FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.29.7

श्रीभगवानुवाच भक्तियोगो बहुविधो मार्गैर्भामिनि भाव्यते । स्वभावगुणमार्गेण पुंसां भावो विभिद्यते ॥ ७ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
[shree-bhagavaan uvaacha]
bhakti-yogo bahu-vidho
[bhakti-yogo bahu-vidho]
mārgair bhāmini bhāvyate
[maargair bhaamini bhaavyate]
svabhāva-guṇa-mārgeṇa
[svabhaava-guna-maargena]
puṁsāṁ bhāvo vibhidyate
[pumsaam bhaavo vibhidyate]
Word-for-word
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Personality of Godhead replied bhakti-yogaḥ — devotional service bahu-vidhaḥ — multifarious mārgaiḥ — with paths bhāmini — O noble lady bhāvyate — is manifest svabhāva — nature guṇa — qualities mārgeṇa — in terms of behavior puṁsām — of the executors bhāvaḥ — the appearance vibhidyate — is divided.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
the Personality of Godhead replied
bhakti-yogaḥ
devotional service
bhakti-yogo bahu-vidho
bahu-vidhaḥ
multifarious
mārgair bhāmini bhāvyate
mārgaiḥ
with paths
bhāmini
O noble lady
bhāvyate
is manifest
svabhāva-guṇa-mārgeṇa
svabhāva
nature
guṇa
qualities
mārgeṇa
in terms of behavior
puṁsāṁ bhāvo vibhidyate
puṁsām
of the executors
bhāvaḥ
the appearance
vibhidyate
is divided.
Lord Kapila, the Personality of Godhead, replied: O noble lady, there are multifarious paths of devotional service in terms of the different qualities of the executor.
Purport

Pure devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is one because in pure devotional service there is no demand from the devotee to be fulfilled by the Lord. But generally people take to devotional service with a purpose. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, people who are not purified take to devotional service with four purposes. A person who is distressed because of material conditions becomes a devotee of the Lord and approaches the Lord for mitigation of his distress. A person in need of money approaches the Lord to ask for some improvement in his monetary condition. Others, who are not in distress or in need of monetary assistance but are seeking knowledge in order to understand the Absolute Truth, also take to devotional service, and they inquire into the nature of the Supreme Lord. This is very nicely described in Bhagavad-gītā (7.16) . Actually the path of devotional service is one without a second, but according to the devotees’ condition, devotional service appears in multifarious varieties, as will be nicely explained in the following verses.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The Lord said: Bhakti appears in many forms by particular actions in a person according to his intentions. The intentions of men are classed by the actions of the guṇas arising from one’s nature. Kapila has already spoken of pure bhakti beyond the guṇas: devānāṁ guṇa-liṅgānām ānuśravika-karmaṇām sattva evaika-manaso vṛttiḥ svābhāvikī tu yā animittā bhāgavatī bhaktiḥ siddher garīyasī Bhakti to the Supreme Lord without material desires, composed of actions of the senses to reveal senses objects related to the Lord and which conform to guru’s instructions, with mind dedicated exclusively to the Lord, and which include actions on the spontaneous level, is superior to liberation. SB 3.25.32 Now Kapila begins to speak about bhakti which is contaminated by the guṇas. Bhakti-yoga, of one nature, is known to have many forms with particular methods, according to the intention of the particular person (bhāvini). That intention becomes classified by differing actions of the guṇas arising from one’s nature. Though bhakti in its essential nature is beyond the guṇas, it becomes called tamasic bhakti etc. when it is contaminated by one’s natural guṇas such as tamas.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Real devotion is steady, not theatrical. The verse treats bhakti as the work the soul was made for — every other career is a temporary detour from this primary employment.
Reflection Questions
  • What ordinary activity could you re-aim today so it becomes an offering rather than a transaction?
  • Where in your life are you still 'enjoying' the fruits of work you call devotional?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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