भक्तिरत्नावली - १

जयति जननिवासो देवकीजन्मवादो यदुवरपरिषत्स्वैर्दोर्भिरस्यन्नधर्मम् ।
स्थिरचरवृजिनघ्नः सुस्मितश्रीमुखेन व्रजपुरवनितानां वर्धयन्कामदेवम् ।। श्रीमद्भागवतम् १०-९०-४८

जन-निवासः= जनानां जीवानां निवासः आश्रयः the refuge of all creatures. Or तेषु वा निवसति अन्तरयामितया He who dwells in all (being the inner controller). देवकी-जन्म-वादः = देवक्यां जन्म इति वादमात्रं यस्य सः, वस्तुतः अजन्मा He whose birth through Devaki is mere talk (for He is actually Unborn). यदुवरपरिषत्= यदुवराः पर्रिषद् सभा (सेवकरूपा इत्यर्थः) The Yadus are but his council. स्वैः दोर्भिः through his hands. अस्यन् (असु क्षेपणे, शत्रन्त)= क्षिपन् (क्षेपणम् मारणे इति वाचस्पत्यम्) the destroyer. अधर्मम् of adharm. स्थिर-चर-वृजिन-घ्नः = स्त्रिराश्च चराश्च तेषां वृजिनानि हन्तीति He who destroys the sins of the moving and the unmoving. सुस्मित-श्रीमुखेन through his smiling beautiful face. व्रज-पुर-वनितानां of the ladies of Vraja and the city (Mathura). कामदेवम् Kamadeva. वर्धयन् increasing. जयति is victorious, excels

He who is the refuge of all creatures (or He who dwells in all being the inner controller), He whose birth through Devaki is mere talk (for He is actually Unborn), the Yadus are but his council, He who through his hands destroys adharma, He who destroys the sins of the moving and the unmoving, He who through his smiling beautiful face augments Kamadeva in the ladies of Vraja and Mathura, (that Krishna) is victorious. Bhagavatam 10.90.48

यत्कीर्तनं यत्स्मरणं यदीक्षणं यद्वन्दनं यच्छ्रवणं यदर्हणम्।
लोकस्य सद्यो विधुनोति कल्मषं तस्मै सुभद्रश्रवसे नमो नमः॥ श्रीमद्भागवतम् २-४-१५

यत्कीर्तनम् He whose praises. यत्स्मरणम् He whose remembrance. यदीक्षणम् He whose sight. यद्वन्दनम् He whose salutations. यच्छ्रवणम् He whose hearing. यदर्हणम् (अर्हणम्=पूजनम्) He whose worship. लोकस्य of the world कल्मषम् sin सद्यः quickly, immediately विधुनोति (=विनाशयति) destroys. तस्मै to Him. सुभद्रश्रवसे (सुभद्रं मङ्गलं श्रवो यशः यस्य तस्मै) to Him whose has a benevolent fame. नमः नमः salutations again and again.

He whose praises, remembrance, sight, salutations, hearing, worship destroys the sin of the world immediately, to Him who has a benevolent fame, salutations again and again.

भूयो नमः सद्वृजिनच्छिदेऽसतामसम्भवायाखिलसत्त्वमूर्तये।
पुंसां पुनः पारमहंस्य आश्रमे व्यवस्थितानामनुमृग्यदाशुषे॥ श्रीमद्भागवतम् २.४.१३

भूयः again. नमः salutations. सद्-वृजिन-च्छिदे=सतां धर्मवर्तिनां वृजिनच्छिदे पापच्छिदे the destroyer of the sins of the followers of dharma. असम्भवाय=असम्भवहेतवे the cause of non birth. असताम्=अधर्मशीलानाम् of those whose conduct is not according to dharma. अखिल-सत्त्व-मूर्तये=अखिलानि सत्त्वानि सर्वे प्राणिनः मूर्तिर्यस्य तस्मै to Him, all beings are whose manifestations. पुनः again. अनुमृग्य-दाशुषे= यद् अनुमृग्यम् अन्वेषणनीयं स्वरूपं तस्य दाशुषे दात्रे to Him, who is the giver of the realization of Self, that should be sought after. व्यवस्थितानाम् पुंसाम् to the men placed. पारमहंस्ये आश्रमे in the way of the Paramahamas i.e the ones with discrimination.

Salutations again to the Destroyer of sins of those who follow dharma, the cause of non birth of those whose conduct is not according to dharma, to Him all beings are whose manifestations, again, to Him who is the giver of the realization of Self that should be sought after to the men following the way of the Paramahamsas (i.e. to men of discrimination).

श्रियः पतिर्यज्ञपतिः प्रजापतिर्धियां पतिर्लोकपतिर्धरापतिः।
पतिर्गतिश्चान्धकवृष्णिसात्वतां प्रसीदतां मे भगवान्सतां पतिः॥ श्रीमद्भागवतम् २.४.२०

श्रियः पतिः the Lord of Shri (Lakshmi). यज्ञ-पतिः the Lord of yajnas. प्रजा-पतिः the progenitor of all beings. धियाम् पतिः the master of (all) intellects. लोक-पतिः the Lord of (all) worlds. धरा-पतिः the Lord of earth. अन्धक-वृष्णि-सात्वताम् पतिः च गतिः the Lord and Refuge of Andhakas, Vrishnis, Yadavas. भगवान् Bhagavan. सताम् पतिः the Lord (protector) of the virtuous. प्रसीदताम् मे May He be pleased with me.

