Verse 1.16.279

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 1.16.279:

ওন্চে থে চোwহের্দ্ মেন্ হেঅদেদ্ ব্য্ শ্রী নন্দ চমে তো অম্বিকাবন ওন্ থে বন্ক্ ওf থে রিবের্ সরস্বতী. অfতের্ wওর্স্হিপিন্গ্ থে দেমিগোদ্স্ অন্দ্ ব্রাহ্মণস্ wইথ্ অ বোw, থেয্ তোওক্ রেস্ত্ থেরে. অত্ থত্ তিমে অ fইএর্চে লোওকিন্গ্ গ্রেঅত্ স্নকে বেগন্ তো স্wঅল্লোw নন্দ. হেঅরিন্গ্ নন্দ’স্ চ্র্য্ ওf দিস্ত্রেস্স্, লোর্দ্ কৃষ্ণ, wহো মৈন্তৈন্স্ হিস্ সুর্রেন্দেরেদ্ সোউল্স্ অন্দ্ wহো ইস্ অffএচ্তিওনতে তো হিস্ fঅথের্, তোউছেদ্ থত্ গ্রেঅত্ স্নকে wইথ্ হিস্ লেfত্ fওওত্. থে সের্পেন্ত্ wঅস্ ইম্মেদিঅতেল্য্ fরেএদ্ fরোম্ হিস্ রেপ্তিলিঅন্ বোদ্য্ অন্দ্ অপ্পেঅরেদ্ ইন্ থে এffউল্গেন্ত্ fওর্ম্ ওf অ বিদ্যাধর, অন্দ্ ব্য্ থে ওর্দের্ ওf থে লোর্দ্ হে বেগন্ তো রেলতে থে হিস্তোর্য্ ওf হিস্ সিন্fউল্ অচ্তিবিতিএস্ ইন্ হিস্ প্রেবিওউস্ লিfএ. Wহিলে ওffএরিন্গ্ প্রযের্স্, হে দেস্চ্রিবেদ্ থে গ্লোরিএস্ ওf রেচেইবিন্গ্ থে তোউছ্ ওf থে লোর্দ্’স্ লোতুস্ fএএত্, wহিছ্ অরে ররেল্য্ অত্তৈনেদ্ ব্য্ থে দেমিগোদ্স্, ইন্ থে fওল্লোwইন্গ্ বের্সে fরোম্ শ্রীমদ্ ভাগবতম্ (১০.৩৪.১৭). যন্-নাম গৃহ্ণন্ন্ অখিলান্ শ্রোতৄন্ আত্মানম্ এব চ সদ্যঃ পুনাতি কিং ভূযস্ তস্য স্পৃষ্টঃ পদা হি তে ॥ ২৭৯ ॥

ओन्चे थे चोwहेर्द् मेन् हेअदेद् ब्य् श्री नन्द चमे तो अम्बिकावन ओन् थे बन्क् ओf थे रिवेर् सरस्वती. अfतेर् wओर्स्हिपिन्ग् थे देमिगोद्स् अन्द् ब्राह्मणस् wइथ् अ वोw, थेय् तोओक् रेस्त् थेरे. अत् थत् तिमे अ fइएर्चे लोओकिन्ग् ग्रेअत् स्नके बेगन् तो स्wअल्लोw नन्द. हेअरिन्ग् नन्द’स् च्र्य् ओf दिस्त्रेस्स्, लोर्द् कृष्ण, wहो मैन्तैन्स् हिस् सुर्रेन्देरेद् सोउल्स् अन्द् wहो इस् अffएच्तिओनते तो हिस् fअथेर्, तोउछेद् थत् ग्रेअत् स्नके wइथ् हिस् लेfत् fओओत्. थे सेर्पेन्त् wअस् इम्मेदिअतेल्य् fरेएद् fरोम् हिस् रेप्तिलिअन् बोद्य् अन्द् अप्पेअरेद् इन् थे एffउल्गेन्त् fओर्म् ओf अ विद्याधर, अन्द् ब्य् थे ओर्देर् ओf थे लोर्द् हे बेगन् तो रेलते थे हिस्तोर्य् ओf हिस् सिन्fउल् अच्तिवितिएस् इन् हिस् प्रेविओउस् लिfए. Wहिले ओffएरिन्ग् प्रयेर्स्, हे देस्च्रिबेद् थे ग्लोरिएस् ओf रेचेइविन्ग् थे तोउछ् ओf थे लोर्द्’स् लोतुस् fएएत्, wहिछ् अरे ररेल्य् अत्तैनेद् ब्य् थे देमिगोद्स्, इन् थे fओल्लोwइन्ग् वेर्से fरोम् श्रीमद् भागवतम् (१०.३४.१७). यन्-नाम गृह्णन्न् अखिलान् श्रोतॄन् आत्मानम् एव च सद्यः पुनाति किं भूयस् तस्य स्पृष्टः पदा हि ते ॥ २७९ ॥

