Devanagari
तद् भूरिभाग्यमिह जन्म किमप्यटव्यां
यद् गोकुलेऽपि कतमाङ्घ्रिरजोऽभिषेकम् ।
यज्जीवितं तु निखिलं भगवान् मुकुन्द-
स्त्वद्यापि यत्पदरज: श्रुतिमृग्यमेव ॥ ३४ ॥
Verse text
tad bhūri-bhāgyam iha janma kim apy aṭavyāṁ
yad gokule ’pi katamāṅghri-rajo-’bhiṣekam
yaj-jīvitaṁ tu nikhilaṁ bhagavān mukundas
tv adyāpi yat-pada-rajaḥ śruti-mṛgyam eva
Synonyms
tat
—
that
;
bhūri
—
bhāgyam — the greatest good fortune
;
iha
—
here
;
janma
—
the birth
;
kim api
—
any whatsoever
;
aṭavyām
—
in the forest (of Vṛndāvana)
;
yat
—
which
;
gokule
—
in Gokula
;
api
—
even
;
katama
—
of any (of the devotees)
;
aṅghri
—
of the feet
;
rajaḥ
—
by the dust
;
abhiṣekam
—
bathing
;
yat
—
whose
;
jīvitam
—
life
;
tu
—
indeed
;
nikhilam
—
whole
;
bhagavān
—
the Supreme Personality of Godhead
;
mukundaḥ
—
Lord Mukunda
;
tu
—
but
;
adya api
—
even until now
;
yat
—
whose
;
pāda
—
rajaḥ — dust of the feet
;
śruti
—
by the Vedas
;
mṛgyam
—
sought after
;
eva
—
certainly .
Translation
My greatest possible good fortune would be to take any birth whatever in this forest of Gokula and have my head bathed by the dust falling from the lotus feet of any of its residents. Their entire life and soul is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mukunda, the dust of whose lotus feet is still being searched for in the Vedic mantras.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
My greatest possible good fortune would be to take any birth whatever in this forest of Gokula and have my head bathed by the dust falling from the lotus feet of any of its residents. Their entire life and soul is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mukunda, the dust of whose lotus feet is still being searched for in the Vedic mantras.
KB 10.14.34
“My dear Lord, I am therefore not interested in either material opulences or liberation. I am most humbly praying at Your lotus feet for You to please give me any sort of birth within this Vṛndāvana forest so that I may be able to be favored by the dust of the feet of some of the devotees of Vṛndāvana. If I am given the chance to grow as a humble blade of grass in this land, that would be a glorious birth for me. But if I am not so fortunate to take birth within the forest of Vṛndāvana, I beg to be allowed to take birth outside the immediate area of Vṛndāvana so that when the devotees go out they will walk over me. Even that would be a great fortune for me. I am just aspiring for a birth in which I will be smeared by the dust of the devotees’ feet, because I can see that everyone here is simply full of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. No one here knows anything but the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, or Mukunda, for which the Vedas themselves are searching.”
It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā that the purpose of Vedic knowledge is to find Kṛṣṇa. And it is said in the Brahma-saṁhitā that it is very difficult to find Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by systematic reading of the Vedic literature. But He is very easily available through the mercy of a pure devotee. The pure devotees of Vṛndāvana are fortunate because they can see Mukunda (Lord Kṛṣṇa) all the time. This word mukunda can be understood in two ways. Muk means liberation. Lord Kṛṣṇa can give liberation and therefore transcendental bliss. The word also refers to His smiling face, which is just like the kunda flower. Mukha means “face.” The kunda flower is very beautiful, and it appears to be smiling. Thus the comparison is made.
The difference between the pure devotees of Vṛndāvana and devotees in other places is that the residents of Vṛndāvana have no other desire but to be associated with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, being very kind to His devotees, fulfills their desire; because they always want Kṛṣṇa’s association, the Lord is always prepared to give it to them. The devotees of Vṛndāvana are also spontaneous lovers. They are not required to strictly follow regulative principles because they are already naturally developed in transcendental love for Kṛṣṇa. Regulative principles are required for persons who have not achieved such a position of spontaneous love. Brahmā is also a devotee of the Lord, but he is an ordinary devotee subject to following regulative principles. He prays to Kṛṣṇa to give him the chance to take birth in Vṛndāvana so that he might be elevated to the platform of spontaneous love.
Purport
This verse indicates that Lord Brahmā desires to take birth even as the smallest blade of grass in Vṛndāvana so that the holy residents of the Lord’s abode may walk upon his head and bless him with the dust of their feet. Being realistic, Lord Brahmā does not aspire to directly achieve the dust of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s feet; rather, he aspires for the mercy of the Lord’s devotees. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains that Brahmā is willing to take birth even as a stone in a paved footpath in the Lord’s abode. Since Brahmā is the creator of the entire universe, we can just imagine the glorious position of the residents of Vṛndāvana.
The Lord’s devotees achieve their exalted position by unalloyed devotion and love. One cannot achieve such spiritual opulence by any puffed-up material process of personal improvement. In
Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals the mind of Brahmā as follows: “But if I am not so fortunate to take birth within the forest of Vṛndāvana, I beg to be allowed to take birth outside the immediate area of Vṛndāvana so that when the devotees go out they will walk over me. Even that would be a great fortune for me. I am just aspiring for a birth in which I will be smeared by the dust of the devotees’ feet.”
