सप्रेमभक्तेः परमानुकूलं
दैन्यं महापुष्टिकरं सदा वः ।
तस्यापि तत्प्रेमविभावनेऽलं
भोगाकुलग्राम्यविहारजातं ॥
saprema-bhakteḥ paramānukūlaṁ
dainyaṁ mahāpuṣṭi-karaṁ sadā vaḥ |
tasyāpi tat-prema-vibhāvane’laṁ
bhogākula-grāmya-vihāra-jātaṁ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.74)
“[Śrī Nārada along with Uddhava to Gopa Kumāra:] The humility (dainya) of you all is always highly favorable for, and greatly nourishing of, bhakti [endowed] with prema, and the profusion of sport resembling [that of] a villager absorbed in enjoyment even on his [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān’s] part is well capable in regard to manifesting prema for him.”
Commentary
Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmīpāda introduces this verse as follows in his commentary,
evaṁ sāmānyenoktvādhunā prema-bhakti-paripoṣakatvena vaikuṇṭhe sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahānurūpa-vyavahārād api martya-loke pāñcabhautika-dehivad-vyavahāra eva tathā bhagavato’pi bhakteṣṭa-paripūrti-sampādakatvena laukika-bandhu-vyavahāra eva pāramaiśvarya-prakaṭanād apy utkarṣaṁ labhata iti viśeṣam āha—sapremeti |
“After having spoken in this way with commonality [i.e., after having described the behavior of Śrī Bhagavān and his bhaktas in the Dvārakā that manifests in the mortal plane and the Dvārakā existent in Vaikuṇṭha as being non-different], he [i.e., Śrī Nārada] describes the difference [between the behaviors of bhaktas and Śrī Bhagavān in these two domains as being] that the behavior similar to that of those with bodies made of the five elements in the mortal plane attains superiority even to behavior conformable to bodies [constituted] of eternal being, consciousness, and bliss in Vaikuṇṭha on account of [that behavior similar to that of those possessed of material bodies’] being most nourishing to prema-bhakti, and the behavior of a worldly kinsmen (bandhu) even on the part of Śrī Bhagavān [attains superiority] even to manifestations of paramount aiśvarya [that he exhibits elsewhere] because of [that behavior of a worldly kinsman (bandhu) on Śrī Bhagavān’s part’s] being an accomplisher of the complete fulfillment of the desired objects of bhaktas [as was explained in the preceding verses, BB 2.5.72–73]: saprema … [i.e., Śrī Nārada speaks this verse, BB 2.5.74]; the intention here is that although Śrī Bhagavān and his bhaktas have no particular concern as to whether they are together in the Dvārakā that manifests in the mortal plane or the Dvārakā that exists in Vaikuṇṭha, the behavior they exhibit that resembles the behavior of the mortal plane is superior to their behavior in Vaikuṇṭha for the reasons explained in the verse now being introduced].
Śrī Gosvāmīpāda goes on to explain that in this context “humility” (dainyam) refers to “behavior like that of one who is afflicted”(dīnavad-vyavahāraḥ), and that this is “highly favorable” (paramānukūlaṁ) to prema-bhakti in that it is supportive of manifestation of prema-bhakti (pravṛttau sāhāya-karaṁ), and it is “greatly nourishing” (mahāpuṣṭi-karaṁ) to prema-bhakti in that it is a cause of prema-bhakti’s greatly increasing (parama-vṛddhi-sampādakam). Śrī Bhagavān’s “profusion of sport resembling [that of] a villager absorbed in enjoyment” (bhogākula-grāmya-vihāra-jātaṁ), that is, the numerous līlās he performs with the mentality (abhimāna) and behavior of himself being a kinsmen (bandhu) of his bhaktas, also causes manifestation of prema-bhakti, or, reading the verse in a different manner, it is also said to be “highly favorable for, and greatly nourishing of, bhakti [endowed] with prema” (yad vā, atiśayena paramānukūlaṁ mahā-puṣṭikaraṁ ceti pūrveṇaiva sambandhaḥ).