Anudhitā: A Translation of a Passage from the Nama Ghosa

anudhitā
harira gṛhara dbāre, betrara prahāra yogya
brahmā indra ādi dewajāka
henaẏa dbārata betra-, prahāra pāibāra yogya
haño āmi kamana barāka . 104

Anudhitā[i]
At the door of the temple of Hari, fit for the blow of the cane;
Brahma, Indra and all the other controlling entities;
at the threshold of such a door, deserving to obtain the blow of cane;
in what way can we insignificant ones be? 104

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[i] The meaning of this title is unclear at the present time. Therefore, I have chosen to leave it untranslated for the time being. It could mean ‘unquoted’ or ‘not cited.’

The Taking of Name (nāma): A Translation of a Passage from the Nama Ghosa

The Taking of Name (nāma)

‘The Remover of the Jiva’s Fallen State’ (Acyuta), ‘The Stringer of the Trinity’ (Kesava), ‘The Cosmic Soul’ (Visnu), ‘The Remover of All Miseries’ (Hari), ‘The Supremely Conscious Personality’ (Satya), ‘The Oppressor of Nescience’ (Janardana),
‘The Swan’ (Hamsa), ‘The Shelter of All Beings’ (Narayana)—these names eight;
of the form of supreme auspiciousness; the one who  takes these day and night—
all the desires of his mind are fulfilled. 105

The Essence of Supreme Knowledge (paramārtha sāra): A Translation of a Passage from the Nama Ghosa

The Essence of Supreme Knowledge (paramārtha sāra)

They recollect the name ‘Madhava,’ ‘Madhava,’ in speech;
they recollect ‘Madhava,’ ‘Madhava’ in heart;
without interval, all the saintly ones, the name ‘Madhava,’ ‘Madhava;’
they utter in all the works. 106

Of the form of supreme auspiciousness, the name ‘Madhava,’ ‘Madhava;’
the great one who utters;
his fear of samsara—of the form of inauspiciousness—is removed;
He reaches close to Madhava. 107

Destroyer of nightmares is this ‘Madhava,’ ‘Madhava’ name;
the annihilator of the fear of evil planets .
Of the form of supreme wealth is Madhava’s name;
knowing, please do its uttering at all times. 108

Only Madhava is our own beloved self; Madhava only is our friend, our preceptor;
only Madhava is the supreme controlling entity.
He only is our master, the Supreme Lord—knowing, do pure devotion to Madhava.
This only is man’s own duty. 109

He only is supremely clever; only he, of extremely skilful intellect;
the one that sings Madhava’s qualities.
Trading the false human body for liberation,
he obtains Madhava, crossing the ocean of material existence. 110

The man who, doing exclusive adoration to Madhava regularly,
roams, singing the qualities of Madhava;
like the one drinking the rare nectar,
that one also has no other sweet drink to drink. 111

Worship, mate, Madhava; recollect, mate, Madhava;
sing, mate, Madhava’s qualities.
Do not think your own ruination; happily save yourself.
Become, mate, supremely skilful and clever. 112

The Embodied Personality (Jiva) Does Not Merge Into God on Liberation

Contrary to what many might believe, the embodied personality known in Vedantic thought as the jiva, does not, on liberation, merge into God (Isvara). This false notion of the jiva ‘merging’ or ‘dissolving’ into Isvara is the result of a horrible misinterpretation. ‘Metaphor gone haywire’ is perhaps the best way to put it.

In reality, the jiva, now known after salvation as pure personality (purusa), continues to maintain its separate existence, but as a devotee of God. The purusa is eternally a servant of God; it does not become God. Indeed, such an idea would be anathema to the bhaktic circle of the Bhagavata Purana—a text which is regarded by Sankaradeva and Madhavadeva as the very essence of Vedanta.

Instead, by the jiva (or purusa) merging into Isvara, what is really meant is this: the pure personality which had, due to envelopment by the ignorance (avidya) of primal matter (maya), fallen into a matter-like existence, by taking sole-refuge (eka sarana) in the Lord and doing pure devotion (bhakti) to Him, becomes purified (suddha), and, on death, returns finally to the spiritual abode of the Lord. He returns to God, as it were. Otherwise, after death, the unenlightened pure personality would return once again to matter. This only is the eschatological implication.

There is a conceptual model associated with the process of material evolution outlined in the theistic samkhya of the Bhagavata, which one must be acquainted with, in order to make sense of what is being said here. In this conceptual model, the effect (karya) resides in the cause (karana). The entire creation evolves as a result of an initial actuation of a primal material substance known as prakrti (also anthropomorphized in the Puranic world as ‘Laksmi’) by the Lord. All the evolutes of the material creation emanate from prakrti. This is a very exciting process.  

