यदुभे चित्तकाठिन्यहेतू प्रायः सतां मते ।
सुकुमारस्वभावेयं भक्तिस्तद्धेतुरीरिता ॥
yad ubhe citta-kāṭhinya-hetū prāyaḥ satāṁ mate |
sukumāra-svabhāveyaṁ bhaktis tad-dhetur īritā ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.249)
“Because in the view of sādhus both [i.e., jñāna and vairāgya] are generally causes of hardness of heart, this bhakti, which is of very tender nature, is said to be the cause of that [i.e., of entering into bhakti].”
Commentary
uttaratas tu tayor anugatau doṣāntaram ity āha yad ubhe iti | kāṭhinya-hetutvaṁ ca nānā-vāda-nirasana-pūrvaka-tattva-vicārasya duḥkha-sahanābhyāsa-pūrvaka-vairāgyasya ca rukṣa-svarūpatvāt | tarhi sahāyaṁ vinottarottara-bhakti-praveśaḥ kathaṁ syāt? tatrāha bhaktīti | tasya bhakti-praveśasya hetur bhaktir īritā | uttarottara-bhakti-praveśasya hetuḥ pūrva-pūrva-bhaktir evety arthaḥ | nanu bhaktir api tat-tad-āyāsa-sādhyatvāt kāṭhinye hetuḥ syāt tatrāha sukumāra-svabhāveyam iti śrī-bhagavan-madhura-rūpa-guṇādi-bhāvanā-mayatvād iti | tasmād bhagavati nija-cittasya sārdratāṁ kartum icchunā bhaktir eva kāryeti bhāvaḥ |
(Excerpt from the Durgama-saṅgamanī-ṭikā and Bhakti-sāra-pradarśinī-ṭīkā)
“Thereafter [i.e., after entering into bhakti], another fault occurs in the event of adherence to them [i.e., to jñāna and vairāgya]. Thus, he says yad ubhe … [i.e., he speaks this verse]. Being causes of hardness [of the heart], furthermore, is because of deliberation upon the nature of existence (tattva) preceded by refutation of various view’s (vāda’s) [i.e., jñāna’s] and non-attachment (vairāgya) preceded by the practice of tolerance of suffering’s being of rough [alt., hard, dry, harsh] nature.
“[A question is raised:] ‘Then, without [their] assistance, how can entrance into higher and higher levels of bhakti occur?’ To this, he says bhaktiḥ … [i.e., he speaks the last foot of the verse]: ‘Bhakti is said to be the cause of that, that is, of entrance into bhakti, meaning, bhakti of earlier and earlier levels is the cause of entrance into bhakti of higher and higher levels.
“[An objection is raised:] ‘Well, bhakti too, because of [its] being accomplishable [only] by means of various exertions, shall be a cause of hardness [of the heart].’ To that, he says this [bhakti] is of very tender nature (sukumāra-svabhāveyaṁ) because of [its] being constituted of meditation upon the sweet forms, qualities, and so forth of Śrī Bhagavān. Therefore, bhakti alone is to be performed by one who has the desire to cause meltedness of their own heart for Bhagavān. This is the purport.”