तासां नाथं बल्लवीनां समेतं
ताभिः प्रेम्णा संश्रयन्ती यथोक्तम् ।
मातः सत्यं तत्प्रसादान्महत्त्वं
तासां ज्ञातुं शक्ष्यसि त्वंच किञ्चित् ॥
tāsāṁ nāthaṁ ballavīnāṁ sametaṁ
tābhiḥ premṇā saṁśrayantī yathoktam |
mātaḥ satyaṁ tat-prasādān mahattvaṁ
tāsāṁ jñātuṁ śakṣyasi tvaṁ ca kiñcit ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.159)
“Aptly serving with prema
As described
The Lord of those ballavīs
Accompanied by them,
O Mother,
I promise that you too
Will be able to understand something
Of their greatness by their grace.”
Commentary
nanu māhātmya-viśeṣa-jñānaṁ vinā tāsāṁ dāsītva-kāmanayā tādṛśa-prema-bhajanaṁ kathaṁ setsyati? tatrāha—tāsām iti | yathoktaṁ tad-upāsanā-śāstroktam anatikramya, yad vā ‘mātar’ ity-ādi-ślokābhyāṁ mayā yad uktaṁ tad anatikramya | … ayam arthaḥ—mukhena sarvathā tat sarvaṁ varṇayitum aśakyam eva; kathañcid varṇitam api tvayā niḥśeṣaṁ dhārayitum aśakyam; ato yathokta-bhajana-pravṛttyaiva tvayā tat-kiñcit sva-manasy eva jñātavyam | tataḥ samyag bhajanaṁ sampatsyate; tataḥ punas tad-viśeṣo jñātavyaḥ; tataḥ punaḥ samyak prema-bhajanaṁ setsyatīti | … evaṁ bhagavad-bhajana-gopī-mahima-jñānayor anyo’nyaṁ krameṇa kārya-kāraṇatvaṁ darśitam | yadyapi bhagavatas tad-bhakteś ca māhātmya-viśeṣa-jñānād eva tat-prema-bhaktiḥ sampadyata iti sarvatrocyate, tathāpi nikhila-bhakta-gaṇa-mukhyatamānāṁ śrī-gopīnāṁ māhātmya-jñāne sati svata eva bhakter bhagavato’pi mahima-viśeṣo nitarāṁ jñātaḥ syād iti dik |
(Excerpt from the Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“[Mother Uttarā raises a question:] ‘Well, without knowledge of the special greatness [of the gopīs], how will worship with prema of that type [i.e., which is akin to that of the gopīs] with desire for servitude to them possible [i.e., how will I be able to follow the instructions you gave me in BB 1.7.154–155 if I am aware of the special greatness of the gopīs]?’ To this, he says tāsāṁ … [i.e., Śrī Parīkṣit Mahārāja speaks this verse]. ‘As described’ (yathoktam) means without transgressing the [manner of] worship (upāsanā) described in the śāstra, or, alternately, [it means] without transgressing that which was described by me in the two verses mātaḥ … [i.e., BB 1.7.154–155, which is to say, Śrī Parīkṣit Mahārāja again advises his mother Uttara to engage in worship of Kṛṣṇa in the manner he described earlier in BB 1.7.154–155]. …
“The meaning is this: all of that [i.e., the entirety of the greatness of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs] is certainly unable to be described in full by mouth, and even that which is described somewhat [i.e., even a portion of that greatness] is unable to be grasped in full by you. Therefore, something of that is able to be understood by you specifically in your own mind only by enactment of worship as described [i.e., as was described by me for you in BB 1.7.154–155]. Then, apt worship will become possible [i.e., by enacting worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the manner described in BB 1.7.154–155, you will be able to more deeply understand the special greatness of the gopīs, and as a result of the deepened understanding you will become able to perform worship aptly]. Then, further, detail of that will be able to be understood [by you, i.e., then you will be able to understand even more deeply the special greatness of the gopīs]. Then, further, apt worship with prema will become possible [i.e., then as a result of that further deepened knowledge of the special greatness of the gopīs, you will become able to perform worship with prema aptly]. In this way, worship of Bhagavān and knowledge of the gopīs’ greatness’ being effects and causes of one another sequentially is seen. Although it is said everywhere that prema-bhakti to Bhagavān shall manifest only from knowledge of the special greatness of him and bhakti to him, still when knowledge of the greatness of the beautiful gopīs, the foremost of all [his] bhaktas, comes into being, the special greatness of bhakti and of Bhagavān shall automatically become known in full. This is the direction.”