Verse 2.1.109

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.1.109:

एवं विनिश्चित्य महानुभावो गोपात्मजोऽसाव् अवधाप्य विप्रम् ।
आत्मानुभूतं गदितुं प्रवृत्तः पौरणिको यद्वद् ऋषि-पुराणम् ॥ १०९ ॥

evaṃ viniścitya mahānubhāvo gopātmajo'sāv avadhāpya vipram |
ātmānubhūtaṃ gadituṃ pravṛttaḥ pauraṇiko yadvad ṛṣi-purāṇam || 109 ||

evam–thus; viniścitya–having deliberated; mahā-anubhāvaḥ–great self-realised authority; gopa-ātma-jaḥ–the son of a cowherd; asau–he; avadhāpya–attracting the attention; vipram–of the brāhmaṇa; ātma-anubhūtam–personally experienced; gaditum–to narrate; pravṛttaḥ–began; paurāṇikaḥ–versed in the ancient scriptures; yadvat–just as; ṛṣiḥ–a sage; purāṇam–scriptures.

Coming to this conclusion, the noble Gopa-kumāra drew the brāhmaṇa’s attention and began narrating his personal experience, just as sages, or _ṛṣis, the teachers of the Purāṇas, speak those scriptures.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

Śrī Parīkṣit says, “Gopa-kumāra made the brāhmaṇa focus his attention by telling him to concentrate his thoughts and hear with faith. Just as ṛṣis, who are seers of Puranic mantras, narrate their experiences in the Brahma Purāṇa, Padma Purāṇa and so on, in that same way Gopa-kumāra

described to the brāhmaṇa everything he had experienced.” Scripture describes the following qualities of a ṛṣi:

ऊर्ध्व-रेतास् तपस्य् उग्रो निरताशी च संयमी
शापानुग्रहयोः शक्तः सत्य-सन्धो भवेद् ऋषिः

ūrdhva-retās tapasy ugro niratāśī ca saṃyamī
śāpānugrahayoḥ śaktaḥ satya-sandho bhaved ṛṣiḥ

A ṛṣi, or sage, must possess the following qualities: He is urdhva-retā, meaning his semen rises upward towards the brain due to continuous celibacy; he performs severe austerities (ugra-tapā); he is regulated in eating; he is selfcontrolled; he is able to curse and bless; and he is fixed in truth (satya-sandha).

The original verse’s comparison of Gopa-kumāra’s narration to that of the ṛṣis establishes that just as all Purāṇas are approved by the scriptures as conclusive truth (siddhānta), so the narration of the life history of Gopa-kumāra is also approved by all scriptures as conclusive truth because Gopa-kumāra sees the reality–meaning the worshipable Deity–of his mantra, and therefore he has the qualities of a ṛṣi. Moreover, this demonstrates why the brāhmaṇa developed great faith.