From Bhakti-Tattva-Vijñāna

     What is bhakti? In response to this question by the ṛṣis headed by Śrī Sanaka, the Śrī Gopāla-Tāpanī Śruti says, bhaktir asya bhajanaṁ tad-ihāmutropādhi-nairāsyenāmuṣmin manaḥ kalpanam etad eva hi naiṣkarmyam. “Bhakti means service or bhajana to Śrī Bhagavān that is devoid of all desires pertaining to this world and the next, with senses and mind absorbed in him at all times. This type of bhajana is known as naiṣkarmyam, or abstention from all acts and their consequences.” These words from śruti reveal the fact that since bhajana and naiṣkarmyam are of the same category, if a bhakta is engaged in bhajana, all of his desires for fruitive action are destroyed and his mind is freed from all secondary or nonessential relations, resulting in an overwhelming taste for Śrī Bhagavān’s sevā.

Bhāvanā-Sāra-Saṅgrahaḥ, Prātaḥ 36-37

हन्तैष सन्ततमतीव समेधमानः शश्वत् सखीभिरपि सुन्दरि! सिच्यमानः ।

नाद्यापि यत् फलमधादयि! कोऽत्र हेतुर्हा तत् कदातिरभसादवलोकयिष्ये ॥ ३६ ॥

hantaiṣa santatam atīva samedhamānaḥ

śaśvat sakhībhir api sundari! sicyamānaḥ |

nādyāpi yat phalam adhād ayi! ko’tra hetur

hā tat kadātirabhasād avalokayiṣye || 36 ||

     “O beautiful Śyāmā! Alas, this desire tree of mine is growing continuously and my sakhīs water it repeatedly, but still it produces no fruit. What could be the cause? Oh when, in great joy, shall I see the fruit of this tree?” (Kṛṣṇa-Bhāvanāmṛtam 3.20)

राधे! स ते न फलितो यदि तत् फलिष्यत्याश्चर्यमस्य फलमप्यलसाङ्गि! बुद्ध्ये ।

आस्वाद्यमानमपि सौरभ-मादितालिः प्रत्याययत्यननुभूतमिव स्वमुच्चैः ॥ ३७ ॥

rādhe! sa te na phalito yadi tat phaliṣya-

ty āścaryam asya phalam apy alasāṅgi! buddhye |

āsvādyamānam api saurabha-māditāliḥ

pratyāyayaty ananubhūtam iva svam uccaiḥ || 37 ||

      Understanding that Rādhā indirectly referred to enjoying with Kṛṣṇa, Śyāmalā replied, “Rādhā! If your tree has not yet borne fruit, surely it soon will. O tired one, I understand the fruit of this tree is astonishing. Its sweet fragrance maddens the bees (and sakhīs), and even though you have personally tasted it, it forces you to believe you haven’t.” (Kṛṣṇa-Bhāvanāmṛtam 3.21)

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 17 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

তীর্থযাত্রা পরিশ্রম,        কেবল মনের ভ্রম,

সর্বসিদ্ধি গোবিন্দ-চরণ ।

সুদৃঢ় বিশ্বাস করি,        মদ মাৎসর্য পরিহরি,

সদা কর অনন্য ভজন ॥ ১৭ ॥

tīrtha-yātrā pariśrama,        kebala manera bhrama,

sarba-siddhi gobinda-caraṇa |

sudṛḍha biśvāsa kari,        mada mātsarya parihari,

sadā kara ananya-bhajana || 17 ||

     The trouble taken to visit various holy places is just the wandering of the mind; all success comes from Govinda’s lotus feet. With firm faith, letting go of vanity and envy, always worship him and no other.