To explain it in simple terms, there is a causal chain, with one evolute being the effect (karya) of the evolute (‘evolutand’) immediately preceding it which is its cause (karana). The evolutes reside within the evolutands; by the action of an agent such as time, they (the evolutes) emerge from their causes. This is material evolution (parinama), pure and simple. And the pure personalities (purusas), though they themselves are immutable (avikari) and not subject to evolution, find themselves embedded into the creation—both the macrocosm as well as the microcosm.

Now, at the time of dissolution (pralaya) of the cosmos, a reverse process takes place. Some writers have termed it as ‘involution.’ All the products or evolutes merge back into their respective evolutands. The effects merge back into their parent-causes and the entire causal chain rolls back. Finally, the primary causal substance (prakrti) itself rolls back into the Lord. Here comes the metaphor! Isvara, unlike prakrti, is wholly a spiritual personality, not dead matter. Therefore, the Lord Himself can never be a cause (karana) in the manner of the material evolutands mentioned in the preceding lines, into which the primal matter could literally merge back. Thus, this description is merely conceptual or metaphorical. Prakrti, rolls back, as it were, into the supreme cause (parama karana), Narayana. In reality, it goes back to its state of unactuated equilibrium. This is the conceptual model.

Now, coming to the jivas, at the time of the dissolution (which can also be taken to mean the dissolution of the individual body), the unredeemed, matter-like jivas all merge back into prakrti. They remain embedded in a subtle state in prakrti. Considering, in the light of our conceptual model, how close prakrti is to Isvara in this hierarchy of material evolution, can we not say that, at the time of pralaya, the jivas also remain very close to the Lord? Embedded into prakrti—which, in turn, is embedded, as it were, into the Lord, its karana—they are just a single rung away from ‘entering’ into the Lord. They are merged into prakrti, yet not merged into the Lord. So near and yet so far!

But, when the embodied personality takes sole-refuge in the Lord and does pure devotion to Him, he is purified; his consciousness is purified. After death, the limitations (upadhis) of matter or prakrti cleave onto him no more. From the point of view of our conceptual model, we say: he does not enter prakrti again; he has entered directly into the Lord! He has merged into the Lord and not into prakrti!

In reality, as in the case of prakrti, the purusas also do not literally enter into the Lord. They are not literally present within the Lord.

To summarize: the pure personality (purusa) does not literally enter or merge into God on salvation or supreme liberation. They only become pure (suddha)—free from ignorance (avidya); and maintain their (separate) existence as pure spiritual personalities, as the eternal pure devotees of the Lord; in His spiritual abode. They come out of the process of material evolution. When we talk of their merging back into the Lord, it is only as a metaphor, in the context of a certain conceptual model of cause and effect.

  

  

The Determination of Essence (sāranirṇaẏa): A Translation of a Passage from the Nama Ghosa

The Determination of Essence (sāranirṇaẏa)

The man who shows readiness to listen to the qualities and attributes
of the Supreme Lord of All Opulence;
from that point onwards, know with absolute certainty,
that one has become extremely pure and free from envy and malice. 113

“Only Lord Krsna, certainly, is the supreme controlling entity, the only object of worship;
my own deliverance lies in His name”—
such resolution (niscaya), the one who has done staunchly,
he and only he is of supremely good conduct. 114

The outcaste (candala) that takes, even in ignorance,
the name of Krsna, the chief controlling entity of the entire creation;
so pure does that one become, he becomes eligible to be called to the site of the sacrifice,
and to be appointed as its officiating person. 115

The words ‘Rama,’ ’Rama,’ ‘Rama,’ of the form of supreme welfare,
in whose mouth these are manifested;
even the one that has become pure, doing great pilgrimage forever,
cannot equal, ever, such a person. 116

Residence of the entire creation is Krsna; His indestructible place—
if you have wish for it in mind,
take then, for all time, sole-refuge,
in the lotus-feet of the Lord of All Opulence. 117

In the supremely pure religion (dharma)—the singing of the names of Hari—
all creatures have the right.
For this reason only, Hari’s name is the king of all religions—
this only is the essential verdict of the scriptures. 118

In the case of all dharmas based on caste (varna) and stage of life (asrama), who is having what injunctions (vidhi),
only that one is having exclusive right.
In the singing of Hari’s names, there is no rule (niyama) whatsoever.
Therefore it is the best among all religions. 119

