स एव भक्तियोगाख्य आत्यन्तिक उदाहृत: ।
येनातिव्रज्य त्रिगुणं मद्भावायोपपद्यते ॥
sa eva bhakti-yogākhya ātyantika udāhṛtaḥ |
yenātivrajya triguṇāṁ mad-bhāvāyopapadyate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.29.14; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.19.174)
“This [i.e., nirguṇa-bhakti] alone, known as bhakti-yoga, by which one surpasses the three guṇas and becomes fit for my bhāva [i.e., fit to experience my direct presence (bhāva), or, fit to attain prema (bhāva) for me], is declared the absolute [i.e., the supreme puruṣārtha].”
Commentary
tasmāt sa eva nirguṇa-bhakti-yogākhya ātyantikaḥ, sa eva cātyantika-phalatayā bhavatīty apavarga ity arthaḥ, nātyantikaṁ vigaṇayantīty ādeḥ, ātyantika-pralayatayā tat-prasiddheś ca | nanu guṇa-trayātyaya-pūrvaka-bhagavat-sākṣātkāra evāpavarga iti cet, tasyāpi tādṛśa-dharmatvaṁ svataḥ siddham evety āha—yeneti | yena kadācid apy aparityājyena mama bhāvāya vidyamānatāyai sākṣātkārāyety arthaḥ | upapadyate samartho bhavati |
(Excerpt from the Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā; Bhakti Sandarbha: 234)
“Therefore, ‘This alone, known as bhakti-yoga, is the absolute’ means this alone is the absolute attainment, that is, the final beatitude (apavarga). This is the meaning, as per the statement [in SB 3.15.48], ‘Those who have taken shelter in your feet do not consider “the absolute” (ātyantika) [i.e., mokṣa] your grace’ and so forth [i.e., elsewhere the term ‘the absolute’ (ātyantika), which literally alludes to that which is the highest possible attainment, is used for mokṣa in general, and specifically sāyujya-mukti, but the point is made here that rather it is bhakti that is actually ‘the absolute,’ that is, the ultimate attainment, meaning, the ultimate puruṣārtha]. This [bhakti] is also [known as] ‘absolute absorption’ (atyantika-prayala) [i.e., the absolute state of complete absorption of the mind] on account of the renown of this [i.e., because of its also being well known as such from statements such as SB 12.4.34].
“[An objection is raised:] ‘Well, direct perception (sākṣātkāra) of Bhagavān after transcending the three guṇas is alone the final beatitude (apavarga).’ If this [is posited], [then to that he replies] its [i.e., niguṇa-bhakti-yoga’s] also being possessed of such nature is self-established. Thus he says yena … [i.e., he speaks the second half of SB 3.29.14]. ‘By which’ (yena), that is, by that [bhakti yoga] which is never to be abandoned, one becomes fit, that is, becomes qualified, for my bhāva, that is, for [my] presence, meaning, direction perception (sākṣātkāra) [of me]. This is the meaning.”
kim iti tarhi bhajante? bhakter eva parama-phalatvād ity āha sa eveti | atyante sarvānte bhava ātyantikaḥ | nanv ātyantika-śabdena sāyujyam ucyata ity āha bhakti-yogākhyaḥ bhakti-yoga-nāmāyaṁ tato’py adhikaṁ phalam ity arthaḥ | ata evāpavarga-śabdena kvacid brahmaṇi nirvāṇa-śabdena cāyam ucyate | yad uktaṁ pañcame apavargaś cāpi bhavati; yo’sau bhagavati … ananya-nimitta-bhakti-yoga-lakṣaṇa iti | saptame ca, adhokṣajālambham iha ity ādau, tad brahma-nirvāṇa-sukhaṁ vidur budhāḥ, harāv aikāntikīṁ bhaktiṁ mokṣam āhur manīṣiṇaḥ iti purāṇāntare ca | bhaktir asya bhajanam | tad ihāmutropādhi-nairāsyenaivāmuṣmin manaḥ-kalpanam | etad eva ca naiṣkarmyam iti gopāla-tāpanī-śrutiś ca | nanu triguṇa-mayād bandhāt mokṣa eva parama-phalaṁ prasiddham | satyam | tat tu bhaktāv ānuṣaṅgikam ity āha yena bhakti-yogena ativrajya atikramya ullaṅghyeti yāvat | mac-caraṇāśrayaṇa-mātreṇaiva triguṇātmaka-saṁsāra-sindhor goṣpadāyamānatve jāte tad-ullaṅghanam anusandhānaṁ vinaiva bhavatīti bhāvaḥ | mad-bhāvāya mad-viṣayaka-premne |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“[A question is raised:] ‘Why then do they [i.e., those who are your own, meaning, those possessed of nirguṇa-bhakti] worship [i.e., perform bhakti to you]?’ [They do so] Because of bhakti’s being the supreme attainment [i.e., because bhakti itself and not anything supposedly beyond bhakti that is meant to be attained by bhakti is the supreme attainment]. Thus, he [i.e., Kapiladeva] says sa eva … [i.e. this [nirguṇa-bhakti] alone is declared the absolute]. The state at the very end, that is, at the end of all [else, i.e., that is beyond and superior to all else] is [called] ‘absolute’ (ātyantika) [i.e., a bhakta engages in bhakti because bhakti itself is the absolute, the supreme attainment].
“[An objection is raised:] ‘Well, sāyujya is referred to by the word ‘absolute’ (ātyantika).’ Thus he says ‘known as bhakti-yoga’ (bhakti-yogākhya), that is, this [i.e., nirguṇa-bhakti], known as bhakti-yoga, is an attainment superior even to that [i.e., to sāyujya]. This is the meaning. Therefore, this [i.e., nirguṇa-bhakti] is referred to by the word apavarga [i.e., the final beatitude], and sometimes also by the the word nirvāṇa [i.e., becoming extinguished] in Brahman, (1) since it is stated in the Fifth Canto [5.19.20–21], ‘The final beatitude (apavarga), that the character of which is bhakti-yoga to Bhagavān without any other cause [i.e., without any cause other than itself] as well also occurs,’ [(2) since it is stated] in the Seventh Canto [7.7.37], ‘The wise know that coming in touch with Adhokṣaja [i.e., Bhagavān] is the happiness of extinguishment (nirvāṇa) in Brahman,’ [(3) since it is stated] in another Purāṇa, ‘The wise say one-pointed bhakti to Bhagavān is mokṣa,’ and [(4) since it is stated] in the Gopāla-tāpanī-śruti, ‘Bhakti is service (bhajana) to him [i.e., Bhagavān]; it is engaging in him [along with the other senses] the mind free from all upādhis [i.e., material desires, forms of conditioning, etc.] related to this world and the next, and this is indeed naiṣkarmya [i.e., mukti, lit., exoneration from and transcendence of karma].’
“[An objection is raised:] ‘Well, specifically liberation (mokṣa) from the bondage of the three guṇas is well known to be the supreme attainment.’ True, but that is inevitable [as a necessary secondary consequence] in bhakti. Thus, he says ‘by which’ (yena), that is, by bhakti-yoga one surpasses (ativrajya), meaning specifically, overcomes, or, crosses beyond [the three guṇas]. ‘When the ocean of saṁsāra constituted of the three guṇas becomes like cow’s footprint [i.e., effortlessly crossed over] just by taking shelter in my feet, then crossing beyond that occurs even without seeking that.’ This is the purport. ‘For my bhāva’ (mad-bhāvāya) means for prema focused on me.”