Exclusive Bhajana

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: In this verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya is instructing us to give up the mind-agitating endeavor of traveling to various holy places and instead to settle peacefully in a līlā-dhāma like Śrī Vṛndāvana to perform exclusive bhajana in the association of devotees. tīrtha-yātrā pariśrama, kebala manera bhrama, sarba-siddhi gobinda-caraṇa. Here, it should be understood that tīrtha-yātrā means pilgrimages to holy places other than abodes of the Lord such as Śrī Vṛndāvana, Navadvīpa, Nīlācala and so on that are favorable to one’s mood of worship. The reason is that among the sixty-four limbs of bhajana, there are five limbs that have been mentioned as extremely powerful sādhanas, and living in Vraja is one of them. In Śrī Caitanya-Caritāmṛta (Mad. 22.128-129), we find,

sādhu-saṅga, nāma-kīrtana, bhāgabata-śrabaṇa | 
mathurā-bāsa, śrī-mūrtir śraddhāya sebana ||

sakala sādhana śreṣṭha ei pañca aṅga | 
kṛṣṇa-prema janmāya ei pāṅcera alpa saṅga ||

     “Associating with sādhus, chanting the names of the Lord, hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, living in Mathurā and serving the Deity form with faith: these five limbs of sādhana are the best of all. Even a little contact with them produces love for Kṛṣṇa.” The purport is that a rāgānugā-sādhaka who desires prema at Śrī Bhagavān’s lotus feet should take shelter of Śrī Vṛndāvana, Navadvīpa, Nīlācala or other dhāma that is favorable to his mood of worship or which stimulates that mood. There, he shall always be engaged in internal bhajana such as hearing, chanting, remembering and so on in the association of great devotees who have a similar mood. He should not accept the trouble of traveling to and from various other holy places. This unnecessary travel causes the mind to be distracted and creates obstacles in one’s internal bhajana of remembrance and contemplation. jñāne prayāsam udapāsya and so on (Bhāg. 10.14.3). In the Vaiṣṇava-Toṣaṇī commentary on Brahmā’s prayers, it is written, sthāne satāṁ nivāsa evāvyagratayā sthitāḥ na tu tīrtha-paryaṭanādi kleśān kurvantaḥ. “Rather than accepting the troubles of touring various holy places, one should spend his life in vaiṣṇava-bhajana, staying peacefully in a dhāma such as Śrī Vṛndāvana, hearing hari-kathā in the association of the great souls who naturally reside there.”

     In the matter of bhajana-sādhana, the realizations of great devotees, like the words of śāstra, are one type of pramāṇa or source of evidence. When Siddha Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja of Raṇabāḍī, who lived in Vrajadhāma, desired to visit cāridhāma, Śrī Rādhārāṇī came to him in a dream and forbade him to do so. Thinking it to be only a dream, he traveled to the four dhāmas and in Dvārakā he had Vaiṣṇava symbols called tapta-mudrā branded on his body. He returned to Vraja and that night Śrī Rādhārāṇī again appeared in his dream and gave an order. She told him that since he had accepted the tapta-mudrā while in Dvārakā, he was now in Satyabhāmā’s group. Therefore, he should leave Vraja and go to Dvārakā. Then Bābā realized that his previous dream had been true, and being extremely repentant, he asked some other siddha-mahātmās if there was a way he could expiate his sins. When no one was able to prescribe any atonement that would supersede Śrī Rādhārāṇī’s direct order, Bābā’s body began to burn like dry wood in separation from Śrī Rādhā and was soon reduced to ashes. Through her own people, Śrī Rādhārāṇī has given the instruction to the rāgānugīya-sādhakas that abandoning Vrajadhāma, which is favorable to their mood of worship, and going to another dhāma will be antagonistic to the bhāva of a vraja-rasa-sādhaka.

     Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, tīrtha-yātrā pariśrama, kebala manera bhrama, or that it is nothing more than a delusion. If a sādhaka who desires bhakti thinks that by traveling to various holy places he will attain success in bhakti, this is a type of delusion for him. By traveling to different holy places, he will not be able to perform with firm faith the limbs of internal bhajana, such as hearing, chanting and remembering Śrī Hari, that lead one to prema. By going here and there, he will associate with many different kinds of people and his mind will inevitably be agitated. By no longer running about from place to place and instead residing calmly in a prema-dhāma such as Śrī Vṛndāvana, the sādhaka can faithfully perform bhajana to Śrī Govinda’s lotus feet with his body, mind and words and be blessed with prema. For this reason, it has been said, sarba-siddhi gobinda-caraṇa. “All success lies at the lotus feet of Śrī Govinda.” If people who desire to obtain various results or who seek puṇya (virtue) think that by going to different holy places those objectives will be fulfilled, we say to them also that this is just a misconception. The good results from all tīrtha-yātrās dwell at Śrī Govinda’s lotus feet. If they give up the difficulties of going on tīrtha-yātrā and just worship Śrī Govinda’s lotus feet, they can easily be blessed with an indescribable fortune much greater than what they desired. By his own virtue, compassion, Śrī Kṛṣṇa bestows prema-bhakti on them.

