Sri Upadesamrta - Verse 2

Book, Sreela Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Over-accumulation, over-endeavour, unnecessary talk, misapplication of rules, association with non-devotees, and fickle-mindedness. Devotion is destroyed by these six faults.


  • Verse Two

    atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca
    prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ
    jana-saṅgaś ca laulyaṁ ca
    ṣaḍbhir bhaktir vinaśyati

    Over-accumulation, over-endeavour, unnecessary talk, misapplication of rules, association with non-devotees, and fickle-mindedness. Devotion is destroyed by these six faults.

    Bhasya by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur

    atyahara prayasa prajalpa jana-sanga
    laulyadi niyamagraha hale bhakti-bheda [1]

    When over-accumulation, over-endeavour, unnecessary talk, association with nondevotees, fickle-mindedness, and misapplication of rules occur, devotion becomes obstructed.

    grha-tyagi janera sanchaya atyahara
    adhika sanchari grhi vaisnavera chhara [2]

    For renunciants, any accumulation is atyahara, and for householder devotees, excessive accumulation is bad.

    bhakti-anukula naya se saba udyama
    prayasa namete tara prakasa visama [3]

    All endeavours that are not favourable to devotion are called prayasa; occurrences of them are condemnable.

    gramya-katha prajalpa namete parichaya
    matera chanchalya laulya asat-trsnamaya [4]

    Village talk is called prajalpa. Restlessness of the mind produced by material desire is called laulya.

    visayi yosit-sangi tat-tat-sangi ara
    mayavadi dharma-dhvaji nastika prakara [5]
    se saba asat-sanga bhakti-hanikara
    visesa yatne sei sanga parihara [6]

    Materialists, those who are attached to the opposite sex, their companions, illusionists, religious hypocrites, and atheists—the association of such persons is destructive to devotion. With great care, avoid all such association.

    niyama agraha ara niyama agraha
    dvi-prakara dosa ei bhakta-galagraha [7]

    The faults of both being negligent of rules and being obsessive about rules are burdens to devotees.

    eke svadhikaragata niyama varjana
    are anya-adhikara niyama grahana [8]

    In one, there is rejection of the rules meant for one’s stage, and in the other, there is adherence to the rules meant for stages other than one’s own.

    Piyusa-varsini-vrtti by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur

    In this second verse also, there is discussion only of rejecting the unfavourable. The six faults of atyahara, prayasa, prajalpa, niyamagraha, jana-sanga, and laulya are detrimental to devotion. Atyahara means excessive accumulation, collection, or stocking. Stocking is forbidden for renunciants; for householder devotees, atyahara means stocking more than is necessary to live. Prayasa: those who aspire for devotion should not, like materialists, engage in activities that are contrary to devotion or materialistic endeavours. Prajalpa means time-wasting, unnecessary village talk. There are two types of niyamagraha: having attachment to rules for a lower stage when one has reached a higher stage and being negligent of rules that are nourishing to devotion. Jana-sanga means the association of persons who are not pure devotees. Laulya means being indecisive, that is, fickle-minded, in the association of persons of various conceptions and being attracted to insignificant matters. Criticism of sadhus, which arises from prajalpa, and considering the gods to be independent [of the Supreme Lord], which arises from laulya, are offences to the Name.

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