ये वै भगवता प्रोक्ता उपाया ह्यात्मलब्धये ।
अञ्जः पुंसामविदुषां विद्धि भागवतान्हि तान् ॥
यानास्थाय नरो राजन्न प्रमाद्येत कर्हिचित् ।
धावन्निमील्य वा नेत्रे न स्खलेन्न पतेदिह ॥
ye vai bhagavatā proktā upāyā hy ātma-labdhaye |
añjaḥ puṁsām aviduṣāṁ viddhi bhāgavatān hi tān ||
yān āsthāya naro rājan na pramādyeta karhicit |
dhāvan nimīlya vā netre na skhalen na pated iha ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.2.34–35; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.497, 524; Bhakti Sandarbha: 125, 216, 218; Mādhurya-kādambinī: 3.3)
“Know to be Bhāgavatas [i.e., Bhāgavata-dharmas—limbs of bhakti to Bhagavān] those well known means of realization (1) which are stated by Bhagavān for unlearned persons for the sake of [their] easy attainment of the Self (Ātmā) and (2) by taking shelter in which a human being, O King, shall never be hindered. [Even by] Running or keeping the eyes closed, one shall not stumble and shall not fall here.”
Commentary
bhāgavata-dharma-lakṣaṇam āha—ye vai iti | manv-ādi-mukhena varṇāśramādi-dharmān uktvātirahasyatvāt sva-mukhenaiva bhagavatāviduṣām api puṁsām añjaḥ sukhenaivātma-labdhaye ye vai upāyāḥ proktās tān bhāgavatān dharmān viddhi ||34|| añjaḥ-padenoktaṁ sukaratvaṁ vivṛṇoti—yān iti | yān āsthāya āśritya yogādiṣv iva na pramādyeta vighnair na vihanyeta | kiṁ ca nimīlya netre dhāvann api, iha eṣu bhāgavata-dharmeṣu na skhalet | nimīlanaṁ nāmājñānaṁ, yathāhuḥ—‘śruti-smṛtī ubhe netre viprāṇāṁ parikīrtite | ekena vikalaḥ kāṇo dvābhyām andhaḥ prakīrtitaḥ ||’ ity ajñātvāpīty arthaḥ | yathā pada-nyāsa-sthānam atikramya śīghraṁ parataḥ pada-nyāsena gatir dhāvanaṁ tadvad atrāpi kiñcit kiñcid atikramyātiśīghrānuṣṭhānaṁ dhāvanam | tathānutiṣṭhann api na skhalen na pratyavāyī syāt | tathā na patet phalān na bhraśyet | brāhmaṇādīnām uktān api dharmān kāṁścid akurvāṇo bhāgavatān dharmān śravaṇa-kīrtanādīn kurvāṇas tat-phalaṁ prāpnuyād ity arthaḥ ||35||
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā)
“He describes the characteristic of Bhāgavata-dharmas: ye vai … [i.e., Kavi Yogendra speaks SB 11.2.34]. Know to be Bhāgavata-dharmas those means of realization which are stated by Bhagavān for even unlearned persons for the sake of [their] indeed easy (añjaḥ) attainment of the Self (Ātmā) only by way of his own mouth because of [their] being very confidential after [his] having described the dharmas of the varṇas, āśramas, and so forth through the mouth of Manu and others. ||34||
“He explains the easiness referred to by the word ‘easy’ (añjaḥ) [in SB 11.2.34]: yān … [i.e., he speaks SB 11.2.35]. ‘By taking shelter in which’ (yān āsthāya), one shall not, as in yoga and so on [i.e., or in jñāna or karma], be hindered, that is, impeded by obstructions. Furthermore, even by keeping the eyes closed and running, one shall not stumble here (iha), that is, in [the course of practicing] these Bhāgavata-dharmas. Keeping the eyes closed refers to ignorance, as they state [in Mahābhārata], ‘Both the Śruti and the Smṛti are said to be the eyes of the learned [i.e., brāhmaṇas]. Someone deprived of one [of the two] is called “one-eyed” and [someone deprived] of the two is [called] blind.‘ Thus, even without knowing [the Śrutis and the Smṛtis] is the meaning [i.e., thus the mention in SB 11.2.35 of ‘keeping the eyes closed’ refers to being devoid of knowledge of the Śruti and Smṛti]. As moving by crossing over the [normal] place for placing the foot by placing the foot beyond [that] is [called] running, so here [i.e., in regard to the path of bhakti] very quickly performing [Bhāgavata-dharmas] crossing over some others [i.e., other forms of dharma] is [called] running. Even by practicing [Bhāgavata-dharmas] in that way, one shall not stumble, that is, one shall not be subject to a contrary result, and one shall not fall, that is, one shall not be deprived of the result [i.e., the desired result of performing Bhāgavata-dharmas], meaning, by not performing some of the dharmas stated for brāhmaṇas and so on [i.e., not performing the dharmas of one’s varṇa and āśrama] and [instead] performing Bhāgavata-dharmas like hearing and praising, one shall attain the result of that [i.e., the result of performing such Bhāgavata-dharmas, meaning, there is no fault in leaving aside observance of the dharmas of one’s varṇa and āśrama if one does so for the sake of engaging oneself in Bhāgavata-dharmas; by doing so one will not suffer a contrary result or be deprived of the ideal result].”
