भक्तियोगः पुरैवोक्तः प्रीयमाणाय तेऽनघ ।
पुनश्च कथयिष्यामि मद्भक्तेः कारणं परम् ॥
श्रद्धामृतकथायां मे शश्वन्मदनुकीर्तनम् ।
परिनिष्ठा च पूजायां स्तुतिभिः स्तवनं मम ॥
आदरः परिचर्यायां सर्वाङ्गैरभिवन्दनम् ।
मद्भक्तपूजाभ्यधिका सर्वभूतेषु मन्मतिः ॥
मदर्थेष्वङ्गचेष्टा च वचसा मद्गुणेरणम् ।
मय्यर्पणं च मनसः सर्वकामविवर्जनम् ॥
मदर्थेऽर्थपरित्यागो भोगस्य च सुखस्य च ।
इष्टं दत्तं हुतं जप्तं मदर्थं यद्व्रतं तपः ॥
एवं धर्मैर्मनुष्याणामुद्धवात्मनिवेदिनाम् ।
मयि सञ्जायते भक्तिः कोऽन्योऽर्थोऽस्यावशिष्यते ॥
bhakti-yogaḥ puraivoktaḥ prīyamāṇāya te’nagha |
punaś ca kathayiṣyāmi mad-bhakteḥ kāraṇaṁ param ||
śraddhāmṛta-kathāyāṁ me śaśvan mad-anukīrtanam |
pariniṣṭhā ca pūjāyāṁ stutibhiḥ stavanaṁ mama ||
ādaraḥ paricaryāyāṁ sarvāṅgair abhivandanam |
mad-bhakta-pūjābhyadhikā sarva-bhūteṣu man-matiḥ ||
mad-artheṣv aṅga-ceṣṭā ca vacasā mad-guṇeraṇam |
mayy arpaṇaṁ ca manasaḥ sarva-kāma-vivarjanam ||
mad-arthe’rtha-parityāgo bhogasya ca sukhasya ca |
iṣṭaṁ dattaṁ hutaṁ japtaṁ mad-arthaṁ yad vrataṁ tapaḥ ||
evaṁ dharmair manuṣyāṇām uddhavātma-nivedinām |
mayi sañjāyate bhaktiḥ ko’nyo’rtho’syāvaśiṣyate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.19.19–24)
“The practice (yoga) of bhakti was indeed explained previously [to you by me]. O sinless one, for you who are finding pleasure [in that], I will describe again the best means of bhakti to me. Continuous śraddhā in the nectar of narration of me, recapitulating related to me, full fixity in ritual worship of me, praising [me] with hymns, attentive regard for adoring service [to me], offering respectful obeisance [to me] with all the limbs, exceeding worship of my bhakta, awareness of me in all entities, body-activity for purposes related to me, speaking of my qualities with the [faculty] of speech, offering of the mind to me, letting go of all desires, relinquishment of wealth, as well as of enjoyment and of pleasure, for my sake, and sacrifice, charity, oblations, utterance (japa), rites, and austerity which are for my sake—by means of such dharmas, O Uddhava, bhakti to me is manifested in full for human beings who are offerers of themselves [to me]. What other object remains for one [i.e., for such a bhakta]?”
Commentary
bhakti-yogaṁ sa-kāraṇam āha—bhakti-yogaḥ pūrvam ukta eva | tathāpi tasmin prītiṁ prāpnuvate tubhyaṁ punaś ca kathayiṣyāmi | śraddhā śravaṇādaraḥ | śaśvad iti sarvatrānuṣajjate | mad-anukīrtanaṁ śravaṇānantaraṁ mat-kathā-vyākhyānam ity arthaḥ | aṅga-ceṣṭā laukikī kriyā | vacasā laukikenāpi mad-guṇānām īraṇaṁ kathanam | mad-arthe mad-bhajanārthaṁ tad-virodhino’rthasya parityāgaḥ, bhogasya tat-sādhanasya candanādeḥ, sukhasya putropalālanādeḥ | iṣṭādi vaidikaṁ yat karma tad api mad-arthaṁ kṛtaṁ bhakteḥ kāraṇam ity arthaḥ | bhaktiḥ prema-lakṣaṇā sañjāyate | asya bhaktasyānyaḥ ko’rthaḥ sādhana-rūpaḥ sādhya-rūpo vāvaśiṣyate? sarvo’pi svata eva bhavatīty arthaḥ |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā)
“He [viz., Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa] speaks of the practice (yoga) of bhakti along with [its] means [i.e., he speaks SB 11.19.19]. The practice (yoga) of bhakti was indeed explained previously [by me to you]. Still, I will describe it again for you, who are finding pleasure in that. Śraddhā refers to attentive regard for hearing. ‘Continuous’ (śaśvat) is applied everywhere [i.e., it meant to be understood to apply to all of the practices listed in these verses]. ‘Recapitulating related to me’ (mad-anukīrtanam) refers to explaining narrations about me after hearing [those narrations]. ‘Body-activity’ (aṅga-ceṣṭā) refers to worldly activity. Speaking (īraṇam) of my qualities with the [faculty of] speech refers to even to folk [speech, i.e., even to using vernacular and commonplace language]. ‘For my sake’ (mad-arthe) means for the sake of worship of me. Relinquishment of wealth hindering of that [i.e., of worship of me], of enjoyment (bhogasya), that is, of means to that [i.e., to personal enjoyment] like sandalwood, and of pleasure (sukhasya), like caressing a son [is the sense]. Even action (karma) which is Vedic [i.e., enjoined in the Vedas], such a sacrifice [i.e., along with charity, oblations, and so on], performed for my sake is a means of bhakti. This is the meaning. Bhakti the nature of which is prema manifests in full [by way of these aforesaid means]. What other object the form of which is a means of attainment (sādhana) or the form of which is an object to be attained (sādhya) remains for one (asya), that is, for a bhakta? ‘Even everything comes about entirely of its own accord’ is the meaning [i.e., one who practices in the aforesaid means of bhakti is sure to attain bhakti, and by means of bhakti, indeed anything and everything so desired can be attained].”
