The autumn season removed the clouds in the sky, the crowded living conditions, the mud from the earth and the cloudy water. This is like bhakti, arising through devotional association, removing the suffering arising in the performance of duties of the four asramas. By becoming qualified for bhakti, the person is not obligated to perform the asrama duties. As bhakti removes the suffering of the brahmacari in serving a karmi guru by herding cows and other servcie, so the autumn season removed the clouds in the sky. As bhakti removes the suffering of the grhastha when he ahs to associate with family members on occasion of sraddha rites, so the autumn season removes the suffering of living together in close quarters because of rain, and everyone is free to go where he pleases. As bhakti removes the suffering of the vana prastha who keeps dirt on his body, the autumn season removes the mud from the earth. As bhakti removes the suffering of the sannyasi who struggles to meditate on the Brahman (kleso’dhikaratas tesam avyaka sakta cetasam), so the autumn season removes dirty from the water. This is a positive series of analogies.

Bhakti to Kṛṣṇa alone removes the inauspiciousness of the āśramas consisting of the performance of some duties which are very difficult. tāvat karmāṇi kurvīta na nirvidyeta yāvatā mat-kathā-śravaṇādau vā śraddhā yāvan na jāyate As long as one does not become detached from daily and periodic duties or has not awakened his faith in hearing topics about me, one must perform one’s prescribed duties of varṇāśrama. SB 11.20.9 Similarly autumn season alone removes the clouds which cause difficulties because they cover the whole sky. Comparisons are given showing the difficulties created by certain objects, which consequently should be removed. Śrīdhara Svāmī makes comparisons with specific corresponding qualities while maintain the status of the āśramas. Thus when the sannyāsī has material desires which do not fall within the āśrama rules, the methods in the āśrama for destroying the obstacles are yamas and niyamas, such as serving guru. These are not rejected. Moreover, there is even greater difficulty in meditating on the formless as explained in Bhagavad-gītā: kleśo ‘dhikāratas teṣām avyakaśakta-cetasām: those who concentrate on the formless Brahman have more difficulties. (BG 12.5) (Thus one should worship the Lord.) Concerning the brahmacārī in Śrīdhara Svāmī’s explanation, carrying water for the guru in a bucket is difficult or causes unhappiness. For the sannyāsī, material desires are unhappiness. For the householders the combination of offspring etc. brings about unhappiness. Bhakti does not destroy the āśramas, but only the difficulties in certain duties. Thus there is no recommendation for destroying the system.

Bhakti to Kṛṣṇa who removes all sorrows, who is Bhagavān, frees everyone from suffering. Or bhakti to Kṛṣṇa alone removes the inauspiciousness of the āśramas consisting of the performance of some duties which are very difficult. tāvat karmāṇi kurvīta na nirvidyeta yāvatā mat-kathā-śravaṇādau vā śraddhā yāvan na jāyate As long as one does not become detached from daily and periodic duties or has not awakened his faith in hearing topics about me, one must perform one’s prescribed duties of varṇāśrama. SB 11.20.9 Excessive effort disappears by giving up those duties. There is an explanation of the qualities of pure devotion in Bhagavad-bhakti-vilāsa. The autumn season by itself performs four types of purification.