तादृग्भगवति प्रेमा पारमैश्वर्यदृष्टितः ।
सदा सम्पद्यते नैव भयगौरवसम्भवात् ॥
केवलं लौकिकप्राणसुहृद्बुद्ध्या स सिध्यति ।
लोकालोकोत्तरो योऽसावतिलोकोत्तरोऽपि यः ॥
tādṛg bhagavati premā pāramaiśvarya-dṛṣṭitaḥ |
sadā sampadyate naiva bhaya-gaurava-sambhavāt ||
kevalaṁ laukika-prāṇa-suhṛd-buddhyā sa sidhyati |
lokālokottaro yo’sāv atilokottaro’pi yaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.82–83)
“Prema of such nature for Bhagavān certainly cannot be attained by means of constant vision of [his] paramount aiśvarya because of the ensuance of fear and reverence. That [i.e., prema which follows the beautiful prema of those residents of Vraja] is attained only by means of the mentality of [his being like] the friend of one’s prāṇa as in the world. It [i.e., such prema] is that which is beyond the lokas and non-lokas, and which is beyond even that which is above the lokas [i.e., beyond even Vaikuṇṭha].”
Commentary
nanu sa tādṛk kathaṁ sidhyet? ity atrāha—tādṛg iti dvābhyām | bhagavati śrī-kṛṣṇe tādṛk tat-sadṛśaḥ premā ca pāramaiśvaryasya dṛṣṭitaḥ anubhavena jñānena vā sadā naiva sampadyate | sadety asya dvitīya-pādena sambandhaḥ caturtha-pādena vā | kutaḥ? bhaya-gaurava-sambhavāt parameśvaratā-dṛṣṭyā bhagavati śaṅkā guru-bhāvaś ca ghaṭetaiva | tataś ca samyak prema-viśeṣa-siddhir na syād ity arthaḥ | tarhi kathaṁ sampadyeta? tatrāha—kevalam iti | laukiko loka-vyavahārānusārī yaḥ prāṇa-suhṛt jīvana-bandhuḥ, tasminn iva buddhyā jñānena, yad vā, sa evāyam iti bhagavati niścayena, sa premā sidhyati | nanu tarhi laukika-priya-bandhu-buddhyā jāyamānaṁ premāpi prāyika-lokocito laukika-premānusāry eva sampadyeta, na tu lokātīto bhagavad-yogya iti cen nety āha—loketi | lokāś caturdaśa-bhuvanāny alokā loka-bāhyā āvaraṇādayaḥ tebhya uttaraḥ tatratyeṣu vartamānāt premṇaḥ sakāśāt śreṣṭha ity arthaḥ | yad vā, tebhyo bhinnaḥ tatratyeṣu yo na vidyata ity arthaḥ | kiṁ ca, atilokaḥ lokatve’py atikrāntāḥ lokāḥ prāpañcikās tad-atītāś ca sarve’pi pradeśāḥ, tatratyā janā vā, yena so’tiloko vaikuṇṭhato’py uttaro yaḥ premā tādṛk-prakāreṇa bhagavati kriyamāṇaḥ san viṣaya-mahimnā tat-prakāra-mādhurī-mahimnā ca svata evāśeṣa-lokātītatāṁ prāpnotīti bhāvaḥ |
(Dig-darśanī-ṭīkā)
“[A question is raised:] ‘Well, how can [prema] of such nature [i.e., prema the nature of which follows the beautiful prema of those residents of Vraja] be attained?’ To this, he [i.e., Śrī Nārada] answers with two [verses]: tādṛg …. Prema of such nature, meaning, [which is] akin to that [i.e., to the prema of the Vraja-vāsīs], for Bhagavān, meaning, for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, cannot be attained by means of vision, that is, perception, or, awareness, of [his] paramount aiśvarya. In regard to [the word] sadā [i.e., ‘constant’], its relation is with the second foot or with the fourth foot [i.e., it can be read as being related to the mention of vision of Bhagavān’s paramount aiśvarya (pāramaiśvarya-dṛṣṭitaḥ) in the second foot of the verse or as being related to the phrase ‘certainly cannot be attained’ (sampadyate naiva) in the fourth foot of the verse, and thus in addition to the translation offered above where it is read in relation to the second foot, the verse can also be translated as follows based on a reading of sadā in relation to the fourth foot: ‘Prema of such nature for Bhagavān certainly cannot ever (sadā) be attained by means of vision of [his] paramount aiśvarya because of the ensuance of fear and reverence’].
“Why [can’t prema of such nature be attained as a result of vision of Bhagavān’s paramount aiśvarya]? ‘Because of the ensuance of fear and reverence’ (bhaya-gaurava-sambhavāt), that is, because apprehension and veneration in regard to Bhagavān certainly arise from vision of [his] being the Supreme Īśvara, and thereby, a complete attainment of that special prema [which is akin to that of the Vraja-vāsīs, who do not see Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Īśvara] cannot occur. This is the meaning.
“[Thus, the question arises:] ‘Then how is it [i.e., prema of such nature] attained?’ To that, he says kevalam … [i.e., he speaks BB 2.5.83]. That prema is attained by means of the mentality, that is, awareness, of him as [being] the friend (suhṛt) of one’s prāṇa, meaning, the friend (bandhu) of one’s [very] life, who is ‘as in the world’ (laukika), that is, who follows the customs of the world (loka), or, alternately, [that prema is attained] by means of the certainty in relation to Bhagavān, ‘He is this [i.e., He, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is the friend of my life just as a friend in the world may be so considered, meaning, he is my dearest, most intimate, and most trusted friend].
“[An objection is raised:] ‘Well, then the prema arising by means of that mentality of [Bhagavān’s being] a dear friend as is in the world shall be of the nature common in the world and only in accord with the prema [found] in the world, and not, rather, beyond [the nature of] the world and befitting for Bhagavān [who is by nature beyond everything of the world].’ If this [is posited], [then in response] he says no: lokālokottaraḥ … [i.e., he speaks the second half of the verse]. That prema—which is beyond (uttaraḥ) these lokas, that is, the fourteen planes [within the brahmāṇḍa], and the non-lokas (aloka), that is, the coverings and so forth outside the [aforementioned] lokas [of the brahmāṇḍa], meaning, [that prema which is] superior to the prema present there throughout [all those lokas, coverings, and so on], or alternately, meaning, [that prema which is] distinct from them [i.e., all those lokas, coverings, and so on], that is, not existent anywhere throughout [them], and, furthermore, [that prema which] is beyond (uttaraḥ) even the all-surpassing loka, viz., Vaikuṇṭha, that is, beyond that which even while being a loka surpasses the lokas, meaning, all the regions belonging to the phenomenal world and those beyond it as well, or, all the people therein—[that prema] being enacted for Bhagavān in such manner [i.e., as it is enacted by the Vraja-vāsīs] attains the state of being beyond all the lokas [i.e., including even Vaikuṇṭha] solely by virtue of its own nature on account of the greatness of its object [viz., Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa] and on account of the greatness of the sweetness of its manner [i.e., its manner of enactment by the Vraja-vāsīs]. This is the purport.”