion; virodhī–adverse to; vyākhyā–explanations; kabhu–ever; nā–not; śuniba–I will listen. [4]

(4) I will not read any literature that is opposed to devotion. I will never listen to any discourses that are opposed to devotion.

(4) bhaktira virodhī grantha: “Literature that is opposed to devotion.” Once, when Sriman Mahaprabhu was describing His day of study to Mother Shachi Devi, He quoted the following verse from Sri Mahabharata about worldly literature:

yasmin śāstre purāṇe vā hari-bhaktir na dṛṣyate
śrotavyaṁ naiva tach chhāstraṁ yadi brahmā svayaṁ vadet

One should never hear a scripture that does not describe devotion to Hari, even if it is recited by Brahma himself (the original narrator of vedic knowledge).”

gaurāṅga-varjita sthāna tīrtha nāhi māni
bhaktira bādhaka jñāna-karma tuchchha jāni
[5]

gaurāṅga–Śrīman Mahāprabhu; varjita–bereft of; sthāna–place; tīrtha–holy place; nāhi–not; māni–I consider; bhaktira–of devotion; bādhaka–obstructing; jñāna–knowledge; karma–action; tuchchha–contemptible; jāni–I think. [5]

(5) I will not consider any place bereft of Sri Gauranga to be a holy place. I will consider all knowledge and activity that obstruct devotion to be contemptible.

(5) bhaktira bādhaka jñāna-karma tuchchha jāni: “I will consider all knowledge and activity that obstruct devotion to be contemptible.” In Srimad Bhagavatam (1.5.12), Devarshi Narad instructs Vyasadev:

naiṣkarmyam apy achyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ
na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam
kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare
na chārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam

Even pure knowledge (jnan) free from all worldly entanglement is never beautiful if it is devoid of devotion to Achyuta. How, then, can action (karma), which is always miserable, ever be beautiful if it is not offered to Him, even if it is selflessly performed?”

bhaktira bādhaka kāle nā kari ādara
bhakti-bahirmukha nija jane jāni para
[6]

bhaktira–of devotion; bādhaka–encumbering; kāle–of times, occasions; nā–not; kari–I do; ādara–fondness; bhakti–devotion; bahir–outward; mukha–facing; nija–own; jane–persons; jāni–I know; para–strangers. [6]

(6) I will have no fondness for times that are encumbering to devotion. I will consider all my relatives who are averse to devotion to be strangers.

bhaktira bādhika spṛhā kariba varjana
abhakta-pradatta anna nā kari grahaṇa
[7]

bhaktira–of devotion; bādhika–opposing; spṛhā–desires; kariba–I will do; varjana–rejection; abhakta–non-devotees; pradatta–given; anna–food; nā–not; kari–I do; grahaṇa–acceptance. [7]

(7) I will abandon all desires that hinder devotion. I will not accept any food presented to me by non-devotees.

yāhā kichhu bhakti-pratikūla bali’ jāni
tyajiba yatane tāhā e niśchaya vāṇī
[8]

yāhā–which; kichhu–something; bhakti–to devotion; pratikūla–unfavourable; bali’–considering; jāni–I know; tyajiba–I will reject; yatane–with care; tāhā–that; e–this; niśchaya–certainly; vāṇī–word. [8]

(8) I will carefully abandon whatever I know to be unfavourable to devotion. This is my resolute vow.

bhakati-vinoda paḍi’ prabhura charaṇe
māgaye śakati prātikūlyera varjane
[9]

bhakati-vinoda–Bhakti Vinod; paḍi’–falling; prabhura–of the Lord; charaṇe–at the feet; māgaye–begs; śakati–power; prātikūlyera–of what is unfavourable; varjane–to reject. [9]

(9) Falling at the feet of the Lord, Bhakti Vinod prays for the ability to abandon everything unfavourable to devotion.

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