पितृदेवमनुष्याणां वेदश्चक्षुस्तवेश्वर ।
श्रेयस्त्वनुपलब्धेऽर्थे साध्यसाधनयोरपि ॥
pitṛ-deva-manuṣyāṇāṁ vedaś cakṣus taveśvara |
śreyas tv anupalabdhe’rthe sādhya-sādhanayor api ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.20.4; cited in Tattva Sandarbha: 11)
“O Lord, regarding an imperceptible object, as well as the goal and the means [pertaining to it], your Veda is the best eye for the forefathers, the devas, and human beings.”
Commentary
Śrīdhara Svāmīpāda and Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda comment that ‘imperceptible object’ (anupalabdhe’rthe) can refer to mokṣa, Svarga, or other objectives. Jīva Gosvāmī comments that ‘imperceptible object’ refers to Bhagavān’s nature, figure, magnificence, and so on (Bhagavat-svarūpa-vigraha-vaibhavādau). Śrīdhara Svāmīpāda comments that ‘your Veda’ (tava Vedaḥ) means your statements in the form of the Veda, i.e., that the Veda is ultimately words of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself (tava tvad-vākya-rūpo Veda). Śrīdhara Svāmīpāda further comments that ‘best eye’ (śreyaḥ cakṣuḥ) refers to the best means of attaining true knowledge. Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda comments that it means the best cause of knowledge (śreyaḥ śreṣṭhaṁ cakṣur jñāna-hetuḥ).
Śrīdhara Svāmīpāda and Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda comment that ‘for the forefathers and so on’ (pitṛ-deva-manuṣyāṇāṁ) means for everyone: the Veda is not only for human beings but of the highest benefit for the forefathers and devas as well (BAD: nanu pitaro devāś ca sarva-jñāḥ pratyakṣato dṛṣṭvā manuṣyebhyaḥ kathayiṣyanti na, ity āha—pitr-ādīnāṁ sarveṣāṁ; SAD: na kevalaṁ manuṣyāṇām eva vedo niḥśreyasa-karo’pi tu deva- pitrādīnām apīty āha—pitṛ-deveti).