तपस्विनो दानपरा यशस्विनो
मनस्विनो मन्त्रविदः सुमङ्गलाः ।
क्षेमं न विन्दन्ति विना यदर्पणं
तस्मै सुभद्रश्रवसे नमो नमः ॥
tapasvino dāna-parā yaśasvino
manasvino mantra-vidaḥ sumaṅgalāḥ |
kṣemaṁ na vindanti vinā yad-arpaṇaṁ
tasmai subhadra-śravase namo namaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.4.17; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 115; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.22.20)
“‘Obeisance and obeisance unto he of most auspicious glory without offering to whom the ascetics, the charitable, the renowned, the meditators, the knowers of mantras, and the well-conducted attain no weal.’
Commentary
bhakti-śūnyānāṁ sarva-sādhana-vaiphalyaṁ darśayan namati— tapasvina iti | manasvino yoginaḥ | sumaṅgalāḥ sadācārāḥ | yad yasmiṁs tapa-ādy-arpaṇaṁ vinā | subhadra-śravase ity āvṛttir yaśaḥ-śravaṇādeḥ prādhānya-jñāpanāya |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā)
“Showing the fruitlessness of all the practices (sādhanas) of those devoid of bhakti, he [i.e., Śrī Śukadeva] offers obeisance [to Śrī Bhagavān: tapasvinaḥ … [i.e., he states this verse]. ‘The meditators’ (manasvinaḥ) refers to yogīs, and ‘the well-conducted’ (sumaṅgalāḥ) to those of proper conduct (sadācāra). Without offering [their] austerity and so forth to whom (yat) [is the sense, meaning, the ascetics, the charitable, and so forth attain no weal unless they offer their austerity, charity, and so forth to Śrī Bhagavān]. The repetition of ‘unto he of most auspicious glory’ (subhadra-śravase) [again in this verse after it was first stated in SB 2.4.15 and repeated in 2.5.16] is for the purpose of conveying the primacy of hearing and so forth of his [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān’s] glory.”
kiṁ bahunā, bhaktiṁ vinā mahātmāno’pi viphala-sādhanā vigītā eva bhavantīty āha—tapasvino jñāninaḥ | dāna-parāḥ karmiṇaḥ | yaśasvinaḥ karmi-viśeṣāḥ aśvamedhādi-kartāraḥ | manasvino yoginaḥ | mantra-vida āgamīyāḥ | sumaṅgalāḥ sadācārāḥ | subhadra-śravase ity āvṛttir yaśaḥ-śravaṇādeḥ prādhānya-jñāpanāya |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“What [is the use] of more [discussion of the importance of bhakti to Śrī Bhagavān]? Without bhakti [to him], the fruitless practices (sādhanas) even of great souls (mahātmas) are verily decried. Thus, he [i.e., Śrī Śukadeva] speaks [this verse]. ‘The ascetics’ (tapasvinaḥ) refers to jñānīs, ‘the charitable’ (dāna-parāḥ) to karmīs, ‘the renowned’ (yaśasvinaḥ) to particular karmīs, that is, performers of horse sacrifices (aśvamedhas) and the like, ‘the meditators’ (manasvinaḥ) to yogīs, ‘the knowers of mantras’ (mantra-vidaḥ) to followers of the Āgamas, and ‘the well-conducted’ (sumaṅgalāḥ) to those of proper conduct (sadācāra). The repetition of ‘unto he of most auspicious glory’ (subhadra-śravase) [again in this verse after it was first stated in SB 2.4.15 and repeated in 2.5.16] is for the purpose of conveying the primacy of hearing and so forth of his [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān’s] glory.”