एवं यद्ध्यानपूजादावेकान्तिभ्यः प्ररोचते ।
कृष्णाय रोचते’त्यन्तं तदेव च सतां मतम् ॥
तथा च तृतीयस्कन्धे श्रीकर्दमस्तुतौ—
तान्येव तेऽभिरूपाणि रूपाणि भगवंस्तव ।
यानि यानि च रोचन्ते स्व-जनानामरूपिणः ॥
evaṁ yad dhyāna-pūjādāv ekāntibhyaḥ prarocate |
kṛṣṇāya rocate’tyantaṁ tad eva ca satāṁ matam ||
tathā ca tṛtīya-skandhe śrī-kardama-stutau—
tāny eva te’bhirūpāṇi rūpāṇi bhagavaṁs tava |
yāni yāni ca rocante sva-janānām arūpiṇaḥ ||
(Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 7.381–382)
“In this way, specifically that which in meditation, ritual worship, and so forth is highly pleasing to the one-pointed is exceedingly pleasing to Kṛṣṇa and [thus] approved by the sat. Accordingly also, in the praise by Śrī Kardama in the Third Canto [i.e., SB 3.24.31, it is said], ‘O Bhagavān, specifically those forms of yours—of you who are free of form—which are pleasing to your own persons are suitable for you.’”
Commentary
nanv evaṁ tantroktādi-krameṇa svacchanda-pūjā-vidhir ayaṁ śāstra-parāṇāṁ satāṁ sammataḥ kathaṁ syāt? tatra likhati—evam iti | dhyāna-pūjādau viṣaye yad ekantibhyaḥ prakarṣeṇa rocate tad eva bhagavate’tyantaṁ rocate | ataḥ satāṁ tad eva sammatam ity arthaḥ ||381||
tad eva pramāṇayati—tāny eveti | śrī-kapila-devaṁ prati śrī-kardamasya vacanam idam—he bhagavan! tava rūpāṇi avatārāḥ caturbhujatva-dvibhujatvādy-ākārā vā śukla-kṛṣṇādi-varṇā vā saundaryāṇi vā, svajanānām ekānta-bhaktānāṁ tebhyo yāni yāni rocane, tāny eva te tava abhirūpāṇi yogyānīty arthaḥ parama-bhakta-vātsalya-bharāt | yad vā sammatānīty arthaḥ | yad vā tāny eva rūpāṇi te tubhyaṁ rocante | tataḥ abhirūpāṇi tāny eva parama-manoharāṇi | anyat samānam | arūpiṇa iti—ādye pakṣe na vidyate rūpī avatārī yasmāt tasya paramāvatāriṇa ity arthaḥ | dvitīya-tṛtīya-pakṣa-dvaye a-kāro viṣṇus tad-rūpiṇaḥ | ataś caturbhujatva-śyāma-varṇatvādimata ity arthaḥ | caturthe na vidyate rūpī saundaryavān anyo yasmāt tasya sahaja-parama-saundaryavata ity arthaḥ | tathā bhūtasyāpi tava, ataḥ śuklādi-varṇa-viśiṣṭasyāsya śrī-kapilāvatārasya mahyaṁ rocanād evaṁ tvayāvatīrṇam iti śrī-kardamābhiprāyaḥ | yad vā rūpyate dṛśyate sākṣātkriyate bhagavān yais tāni rūpāṇi śravaṇādīni navadhā-bhakty-aṅgāni yāni yādṛśāni | arūpiṇaḥ rūpaḥ nirūpaṇaṁ tadvān rūpī tad-vyatiriktasya anirvacanīya-māhātmyasya ity arthaḥ | paraṁ pūrvavad eva, ato mama gṛha-tyāgādinā agre śravaṇādi-bhakty-eka-niṣṭhatva-bubhūṣā tubhyaṁ rocate eveti tad-abhiprāyo jñeyaḥ | evam ekāntibhyo yad rocate tad eva bhagavate rocate iti siddham ||382||
(Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“[A question is raised:] ‘Well, in this way with reference to the procedure and so forth stated in the Tantras, how can this method of worship based on one’s own fancy be accepted by the sat who are adherent to śāstra [i.e., how shall those who are adherent to śāstra approve of the alternate manner of meditation and worship related to the yogapīṭha that was just described in HBV 7.377–380, wherein Śrī Rādhā and the other gopīs are present in the first circle of companions around Śrī Kṛṣṇa, since this latter configuration differs from the aforesaid configuration that was taught in the Krama-dīpikā]? To this he writes evam … [i.e., to answer this question, the author writes HBV 7.381]. Specifically that which in the matter of meditation, ritual worship, and so forth is highly pleasing to the one-pointed is exceedingly pleasing to Bhagavān. Thus, specifically that is approved by the sat. This is the meaning.