anya-kāmī kare yadi kṛṣṇera bhajana |
nā māgileo kṛṣṇa tāre dena svacaraṇa ||

kṛṣṇa kahe---āmāya bhaje māge biṣaya-sukha |
amṛta chāḍi biṣa māge, ei baḍa mūrkha ||

āmi bijña, ei mūrkhe biṣaya kene diba |
svacaraṇāmṛta diyā biṣaya bhulāiba ||

-----------------------------------------------

kāma lāgi kṛṣṇa bhaje pāya kṛṣṇa-rase | 
kāma chāḍi dāsa haite haya abhilāṣe || ityādi

     “If a person who has other desires worships Śrī Kṛṣṇa, even without him asking, Kṛṣṇa gives him his lotus feet. Kṛṣṇa says, ‘If someone worships me to obtain sense enjoyment, he gives up nectar and prays for poison. He is a big fool. Being wise, why should I give sense enjoyment to this fool? By giving him the nectar of my feet, I shall cause him to forget all about sense enjoyment.’ When someone affected by material desire worships Kṛṣṇa, he gets a taste for kṛṣṇa-rasa. Then, he gives up that material desire and wants instead to be Kṛṣṇa’s servant.” (CC. Mad. 22.37-39, 41)

     Then Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, sudṛḍha biśvāsa kari, mada mātsarya parihari, sadā kara ananya-bhajana. Previously, all the philosophical conclusions regarding bhajana have been described. Having established firm faith in that siddhānta, the vaiṣṇava-sādhakas must perform bhajana. The faith that brings one the eligibility (adhikāra) for bhakti-sādhanā or bhajana is born of trust. śraddhā śabde biśvāsa kahe, sudṛḍha niścaya (CC. Mad. 22.62). According to the words of sādhu, śāstra and guru, trust or faith is known as śraddhā. A person who has unwavering trust is the best of the faithful ones and has the highest eligibility for bhajana (uttamādhikārī). Moreover, a bhakta performing bhajana must give up pride, envy and so on because these are extremely destructive fundamental impediments to bhakti. If one is to obtain the supreme object, arrogance, vanity and so on must absolutely be abandoned. If one considers it carefully, it is seen that we regard our material bodies as ‘I’ and that connected to them as ‘mine.’ From this, pride or vanity arises. If the truth of the matter is understood, one’s sense of being the ‘doer’ is spontaneously removed. The nature of the jīva is that he is pure spirit and is disinterested in all physical objects. All worldly activities are accomplished by the guṇas of prakṛti: prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (Gītā 3.27). If one considers this, he will naturally seek shelter at Śrī Bhagavān’s lotus feet and understand himself incapable of enjoying the things of the world. Then all pride and vanity are uprooted and one’s humility causes his own charming form to appear and illuminate his heart.

     If mātsarya (envy) resides in the heart, one is deprived of the eligibility to worship Śrī Bhagavān. In the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.2), we see nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām. “A virtuous or noble person who is free from envy is eligible for bhāgavata-dharma.” parotkarṣāsahanaṁ mātsaryam. Mātsarya is the name of that lowly, narrow or miserly mental function whereby one is unable to tolerate the excellent qualities of another, or doesn’t approve of the other’s qualities or becomes morose when he hears of those qualities. A person affected by envy finds fault with those whose qualities are superior to his own, is challenging and arrogant toward his equals and shows contempt or scorn for those less advanced. A person free from envy shows faith and devotion toward superior persons, love and friendship toward his equals, and affection and compassion toward those less advanced. The desire for fame or honor also arises in the heart of a person affected by envy. By the semen of the outcaste named Mātsarya (envy) in the womb of the demoness called Pratiṣṭhāśā (desire for fame), the twin daughters Hiṁsā (malice) and Asūyā (jealousy) are born. By the frenzied dance of these two, the virtuous nature of the heart is completely destroyed. Therefore, the sādhaka must always avoid pride, envy and so on.

