अहो लौकिकसद्बन्धुभावं च स्तौमि येन हि ।
गौरवादेर्विलोपेन कृष्णे सत्प्रेम तन्यते ॥
aho laukika-sad-bandhu-bhāvaṁ ca staumi yena hi |
gauravāder vilopena kṛṣṇe sat-prema tanyate ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.76)
“[Śrī Nārada along with Uddhava to Gopa Kumāra:] Aho! And certainly I praise that attitude (bhāva) [on the part of bhaktas] of [Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s being] an excellent worldly kinsman by which excellent prema for Kṛṣṇa is expanded as a result of the removal of reverence and so forth [in regard to him].”
Commentary
An excerpt from Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmīpāda commentary on this verse is as follows,
nanu paramaiśvarya-viśeṣa-prakaṭanād eva tadīya-māhātmya-viśeṣa-jñānena premodreko jāyate, na ca putrādi-dṛṣṭyā laukika-bandhu-bhāvena | viśeṣataḥ parameśvare tathā dṛṣṭis tu doṣa eva, yathoktaṁ śrī-vasudevena bhagavat-stutau daśama-skandhe—tat te gato …, tathā viṣṇu-purāṇe’pi—sāpahnavaṁ … | … tatrāha—laukike lokānusāriṇi sad-bandhau parama-bāndhave iva bhāvaṁ kṛṣṇe citta-vṛttiṁ vyavahāraṁ vā, yena bhāvena śrī-kṛṣṇe sat utkṛṣṭaṁ prema tanyate vistāryate | katham? gauravāder vilopena nirasanena | ādi-śabdād bhayāviśvāsādi | gauravādeḥ prema-hānikaratvāt | … ataḥ paramāpekṣitasya bhagavati premātiśayasya yathā vṛddhiḥ syāt, tathācaraṇam evocitaṁ, guṇaś ceti bhāvaḥ |
“[An objection is raised:] Well, an abundance of prema arises as a result of awareness of a special form of his [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān’s] greatness solely because of a manifestation of a special form of his paramount aiśvarya, and not rather, as a result of the bhāva [i.e., attitude] of [him being] a worldly kinsman (bandhu) based on vision of [him being] a son or otherwise. In particular, such vision in regard to the Supreme Īśvara [i.e., the attitude of him being a worldly kinsman, such a son, or friend, or lover], rather, is verily a fault, as [is] stated by Śrī Vasudeva in the Tenth Canto in [his] praising of Bhagavān [in SB 10.85.19], tat te gato …, and also in Viṣṇu Purāṇa [5.20.99], sāpahnavaṁ …. To this [i.e., to refute the idea that the bhāva of considering Śrī Bhagavān to be an excellent kinsman who follows in some respects the ways of the world is a fault and is not a cause of an abundance of prema manifesting], he [i.e., Śrī Nārada] says [I praise] that bhāva, meaning, attitude (citta-vṛttim), or, behavior (vyavahāram), in relation to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is [regarded] like an excellent kinsman (sad-bandhu), that is, a great kinsman (parama-bāndhava), following [generally speaking, the character of the people in] the world—[that] bhāva by which excellent (sat) prema for Śrī Kṛṣṇa is expanded (tanyate). How [is prema expanded by this bhāva]? As a result of the removal (vilopena) of reverence and so forth. ‘And so forth’ (ādi) refers to fear, a lack of trust, and the like, because of reverence and so forth’s being detrimental to prema [i.e., prema cannot fully manifest when a bhakta feels fear, reverence, and other sentiments in relation to Śrī Bhagavān that contract the heart, and thus only when a bhakta has the mentality that Śrī Bhagavān is like a worldly kinsman can a bhakta relate with Śrī Bhagavān in a manner that is free from fear, reverence, and so forth, and thus experience a full manifestation of prema for Śrī Bhagavān within the heart]. … Therefore, only such action as a result of which an increase of an exceedance of prema for Bhagavān—[prema] which is supremely regarded [by bhaktas, as aforementioned in BB 2.5.72–73, i.e., only action that leads to an increase in prema, which is regarded by bhaktas as their sole and ultimate aim], is rightful [i.e., fit to be performed] and a quality [i.e., praiseworthy]. This is the purport.”