punaś ca kathayiṣyāmi mad-bhakteḥ kāraṇam iti pratijñātam evāha—śraddheti caturbhiḥ | śraddhā śravaṇādaraḥ | śaśvad iti sarvatrānuṣajjate | mad-anukīrtanaṁ śravaṇānantaraṁ mat-kathā-vyākhyānam ity arthaḥ | aṅga-ceṣṭā laukikī kriyā | vacasā laukikenāpi mad-guṇānām īraṇaṁ kathanam | mad-arthe mad-bhajanārthaṁ tad-virodhino’rthasya parityāgaḥ, bhogasya tat-sādhanasya candanādeḥ, sukhasya putropalālanādeḥ | yad vā, artho dhanaṁ, bhogo viṣayopabhogaḥ, sukhaṁ mokṣānandaḥ, teṣāṁ parityāgaḥ | iṣṭādi vaidikaṁ yat karma tad api mad-arthaṁ ced bhakteḥ kāraṇam ity arthaḥ | atrādau prāyo bhakter mukhyāny aṅgāny uktāni | sarva-kāma-vivarjanādīni ca prāyaḥ sādhanāny eva | evam īdṛśair etair vā ātma-nivedināṁ satāṁ bhaktiḥ prema-lakṣaṇā samyag jāyate | asya bhaktasya anyaḥ ko’rthaḥ sādhana-rūpaḥ sādhya-rūpo vāvaśiṣyate? sarvo’pi svata eva bhavatīty arthaḥ | yad vā, asya mama, tataś ca satāṁ mad-bhakti-samyag-āvirbhāve sati mamaiva kṛtārthatā syād ity arthaḥ |
(Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.514-517, 526)
“[In the previous verse, SB 11.19.19, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa said:] ‘Again I will describe the means of bhakti to me.’ Thus, he describes with four [verses]—śraddhā … [i.e., SB 11.19.20–23]—specifically that which he proposed [to describe]. Śraddhā refers to attentive regard for hearing. ‘Continuous’ (śaśvat) is applied everywhere [i.e., it meant to be understood to apply to all of the practices listed in these verses]. ‘Recapitulating related to me’ (mad-anukīrtanam) refers to explaining narrations about me after hearing [those narrations]. ‘Body-activity’ (aṅga-ceṣṭā) refers to worldly activity. Speaking (īraṇam) of my qualities with the [faculty of] speech refers to even to folk [speech, i.e., even to using vernacular and commonplace language]. ‘For my sake’ (mad-arthe) means for the sake of worship of me. Relinquishment of wealth hindering of that [i.e., of worship of me], of enjoyment (bhogasya), that is, of means to that [i.e., to personal enjoyment] like sandalwood, and of pleasure (sukhasya), like caressing a son [is the sense]. Alternately, ‘wealth’ (artham) refers to riches, ‘enjoyment’ (bhoga) to enjoyment of the sense objects (viṣaya), and pleasure (sukha) refers to the bliss of mokṣa. Relinquishment of these [is thus the alternate sense]. Even action (karma) which is Vedic [i.e., enjoined in the Vedas], such a sacrifice [i.e., along with charity, oblations, and so on], performed for my sake is a means of bhakti. This is the meaning. In this regard, firstly in general primary limbs of bhakti are stated. [The limbs of] Letting go of all desires and so forth, furthermore, are only potentially means of attainment (sādhanas) [i.e., they are not primary limbs of bhakti in and of themselves]. Bhakti the nature of which is prema manifests in full by means of such, or by way of these [aforesaid dharmas] for the sat who are offerers of the self. What other object the form of which is a means of attainment (sādhana) or the form of which is an object to be attained (sādhya) remains for one (asya), that is, for a bhakta? ‘Even everything comes about entirely of its own accord’ is the meaning [i.e., one who practices in the aforesaid means of bhakti is sure to attain bhakti, and by means of bhakti, indeed anything and everything so desired can be attained]. Alternately, ‘for one’ (asya) means for me, and thus, the meaning is that when a complete manifestation of bhakti to me occurs for the sat, then indeed my own successfulness shall come about [i.e., I feel as though no further object remains to be attained when my bhakta attains bhakti to me in full].”
