Abhidheya

atha krameṇa vistaratas tathaiva tātparyaṁ nirṇetuṁ

atha krameṇa vistaratas tathaiva tātparyaṁ nirṇetuṁ sambandhābhidheya-prayojaneṣu ṣaḍbhiḥ sandarbhair nirṇeṣyamāṇeṣu prathamaṁ yasya vācya-vācakatā-sambandhīdaṁ śāstraṁ, tad eva dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ ity-ādi-padye sāmānyākāratas tāvad āha—vedyaṁ vāstavam atra vastv iti |
(Tattva Sandarbha: 50)

“Now, in regard to the subjects to be ascertained by the six sandarbhas, [namely,] the sambandha [i.e., the relation], abhidheya [i.e., the directive], and prayojana [i.e., the aim], to ascertain elaborately in sequence the intention (tātparya) [of the author] therein [i.e., in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam], he [i.e., Vedavyāsa] describes in general in the verse dharmaḥ projhhita-kaitavaḥ [i.e., SB 1.1.2] the first [i.e., the sambandhi-tattva], that the bearer of a referrer-referent relation (vācya-vācakatā-sambandhin) with which is this śāstra [i.e., he speaks of the principal subject of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, the referent with whom Śrīmad Bhāgavatam bears the relationship of referrer (vācakatā)]: ‘Here [i.e., in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam] is the Reality (Vastu), the real object to be known.’”

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iha sambandhi-tattvaṁ brahmānandād api prakṛṣṭo rucira-līlā

iha sambandhi-tattvaṁ brahmānandād api prakṛṣṭo rucira-līlā-vaśiṣṭaḥ śrīmān ajita eva | sa ca pūrṇatvena mukhyatayā śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṁjña eveti śrī-bādarāyaṇa-samādhau vyaktībhaviṣyati | tathā prayojanākhyaḥ puruṣārthaś ca tādṛśa-tad-āsakti-janakaṁ tal-līlā-śravaṇādi-lakṣaṇaṁ tad-bhajanam evety āyātam |
(Tattva Sandarbha: 29)

“Here [i.e., in this text], the sambandhi-tattva [i.e., the subject, lit., ‘the entity bearing a relation (sambandha) [with the text],’ meaning, the entity related to through the text] is Śrīman Ajita [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān], who is possessed of relishable līlā and superior even to the bliss of Brahman. That he, furthermore, is known primarily as Śrī Kṛṣṇa by virtue of completeness [i.e., by virtue of the completeness he manifests only in his aspect known as Śrī Kṛṣṇa] will be clarified in [the forthcoming discussion of] Śrī Bādarāyaṇa’s samādhi. So also, the puruṣārtha [i.e., ‘object of a human being’], known as the prayojana [i.e., aim], and worship of him [i.e., the abhidheya], the characteristic of which is hearing and so forth of his līlā that produces such attachment (āsakti) to him [i.e., that leads to attainment of the prayojana, namely, prema for him] are understood.”

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athaivaṁ sūcitānāṁ śrī-kṛṣṇa-tad-vācya-vācakatā-lakṣaṇa-sambandha

athaivaṁ sūcitānāṁ śrī-kṛṣṇa-tad-vācya-vācakatā-lakṣaṇa-sambandha-tad-bhajana-lakṣaṇa-vidheya-saparyāyābhidheya-tat-prema-lakṣaṇa-prayojanākhyānām arthānāṁ nirṇayāya tāvat pramāṇaṁ nirṇīyate |
(Tattva Sandarbha: 9)

“Now, to ascertain the [four] topics thus indicated [in the preceding verse, i.e., yasya Brahmeti …], namely, (1) Śrī Kṛṣṇa [i.e., the subject], (2) the sambandha [i.e., the ‘relation’ of the text] with him the characteristic of which is [that of] referrer (vācakatā) and referent (vācya), (3) the abhidheya [i.e., ‘directive,’ lit., ‘that which is to be stated’], synonymous the with vidheya [i.e., ‘practice,’ lit., ‘that which is to be done’], the characteristic of which is worship (bhajana) of him [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa], and (4) the prayojana [i.e., aim, lit., ‘that motivated by which one acts’] the characteristic of which is prema for him, first pramāṇa [i.e., the means of knowing] is ascertained.”

