ते वै विदन्त्यतितरन्ति च देवमायां
स्त्रीशूद्रहूणशबरा अपि पापजीवाः ।
यद्यद्भुतक्रमपरायणशीलशिक्षा-
स्तिर्यग्जना अपि किमु श्रुतधारणा ये ॥
te vai vidanty atitaranti ca deva-māyāṁ
strī-śūdra-hūṇa-śabarā api pāpa-jīvāḥ |
yady adbhuta-krama-parāyaṇa-śīla-śikṣās
tiryag-janā api kim u śruta-dhāraṇā ye ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.7.46)
“Even women, śūdras, Hūṇas, and Śabaras, as well as sinful living beings and even slanting creatures [i.e., animals] certainly understand Deva’s [i.e., Bhagavān’s] māyā and cross beyond [it] if they have [received] instruction about the character of those devoted to he of astonishing stride [i.e., Bhagavān], and so all the more [do] those who sustain steadiness upon what they have heard.”
Commentary
kiṁ bahunā sat-saṅgena sarve’pi vidantīty āha—te vā iti | adbhutāḥ kramāḥ pāda-nyāsā yasya hareḥ, tat-parāyaṇās tad-bhaktāḥ, teṣāṁ śīle śikṣā yeṣāṁ te tathā yadi bhavanti, tarhi ye strī-śūdrādayaḥ pāpa-jīvās te’pi vidantīty arthaḥ | śrute bhagavato rūpe dhāraṇā mano-niyamanaṁ yeṣāṁ te vidantīti kim u vaktavyam |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā)
“What [is the use] of more [explanation]? By means of sat-saṅga, indeed everyone understands [i.e., comes to understand, Bhagavān’s māyā and crosses beyond it]. Thus, he says te vai … [i.e., he speaks this verse, viz., SB 2.7.46]. If they have [received] instruction (śikṣā) about the character (śīla) of those devoted (parāyaṇa) to he whose stride (krama), that is, the casting of whose feet, is astonishing (adbhuta), meaning, [if they have received instruction about the character of] the bhaktas of Hari, then they who are women, śūdras, and so on, as well as sinful living beings, also understand [Hari’s māyā]. This is the meaning. Thus, what more is to be said about they who sustain steadiness upon what they have heard, that is, they who sustain fixity of the mind [i.e., concentration] upon the form of Bhagavān? [Such persons most certainly come to understand māyā and cross beyond it.]”
adbhuta-krama āścarya-carito’tra bhagavān |
(Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā)
“In this verse, ‘he of astonishing stride’ (adbhuta-kramaḥ) refers to he of astonishing deeds, that is, Bhagavān.”
tiryag-janā api ity anena bhakty-adhikāre karmādivat jāty-ādi-kṛta-niyamātikramāt |
(Excerpt from Bhakti Sandarbha: 171)
“On account of [the phrase], ‘even slanting creatures’ (tiryag-janā api) [in SB 2.7.46, ‘They certainly understand and cross beyond Deva’s [i.e., Bhagavān’s] māyā …’ (te vai vidanty atitaranti ca deva-māyāṁ)], in regard to eligibility (adhikāra) for bhakti, [śraddhā alone is the cause] because of supersedence [in the case of bhakti] of the regulations made for castes and so on as [are found] in the case of karma and so on [i.e., and in the case of jñāna].”
na kevalam ete mahānta eva, api tu dīna-hīnā apīty āha—te vā iti | adbhuta uttamādhama-vivecana-śūnyaḥ kramaḥ pāda-nyāsaḥ yasya tasya bhagavataḥ parāyaṇā ye bhaktās teṣāṁ śīla-śikṣā śīla-śikṣitāḥ tac-chiṣyā bhūtvā śīlaṁ śikṣante ye te | tiryag-janā haṁsa-gaja-śuka-śārikādayaḥ | guru-mukhāt śrutaṁ nāma-rūpādikaṁ śīghraṁ ye dhārayanti manuṣyās te punaḥ kim uta? |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“Not only these mahāntas alone [i.e., those mentioned in the preceding verses], but rather the destitute and lowly too [understand and cross beyond Bhagavān’s māyā]. Thus, he says te vai … [i.e., he speaks this verse, viz., SB 2.7.46]. ‘They who have [received] instruction about the character of those devoted to he of astonishing stride’ (adbhuta-krama-parāyaṇa-śīla-śikṣās) refers to they who have been instructed, that is, become disciples of and learned, about the character of bhaktas of Bhagavān, he the casting of whose feet is astonishing, that is, free from discrimination between high and low. ‘Slanting creatures’ (tiryag-janāḥ) refers to swans, elephants, parrots, mynahs, and so on. [‘All the more [do] those who sustain steadiness upon what they have heard’ (kim u śruta-dhāraṇā ye) means] And all the more [do] those human beings who quickly take hold of [i.e., grasp and becoming mental fixed upon] what they have heard from the mouth of the guru, that is, the names, forms, and so forth [of Bhagavān].”