Verse 2.1.21-22

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.1.21-22:

ये सर्व-नैरपेक्ष्येन राधा-दास्येच्छवः परम् ।
सङ्कीर्तयन्ति तन्-नाम तादृश-प्रियता-मयाः ॥ २१ ॥
अन्येषाम् इव तेषां च प्राप्यं चेद् हृन् न तृप्यति ।
अहो नन्द-यशोदादेर् न सहे तादृशीं गतिम् ॥ २२ ॥

ye sarva-nairapekṣyena rādhā-dāsyecchavaḥ param |
saṅkīrtayanti tan-nāma tādṛśa-priyatā-mayāḥ || 21 ||
anyeṣām iva teṣāṃ ca prāpyaṃ ced hṛn na tṛpyati |
aho nanda-yaśodāder na sahe tādṛśīṃ gatim || 22 ||

ye–who; sarva–to all (lesser goals); nairapekṣyeṇa–because of indifference; rādhā-dāsya–for the service of Śrī Rādhā; icchavaḥ–aspire; param–sublime; saṅkīrtayanti–glorify; tat-nāma–Her name; tādṛśa–such; priyatā–with loving sentiments; mayāḥ–embued; anyeṣām–of others (general devotees); iva–like; teṣām–of them; ca–also; prāpyam–to be obtained; cet–if; hṛt–the heart; na–not; tṛpyati–is satisfied; aho–oh!; nanda-yaśodā–of Nanda and Yaśodā; ādeḥ–and the other Vrajavāsīs; na sahe–I cannot tolerate; tādṛśīm–such; gatim–a situation.

These devotees, being indifferent to all other spiritual practices and goals, aspire to become servants of Śrī Rādhikā (rādhā-dāsya) only. To attain this service, they constantly sing Her holy names, immersed in divine love. If these devotees, like other general devotees, obtain a special place in the same Vaikuṇṭha, our hearts will not be satisfied. Alas! I cannot tolerate the idea that Nanda and the other cowherdsmen and Yaśodā and the cowherd women would have the same destination as ordinary devotees.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

To present the destination achieved by those exceptional devotees, their distinction is being shown in these verses beginning with ye. Śrī Uttarā says, “These devotees develop complete detachment towards the happiness derived from the spiritual practices (sādhanas) and goals (sādhyas) of the five types of devotees mentioned earlier [verse 16]. Sacrificing all other practices and goals with a palmful of water–or in other words, renouncing them completely–they exclusively strive for the servitorship of Śrīmati Rādhikā, the most beloved of Madana-gopāla Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Their singular aspiration is, ‘I want to be Śrī Rādhikā’s maidservant.’ Upon obtaining that position, they automatically attain not only all their desires, but the results of desires beyond imagination.” Thus with the words beginning with saṅkīrtayanti, Śrī Uttarā emphasizes how extraordinary that sādhana is that can grant such an extraordinary result.

“These devotees glorify the names of rāsa-rasika Śrī Kṛṣṇa–He who enjoys the rāsa dance–by performing saṅkīrtana, singing in sweet voices with ecstatic loving sentiment. The lovingly performed nāma-saṅkīrtana, or chanting of the holy names, is imbued with overwhelming, natural love for the Lord. Therefore, if their destination is the same as those of all other devotees, then our hearts will be filled with discontent.”

Here one may argue, “Just as Dvārakā and other abodes are present in Vaikuṇṭha, Śrī Mathurā-maṇḍala is also present there. And in Mathurā is Śrī Gokula. Let the devotees of Śrī Rāsa-rasika enjoy pastimes with their beloved Lord as they wish in that Gokula. Just as the Yādavas, commensurate with their sādhana, experience greater happiness than the Pāṇḍavas, similarly let the devotees of rāsarasika Śrī Kṛṣṇa also obtain results befitting their sādhana and reside in the Śrī Mathurā Gokula of Vaikuṇṭha.”

Here, the term anyeṣām iva, meaning ‘like others,’ implies ‘like the Pāṇḍavas and Yādavas.’ Teṣām, meaning ‘of them,’ implies that devotees of Śrī Rāsa-vihārī Śrī Kṛṣṇa also attain the topmost happiness, commensurate to their sādhana.

Śrī Uttarā replies, “This, however, does not satisfy my heart. That level of happiness is generally very common.”

Another understanding of Śrī Uttarā’s words is, “This may be the case, but if, by the influence of the great mercy of the lotus feet of Gopīnātha Śrī Kṛṣṇa, those most affectionate and highly perfected personalities acheive the same destination, then so be it. However, peerless personalities such as the gopas and gopīs like Śrī Nanda, Śrī Yaśodā, and their followers, the other residents of Vraja, possess paramount, unbounded love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa that is eternal and everfresh. It is absolutely unacceptable that they would obtain a destination similar to others.” This is communicated in the word aho, meaning ‘alas.’ She says, “Aho! It is unbearable for me to think that they would also obtain the same ordinary result as all other devotees. It is inappropriate to equate the majestic with the insignificant.”