     Then Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, sadā kara ananya-bhajana. In his commentary on the word ananya-vṛttyā in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.7.38, Śrīdhara Svāmī has written, ananya-vṛttyāvyabhicāriṇyā bhaktyā. “It should be understood that ananya-bhakti (exclusive devotion) means avyabhicārī-bhakti (constant devotion).” It is contrary to pure devotion to have any other desire than to serve Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, ananya-bhajana means giving up all desires related to the material or spiritual worlds and worshiping Śrī Kṛṣṇa for his happiness only. In his explanation of the word ananya-bhāk in his commentary on Śrīmad-Bhagavad-Gītā 9.30, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartipāda has written, ananya-bhāk matto’nya-devatāntaraṁ mad-bhakter anyat karma-jñānādikam, mat-kāmanāto’nyāṁ rājyādi-kāmanāṁ na bhajate sa sādhuḥ. “The practitioners of ananya-bhakti do not worship any devatās besides me, do not practice karma, jñāna or anything other than devotion to me, and have no place in their hearts for any other desire, such as for a kingdom and so on, than the desire to serve me. They are true sādhus.” Later on in this book (verse 19), Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya will also say, hṛṣīke gobinda-sebā, nā pūjiba debī debā, eita ananya-bhakti kathā. “I shall serve Śrī Govinda with my senses. I shall not worship other gods or goddesses. I shall only speak of pure devotion.”

Bhāvanā-Sāra-Saṅgrahaḥ, Prātaḥ 35

श्यामे! त्वमेवमधुनैव विचिन्त्यमाना मन्नेत्रवर्त्मगमिता विधिना यथैव ।

तद्वत् स तर्ष-विटपी फलयिष्यते चेदद्यैव तर्हि गणयाम्यपि सुप्रभातम् ॥ ३५ ॥

śyāme! tvam evam adhunaiva vicintyamānā

man-netra-vartma-gamitā vidhinā yathaiva |

tadvat sa tarṣa-viṭapī phalayiṣyate ced

adyaiva tarhi gaṇayāmy api suprabhātam || 35 ||

     Rādhā, overwhelmed by love, forgot her previous night’s tryst with Kṛṣṇa and exclaimed, “Śyāmalā! Sakhī, I was just thinking of you. As though by destiny, you have appeared before my eyes. If the tree of my desires bears fruit in the same way, I’ll indeed consider this a fine morning!” (Kṛṣṇa-Bhāvanāmṛtam 3.19)

Śrī Śrī Prema-Bhakti-Candrikā 16 (comm. by Śrī Anantadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja)

যোগী ন্যাসী কর্মী জ্ঞানী,        অন্য দেব পূজক ধ্যানী,

ইহ লোক দূরে পরিহরি ।

ধর্ম কর্ম দুঃখ শোক,        যেবা থাকে অন্য যোগ,

ছাড়ি ভজ গিরিবরধারী ॥ ১৬ ॥

yogī nyāsī karmī jñānī,        anya deba pūjaka dhyānī,

iha loka dūre parihari |

dharma karma duḥkha śoka,        yebā thāke anya yoga,

chāḍi bhaja giribaradhārī || 16 ||

     Stay away from the yogīs, māyāvādī-sannyāsīs, karmīs, jñānīs and those who worship or meditate on other gods. Give up varṇāśrama-dharma, fruitive activities, sorrow, lamentation and whatever other attachments you may have. Just worship Girivaradhārī.

