पुरेह भूमन्बहवोऽपि योगिन-
स्त्वदर्पितेहा निजकर्मलब्धया ।
विबुध्य भक्त्यैव कथोपनीतया
प्रपेदिरेऽञ्जोऽच्युत ते गतिं पराम् ॥
pureha bhūman bahavo’pi yoginas
tvad-arpitehā nija-karma-labdhayā |
vibudhya bhaktyaiva kathopanītayā
prapedire’ñjo’cyuta te gatiṁ parām ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.14.5; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.588, Bhakti Sandarbha: 96)
“O Infinite One! O Acyuta! In the past here, even many yogīs whose activities were offered to you understood the Ātmā and reached your supreme abode solely by bhakti [which was] attained through their own actions [that were offered to you] and acquired through discussion [of you].”
Commentary
bhaktyaiva jñānaṁ nānyathety atra sadācāraṁ pramāṇayati—pureheti | he bhūmann ! aparicchinna ! iha loke pūrvaṁ yogino’pi santo yogair jñānam aprāpya paścāt tvad-arpitehās tvayy arpitā laukiky apīhā ceṣṭā yais te nija-karma-labdhayā, tvad-arpitair nijaiḥ karmabhir labdhayā | tvayy arpitā īhā nijāni karmāṇi ca tair labdhayety ekaṁ padaṁ vā | kathopanītayā kathayā tvat-samīpaṁ prāpitayā bhaktyaiva vibudhya ātmānaṁ jñātvā añjaḥ sukhenaiva te parāṁ gatiṁ prāptāḥ |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā)
“Jñāna is attained only by bhakti and not otherwise. Brahmā thus substantiates the proper conduct in this regard: pureha … [i.e., he speaks this verse]. O Infinite One (bhūman)! O you who are unlimited! In the past (purā) here (iha), that is, in this world, even many yogīs (bahavo yogino’pi), that is, sādhus, whose efforts (īhā), that is, endeavors, although worldly, were offered (arpita) to you (tvad) after not attaining knowledge (jñāna) through yogas [i.e., various yoga practices], understood (vibudhya) the Ātmā and easily (añjaḥ) reached (prapedire) your supreme (parāṁ) abode (gatiṁ) solely (eva) by bhakti (bhaktyā) which was attained (labdhayā) through their own (nija) actions (karma) offered to you, or, [with tvad-arpitehā-nija-karma-labdhayā all] as one word, [which was] attained (labdhayā) through their own (nija) efforts (īhā) and actions (karma) offered (arpita) to you (tvad), and [which was] acquired (upanītayā) through discussion (kathā) that causes attainment of nearness to you.”
he bhūman, iha loke pūrvaṁ bahavo yogino’pi santo yogair jñānam aprāpya paścāt tvayi arpitehā laukiky api ceṣṭā | tathā arpitāni yāni nijāni karmāṇi, tair labdhayā kathā-ruci-rūpayā, punaś ca kathopanītayā tvat-samīpaṁ prāpitayā kathanīya-ruci-rūpayā bhaktyaiva āñjaḥ sukhena vibudhya ātma-tattvam ārabhya śrī-bhagavat-tattva-paryantam anubhūya tava parām antaraṅgāṁ gatiṁ prāptāḥ |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 96)
“O Infinite One (bhūman), in the past (purā) here (iha), that is, in this world, even many yogīs (bahavo yogino’pi), that is, sādhus, whose efforts (īhā), that is, endeavors, although worldly, were offered (arpita) to you (tvad) after not attaining knowledge (jñāna) through yogas [i.e., various yoga practices], easily (añjaḥ) understood (vibudhya), that is, experienced [the Ātma], beginning from ātma-tattva [i.e., the nature of the self] up to Śrī Bhagavat-tattva [i.e., the nature of Śrī Bhagavān], and reached (prapedire) your supreme (parāṁ), that is, interior, abode (gatiṁ) solely (eva) by bhakti (bhaktyā) [that was] attained (labdhayā) through their own (nija) actions (karma), which were offered [to you], in the form of taste (ruci) for discussion (kathā) [of you], and furthermore [this bhakti was] acquired (upanītayā) through discussion (kathā) in the form of taste (ruci) for the subject of discussion [i.e., you] that causes attainment of nearness to you.”