तदेव मन्यते भक्तेः फलं तद्रसिकैर्जनैः ।
भगवत्प्रेमसम्पत्तौ सदैवाव्यभिचारतः ॥
tad eva manyate bhakteḥ phalaṁ tad-rasikair janaiḥ |
bhagavat-prema-sampattau sadaivāvyabhicārataḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.3.165)
“It [i.e., nāma-saṅkīrtana] itself is [also] considered the fruit of bhakti [i.e., of prema] by persons who are connoisseurs of it because of its being always unfailing in manifesting prema for Bhagavān.”
Commentary
aho kiṁ vaktavyam? śreṣṭhaṁ sādhanam iti sādhyam api tad eva kaiścin manyate ity āhuḥ—tad eveti … | … nanu sarveṣām api sādhana-bhakti-prakārāṇāṁ premaiva phalam ity abhipretam satyaṁ nāma-saṅkīrtane sati premṇaḥ avaśyam-bhāvitvāt upacāreṇa tad eva phalaṁ manyata ity āhuḥ—bhagavad iti |
(Excerpt from the Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“The special attainment reached at the ultimate, most excellent pinnacle of all is attained only by means of saṅkīrtana. This has been definitively stated. [Thus], They [i.e., the Viṣṇu-dūtas speaking] with great delight again indicate the cause in regard to its supremacy: nāma … [i.e., they speak BB 2.3.164]. … Aho! What [more] is to be said? It itself is considered by some the supreme sādhana [i.e., means of attainment] and [supreme] sādhya [i.e., object to be attained] as well. Thus, they say tad eva … [i.e., they speak BB 2.3.165] . …
“[An objection may be raised:] ‘Well, it may be intended that prema is just the fruit of indeed every type of sādhana-bhakti [i.e., not just nāma-saṅkīrtana].’
“[To this objection it is said:] True [i.e., prema is the fruit of every type of sādhana-bhakti], [but] because of prema being inevitable [i.e., certain to be attained] when nāma-saṅkīrtana occurs, it is considered the fruit [of bhakti, i.e., of prema] in a figurative sense, and thus they say Bhagavat … [i.e., they state the second half of the verse,
wherein the reason for the figurative statement that nāma-saṅkīrtana is the fruit of prema-bhakti is explained: nāma-saṅkīrtana is always an unfailing cause of prema for Bhagavān manifesting, and something that invariably causes another thing is sometimes figuratively said to be a result or equivalent of that thing, as in the well-known statement āyur ghṛtam, “ghee is life.”].