Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.47.24
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
-
dāna-vrata-tapaḥ-homa-japa-svādhyāya-saṁyamaiḥ
—
by charity, vows, austerities, fire sacrifices, japa, Vedic study, and regulative principles
Compound (contiguous chain from the synonyms). Uddhava's catalog of sādhana-paths. Gauḍīyas note that this verse is one of the Bhāgavatam's clearest sādhya-statements: all auspicious practice exists for one end.
-
kṛṣṇe bhaktiḥ
—
devotion unto Kṛṣṇa
Locative + nominative: kṛṣṇe (in/toward Kṛṣṇa) + bhaktiḥ (devotion). The end of all auspicious practice. Critically, bhakti is in Kṛṣṇa, not in 'God' generically — Gauḍīyas read this as the personalist anchor of the chapter.
-
sādhyate
—
is realized
Passive of √sādh (to accomplish). Bhakti is sādhya — the goal — and also sādhana, the means. Rūpa Gosvāmī's classic formulation that the means and end of bhakti are non-different stands on verses like this.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains the processes described here as follows. Dāna: donations given to Lord Viṣṇu and His devotees. Vrata: observing vows such as Ekādaśī. Tapas: renunciation of sense gratification for Kṛṣṇa’s sake. Homa: fire sacrifices dedicated to Viṣṇu. Japa: privately chanting the holy names of the Lord. Svādhyāya: study and recitation of Vedic texts such as the Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad.
Devotion to Krsna is produced by various processes (sadhana) such as giving. In the case of bhakti, giving (dana) must refer to giving to vaisnavas. Vrata must refer to vaisnava vratas like ekadasi. Tapah must refer to giving up objects of enjoyment for krsna’s sake (krsanrtha bhoga tyagadi-see nectar of devotion angas). Homa refers to vaisnava homas and japa refers to chanting visnu matras. Svadyaya refers to recitation of the gopala tapani upanisad and other text concerning Krsna. Other auspicious practices refers to those actions which are angas of bhakti (producing bhakti). That is because other practices, such of dana, tapa etc., in themselves are incapable of producing bhakti. That has been explained before.
This point is emphasized using kaimutya. All auspicious acts like charity and others like jṣāna, sāṅkhya and yoga (anyaiḥ) are successful when offered to Kṛṣṇa. Bhakti, a taste of hearing about the Lord and other process, unto Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, is accomplished when these processes are offered to the Lord. naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ na śobhate jṣānam alaṁ niraṣjanam | kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare na cārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam || Even the stage of jṣāna 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 This fact is expressed positively and negatively in the following verses: sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje | ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati || The supreme dharma for all human beings (sādhana bhakti) is that by which prema-bhakti to the Lord arises, which is not caused by anything other than itself, cannot be obstructed, and which satisfies the mind completely. SB 1.2.6 dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ | notpādayed yadi ratiṁ śrama eva hi kevalam || Varṇāśrama-dharma of the human being, which does not produce attraction for topics of the Lord, is only wasted effort. SB 1.2.8 In the verse vrata means following rules, tapa refers to austerities and saṁyama means control of the senses.
“Success is attained by attaining Kṛṣṇa, not by concentrating the mind.” This is expressed in two verses. Vrata means austerirites. Tapaḥ means following one’s dharma. Homa means sacrificies. Svādhyāya means study of the Vedas. Saṁyama means control of all the senses. Dāna means charity and japa means chanting silently. Since these are necessary, and known among people as the best acitons, they are clearly mentioned. By jṣaṇa (śreyobhiḥ) and other methods such as liberation, one can also attain the Lord. Vividhaiḥ modifies all the items. There various types of liberation such as sālokya etc. according to Vedānta and Nyāya. The rest is clear. The order of methods is according to increasing effectiveness. By these methods certainly (hi) bhakti to Kṛṣṇa, the supreme Lord, is accomplished. Otherwise, whatever else is attained by these methods is useless. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁṣām: varṇāśrama-dharma of the human being, which does not produce attraction for topics of the Lord, is only wasted effort. (SB 1.2.8)
Charity, vows, fire-sacrifice, japa, scripture-study — all the auspicious paths converge on a single point: bhakti to Kṛṣṇa. Uddhava lists the river-systems of dharma and shows them all running to one sea. The gopīs, he is hinting, have arrived at that sea without crossing any of the rivers.
My note
Source: vedabase.io