sāmānyena bhāgavata-lakṣaṇam āha—ye vai iti | manv-ādi-mukhena varṇāśramādi-dharmān uktvātirahasyatvāt sva-mukhenaiva bhagavatāviduṣām api puṁsām añjaḥ sukhenaivātma-labdhaye jīvasya svarūpa-sphūrtyai bhagavataḥ prāptaye vā ye vai upāyāḥ ‘yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi yaj juhoṣi’ ity-ādinā sarva-karmārpaṇa-rūpāḥ proktās tān viddhi | ete ca prāyaḥ sādhanāny eva | yad vā, antaraṅgatvābhāvena mukhyāḥ | yad vā dāsyāntaragatā bāhyāḥ | yad vā ‘man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru’ ity-ādinā smaraṇādayaḥ ye arjunaṁ prati tathā ‘śraddhāmṛta-kathāyāṁ me’ ity-ādinā ye coddhavaṁ prati svayaṁ śrī-bhagavatā proktās tān | tataś ca sarve prāyo mukhyā eveti ||10.497|| yān āsthāya āśritya yogādiṣv iva na pramādyeta vighnair na vihanyeta | kiṁ ca nimīlya netre dhāvann api, iha eṣu bhāgavata-dharmeṣu na skhalet | nimīlanaṁ nāmājñānaṁ, yathāhuḥ—‘śruti-smṛtī ubhe netre viprāṇāṁ parikīrtite | ekena vikalaḥ kāṇo dvābhyām andhaḥ prakīrtitaḥ ||’ ity ajñātvāpīty arthaḥ | yathā pada-nyāsa-sthānam atikramya śīghraṁ parataḥ pada-nyāsena gatir dhāvanaṁ tadvad atrāpi kiñcit kiñcid atikramyātiśīghrānuṣṭhānaṁ dhāvanam | tathānutiṣṭhann api na skhalen na pratyavāyī syāt | tathā na patet phalān na bhraśyet ||10.524||
(Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.497, 524)
“He describes the characteristic of Bhāgavatas [i.e., Bhāgavata-dharmas] in general: ye vai … [i.e., Kavi Yogendra speaks SB 11.2.34]. Know [to be Bhāgavata-dharmas] those means of realization the forms of which are offerings of all [one’s] actions (karma), as [mentioned] in [BG 9.27], ‘Make an offering to me of that which you do, which you eat, which you offer, which you give, and which you will endure, O son of Kuntī,’ which are stated by Bhagavān for even unlearned persons for the sake of [their] indeed easy (añjaḥ) attainment of the self (ātmā) [alt., Self (Ātmā)], that is, for the sake of revelation (sphūrti) of the essential nature (svarūpa) of the jīva, or, for the sake of attainment of Bhagavān, only by way of his own mouth because of [their] being very confidential after [his] having described the dharmas of the varṇas, āśramas, and so forth through the mouth of Manu and others. These [forms of Bhāgavata-dharma, i.e., those alluded to by BG 9.27], furthermore, are only potentially means of attainment (sādhanas). Alternately, they are primary [means of attainment (sādhanas)] because of the non-existence of [their] essentiality (antaraṅgatva) [i.e., because of their not being of the essential nature of Bhāgavata-dharma]. Alternately, they are included in servitude (dāsya) and external. Alternately [the Bhāgavata-dharmas being referred to in the verse can be construed as follows], [know to be Bhāgavata-dharmas] those [dharmas, i.e., practices] such as remembering (smaraṇa) which are stated by Śrī Bhagavān himself to Arjuna in [BG 18.65], ‘Be of mind fixed on me, [be] my bhakta, and [be] my worshipper; offer obeisance to me,’ and which [are stated by Śrī Bhagavān himself] to Uddhava in [SB 11.19.20], ‘Continuous śraddhā in the nectar of narration of me, recapitulating related to me, full fixity in ritual worship of me, praising [me] with hymns, attentive regard for adoring service [to me], offering respectful obeisance [to me] with all [one’s] limbs, exceeding worship of my bhakta, awareness of me in all entities, body-activity for purposes related to me, speaking of my qualities, offering of the mind to me, letting go of all desires, relinquishment of wealth, as well as of enjoyment and of pleasure, for my sake, and sacrifice, charity, oblations, uttering [mantras], rites, and austerity which are for my sake ….’ Also, furthermore, all of these are indeed potentially primary [limbs of bhakti]. ||10.497||
“‘By taking shelter in which’ (yān āsthāya) [i.e., in these Bhāgavata-dharmas], one shall not, as in yoga and so on [i.e., or in jñāna or karma], be hindered, that is, impeded by obstructions. Furthermore, even by keeping the eyes closed and running, one shall not stumble here (iha), that is, in [the course of practicing] these Bhāgavata-dharmas. Keeping the eyes closed refers to ignorance, as they state [in Mahābhārata], ‘Both the Śruti and the Smṛti are said to be the eyes of the learned [i.e., brāhmaṇas]. Someone deprived of one [of the two] is called “one-eyed” and [someone deprived] of the two is [called] blind.‘ Thus, even without knowing is the meaning [i.e., thus the mention in SB 11.2.35 of ‘keeping the eyes closed’ refers to being devoid of knowledge of the Śruti and Smṛti]. As moving by crossing over the [normal] place for placing the foot by placing the foot beyond [that] is [called] running, so here [i.e., in regard to the path of bhakti] very quickly performing [Bhāgavata-dharmas] crossing over some others [i.e., other forms of dharma] is [called] running. Even by practicing [Bhāgavata-dharmas] in that way, one shall not stumble, that is, one shall not be subject to a contrary result, and one shall not fall, that is, one shall not be deprived of the result [i.e., the ideal result of performing Bhāgavata-dharmas, meaning, there is no fault in leaving aside observance of the dharmas of one’s varṇa and āśrama if one does so for the sake of engaging oneself in Bhāgavata-dharmas; by doing so one will not suffer a contrary result or be deprived of the ideal result]. ||10.524||”
bhāgavata-dharma-lakṣaṇam āha—ye vai iti | aviduṣāṁ puṁsāṁ tan-māhātmyam avidvadbhir api kartṛbhiḥ | ātmano brahma paramātmā bhagavān ity āvirbhāva-bhedavataḥ svasya karma-bhūtasya añjo’vyavadhānenānāyasenaiva vā labdhaye lābhāya ye upāyāḥ sādhanāni svayaṁ bhagavatā ‘kālena naṣṭā pralaye vāṇīyaṁ veda-saṁjñitā | mayādau brahmaṇe proktā dharmo yasyāṁ mad-ātmakaḥ ||’ ity anusāreṇa proktās tān upāyān bhāgavatān dharmān viddhi | hi prasiddhau | tatra sākṣād bhakter api bhāgavata-dharmākhyatvaṁ ‘etāvān eva loke’smin’ ity atra parama-dharmatva-khyāpanayā darśitam | atrātma-labdhaye proktā iti taṭastha-laksaṇam | anyena tad-alābhād avyabhicāri | ‘ātma-labdhaya upāyāḥ’ iti svarūpa-lakṣaṇam | tal-lābhopāyo hi tad-anugatir eva |
(Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā; Bhakti Sandarbha: 216)
“He describes the characteristic of Bhāgavata-dharmas: ye vai … [i.e., Kavi Yogendra speaks SB 11.2.34]. Know to be Bhāgavata-dharmas those means of realization (upāyāḥ), that is, means of attainment (sādhanāni), which are stated by Bhagavān himself in accord with [the statement in SB 11.14.3], ‘This speech known as the Veda [which is] lost because of time [and] in the dissolution [of the universe] in which dharma based of me is present was dictated to Brahmā by me at the beginning [of the universe’s emanation following its prior dissolution],’ for ‘unlearned persons’ (aviduṣāṁ puṁsāṁ), that is, even for practitioners who are unaware of his [viz., Bhagavān’s] greatness, for the sake of [their] easy (añjaḥ), that is, unknowing, or, non-difficult, attainment (labdhaye) of ‘the Self’ (Ātmā), that is, of himself, the object [of attainment who is] possessed of the differences in appearance [known as] Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. [The word] Hi is in the sense of well known [i.e., it indicates that the Bhāgavata-dharmas being spoken of in this verse are well known]. In this regard, even direct bhakti’s being called Bhāgavata-dharma is shown by the declaring of [its] being the highest dharma (parama-dharma) here [in SB 6.3.22], ‘This much alone is known as the highest (parama) dharma for human beings in this world: the practice (yoga) of bhakti to Bhagavān by means of taking his name and so forth.’ Here, ‘stated for the sake of attainment of the Self’ (Ātma-labdhaye proktāḥ) conveys the extrinsic characteristic (taṭastha-lakṣaṇa) [of bhakti because such attainment is an effect of bhakti]. This is unerring because of the non-attainment thereof by way of anything else [i.e., it is befitting to determine causation of attainment of the Self as an extrinsic characteristic of bhakti because the Self (Ātmā) is never attained by any means other than bhakti, and thus there is no excessive pervasion (ativyāpti) or insufficient pervasion (avyāpti) in the scope of the definition of bhakti derived from SB 11.2.34]. [The mention of] ‘The means of realization for the sake of attainment of the Self‘ (Ātma-labdhaya upāyāḥ) conveys the intrinsic characteristic (svarūpa-lakṣaṇa) [of bhakti] since those means of attainment thereof [i.e., of the Self, viz., hearing about Bhagavān, praising Bhagavān, remembering Bhagavān, and so forth] are verily [forms of] attendance (anugati) upon him [i.e., service to him, and service is the intrinsic characteristic (svarūpa-lakṣaṇa) of bhakti, which is to say that acts of service like hearing about Bhagavān, praising Bhagavān, remembering Bhagavān, and so forth constitute the essential nature (svarūpa) of bhakti].”
bhāgavata-dharma-lakṣaṇam āha—ye vai iti | manv-ādi-mukhena varṇāśramādi-dharmān uktvātirahasyatvāt sva-mukhenaiva bhagavatāviduṣām api puṁsām añjaḥ śīghram eva ātma-labdhaye sva-prāptyai ye upāyāḥ proktās tān bhāgavatān dharmān viddhi ||34||
teṣāṁ prabhāvam āha—yān āsthāya āśritya | yad vā, āsthā viśvāsaḥ, yān dharmān āstikyena viśvāsa-viṣayīkṛtyāpi kiṁ punar ācarya? ity arthaḥ | na prakarṣeṇa mādyeta, mado garvaḥ, tadvān karmīva yogīva na bhaved ity arthaḥ | yad vā pramādo’navadhānatā, asāvadhāno na bhaved ity arthaḥ | ato’tra vighnānāṁ na prabhaviṣṇuteti bhāvaḥ | kiṁ ca yān bhagavan-mārga-bhūtān dharmān āśritya netre nimīlya unmīlya vā dhāvan na skhalen na vā patet, yathā kenāpi kaścid atisamīcīnam atisugamaṁ mārgam ānīto jana ucyate—mad-upadiṣṭenānena mārgeṇa netre mudrayitvā sukhenābhidravann eva yāhi, na kaścid api te saṁśaya iti | yathā pāda-nyāsa-sthānam atikramya parataḥ pāda-nyāsena gatir dhāvanaṁ, tasyālpatve skhalanaṁ bahutaratve patanam api sambhavet, atra tu bhakti-mārge bhajana-dharmasyāṅgino vihitāṅgānām alpatarātikrame bahutarātikrame vā karma-mārga iva na pratyavāyī bhavet | ataḥ phalān na bhraśyet | tatrāpi netre nimīlyeti vartamāne’pi netre mudrayitvety anena jñātvāpy atikrame na doṣaḥ, kim utājñātveti jñāpitam | yān dharmān āsthāyety uktatvād aṅginas tv atikramo doṣa eva | tathā sati mārga-cyuta eva syāt | bhagavat-prāpty-arthaṁ pṛthaṅ-mārga-karaṇas tv atidūṣaṇāvaham eva ‘śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā | aikāntikī harer bhaktir utpātāyaiva kalpate ||’ ity ukteḥ | atra bhāgavata-dharme pravartamānasya varṇāśrama-dharme’dhikāra eva nāstīti tad-anuṣṭhānānanuṣṭhāna-vicāro nātra praveśayitavyaḥ ‘tāvat karmāṇi kurvīta na nirvidyeta yāvatā | mat-kathā-śravaṇādau vā śraddhā yāvan na jāyate ||’ iti bhagavad-ukteḥ | ‘bhaktyaikayeśaṁ guru-devatātmā’ ity agrima-vākye bhaktyety asya ekayeti viśeṣaṇopanyāsāt karmādi-miśrā bhaktir nātra prastutety avasīyate ||35||
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“He describes the characteristic of Bhāgavata-dharmas: ye vai … [i.e., Kavi Yogendra speaks SB 11.2.34]. Know to be Bhāgavata-dharmas those means of realization which are stated by Bhagavān for even unlearned persons for the sake of [their] indeed quick (añjaḥ) attainment of the self (ātmā), that is, for the sake of realization of the self, only by way of his own mouth because of [their] being very confidential after [his] having described the dharmas of the varṇas, āśramas, and so forth through the mouth of Manu and others. ||34||
“He describes their [i.e., Bhāgavata-dharmas’] power [in SB 11.2.35]. Taking shelter (āsthāya) in which (yān) [i.e., in those Bhāgavata-dharmas, is the meaning], or alternately, āsthā refers to conviction (viśvāsa), and the meaning [of the phrase yān āsthāya is] ‘even by making which (yān) dharmas an object of conviction by means of faithfulness (āstikya), and thus all the more by practicing [them]’ [is the sense]. ‘One shall not become completely proud’ [is the meaning of pramādyeta]; mada [here] refers to pride. ‘One shall not become possessed of that [viz., pride] like karmīs or like yogīs’ is the meaning. Alternately, [the word] pramāda refers to inattentiveness, and ‘one shall not become careless [alt., inattentive, or, negligent]’ is the meaning. Thus, here [i.e., on the path of bhakti] obstructions have no predominance. This is the purport. Furthermore [the sense is as follows], taking shelter in which (yān), that is, in the dharmas that are the evident path to Bhagavān, keeping the eyes closed or open, and running, one shall not stumble and shall not fall, just as some person brought to a highly apt and very easy to follow path is told by someone, ‘Indeed keeping the eyes closed and running happily, go by way of this path shown by me. You need have no doubt whatsoever.’ As moving by crossing over the [normal] place for placing the foot by placing the foot beyond [that] is [called] running, stumbling can occur in the event of a deficiency of this [i.e., not placing the foot far enough forward] and falling can as well in the event of an exceedance [of this, i.e., by placing the foot too far forward], here, on the path of bhakti, on the contrary, in the event of a lesser overstepping or a greater overstepping of enjoined limbs [i.e., particular limbs of bhakti] of the whole—the dharma of worship (bhajana) [as a whole]—one shall not be subject to a contrary result as in the case of the path of karma [i.e., on the path of bhakti, one will not fail to attain the goal of the path even if one performs only certain limbs of bhakti to a greater or lesser extent and declines to perform others, whereas on the path of karma all the duties and rites enjoined must be performed to the extent enjoined lest one not attain the intended result of performing them]. Thus, one shall not be deprived of the [ideal] result. Furthermore therein, ‘keeping the eyes closed’ (netre nimīlya) means keeping the eyes closed even at present. By [mention of] this it is made know that there is no fault in overstepping [some limb of bhakti, i.e., neglecting to perform some limb of bhakti] even knowingly, and all the more unknowingly [i.e., ‘keeping the eyes closed’ (netre nimīlya) indicates that there is no fault in not performing some particular limb of bhakti even when one knows that performing it is beneficial, so it is all the more the case that there is no fault in not performing some particular limb of bhakti when one does not know of the benefit of, or procedure for, performing it]. Because of ‘taking shelter in which dharmas’ (yān dharmān āsthāya) having been said, overstepping the whole [i.e., the dharma of worship (bhajan) of Bhagavān as a whole], however, is verily a fault. If that occurs, one shall certainly become deviated from the path. Following a different path [i.e., a path other than bhakti, e.g., the path of karma or the path of jñāna] for the sake of attaining Bhagavān, however, is verily causative of a severe fault, as per the statement [in Brahma-yāmala], ‘Without [adherence to] the injunctions of the Śrutis, Smṛtis, Purāṇas, Pañcarātras, and other śāstras, [even] one-pointed bhakti to Hari leads only to disturbance.’ In this regard, a follower of Bhāgavata-dharma certainly has no eligibility (adhikāra) for varṇāśrama-dharma. Thus, consideration of practice or non-practice of that is not to be introduced here [i.e., it is not to be raised as a matter of consideration], as per the statement of Bhagavān [in SB 11.9.20], ‘One should perform karmas so long as one shall not become disinterested or śraddhā in hearing and so forth of discussion of me shall not come about.’ On account of the mention of the qualifier ‘one-pointed’ (ekayā) of [the word] bhakti in the forthcoming statement [in SB 11.2.37], ‘One for whom the guru is the Devatā and the self [should fully worship] Īśa with one-pointed bhakti,’ it is understood that bhakti mixed with karma or otherwise [e.g., jñāna] is not referred to here.”