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dvitīye tv abhidheyā śrī-bhaktiḥ premā prayojanam

dvitīye tv abhidheyā śrī-bhaktiḥ premā prayojanam |
viṣayo bhagavān atrety artha-traya-nirūpaṇam ||
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.1)

“(1) The abhidheya, beautiful bhakti, (2) the prayojana, prema, and (3) the subject, Bhagavān—here in this second chapter [of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam] there is a delineation of these three objects.”

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vaireṇa yaṁ nṛpatayaḥ śiśupāla-pauṇḍra

vaireṇa yaṁ nṛpatayaḥ śiśupāla-pauṇḍra-
śālvādayo gati-vilāsa-vilokanādyaiḥ |
dhyāyanta ākṛta-dhiyaḥ śayanāsanādau
tat-sāmyam āpur anurakta-dhiyāṁ punaḥ kim ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.5.48)

“Kings such as Śiśupāla, Pauṇḍraka, and Śālva attained equality with he [i.e., Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa] whom they meditated upon out of enmity while lying down, sitting, and so forth, their minds imprinted with his movements, play, glances, and so forth. [So,] How much more [is this attainment of equality with him certain to happen in the the case] of those whose minds are attached [to him]?”

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yadyapy akiñcanā bhaktir evābhidheyeti

yadyapy akiñcanā bhaktir evābhidheyeti tat-kāraṇatvena tad-bhakta-saṅga evābhidheye sati … |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 202)

“Although unconditional (akiñcanā) bhakti is certainly the abhidheya [i.e., the principal direction of the śāstra, the means to attain the highest end], association with his [i.e., Bhagavān’s] bhaktas is certainly [also] the abhidheya because of its being the cause thereof [i.e., of unconditional (akiñcanā) bhakti].”

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tad evaṁ bhagavad-arpita-dharmādi-sādhyatvāt tāṁ

tad evaṁ bhagavad-arpita-dharmādi-sādhyatvāt tāṁ vinānyeṣām akiñcitkaratvāt, tasyāḥ svata eva samarthatvāt, sva-leśena svābhāsādināpi paramārtha-paryanta-prāpakatvāt, sarveṣāṁ varṇānāṁ nityatvāc ca, sākṣād bhakti-rūpaṁ tat-sāmmukhyam evātrābhidheyaṁ vastv iti sthitam | iyam eva kevalatvād ananyatākhyā | … tasyāś ca mahādurbodhatvaṁ mahādurlabhatvaṁ coktam … | … tad evaṁ tasyāḥ śravaṇādi-rūpāyāḥ sākṣād-bhakteḥ sarva-vighna-nivāraṇa-pūrvaka-sākṣād-bhagavat-prema-phaladatve sthite parama-durlabhatve ca saty anya-kāmanayā ca nābhidheyatvam | … tan-mātra-kāmanāyāṁ ca bhakter evākiñcanatvam akāmatvaṁ ca saṁjñāpitam | … tatheyam evaikāntitety ucyate |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 165)

“Thus, in this way, here [i.e., in this book], intentness (sāmmukhya) upon him [i.e., Bhagavān] in the form of direct bhakti [to him] has been established as the subject, the abhidheya [i.e., the principal directive of the śāstra, the means to the highest attainment], because of (1) [its] being the goal of [performing] dharma and so forth offered to Bhagavān, (2) all else [i.e., all other processes] being useless [i.e., ineffective] without it, (3) [its] being capable [i.e., effective] of its own accord [i.e., independently of all other processes], (4) [its] being with just a trace of itself, a semblance of itself, and so forth a cause of attaining even the supreme object, and (5) [its] being compulsory for all varṇas. Because of [its] being exclusive [i.e., not involving worship of any other devatās], it is called ananyatā [i.e., unalloyedness, lit., ‘having no other’]. … Its being most difficult to understand and most difficult to attain are also stated [in SB 6.3.19, SB 3.15.24, and elsewhere]. … Thus, in this way, with this direct bhakti in the form of hearing and so forth being established as first the remover of all obstacles and [then] the bestower of the goal of prema for Bhagavān himself, and [its also being established as] extremely difficult to attain, [its] not being the abhidheya when [performed] with another desire [i.e., any desire other than desire for itself] is [established] as well. … When one has desire only for that [i.e., for bhakti itself], bhakti’s akiñcanatva [i.e., unconditionality, lit. ‘being without anything’] and akāmatva [i.e., being without desire for anything else, lit., ‘desirelessness’] is made known. … It is thus [also] called ekāntitā [lit., ‘one-pointedness’].”

