Continuing our presentation of the upcoming release Sharanagati, in this song Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur describes the vision and intentions behind a surrendered soul’s relationships and endeavours.
Sharangati
Song Twelve
‘āmāra’ balite prabhu! āra kichhu nāi
tumi‑i āmāra mātra pitā-bandhu-bhāi [1]
‘āmāra’–‘mine’; balite–to consider; prabhu!–O Lord!; āra–another; kichhu–something; nāi–is not; tumi‑i–You alone; āmāra–my; mātra–only; pitā–father; bandhu–friend; bhāi–brother. [1]
(1) O Lord! Nothing else is to be considered ‘mine’. You alone are my father, my friend, and my brother.
Sri Laghu-chandrika-bhashya
(1) pitā-bandhu-bhāi: “You alone are my father, my friend, and my brother.” In Srimad Bhagavad-gita (11.44), Arjun prays to Krishna similarly:
tasmāt praṇamya praṇidhāya kāyaṁ
prasādaye tvām aham īśam īḍyam
piteva putrasya sakheva sakhyuḥ
priyaḥ priyāyārhasi deva soḍhum
“Offering my prostrate obeisance unto You, I pray for Your mercy, O worshippable Lord! As a father, friend, or lover forgives their son, dear companion, or beloved, please mercifully forgive my offences.”
bandhu, dārā, suta, sutā, tava dāsī, dāsa
sei ta’ sambandhe sabe āmāra prayāsa [2]
bandhu–friends; dārā–wife; suta–sons; sutā–daughters; tava–Your; dāsī–maidservants; dāsa–servants; sei–that; ta’–certainly; sambandhe–in relationship; sabe–with all; āmāra–my; prayāsa–endeavours. [2]
(2) My friends, wife, sons, and daughters are all Your servants and maidservants. All my endeavours are based on that relationship.
dhana, jana, gṛha, dvāra, ‘tomāra’ baliyā
rakṣā kari āmi mātra sevaka ha-iyā [3]
dhana–wealth; jana–people; gṛha–household; dvāra–gateway; tomāra–Yours; baliyā–considering; rakṣā–protection; kari–do; āmi–I; matra–only; sevaka–servant; ha-iyā–being. [3]
(3) Considering my wealth, relatives, and household to be ‘Yours’, only as Your servant do I maintain them.
tomāra kāryera tare upārjiba dhana
tomāra saṁsāra-vyaya kariba vahana [4]
tomāra–Your; kāryera–of the duty; tare–for; upārjiba–I will earn; dhana–money; tomāra–Your; saṁsāra–of the household; vyaya–expenses; kariba–I will do; vahana–bearing. [4]
(4) In order to maintain what is Yours, I will earn money and bear the expenses of Your household.
(4) tomāra kāryera tare upārjiba dhana: “In order to maintain what is Yours, I will earn money.” This practice is described as an integral limb of devotion in Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu: tad arthe ’khila cheshtitam, “Performing all of one’s endeavours for the sake of Krishna.”
bhāla-manda nāhi jāni sevā-mātra kari
tomāra saṁsāre āmi viṣaya-praharī [5]
bhāla–good; manda–bad; nāhi–not; jāni–I know; sevā–service; mātra–only; kari–I do; tomāra–Your; saṁsāre–in the household; āmi–I; viṣaya–property; praharī–watchman. [5]
(5) I do not know what is good or what is bad; I only serve. I am simply a guardian of the property within Your household.
tomāra ichchhāya mora indriya-chālanā
śravaṇa, darśana, ghrāṇa, bhojana-vāsanā [6]
tomāra–Your; ichchhāya–by the desire; mora–my; indriya–of the senses;chālanā–direction; śravaṇa–hearing; darśana–seeing; ghrāṇa–smelling; bhojana–eating; vāsanā–desires. [6]
(6) I direct my senses—my desires for hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, and so forth—in accordance with Your will.
nija-sukha lāgi’ kichhu nāhi kari āra
bhakati-vinoda bale tava sukha sāra [7]
nija–own; sukha–happiness; lāgi’–for (the sake of); kichhu–something; nāhi–not; kari–I do; āra–more; bhakati-vinoda–Bhakti Vinod; bale–declares; tava–Your; sukha–happiness; sāra–the essence. [7]
(7) I no longer endeavour for my own happiness. Bhakti Vinod understands, “Your satisfaction is the essence.”