Sri Sanatkumara-samhita
Text 1
ekadä yamunä-tére
samäsénaà jagad-gurum
näradaù praëipatyäha
deva-devaà sadäçivam
ekadä—one day;
yamunä-tére—on the Yamunä's shore;
samäsénam—sitting; jagad-gurum—the master of the universe;
näradaù—Närada; praëipatya—bowing down; äha—said; deva-devam—to
the master of the
demigods; sadäçivam—Lord Sadäçiva.
One day, bowing before Lord Lord Sadäçiva,
the master
of both the demigods and
the universe, who sat by the Yamunä's shore,
Çré Närada said:
Text 2
çré-närada uväca
deva-deva mahä-deva
sarva-jïa jagad-éçvara
bhagavad-dharma-tattva-jïa
kåñëa-mantra-vidäà vara
çré-närada uväca—Çré Närada
said; deva-deva—O master of the
demigods; mahä-deva—O great Lord; sarva-jïa—O all-knowing
one; jagad-éçvara—O master of the universe; bhagavad-dharma-
tattva-jïa—wise in the truth of understanding the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; kåñëa-mantra—of the mantras of Lord
Kåñëa;
vidäm—of
they who know; vara—O best.
Çré Närada said: O master of the demigods,
O great Lord, O
all-knowing one, O master
of the universe, O sage wise in the
science of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, O best of they
who know the mantras
glorifying Lord Kåñëa, . . .
Text 3
kåñëa-manträ mayä labdhä
saras-toye pituù pare
te sarve sädhitä yatnän
mantra-räjädyo mayä
kåñëa-manträù—
Kåñëa-mantras; mayä—by me; labdhä—obtained;
saras-toye—by the water's edge; pituù—of
the father; pare—others;
te—they; sarve—all; sädhitäù—attained; yatnät—by
effort; mantra-
räjädyaù—beginning
with the king of mantras; mayä—by me.
. . . from my father I carefully learned the
king of mantras and
many other Kåñëa-mantras
as we sat by the water.
Text 4
bahu-varña-sahasreñu
çäka-müla-phaläçinä
çuñka-parëämbu-väyv-ädi-
bhoginä
ca niräçinä
bahu-varña-sahasreñu—in
many thousands of years;
çäka—vegetables; müla—roots; phala—fruits; açinä—eating;
çuñka—dry; parëa—leaves; ambu—water; väyu—air; ädi—beginning
with; bhoginä—eating; ca—and; niräçinä—not eating.
At first I ate only wild vegetables,
roots, and fruits, then
I ate only dry leaves,
then I only drank water, then I only
breathed air, and finally
I neither ate, drank, nor breathed.
Text 5
stréëäà sandarçanäläpa-
varjinä bhümi-çäyinä
kämädi-sad-guëän jitvä
bahyendriyän niyamya ca
stréëäm—of women;
sandarçana—seeing; äläpa—and
talking;
varjinä—without; bhümi-çäyinä—resting on the ground; käma—lust;
ädi——beginning
with; ñaò—six; guëän—qualities; jitvä—defeating;
bahyendriyän—external senses; niyamya—controlling; ca—and.
I neither saw nor spoke to women. I slept
on the ground. I
conquered the six vices,
beginning with lust, and I controlled
the external senses.
Text 6
ananya-manasä nityaà
kåñëa-dhyäna-pareëa
ca
tri-käla-snäna-nirataù
çaucäcära-paräyaëaù
ananya—without anything else; manasä—with the mind;
nityam—always; kåñëa-dhyäna-pareëa—devoted to
meditating on Lord
Kåñëa; ca—and; tri-käla—three
times;
snäna—bathing; nirataù—engaged; çaucäcära-paräyaëaù—devoted to
cleanliness.
Without thinking of anything else, I
always meditated on Lord
Kåñëa. I bathed thrice
daily. I was pure in all I did.
Text 7
tri-kälam arcayed devaà
saìga-nyäsa-vidhänataù
nämäni kértayaàs tasya
tat-kathä-çravaëotsukaù
tri-kälam—three times; arcayet—one should worship; devam—the
Lord; saìga-nyäsa-vidhänataù—with nyasas; nämäni—names;
kértayan—chanting; tasya—of Him; tat-kathä-çravaëotsukaù—eager to
hear about Him.
Performing nyäsas, one should worship the
Lord thrice daily.
One should chant the
Lord's holy names and be eager to hear His
glories.