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paramātma-vaibhava-gaṇane ca taṭastha-śakti-rūpāṇāṁ cid-eka-rasānām

paramātma-vaibhava-gaṇane ca taṭastha-śakti-rūpāṇāṁ cid-eka-rasānām api anādi-para-tattva-jñāna-saṁsargābhāvamaya-tad-vaimukhya-labdha-cchidrayā tan-māyayāvṛta-svarūpa-jñānānāṁ tayaiva sattva-rajas-tamo-maye jaḍe pradhāne racitātma-bhāvānāṁ jīvānāṁ saṁsāra-duḥkhaṁ ca jñāpitam | … tatas tad-arthaṁ parama-kāruṇikaṁ śāstram upadiśati | tatra ca ye kecit jīvā janmāntarāvṛtta-tad-arthānubhava-saṁskāravanto, ye ca tadaiva vā labdha-mahat-kṛpātiśaya-dṛṣṭi-prabhṛtayas, teṣāṁ tādṛśa-para-tattva-lakṣaṇa-vastūpadeśa-śravaṇārambha-mātreṇaiva tat-kālam eva yugapad eva tat-sāmmukhyaṁ tad-anubhavo’pi jāyate | … athānyeṣāṁ tac-chravaṇa-mātreṇa tādṛśatvaṁ bījāyamānam api kāmādi-vaiguṇyena bījam api doṣeṇa pratihataṁ tiṣṭhati | … tato mukhyena tātparyeṇa para-tattve paryavasite’pi teṣāṁ para-tattvādy-upadeśasya kim abhidheyaṁ prayojanaṁ cety apekṣāyāṁ tad-avāntara-tātparyeṇa tad-dvayam upadeṣṭavyam | tatrābhidheyaṁ tad-vaimukhya-virodhitvāt tat-sāmmukhyam eva | tac ca tad-upāsanā-lakṣaṇaṁ, yata eva taj-jñānam āvirbhavati | prayojanaṁ ca tad-anubhavaḥ | sa cāntar-bahiḥ-sākṣātkāra-lakṣaṇaḥ, yata eva svayaṁ kṛtsna-duḥkha-nivṛttir bhavati | … tad etad ubhayaṁ yadyapi pūrvatra siddhopadeśa evābhipretam asti, yathā “tava gṛhe nidhir asti” iti śrutvā kaścid daridras tad-arthaṁ prayatate labhate ca tam iti, tadvat, tathāpi tac-chaithilya-nirāsāya punas tad-upadeśaḥ | tad evaṁ tān praty anādi-siddha-taj-jñāna-saṁsargābhāvamaya-tad-vaimukhyādikaṁ duḥkha-hetuṁ vadan vyādhi-nidāna-vaiparītyamaya-cikitsā-nibhaṁ tat-sāmmukhyādikam upadiśati |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 1)

