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- Read on →: uddiśya devatā eva juhoti ca dadāti ca
uddiśya devatā eva juhoti ca dadāti ca |
sa pāṣaṇḍīti vijñeyaḥ svatantro vāpi karmasu ||
(Padma Purāṇa: 6.235.8; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 222)“One who performs sacrifices or gives in charity only for the sake of the devatās [i.e., without due regard for or the intent to please Bhagavān] or who is independent in action [i.e., performs action considering oneself independently capable of doing so and entitled to the fruit thereof independent of Bhagavān] is to be known as a heretic (pāṣaṇḍi) [i.e., one who is fallen from the Vaiṣṇava path].”
- Read on →: karma-miśrā trividhā sambhavati—sakāmā, kaivalya-kāmā, bhakti-mātra-kāmā ca
karma-miśrā trividhā sambhavati—sakāmā, kaivalya-kāmā, bhakti-mātra-kāmā ca | yadyapi kāma-kaivalye api … ity ukteḥ kevalayaiva bhaktyā sambhavataḥ, tathāpi tat-tad-vāsanānusāreṇa tatra tatra rucir jāyate | ity evaṁ tat-tad-arthaṁ tan-miśratā tu jāyata ity avagantavyam | tataḥ sakāmā prāyaḥ karma-miśraiva | tatra karma-śabdena dharma eva gṛhyate | tal-lakṣaṇaṁ ca yama-dūtaiḥ sāmānyata uktaṁ, veda-praṇihito dharma iti | vedo’tra traiguṇya-viṣayaḥ, traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā iti śrī-gītokteḥ | … śrī-gītāsv evānyatra tasya karma-saṁjñitatvaṁ coktaṁ—bhūta-bhāvodbhava-karo visargaḥ karma-saṁjñita iti | … bhagavad-arpaṇena bhakti-parikarīkṛtatvena ca bhakti-kṛttvam ucyate | tad evam īdṛśena karmaṇā miśrā sakāmā bhaktir … |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 225)“Karma-miśrā bhakti can be of three types: (1) sakāmā [i.e., with desire for worldly ends], (2) kaivalya-kāmā [i.e., with desire for kaivalya (mokṣa)], and (3) bhakti-mātra-kāmā [i.e., with desire solely for bhakti]. … Although both kāma [i.e., desired worldly ends] and kaivalya are possible only by exclusive (kevala) bhakti, … still taste arises for that and that [i.e., for kāma, meaning, worldly objects of desire, and kaivalya] in accord with vāsanās for those two [things, viz., worldly objects and kaivalya]. Thus, in this way, its [i.e., bhakti’s] being mixed [with karma] comes about for the sake of those objects [i.e., because of one’s making use of bhakti to obtain those objects, viz., various desired worldly objects and kaivalya]. This is to be understood. Thus, sakāmā [bhakti] is usually mixed only with karma. Therein, by the word karma, dharma is specifically understood [i.e., in the term ‘karma-miśra-bhakti,’ the word karma means dharma], and its definition in general is stated by the messengers of Yama [in SB 6.1.40]: ‘That which is prescribed in the Veda is [called] dharma.’ Here, Veda is that the subject of which is related to the three guṇas as per the statement of Śrī Gītā [in 2.45], ‘The Vedas are that the subject of which is related to the three guṇas’ (traiguṇya-viṣayā vedāḥ). … Elsewhere in Śrī Gītā itself [in 8.3], its [i.e., dharma’s] being defined as karma is also stated: ‘Offering [articles to the devatās] that gives rises to living beings’ desires is defined as karma.’ … Dharma is said to be a cause of bhakti [to Bhagavān in SB 11.19.25 (dharmo mad-bhakti-kṛt proktaḥ)] by its being made an assistant of bhakti and offering it to Bhagavān. Thus, in this way, sakāmā bhakti is that mixed with such [i.e., the aforementioned type of] karma [i.e., that which is synonymous with dharma and constituted of performing that which is prescribed in the Veda in regard to affairs related to the three guṇas].”
- Read on →: karmārpaṇaṁ dvividham—bhagavat-prīṇana-rūpaṁ
karmārpaṇaṁ dvividham—bhagavat-prīṇana-rūpaṁ, tasmiṁs tat-tyāga-rūpaṁ ceti | … atra nimittāni ca trīṇi—kāmanā, naiṣkarmyaṁ, bhakti-mātraṁ ceti | niṣkāmatvaṁ tu kevalaṁ na sambhavati, yad yad dhi kurute jantus tat tat kāmasya ceṣṭitam ity ukteḥ | atra kāmanā-naiṣkarmyayoḥ prāyaḥ karma-tyāgaḥ | prīṇanaṁ tu tad-ābhāsa eva, svārtha-paratvāt | bhaktau punaḥ prīṇanam eva, bhaktes tu tad-eka-jīvanatvāt | … parama-bhaktās tu bhagavat-paritoṣaṇaṁ prīṇanam eva prārthayante … |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 224)“Offering karma [to Bhagavān] is of two types: that in the form of pleasing Bhagavān (Bhagavat-prīṇana) [i.e., making an offering of one’s karma to please Bhagavān], and in the form of giving that [i.e., karma] to him [i.e., offering karma to him without any intention to please him]. … There are three causes in this regard [i.e., the desired object of those who offer their karma to Bhagavān is one of three types]: a desire (kāmanā) [i.e., the fulfillment of a particular worldly desire], freedom from karma (naiṣkarmya) [i.e., attaining mukti], and bhakti alone [i.e., attaining bhakti for its own sake]. Pure desirelessness (niṣkāmatva) is not at all possible, as per the statement [in Manu-smṛti 2.4], ‘Indeed whatever a person does is an action of [i.e., motivated by] desire for that [i.e., for whatever object the action is related to].’ Herein [i.e., in regard to these three causes], in the case of [the causes of] desire (kāmanā) and naiṣkarmya, for the most part giving up of karma occurs [i.e., these two causes mostly fall into the second of the two aforementioned categories of offering karma to Bhagavān, that is, simply giving over one’s karma to Bhagavān without any specific intent to please him]. Pleasing [Bhagavān] is present only in appearance in them [i.e., it is not really there] because their [i.e., these actions] being self-interested. In the case of bhakti [i.e., in the case of offering karma to Bhagavān with the desire only of attaining bhakti], on the contrary, pleasing [Bhagavān] alone is present [in such an offering of karma] because of that [i.e., pleasing Bhagavān] being the very life of bhakti. … Great bhaktas pray only for the complete satisfaction of Bhāgavan, that is, pleasing [Bhagavān].”
- Read on →: sa eva bhakti-yogākhya ātyantika udāhṛtaḥ
sa eva bhakti-yogākhya ātyantika udāhṛtaḥ |
yenātivrajya triguṇāṁ mad-bhāvāyopapadyate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.29.14; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.19.174)“This [i.e., nirguṇa-bhakti] alone, known as bhakti-yoga, by which one surpasses the three guṇas and becomes fit for my bhāva [i.e., fit to experience my direct presence (bhāva), or, fit to attain prema (bhāva) for me], is declared the absolute [i.e., the supreme puruṣārtha].”