Continuing our presentation of the recent release Sharanagati, in this song Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur describes how a surrendered soul sees purity within impurity, the absolute within the relative.
Sharanagati
Song Thirty-nine
hari he!
nīra-dharma-gata, jāhnavī-salile,
paṅka-phena dṛṣṭa haya
tathāpi kakhana, brahma-drava-dharma,
se salila nā chāḍaya [1]
hari–Lord; he!–oh!; nīra–of water; dharma–the nature; gata–as; jāhnavī–the Ganges; salile–in the waters; paṅka–mud; phena–foam; dṛṣṭa–seen; haya–are; tathāpi–still; kakhana–at any time; brahma (chinmaya)–spiritual; drava (tāralya)–fluid (liquid state); dharma–nature; se–that; salila–water; nā–not; chāḍaya–gives up. [1]
(1) O Lord! Mud and foam are seen in the water of the Ganges; they naturally appear within river water. Nevertheless, the water of the Ganges never loses its spiritual nature.
vaiṣṇava-śarīra, aprākṛta sadā
svabhāva-vapura dharme
kabhu nāhe jaḍa, tathāpi ye ninde
paḍe se viṣamādharme [2]
vaiṣṇava–of a devotee; śarīra–the body; aprākṛta (prakṛtira niyamera atīta)–supramundane (beyond the laws of material nature); sadā–always; svabhāva (nīcha-kula āvirbhāva, karkaśatā, vā ālasyādi svābhāvika doṣa)–of the inborn nature (faults within their inborn nature, such as appearance within a low section of society, roughness [harshness or crassness], laziness, and so forth); vapura (kadarya-varṇa, kugaṭhana, pīḍā-jarādi-janita kudarśana prabhṛti śarīra-gata doṣa)–of the body (faults within their body, such as an unpleasant complexion, a deformed figure, disease, unsightliness as a result of age, and so forth); dharme–in the nature; kabhu–at any time; nāhe–is not; jaḍa–material; tathāpi–still; ye–who; ninde–blasphemes; paḍe–falls; se–they; viṣama (gurutara)–terrible (extremely heavy); adharme–into irreligion. [2]
(2) Similarly, the body of a devotee is always supramundane. Although one may see faults within the inborn nature or body of a devotee, a devotee is never mundane. One who nonetheless criticises a devotee commits a terrible sin.
sei aparādhe, yamera yātanā,
pāya jīva avirata
he nanda-nandana! sei aparādhe,
yena nāhi ha‑i hata [3]
sei–this; aparādhe–as a result of offence; yamera–of Yamarāj, the lord of punishment; yātanā–tortures; pāya–attaining; jīva–the soul; avirata–incessantly; he–oh; nanda–of Nanda Mahārāj; nandana!–darling son!; sei–that; aparādhe–by offence; yena–so that; nāhi–not; ha‑i–I become; hata–destroyed. [3]
(3) For such an offence, the soul is incessantly subjected to the tortures of Yamaraj. O Nanda Nandan! May I never be ruined by committing such an offence.
tomāra vaiṣṇava, vaibhava tomāra,
āmāre karuṇa dayā
tabe mora gati, habe tava prati,
pā’ba tava pada-chhāyā [4]
tomāra–Your; vaiṣṇava–devotee; vaibhava–wealth, glory; tomāra–Your; āmāre–to me; karuṇa–may they do; dayā–mercy; tabe–then; mora–my; gati–movement; habe–will be; tava–Your; prati–towards; pā’ba–I will obtain; tava–Your; pada–of the feet; chhāyā–the shade. [4]
(4) Your devotees are Your wealth. May they bestow mercy upon me; then my destiny will lead me towards You, and I will attain the shade of Your feet.
(1–4) This song is based on the sixth verse of Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu’s Sri Upadeshamrita:
dṛṣṭaiḥ svabhāva-janitair vapuṣaś cha doṣair
na prākṛtatvam iha bhakta-janasya paśyet
gaṅgāmbhasāṁ na khalu budbuda-phena-paṅkair
brahma-dravatvam apagachchhati nīra-dharmaiḥ
“One should not consider devotees in this world mundane despite the presence of visible faults within their inborn nature and body. The water of the Ganges never loses its spiritual nature despite the fact that it exhibits bubbles, foam, and mud, which naturally appear within river water.”