FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.22

अतो वै कवयो नित्यं भक्तिं परमया मुदा । वासुदेवे भगवति कुर्वन्त्यात्मप्रसादनीम् ॥ २२ ॥
ato vai kavayo nityaṁ
[ato vai kavayo nityam]
bhaktiṁ paramayā mudā
[bhaktim paramayaa mudaa]
vāsudeve bhagavati
[vaasudeve bhagavati]
kurvanty ātma-prasādanīm
[kurvanty aatma-prasaadaneem]
ataḥ — therefore vai — certainly kavayaḥ — all transcendentalists nityam — from time immemorial bhaktim — service unto the Lord paramayā — supreme mudā — with great delight vāsudeve — Śrī Kṛṣṇa bhagavati — the Personality of Godhead kurvanti — do render ātma — self prasādanīm — that which enlivens.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ato vai kavayo nityaṁ
ataḥ
therefore
vai
certainly
kavayaḥ
all transcendentalists
nityam
from time immemorial
bhaktiṁ paramayā mudā
bhaktim
service unto the Lord
paramayā
supreme
mudā
with great delight
vāsudeve bhagavati
vāsudeve
Śrī Kṛṣṇa
bhagavati
the Personality of Godhead
kurvanty ātma-prasādanīm
kurvanti
do render
ātma
self
prasādanīm
that which enlivens.
Certainly, therefore, since time immemorial, all transcendentalists have been rendering devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, with great delight, because such devotional service is enlivening to the self.

The speciality of devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is specifically mentioned herein. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the svayaṁ-rūpa Personality of Godhead, and all other forms of Godhead, beginning from Śrī Baladeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Vāsudeva, Aniruddha, Pradyumna and Nārāyaṇa and extending to the puruṣa-avatāras, guṇa-avatāras, līlā-avatāras, yugāvatāras and many other thousands of manifestations of the Personality of Godhead, are Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s plenary portions and integrated parts. The living entities are separated parts and parcels of the Personality of Godhead. Therefore Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original form of Godhead, and He is the last word in the Transcendence. Thus He is more attractive to the higher transcendentalists who participate in the eternal pastimes of the Lord. In forms of the Personality of Godhead other than Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva, there is no facility for intimate personal contact as in the transcendental pastimes of the Lord at Vrajabhūmi. The transcendental pastimes of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa are not newly accepted, as argued by some less intelligent persons; His pastimes are eternal and are manifested in due course once in a day of Brahmājī, as the sun rises on the eastern horizon at the end of every twenty-four hours.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Thus the wise constantly perform bhakti - which gives joy to the mind - to Lord Kṛṣṇa with great joy.
Commentary

By saying “with great joy” it is indicated that even at the stage of sādhana-bhakti there are no difficulties.

All true transcendentalists, across ages, have ended up at devotion to Kṛṣṇa — not because they had to, but because it was 'enlivening to the self.' Joy is part of the data, not a side note.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have I assumed the spiritual path must feel grim to be real?
  • What practice in my life is genuinely enlivening — and am I treating it with the seriousness joy deserves?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 2