अथ दास्यम् । तच्च श्रीविष्णोर्दासं मन्यत्वम्—जन्मान्तरसहस्रेषु यस्य स्यान्मतिरीदृशी । दासोऽहं वासुदेवस्य सर्वान्लोकान्समुद्धरेत् ॥ इत्युक्तलक्षणम् । अस्तु तावत्तद्भजनप्रयासः केवलतादृशत्वाभिमानेनापि सिद्धिर्भवतीत्यभिप्रेत्यैवोत्तरत्र निर्देशश्च तस्य । यथोक्तं ‘जन्मान्तर’ इत्येतत्पद्यस्यैवान्ते ‘किं पुनस्तद्गतप्राणाः पुरुषाः संयतेन्द्रियाः’ इति । … तदेतद्दास्यसम्बन्धेनैव सर्वमपि भजनं महत्तरं भवति … । … दासोऽस्मीत्यभिमानेन सम्यगेव भजतां सर्वत्र साधने साध्ये च किमवशिष्यते? तदधिकमन्यत्किमपि नास्ति … ।
atha dāsyam | tac ca śrī-viṣṇor dāsaṁ manyatvam—janmāntara-sahasreṣu yasya syān matir īdṛśī | dāso’haṁ vāsudevasya sarvān lokān samuddharet || ity ukta-lakṣaṇam | astu tāvat tad-bhajana-prayāsaḥ kevala-tādṛśatvābhimānenāpi siddhir bhavatīty abhipretyaivottaratra nirdeśaś ca tasya | yathoktaṁ ‘janmāntara’ ity etat-padyasyaivānte ‘kiṁ punas tad-gata-prāṇāḥ puruṣāḥ saṁyatendriyāḥ’ iti | … tad etad-dāsya-sambandhenaiva sarvam api bhajanaṁ mahattaraṁ bhavati … | … dāso’smīty abhimānena samyag eva bhajatāṁ sarvatra sādhane sādhye ca kim avaśiṣyate? tad-adhikam anyat kim api nāsti … |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 304–305)
“That [i.e., dāsya], furthermore, is the state of considering [oneself] a servant of Śrī Viṣṇu as per the characteristic stated here [in Itihāsa-samuccaya, 31.121]: ‘One who after thousands of births shall have such attitude [i.e., sense of identity], ‘I am a servant of Vāsudeva’ can deliver all planes [throughout the universe].’ Let alone the exertion of service to him [i.e., actually performing service to Bhagavān], perfection (siddhi) is attained even through just [having] the attitude of being such [i.e., just by fostering the attitude of being a servant of Bhagavān]. With this intention specifically, its [i.e,, dāsya’s] description is later on [i.e., after the limbs of bhakti that involve specific forms of exertion, e.g., hearing, praising, and so forth]. At the end of this aforementioned verse [beginning] janmāntara …, [the following is stated,] ‘What’s more of persons whose prāṇas are given over to him and whose senses are controlled [i.e., they most certainly can deliver all planes throughout the universe, since even those who are not such but simply foster the attitude of being Bhagavān’s servant do so].’ … Therefore, just by a relationship with this dāsya [i.e., this attitude of being a servant of Bhagavān], even all [other forms of] bhajana becomes greater [i.e., more pleasing to Bhagavān]. … [Furthermore,] For those who engage fully in worship [of Bhagavān] with the attitude, ‘I am a servant [of Bhagavān],’ what remains [unaccomplished] in regard to the practice (sādhana) and the goal (sādhya) in any respect? [Nothing, meaning, fostering the attitude of being a servant of Bhāgavān and putting it into action accordingly is itself accomplishment of the practice and the goal.] There is nothing else greater than that [i.e., than the attitude of identifying oneself as a servant of Bhagavān and accordingly engaging in Bhagavān’s service for his satisfaction].”