तेऽपि नूनं न तां पूजां त्यजेयुर्यदि सर्वथा ।
तदा तन्निष्ठया चित्ते शोधिते गुणदर्शिनाम् ॥
कृपया कृष्णभक्तानां प्रक्षीणाशेषदूषणाः ।
कालेन कियता तेऽपि भवन्ति परमोत्तमाः ॥
यथा सकामभक्ता हि भुक्त्वा तत्कामितं फलम् ।
काले भक्तिप्रभावेन योग्यं विन्दन्ति तत्फलम् ॥
te’pi nūnaṁ na tāṁ pūjāṁ tyajeyur yadi sarvathā |
tadā tan-niṣṭhayā citte śodhite guṇa-darśinām ||
kṛpayā kṛṣṇa-bhaktānāṁ prakṣīṇāśeṣa-dūṣaṇāḥ |
kālena kiyatā te’pi bhavanti paramottamāḥ ||
yathā sakāma-bhaktā hi bhuktvā tat-kāmitaṁ phalam |
kāle bhakti-prabhāvena yogyaṁ vindanti tat-phalam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.4.219–221)
“If even they [who perform worship in the manner aforesaid in BB 2.4.213–15, that is, in SB 11.2.47, 3.29.21–24, and 7.9.11] shall assuredly not forsake [even] that [manner of] worship under any circumstance, then when [their] minds are purified by [their] fixity in that [i.e., in such inapt worship] and they have all their faults destroyed by the grace of bhaktas of Kṛṣṇa, who are observers of qualities [in them rather than faults], they too after some time become most excellent, just as desirous (sakāma) bhaktas enjoy that desired result [which they performed bhakti with a desire to attain, viz., insignificant enjoyment of objects of the senses and the like] and in time by the power of bhakti attain that result which is befitting [of bhakti to Śrī Bhagavān and beyond even what one can desire, as alluded to in BB 2.4.216–217, viz., the result of attaining prema, entrance in Śrī Bhagavān’s abode, and the privilege of meeting, sporting, and so forth with him there in the spirit of prema].”
Commentary
nanu tathāpi yathā-kathañcid bhagavad-arcakānāṁ tādṛśaṁ tucchaṁ phalaṁ na yujyata eva, ‘vāsudeve mano yasya japa-homārcanādiṣu | tasyāntarāyo maitreya devendratvādikaṁ phalam ||’ ity-ādy-ukteḥ | tatrāha—te’pīti dvābhyām | śailīty-ādi-buddhyā bhagavatā saha bheda-dṛṣṭyā nūtana-pratimārcakā api mahābhimānenotpatha-gāmino’pi bhūta-vargāvamāna-kāriṇe’pi anādṛta-vaiṣṇava-gaṇā apīty arthaḥ | tāṁ tādṛśīm api pūjāṁ sarvathā nūnaṁ niścitaṁ yadi na tyajeyuḥ, sarvathety …, tadā tasyāṁ pūjāyāṁ niṣṭhayā tayā vā pūjā-niṣṭhayā citte śodhite sati prakṣīṇā aśeṣā doṣā abhimānādayo yeṣāṁ, tādṛśāḥ santaḥ kālena kiyatā svalpenaivety arthaḥ paramottamāḥ śuddha-bhaktimanto bhavanti | ye ca dambhādinā tādṛśīṁ pūjāṁ kṛtvā tat-phale labdhe tat-kālam eva tāṁ tyajeyuḥ, te ca bahunā kālenottamā bhavantīti jñeyam | nanv anādareṇa jātād vaiṣṇaveṣv aparādhāt kathaṁ tādṛktvaṁ nāma sidhyet? teṣām eva mahatām anugrahād ity āha—kṛṣṇa-bhaktānāṁ kṛpayeti | nanu tādṛśeṣu mahatām upekṣaiva yuktā, tatrāha—guṇān eva draṣṭuṁ śīlaṁ yeṣāṁ teṣām iti | bhagavad-darśanāt tādṛśānām apy aparādhaḥ tair na gṛhyate, pratyutānugraha eva kriyata iti bhāvaḥ |
(Excerpt from the Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“[An objection is raised: ‘Well, still such an insignificant result [i.e., the attainment merely of worldly wealth, power, privilege, and so on as is had by those who follow the path of karma] is certainly not befitting for worshipers of Bhagavān by whatever means [i.e., regardless of their performing worship of him in an inapt manner], as per the statement [in Viṣṇu Purāṇa 2.6.47], ‘O Maitreya, for one whose mind is [absorbed] in japa, homa, ritual worship (arcana), and so on in relation to Vāsudeva, [attaining] the result of being the king of the devas [viz., Indra] and so on is [only] an impediment.’
“To this [objection], he speaks with two [verses]: te’pi … [i.e., he speaks BB 2.4.219–220]. Even worshipers of new [i.e., newly fabricated] images [of Śrī Bhagavān] with the thought of [the images] being stonen and so on and [thus] a vision of distinction [of the images] from Bhagavān—although [they are] following an erroneous path because of great conceit, although [they are] perpetrators of disrespect to living beings, and although [they are] they by whom Vaiṣṇavas are disregarded—if they [nonetheless] shall assuredly (nūnam) not forsake that—even such [a manner of] worship under any circumstance, then when [their] minds are purified by [their] fixity in that worship, or, by that fixity in worship, and they have all their faults, those of conceit and so on [i.e., disrespect for living beings, disregard for Vaiṣṇavas, etc.] destroyed, they too after some time, meaning, indeed in a very short time, become most excellent, that is, possessed of pure bhakti. It is to be understood, furthermore, that those who after performing such worship [i.e., worship with vision of the deity being stonen and so forth as described earlier] with deceit [alt., arrogance] (dambha) and the like, when the result of that [worship] is [thereby] attained, shall forsake that [worship] and also [eventually] become excellent [but only] after a long time.
“[A question is raised:] ‘Well, as a result of offense (aparādha) to Vaiṣṇavas born of disregard [for them], how can such [a result] be attained [by such persons who perform worship in such an inapt manner]?’ [The answer to this question is that it can be attained] By the grace of those very mahats [whom such an inapt worshiper fails to duly regard]. Thus, he says, ‘By the grace of bhaktas of Kṛṣṇa’ (kṛpayā Kṛṣṇa-bhaktānāṁ).
“[A objection is raised:] ‘Well, the mahats’ indifference [alt., neglect] (upekṣā) towards them is proper [i.e., why should the mahats grace such persons? Better they treat such persons with indifference].’ To that, he says [i.e., he describes mahats, that is, Kṛṣṇa-bhaktas, as], ‘They who are observers of qualities’ (guṇa-darśinām). The offense (aparādha) even of such persons [i.e., of the inapt worshipers being described in these verses] is not taken by them because of [their] vision of Bhagavān [in all things]. Rather, only favor is shown [to those inapt worshipers by the mahats who overlook those worshipers’ faults and rather appreciate the quality in them of performing worship, albeit inaptly]. This is the purport.”