“Also further made known during the consideration of the potencies [i.e., the three śaktis] of Paramātmā [in the discussion thereof in Paramātma Sandarbha] was the suffering in saṁsāra of the jīvas, forms of [his] taṭastha-śakti, who, although solely consciousness (cit) in constitution, have their awareness of their true nature (svarūpa-jñāna) covered by the Para-tattva’s [i.e., the Supreme Entity’s] māyā on account of the acquired fault of obliviousness (vaimukhya) of that [Para-tattva] based on a beginningless absence of the existence of awareness of that [Para-tattva, i.e., a beginningless prior absence (prāg-abhāva) of awareness of the Para-tattva, which can be removed, that is, dispelled by becoming aware of the Para-tattva], and thereby are possessed of a fabricated sense of self (ātma-bhāva) within inert primordial matter (pradhāna) constituted of [the guṇas of] sattva, rajas, and tamas. … Therefore, the supremely compassionate śāstra teaches that object [i.e., the Para-tattva]. Furthermore in that regard, for some of those jīvas, that is, those possessed of a latent saṁskāra of experience of that object [i.e., the Para-tattva] from another birth, and those who alternately then [i.e., in that birth, alt., in this present birth] have received a glance and so forth of profuse grace from a great soul, just by their beginning to hear such teachings about the entity designated as the Para-tattva, intentness (sāmmukhyaṁ) upon that [i.e., the Para-tattva], and experience (anubhava) of that [i.e., the Para-tattva] as well, simultaneously arise at that very time [of hearing about the Para-tattva]. … Now, for others [i.e., those who have no saṁskāra of experience of the Para-tattva from a prior birth, and those who have not received the grace of a great soul capable of leading one to such experience], such [intentness upon and experience of the Para-tattva], even though capable of germinating like a seed [i.e., coming into being] just by hearing of that [i.e., by hearing the teaching of the śāstra about the Para-tattva], remains obstructed [from sprouting, i.e., manifesting] by the faults [in the minds of embodied jīvas] of the defects beginning with kāma. … Therefore, although by the primary intention (tātparya) [of śāstra] the Para-tattva is determined [i.e., although in the course of the first four sandarbhas the nature of the Para-tattva has been determined in this way], in expectation of [the questions], ‘What is the abhidheya [i.e., the principal directive, the means to attainment] and the prayojana [i.e., the objective, the goal to be attained] of that teaching [of the śāstra] about the Para-tattva and so forth for them [i.e., for the jīvas]?’ these two [i.e., the abhidheya and the prayojana] are necessary to be taught [also] by the secondary intention (tātparya) thereof [i.e., of the śāstra]. In that regard, the abhidheya is intentness (sāmmukhyam) upon that [i.e., the Para-tattva], because of [its] being negating of obliviousness (vaimukhya) of that [i.e., of the Para-tattva]. That [i.e., the abhidheya], further, is indicative of upāsanā [lit., ‘sitting near,’ i.e., engaging oneself in] that [i.e., the Para-tattva], on account of which awareness of that [i.e., the Para-tattva] appears. The prayojana is experience of that [i.e., the Para-tattva], and that [i.e., the prayojana], further is indicative of internal and external direct perception (sākṣātkāra) [of the Para-tattva], on account of which alone the complete cessation of suffering occurs of its own accord. … Therefore, although these two [i.e., the abhidheya and prayojana] are implied in the siddhopadeśa [i.e., implied instruction] in the former [i.e., in the earlier discussion in these sandarbhas of the nature of the Para-tattva], just as after hearing, ‘There is a treasure in your home,’ a poor person seeks that object and attains it [without having to be instructed to do so], still again teaching regarding them [i.e., the abhidheya and prayojana] is [given] to dispel laxity regarding [one’s endeavor to attain] them. Thus in this way śāstra tells them [i.e., the jīvas] about the cause of [their] suffering, that is, obliviousness and so forth of that [i.e., the Para-tattva] based on a beginninglessly existent absence of the existence of awareness of that [i.e., the Para-tattva], and teaches [them] intentness (sāmmukhya) upon that [i.e., the Para-tattva], which resembles a treatment consisting of negation of the cause of a disease.”

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tad evaṁ tasyāḥ śravaṇādi-rūpāyāḥ sākṣād-bhakteḥ

tad evaṁ tasyāḥ śravaṇādi-rūpāyāḥ sākṣād-bhakteḥ sarva-vighna-nivāraṇa-pūrvaka-sākṣād-bhagavat-prema-phaladatve sthite parama-durlabhatve ca saty anya-kāmanayā ca nābhidheyatvam | … tan-mātra-kāmanāyāṁ ca bhakter evākiñcanatvam akāmatvaṁ ca saṁjñāpitam | … tatheyam evaikāntitety ucyate … |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 165)

“Thus, when, in this way, direct (sākṣāt) bhakti in the form of hearing and so forth is established as first a remover of all obstacles and [then] a bestower of the goal of prema for Bhagavān himself, and as being supremely difficult [alt., rare] to attain, its not being the abhidheya [i.e., the means to attain the highest good enjoined by the śāstra for all beings] with another desire [i.e., when it is performed with a desire for anything other than prema for Bhagavān] is also [established]. … When [performed] out of desire only for that [i.e., for bhakti itself], bhakti is known as being akiñcanā [lit., ‘without anything’] and akāmā [lit., ‘without desire’]. … Similarly, it is called ekāntitā [lit., ‘one-pointed’].”

