॥ BHAKTIVARDDHINĪ ॥

Introduction: Shri Bhakti Vardhini as the title suggest explains the means of strenghtening the seeds of devotion that is always there in a man. It was composed in V. S. 1552, at Prayag. Shree Vallabhacharyaji here advocates the three means of Strengthening devotions, namely renunciation, hearing and singing of GOD's divine glory. Asserting that one should completely devote himself to God's divine service at home, with or without any occupation, he describes the three stages of development of devotion namely, affection, attachment and addiction. Finally, he concludes that one engaged to divine service of Shree Krushna and /or in hearing and/or singing His Divine Glory will never perish. This book is said to be composed for Sanchona Brahmin Purushottam Joshi.

य थ ा भ क ् त ि ः प ् र व ृ द ् ध ा स ् य ा त ् त थ ो प ा य ो न ि र ू प ् य त े ।
ब ी ज भ ा व े द ृ ढ़ े त ु स ् य ा त ् य ा ग ा च ् छ व ण क ी र ् त ् त न ा त ् ‌ ॥ १ ॥

yathā bhaktiḥ pravṛ ddhā syā ttathopā yo nirū pyate.
bī jabhā ve dṛ r̤ he tu syā tyā gā cchavaṇ a kī rttanā t.. 1..

The way devotion gets strenthen is narrated. That happens when the seed of devotion-primary devotion is strenghtened by renunciation of every thing unrelated to God and by listening and singing the divine glory of God. (1)

ब ी ज द ा ढ ् ‌ र ् य प ् र क ा र स ् त ु ग ृ ह े स ् थ ि त ् व ा स ् व ध र ् म त ः ।
अ व ् य ा व ृ त ् त ो भ ज े त ् क ृ ष ् ण ं प ू ज य ा श ् र व ण ा द ि भ ि ः ॥ २ ॥

bī jadā ḍ hrya prakā rastu gṛ he sthitvā svadharmataḥ .
avyā vṛ tto bhajetkṛ ṣ ṇ aṃ pū jayā ś ravaṇ ā dibhiḥ .. 2..

To strenthen the seed of devotion, one should worship Shree Krushna at one's home, without any worldly involvements, and with diligent observance of one's own religious principles, by way of adoration of God-idol and listening etc., Of God's glory. (2)

व ् य ा व ृ त ो sप ि ह र ौ च ि त ् त ं श ् र व ण ा द ौ य त े त ् स द ा ।
त त ः प ् र े म त थ ा ssस क ् त ि र ् व ् य स न ं च य द ा भ व े त ् ‌ ॥ ३ ॥

ब ी ज ं त द ु च ् य त े श ा स ् त ् र े द ृ ढ़ ं य न ् न प ि न श ् य त ि ।

vyā vṛ tospi harau cittaṃ ś ravaṇ ā dau yatetsadā .
tataḥ prema tathā sssaktirvyasanaṃ ca yadā bhavet.. 3..

bī jaṃ taducyate ś ā stre dṛ r̤ haṃ yannapi naś yati.

Even if one is worldly involved, one should always try to devote his mind in Shree Krushna and in listening and singing the Glory of God and such other activities. With that one develops affection in God and then attachment and still further when it turns into addiction, that stage is called in scriptures to be the stage of affirmed seed of devotion which does not perish. (2 1/2, 3 1/2)

स ् न े ह ा द ् र ा ग व ि न ा श ः स ् य ा द ा स त ् त य ा स ् य ा द ् ‌ ग ृ ह ा र ु च ि ः ॥ ४ ॥

ग ृ ह स ् थ ा न ा ं ब ा ध क त ् व म न ा त ् म त ् व ं च भ ा स त े ।
य द ा स ् य ा द ् व य स न ं क ृ ष ् ण े क ृ त ा र ् थ ः स ् य ा त ् त द ै व ह ि ॥ ५ ॥

snehā drā gavinā ś aḥ syā dā sattayā syā dgṛ hā ruciḥ .. 4..

gṛ hasthā nā ṃ bā dhakatvamanā tmatvaṃ ca bhā sate.
yadā syā dvayasanaṃ kṛ ṣ ṇ e kṛ tā rthaḥ syā ttadaiva hi.. 5..