“He evidences this [conclusion] specifically: tāny eva … [i.e., he cites SB 3.24.31]. This is a statement of blessed Kardama to Śrī Kapiladeva: ‘O Bhagavān, specifically those forms (rūpāṇi), that is, (1) descensions (avatāras) of yours, or, (2) figures [of yours] that are four-armed, two-armed, or otherwise, or, (3) complexions [of yours] of white, black, and so on, or (4) beauties [of yours], which are pleasing to your own persons—to those one-pointed bhaktas—are suitable (abhirūpāṇi), that is, apt, for you (te). This is the meaning because of an abundance of paramount affection [on Śrī Bhagavān’s part] for bhaktas [i.e., because Śrī Bhagavān out of great affection desires to please his bhaktas and thus only those forms which are indeed pleasing to his bhaktas are suitable forms for him]. Alternately, the meaning [of the word abhirūpāṇi] is approved [i.e., alternately, the sense is that specifically those forms of yours which are pleasing to your bhaktas are approved of (abhirūpāṇi) by you]. Alternately, [the meaning is that] specifically those forms [which are pleasing to your bhaktas] are pleasing to you (te), and thus specifically those [forms] are abhirūpāṇi, that is, most captivating of the mind [i.e., beautiful]. The [meaning of] rest [of the words in the verse] is the same [in the case of these alternate interpretations of the meaning of the word abhirūpāṇi]. [The only exception is the word ‘of you who are free of form’ (arūpiṇaḥ)]. ‘Of you who are free of form’ (arūpiṇaḥ)—in the case of the first view [i.e., in the case of first aforesaid meaning of ‘forms’ (rūpāṇi) as descensions (avatāras)], the meaning is of he who is the highest source of descensions in regard to whom there is no bearer of form, that is, there is no source of descension [i.e., ‘of you who are free of form’ (arūpin) in this case means of you who do not come from any source because you yourself are the ultimate source of all descensions (avatāras)]. In the case of both the second and third view [i.e., in the case of the second and third aforesaid meanings of ‘forms’ (rūpāṇi) as (a) figures that are four-armed, two-armed, or otherwise, and (b) complexions that are white, black, and so on], the letter a refers to Viṣṇu, and [thus the word arūpiṇaḥ means] of you who are a bearer of that form [i.e., of you whose form is Viṣṇu]. Thus, the meaning is of you who are possessed of being four-armed, of being swarthy complexioned, and so on. In the fourth [i.e., in the case of four aforesaid meaning of ‘forms’ (rūpāṇi) as beauties], he who is possessed of paramount natural beauty in comparison to whom no one else is ‘possessed of form,’ that is, possessed of beauty, is the meaning. Although you are such, yours … [i.e., overall sense of the verse is that although Śrī Bhagavān is arūpin in the four aforesaid ways, still specifically those forms (rūpas) of his which are pleasing to his one-pointed bhaktas are suitable for, approved of, and pleasing to, him]. Thus, “Because of this descension, [viz.,] Śrī Kapila, possessed of a white complexion and so on is pleasing to me, you have descended in this way [to me],’ is the intent of Śrī Kardama [i.e., Śrī Kardama speaks the verse under discussion so as to convey to Śrī Bhagavān that he feels that Śrī Bhagavān has appeared to him in the form of white complexion and the like found in Śrī Kapiladeva specifically because Śrī Bhagavān knew that this form of Śrī Kapiladeva would be the form most pleasing to Śrī Kardama]. “Alternately, [the ‘forms’ (rūpāṇi) mentioned in the verse can be understood as follows:] those forms by which Śrī Bhagavān is embodied, that is, observed—made visibly present before the eyes—are the ninefold limbs of bhakti, hearing and so forth, which are of such nature (yāni) [i.e., which are pleasing to persons who are Śrī Bhagavān’s own, that is, to his bhaktas]. ‘Of you who are free of form’ (arūpiṇaḥ) [i.e., in the case of this alternate understanding of Śrī Bhagavān’s ‘forms’ (rūpāni) as being limbs of bhakti to him, the meaning of the word ‘form’ (rūpa) in the compound ‘of you who are free of form’ (arūpiṇaḥ) is as follows]: ‘form’ (rūpa) refers to a delineation, one possessed of that is a ‘bearer of form’ (rūpī), and the meaning [of the compound ‘of you who are free of form’ (arūpiṇaḥ)] is [thus] of one who is beyond that [i.e., beyond being possessed of any delineation], that is, of one who is possessed of effable greatness. The [meaning of the] rest [of the content in the verse] is just as before [i.e., as in the case of the previous explanations of the ‘forms’ (rūpaṇi) of Śrī Bhagavān as his descensions, etc.]. Therefore, ‘My prior desire for being fixed solely in bhakti—[in] hearing and so forth [about you]—by means of relinquishing home and so forth is indeed pleasing to you’—this intention on his part [i.e., on the part of Śrī Kardama] is to be understood. In this way it is established that specifically that which is pleasing to the one-pointed is pleasing to Bhagavān.”