भुक्तिमुक्तिस्पृहा यावत्पिशाची हृदि वर्तते ।
तावद्भक्तिसुखस्यात्र कथमभ्युदयो भवेत् ॥
bhukti-mukti-spṛhā yāvat piśācī hṛdi vartate |
tāvad bhakti-sukhasyātra katham abhyudayo bhavet ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛtā-sindhu: 1.2.22)
“As long as the fiend of desire for enjoyment or mukti remains in the heart, how can the emergence of the happiness of bhakti occur there?”
Commentary
atra mukti-spṛhāyām api piśācītvaṁ bhāvāntareṇa bhakti-spṛhāvarakatvāt, pūrvā parā ca svonmukha-tātparyavatīti | atra yadyapi bhaktā api saṁsārato muktā bhavanty eva, tathāpi tad-aṁśe tu teṣāṁ tātparyaṁ na bhavaty eva, kintu bhakteḥ prabhāveṇaiva sā syād iti | vyāpnoti hṛdayaṁ yāvad bhukti-mukti-spṛhāgrahaḥ iti pāṭhāntaraṁ tu suśliṣṭaṁ | tad evam anayā kārikayā sādhakānām api bhukti-mukti-spṛhā na yuktety uktaṁ, tataḥ sutarām eva siddhānāṁ nāstīty abhiprāyas tu paratrobhaya-vidha-tat-tad-udāharaṇeṣu jñeyaḥ |
(Durgama-saṅgamanī-ṭīkā)
“Here, even desire for mukti’s being [compared to] a fiend (piśācī) is because of [its] being an obstruction to desire for bhakti. The former [i.e., enjoyment] and the latter [i.e., mukti] possess a self-directed intention [i.e., they are both self-centered and devoid of primary focus on bhakti to Bhagavān]. In this regard, although even bhaktas certainly become liberated from saṁsāra, still, however, they do not have any intention upon that aspect [of bhakti, i.e., bhakti’s capability of bringing about mukti] yet that [i.e., mukti] shall happen just by the power of bhakti [as a natural, unsought by-product of their engaging in bhakti]. The variant, ‘As long as the obstinacy (āgraha) of desire for enjoyment or mukti pervades the heart …’ is well-suited. Thus, in this way, it is stated by the kārikā that even a sādhaka’s having desire for enjoyment or mukti is not proper, and thus, therefore, it is certainly not [proper] for siddhas [either]. This intention specifically is to be understood hereafter in regard to the various illustrations [of such desirelessness] on the part of both classes [i.e., sādhakas and siddhas].”
bhuktīti—śrī-bhāgavate’pi ‘svargāpavarga-narakeṣv api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ’ ity anena mokṣasya naraka-tulyatayā darśana-kathanād ato’tra mokṣa-spṛhāyāḥ piśācītva-kathanam api nāsaṅgatam iti jñeyam |
(Bhakti-sāra-pradarśinī-ṭīkā)
“Regarding bhukti … [i.e., BRS 1.2.22], as per the mention even in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam of sight of mokṣa as being equal to Naraka [in SB 6.17.28], ‘[Those who are devoted to Nārāyaṇa are] Seers of the same object amid Svarga, liberation, and even Naraka,’ it is to be understood that the mention of desire for mokṣa’s being [compared to] a fiend (piśācī) is also not in appropriate.”