Wherever I may wander, O master, among thousands of species of life, in each situation may I have firmly fixed devotion to you, O Acyuta. Viṣṇu Purāṇa

na vai jano jā tu kathañ canā vrajen

mukunda-sevy anyavad aṅ ga saṁ sṛ tim

smaran mukundā ṅ ghry-upagū hanaṁ punar

vihā tum icchen na rasa-graho janaḥ

Oh! The person who serves Mukunda will never under any condition return to the material world, unlike practitioners of other processes. Remembering the embrace of the Lord’s lotus feet, eager for that taste he has experienced, he will not desire to give up those feet again. SB 1. 5. 19

Do not those who have bhakti desire to give up those feet? No. Those absorbed in bliss pay no attention to the condition in the material world. They have no fear of it. The causes of fear in the world are destroyed by their state of transcendence. This is stated with kaimutya.

sakṛ d eva prapanno yas tavā smī ti ca yā cate

abhayaṁ sarvadā tasmai dadā my etad vrataṁ mama

If one surrenders unto me sincerely, saying, ‘My Lord, from this day I am fully surrendered unto you, ’ I always give him protection. That is my vow. Rā mā yaṇ a, Yuddha-kā ṇ ḍ a 18. 33

Just by surrender one loses all fear. Your frown consisting of time past, present and future gives fear to those who do not surrender.

parī tya bhū tā ni parī tya lokā n parī tya sarvā ḥ pradiś o diś aś ca

upasthā ya prathama-jā mṛ tasyā manā tmā nam abhisaṁ viveś a

After passing beyond all the species of life, all the planetary systems and all the limits of space in all directions, one approaches the original soul of immortality. Then one receives the opportunity to enter permanently into his domain and worship him with personal service. The Vā jasaneyī -saṁ hitā (32. 11) of the White Yajur Veda

kā lena naṣ ṭ ā pralaye vā ṇ ī yaṁ veda-saṁ jñ itā

mayā dau brahmaṇ e proktā dharmo yasyā ṁ mad-ā tmakaḥ

By the influence of time, the Vedic knowledge was lost at the time of annihilation. Therefore, when the subsequent creation took place, I spoke to Brahmā the Vedic knowledge in which bhakti is the essence. SB 11. 1. 43

Thus the message of bhakti is spoken by the Lord himself. Or the ś rutis, unable to tolerant the proposal of liberation, speak this verse. Among those who are not your devotees — those desiring liberation, some wander around by mā yā and concentrate on practice devoid of happiness of bhakti. The ś rutis supporting this verse have already been given in previous commentaries.

Text 33

vijita-hṛ ṣ ī ka-vā yubhir adā nta-manas tura-gaṁ

ya iha yatanti yantum ati-lolam upā ya-khidaḥ

vyasana-ś atā nvitā ḥ samavahā ya guroś caraṇ aṁ

vaṇ ija ivā ja santy akṛ ta-karṇ a-dharā jaladhau

Translation

The mind is like an impetuous horse that even persons who have regulated their senses and breath cannot control. People in this world who try to tame the uncontrolled mind but who abandon the feet of their spiritual master encounter hundreds of obstacles in their cultivation of various distressful practices. O unborn Lord, they are like merchants on a boat in the ocean, who have failed to employ a helmsman.

“Will persons who follow methods outlines in yoga scriptures with devotion to me be liberated? ”

The mind is like an impetuous horse that even persons who have regulated their senses and breath cannot control. The mind cannot be controlled by one’s own powers because it is very fickle (atilolam), without surrender to the feet of guru. Those who completely (sam) give up guru and attempt to control the mind are hopeless. This indicates that just a little surrender allows one to cross the ocean of saṁ sā ra. They become exhausted by their methods (upā ya-khidaḥ ). This is because you are not manifest (aja). You do not appear to them by prā ṇ ā yā ma and other means.

But it can happened by surrender to guru, who has surrendered to your feet.