Text 8
tad-guëän bhävayan nityaà
japan
mantram ahar-niçam
mantrasyärthaà bhävayaàç ca
premäçru-pulakäïcitaù
tad-guëän—His qualities;
bhävayan—meditating; nityam—always;
japan—chanting; mantram—mantra; ahar-niçam—day and night;
mantrasya—of
the mantra; artham—the meaning;
bhävayan—meditating; ca—and; prema—love; açru—tears; pulakä
24citaù—hair
erect.
Day and night one should meditate on the
Lord's qualities
and chant mantras
glorifying Him. Thinking of the meaning of the
Lord's mantras, one should
shed tears of love. The hairs of one's
body should stand erect in
ecstasy.
Text 9
evam-ädi-guëir yukto
bahu-varña-çataà tataù
saàsädhya vaiñëavän manträn
nirvedaà
gatavän aham
evam-ädi-guëiù—with
qualities like these; yuktaù—endowed;
bahu-varña-çatam—for many hundreds of years;
tataù—then;
saàsädhya—attained; vaiñëavän—of Lord Viñëu; manträn—mantras;
nirvedam—renunciation; gatavän—attained; aham—I.
Worshiping the Lord in this way for many
hundreds of years,
I learned many
Viñëu-mantras. I gave up all attachment for the
material world.
Text 10
na puraçcaraëaiù kaçcid
vinäñöädaçabhir
manuù
kenäpi sädhitaù kväpi
mayä
dåñöo na bhü-tale
na—not;
puraçcaraëaiù—with purascarana;
kaçcit—someone;
vinä—without; añöädaçabhiù—with 18 syllables; manuù—mantra;
kenäpi—by
someone; sädhitaù—attained; kväpi—somewhere; mayä—by me;
dåñöaù—seen; na—not; bhü-tale—on the earth.
Someone somewhere may have attained the
eighteen-syllable
mantra without first
performing purçcaraëa, but I have not seen
that person anywhere in
the world.
Text 11
jéva-héno yathä dehaù
sarva-karmasu
na kñamaù
puraçcaraëa-héno hi
tathä
mantra-prakértitaù
jéva—life; hénaù—without; yathä—as; dehaù—a body; sarva-
karmasu—in
all activities; na—not; kñamaù—able;
puraçcaraëa—purascarana; hénaù—without; hi—indeed; tathä—so; mantra-
prakértitaù—chanting mantras.
As a lifeless body cannot act, so a person
who has not
performed puraçcaraëa
cannot chant mantras.
Text 12
vinä nyäsäà tathä mantro
japtaù
kalpa-çatair api
na bhavet phaladaù pürvaà
ity
uktaà me svayambhuvä
vinä—without;
nyäsäm—nyasa; tathä—so; mantraù—mantra;
japtaù—chanted; kalpa—kalpas; çataiù—hundreds; api—even; na—not;
bhavet—may
be; phaladaù—giving results; pürvam—before; iti—thus;
uktam—said; me—of me; svayambhuvä—by Brahmä.
Lord Brahmä told me that a mantra chanted
for hundreds of
kalpas will not bring the
proper result if not performed with the
proper nyäsas.
Text 13
kalau kila bhaviñyanti
naräù
päpa-paräyaëäù
sv-alpäyuñä ca manda-bhägyä
manda-prajïäù ku-medhasaù
kalau—in Kali-yugae; kila—indeed; bhaviñyanti—will be;
naräù—people; päpa-paräyaëäù—sinners; sv-
alpäyuñä—with
short lives; ca—and; manda-bhägyä—unfortunate;
manda-prajïäù—unintelligent; ku-medhasaù—fools;.
In
Kali-yuga the people will be sinful, short-lived,
unfortunate, slow, and unintelligent.
Text 14
sva-dharma-rahitä nityaà
hari-bhakti-vivarjitäù
açuddha-hådayäù kñudräù
kämädi-vaça-vartinaù
sva-dharma-rahitä—without
following their own duties;
nityam—always; hari-bhakti-vivarjitäù—without devotion
to Lord
Hari; açuddha-hådayäù—with impure hearts; kñudräù—foolish;
kämädi-vaça-vartinaù—controlled by lust and other vices.
The people will not follow the duties of
varëäçrama. They
will have no devotion for
Lord Hari. Their hearts will be dirty.
They will be foolish. They
will be slaves to lust and a host of
vices.