With affection for GOD allurement for worldly objects perishes; attachment for God results in dislike for home, people living in the home appear to be impediments and not belonging to one self. When one gets the stage of addiction then alone one gets fulfilled himself. (5)

त ा द ् य श स ् य ा प ि स त त ं ग ृ ह स ् थ ा न ं व ि न ा श क म ् ‌ ।
त ् य ा ग ं क ृ त ् व ा य त े द ् य स ् त ु त द र ् थ ा र ् थ ै क म न स ः ॥ ६ ॥

ल भ े त स ु द ृ ढ़ ा ं भ क ् त ि ं स र ् व त ो प ् य ध ि क ा ं प र ा म ् ‌ ।

tā dyaś asyā pi satataṃ gṛ hasthā naṃ vinā ś akam.
tyā gaṃ kṛ tvā yatedyastu tadarthā rthaikamanasaḥ .. 6..

labheta sudṛ r̤ hā ṃ bhaktiṃ sarvatopyadhikā ṃ parā m.

For even those devotees who are great in the path of grace, continuous stay in home is destructive. So after forsaking home if one tries to please God with his mind engaged only for God, he attains supreme divine devotion which is very firm and superior to that of any one else. (6 1/2)

त ् य ा ग े ब ा ध क भ ू य स ् त ् व ं द ु ः स ं स ए ग ा त ् त थ ा न ् न त ः ॥ ७ ॥

tyā ge bā dhakabhū yastvaṃ duḥ saṃ saegā ttathā nnataḥ .. 7..

Renunciation without understanding it's meaning, due to company of undesirables and due to consumption of unholy foodstuf reults in more handicaps. (7)

अ त स ् थ े य ं ह र ि स ् थ ा न े त द ी य ै ः स ह त त ् प र े ः ।
अ द ू र े व ि प ् र क र ् ष े व ा य थ ा च ि त ् त ं न द ु ष ् य त ि ॥ ८ ॥

atastheyaṃ haristhā ne tadī yaiḥ saha tatpareḥ .
adū re viprakarṣ e vā yathā cittaṃ na duṣ yati.. 8..

Hence one should reside in a place where there is a temple of Krushna, in Company with devoted godly persons and whether far or near but in such a way that conscience is not vitiated. (8)

स े व ा य ा ं व ा क थ ा य ा ं व ा य स ् य ा ssस क ् त ि र ् द ृ ढ़ ा भ व े त ।
य ा व ज ् ज ी व ं त स ् य न ा श ो न क ् व ा प ी त ि म े म त ि ः ॥ ९ ॥

sevā yā ṃ vā kathā yā ṃ vā yasyā sssaktirdṛ r̤ hā bhaveta.
yā vajjī vaṃ tasya nā ś o na kvā pī ti me matiḥ .. 9..

I believe that one, who remains deeply attached in service of Shree Krushna or in his discourse does not perish, any time anywhere throughout his life. (9)

ब ा ध स ं भ ा व न ा य ं त ु न ै क ा न ् त े व ा स इ ष ् य त े ।
ह र ि स ् त ु स र ् व त ो र क ् ष ा ं क र ि ष ् य त ि न स ं श य ः ॥ १ ० ॥

bā dhasaṃ bhā vanā yaṃ tu naikā nte vā sa iṣ yate.
haristu sarvato rakṣ ā ṃ kariṣ yati na saṃ ś ayaḥ .. 10..

If there is a likelihood of obstruction in devotion it is not desirable to live in seclusion. There is no doubt that GOD Shree Krushna will protect his devotee in all respects. (10)

इ त ् य े व ं भ ग व च ् छ ा स ् त ् र ं ग ू ढ त त ् व ं न ि र ू प ि त म ् ‌ ।
य ए त त ् ‌ स म ध ी य े त त स ् य ा प ि स ् य ा द ् ‌ द ृ ढ़ ा र त ि ः ॥ १ १ ॥

ityevaṃ bhagavacchā straṃ gū ḍ hatatvaṃ nirū pitam.
ya etatsamadhī yeta tasyā pi syā d dṛ r̤ hā ratiḥ .. 11..

So that way the secret reality of the sacred precept of GOD Shree Krushna has been very well narrated. One, who intensively studies it will also get endowed with firm love for Krushna. (11)

.. iti ś rī vallabhā cā ryaviracita bhaktivarddhinī sampū rṇ ā .. (11)

Thus ends " BHAKTI VARDHINI"

BY SHREE VALLABHACHARYA. (11)

ज ल भ े द ः