They are like merchants without a captain. They experience many troubles in this world (iha). Though they adopt many methods, they neglect the important one: the captain.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — -

Hearing this verse, other ś rutis speak. We will now praise taking shelter of guru’s feet. All guruship ends in teaching about you. Without the guru’s influence, bhā va for you cannot be attained. He is also the cause of destruction of saṁ sā ra. Merely stopping the mind will not do this.

yuñ jā nā nā m abhaktā nā ṁ prā ṇ ā yā mā dibhir manaḥ

akṣ ī ṇ a-vā sanaṁ rā jan dṛ ś yate punar utthitam

The minds of nondevotees who engage in such practices as prā ṇ ā yama are not fully cleansed of material desires. Thus, O King, material desires are again seen to arise in their minds. SB 10. 51. 6

Without bhakti to you, this cannot be achieved. The verse is then spoken.

O you who are beyond the sight of jī vas born with material bodies(aja)! Those who give up the feet of guru, even not taking shelter a little, encounter hundreds of obstacles, since by their nature they have minds which are like horses. They try to control by controlling prā ṇ a and senses, but suffer from these methods. Without guru’s influence they become overwhelmed with obstacles. Even with much practice, they are like the merchant travelling on the ocean with no captain. They remain in the ocean of saṁ sā ra. They do not cross the ocean. They do not attain you, who are like an island of bliss in that ocean. Ś ruti in this regard is:

tad-vijñ ā nā rthaṁ sa gurum evā bhigacchet

samit-pā ṇ iḥ ś rotriyaṁ brahma-niṣ ṭ ham

To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth. Muṇ ḍ aka Upaniṣ ad 1. 1. 12

Text 34

svajana-sutā tma-dā ra-dhana-dhā ma-dharā su-rathais

tvayi sati kiṁ nṛ ṇ ā m ś rayata ā tmani sarva-rase

iti sad ajā natā ṁ mithunato rataye caratā ṁ

sukhayati ko nv iha sva-vihate sva-nirasta-bhage

Translation

To those persons who take shelter of you, you reveal yourself as the Supersoul, the embodiment of all spiritual pleasure. What further use have such devotees for their servants, children or bodies, their wives, money or houses, their land, good health or conveyances? And for those who fail to appreciate the truth about you and go on pursuing the pleasures of sex, what could there be in this entire world — a place inherently doomed to destruction and devoid of significance — that could give them real happiness?

Svajana can mean friends or relatives and servants. Sutā means children and dā rā ḥ means wife. Ratha indicates conveyances and other luxuries. For one who surrenders (ś rayataḥ ) to you who are the form of all happiness or who produces the greatest bliss (sarva-rase), what use are friends, children, body, wife, wealth, house, land, health or conveyances? They are no use at all.

The reason is given. Because material pleasure is temporary, it brings lamentation. Being insignificant, ti is devoid of happiness.

Or “Why do these person who give up guru undergo such difficulties? ” Men think they can be happy by their various types of possessions. Ā tmā means attempts to protect the body. They have magnificent vehicles (su-rathaiḥ ). What use does he who surrenders to the antaryā mī (ā tmani) of all jivas (nṛ ṇ ā m) have for all these things? Or nṛ ṇ ā m can be joined with ajā natā m: men who are ignorant of the truth (sat). What happiness is there for those who enjoy with women because of sex desire?

— — — — — — — — — — — —

Other ś rutis decide to criticize other attachments. They worship (ś rayataḥ ) you, who manifest as the dearest (ā tmani), without upā dhis, since they understand that you are the highest svarū pa of all beings. This is not only a general manifestation or realization, but endowed with special rasas filled with prema (sarva-rase). Mithunataḥ means mithunī -bhū ya (making pairs). The ordinary ā tmā should see the Paramā tmā as the dearest without conditions, because of the devotee’s unconditional prema, since Paramā tmā respects all promises, being omniscient.

na vā are patyuḥ kā mā ya patiḥ priyo bhavaty ā tmanas tu kā mā ya patiḥ priyo bhavati

na vā are sarvasya kā mā ya sarvaṁ priyaṁ bhavaty ā tmanas tu kā mā ya sarvaṁ priyaṁ bhavati

