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 worship (bhajana) of him [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa]. It is engaging the mind in him free from upādhis (adjuncts) [i.e., desires] related to this world and the next [i.e., engaging in hearing, praising, remembering, and so forth related to him without any motivation of attaining anything related to this world or the next but rather with the motivation solely of attaining him such that one can serve and satisfy him]. And this is indeed [secondarily] naiṣkarmya [i.e., mukti, syn., jñāna; 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.”