athāsmin tṛtīye’dhyāye tat-prāpakāṇi sādhanāni nirūpyante | teṣu mukhyaṁ tāvat prāpyetara-vaitṛṣṇyaṁ prāpya-tṛṣṇā ceti tat-siddhaye pūrva-pāda-dvayam ārabhyate | tatra prathame pāde pañcāgni-vidyām āśritya nānāvasthasya jīvasya loka-gatyā gati-rūpā doṣāḥ prakāśyante loka-virāgāya | dvitīye tu prāpyānurāga-hetavaḥ tan-mahimādayo guṇā vakṣyante | … tad itthaṁ janma-maraṇādi-duḥkhālayatva-rūpa-prapañca-doṣoktyā nikhila-nirdoṣa-kīrtanena ca nikhila-niyāmakatva-viśuddha-cid-vigrahatvādi-paramātma-guṇa-gaṇa-nirūpaṇena ca brahma-tṛṣṇaiva tad-itara-vitṛṣṇā-pūrvikā tat-prāpti-hetur iti pādābhyāṁ darśitaṁ bhavati |
(Excerpt from Govinda-bhāṣya: 3.1.1, 3.2.42)
“Now, in this third chapter, the means (sādhanas) of attaining him [i.e., he who is the sole Cause of the world, the faultless Ocean of qualities constituted of eternal being, consciousness, and bliss, Śrī Puruṣottama (Viśvaika-hetuṁ Nirdoṣa-guṇa-ratnākaraṁ Sac-cid-ānandātmakaṁ Puruṣottamaṁ)] are determined. Among them, the primary are, specifically, non-desirousness of all that is other than the object be attained (prāpya) and desire for the objected to be attained (prāpya). The first two sections [of this third chapter] are undertaken for the purpose of establishing them [i.e., these two primary sādhanas]. In this regard, in the first section, the faults in the forms of the movements as a result of the movement through [various] planes (lokas) of a jīva subject to various conditions after taking shelter in knowledge of the five fires are shown for the purpose of detachment from those planes, whereas in the the second [section], the qualities [of the object to be attained], beginning with his greatness, which are the causes of deep attachment (anurāga) to the object of attainment, will be discussed.” …
“Thus, in this way, it is shown by [these] two sections that desire for Brahman [i.e., Paramātmā, viz., Śrī Puruṣottama] preceded by the absence of desire for anything other than him as a result of (1) discussion of the faults of phenomenal existence in the form of [its] being an abode of the sufferings of birth, death, and so forth, (2) praise of [his being] completely faultless, and (3) ascertainment of the qualities of Paramātmā [i.e., Brahman, viz., Śrī Puruṣotama] beginning with [his] being the regulator of all and being possessed of a completely pure, conscious figure, is the cause of attainment of him.”
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