Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswatī Ṭhākur’s commentary on the tenth verse of Śrī Upadeśāmṛta.
The following is a translation of Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswatī Ṭhākur’s poetic Bengali translation, Bhāṣā, and Bengali prose commentary, Anuvṛtti, 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 Vinod Ṭhākur’s Pīyūṣa-varṣiṇī-vṛtti, 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.”
—Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj,
Affectionate Guidance
Śrī Upadeśāmṛta Verse Ten
কর্ম্মিভ্যঃ পরিতো হরেঃ প্রিয়তমা ব্যক্তিং যযুর্জ্ঞানিন-
স্তেভ্যো জ্ঞানবিমুক্ত‑ভক্তিপরমাঃ প্রেমৈকনিষ্ঠাস্ততঃ ।
তেভ্যস্তাঃ পশুপালপঙ্কজদৃশস্তাভ্যোঽপি রাধিকা
প্রেষ্ঠা তদ্বদিয়ং তদীয়-সরসী তাং নাশ্রয়েৎ কঃ কৃতী ॥১০॥
karmibhyaḥ parito hareḥ priyatayā vyaktiṁ yayur jñāninas
tebhyo jñāna-vimukta-bhakti-paramāḥ premaika-niṣṭhās tataḥ
tebhyas tāḥ paśu-pāla-paṅkaja-dṛśas tābhyo ’pi sā rādhikā
preṣṭhā tadvad iyaṁ tadīya-sarasī tāṁ nāśrayet kaḥ kṛtī [10]
jñāninaḥ–Knowers [of impersonal Brahma] vyaktim yayuḥ–are known [to be] priyatayā–more dear, paritaḥ–in all respects, hareḥ–to the Lord karmibhyaḥ–than performers [of material activities]. [More dear] tebhyaḥ–than them [are] bhakti-paramāḥ–devotees vimukta–completely free jñāna–from knowledge [of Brahma]. [More dear] tataḥ–than them [are] niṣṭhāḥ–those who are fixed eka–exclusively prema–in divine love. [More dear] tebhyaḥ–than them [are] paṅkaja-dṛśaḥ–the lotus-eyed tāḥ paśu-pāla–cowherd women, [and more dear] tābhyaḥ api–than even them [is] sā rādhikā–Rādhikā. iyam–This sarasī–pond tadīya–of Hers [is] tadvad–similarly preṣṭhā–dear [to the Lord]. kaḥ kṛtī–What fortunate soul na āśrayet–would not take shelter tām–of it? [10]
More dear to Kṛṣṇa, in all respects, than performers of pious deeds are knowers of Brahma, more dear than them are devotees completely free from knowledge of Brahma, more dear than them are devotees fixed exclusively in divine love, more dear than them are the gopīs, and more dear than them is Śrī Rādhikā. Her pond is similarly dear to Kṛṣṇa. What fortunate soul would not take shelter there?
Bhāṣā
সত্ত্বগুণট অধিষ্ঠিত পুণ্যবান্ কর্ম্মী ।
হরিপ্রিয়-জন বলি’ গায় সব ধর্ম্মী ॥১॥
sattva-guṇe adhiṣṭhita puṇyavān karmī
hari-priya-jana bali’ gāya saba dharmī [1]
saba–All dharmī–followers of dharma bali’ gāya–proclaim [that] puṇyavān–pious karmī–performers [of rites] adhiṣṭhita–situated guṇe–in the mode sattva–of goodness [are] jana–persons priya–dear hari–to the Lord. [1]
All followers of dharma proclaim that pious karmīs situated in the mode of goodness are dear to the Lord.
কর্ম্মী হইতে জ্ঞানী হরিপ্রিয়তর জন ।
সুখভোগ‑বুদ্ধি জ্ঞানী না করে গণন ॥২॥
karmī ha-ite jñānī hari-priya-tara jana
sukha-bhoga-buddhi nā kare gaṇana [2]
jñānī–Knowers [of Brahma are] jana–persons tara–more priya–dear hari–to the Lord ha-ite–than karmī–performers of rites; gaṇana kare nā–they have no regard buddhi–for the mentality [of seeking] sukha–pleasure [and] bhoga–enjoyment. [2]
Jñānīs are more dear to the Lord than karmīs, as they have no regard for the mentality of seeking pleasure and enjoyment.