Giridhārī-Bhajana

     Sudhā-Kaṇikā-Vyākhyā: As in the previous verse, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya is in this verse also determining the rules and regulations regarding that which the bhakta must accept and reject. Along with avoiding asat-saṅga, the bhakta who desires his highest welfare must also stay far away from yogīs, sannyāsīs, karmīs,  jñānīs, those who worship or meditate on other gods and so on. For a bhakta who desires prema and is singularly devoted to bhajana, the mere contact of persons absorbed in matters other than Kṛṣṇa is deemed asat-saṅga. By their association, the bhakta inevitably becomes absorbed in matters other than Kṛṣṇa and deviates from his bhajana. Yogī means one who practices aṣṭāṅga-yoga, which is comprised of yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna and samādhi. In their doctrine, by the practice of this aṣṭāṅga-yoga, if the five mental faculties of pramāṇa (conviction), viparyaya (misapprehension), vikalpa (indecision), nidrā (sloth) and smṛti (remembrance) are controlled, the sādhaka will attain asamprajñāta-samādhi and oneness with Paramātmā. Nyāsī is understood to mean the māyāvādī-sannyāsīs, who are daśanāmī-sannyāsīs of the tradition coming from the advaitavādī Śaṅkara. In their doctrine, nirviśeṣa (undifferentiated) brahma is beyond māyā, while saviśeṣa (having specific qualities) īśvara is in contact with māyā. They also believe that all of īśvara’s various bodies are phantoms of māyā, or illusory. They consider Bhagavān’s transcendental state, his abodes, devotion and his devotees all to be illusory. The forms of the jīvas are also māyā. Since the universe is composed of māyā, it is therefore false. This type of argument that assumes all existent objects to be illusory is called māyāvāda. In their opinion, everything except the one undivided, non-dual, attribute-less brahma is false or illusory. Māyāvāda is covered Buddhism and asat, a clear reference to which is found in the Uttara-Khaṇḍa of Padma-Purāṇa: māyāvādam asac-chāstraṁ pracchannaṁ bauddham ucyate, mayaiva vihitaṁ devi kalau brāhmaṇa-mūrtinā. Śrī Śaṅkara said to Mahādevī, “Devī! Māyāvāda is an asat-śāstra and covered Buddhist doctrine. In the form of Śaṅkarācārya, I established this philosophy in kali-yuga (to destroy Buddhism or śūnyavāda and to reinstitute vaidika doctrine).”

     Karmī means those who, in hopes of obtaining the happiness of dwelling in svarga (the heavenly worlds), are devoted to performing the yajñas and other rituals mentioned in the Vedas and the daily and occasional activities mentioned in the smṛti-śāstras. Śruti says, kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti, plavā hy ete adṛḍhā yajña-rūpā, tad yatheha karma-jito lokaḥ kṣīyate, evam evāmutra puṇya-jito lokaḥ kṣīyate and so on. The meaning is that after performing many arduous Vedic sacrifices, rituals, vows and so on, the karmī obtains svarga, the heavenly worlds. But when his religious merit is exhausted, he must leave svarga, the place of enjoyment, and be reborn in the mortal world where he suffers repeatedly from birth, old age, disease and death. Therefore, yajñas and so on are not firm rafts for crossing over the ocean of material life. Just as in this world, the stock of rice and other foods acquired by farming decreases as they are eaten, in the same way, svarga also, which has been attained by puṇya, suffers decay as the earned enjoyment is depleted. Therefore, those who are blinded by ignorance and attached only to karma create their own bondage in the net of karma, like a spider who spins his own web.

     Jñānī means a brahma-jñānī, or one who considers the jīva and brahma to be non-different. In his commentary, Śaṅkarācārya has refuted in every way the doctrine of combining jñāna and karma. In his opinion, karma and jñāna are extremely contradictory, like light and dark. They cannot be performed simultaneously. For this reason, in his Śārīraka-Bhāṣya, he has determined that the immediate or direct causes of the inquiry into brahma are deliberation upon both eternal and temporary subjects; renunciation of the enjoyment of the fruits of one’s endeavors in this world and the next; the six virtues, such as tranquility, self-control and so on; and the desire for liberation. By all these practices, the brahma-jñānīs contemplate the non-difference between the nature of brahma and the consciousness of the jīva. Even though those desiring brahma-jñāna are to be respected, the bhaktas reject them because their philosophy is extremely detrimental to bhedavāda or bhakti. Therefore, Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya has said the bhakta-sādhaka must stay far away from them.

