FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.30.21

मैत्रेय उवाच एवं ब्रुवाणं पुरुषार्थभाजनं जनार्दनं प्राञ्जलय: प्रचेतस: । तद्दर्शनध्वस्ततमोरजोमला गिरागृणन् गद्गदया सुहृत्तमम् ॥ २१ ॥
maitreya uvāca
[maitreya uvaacha]
evaṁ bruvāṇaṁ puruṣārtha-bhājanaṁ
[evam bruvaanam purushaartha-bhaajanam]
janārdanaṁ prāñjalayaḥ pracetasaḥ
[janaardanam praanjalayah prachetasah]
tad-darśana-dhvasta-tamo-rajo-malā
[tad-darshana-dhvasta-tamo-rajo-malaa]
girāgṛṇan gadgadayā suhṛttamam
[giraagrinan gadgadayaa suhrittamam]
maitreyaḥ uvāca — Maitreya said evam — thus bruvāṇam — speaking puruṣa-artha — of the ultimate goal of life bhājanam — the bestower jana-ardanam — who takes away all the disadvantages of the devotee prāñjalayaḥ — with folded hands pracetasaḥ — the Pracetā brothers tat — Him darśana — by seeing dhvasta — dissipated tamaḥ — of darkness rajaḥ — of passion malāḥ — whose contamination girā — with a voice agṛṇan — offered prayers gadgadayā — faltering suhṛt-tamam — unto the greatest of all friends.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
maitreya uvāca
maitreyaḥ uvāca
Maitreya said
evaṁ bruvāṇaṁ puruṣārtha-bhājanaṁ
evam
thus
bruvāṇam
speaking
puruṣa-artha
of the ultimate goal of life
bhājanam
the bestower
janārdanaṁ prāñjalayaḥ pracetasaḥ
jana-ardanam
who takes away all the disadvantages of the devotee
prāñjalayaḥ
with folded hands
pracetasaḥ
the Pracetā brothers
tad-darśana-dhvasta-tamo-rajo-malā
tat
Him
darśana
by seeing
dhvasta
dissipated
tamaḥ
of darkness
rajaḥ
of passion
malāḥ
whose contamination
girāgṛṇan gadgadayā suhṛttamam
girā
with a voice
agṛṇan
offered prayers
gadgadayā
faltering
suhṛt-tamam
unto the greatest of all friends.
The great sage Maitreya said: After the Personality of Godhead spoke thus, the Pracetās began to offer Him prayers. The Lord is the bestower of all success in life and is the supreme benefactor. He is also the supreme friend who takes away all miserable conditions experienced by a devotee. In a faltering voice, due to ecstasy, the Pracetās began to offer prayers. They were purified by the presence of the Lord, who was before them face to face.

The Lord is herein described as puruṣārtha-bhājanam, the bestower of the ultimate goal of life. Whatever success we want in life can be attained by the mercy of the Lord. Since the Pracetās had already attained the Lord’s mercy, they were no longer subject to the contamination of the material modes. The material modes dissipated from them just as the darkness of night immediately dissipates when the sun rises. Because the Lord appeared before them, naturally all the contaminations of the material qualities of rajas and tamas completely disappeared. Similarly, when an unalloyed devotee chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, he is also purified of all material contamination because the name of the Lord and the Lord are identical. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.17) :

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām

“Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.”

The holy name of the Lord is the Lord Himself. If one chants and hears, he becomes purified. Gradually all material contamination disappears. The Pracetās were already purified due to the Lord’s presence before them, and they could therefore offer the proper prayers with folded hands. In other words, as soon as devotees are engaged in devotional service, they become transcendental to all material contamination immediately, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā ( sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate ). Sometimes the devotees are dissatisfied due to their not seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally. When the Pracetās saw the Supreme Lord personally present, their unhappiness vanished.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Maitreya said: With folded hands, the Pracetās, devoid of all tamas and rajas by his presence, then offered prayers with choked voices to the Supreme Lord, the greatest friend, the vessel holding life’s goals, who had just spoken. Though they were already without tamas and rajas, by his presence they became free of the contamination of grief due to not seeing him.
The Pracetās began to offer prayers to the Lord, the bestower of all success and supreme friend. After receiving the boons, prayer is the right response; gratitude has a voice.
Reflection Questions
  • After my last blessing, did I respond with prayer or move on?
  • Where could I install a 'thank-prayer' as default after receiving?
📝 My note

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