Priti Sandarbha 7.6 : The devotees' relation to material things




Is it possible to have material attachments after seeing Krishna?

Priti Sandarbha 7.6 : The devotees' relation to material things

śrī-gopānāṁ tu viṣaya-sambandho na svārthaḥ, kintu tat-sevopayogārtha eva | yathā "yad dhāmārtha-suhṛt-priyātma-tanaya-prāṇāśayās tvat-kṛte" [bhā.pu. 10.14.35] iti | "kṛṣṇe’rpitātma-suhṛd-artha-kalatra-kāmā" [bhā.pu. 10.16.10] iti | "kṛṣṇaḥ kamala-patrākṣaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ" [bhā.pu. 10.15.42] iti ca |

The relation of the cowherd men, however, to sense objects was not selfish, but was only for the purpose of serving Kṛṣṇa, as is said: "Whose house, wealth, relatives, dear ones, body, children, life and mind exist only for You." (SB 10.14.35)

eṣāṁ ghoṣa-nivāsinām uta bhavān kiṁ deva rāteti naś
ceto viśva-phalāt phalaṁ tvad-aparaṁ kutrāpy ayan muhyati |
sad-veṣād api pūtanāpi sakulā tvām eva devāpitā
yad dhāmārtha-suhṛt-priyātma-tanaya-prāṇāśayās tvat-kṛte ||

Even Pūtanā along with her family members attained You merely because she dressed as a cowherd damsel. Therefore, my mind is bewildered when I think of what reward other than Yourself, the topmost of all rewards, You could bestow on these residents of Vraja whose homes, wealth, dear relatives, body, sons, life and hopes exist only for Your sake. (10.14.35)

[VT 46.7; KṛṣṇaS 116, 141*; BhaktiS 312; GCP 3.101, 20.39*?; GCU 29.117*]

And also in,

taṁ nāga-bhoga-parivītam adṛṣṭa-ceṣṭam
ālokya tat-priya-sakhāḥ paśupā bhṛśārtāḥ
kṛṣṇe'rpitātma-suhṛd-artha-kalatra-kāmā
duḥkhānuśoka-bhayam ūḍha-dhiyo nipetuḥ

...the cowherds who had dedicated to Śrī Kṛṣṇa their body, relatives, wealth, wife and possessions (10.16.10)

"They (the cowherd residents of Vraja) had renounced all their enjoyments and possessions for the sake of Kṛṣṇa, the lotus-eyed one." (10.65.6)

 śrī-yādava-pāṇḍavānāṁ svārtha ivāpi tat-sambandhas tad-ābhāsa eva | yathoktam—

Like the apparent selfishness of the Śrī Yadavas and Pāṇḍavas, their contact with sense pleasures is only a semblance, as said in:

śayyāsanāṭanālāpa- krīḍā-snānāśanādiṣu |
na viduḥ santam ātmānaṁ vṛṣṇayaḥ kṛṣṇa-cetasaḥ ||

The Vṛṣṇis were oblivious of themselves while sleeping, resting, walking, talking, sporting, bathing and doing other such duties because their minds were set on Kṛṣṇa. (10.90.46)

And as in,
kiṁ te kāmāḥ sura-spārhā mukunda-manaso dvijāḥ |
adhijahrur mudaṁ rājñaḥ kṣudhitasya yathetare ||

O Brāhmaṇas, all these objects, desired even by devas, could not gratify the King whose mind was fixed on Kṛṣṇa, just as objects other than food do not appeal to a hungry man? (SB 1.12.6)

ataḥ, "evaṁ gṛheṣu saktānāṁ pramattānāṁ tad-īhayā" [bhā.pu. 1.13.17] ity-ādikaṁ jahal-lakṣaṇayā tad-upalakṣitān dhṛtarāṣṭrādīn apekṣyoktam | ata evānantaraṁ "viduras tad abhipretya" [bhā.pu. 1.13.18] ity-ādau | tena dhṛtarāṣṭrasyaiva śikṣā, na tu teṣām api |

Therefore, the statement [of Sūta apparently referring to Pāṇḍavas], "Those who are madly attached to the household" (SB 1.13.17) has been spoken to indicate people like Dhrtarastra by the jahal-lakṣaṇā principle. For this reason in the following verse Vidura gave instructions only to Dhrtarastra, "Vidura with that intention" (SB 1.13.18) and not to the Pāṇḍavas also.

evaṁ gṛheṣu saktānāṁ pramattānāṁ tad-īhayā
atyakrāmad avijñātaḥ kālaḥ parama-dustaraḥ
viduras tad abhipretya dhṛtarāṣṭram abhāṣata
rājan nirgamyatāṁ śīghraṁ paśyedaṁ bhayam āgatam

 Insurmountable eternal time has imperceptibly caught up with those who are too much attached to family affairs and are always engrossed in thought of them. Vidura knew all this and therefore addressed Dhṛtarāṣṭra, saying: "My dear King, get out of here right away. Just see how fear is here upon you." (SB 1.13.17-18)


Commentary by SNDB


Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī cites a statement that clearly states that the Pāṇḍavas were very much attached to their family and kingdom (1.13.17, cited above). He resolves this contradiction by revealing that the statement applies to others like Dhṛtarāṣṭra. For this he advises us to apply the jahal-lakṣaṇā or secondary meaning by dropping some part of the word or its original meaning. The verse was spoken about all the family members alive at that time, which included the Pāṇḍavas as well as Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his wife. But Śrī Jīva says it should exclude the Pāṇḍavas, whom we know from other statements (1.12.6, etc.) were completely dedicated to Kr̥ṣṇa to the point of forgetting about their own personal needs, thinking of Him like a hungry man thinks of food, and be appled only to Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his wife. This is proved by the fact that Vidura gave instructions to Dhṛtarāṣṭra to give up his attachment to royal comfort and go to the forest (1.13.18).



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