ā tmā vā are draṣ ṭ avyaḥ ś rotavyo mantavyo nididhyā sitavyo maitreyi

ā tmano vā are darś anena ś ravaṇ ena matyā vijñ ā nenedaṁ sarvaṁ viditam

brahma taṁ parā dā d yo 'nyatrā tmano brahma veda

kṣ atraṁ taṁ parā dā d yo 'nyatrā tmanaḥ kṣ atraṁ veda

The husband is loved not for himself but because of Paramā tmā. Everything is loved because of Paramā tmā. The Paramā tmā should be seen, heard, considered and contemplated, O Maitreyi! Everything is known by knowing, by seeing, hearing and considering Brahman. The brā hmaṇ a ostracizes one who thinks otherwise of Paramā tmā. The kṣ atriya ostracizes one who thinks of Paramā tmā otherwise. Bṛ had-ā raṇ yaka Upaniṣ ad 2. 4. 5

kṛ ṣ ṇ am enam avehi tvam ā tmā nam akhilā tmanā m

jagad-dhitā ya so ’py atra dehī vā bhā ti mā yayā

You should know Kṛ ṣ ṇ a to be the original soul of all living entities. For the benefit of the whole universe, he has, out of his causeless mercy, appeared as an ordinary human being. He has done this by the strength of his internal potency. SB 10. 14. 55

Text 35

bhuvi puru-puṇ ya-tī rtha-sadanā ny ṛ ṣ ayo vimadā s

ta uta bhavat-padā mbuja-hṛ do ’gha-bhid-aṅ ghri-jalā ḥ

dadhati sakṛ n manas tvayi ya ā tmani nitya-sukhe

na punar upā sate puruṣ a-sā ra-harā vasathā n

Translation

Sages free from false pride live on this earth by frequenting the sacred pilgrimage sites. Because such devotees keep your lotus feet within their hearts, the water that washes their feet destroys all sins. Having turned their minds toward you, the ever-blissful soul of all existence, they no longer dedicate themselves to serving family life at home, which simply robs a man of his good qualities.

Service to holy places are praised for giving devotee association so that one can become detached.

Such places generally exist on earth. Brā hmaṇ as knowledgeable of all scriptures, without pride (vimadā ḥ ), who have the Lord’s lotus feet in their hearts, live in holy places. They concentrate their minds on the most dear (ā tmani) Lord who awards continual happiness (nitya-sukhe) just once, and thus do not serve family life which steals away good qualities. Punaḥ is literary ornament or means “after serving the holy places. ”

Or the great devotees (ṛ ṣ ayaḥ ) nourish (dadhati) the hermitages of great holy places by destroying contaminations left there by sinful people. They can do this because they have your lotus feet in their hearts. Tī rthī kurvanti tī thā ni svā ntaḥ sthena gadā bhṛ tā : they purify holy places because the Lord is situated in their hearts. (SB 1. 13. 10) Thus their foot water destroys sins and they are without pride (vimadā ḥ ).

Or they make (dadhati) themselves residences of great holy places on earth. Because of their purifying foot water, they become holy places. Thinking of you even once, they do not go (upā sate) to places of kings, wealth etc. (ā vasathā n) which steal away knowledge and peace (puruṣ a-sā ra). Rather they have you within their hearts.

Or O essence of humans (puruṣ a-sā ra), supreme person! They do not seve even Ś iva’s temples (hara avasthā n) what to speak of devatā temples. “In scriptures it is a fault to see difference between Ś iva and Viṣ ṇ u. There are many statements like the following.

Yo vai viṣ ṇ uḥ sa vai rudraḥ sa hari yas tu rudrakaḥ

bhedakṛ t narakaṁ yā ti yā vad ā hū ta-saṁ plavam

Viṣ ṇ u is Ṣ iva. Ś iva is Viṣ ṇ u. He who sees difference goes to hell until the devastation.

