Verse 1.5.7

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 1.5.7:

श्री-नारद उवाच—
यूयं नृ-लोके बत भूरि-भागा[११] येषां प्रियोऽसौ जगद्-ईश्वरेशः ।
देवो गुरुर् बन्धुषु मातुलेयो दूतः सुहृत् सारथिर् उक्ति-तन्त्रः ॥ ५.७ ।

śrī-nārada uvāca—
yūyaṃ nṛ-loke bata bhūri-bhāgā yeṣāṃ priyo'sau jagad-īśvareśaḥ |
devo gurur bandhuṣu mātuleyo dūtaḥ suhṛt sārathir ukti-tantraḥ || 5.7 |

Śrī Nārada said: On this earthly plane all of you are surely fortunate because the sovereign of universal lords, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is your beloved, your worshipful Deity, your preceptor, your maternal cousin among kinfolk, messenger, charioteer, friend and obedient servant.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

The glories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s favor towards the Pāṇḍavas as sung by Śrī Nārada are elaborately described from this seventh śloka, beginning with yūyaṃ up to the end of śloka fortyfour, beginning with bhavatāṃ kṛte param.

“On this earthly plane (nṛ-loka) all of you are indeed most fortunate.” By using the word nṛ-loka here, one should not interpret it to mean only this planet earth, namely, on this earthly plane there are extremely fortunate persons; on the other hand, there are many more fortunate persons on the celestial plane (svarga) also. Therefore, he implies that on the higher planets such as svarga, which are abundant with sense enjoyment, opulence and wealth, due to the absence of renunciation, there is naturally no dire need of receiving the mercy of Bhagavān.

Bhūri indicates “great” in the phrase bhūri-bhāgā (bhāgya), or “that which culminates in the ultimate limit” (parākāṣṭhā or carama sīmā). The word bhāgya or “fortune” connotes also “fortune endowed with the symptoms of devotion (bhakti) that bestows the complete mercy of Bhagavān,” or “the fortune of engaging in bhajana to Bhagavān.” Therefore, bhūri-bhāgya is the name of the ultimate limit of fortune that is endowed with the symptoms of bhakti that bestows the mercy of Bhagavān; or bhūri-bhāgya also connotes here that those who receive a plenary portion of the mercy of Bhagavān. In other words, being the partakers of Bhagavān’s mercy, the Pāṇḍavas in particular are most fortunate. While expounding the reason for this he says: Śrī Devakī-nandana is the Lord of even the administrative controllers like Brahmā, Rudra and so on, but He has become your beloved. By this, it is proof of the immeasurable fortune (bhūrī-bhāgyatva) of the Pāṇḍavas.

Śrī Nārada furthermore says that He is not only your favorite or beloved (priya) but your worshipful Deity (īṣṭa-deva), spiritual master (guru) and even intimate relative (bāndhava). Īṣṭa-deva means the worshipable personality who is worthy of constant worship and who gives protection from all calamities. Guru means He who in His manifest form gives all kinds of spiritual advice. Bāndhava means a fraternal relationship by birth. Mātuleya means a maternal relationship due to the family ties on your mother’s side. In other words, just as a mother is affectionate, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is similarly very affectionate. The word bandhu indicates a relative by relationship of birth, and among such relatives, He is the son of the maternal uncle (father’s sister). Or else, He is a brother, being the son of the paternal aunt. In this way, they are recipients of great affection because He is like a brother who shows mutual affection.

He is your messenger (dūta) because He was sent to your side as a messenger from the city of Virāṭa, named Upaplava, to the palace of Dūryodhana in Hastināpura. He is your well-wisher (suhṛt) because, without expecting any return for goodwill, He renders causeless welfare unto your people. He is your charioteer (sārathī) because in the war of Mahābhārata He held the reins of the chariot of Arjuna and steered his chariot. He is your obedient servant because at the time of the war Arjuna spoke, senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṃ sthāpaya me’cyuta: “O Acyuta, please draw my chariot between the two armies.” (Bhagavad-gītā 1.21) Hearing this order, Śrī Kṛṣṇa immediately stationed the chariot in the midst of both armies. In this way, concluding the topic of His being an obedient servant, he ends with “What more can I say? He is your obedient servant. Whatever way you order Him, at that very moment He follows your request.”

On the other hand, the word ukti-tantra (order-supplier) is used here as sevaka (servant) because the direct use of the word sevaka for Śrī Kṛṣṇa seems too bitter. Therefore, instead of clearly mentioning the word sevaka, the word ukti-tantra is used. This hints at Śrī Hanumān’s words of Śrī Kṛṣṇa being a servant and assuming a warrior posture (vīrāsana).

In such a way, the words like devo guru (worshipable Lord and spiritual master) and so forth from the original verse establish intimate love only. Otherwise, the meaning would have been derived by connecting the word priya (favorite or beloved) with all the terms such as priya devatā, priya guru and so on. Priya devatā means favorite īṣṭa-deva, who is eternally worshipable with love and affection. In this way, Arjuna’s service to Rudra in the form of a demigod and Śrī Dronācārya’s in the form of the guru becomes insignificant.

In other words, achieving some special purpose Arjuna once worshiped Śrī Rudradeva as deva and honored Śrī Dronācārya in the manifestation of guru. However, in comparison to Śrī Rudra, Śrī Kṛṣṇa alone is his priya devatā (dearmost worshipable Lord) and, instead of Śrī Dronācārya, Śrī Krṣṇa alone is his priya guru (dearmost spiritual master). In this way, by associating the word priya with all words, it is naturally verified that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is his supremely beloved. The essential meaning is that Brahmā, Rudra and others are only īśvara (controllers) and Śrī Devakī-nandana is the priya īśvara (beloved controller) of all of you. In other words, Brahmā and Rudra are respected only as controllers, whereas Śrī Kṛṣṇa is worshipable as the beloved īṣṭa-deva (favorite Deity). Above all this, even more intimate connection is that He is your guru. When all previous attributes are considered, you are the most fortunate of all persons on this mortal planet.