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
"I have given up my control of the universe and the quest for future liberation. But now, how can I get the dust of the feet of the inhabitants of Vraja?" Thinking thus, Brahma speaks with certainty.
"Let me have good fortune. May you be pleased to cast your merciful glance upon me. (tad bhuribhagyam) What is that good fortune? --To be born as a blade of grass in Vrndavana (iha atavyam), to be touched by the feet of your dear cowherd friends of Vraja."
"O Brahma, give up such an unusual obsession, and pray for something more suitable to you!"
"Then let me be born at the edge of Gkula as a stone slab or piece of cloth, to take the dust from the feet of one of your menial sweepers."
"But Brahma, what is the reason for such glorification of the inhabitants of Vraja? Do you not have shame as worshipable creator of the universe to bathe in the dust of the lowly sweeper?"
"But they have taken as their very life (jivitam) the most beautiful (bhagavan), with smile (mukha) like a jasmine (kunda) flower (mukunda). Without you they perish, because they have such unprecedented love for you. You are all in all (nikhilam), without which eating and drinking have no meaning. Even now, the srutis are searching for the dust from their feet, without success. I should be more ashamed than the Vedas with my little prayers. O lord, let that be. Previously I prayed with vaidhi bhakti. Now I pray to be immersed in the ocean nectar of raganuga bhakti, having become the loyal follower of the inhabitants of Vraja."
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Praising the great glory of the inhabitants, Brahmā develops humility and indicates that, being counted among them, he boldly desires service at his feet. Then he prays, greatly respecting the dust from the devotees’ feet. The word iha (here) indicates that he rejects the five types of liberation since they are unfavorable for service. My liberation is my birth in Vraja (iha). In Vaikuṇṭha there is sālokya etc. but in Mathurā there are forests such as Gokula where there is grass and dirt. There I can be covered in the dust from their feet with an internal desire for service to Kṛṣṇa. He wants a bath because he is greedy for perfection of all his limbs.
Or, “Why do you not pray for birth as a cowherd directly?” Bhagavān, the life of the people of Gokula, is impossible to attain by one’s own efforts since he is the supreme. He is attained as the giver of liberation, Mukunda, not the giver of bhakti-yoga. But Kṛṣṇa’s devotees in Vraja cannot live for a moment without bhakti-yoga. Thus the name Mukunda is uttered out of the greatest prema. How should I attain Kṛṣṇa who is so unapproachable by other methods and has prema difficult to attain? Since you have appeared, your foot dust is directly visible to the Upaniṣads now. How can one estimate the glory of that dust? Its glory has no end. Śruti says yato vācaḥ nivartate: words cannot describe him. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad (2.4.1) But it is not proper for me to pray for the dust of your feet to you--whose knowledge is rare in the Vedas, which gives me all its knowledge. What to speak of praying to be born as a cowherd endowed with prema, serving your lotus feet. The people of Vraja have been praised from verse 31. How much more glory should Nanda and Yaśodā have! With the intention of praising Nanda and Yaśodā, because of shame and fear of his offense, he did not mention Kṛṣṇa’s friends in the beginning or Kṛṣṇa’s powers in making the forms of the boys, but first spoke about the mothers who derived great bliss because of his hiding the boys.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
With a desire for bhakti like that of the people of Vraja or with a desire to serve their lotus feet, Brahmā now in five words rejects five items including liberation which are unfavorable for this type of bhakti. With the word janma (birth) he rejects liberation, with the word iha (here) he rejects Svarga. With the word kim api he rejects being a brāhmaṇa. With the word aṭavyām (in the forest) he rejects Mathurā. With the word gokule he rejects Tapovana and other forests. Kim api indicates he could be some low grass. That grass reaches perfection by being bathed in Kṛṣṇa’s foot dust—from head to foot. Or out of greed, bathing indicates that all his limbs should be successful. Or bathing in the dust only once is indicated. This dust is full of all holy places. Kṛṣṇa’s foot dust is sought –but not attained --by the śrutis at this time (adyāpi) when he appears in the world.
Brahman is praised as the feet of the Lord in the śrutis. Brahma pucchaṁ pratiṣṭhā: brahman is the base. (Taittirīya Uapnisad; 2.5.1) Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam: the wise see the supreme place of Viṣṇu. (Kaṭha Upanisād 1.3.9) However the śrutis recommend karma and jñāna. If the śrutis had actually attained Kṛṣṇa, which means giving up those sādhanas on attaining the goal, they should not have advised jñāna or karma by praising them.
The Lord gives persons like me rare bhakti (mukundaḥ). He reveals all his powers (bhagavān). He is the life all all beings in Gokula. They cannot live without him even for a moment. This indicates the highest prema.
“Why should one pray to be born as some being among the inhabitants of Vraja? Why not pray to be a cowherd directly?” He alone is the life of all of them. It is unsuitable for me to pray for the dust of your feet, which is rare for even the śrutis which give all knowledge and are most ancient like me. What to speak of praying for birth as a cowherd, who control your lotus feet by their great prema.