कर्ममिश्रा त्रिविधा सम्भवति—सकामा, कैवल्यकामा, भक्तिमात्रकामा च । यद्यपि कामकैवल्ये अपि … इत्युक्तेः केवलयैव भक्त्या सम्भवतः, तथापि तत्तद्वासनानुसारेण तत्र तत्र रुचिर्जायते । इत्येवं तत्तदर्थं तन्मिश्रता तु जायत इत्यवगन्तव्यम् । ततः सकामा प्रायः कर्ममिश्रैव । तत्र कर्मशब्देन धर्म एव गृह्यते । तल्लक्षणं च यमदूतैः सामान्यत उक्तं, वेदप्रणिहितो धर्म इति । वेदोऽत्र त्रैगुण्यविषयः, त्रैगुण्यविषया वेदा इति श्रीगीतोक्तेः । … श्रीगीतास्वेवान्यत्र तस्य कर्मसंज्ञितत्वं चोक्तं—भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञित इति । … भगवदर्पणेन भक्तिपरिकरीकृतत्वेन च भक्तिकृत्त्वमुच्यते । तदेवमीदृशेन कर्मणा मिश्रा सकामा भक्तिर् … ।
karma-miśrā trividhā sambhavati—sakāmā, kaivalya-kāmā, bhakti-mātra-kāmā ca | yadyapi kāma-kaivalye api … ity ukteḥ kevalayaiva bhaktyā sambhavataḥ, tathāpi tat-tad-vāsanānusāreṇa tatra tatra rucir jāyate | ity evaṁ tat-tad-arthaṁ tan-miśratā tu jāyata ity avagantavyam | tataḥ sakāmā prāyaḥ karma-miśraiva | tatra karma-śabdena dharma eva gṛhyate | tal-lakṣaṇaṁ ca yama-dūtaiḥ sāmānyata uktaṁ, veda-praṇihito dharma iti | vedo’tra traiguṇya-viṣayaḥ, traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā iti śrī-gītokteḥ | … śrī-gītāsv evānyatra tasya karma-saṁjñitatvaṁ coktaṁ—bhūta-bhāvodbhava-karo visargaḥ karma-saṁjñita iti | … bhagavad-arpaṇena bhakti-parikarīkṛtatvena ca bhakti-kṛttvam ucyate | tad evam īdṛśena karmaṇā miśrā sakāmā bhaktir … |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 225)
“Karma-miśrā bhakti can be of three types: (1) sakāmā [i.e., with desire for worldly ends], (2) kaivalya-kāmā [i.e., with desire for kaivalya (mokṣa)], and (3) bhakti-mātra-kāmā [i.e., with desire solely for bhakti]. … Although both kāma [i.e., desired worldly ends] and kaivalya are possible [i.e., attainable] only by exclusive (kevala) bhakti, … still taste arises for that and that [i.e., for kāma, meaning, worldly objects of desire, and kaivalya, even though someone may have engaged in exclusive (kevala) bhakti to attain them] in accord with vāsanās for those two [things, viz., worldly objects and kaivalya, which someone may have had before taking up engagement in exclusive (kevala) bhakti to attain them]. Thus, in this way, its [i.e., bhakti’s] being mixed [with karma] comes about for the sake of those objects [i.e., because of one’s making use of bhakti to obtain those objects, viz., various desired worldly objects and kaivalya]. This is to be understood. Thus, sakāmā [bhakti] is usually mixed only with karma. Therein, by the word karma, dharma is specifically understood [i.e., in the term ‘karma-miśra-bhakti,’ the word karma means dharma], and its definition in general is stated by the messengers of Yama [in SB 6.1.40]: ‘That which is prescribed in the Veda is [called] dharma.’ Here, Veda is that the subject of which is related to the three guṇas as per the statement of Śrī Gītā [in 2.45], ‘The Vedas are that the subject of which is related to the three guṇas’ (traiguṇya-viṣayā vedāḥ). … Elsewhere in Śrī Gītā itself [in 8.3], its [i.e., dharma’s] being defined as karma is also stated: ‘Offering [articles to the devatās] that gives rises to living beings’ desires is defined as karma.’ … Dharma is said to be a cause of bhakti [to Bhagavān in SB 11.19.25 (dharmo mad-bhakti-kṛt proktaḥ)] by its being made an assistant of bhakti and offering it to Bhagavān. Thus, in this way, sakāmā bhakti is that mixed with such [i.e., the aforementioned type of] karma [i.e., that which is synonymous with dharma and constituted of performing that which is prescribed in the Veda in regard to affairs related to the three guṇas].”