श्रीकृष्णे वैष्णवानान्तु प्रेमभक्तिर्विवर्धते ।
कृष्णभक्तिरसासारवर्षिरुद्रानुकम्पया ॥
śrī-kṛṣṇe vaiṣṇavānān tu prema-bhaktir vivardhate |
kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasā-sāra-varṣi-rudrānukampayā ||
(Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 14.221)
“The prema-bhakti to Śrī Kṛṣṇa of Vaiṣṇavas certainly is increased by the favor of Rudra, who showers the essence of Kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa.”
Commentary
nanu śrī-kṛṣṇa-caraṇāravinda-bhakty-ekāpekṣakāṇāṁ vaiṣṇavānāṁ śiva-vratena kiṁ syāt ity apekṣāyāṁ likhati—śrī-kṛṣṇe iti | nanu śrī-śiva-vratena kathaṁ śrī-kṛṣṇa-prema-bhaktir varddhatām tatra likhati—kṛṣṇeti | kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasā-sāra-varṣiṇo rudrasyānukampayā śrī-śaṅkara-karuṇayaiva śrī-kṛṣṇa-prema-bhakti-viśeṣa-siddheḥ | yadvā kṛṣṇasya yā bhakti-rasa-varṣiṇī rudrānukampā tayā, evaṁ śrī-śiva-vratenaiva śrī-kṛṣṇa-kṛpā-viśeṣotpattes tat-prema-bhakti-vṛddhir bhavatīti dik |
(Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“[A question is raised:] ‘Well, what shall come of a Śiva-vrata for Vaiṣṇavas whose sole desire is bhakti to the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa?’ In expectation of this [question], the author writes this verse (Śrī-Kṛṣṇe …) [i.e., he states that observing the Śiva Rātri vrata will increase the prema-bhakti to Śrī Kṛṣṇa of such Vaiṣṇavas]. “[Another question is raised as to how this is possible:] ‘Well, how can prema-bhakti to Śrī Kṛṣṇa be increased by a vrata for Śrī Śiva?’ To this, he writes the second half of the verse (Kṛṣṇa-bhakti … ): because of the establishment [in the hearts of Vaiṣṇavas] of a particular type of prema-bhakti to Śrī Kṛṣṇa verily by the grace of Śrī Śaṅkara, that is, by the favor of Rudra, who is a showerer of the essence of Kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa [i.e., by observing the Śiva Rātri vrata, a Vaiṣṇava receives the favor of Rudra, who showers such Vaiṣṇavas with Kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa]. Alternately, [Rudrānukampayā means] by Kṛṣṇa’s favor of Rudra, which is a showerer of bhakti-rasa [i.e., alternately, the meaning is that by observing the Śiva Rātri vrata, a Vaiṣṇava receives the favor which Śrī Kṛṣṇa bestows upon Rudra, and that favor showers Kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa]. In this way [i.e., in accord with both meanings], an increase of prema-bhakti to him [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa] occurs [in the hearts of Vaiṣṇavas] because of the arising of a particular form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s grace specifically as a result of [performing] a vrata for Śrī Śiva. This is the direction.”