May He who is the Lord of Lakshmi, the Lord of yajnas, the Progenitor of all beings, the Master of all intellects, the Lord of all worlds, the Lord of earth, the Lord and Refuge of Andhakas, Vrishnis, Yadavas and the Protector of the virtuous be pleased with me.

य: स्वानुभावमखिलश्रुतिसारमेकमध्यात्मदीपमतितितीर्षतां तमोन्धम्।
संसारिणां करुणयाह पुराणगुह्यं तं व्याससूनुमुपयामि गुरुं मुनीनाम्॥ श्रीमद्भागवतम् १.२.३

य: (He) who. आह spoke. करुणया through compassion. स्वानुभावम् ascertainment, resolution अखिल-श्रुति-सारम् the essence of all the Vedas. एकम् one. अध्यात्म-दीपम् spiritual lamp. अति-तितीर्षतां of those who desire to cross तमस्-अन्धम् the darkness of ignorance. संसारिणाम् of the wordily पुराण-गुह्यम् the Ancient Secret. तम् him. व्यास-सूनुम् the son of Vyasa. मुनीनाम् गुरुम् the guru of the sages. उपयामि (I) approach.

He who spoke through compassion, of his ascertainment, the essence of the Vedas, the ancient secret, the one spiritual lamp to those who desire to cross the darkness of ignorance of the wordly, I approach him, the son of Vyasa (Shukadeva), the guru of the sages.

दूरान्निशम्य महिमानमुपेत्य पार्श्वमन्तः प्रविश्य शुभभागवतामृताब्धेः।
पश्यामि कृष्णकरुणाञ्जननिर्म्मलेन हृल्लोचनेन भगवद्भजनं हि रत्नम्॥

निशम्य Having heard, दूरात् from afar, महिमानम् the greatness, उपेत्य having approached, पार्श्वम् near,
प्रविश्य entering, अन्तः inside शुभ-भागवत-अमृत-अब्धेः of the auspicious ocean of the nectar of Bhagavatam, पश्यामि I see, हृत्-लोचनेन with the eyes of (my) heart कृष्ण-करुणा-अञ्जन-निर्म्मलेन (which are) purified by the collyrium of the compassion of Krishna, भगवत्-भजनम् (that) the worship of the Bhagavan, हि (is) verily रत्नम् (the) gem.

[Vishnu Puri says] Having heard from afar the greatness (of Bhagavata), having approached it (i.e having studied it), and entering the insides of the auspicious ocean of the nectar of Bhagavtam, I see with the eyes of my heart which are purified by the collyrium of the compassion of Krishna that the worship of the Lord is verily the gem (therein). [i.e. Indicates that the real treasure to be discovered in Bhagavatam is the worship of Bhagavan.]

तदिदमतिमहार्घं भक्तिरत्नं मुरारेरहमधिकसयत्नः प्रीतये वैष्णवानाम्।
हृदिगतजगदीशादेशमासाद्य माद्यन्निधिवरमिव तस्माद्वारिधेरुद्धरामि॥

तत् Therefore (used for emphasis) अहम् I (Vishnu Puri), आसाद्य (प्राप्त्यर्थे अव्ययम् इति वाचस्पत्यम्) having received हृदि-गत-जगदीश-आदेशम् the command of the Lord of the universe residing in my heart माद्यन् (=हृष्यन्) gladly उद्धरामि draw out इदम् this अति-महा-अर्घम् extremely valuable भक्ति-रत्नं the gem of devotion मुरारेः of Murari (Krishna), तस्मात् from that वारिधेः ocean (of Bhagavatam) अधिक-सयत्नः with great effort प्रीतये for the pleasure वैष्णवानाम् of Vaishnavas इव like (drawing out) निधि-वरम् the great treasure (by the Devas).

[Vishnu Puri says] Therefore, having received the command of the Lord of the universe residing in my heart, I gladly draw out this extremely valuable gem of devotion of Krishna from that ocean of Bhagavatam with great effort for the pleasure of Vaishnavas just like drawing out the great treasure by the Devas from the ocean.

कण्ठे कृता कुलमशेषमलङ्करोति वेश्मस्थिता निखिलमेव तमोऽपहन्ति।
तामुज्ज्वलां गुणवतीं जगदीशभक्तिरत्नावलीं सुकृतिनः परिशीलयन्तु॥

कण्ठे कृता when worn on the neck/when memorized or recited कुलम् body/family अशेषम् entire अलङ्करोति beautifies वेश्मन्-स्थिता when placed in a house निखिलम् entire एव truly तमः darkness अपहन्ति wards off ताम् that उज्ज्वलाम् resplendent गुणवतीम् endowed with good qualities जगत्-ईश-भक्ति-रत्न-आवलीम् the series of gems of the devotion of the Lord of Universe सुकृतिनः the doer of good deeds परिशीलयन्तु study.

[Vishnu Puri says] When memorized/recited, the entire family is beautified, when placed in a house it truly wards off darkness. Let the doer of good deeds study that series of gems of the devotion of the Lord of the universe which is resplendent and endowed with good qualities.

Note: A श्लेष is used with twin meanings of कण्ठे कृता and कुलम्.

End note

• Have used Sridhara Swami’s tika on the Bhagavata Verses for my understanding. I have also taken help from Bhaktiratnavali published by Ramakrishna Math, Chennai as also from this online book.
• Many of the verses were first tweeted out by me and have now been collected here together.
• Thanks are also due to Ranga for finding an error in the first verse.