Verse 1.3.47-48

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 1.3.47-48:

मुक्तान् उपहसन्तीव वैकुण्ठे सततं प्रभुम् ।
भजन्तः पक्षि-वृक्षादि-रूपैर् विविध-सेवया ॥ ४७ ॥
कमला-लाल्यमानाङ्घ्रि-कमलं मोद-वर्धनम् ।
संपश्यन्तो हरिं साक्षाद् रमन्ते सह तेन ये ॥ ४८ ॥

muktān upahasantīva vaikuṇṭhe satataṃ prabhum |
bhajantaḥ pakṣi-vṛkṣādi-rūpair vividha-sevayā || 47 ||
kamalā-lālyamānāṅghri-kamalaṃ moda-vardhanam |
saṃpaśyanto hariṃ sākṣād ramante saha tena ye || 48 ||

The animals of Vaikuṇṭha-loka, the birds, the trees and others perform various services for their Lord Śrī Hari uninterruptedly. Assuming these forms, these species seem to mock even the muktas or liberated souls.

The reason is that they continuously have direct darśana of Śrī Hari, whose lotus feet Śrī Lakṣmī-devī lovingly massages and enjoys pastimes with Him.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

One may wonder if all Vaikuṇṭha-loka residents are sac-cid-ānanda-maya, then why all the reports of lower species such as ignorant animals, birds and trees heard about in Vaikuṇṭha?

For example, in the Third Canto (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Bhāgavata Purāṇa 3.15.18-19) a description of Vaikuṇṭha is given:

पारावतान्यभृत-सारस-चक्रवाक-दात्यूह-हंस-शुक-तित्तिरि-बर्हिणाम् यः
कोलाहलो विरमते ऽचिर-मात्रम् उच्चैर् भृङ्गाधिपे हरि-कथाम् इव गायमाने
मन्दार-कुन्द-कुरबोत्पल-चम्पकार्ण-पुन्नाग-नाग-बकुलाम्बुज-पारिजाताः
गन्धे ऽर्चिते तुलसिकाभरणेन तस्या यस्मिंस् तपः सु-मनसो बहु मानयन्ति

pārāvatānyabhṛta-sārasa-cakravāka-dātyūha-haṃsa-śuka-tittiri-barhiṇām yaḥ
kolāhalo viramate 'cira-mātram uccair bhṛṅgādhipe hari-kathām iva gāyamāne
mandāra-kunda-kurabotpala-campakārṇa-punnāga-nāga-bakulāmbuja-pārijātāḥ
gandhe 'rcite tulasikābharaṇena tasyā yasmiṃs tapaḥ su-manaso bahu mānayanti

“Hearing the bumblebees begin to hum, the birds become overwhelmed with joy and think the wonderful pastimes of Śrī Hari are being sung. The high pitch sounds from all the birds like the pigeons, cuckoos, cranes, cakravākas, swans, parrots, partridges and peacocks come to a lull for some time. Moreover, despite the unique fragrance of flowers such as the mandāra, pārijāta, kunda, kurūbaka, campaka, punnāga, nāga-kesāra, bakula, utpala and kamala, Śrī Bhagavān wears the garlands from tulasī. Above all others, He adores the fragrance of tulasī the most, considering the great austerities that tulasī performed.”

In reponse to such thoughts, he alludes to the original verse beginning with muktān. Contrary to ridiculing the liberties of the mukta-puruṣas as petty for their wonderful comforts of bhajana, they assume lower species such as animals, birds and trees to continuously worship Śrī Hari. Actually, the devotees of Bhagavān are always absorbed in bhakti-rasa and are affectionate to the fallen souls. Therefore, it is impossible for them to ridicule anyone who is ignorant of bhakti-tattva or devotional truths. By assuming a lower species in the mode of apparent ignorance, they obtain great happiness in these forms by their variegated, wonderful services to Bhagavān. By these incidents, they seem to mock even the liberated souls. However, this is an assumption, a figure of speech.

Those who are actually fortunate can get His darśana at any time, obtaining the personal vision of Hari and engaging in pastimes with Him. Here, the verb saṃpaśyanta, used in the present tense, indicates that other than personal darśana, they also get the pleasure of His direct pastimes. The result is that in Vaikuṇṭha the animals, birds, trees and other species, both mobile and immobile entities, continually get direct darśana of Śrī Hari and enjoy pastimes with Him. Moreover, liberated souls see all these pastimes through their eye of meditation (dhyāna-netra). In other words, other than by meditation, they do not have the good fortune of direct darśana. Therefore, animals, birds and other species of Vaikuṇṭha, although having obtained a lower species by ordinary vision, are comparatively superior to liberated souls and are superior recipients of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.