Text 15
putra-dära-rata nityaà
hari-bhakti-vivarjitäù
édåçäç ca kathaà sädhyäù
kåñëa-manträù su-durlabhäù
putra-dära-ratä—devoted to
wife and children;
nityam—always; hari-bhakti-vivarjitäù—without devotion
to Lord
Hari; édåçäù—like this; ca—and; katham—how; sädhyäù—attainable;
kåñëa-manträù—Kåñëa-mantras; su-durlabhäù—very
difficult to
attain.
They will care only for their wives and
children. They will
not care to serve Lord
Hari. How can people like this attain
Kåñëa-mantras, which are
so difficult to attain?
Text 16
na caiñäà ca harau bhaktiù
çravaëädyä bhaviñyati
kämädy-äkula-cintänäà
putra-dära-ratätmanäm
na—not; ca—and; eñäm—of them; ca—and; harau—for Lord
hari;
bhaktiù—devotion; çravaëädyä—beginning with hearing;
bhaviñyati—will be; kämädi—beginning
with lust; äkula-
cintänäm—filled
with anxieties; putra-dära-ratätmanäm—devoted
to wives and children.
They will not be interested in devotion to
Lord Hari, which
begins with hearing about
His glories. They will be overcome by
lust and a host of vices.
They will care only for their wives and
children.
Text 17
yac cäpi bhagavan-näma
su-labhaà syät kalau yuge
na pürëa-phala-daà tac ca
tasminn
eväparädhinäm
yat—what; ca—and; api—also; bhagavan-näma—the holy name of
the Lord; su-labham—easy to attain; syät—may be; kalau yuge—in
Kali-yuga; na—not; pürëa—full; phala—result; dam—giving; tat—that;
ca—and; tasminn—in that; eva—indeed; aparädhinäm—of
offenders.
In the Kali-yuga the Lord's holy name is
easy to attain.
Still, the full result of
the holy name does not come to they who
commit offenses.
Text 18
aparädha-sahasräëi
kåtvä
kåñëe nirantaram
nämäçrayäs taranty eva
täni
sarväëi mänaväù
aparädha-sahasräëithousands of offenses; kåtvä—performing;
kåñëe—to
Lord Kåñëa; nirantaram—again and
again; nämäçrayäù—taking
shelter of the holy name; taranti—cross; eva—indeed; täni—them;
sarväëi—all; mänaväù—people.
They who commit thousands of offenses to
Lord Kåñëa, but
nevertheless take shelter
of the Lord's holy name, cross beyond
all those offenses.
Text 19
nämni kåtväparädhäàs tu
yäsyanti
narakaà dhruvam
itthaà su-duñkarä bhaktiù
sukaräpi
janärdane
nämni—to the holy name; kåtvä—performing;
aparädhän—offenses; tu—indeed; yäsyanti—go; narakam—top
hel;
dhruvam—indeed; ittham—thus; su-duñkarä—difficult to perform;
bhaktiù—devotion; sukarä—easy to perform; api—even; janärdane—to
Lord Kåñëa.
They who commit offenses to the holy name
go to hell. It is
with the holy name's help
that devotion to Lord Hari, which is
otherwise so difficult to
attain, is attained very easily.
Text 20
na ca bhaktià vinä kiïcid
upäyaà
vidyate param
yenaivänutiñöhenäçu
gamiñyanti hareù padaà
na—not; ca—and; bhaktim—devotion; vinä—without; ki
24cit—something; upäyam—method; vidyate—is; param—thenm; yena—by
which; eva—indeed; anutiñöhena—following; açu—quickly;
gamiñyanti—will go; hareù—of Lord Hari; padam—to the abode.
No path but devotional service will
quickly bring one to the transcendental abode of Lord Hari.
Text 21
dravya-deçätmanäà nityaà
açuddhatvät kalau yuge
na karma-phala-daà kiïcid
ity ähuç
ca manéñiëaù
dravya—things; deça—place; ätmanäm—self; nityam—a;ways;
açuddhatvät—because of impurity; kalau yuge—in
Kali-yuga; na—not;
karma-phala-dam—giving the results of activities;
ki
24cit—something; iti—thus; ähuù—said; ca—and; manéñiëaù—the wise.
Because in Kali-yuga objects, places, and
people are all
impure, one cannot easily
attain the results of performing pious
deeds. That is what the
wise have said.
Text 22
jïänaà ca duñkaraà puàsäà
kali-käle viçeñataù
bahu-janma-çatair
kasyacij
jäyate kvacit
jïänam—knowledge;
ca—and; duñkaram—difficult to
attain; puàsäm—for people; kali-käle—in the Kali-yuga;
viçeñataù—specifically;
bahu-janma-çataiù—with many hundreds of births; kasyacit—of
someone; jäyate—is manifested; kvacit—somewhere.
