Verse 1.5.40

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 1.5.40:

आस्वादनं श्री-विदुरौदनस्य श्री-भीष्म-निर्याण-महोत्सवश् च ।
तत्-तत्-कृत-त्वादृश-पक्ष-पात-स्यापेक्षयैवेति विचारयध्वम् ॥ ४० ॥

āsvādanaṃ śrī-viduraudanasya śrī-bhīṣma-niryāṇa-mahotsavaś ca |
tat-tat-kṛta-tvādṛśa-pakṣa-pāta-syāpekṣayaiveti vicārayadhvam || 40 ||

Śrī Kṛṣṇa relished foodstuffs in the house of Vidura and celebrated the grand event of Bhīṣma’s passing away, namely, his departing for Vaikuṇṭha. Please bear in mind it was all done out of a soft spot of affection for them and no other reason.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

Śrī Kṛṣṇa ate food in the house of Vidura, and at the time of Bhīsma’s passing away conducted a festival. Therefore, in comparison does it show Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s greater mercy towards them? Thus Śrī Nārada is singing this verse beginning with āsvādanam.

The people used to maintain deep affection for these Pāṇḍavas. Śrī Kṛṣṇa lovingly and with great appreciation accepted the mellows of Vidura’s foodstuff and celebrated the festival of Bhīṣma’s complete departure from the world. The term niryāṇa (passing away) means “not coming back to this material world, obtaining Śrī Vaikuṇṭha and obtaining a form similar to Bhagavān.” Therefore, Śrī Kṛṣṇa celebrated this festival of the passing away of Bhīṣma in the nature of the bhagavat sāyujya. In this way, at any place there comes the topic of sāyujya of bhaktas, or liberation of devotees, then such topics only indicate that they obtained a form made of sac-cid-ānanda similar to Bhagavān’s form, or it indicates their eligibility to obtain Vaikuṇṭha. This topic shall be futher discussed.

In fact, in the same way the mellows of foodstuffs of Vidura were tasted, the great festival of Bhīṣma’s achieving Vaikuṇṭha by receiving a form similar to Bhagavān was also celebrated. This was done because both were affectionate to the Pāṇḍavas and partial towards them. For this reason only they obtained such mercy of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and for no other reason. In other words, they received mercy due to their saintly nature because they had very little propensity to serve Bhagavān, and it is impossible to receive His mercy by such little propensity to serve. You yourself should consider this. In this way, in this material world, in comparison to Vidura and Bhīṣma, who are the recipients of the great mercy of Śrī Bhagavān, the greater fortune of the Pāṇḍavas is portrayed.