Once the cowherd men headed by Śrī Nanda came to Ambikāvana on the bank of the River Sarasvatī. After worshiping the demigods and brāhmaṇas with a vow, they took rest there. At that time a fierce looking great snake began to swallow Nanda. Hearing Nanda’s cry of distress, Lord Kṛṣṇa, who maintains His surrendered souls and who is affectionate to His father, touched that great snake with His left foot. The serpent was immediately freed from his reptilian body and appeared in the effulgent form of a Vidyādhara, and by the order of the Lord he began to relate the history of his sinful activities in his previous life. While offering prayers, he described the glories of receiving the touch of the Lord’s lotus feet, which are rarely attained by the demigods, in the following verse from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (10.34.17). yan-nāma gṛhṇann akhilān śrotṝn ātmānam eva ca sadyaḥ punāti kiṃ bhūyas tasya spṛṣṭaḥ padā hi te || 279 ||

Once the cowherd men headed by Sri Nanda came to Ambikavana on the bank of the River Sarasvati. After worshiping the demigods and brahmanas with a vow, they took rest there. At that time a fierce looking great snake began to swallow Nanda. Hearing Nanda’s cry of distress, Lord Krsna, who maintains His surrendered souls and who is affectionate to His father, touched that great snake with His left foot. The serpent was immediately freed from his reptilian body and appeared in the effulgent form of a Vidyadhara, and by the order of the Lord he began to relate the history of his sinful activities in his previous life. While offering prayers, he described the glories of receiving the touch of the Lord’s lotus feet, which are rarely attained by the demigods, in the following verse from Srimad Bhagavatam (10.34.17). yan-nama grhnann akhilan srotrn atmanam eva ca sadyah punati kim bhuyas tasya sprstah pada hi te (279)

English translation:

(279) Anyone who chants Your name purifies all who hear his chanting, as well as himself. How much more beneficial, then, is the touch of Your lotus feet?

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

“Moreover, O Lord, I have been directly touched by Your lotus feet. Now I will return to my own planet and purify everyone by my touch, as I have

been purified by the touch of Your lotus feet. By the statement, ‘By once chanting the holy names of the Lord a person purifies himself and others,’ the argument that chanting the holy names requires prior faith (in other words, the consideration that until knowledge of one’s relationship with the Lord based on faith is awakened, there is no need to chant the holy names) is refuted. One can and should chant the names of the Lord while avoiding the ten offenses even during the four faithless situations of saṅketa (indirectly), parihāsa (jokingly), stobha (as musical entertainment), or hela (neglectfully). By the using the verb gṛhṇan, or ‘while chanting,’ in its present tense, the argument that the names are dependent on completeness (in other words, the necessity of considering that until one is able to fully chant the names of the Lord, it is improper and useless to partially chant the names) is refuted. This means that one can and should chant the names of the Lord, even unclearly, improperly, and incompletely or partially. By using the word akhilān, or ‘to the audience,’ the argument that chanting is dependent on qualification (in other words, the necessity of achieving mundane, temporary, external qualifications like taking bath, performing austerity, worshiping the Deity, maintaining purity, studying the Vedas, accepting sannyāsa, practicing yoga, performing sacrifice, and accumulating piety) is refuted (in other words, any person in any condition can and should chant the holy names of the Lord). By using the word sadyaḥ, or ‘immediately,’ the argument that chanting is dependent on time (in other words, the consideration that one is purified by chanting only at particular times, not at any time) is refuted (in other words, if a person purely chants the holy names at any time, he can be fully purified). The use of the word śrotṝn, or ‘to the audience,’ indicates that one should hear the holy names of the Lord. The word eva, which in this verse bears the meaning of iva or api, indicates that the chanter of the holy names can purify the audience like himself. So by this example the glories of the holy name are further enhanced, because the practices of both hearing and chanting yield the same results. By using the word ca in this verse it is indicated that I will

certainly and thoroughly purify persons who engage with me in hearing and chanting because I have been touched by Your lotus feet. There is no doubt about this.” (Śrī Sanātana Prabhu’s and Śrī Jīva Prabhu’s Vaiṣṇava- toṣaṇī)