In the Kali-yuga transcendental knowledge
is especially
difficult to attain. After
many hundreds of births, someone
somewhere will attain it.
Text 23
na ca täbhyäm api jïäna-
karmäbhyäà präpyate hariù
tasmäd etad dvayaà vyarthaà
syäd ity
evaà mataà mama
na—not; ca—and; täbhyäm—by them; api—also; j
24äna—knwoledge; karmäbhyäm—and pious deeds; präpyate—is
attained; hariù—Lord Hari; tasmät—from that; etat—this;
dvayam—both; vyartham—useless; syät—is; iti—thus; evam—thus;
matam—the
opinion; mama—of me.
One cannot attain Lord Hari by the
cultivation of knowledge
(jïäna) or the performance
of pious deeds (karma). These
two are useless. That is
my opinion.
Text 24
na jïänena karmaëä vä
vairägyena tapasyayä
çreyobhir itaraiç cäpi
dänädyair labhyate hariù
na—not; jïänena—by
knowledge; karmaëä—by pious
deeds; vä—or; vairägyena—by
renunciation; tapasyayä—by
austerities; çreyobhiù—by the best; itaraiù—by others; ca—also;
api—and; dänädyaiù—beginning weith charity; labhyate—is attained;
hariù—Lord
Hari.
One cannot attain Lord Hari by knowledge,
pious deeds,
renunciation, austerities,
charity, or other auspicious
activities.
Text 25
labhyate kevalaà bhaktyä
sä cäpi
durlabhä kalau
itthaà cintä-kuläd eva
tväm
ahaà çaraëaà gataù
labhyate—is attained; kevalam—only; bhaktyä—by devotional
service; sä—that; ca—and; api—also; durlabhä—rare; kalau—in Kali-
yuga; ittham—thus; cintä-kulät—because
of many anxieities;
eva—indeed; tväm—of you; aham—I; çaraëam—shelter; gataù—attained.
Lord Hari is attained only by devotional
service, service
that in Kali-yuga is rare
and difficult to attain. That is why I,
pushed by a host of
worries, now take shelter of you.
Text 26
tad upäyaà kiïcid adya
kali-kälocitaà vada
yenäïjasä gamiñyanti
hari-lokaà naräù prabho
tat—that; upäyam—method; kiïcit—something; adya—now;
kali-kälocitam—proper for Kali-yuga; vada—please
tell; yena—by
which; aïjasä—easily; gamiñyanti—will
attain; hari-
lokam—the
world of Lord Hari; naräù—the epople; prabhaù—O Lord.
O master, please tell what method the
people of Kali-yuga
may adopt to easily attain
the transcendental abode of Lord Hari.
Text 27
bhagavan kena mantreëa
saàsärottaraëaà nåëäm
tan mayäcakñasva tena
sarva-loka-hitaà yataù
bhagavan—O Lord; kena—by what?; mantreëa—mantra;
saàsära—the
world of repeated birth and death;
uttaraëam—crossing
over; nåëäm—of the people; tat—that; mayä—by me; äcakñasva—please tell; tena—by
that; sarva-loka-
hitam—the
benefit of all the worlds; yataù—from
which.
O Lord, what mantra will carry the people
from this world of
birth and death? So
everyone may benefit, please tell it to me.
Text 28
ko mantraù sarva-manträëäà
puraçcaraëa-varjitaù
vinä nyäsair vinä yogaiù
saàskärädayir vinä prabho
kaù—what?;
mantraù—mantra; sarva-manträëäm—of
all mantras;
puraçcaraëa-varjitaù—without purascarana; vinä—without;
nyäsaiù—nyasa; vinä—without; yogaiù—yoga; saàskärädayiù—beginning
with samsakaras; vinä—without; prabhaù—O master.
O Lord, of all mantras what mantra needs
no puraçcaraëa,
no nyäsa, no yoga, no
samskära, and no other thing?
Text 29
sakåd uccäraëän nämnäà
dadäti
phalam uttamam
yadi yogyo 'smi deveça
tan me
karuëayä vada
sakåt—once;
uccäraëän—from chanting; nämnäm—of
the names;
dadäti—gives; phalam—the result; uttamam—supreme; yadi—if;
yogyaù—suitable; asmi—I am; deveça—O master of the demigods;
tat—that; me—to me; karuëayä—kindly; vada—tell.
A single utterance of the Lord's holy name
gives the highest
result. O master of the
demigods, if I am competent to hear it,
please kindly tell me the
Lord's holy name.