Weekly Sanga

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 1 Chapter 2 Text 54 śrī-parīkṣid uvāca itthaṁ māhātmyam udgāyan vistārya brahmaṇo ’sakṛt śakra-proktaṁ sva-dṛṣṭaṁ ca bhaktyāsīt taṁ naman muniḥ TRANSLATION Śrī Parīkṣit said: Thus loudly praising Brahmā, bowing before him with great devotion again and again, the sage Nārada expansively sang Brahmā’s glories, as he had heard them from Indra and seen them with his own eyes.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 1 Chapter 2 Texts 44-45 pārameṣṭhyāsane tatra sukhāsīnaṁ nija-prabhoḥ mahima-śravaṇākhyāna- paraṁ sāsrāṣṭa-netrakam vicitra-paramaiśvarya- sāmagrī-parisevitam sva-tātaṁ nārado ’bhyetya praṇamyovāca daṇḍa-vat TRANSLATION As Brahmā sat comfortably on his universal throne, absorbed in hearing and reciting the glories of his Lord, tears flowed from his eight eyes. Surrounding Lord Brahmā in attendance were the personified powers of universal rulership. Nārada came close, offered respects to his father by falling to the ground like a stick, and then spoke.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 1 Chapter 2 Text 37 śrī-parīkṣid uvāca indrasya vacanaṁ śrutvā sādhu bhoḥ sādhv iti bruvan tvarāvān brahmaṇo lokaṁ bhagavān nārado gataḥ TRANSLATION Śrī Parīkṣit said: Having heard these words from Indra, godly Nārada replied, “Well said, sir, well said!” and hastily went to Brahmā’s planet.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 1 Chapter 2 Text 35 itthaṁ yukti-sahasraiḥ sa śrī-kṛṣṇasya kṛpāspadam kiṁ vaktavyaṁ kṛpā-pātram iti kṛṣṇaḥ sa eva hi TRANSLATION I could give you thousands of other reasons why Brahmā is the real object of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. What more needs to be said — he is in fact Kṛṣṇa Himself!

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 1 Chapter 2 Text 30 parameṣṭhi-suta-śreṣṭha kintu sva-pitaraṁ hareḥ anugraha-padaṁ viddhi lakṣmī-kānta-suto hi saḥ TRANSLATION But you should know, O best son of Brahmā, that your own father is the true recipient of the favor of Lord Hari. He is directly the son of Lord Viṣṇu, the husband of Lakṣmī.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 1 Chapter 2 Text 30 parameṣṭhi-suta-śreṣṭha kintu sva-pitaraṁ hareḥ anugraha-padaṁ viddhi lakṣmī-kānta-suto hi saḥ TRANSLATION But you should know, O best son of Brahmā, that your own father is the true recipient of the favor of Lord Hari. He is directly the son of Lord Viṣṇu, the husband of Lakṣmī.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 1 Chapter 2 Text 30 parameṣṭhi-suta-śreṣṭha kintu sva-pitaraṁ hareḥ anugraha-padaṁ viddhi lakṣmī-kānta-suto hi saḥ TRANSLATION But you should know, O best son of Brahmā, that your own father is the true recipient of the favor of Lord Hari. He is directly the son of Lord Viṣṇu, the husband of Lakṣmī.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 1 Chapter 2 Text 13 tato ’bhivādya devarṣim uvācendraḥ śanair hriyā bho gāndharva-kalābhijña kiṁ mām upahasann asi TRANSLATION Indra then welcomed Nārada and in a soft voice humbly said: My dear Nārada, expert in the arts of the Gandharvas, why are you making fun of me?

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 1 Chapter 2 Text 9 śrī-nārada uvāca kṛtānukampitas tvaṁ yat sūrya-candra-yamādayaḥ tavājñā-kāriṇaḥ sarve loka-pālāḥ pare kim u TRANSLATION Śrī Nārada said: You have surely received the Supreme Lord’s mercy, because demigods like Sūrya, Candra, and Yama, what to speak of the other rulers of planets, all obey your orders.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 1 Chapter 2 Text 1 śrī-parīkṣid uvāca praśasya taṁ mahā-rājaṁ svar-gato munir aikṣata rājamānaṁ sabhā-madhye viṣṇuṁ deva-gaṇair vṛtam TRANSLATION Śrī Parīkṣit said: After praising the great king, Nārada made his way to heaven. There in the assembly hall he saw Lord Viṣṇu in all His brilliance, surrounded by hosts of demigods.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 1 Chapter 1 Text 70 mune viśiṣṭas tatrāpi teṣām indraḥ purandaraḥ nigrahe ’nugrahe ’pīśo vṛṣṭibhir loka-jīvanaḥ TRANSLATION My dear sage, the most distinguished of these demigods is Purandara Indra. He has full power to reward and punish, and he gives the world life by providing rain.