     Moreover, the association of those who worship or meditate upon Brahmā, Rudra or other devatās, thinking them to be independent gods, should also be abandoned. Śrī Viṣṇu is the Supreme Lord and Brahmā, Rudra and all others are his devotees. ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC. Ādi 5.142). “Śrī Kṛṣṇa alone is Lord; all others are servants.” By the power of worshiping Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Mahādeva and others sustain their everlasting divinity. Therefore, in the śāstras, those who consider Brahmā, Rudra and other devatās to be equal to Śrī Nārāyaṇa have been called pāṣaṇḍīs or heretics. yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ, samatvenaiva vīkṣeta sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam (Vaiṣṇava-Tantram). “Those who consider Brahmā, Rudra and other devatās to be equal to Śrī Nārāyaṇa are undoubtedly pāṣaṇḍīs.” To see or associate with such a heretic is in every way forbidden. Worship must be performed with the understanding that Brahmā, Mahādeva and so on are the best of Vaiṣṇavas and that Śrī Hari is the Lord of all. It is seen in śāstra that there are many faults in abandoning Viṣṇu and worshiping other devatās. In the conversation between Brahmā and Nārada in the Skanda-Purāṇa we see, vāsudevaṁ parityajya yo’nya-devam upāsate, svamātaraṁ parityajya śvapacīṁ vandate hi saḥ. “For one who abandons Śrī Vāsudeva and takes up the worship of another devatā, it is as though he abandons his own mother and praises a dog-eating caṇḍālī.” In Śrī Mahābhārata also, we find this description: yas tu viṣṇuṁ parityajya mohād anyam upāsate, sa hema-rāśim utsṛjya pāṁśu-rāśiṁ jighṛkṣati. “A person who gives up the worship of Viṣṇu and because of illusion worships another devatā gives up a pile of gold and wants to receive a pile of ashes.” Not only that, but in the Skanda-Purāṇa, it has been described that by giving up Śrī Hari and worshiping another devatā, it is like giving up nectar and drinking deadly poison. vāsudevaṁ parityajya yo’nya-devam upāsate, tyaktvāmṛtaṁ sa mūḍhātmā bhuṅkte halāhalaṁ viṣam. The bhakta who desires his highest welfare must also give up the association of all these people who are unfavorable toward the path of bhakti.

     Then he says, dharma karma duḥkha śoka, yebā thāke anya yoga, chāḍi bhaja giribaradhārī. Dharma means dharma that is suitable for the varṇāśrama system, including the four varṇas of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra along with the four āśramas of brahmacarya, gārhasthya, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. Karma means daily and occasional activities that produce puṇya or virtue. He has given a lesson for the śuddha-bhaktas regarding bhajana after they abandon dharma, karma and so on. In the discussion where Śrī Kṛṣṇa tells Uddhava Mahāśaya to abandon dharma, he says, ājñāyaivaṁ guṇān doṣān mayādiṣṭān api svakān, dharmān santyajya yaḥ sarvān māṁ bhajeta sa sattamaḥ (Bhāg. 11.11.32). “Even though knowing the merits of performing one’s own duties and the faults of not performing one’s duties as taught by my veda-śāstras, he who gives up all dharmas and worships me is regarded as the best of sādhus.” mayā veda-rūpeṇādiṣṭān api svadharmān santyajya yo māṁ bhajeta so’py evaṁ pūrvoktavat sattamaḥ. kim ajñānāt nāstikyād vā. na, dharmācaraṇe sattva-śuddhyādīn guṇān vipakṣe doṣāṁś cājñāya jñātvāpi mad-dhyāna-vikṣepakatayā mad-bhaktyaiva sarvaṁ bhaviṣyatīti dṛḍha-niścayenaiva dharmān santyajya (Śrīdhara Svāmī’s commentary on the above-mentioned verse). Śrī Bhagavān says, “O Uddhava! After abandoning the duties ordered by me in the Vedas, those who worship me are considered the best of sādhus, as mentioned before. The question may be posed, ‘Do they give up their duties because of ignorance or atheism?’ The answer is, ‘No.’ They understand that by the performance of dharma, one’s nature is purified and that by non-performance, sins or faults will accrue. But they also know that the performance of one’s svadharma may disrupt one’s contemplation of me, so with the firm conviction that ‘by devotion to me, everything is accomplished,’ they completely abandon their dharmas.” In Śrī Gītā also, Śrī Bhagavān said to Arjuna, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. “O Arjuna! Give up all dharmas and take shelter of me alone.”