Not seeing difference is praised.

trayā ṇ ā m eka-bhā vā nā ṁ yo na paś yati vai bhidā m

sarva-bhū tā tmanā ṁ bahman sa ś ā ntim adhigacchati

O Dakṣ a! The person who does not see difference between the three of us, the souls of all beings, who have one nature, attains peace. SB 4. 7. 54

That is true. Smartas and Vaidhikas, devoid of Vaiṣ ṇ ava dī kṣ ā, take the three deities to the be same, being fixed in dharma of the three guṇ as with concepts of fault and good quality. This is not accepted by the great devotees. There are many statements like the following.

yas tu nā rā yaṇ aṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrā di-daivataiḥ

samatvenaiva vī kṣ eta sa pā ṣ aṇ ḍ ī bhaved dhruvam

One who considers Nā rā yaṇ a on a level with great devatā s like Brahmā and Ś iva is immediately listed among nonbelievers. Padma Purā ṇ a

In the story of Vṛ kā sura and in the story of Sā rasvata Muni, it is clear that Viṣ ṇ u is supreme. In Viṣ ṇ u-dharmottara there is also the story of Nṛ siṁ ha bursting the liṅ ga.

Deva-karmaṇ y aś aktir me tā ta pujaya saṅ gakaram

Devatā yanataṁ gatvā yatra tā ta pratiṣ ṭ hitam

Liṅ gam asti susreś asya mahā devasya nirmalam

Evam uktaḥ praty uvā ca vayam ekā ntinaḥ ś rutā ḥ

Pū jayā maś ca naivā nyaṁ tasmā t tvaṁ gaccha mā ciram

I cannot perform worship. You should worship Ś iva. Go to his temple where there is a pure liṅ ga of Ś iva installed. When he said this the brā hmaṇ a said, “I am a devoted brā hmaṇ a. I do not worship anyone except Viṣ ṇ u. Therefore you should go to the temple without delay. ”

The son of the village leader was about to cut off the head of Viṣ vaksena. Not desiring to die by his hand, Viṣ vaksena then began to consider. “Let it be. I will go. ” Going to the liṅ ga, he offered flowers while saying “Respects to Narasiṁ ha. ” Hearing this, the son again wanted to cut off his head. Nṛ siṁ ha burst out of the liṅ ga and cut off the heads of the village leader’s son and his followers.

But the devotees offer respects to Ś iva and never criticize him. Vaiṣ ṇ ā vā nā ṁ yathā sambhuḥ : Ś iva is the greatest devotee. (SB 12. 13. 16)

yo mā ṁ samarthayen nityam ekā ntaṁ bhā vam ā shthitaḥ

vinindan devam ī ś ā naṁ sa yā ti narakam; dhruvam

One who is able to be situated in pure love for me and criticizes Ś iva goes to hell for certain.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Some ś rutis now confirm the proper conduct of the devotee. Those who know you as most worthy of worship (ṛ ṣ ayaḥ ), who even once concentrate their minds on you, take no pleasure (na upā sate) in the places where their relatives stay, which distract them from the goal of life. Who are you? You are the supreme soul (ā tmani), the form of eternal happiness, since you are the shelter of pure prema. Who are these devotees? You appear in their hearts continuously since your lotus feet are in their minds. Therefore, their foot water destroys all sins. Therefore they are the residence of most pure holy places on earth. But still they are free of pride.

Or, because they are free of pride, they do not take pleasure in their relatives’ houses. By that relationship their houses, they make houses into holy places, but they do not stay there. They take pleasure in the pure holy places on earth. In both cases, all this occurs because you are best holy place. The ś rutis which glorify holy places end up glorifying the Lord.

bhidyate hṛ daya-granthiś chidyante sarva-saṁ ś ayā ḥ

kṣ ī yante cā sya karmā ṇ i tasmin dṛ ṣ ṭ e parā vare

The knot in the heart is pierced, all misgivings are cut to pieces, and the chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the Supreme Lord everywhere, within all superior and inferior beings.

