bhakti biccamiyyavE
Sahityam
Pallavi
bhakti biccamiyyavE¹ bhAvukamagu sAtvIka²
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Grant me alms of pure devotion, which is a fortune.
Anupallavi
muktikakhila zaktiki trimUrtulakati mElmi rAma (bhakti)
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(Grant me…) Rama-bhakti that is much superior to emancipation,
all kinds of powers and even the Trinity.
Charanam
prANamu lEni vAniki baGgAru pAga³ cuTTi
ANi vajra bhUSaNamuramandu peTTu rIti
jANalaku purANAgama zAstra vEda japa prasaGga
trANa galgiyEmi bhakta tyAgarAjanuta rAma⁴ (bhakti)
Show Word Meanings
ANi vajra bhUSaNamuramandu peTTu rIti
jANalaku purANAgama zAstra vEda japa prasaGga
trANa galgiyEmi bhakta tyAgarAjanuta rAma⁴ (bhakti)
In the same manner as tying a golden turban to a corpse
and decorating the chest with exquisite diamond ornaments,
of what avail is the ability to chant and
lecture on epics, Agama, sciences and Veda
accrue to the cunning? One praised by Tyagaraja! Rama (bhakti)
Variations
- 1 biccamiyyavE – biccamIyyavE - bikSamIyavE: biccamu is the Tadbhava form of the Sanskrit bhikSA: iyyavE is the appropriate version. Therefore, biccamiyyavE has been adopted.
- 2 sAtvIka This is the Telugu version of Sanskrit word which is spelt as sAttvIka .
- 3 pAga - bAga . In view of the ensuing word cuTTi , it is clear that this refers to a ‘turban’. However, as per dictionary, the correct word is pAgA .
- 4 rAma - In some books, this word is not given at the end of the caraNa.
Commentary
- sAtvIka bhakti
– In the Narada Bhakti Sutras, two types of Bhakti are defined – ‘Mukhya Bhakti’ – Supreme or Primary Love and ‘Gauna Bhakti’ – Secondary Love. The following verse is relevant –
- gauNi tridhA guNa bhEdAdArtAdi bhEdAdvA || 56 ||
- “Secondary devotion is of three kinds, according to the qualities of the mind of person in whom it manifests itself; either it may be classified as SAtvika, Rajasika, and Tamasika; or it may be divided as Arta, jijJAsu, arthArtin as per statement in Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter 7.16”
- “….As this differentiation is based on the qualities of mind (Sattva etc)…..these three expressions of Bhakti (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas) are called Gauna Bhakti as distinguished from Mukhya Bhakti which is devotion bereft of all taint…..The second classication is based on the differences in the motives (Arta etc). (Translation and notes by Swami Tyagesananda) (brackets mine)
- Sri Thyagaraja states that Satvika Bhakti’ is superior (mElmi
) to even emancipation ‘mukti
’ which is the ultimate human realisation. When a devotee does not even seek emancipation, then it is Mukhya Bhakti and not Gauna Bhakti. Therefore, neither of classifications stated above (based on qualities of mind – Sattva etc and motives – Arta etc) would apply. This is explained in the following verse of Narada Bhakti Sutras –
- bhaktA EkAntinO mukhyA: || 67 ||
- “Those are primary devotees who have one pointed love of God for His own sake.” (Translation by Swami Tyagisananda)
*Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in his ‘Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu Bindu’, verse 14 states that there are two types of Bhaavas – Sattvika Bhaavas that arise when the heart is overwhelmed by mukhya-rati from direct contact with Sri Krishna’ and ‘Saattvika-Bhaavas that arise when the heart is overwhelmed by gauNa-rati that are induced by a circumstance in which Krishna is somewhat apart’. Accordingly, the Saattvika Bhaava encompasses both Mukhya and Gauna rati . This book (PDF) can be downloaded free from site – [[http://www.freedownloadmanager.org/downloads/Sri_Bhakti_rasamrta_sindhu_bindu_pdf__36089_p/free.htm Bhakti Rasamrita]]
- muktiki mElmi (greater than mukti) – In this regard, please refer to Tirumaalai of Vaishnava saint Tondaradippodi Aazhvaar in praise of Lord of Sri Rangam: