तत्रैवोत्पद्यते दैन्यं तत्प्रेमापि सदा सताम् ।
तत्तच्छून्यम् इवारण्यसरिद्गिर्यादि पश्यताम् ॥
सदा हाहारवाक्रान्तवदनानां तथा हृदि ।
महासन्तापदग्धानां स्वप्रियं परिमृग्यताम् ॥
tatraivotpadyate dainyaṁ tat premāpi sadā satām |
tat-tac-chūnyam ivāraṇya-sarid-giry-ādi paśyatām ||
sadā hāhā-ravākrānta-vadanānāṁ tathā hṛdi |
mahā-santāpa-dagdhānāṁ sva-priyaṁ parimṛgyatām ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.242–243)
[Uddhava to Gopa Kumāra:] “There [i.e., in Gokula], humility (dainya) and prema always arise within the sādhus who see the forests [i.e., such as Vṛndāvana], waters [such as the Yamunā], mountains [such as Govardhana], and so forth as though empty, [those sādhus] whose mouths are filled with cries of “Hā! Hā!”, and who are burned by intense sorrow at heart as they search for their Beloved.”
Commentary
evaṁ tatra bahula-dainya-sāmagrī-sattayā premṇo’cirāt siddheḥ | śrī-goloka-prāptir āśu bhaviteti martya-loka-varti-śrī-māthura-vraja-bhūmāv evāyaṁ prasthāpyatām iti bhāvaḥ | … śūnyam iva paśyatām | iveti vastutaḥ sarvadā tatretara-janālakṣyamāṇa-śrī-bhagavat-krīḍānuvṛtteḥ |
(Excerpt from the Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“In this way because of the attainment before long of prema by virtue of the presence of numerous facilities for humility there [in Gokula], attainment of Śrī Goloka will occur swiftly. Thus, he [i.e., Gopa Kumāra] should be sent only to the land of Vraja within blessed Mathurā situated in the mortal plane [i.e., on earth]. … Regarding ‘seeing [the forests, waters, mountains, and so forth] as though empty’ (śūnyam iva), ‘as though’ (iva) is [stated] because of the continuation in actuality at all times of Śrī Bhagavān’s play there being imperceptible to other persons [i.e., to those other than the direct participants in it and fully accomplished bhaktas (siddha-mahātmās) who are blessed with special vision of it].”