Muṇ ḍ aka Upaniṣ ad 2. 2. 9

namaḥ paramarṣ ibhyo namaḥ paramarthibhyaḥ

Obeisances to the topmost sages, obeisances to the topmost sages! Muṇ ḍ aka Upaniṣ ad 3. 2. 11

Text 36

sata idaṁ utthitaṁ sad iti cen na nu tarka-hataṁ

vyabhicarati kva ca kva ca mṛ ṣ ā na tathobhaya-yuk

vyavahṛ taye vikalpa iṣ ito ’ndha-paramparayā

bhramayati bhā ratī ta uru-vṛ ttibhir uktha-jaḍ ā n

Translation

The universe arises from the real Lord. If one claims the world is also the Lord, that claim cannot be true since it is illogical. Sometimes objects in the world are very different from the Lord. Some say the world is illusory but it is not. The Lord also is not illusory or the cause of illusion. The illusory world is imaginary. Real objects are necessary for transacting in the world. The theory of illusions is insubstantial like a series of blind men. The words of the Vedas with their meanings also bewilder persons whose senses are dulled by the sacrificial mantras.

Serving holy places to gain detachment was described. This vsing verse teached detachment using logic, saying the world is false. This universe is real (sat) because it has arisen from the real Lord, your avatā ra (sataḥ ). One sees a real object which has arisen from the real Lord, as a web arises from a spider.

“But the world is negated by logic. ” It is sometimes temporary (vyabhicarati). When an object appears from what is real, by magic, it disappears in an instant. “What arises from the indirect cause (nimitta) is temporary. The example of the spider and web was creation from a material cause (upā dā nā ). What arises from a material cause is sometimes illusory, like water (illusion) in a desert (material cause).

“Because of ignorance one sees water in the desert. With destruction of ignorance one sees what is real. ” This is not logical (na). What is seen here in the world has a dual nature. Arising from the Lord (and therefore real like the Lord) by a relationship with mā yā, the world is illusory because of being made of mā yā.

“In the example of the desert and water there is illusion. Examples are used to show similarity. The example is not appropriate because there is great difference between the two. The universe has great variety. That is not so in the desert causing illusion of water. ”

Real objects are used in transactions (vyavahṛ taye). Blind men do not see. A world of illusory objects is insubstantial, like blind men leading other blind men.

“Why do persons knowing the Vedas become attached to karmas, dealing with objects used in transactions? ” They act in error.

Or the world is real because it has arisen from the real. “The world is negated by logic. ”

No, it does not disappear completely. It is not false at any time. It is endowed with qualities of eternal and temporary (ubhaya-yuk). The real sometimes appears unreal. When the jī va becomes liberated, the coverings on the ā tmā are merged into the elements because the covering is temporary. The elements however remain since they are eternal. The world has eternal and temporary natures.

“Some consider the word real, since it is an eternal flow. Others consider it temporary. And others consider it false with an appearance of being real. Why is there such variety of opinions? ”

A series of blind men, people who do not know the meaning of scriptures, is created simply to carry on worldly functions. They are in error. The Vedas bewilder them since they do not see the context of scriptural statements because they are fixed on maintain their own ideas. Though Sarasvatī appears in their hearts with much exchange (bharatī ), she bewilders them concerning the meaning of the words. The Vaiṣ ṇ avas know the conclusion of the scriptures. (verse 26)

The Vaiṣ ṇ avas following satkā rya-vada say the world is real since it arises from the inconceivable ś akti of Lord. There is no worry then that the Lord will be transformed. In the material world one sees the cintā maṇ i which produces gold and jewels and does not change. That is its inconceivable power. What can be said of the spiritual inconceivable ś akti of the Lord?

Sannidhā nā d yathā kā ś a-kā lā dyā ḥ kā raṇ aṁ taroḥ

Tathaiva pariṇ ā mena viś vasya bhagavā n hariḥ

Just as space and time by their very presence are causes of a tree, though they themselves don’t change, so the Lord by his very presence creates the universe without transforming himself.

The vivartavā dī s and Buddhists say the world is false. This is not approved by Bhā gavatam. It should be ignored since it is akin to asuras’ ideas.