     Regarding the renunciation of karma, we see Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s words to Uddhava in the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: tāvat karmāṇi kurvīta na nirvidyeta yāvatā, mat-kathā-śravaṇādau vā śraddhā yāvan na jāyate (11.20.9). “As long as one feels neither disinterest toward sense objects nor faith in hearing my stories, one must continue to practice his daily and occasional karmas.” In his Sārārtha-Darśinī commentary on this verse, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartipāda has written, nirvede tu jāte ‘nirviṇṇānāṁ jñāna-yoga’ iti mad-ukter jñāna evādhikāro na karmaṇīti bhāvaḥ. tathā ākasmika-mahat-kṛpā-janita-śraddhā vā yāvad iti śraddhātaḥ pūrvam eva karmādhikāraḥ, śraddhāyāṁ jātāyāṁ tu ‘jāta-śraddhas tu yaḥ pumān’ iti mad-ukter bhaktāv eva kevalāyām adhikārā na karmaṇīti bhāvaḥ. śraddhā ceyam ātyantiky eva jñeyā. sā ca bhagavat-kathā-śravaṇādibhir eva kṛtārthī-bhaviṣyāmīti na tu karma-jñānādibhir iti dṛḍhaivāstikya-lakṣaṇaiva. tādṛśa-śuddha-bhakta-saṅgodbhūtaiva jñeyā. The meaning is that Śrī Bhagavān says, “If disinterest in karma has arisen in someone, as I mentioned before (nirviṇṇānāṁ jñāna-yoga), this person has adhikāra (eligibility) for jñāna, not for karma. By the words ‘so long as one does not have faith born of the causeless mercy of saints,’ I mean that before having faith, one has adhikāra for karma. By saying ‘that person in whom faith has arisen,’ I mean that if śraddhā has appeared, this faithful person has adhikāra only for bhakti, not for karma. Such faith should be understood to be uninterrupted. In other words, ‘By hearing bhagavat-kathā and so on, I shall be successful, not by karma or jñāna.’ This symptom of firm belief in God shall be understood as faith born of the association of a pure bhakta.” Therefore, it has been acknowledged that a person with tender faith has a very slight adhikāra for karma. mṛdu-śraddhasya kathitā svalpā karmādhikāritā (BRS. 1.2.186).

     Those who have truly given up varṇāśrama-dharma and their daily and occasional duties, who have accepted the dress of a bhāgavata-paramahaṁsa and are worshiping Śrī Hari have abandoned varṇāśrama-dharma internally and externally and have become completely disinterested in karma and jñāna. But those who remain in varṇāśrama-dharma, namely in gārhasthya-āśrama, who take shelter at Śrī Hari’s lotus feet and perform bhajana with firm faith have also obviously abandoned varṇāśrama-dharma because they have no attachment for it.

     In the same way, the bhakta must also give up worldly sorrow, lamentation and so on because Śrī Kṛṣṇa will never appear in the minds of those stricken with sorrow and regret. The pure bhaktas unwaveringly accept sorrow and lamentation as a gift of Śrī Bhagavān’s mercy; if such miseries do come to them, they patiently endure them and remain deeply engaged in bhajana. Moreover, anya-yoga means that the bhaktas release attachment for their wives, children, sense objects and so on. By his skill in bhajana, the śuddha-bhakta frees his mind from its attachment to all worldly things or subjects and establishes it firmly at Śrī Bhagavān’s lotus feet. Śrīla Ṭhākura Mahāśaya says, “In this way, the bhakta-sādhaka must earnestly worship Śrī Śrī Giridhārī with his mind fixed upon the Lord’s lotus feet.”