mat mama bhakti-yogaḥ premopāyaḥ puraivokta eva | punaś ca mad-bhakteḥ premṇaḥ kāraṇam upāyaṁ kathayiṣyāmīty arthaḥ | atha bhakti-mātra-kāmāyāṁ karma-miśrām āha—śraddheti catuṣkam | abhyadhikā mat-pūjāto’pi tatra mama santoṣa-viśeṣāt | sarva-bhūteṣv api dṛśyamāneṣu mamaiva matiḥ tatra tatra sphuraṇaṁ | sarva-kāmety ādikaṁ kathā-niṣṭhā-sampādana-dvārā kāraṇam | mad-arthe mad-bhajanārthaṁ tad-virodhito’rthasya parityāgaḥ, bhogasya tat-sādhanasya candanādeḥ, sukhasya putropalālanādeḥ | iṣṭādi vaidikaṁ yat karma tad api mad-arthaṁ kṛtaṁ bhakteḥ kāraṇam ity arthaḥ | evaṁ kāya-vāṅ-manobhis tad-artha-mātra-ceṣṭāvattvenānuṣṭhitair bhāgavatābhidhair bhagavad-dharmair ātma-nivedinām | ‘yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā’ ity-ādi-nyāyenāsya bhakti-mātra-kāmasya bhaktasya ko’nyo’rthaḥ sādhana-rūpaḥ sādhya-rūpo vāvaśiṣyate? sarvo’rtho’sāv anādṛto’pi śrī-kṛṣṇārthe’khila-ceṣṭāvato’sya bhakti-mātra-kāmasya tad-āśrito’pi bhavatīty arthaḥ, iti parama-puruṣārtha-śiromaṇau tatra sarva-sukhāntarbhāvāt |
(Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā; Bhakti Sandarbha: 228)
“The practice (yoga) of bhakti to me (mat), that is, the means of [expressing] prema [for me], was indeed explained previously [by me to you]. Again, I will describe the means (kāraṇam) of bhakti to me, that is, of prema [for me]. This is the meaning. Then, he [viz., Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa] describes that [i.e., bhakti] mixed with karma in the case of [one having] desire only for bhakti: śraddhā … [i.e., he speaks SB 11.19.20–23], a set of four [verses]. [The mention of] ‘Exceeding’ (abhyadhikā) [in regard to worship of my bhakta] means [exceeding] even of worship of me because of my special satisfaction in that [i.e., I am especially pleased when one offers worship to my bhakta that exceeds even worship of myself when that worship is offered knowing that]. Awareness of me specifically even in all visible entities refers to mental perception (sphuraṇam) [of my presence] in all of them. ‘Letting go of all desires’ and so forth are means by way of bringing about fixity in narrations [of me]. ‘For my sake’ (mad-arthe) means for the sake of worship of me. Relinquishment of wealth hindering of that [i.e., of worship of me], of enjoyment (bhogasya), that is, of means to that [i.e., to personal enjoyment] like sandalwood, and of pleasure (sukhasya), like caressing a son [is the sense]. Even action (karma) which is Vedic [i.e., enjoined in the Vedas], such a sacrifice [i.e., along with charity, oblations, and so on as mentioned in the verse], performed for my sake is a means of bhakti. This is the meaning. [Bhakti to me is manifested in full ‘by means of such dharmas’ (evaṁ dharmaiḥ), that is] By means of the dharmas related to Bhagavān known as Bhāgavatas [i.e., Bhāgavata-dharmas] practiced with the body, speech, and mind because of [their] being possessed of activity [that is] solely for his sake for offerers of themselves. As per the principle [described in SB 5.18.12], ‘The suras along with all qualities reside in full within one who has unconditional bhakti to Bhagavān,’ what other object the form of which is a means of attainment (sādhana) or the form of which is the object to be attained (sādhya) remains for one (asya), that is, for a bhakta who is possessed of desire only for bhakti? All objects, although disregarded [by the bhakta], also become subject to him [i.e., available to the bhakta] who is possessed of desire only for bhakti and all of whose actions are for the sake of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This is the meaning because of all satisfaction being included there in the supreme, crest-jewel of puruṣārthas [viz., bhakti to Śrī Bhagavān].”
