sārūpyaikatvam apy uta

sārūpyaikatvam apy uta

dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti

vinā mat-sevanaṁ janāḥ

 

The devotees do not accept living on my planet, having similar powers, staying close to me, or having a similar form, what to speak of merging into me, when these things are offered, unless it involves service to me.

 

To make clear the meaning illustrated by the example of the Gaṅgā water, Kapila explains the lack of material desire in the devotees who have pure bhakti, by the method of kaimutya-nyāya. (The devotees do not accept even spiritual benedictions, what to speak of accepting material things!). Sālokya means living on the same planet as the Lord. Sārṣṭi means having powers similar to the Lord’s. Sāmīpya means staying near the Lord. Sārūpya means having a form similar to the Lord’s. Ekatvam means merging with the Lord. Even if these are offered, the devotees do not accept them. What is the use of such things? They do not accept them without service to me. This means that if some devotees do accept these things, they accept for service to me.

 

 

|| 3.29.14 ||

sa eva bhakti-yogākhya

ātyantika udāhṛtaḥ

yenātivrajya tri-guṇaṁ

mad-bhāvāyopapadyate

The highest state of existence is called bhakti, by which one surpasses the three guṇas and attains prema for me.

Then why do they perform bhakti? They perform bhakti because it gives the highest result. Āyantika means the state at the very end. It indicates the most excellent result. “But ātyantika means merging in Brahman.” This ātyantika is called bhakti (bhakti-yogākhyaḥ), for sometimes bhakti is also called apavarga, Brahman or nirvāṇa.

 

apavargaśca bhavati yo ’sau bhagavaty-ananya-nimitta-bhakti-yoga-lakṣaṇa

 

That bhakti-yoga, devotional service to Lord Vāsudeva, is the real path of liberation (apavarga). SB 5.19.20

 

tad brahma-nirvāṇa-sukhaṁ vidur budhās

Those who are wise understand the happiness of Brahman or nirvāna. SB 7.7.37

 

harāvaikāntikīṁ bhaktiṁ mokṣam āhur manīṣiṇaḥ

 

The wise say that pure bhakti to the Lord is mokṣa.

 

bhaktir asya bhajanaṁ tad ihāmutropādhi-nairāsyenāmuṣmin manaḥ kalpanam etad eva naiṣkarmyam

 

Bhakti to the Lord means worship concentrating the mind on the Lord with rejection of objects of this world and the next. It is the state without karma (naiskārmya). Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad

”But liberation from the bondage of the three guṇas alone is famous as the final result.” That is true. That is a by-product of bhakti. Thus the verse says, “By bhakti one surpasses the guṇas.” But surpassing the guṇas is achieved without seeking it, since simply by taking shelter of the Lord’s feet the ocean of saṁsāra becomes as small as the water in calf’s hoof print. And by that bhakti one attains prema directed to me (madbhāvāya).

 

|| 3.29.15 ||