शुश्रूषोः श्रद्दधानस्य वासुदेवकथारुचिः ।
स्यान्महत्सेवया विप्राः पुण्यतीर्थनिषेवणात् ॥
śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ |
syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.16)
“O learned ones, taste for discussion of Vāsudeva shall come about for one possessed of śraddhā and desirous to hear [such discussion] as a result of service to a mahat as an outcome of pilgrimage to a holy place.”
Commentary
nanu satyam eva karma-nirmūlanī hari-kathā-ratiḥ, tathāpi tasyāṁ rucir notpadyate | kiṁ kurmaḥ? tatrāha—śuśrūṣor iti | puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇān niṣpāpasya mahat-sevā syāt, tathā ca tad-dharma-śraddhā, tataḥ śravaṇecchā, tato ruciḥ syād ity arthaḥ |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā)
“[A question is raised:] ‘Well, it is certainly true that attachment (rati) to discussion of Hari is eradicating of karma. Still, taste (ruci) for that has not come about. [So,] What shall we do?’ To that, he [i.e., Sūta Gosvāmī] says śuśrūṣoḥ … [i.e., he speaks this verse, viz., SB 1.2.16]. Service to a mahat shall come about for a sinless person as a result of pilgrimage to a holy place. Thereafter, furthermore, śraddhā in the dharma of the mahat [shall come about], then desire to hear [shall come about], and then taste (ruci) [for discussion of Vāsudeva] shall come about. This is the meaning.”
nanv evam api tasya kathā-rucir manda-bhāgyānāṁ na jāyata ity āśaṅkya tatra sugamopāyaṁ vadan tām ārabhya naiṣṭhika-bhakti-paryantāṁ bhaktim upadiśati pañcabhiḥ |tatra śuśrūṣor iti, ‘bhuvi puru-puṇya-tīrtha-sadanāny ṛṣayo vimadāḥ’ ity-ādy-anusāreṇa ‘prāyas tatra mahat-saṅgo bhavati’ iti tadīya-ṭīkānumatyā ca puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇād dhetor labdhā yadṛcchayā yā mahat-sevā, tayā vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ syāt | kāryāntareṇāpi tīrthe bhramato mahatāṁ prāyas tatra bhramatāṁ tiṣṭhatāṁ vā darśana-sparśana-sambhāṣaṇādi-lakṣaṇā sevā svata eva sampadyate | tat-prabhāveṇa ca tadīyācaraṇe śraddhā bhavati | tadīya-svābhāvika-paraspara-bhagavat-kathāyāṁ ‘kim ete saṅkathayanti tat śṛṇomi’ iti tad-icchā jāyate | tac-chravaṇena ca tasyāṁ rucir jāyate iti | tathā ca mahadbhya eva śrutā jhaṭiti kārya-karīti bhāvaḥ | tathā śrī-kapila-deva-vākyam—‘satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ | taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati ||’ iti ||
(Excerpt from Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā; Bhakti Sandarbha: 11)
“[A doubt is raised:] ‘Well, although this is so [i.e., although meditation upon Śrī Bhagavān cuts away the knot of karma and thus discussion of him is something fit to be found relishable by all living beings], taste for discussion of him does not come about for those of meager fortune.’ Expecting this [doubt], he [i.e., Sūta Gosvāmī] states an easily accessible means in that regard [i.e., an easy means by which taste for such discussion can come about], and, starting from that [i.e., from such taste for discussion of Bhagavān] he teaches bhakti up to [the stage of] bhakti with fixity (naiṣṭhika-bhakti) with five [verses]. In regard to śuśrūṣoḥ … [i.e., SB 1.2.16, the first of these five verses], in accord with [the statement in SB 10.87.35], ‘The ṛṣis free from conceit, whose abodes are the numerous holy places …,’ and in agreement with [the statement in] the commentary [of Śrī Śrīdhara Svāmīpāda] thereupon, ‘Association with a mahat generally occurs there [i.e., at a holy place],‘ taste (ruciḥ) for discussion of Vāsudeva shall come about as a result of the service to a mahat attained independently (yadṛcchayā) as a result of pilgrimage to a holy place (puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt). As a result of traveling to a holy place (tīrtha) even for another purpose, service in the form of observing, touching, conversing, and so forth with mahats, who generally travel to and dwell there [i.e., at holy places], comes about entirely of its own accord, and by their influence, śraddhā in their conduct also comes about. The desire, ‘What are they discussing? I would like to hear that,’ [also] arises in regard to their natural, mutual discussion of Bhagavān, and taste for that [discussion] arises as a result of hearing it. Moreover, that which is heard directly from mahats is swiftly effective. This is the purport. Similarly, there is a statement of Śrī Kapiladeva [in SB 3.25.25], ‘As a result of extensive association with sādhus, discussions [of me] become full perceptions of my potency and elixirs for the heart and the ears. By cherishing them, swiftly śraddhā, rati (bhāva), and bhakti (prema) to I who am the path to liberation will manifest in succession.‘”
tathāpi kathāyāṁ prītir evārvirbhāve prakāraṁ śṛṇutety āha—śuśrūṣor iti | mahat-sevayā yādṛcchika-mahat-kṛpā-janitayā mahatāṁ sevayā śraddadhānasya jāta-śraddhayā puṁsaḥ puṇya-tīrthaṁ sad-guruḥ, tasya niṣevaṇaṁ caraṇāśrayaṇaṁ syāt | nidānāgamayos tīrtham ṛṣi-juṣṭa-jale gurau ity amaraḥ | tasmāc ca śuśrūṣos tasya vāsudeva-kathāsu ruciḥ syād ity anvayaḥ |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“Still, one should hear about the process in regard to the appearance of fondness (prīti) for discussion [of Bhagavān]. Thus, he [i.e., Sūta Gosvāmī] says śuśrūṣoḥ … [i.e., he speaks this verse, viz., SB 1.2.16]. Pilgrimage to a holy place (puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇam), that is, taking shelter at the feet of a genuine (sat) guru, shall occur for one possessed of śraddhā, that is, a person in whom śraddhā has manifested, as a result of service to a mahat, that is, as a result of service to a mahat born of the independent (yādṛcchika) grace of a mahat. ‘Cause, source, holy place (tīrtha), water honored by a ṛṣi, and guru [are synonyms] according to Amara [i.e., the Amara-kośa, and thus ‘pilgrimage to a holy place’ (puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇam) can be understood to mean taking shelter of a sat-guru]. Therefore, furthermore, ‘Taste (ruciḥ) for discussions of Vāsudeva on the part of one who is desirous to hear’ is the syntactical order.”