yat pṛṣṭaṁ tvad-bhakti-yogaṁ ca mahad-vimṛgyam ākhyāhīti tatrāha—bhakti-yoga iti | puraivokta iti tad api tvaṁ śrutvāpi tatra tṛpty-abhāvād eva punaḥ pṛcchasīti bhāvaḥ | punar api kathayiṣyāmi, yataḥ prīyamāṇāya tasminn eva prītiṁ prāpnuvate tatrāpi hetuḥ anagheti | aparādhe saty eva tatra prītir hrasati nānyatheti bhāvaḥ | kāraṇaṁ paraṁ śreṣṭha-maṅgalam | amṛta-rūpā yā katheti | tat-kathāyāḥ sarvasyā amṛtatve’py atimādhuryavatī rāsādi-sambandhinīty arthaḥ | śraddhā atiśraddhā | abhyadhikā mat-santoṣa-viśeṣaṁ jñātvā mat-pūjāto’pīty arthaḥ | aṅga-ceṣṭā danta-dhāvanādi-daihikī kriyāpi mad-arthe mat-sevārtham | vacasā apabhraṁśa-vākyenāpi gīta-bandhena mad-guṇa-kathanam | mad-arthe madīya-yātrotsavādy-arthe artha-parityāgaḥ śrī-guru-vaiṣṇavādi-sampradānakaḥ | yad vā bhajana-virodhino’rthasyopekṣā, bhogasya strī-sambhogādes tyāgaḥ sukhasya putropalālanādeḥ | dattaṁ dānaṁ, hutaṁ brāhmaṇa-vaiṣṇava-mukhe ghṛta-pakvānna-prakṣepaḥ, viṣṇave svāheti saṁskṛta-bahirmukhe tilājya-nikṣepo vā | japtaṁ sahasra-lakṣādi-bhagavan-nāma-mantra-japaḥ | etat tritayam eva iṣṭaṁ bhaktānāṁ yāgaḥ | mad-arthaṁ mat-prāpty-arthaṁ vratam ekādaśy-upavāsādikaṁ yat tad eva bhaktānāṁ tapaḥ | asya niṣkāma-bhaktasya ko’nyo’rtho’to’paraṁ kiṁ phalam avaśiṣṭaṁ bhavati | kintu tad eva punaḥ punar amutra kathā-śravaṇādikam eva phalam | tena jñānino yathā sādhya-prāptau satyāṁ sādhanasya tyāga uktaḥ | tathā bhaktasya sādhya-bhakti-prāptau satyāṁ sādhana-bhakteḥ śravaṇa-kīrtanādikāyā naiva tyāgaḥ | pratyuta prema-rasa-rūpāyāḥ sādhya-bhakter anubhāva-rūpā śravaṇa-kīrtanādi-bhaktiḥ pūrvato’pi sahasra-guṇitā bhavatīti |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“In regard to that which was asked [by Uddhava in SB 11.19.8], ‘Please describe in full the practice (yoga) of bhakti to you, which is also sought [even] by the mahats,’ he [viz., Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa] says bhakti-yogaḥ … [i.e., he speaks SB 11.19.19]. [The practice of bhakti was] Indeed explained previously [by me to you]. Thus, even though you have heard of that as well, you ask [about it] again just because of an absence of satiation with it. This is the purport. I will describe it again since you finding pleasure (prīyamāṇāya), that is, you are feeling pleasure in that specifically. Further in this regard, a cause [of Śrī Kṛṣṇa deciding to describe bhakti-yoga to Uddhava again] is [indicated by Śrī Kṛṣṇa addressing Uddhava as] ‘O sinless one’ (anagha). Pleasure in that [i.e., in the practice of bhakti] diminishes only when offense (aparādha) occurs, and not otherwise. This is the purport. [I will described] The means (kāraṇaṁ) [which] are the best (param), that is, the greatest auspiciousness.