Śrīla Dhanurdhara Swami continues his Japa and Prayer School classes. In today's class: Padyāvalī, verse 23 brahmāṇḍānāṁ koṭi-saṅkhyādhikānām aiśvaryaṁ yac cetanā vā yad aṁśaḥ āvirbhūtaṁ tan-mahaḥ kṛṣṇa-nāma tan me sādhyaṁ sādhanaṁ jīvanaṁ ca   TRANSLATION There are countless millions of universes and whatever glories they possess, whatever consciousness they possess, are all manifestations of a mere portion of the effulgence of the holy name of Krishna. This holy name is my spiritual practice; it is the goal of my spiritual practice. It is my life.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 1 Chapter 1 Text 62 śrī-parīkṣid uvāca tat tad vistārya kathayann āśliṣyan bhūpatiṁ muhuḥ praśaśaṁsa guṇān gāyan vīṇayā vaiṣṇavottamaḥ TRANSLATION Śrī Parīkṣit said: Nārada, the best of Vaiṣṇavas, singing along with his vīṇā, thus expansively described the king, praising his greatness. And Nārada embraced him again and again.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 1 Chapter 1 Text 63 sārvabhaumo muni-varaṁ sampūjya praśrito ’bravīt nija-ślāghā-bharāj jāta- lajjā-namita-mastakaḥ TRANSLATION The king, that ruler of a vast region, then worshiped the topmost sage and humbly replied, his head bowed down in embarrassment by the weight of hearing his own praise.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 1 Chapter 1 Text 59 śrī-parīkṣid uvāca tato nṛpa-varaṁ draṣṭuṁ tad-deśe nārado vrajan deva-pūjotsavāsaktās TRANSLATION Śrī Parīkṣit said: Nārada then went to the country of that best of kings to see him. Wherever Nārada went he found the people absorbed in festive worship of the Lord.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 1 Chapter 1 Text 53 akṛṣṭa-pacyā sā bhūmir vṛṣṭis tatra yathā-sukham iṣṭāni phala-mūlāni su-labhāny ambarāṇi ca TRANSLATION In that kingdom, the earth yields crops without being tilled, rain falls just enough for people’s comfort, and whatever fruits, vegetables, and clothing one desires are easily to be had.

Śrīla Dhanurdhara Swami continues his Japa and Prayer School classes. In today's class: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 11 Chapter 5 Text 36 kaliṁ sabhājayanty āryā guṇa jñāḥ sāra-bhāginaḥ yatra saṅkīrtanenaiva sarva-svārtho ’bhilabhyate   TRANSLATION Those who are actually advanced in knowledge are able to appreciate the essential value of this Age of Kali. Such enlightened persons worship Kali-yuga because in this fallen age all perfection of life can easily be achieved by the performance of saṅkīrtana.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 1 Chapter 1 Text 52 deśaś ca deva-viprebhyo rājñā datto vibhajya saḥ nopadravo ’sti tad-deśe ko ’pi śoko ’tha vā bhayam   TRANSLATION The king has given his kingdom away to the demigods and brāhmaṇas, dividing it among them. His kingdom is completely free from sorrow, social disruption, and fear.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 1 Chapter 1 Text 44 ahaṁ varākaḥ ko nu syāṁ dātuṁ śaknomi vā kiyat vaibhavaṁ vartate kiṁ me bhagavad-bhajanaṁ kutaḥ   TRANSLATION Who am I but a most wretched person? How much charity am I able to give? What opulence do I have? And how have I ever reciprocated with the Lord in devotional service?

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 1 Chapter 1 Text 41 śrī-nārada uvāca bhavān viprendra kṛṣṇasya mahānugraha-bhājanam yasyedṛśaṁ dhanaṁ dravyam audāryaṁ vaibhavaṁ tathā   TRANSLATION Śrī Nārada said: O leader of the brāhmaṇas, it is you who have received Lord Kṛṣṇa’s greatest favor. After all, you have such wealth, property, generosity, and personal opulence.