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tad evaṁ rāgānugā sādhitā

tad evaṁ rāgānugā sādhitā | sā ca śrī-kṛṣṇa eva mukhyā ‘gopyaḥ kāmāt’ ity-ādinā tasminn eva darśitatvāt, daityānām api dveṣeṇāpi tasminn evāveśa-lābha-darśanāt, siddhi-prāpteś ca | nānyatra tu kutrāpy aṁśiny aṁśe vā | ata evoktam, ‘tasmāt kenāpy upāyena manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet’ ity-ādi | atas tādṛśa-jhaṭity-āveśa-hetūpāsanā-lābhād eva svayam ekādaśe vaidhopāsanā svasmin noktā, kintv anyatra caturbhujākāra eva | tatra ca śuddhasya rāgasya śrī-gokula eva darśanāt, tatra tu rāgānugā mukhyatamā, yatra khalu svayaṁ bhagavān api teṣāṁ putrādi-bhāvenaiva vilasati … | tataś ca bhakta-kartṛka-bhojana-pāyana-snapana-vījanādi-lakṣaṇa-lālanecchāpi tasyākṛtrimaiva jāyate | … nānena caiśvaryasya hāniḥ tadānīm api tasyaiśvaryasyānyatra sphurad-rūpatvāt, bhaktecchā-mayatvasya ceśitari praśaṁsanīya-svabhāvatvād eva | yathā śrī-vrajeśvarī-baddha eva yamalārjuna-mokṣaṁ kṛtavān | tādṛśaiśvarye’pi tasmin śrī-vrajeśvarī-vaśyataiva śrī-śukadevena vanditā … | tasmād ye cādyāpi tadīya-rāgānugā-parās teṣām api śrī-vrajendra-nandanatvādi-mātra-dharmair upāsanā yuktā | yathā śrī-govardhanoddharaṇa-labdha-vismayān śrī-gopān praty uktaṁ svayaṁ bhagavataiva viṣṇu-purāṇe—yadi vo’sti mayi prītiḥ ślāghyo’haṁ bhavatāṁ yadi | tadātma-bandhu-sadṛśī buddhir vaḥ kriyatāṁ mayi || iti | … tathā—nāhaṁ devo na gandharvo na yakṣo na ca dānavaḥ | ahaṁ vo bāndhavo jāto nātaś cintyam ato’nyathā || iti | … ata eva jñānājñānayor anādareṇa kevala-rāgānugāyā evānuṣṭhitiḥ praśastā, ‘jñātvājñātvātha ye vai mām’ ity-ādinā | tasmāt śrī-gokula eva rāgātmikāyāḥ śuddhatvāt tad-anugā bhaktir eva mukhyatamā iti sādhv evoktam | tad evam anyatrāsambhavatayā rāgānugā-māhātmya-dṛṣṭyā pūrṇa-bhagavattā-dṛṣṭyā ca śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajanasya māhātmyaṁ mahad eva siddham | tatrāpi śrī-gokula-līlātmakasya |
(Excerpt from Bhakti Sandarbha: 325)