“In regard to, ‘Narration [of me] which is a form of nectar’ (amṛta-kathā), since even the entirety of that [type of] narration [i.e., all narration about me] has the nature of being nectar (amṛta), that possessed of immense sweetness and related to rāsa [i.e., to my rāsa-līlā with the gopīs of Vraja] and so forth [i.e., and other līlās that are endowed with such preeminent sweetness] is the meaning [i.e., since all narration of me is comparable to nectar, when I speak of narration that is nectar, I speak of narrations about me that are nectar even in comparison to all other narrations about me, that is, the narrations that are the most sweet of all]. Śraddhā refers to great śraddhā [i.e., utmost attentive regard]. ‘Exceeding’ (abhyadhikā) means even in regard to worship me, understanding my special satisfaction [i.e., ‘exceeding worship of my bhakta’ (mad-bhakta-pūjābhyadhikā) refers to performing worship of my bhakta that exceeds even the worship one performs of me that is performed because one understands that such exceeding worship of my bhakta is especially pleasing to me]. ‘Body-activity for purposes related to me’ (mad-artheṣv aṅga-ceṣṭā) refers even to bodily activities like brushing the teeth. [‘Speaking of my qualities with the [faculty of] speech’ (vacasā mad-guṇeraṇam) refers to] Describing my qualities with song-compositions even with vernacular speech. ‘Relinquishment of wealth for my sake’ (mad-arthe’rtha-parityāgaḥ) refers to giving [wealth] to the blessed guru, Vaiṣṇavas, and others for the sake of outings, festivals, and so forth related to me [i.e., for the purpose of conducting celebrations and the like]. Alternately, [it refers to] disregard for wealth that is hindering of worship [of me]. Relinquishment of ‘enjoyment’ (bhogasya) refers to conjoint enjoyment (sambhoga) with women and so forth. [Relinquishment] ‘Of pleasure’ (sukhasya) refers to caressing a son and so forth. ‘Charity’ (dattam) refers to giving. ‘Oblations’ (hutam) refers to casting food cooked in ghee into the mouths of brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas, or, to depositing [balls of] sesame and melted butter into a consecrated, external mouth [of Bhagavān] with [the accompanying utterance], ‘Viṣṇave svāhā.’ ‘Utterance’ (japtam) refers to uttering (japa) of Bhagavān’s name or a mantra a thousand times, a lakh of times, or otherwise. The sacrifice (iṣṭam) specifically of these three is the sacrifice (yāga) of bhaktas [i.e., the mention of ‘sacrifice’ (iṣṭam) here need not be construed as a separate item but rather as a qualifier that indicates that the aforementioned charity (dattaṁ), oblations (hutaṁ), and utterance (japtaṁ) are the sacrifice that bhaktas perform in lieu of other forms of sacrifice performed by the twice-born in accord with the injunctions in the Vedas and other śāstras]. Rites (vratam) of fasting on Ekādaśī and so forth ‘for my sake’ (mad-artham), that is, for the sake of attaining me—those specifically are the austerity of bhaktas [i.e., the mention of ‘rites’ (vratam) and ‘austerity’ (tapaḥ) here is not meant to be construed to refer to two separate items but rather meant to be construed to mean that the austerity (tapaḥ) of bhaktas is the rites they perform for the sake of attaining me and not anything else]. ‘For one’ (asya), that is, for a desireless (niṣkāma) bhakta, ‘what other object remains’ (ko’nyo’rthaḥ …), that is, thereafter, what other result remains? [None]. Rather, that itself—again and again in the hereafter [i.e., in one’s next life] hearing narrations and so forth—is itself the result [attained by performing the aforementioned means, that is, limbs, of bhakti as a means of attainment (sādhana)]. Thus, as a jñānī’s relinquishment of the means of attainment (sādhana) when attainment of the object to be attained (sādhya) occurs is described, so a bhakta’s relinquishment of bhakti that is a means of attainment (sādhana-bhakti), that is, of [the acts of bhakti of] hearing, praising, and so forth, when attainment of bhakti that is the object to be attained (sādhya-bhakti) certainly is not [i.e., unlike jñānīs, bhaktas do not relinquish the sādhana they perform once they attain siddhi]. Rather, the [acts of] bhakti of hearing, praising, and so on the form of which are ensuants (anubhāvas) of bhakti that is the object to be attained (sādhya-bhakti), the form of which is the rasa of prema, become multiplied a thousandfold even in comparison to before [i.e., even in comparison to the extent to which hearing, praising, and other acts of bhakti were performed as means to the attainment (sādhana) of prema-bhakti, a bhakta performs those very acts a thousand times more once they attain prema-bhakti].”