mad-bhaktaiḥ sādhubhir vinā

nāham ātmānam āśāse

mad-bhaktaiḥ sādhubhir vinā

śriyaṁ cātyantikīṁ brahman

yeṣāṁ gatir ahaṁ parā

O brāhmaṇa! Without the devotees, who take shelter of only me, I do not desire to enjoy my own bliss and by six great qualities.

“How much are the devotees your object of affection?” Listen. I am called ātmārāma because I enjoy. But I do not desire that enjoyment (ātmānam) without the devotees. More than my own bliss from my svarūpa, I desire the bliss of the svarūpa of my devotees. Though both of us have spiritual forms, but the mature forms of the spiritual function called mercy exists in the bhakti within the devotee, since it is the essence of the cit-śakti, gives bliss even to my svarūpa, and attracts my svarūpa. I eternally possess my six great qualities but, without the devotees, I consider these to be barren. I am the one object (gatiḥ) of those devotees.

 

|| 9.4.65 ||

ye dārāgāra-putrāpta-

prāṇān vittam imaṁ param

hitvā māṁ śaraṇaṁ yātāḥ

kathaṁ tāṁs tyaktum utsahe

Since pure devotees give up their homes, wives, children, relatives, riches and even their lives simply to serve me, without any desire for material improvement in this life or in the next, how can I give up such devotees at any time?

 

“You are affectionate to brāhmaṇas. Therefore do not ignore me, a brāhmaṇa.” That is true. But how can I ignore the devotees? I will have to give them up automatically if I protect you who offended the devotee. That is expressed in this verse. For me, the devotees have given up attachment to wife and children, objects of affection, difficult to give up. What have you, a brāhmaṇa, given up? Please tell me. You cannot say that Ambarīṣa did not give up anything. When you engaged the demon to kill him, he did not move a step, since he did not consider his body important. But you, who prayed to Brahmā and Śiva for protection, ran all over the universe to protect your body, though you are an ātmārāma with complete detachment. I know the true value of him and you. What else should I tell you, such a fool? 

|| 9.4.66 ||