balena jitvā prakṛtiṁ baliṣṭhām
balena jitvā prakṛtiṁ baliṣṭhām
tvām eva dhīrāḥ puruṣaṁ viśanti
teṣāṁ śramaḥ syān na tu sevayā te
Others, desiring only liberation, conquer strong material energy by mental concentration and merge with the Lord. They become distressed in order to do this, whereas by bhakti there is no pain.
By the practice of jñāna, the process making the mind steady (ātmā-samādhi), or by aṣṭāṅga-yoga, they enter into you, the Supreme Lord. They attain sāyujya. But to do this they become exhausted by great effort. If they perform bhakti, they do not become fatigued.
śreyaḥ-sṛtiṁ bhaktim udasya te vibho
kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye
teṣām asau kleśala eva śiṣyate
nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām
My dear Lord, devotional service unto you is the best path for self-realization. If someone gives up that path and engages in the cultivation of speculative knowledge, he will simply undergo a troublesome process and will not achieve his desired result. As a person who beats an empty husk of wheat cannot get grain, one who simply speculates cannot achieve self-realization. His only gain is trouble. SB 10.14.4
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 10.14.6
From this it is understood that without bhakti it is impossible to achieve jñāna, what to speak of liberation. Thus they suffer extremely. For them, only suffering and nothing else remains (kleśalaḥ). This is like beating on empty husk. By means of bhakti which is an aṅga of jñāna, they attain sāyujya, but in the stage of practice it is clear that there is great effort in searching out the method of concentrating the mind. In the state of perfection they accept merging into the Lord which is rejected by the devotees who attain prema-- which is the cause of controlling you. That choice also is only suffering! According to the devotees, the jñānīs in liberation suffer. “But it should be inferred that the devotees also become tired in serving the Lord.” The verse says, “They do not become tired by serving.” The proof is the experiencers of bhakti. There are no difficulties for men or women or for persons of any āśrama. But even in not having difficulties. there is some sort of pain, for by not attaining service the devotees suffer greatly. One should not think that by serving you, the devotee enters into you, for this contradicts the previous verse which states that the devotee attains you, the abode of no fatigue (akuṇṭha-dhiṣṇyam). This is the explanation, since kuṇṭha means weak. As well the word anvīyuḥ, “they attain” would be meaningless if one argues that the devotees merge into the Lord.
|| 3.5.48 ||
tat te vayaṁ loka-sisṛkṣayādya
tvayānusṛṣṭās tribhir ātmabhiḥ sma
sarve viyuktāḥ sva-vihāra-tantraṁ
na śaknumas tat pratihartave te
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