यावता स्यात्स्वनिर्वाहः स्वीकुर्यात्तावदर्थवित् ।
आधिक्ये न्यूनतायां च च्यवते परमार्थतः ॥
yāvatā syāt sva-nirvāhaḥ svīkuryāt tāvad artha-vit |
ādhikye nyūnatāyāṁ ca cyavate paramārthataḥ ||
(Nāradīya Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.108)
“As much as shall be necessary for one’s accomplishing [of one’s goal], that much a knower of utility [i.e., a person who knows how to attain one’s goal] should accept. One becomes deviated from the ultimate goal (paramārtha) as a result of excess and deficiency.”
Commentary
Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda cites this verse as an illustration of the limb of bhakti he terms in BRS 1.2.76 as vyāvahāreṣu sarveṣu yāvad-arthānuvartitā, compliance [only] as far as required in regard to all practical matters, meaning, one should only accept resources such as food and clothing, and involve oneself in practical affairs, as far as is required for one’s bhakti-sādhana, not more and not less.
Śrī Jīva Gosvāmīpād and Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda comment:
sva-nirvāha iti svasya bhakti-nirvāha ity arthaḥ |
(Durgama-saṅgamanī-ṭīkā; Bhakti-sāra-pradarśinī-ṭīkā)
“‘One’s accomplishing’ (sva-nirvāhaḥ) means one’s accomplishing of bhakti [i.e., bhakti is the paramārtha, the ultimate goal, and one should accept in precise measure, neither in excess nor in dearth, what is required to succeed in performing sādhana and attaining bhakti].”