Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.6.35
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
Yoga aims at controlling the senses. By practice of the mystic process of bodily exercise in sitting, thinking, feeling, willing, concentrating, meditating and at last being merged into transcendence, one can control the senses. The senses are considered like venomous serpents, and the yoga system is just to control them. On the other hand, Nārada Muni recommends another method for controlling the senses in the transcendental loving service of Mukunda, the Personality of Godhead. By his experience he says that devotional service to the Lord is more effective and practical than the system of artificially controlling the senses. In the service of the Lord Mukunda, the senses are transcendentally engaged. Thus there is no chance of their being engaged in sense satisfaction. The senses want some engagement. To check them artificially is no check at all because as soon as there is some opportunity for enjoyment, the serpentlike senses will certainly take advantage of it. There are many such instances in history, just like Viśvāmitra Muni’s falling a victim to the beauty of Menakā. But Ṭhākura Haridāsa was allured at midnight by the well-dressed Māyā, and still she could not induce that great devotee into her trap.
The whole idea is that without devotional service of the Lord, neither the yoga system nor dry philosophical speculation can ever become successful. Pure devotional service of the Lord, without being tinged with fruitive work, mystic yoga or speculative philosophy, is the foremost procedure to attain self-realization. Such pure devotional service is transcendental in nature, and the systems of yoga and jñāna are subordinate to such a process. When the transcendental devotional service is mixed with a subordinate process, it is no longer transcendental but is called mixed devotional service. Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the author of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, will gradually develop all these different systems of transcendental realization in the text.
Though it is ascertained that the state of bhakti is real liberation, yoga and jñana mixed with bhakti will not pacify the ātmā as much as pure bhakti. Ātmā is not pacified by yoga (yoga-pathaiḥ) as much as by serving Mukunda directly (addhā). It is established that yoga and other processes without bhakti are futile
pureha bhūman bahavo ’pi yoginas tvad-arpitehā nija-karma-labdhayā vibudhya bhaktyaiva kathopanītayā prapedire ’ñjo ’cyuta te gatiṁ parām
O almighty Lord, in the past many yogīs in this world achieved the platform of devotional service by offering all their endeavors unto You and faithfully carrying out their prescribed duties. Through such devotional service, perfected by the processes of hearing and chanting about You, they came to understand You, O infallible one, and could easily surrender to You and achieve Your supreme abode. SB 10.14.5
naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvara na cārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam
Even the stage of jñāna without the bondage of karma is not glorious if it is devoid of bhakti to the Supreme Lord. What is the use of having destroyed ignorance? What then to speak of sakāma-karma which causes suffering, both, during practice and at the stage perfection, and niṣkāma-karma, when not offered to the Lord? SB 1.5.12
Therefore this verse must only refer to yoga and other processes mixed with bhakti, since they otherwise would give no results at all. And even if these processes pacify the ātmā to some extent, they do not pacify it to the extent that pure bhakti alone - serving Mukunda without these processes - does. These mixed processes will not satisfy ātmā completely:
bhavatānudita-prāyaṁ yaśo bhagavato ’malam yenaivāsau na tuṣyeta manye tad darśanaṁ khilam
You have not sufficiently described the glories of the spotless Lord Kṛṣṇa. Because your mind could never be satisfied with Vedānta, I think that writing the Vedānta-sūtras is insufficient. SB 1.5.8
Though bhakti is described later as a means of liberation, three types of bhakti are seen: pure bhakti (kevala), mixed bhakti but with bhakti being predominant (prādhānya) and mixed bhakti but with bhakti being secondary (guṇa-bhāva). Kevala-bhakti is illustrated in verses such as tyaktvā sva-dharmam (SB 1.5.17) and ahaṁ purātīta-bhava (SB 1.5.23). Prādhānya-bhakti is illustrated in the following:
kurvāṇā yatra karmāṇi bhagavac-chikṣayāsakṛt gṛṇanti guṇa-nāmāni kṛṣṇasyānusmaranti ca
When those engaged in karma continuously perform those activities according to the instruction of the Lord, they also chant and remember the qualities and names of Kṛṣṇa. SB 1.5.36
Guṇa-bhāva-bhakti is illustrated as follows:
yad atra kriyate karma bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam jñānaṁ yat tad adhīnaṁ hi bhakti-yoga-samanvitam
That jñāna which arises from karma which is pleasing to the Lord because of being offered to him is endowed with bhakti. SB 1.5.35
Kevala-bhakti, practiced by a person who is niṣkāma, also called as ananya-bhakti, śuddha-bhakti, nirguṇa-bhakti, uttama-bhaklti and akiṇcana-bhakti, gives prema as a result. Prādhānya-bhakti, classified as karma-miśra-bhakti, jñāna-miśra-bhakti, and yoga-miśra-bhakti and practiced by those who are śānta, produces rati (bhāva) and liberation for some. If one of these persons gets the association of a person with dāsya-bhāva or other sentiments, because of the predominance of bhakti desiring dāsya or other sentiments, that person will achieve prema from that dāsya or other bhāva with a prominence of reverential (aiśvarya) mood. In guṇa-bhāva-bhakti, bhakti does not reveal is own results and name. It is only an assistant of karma, jñāna and yoga which cannot produce results without bhakti’s presence. Bhakti in this case is only secondary (taṭashta). Bhakti-miśra-karma, bhakti-miśra-jñāna and bhakti-miśra-yoga produce liberation. Thus in this scripture, only two types of bhakti are accepted: kevala and pradhānībhūtā. All this Nārada instructed to Vyāsa, who explains this in the Twelfth Canto.
- Priya Valabha Mataji SB 01-06-35 Hindi
- Jivananda Pr SB 01-06-35 - 2013-10-02 Tucson
- SDAP SB 01-06-35 - 2009-04-04 Riga
- SKrishnaPr SB 01-06-35
- Bhakti Vikas Sw SB 01-06-35 - Subduing the Lower
- DMS SB 01-06-35 - 2018-03-17 Los Angeles
- JPS SB 01-06-35 - Topmost yoga system devotional service - 1991-07-04 New-talavan
- Romapada Sw SB 01-06-35 - Satisfaction to the soul from pure devotional service - 2008-07-01 Palatine
- Where am I disciplining myself without loving anything?
- What devotional act could feed the soul-hunger my discipline cannot reach?
My note
Source: vedabase.io