यद्युज्यतेऽसुवसुकर्ममनोवचोभि-
र्देहात्मजादिषु नृभिस्तदसत्पृथक्त्वात् ।
तैरेव सद्भवति यत्क्रियतेऽपृथक्त्वात्
सर्वस्य तद्भवति मूलनिषेचनं यत् ॥
yad yujyate’su-vasu-karma-mano-vacobhir
dehātmajādiṣu nṛbhis tad asat pṛthaktvāt |
tair eva sad bhavati yat kriyate’pṛthaktvāt
sarvasya tad bhavati mūla-niṣecanaṁ yat ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.9.29; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 134)
“That which is done with the prāṇas, wealth, actions, mind, and speech by human beings for the sake of the body, children, and so forth is asat because of separateness. That which is done with those very same things [for the sake of Īśvara] is sat because of non-separateness, just as watering a root [of a tree] becomes that [i.e., nourishing] of the entirety [i.e., of the tree].”
Commentary
Asat means vyartha (meaningless, fruitless) according to Śrīdhara Svāmīpāda, naśvara (transitory) according to Jīva Gosvāmīpāda, and asādhu (unvirtuous, or, wrongful) according to Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda.
“Separateness” (pṛthaktva) means existing in a different shelter, or consideration and vision of distinction [from Īśvara] according to Śrīdhara Svāmīpāda, being sheltered in something other than the Paramātmā (paramātmetarāśrayatvāt) according to Jīva Gosvāmīpāda, and rejecting Bhagavān and attending to the body and so forth according to Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda.
Sat means supremely fruitful according to Śrīdhara Svāmīpāda, everlasting according to Jīva Gosvāmīpāda, and sādhu (virtuous, or, proper) according to Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda.
“Non-separateness” (apṛthaktva) means pursuant of Īśvara in all circumstances, or consideration and vision of Īśvara [amidst all things], according to Śrīdhara Svāmīpāda, and being sheltered solely in him [i.e., Paramātmā] (tad-ekāśrayatvād) according to Jīva Gosvāmīpāda.
jñāna-kriyā-śaktī traiguṇya-kārya-prādhānyena bhavantyau te guṇamayatvenocyete | parameśvara-prādhānyena tu svato guṇātīte eva | … ato yuktam eva jñāna-kriyātmikāyā hari-bhakter nirguṇatvam | … yat tu śrī-kapila-devena bhakter api nirguṇa-saguṇāvasthāḥ kathitās tāḥ punaḥ puruṣāntaḥkaraṇa-guṇā eva tasyām upacaryanta iti sthitam |
(Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā; Bhakti Sandarbha: 134)
“The śaktis of knowledge (jñāna) and action (kriyā) existent with a predominance of tri-modal activities [i.e., engaged in pursuits primarily related to the three guṇas] are called guṇamaya [i.e., “filled with the guṇas”]. With the predominance of Parameśvara [i.e., when they are engaged in pursuits primarily related to Parameśvara], however, they are themselves beyond the guṇas [i.e., they are beyond the guṇas by their very nature and they remain such when engaged in service to Parameśvara]. … Therefore, it is certainly befitting that Hari-bhakti [which is] constituted of knowledge (jñāna) and action (kriyā) is nirguṇa [i.e., devoid of the guṇas in its constitution]. … Although bhakti, however, has been described by Śrī Kapiladeva as being of [both] nirguṇa and saguṇa states, these [states] are actually only qualities of the psyche (antaḥkaraṇa) of the living being [engaged in some practice of bhakti] and [merely] figuratively attributed to it [i.e., bhakti]. Thus, it is resolved [that bhakti in essence is nirguṇa].”
Summary: Although bhakti is always nirguṇa in constitution, whether bhakti in practice remains nirguṇa or becomes saguṇa [in effect] depends on the manner and purpose of its engagement: when it is done for Bhagavān’s sake and from within [the mentality of being in] Bhagavān’s shelter, it is nirguṇa, and when it is done with a mentality of separation from Bhagavān and for a purpose separate from Bhagavān’s satisfaction, then it becomes saguṇa in effect although its essential nature remains nirguṇa in principle.