The Determination of Duty (harabāra): A Translation of a Passage from the Nama Ghosa

harabāra

adhame kewale doṣa lawaẏa madhyame guṇa-

doṣa lawe kariẏā bicāra .

uttame kewale guṇa lawaẏa uttamottame

alpa guṇa karaẏa bistāra ..120..

doṣara sāgara kali tāko parīkṣita rājā

guṇa dekhi karilā rakṣaṇa .

mahāpāpī antyajāti taraẏa kalita sukhe

mukhe kari harira kīrttana ..121..

abidyājanita sukha satyaloka ādi kari

āta nirapekṣa nirantara .

kewale cidaṃśa śuddhi karaṇese mātra jānā

puruṣārtha mumukṣujanara ..122..

bidyā-abidyā janya sukhe nirapekṣa huẏā

karila āpuna mana thira .

sakala jagata iṭo bāsudewmaẏa mātra

puruṣārtha jānibā jñānīra ..123..

samaste sukhaka teji puruṣottamara prema

bhakatika karila āśraẏa .

bhakatasawara ehi puruṣārtha manonīta

āno sukha adhika pāwaẏa ..124..

mumukṣujanara yewe abidyājanita sukhe

birakati bhaila ātiśaẏa .

kewale ātmāta mātra sadāẏa ramaṇa kare

tewe bidhikiṅkara gucaẏa ..125..

jñānaniṣṭhajane bidyā- abidyā janita duẏo

sukhe birakati bhaila yewe .

bāsudewamaẏa mātra dekhaẏa jagata iṭo

bidhira kiṅkara guce tewe ..126..

puruṣottamara prema bhakati sukhaka mātra

niścaẏa karilā yiṭojana .

śaraṇa kālareparā bidhira kiṅkara guci

kare sadā śrawaṇa kīrttana ..127..

bhārata ratnara dīpa manuṣya śarīra naukā

rāmanāma mahāratna sāra .

henaẏa bāṇija pāi yiṭo jīwa nataraẏa

tāta pare dukhī nāhi āra ..128..

The Determination of Duty (harabāra[i])

The worst one takes in only the bad qualities; the middle one takes in
both good as well as bad, but he does examination.
The best one takes in only the good qualities while he who is the best of the best,
he expands and magnifies, as it were, a little good quality. 120

Ocean of faults is kali but, even to him, the king Pariksita,
spotting his great quality, had offered protection.
Even the great sinners and the low-castes, happily secure deliverance in kali,
singing only the name of Hari in mouth. 121             

The happiness that is born of ignorance (avidya)—from the realm of the mind (satyaloka) downwards—
to be indifferent to this always;
Only the purification of the faculty of consciousness, know, is solely
the object of existence (purusartha) for the ones striving after emancipation (mumukṣu). 122

To make one’s mind steady, becoming neutral to happiness
arising from both ignorance (avidya) and knowledge (vidya);
to view this entire creation as Spirit and only Spirit
is the object of existence, know, for the monist (jnani). 123

Rejecting all forms of happiness, they take refuge
in the Supreme Personality’s love-filled devotion (prema bhakti);
this only is the chosen object of existence for all pure devotees (bhakta);
the happiness they obtain exceeds other kinds. 124

When, in the case of the striver after emancipation, towards the happiness born of ignorance,
extreme aversion has come about;
when, only in the self (atman), he remains absorbed at all times,
then, his servitude to the ordained Vedic duties (vidhi kinkara) is removed. 125

When, for the follower of the monistic path, towards both the happiness of
ignorance and knowledge, aversion has come about;
when he sees this entire world as filled with Vasudeva—the Spirit—only,
then, from that time onwards, his servitude to the ordained Vedic duties comes to an end. 126

For that one who has resolved solely on the happiness arising from
the nectar-filled devotion to the Supreme Personality,from that moment of sole-refuge (sarana) onwards, his servitude to the ordained Vedic duties is gone,
and, from then on, he does only sravana and kirttana—the singing and listening of the names and qualities of the Lord. 127

The space of ‘Bharata’ is, as it were, the island of precious stones; the body of man is the boat
and the Lord’s name is the gem, the great and the best.
Obtaining such a trade, the soul that fails to redeem himself,
there is no other person more unhappy than him. 128

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[i] The meaning of the term harabāra is not very clear. I have translated it as The Determination of Duty as that seems to be the primary focus of this section. It seems to be devoted to quashing, once and for all, doubts relating to the forsaking of the Vedic injunctions and duties by the ones taking eka sarana or sole-refuge in the Lord.