Jaiva Dharma - Bhaktivinoda ThakuraJaiva Dharma - Appendix

The Phala Śruti
(The Auspicious Fruit of Hearing this Book)

 

by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
(translated by Śrī Sarvabhāvana Prabhu)

pṛthivīte yata kathā dharma-nāme-cale
bhāgavata kahe saba paripūrṇa chale

As declared by the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, all the topics celebrated as religion that flood the material universes are entirely spurious.

chala-dharma chāḍi’ kara satya dharme mati
catur-varga tyaji’ dhara nitya-prema-gati

Reject all false religion and cultivate the path of true eternal religion. Ignore even the four Vedic goals of dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa and strive only towards developing prema, eternal love of Kṛṣṇa.

āmitva-mīṁāṁsā-bhrame nije jaḍa-buddhi
nirviśeṣa-brahma-jñāne nahe citta-śuddhi

Deluded by mundane intellect and false ego, one tries to determine the nature of the self by mental speculation; at best, this practice may lead one to impersonal Brahman realization. However, by such endeavour the consciousness can never be cleansed of material contamination.

vicitratā hīna hale nirviśesa haya
kāla sīmātulya seha āprakṛta naya

If Brahman is perceived as being bereft of energy or variegatedness, then it is impersonal, attribute-less, limited by time and space—and certainly not transcendental.

khaṇḍa-jñāne heya-dharma āche suniścaya
prākṛta haile, kabhu aprākṛta naya

Mere knowledge of the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth is indeed partial realization, thus mundane and never transcendental.

jaḍe dvaita-jñāna heya, cite upādeya
kṛṣṇa-bhakti cira-dina upāya-upāye

In the material realm, the knowledge solely concerned with mundane duality is fit to be rejected, whereas in the spiritual realm the eternal duality of Kṛṣṇa and His servitors is relishable, because devotional service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa is forever both the means and the end.

jīva kabhu jaḍa naya, hari kabhu naya
hari saha jīvācintya-bhedābhedamaya

Neither the living entities nor the Supreme Lord Śrī Hari are mundane entities. They are inconceivably and simultaneously one with and different from each other.

deha kabhu jīva naya, dharā-bhogya naya
dāsa-bhogya jīva, kṛṣṇa prabhu bhoktā haya

The real identity of the jīva is not the material body, and the material world is not his object of enjoyment and exploitation. The real identity of the jīva is to be an eternal servant and object of enjoyment of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is thus the Lord and Enjoyer of the jīva.

jaiva-dharme nāhi āche deha-dharma-kathā
nāhi āche jīva-jñāne māyāvāda-prathā

This book, Jaiva-dharma, does not contain mundane discussions upon how to maintain the body and enjoy the senses, nor are any words wasted upon elaborating the māyāvāda philosophy, which foolishly equates the jīva with Brahman.

jīva-nitya-dharma bhakti—tāhe jaḍa nāī
śuddha-jīva ‘prema’ sevā-phale pāya tai

The real nature of the jīva is pure devotion to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, free from all mundane contamination. By practising pure devotion, the consciousness of the jīva is purified, and as the fruit of such service, the jīva attains prema.

jaiva-dharma’ pāṭhe sei śuddha-bhakti haya
jaiva-dharma’ nā paḍile kabhu bhakti naya

By regularly studying this book, Jaivadharma, one develops pure devotion. However, by not reading this book, one deprives oneself of the opportunity to tread the path of pure devotion.

rupānuga-abhimāne pāṭhe dṛḍha haya
jaiva-dharma vimukhake dharma-hīna kaya

Reading Jaiva-dharma surely increases one’s commitment to rūpānuga-bhakti, the path of bhakti as enunciated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. However, one who refuses to read this book is indeed faithless and devoid of dharma.

yāvat jīvana jei paḍe jaiva-dharma
bhaktimān sei jāne vṛthā jñāna-karma

The faithful person who makes Jaiva-dharma his life-companion and guide will realise without doubt that false prestige, empirical knowledge, and fruitive activity are all worthless.

kṛṣṇera amala-sevā labhi’ seī nara
sevā-sukhe magna rahe sadā kṛṣṇa-para

Such a soul is rewarded with pure devotional service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, thus remaining eternally absorbed in satisfying Kṛṣṇa and relishing the unlimited bliss of His sevā.

Jaiva Dharma - Bhaktivinoda ThakuraJaiva Dharma - Appendix

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