Sādhana-bhakti

rasena yena yenānte veśākārādinā tathā |
sevitvā kṛṣṇa-pādābje yo yo vaikuṇṭham āgataḥ ||
tasya tasyākhilaṁ tat tac chrīmad-bhagavataḥ priyam |
tasmai tasmai praroceta tasmāt tat-tad-rasādikam ||
te ca sarve’tra vaikuṇṭhe śrī-nārāyaṇam īśvaram |
tat-tad-varṇādi-yuktātma-deva-rūpaṁ vicakṣate ||
pūrvavad bhajanānandaṁ prāpnuvanti navaṁ navam |
sarvadāpy aparicchinnaṁ vaikuṇṭhe’tra viśeṣataḥ ||
ye tv asādharaṇaiḥ sarvaiḥ pūrvair ātma-manoramaiḥ |
parivārādibhir yuktaṁ nijam iṣṭataraṁ prabhum ||
sampaśyanto yathā-pūrvaṁ sadaivecchanti sevitum |
te’tyanta-tat-tan-niṣṭhāntya-kaṣṭhavanto mahāśayāḥ ||
te cāsyaiva pradeśeṣu tādṛśeṣu purādiṣu |
tathaiva tādṛśaṁ nāthaṁ bhajantas tanvate sukham ||
ye caikatara-rūpasya prīti-niṣṭhā bhavanti na |
aviśeṣa-grahās tasya yat-kiñcid-rūpa-sevakāḥ ||
ye ca lakṣmī-pater aṣṭākṣarādi-manu-tat-parāḥ |
te hi sarve sva-dehānte vaikuṇṭham imam āśritāḥ ||
yathā-kāmaṁ sukhaṁ prāpuḥ sarvato’py adhikaṁ sukhāt |
teṣāṁ sva-sva-rasānaikyāt tāratamye’pi tulyatā ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.4.145–154)

“That particular beautiful rasa, as well as the garb, form, and so forth, dear to Bhagavān, with which they have worshiped the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and finally reached Vaikuṇṭha—all of that is deeply relished by them [i.e., by bhaktas who thereafter dwell eternally in Vaikuṇṭha] because of that [i.e., because of that form, garb, rasa, and so forth being dear to Śrī Bhagavān]. Furthermore, in Vaikuṇṭha, they all behold Śrī Nārāyaṇa, the Īśvara, in the form of their own Deva [i.e., in the form of their personal Iṣṭa-devatā] replete with that particular complexion and so forth [i.e., replete with the complexion, appearance, associates, and so forth unique to their Iṣṭa-devatā]. Although always unceasing as before, they attain newer and newer bliss in worship here in Vaikuṇṭha especially [i.e., as the bliss they felt during their worship in their final body in saṁsāra was unceasing, it is felt to increase and become ever-new upon entering their Iṣṭa-devatā’s personal abode and presence]. They as previously [aspired for] behold in full their own dearmost Prabhu [i.e., their Iṣṭa-devatā] replete with all the previous extraordinary associates and so forth [i.e., characteristics, activities, and so on] pleasing to their hearts which they always desired to worship [directly while they were in saṁsāra] since these high-minded ones [i.e., these bhaktas endowed with extremely deep, imperturbable cognitive functions (parama-gambhīrākṣobhya-citta-vṛttayaḥ)] are possessed of the extremity of superlative fixity [i.e., one-pointedness] in these [i.e., in these associates, characteristics, activities, and so forth specifically of their Iṣṭa-devatā]. Furthermore, they worship the Lord as such only in that way in such domains as the city [i.e., Dvārakā] and expand their bliss [i.e., they worship the Lord only in the particular form of their Iṣṭa-devatā along with his particular associates, particular abode, and so forth that are the specific object of their superlative fixity]. [On the contrary,] All of the worshipers of any particular form of the Lord of Lakṣmī who do not have fixity in love (prīti) for one particular form [of his] because they do not have any specific inclination [towards any one particular form of his] and who are devoted to a mantra such as the eight-syllable become sheltered in this Vaikuṇṭha after the demise of their own [final sāṁsārika] bodies and attain bliss as desired [by them] greater even than all [the] bliss [previously experienced by them while performing worship in saṁsāra]. Even in the midst of a gradation [in the degree of the bliss these bhaktas of various types experience] on account of the non-singularity of their own respective rasas, there is an equality among them.”

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