“Thus, in this way, rāgānugā [-bhakti] has been established [as the abhidheya]. This [i.e., rāgānugā-bhakti], furthermore, is primarily towards Śrī Kṛṣṇa in particular [i.e., as opposed to other forms of Bhagavān] because of [its] being shown specifically in relation to him by gopyaḥ kāmāt … [i.e., by SB 7.1.30, as discussed in BKS 321], and because of observation of even the daityas’ [i.e., asuras’] attainment of absorption in him in particular and achievement of perfection (siddhi) even through hatred [towards him in particular]. This does not occur in relation to any other whole (aṁśī) [i.e., any other complete manifestation of Bhagavān] or part (aṁśa) [i.e., partial manifestation of Bhagavān] anywhere. Therefore, it was said [in SB 7.1.31], ’One may absorb the mind in Kṛṣṇa by some particular means [i.e., SB 7.1.31 speaks of Kṛṣṇa specifically, and not of Bhagavān in general or of another of his forms].’
“Thus, because of the benefit of such worship (upāsanā) that is a cause of quick absorption [in Kṛṣṇa, as described in SB 7.1.25–31, i.e., because the process of rāgānugā-bhakti in relation to Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, based on Śrī Nārada’s teachings in SB 7.1.25–31, is a cause of quick absorption in him], worship (upāsanā) enjoined by rule [i.e., vaidhī-bhakti, which is not a cause of quick absorption in Kṛṣṇa as rāgānugā-bhakti is] was not spoken of by he himself [i.e., by Śrī Kṛṣṇa] in the Eleventh Canto [of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam] in relation to himself [i.e., in relation to his human-like two-armed form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa], but only in relation to his distinct, four-armed figure. Furthermore, because of observation of pure rāga in relation to him [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa, to be existent] only in Śrī Gokula, rāgānugā [-bhakti] there [i.e., in Śrī Gokula] where even Svayaṁ Bhagavān [himself] sports with the bhāva of [being] their [i.e., the residents of Gokula’s] son and so forth, is certainly the foremost of all [i.e., of all types of sādhana]. … Thus also, he even has entirely genuine [i.e., non-artificial] desire for the caring offered [to him] by bhaktas in the form of feeding, presenting drinks, bathing, fanning, and so forth. … Also, by this [i.e., by his adopting the bhāva of being the son and so forth of residents of Gokula], it is not that a loss of [his] aiśvarya [i.e., supreme capability] occurs because of his aiśvarya having a manifest form elsewhere [i.e., because his aiśvarya remains manifest in his other forms, activities, and abodes] even then [i.e., at the same time], and because of [his] being pursuant of the will of bhaktas being a praiseworthy disposition in a master (īśitṛ) [alt., in he who is the Supreme Master]. For example, even while bound by Śrī Vrajeśvarī [i.e., Mother Yaśodā], he liberated the Yamalārjunas [i.e., Maṇigrīva and Nalakūvera]. Even when he had [and showed] such capability [to liberate them], [however,] only his captivation by Śrī Vrajeśvarī was praised by Śrī Śukadeva [because this is even more praiseworthy than his liberating the Yamalārjunas]. … Therefore, even for those who even today are devoted to following a rāga related to him [i.e., to following the path of rāgānugā-bhakti], worship (upāsanā) in accord with his characteristics specifically of being the son of the king of Vraja [i.e., the characteristics he manifests in Śrī Gokula] is apt. For example, there is a statement in Viṣṇu Purāṇa by Svayaṁ Bhagavān himself to the beautiful gopas who had become amazed by his lifting of Śrī Govardhana: ‘If you all have love (prīti) for me, and if you all [also] consider I am praiseworthy [i.e., a worthy object of reverence], then you all should [give up your awe and reverence of me and] foster the attitude in regard me that I am like the kinsmen (bandhu) of your very self (ātmā) [i.e., that I am one of your fellow cowherds, alt., that I am like the dear friend (bandhu) of your heart (ātmā)]. I am neither a deva, nor a gandharva, nor a yakṣa, nor a dānava. I have been born as your kinsmen (bāndhava—bandhu), and thus from now on I am not to be thought of otherwise [i.e., as anyone other than one of your fellow cowherds and kinsmen; I should not be thought of as any sort of devatā].’ … Therefore, performance solely pure rāgānugā [-bhakti] without regard for understanding (jñāna) or non-understanding (ajñāna) [of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s aiśvarya] is best, as per [SB 11.11.33, wherein Śrī Kṛṣṇa himself instructs], ‘Having understood, or not having understood, me as far as I am, for who I am, and of what nature I am, those who worship me with a one-pointed (ananya) bhāva are considered by me the best of bhaktas.’
“Therefore, because of the purity of rāgātmikā [-bhakti] only in Śrī Gokula [i.e., because rāgātmikā-bhakti is most pure, that is, free from awareness of Kṛṣṇa’s aiśvarya, only in Śrī Gokula, that is, Vraja, in contrast to Mathurā, Dvārakā, Vaikuṇṭha, and elsewhere, on account of the bhāvas of rāgātmikā-bhaktas in Gokula, and not elsewhere, having no taint of the predominance of awareness of Kṛṣṇa’s aiśvarya], it was indeed rightly said that bhakti that follows that [i.e., the bhakti that follows the rāgātmikā-bhakti existent specifically in Śrī Gokula] is preeminent [i.e., is the foremost of all forms of sādhana-bhakti]. Thus, in this way, on account of impossibility elsewhere [i.e., the impossibility of pure rāgānugā-bhakti in relation to forms of Bhagavān other than Śrī Kṛṣṇa], and by means of recognition of the greatness of rāgānugā [-bhakti in comparison to vaidhī-bhakti and all other forms of sādhana] and recognition of complete Bhagavattā [i.e., the full nature of being Bhagavān, which is existent specifically in Śrī Kṛṣṇa, he who is Svayaṁ Bhagavān, and not in any other form of Bhagavān], it is established that the greatness of the worship (bhajana) of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and therein especially, [the worship] of he possessed of līlā in Śrī Gokula [i.e., the worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa manifest in Śrī Gokula specifically and not elsewhere] is the greatest [i.e., worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is greater than worship of any other form of Bhagavān, rāgānugā-bhakti worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is greater than any other form of worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, rāgānugā-bhakti worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Śrī Gokula in greater than any other form of rāgānugā-bhakti worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa elsewhere].”

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