2023-05-31 04:00:33 by ambuda-bot
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BHAGAVAD UNA DARPANA
Ranganatha, the son of the sage, Srivatsänka, who (the said
Srivatsanka) ever considered his discipleship under Ramanuja
as a great treasure-I now proceed to comment on the (holy)
Names of Lord Hari, with a view to obtain the blessings of
the Lord, Ranganatha, and His Consort, Sri Lakshmi.
(5) In samsāra (the world of recurring births and deaths)
generally, there is great ignorance about the Lord; more so
in the Kaliyuga (the age of darkness and sin). And it is out
of foolhardiness that I venture to speak to men who deem
themselves perfect, of the secret of the Vedanta. May Vyasa
who composed this hymn of praise, and the Merciful Lord
Hari who is the object of praise therein-may they both bear
with me for this folly.
(6) I prostrate and pray (to you, kind readers): please
place faith in Lord Hari and the collection of His Names, and
feel kindly towards me who attempt to explain the Names,
and drink this nectar. Let there be no indifference or enmity
in the matter.
[After the above preliminary and benedictory verses
Parāśara Bhaṭṭa proceeds with his preface to his Com-
mentary.]
We see in the world that any intelligent person, after
having gained some knowledge of the objects of human pursuit
through the sources of knowledge (such as perception, infer.
ence etc.), desires to enjoy the good things of life like flowers,
sandal, gold, etc., to eschew things like knife, thorns, etc.,
which are unpleasant, and is indifferent to neutral things like a
log of wood or stone or mud. Of these, the two purushārthas
(objects desired by men) known as artha and kama (wealth
and pleasures) are experienced by means of actual direct
perception and inference. They are to be given up, because they
are associated with innumerable imperfections like the follow-
ing. They (1) are petty, (2) lead to harmful consequences,
(3) are disgusting, (4) are evanescent, (5) are mixed with distress-
ful things, and (6) are not even easily obtainable. On the
other hand, (the other two primary objects of human pursuit)
dharma (victue) and paratattva (salvation) can be learnt only
from the scriptures. They are opposed to the other two
4
Ranganatha, the son of the sage, Srivatsänka, who (the said
Srivatsanka) ever considered his discipleship under Ramanuja
as a great treasure-I now proceed to comment on the (holy)
Names of Lord Hari, with a view to obtain the blessings of
the Lord, Ranganatha, and His Consort, Sri Lakshmi.
(5) In samsāra (the world of recurring births and deaths)
generally, there is great ignorance about the Lord; more so
in the Kaliyuga (the age of darkness and sin). And it is out
of foolhardiness that I venture to speak to men who deem
themselves perfect, of the secret of the Vedanta. May Vyasa
who composed this hymn of praise, and the Merciful Lord
Hari who is the object of praise therein-may they both bear
with me for this folly.
(6) I prostrate and pray (to you, kind readers): please
place faith in Lord Hari and the collection of His Names, and
feel kindly towards me who attempt to explain the Names,
and drink this nectar. Let there be no indifference or enmity
in the matter.
[After the above preliminary and benedictory verses
Parāśara Bhaṭṭa proceeds with his preface to his Com-
mentary.]
We see in the world that any intelligent person, after
having gained some knowledge of the objects of human pursuit
through the sources of knowledge (such as perception, infer.
ence etc.), desires to enjoy the good things of life like flowers,
sandal, gold, etc., to eschew things like knife, thorns, etc.,
which are unpleasant, and is indifferent to neutral things like a
log of wood or stone or mud. Of these, the two purushārthas
(objects desired by men) known as artha and kama (wealth
and pleasures) are experienced by means of actual direct
perception and inference. They are to be given up, because they
are associated with innumerable imperfections like the follow-
ing. They (1) are petty, (2) lead to harmful consequences,
(3) are disgusting, (4) are evanescent, (5) are mixed with distress-
ful things, and (6) are not even easily obtainable. On the
other hand, (the other two primary objects of human pursuit)
dharma (victue) and paratattva (salvation) can be learnt only
from the scriptures. They are opposed to the other two
4