জ্ঞানমিশ্র ভাব ছাড়ি’ মুক্ত জ্ঞানী জন ।
পরাভক্তি সমাশ্রয়ে হরিপ্রিয় হন ॥৩॥
jñāna-miśra bhāva chhāḍi’ mukta-jñānī jana
parā-bhakti samāśraye hari-priya hana [3]
mukta–Liberated jñānī jana–knowers [of Brahma who] chhāḍi’–leave behind bhāva–devotion miśra–mixed jñāna–with knowledge [and] samāśraye–take full shelter [in] parā–transcendental bhakti–devotion hana–are [more] priya–dear hari–to the Lord. [3]
Liberated jñanīs who leave behind devotion mixed with jñān and take full shelter in transcendental devotion are more dear to the Lord.
ভক্তিমান্ জন হৈতে প্রেমনিষ্ঠ শ্রেষ্ঠ ।
প্রেমনিষ্ঠ হৈতে গোপী শ্রীহরির প্রেষ্ঠ ॥৪॥
bhaktimān jana haite prema-niṣṭha śreṣṭha
prema-niṣṭha haite gopī śrī-harira preṣṭha [4]
[Devotees] niṣṭha–fixed prema–in divine love [are] śreṣṭha–higher haite–than [all other] bhaktimān–devoted jana–persons, [and] gopī–the gopīs [are more] preṣṭha–dear śrī-harira–to the Lord haite–than [other devotees] niṣṭha–fixed prema–in divine love. [4]
Devotees who are fixed in divine love are higher than all other devotees, and the gopīs are more dear to the Lord than other devotees fixed in divine love.
গোপী হৈতে শ্রীরাধিকা কৃষ্ণ‑প্রিয়তমা ।
সে রাধাসরসী প্রিয় হয় তাঁর সমা ॥৫॥
gopī haite śrī-rādhikā kṛṣṇa-priya-tamā
se rādhā-sarasī priya haya tā̐ra samā [5]
śrī-rādhikā–Śrī Rādhikā [is] tamā–more priya–dear kṛṣṇa–to Kṛṣṇa haite–than [all the other] gopī–gopīs, [and] se–this sarasī–lake rādhā–of Rādhā’s haya–is priya–dear [to Kṛṣṇa and] samā–equal tā̐ra–to Her. [5]
Śrī Rādhikā is more dear to Kṛṣṇa than all the other gopīs, and Her kuṇḍa is equally dear to Him.
সে কুণ্ড‑আশ্রয় ছাড়ি’ কোন্ মৃঢ় জন ।
অন্যত্র বসিয়া চায় হরির সেবন ॥৬॥
se kuṇḍa āśraya chhāḍi’ kona mūḍha jana
anyatra vasiyā chāya harira sevana [6]
kona–What mūḍha–foolish jana–person [would] chhāḍi’–leave āśraya–the shelter [of] se–this kuṇḍa–lake [and] chāya–desire sevana–service harira–to the Lord vasiyā–residing anyatra–elsewhere? [6]
What fool would leave the shelter of this kuṇḍa and desire to serve the Lord residing elsewhere?
Anuvṛtti
Pious karmīs fixed in the mode of goodness are more dear to Kṛṣṇa than souls engrossed in whimsical behaviour. Jñānīs who have realised Brahma and given up the three modes are more dear to Kṛṣṇa than karmīs. Pure devotees are more dear to Kṛṣṇa than jñānīs. Devotees fixed in divine love are more dear to Kṛṣṇa than all other pure devotees. The beauties of Vraja are more dear to Kṛṣṇa than other devotees fixed in divine love, and Śrīmatī Vārṣabhānavī is more dear to Kṛṣṇa than all the other beauties of Vraja. As Śrīmatī Rādhikā is Kṛṣṇa’s favourite, so Her kuṇḍa is also most dear to Kṛṣṇa. The most fortunate of all devotees of Kṛṣṇa will take shelter exclusively at Śrī Rādhā Kuṇḍa.
Reference
Read Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswatī Ṭhākur’s commentary on Śrī Upadeśāmṛta: verses one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine.