Verse 2.2.103-105

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.2.103-105:

अशेष-साधनैः साध्यः समस्तार्थाधिकाधिकः ।
यो वसी-करणे गाढो-पायो भगवतोऽद्वयः ॥ १०३ ॥
तत्-प्रसादैक-लाभ्यो यस् तद्-भक्तैक-महा-निधिः ।
विचित्र-परमानन्द-माधुर्य-भार-पूरितः ॥ १०४ ॥
महा-निर्वच्य-माहात्म्यः पदार्थः प्रेम-संज्ञकः ।
परिणाम-विशेषे हि चेतो-वृत्तेर् उदेति सः ॥ १०५ ॥

aśeṣa-sādhanaiḥ sādhyaḥ samastārthādhikādhikaḥ |
yo vasī-karaṇe gāḍho-pāyo bhagavato'dvayaḥ || 103 ||
tat-prasādaika-lābhyo yas tad-bhaktaika-mahā-nidhiḥ |
vicitra-paramānanda-mādhurya-bhāra-pūritaḥ || 104 ||
mahā-nirvacya-māhātmyaḥ padārthaḥ prema-saṃjñakaḥ |
pariṇāma-viśeṣe hi ceto-vṛtter udeti saḥ || 105 ||

aśeṣa–all; sādhanaiḥ–through methods; sādhyaḥ–to be attained; samasta-artha–of all objectives; adhika-adhikaḥ–the greatest of the great; yaḥ–who; vaśī-karaṇe–in controlling; gāḍha–powerful; upāyaḥ–means; bhagavataḥ–of the Lord; advayaḥ–non-dual; tat-prasāda–through His mercy; eka-labhyaḥ–solely attainable; yaḥ–which; tat-bhakta–His devotees; eka–only; mahā-nidhiḥ–great treasure; vicitra–astonishing; parama-ānanda–of transcendental bliss; mādhurya–of sweetness; bhara–with an abundance; pūritaḥ–flooded; mahā–great; nirvācya–indescribable; māhātmyaḥ–glory; pada-arthaḥ–the entity; prema–love; saṃjñakaḥ–named; pariṇāma–transformation; viśeṣe–in a specific; hi–certainly; cetaḥ–of the mind; vṛtteḥ–from the function; udeti–rises; saḥ–that.

That which is the object of attainment of an infinite number of disciplines, which is even superior to the worship of Bhagavān, the topmost of all goals, and which is the unparalleled means to control the supremely independent Lord–that is prema. It can be obtained only by the mercy of Bhagavān and not by one’s own endeavors. Therefore, being saturated with the wonderful sweetness of paramount bliss, it is an incomparable, priceless treasure that devotees diligently protect. Its glories are indescribable. Prema is a specific transformation of the function of consciousness that arises only when one’s consciousness is transcendentally pure.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

Śrī Pippalāyana continues, “The extraordinary object known as prema, or love of God, is a special outcome of the condition of one’s consciousness (citta-vṛtti). When the condition of one’s consciousness transforms into a state of transcendental purity, or superexcellence, prema naturally manifests.” These three verses describe the characteristics of prema with seven adjectives. Each idea is connected with the next, and each verse can be seen as the meaning–or the cause–of the one before it.

[Verse 103] “(1) Prema is the goal of innumerable practices, such as fruitive activities (karma), knowledge (jñāna), and renunciation (vairāgya). (2) It is even higher than the worship of Bhagavān, which is superior to the four puruṣārthas, or achievements of life: religion (dharma), economic development (artha), sense gratification (kāma), and liberation (mokṣa, also known as mukti). This is because prema is the glorious fruit of all practices and the ultimate goal of the worship of Bhagavān. (3) What more need be said? Prema is the means to subjugate even the absolutely independent Supreme Lord. Just as shackles bind and control a mad elephant, so ropes of love can bring Śrī Bhagavān under the control of His beloved devotees.

[Verse 104] “(4) That prema can be obtained only by the munificence of Śrī Bhagavān, and not by one’s own endeavors. (5) Therefore, the Lord’s devotees consider prema to be an incomparable, priceless treasure. (6) This is because prema is blissful by nature and can fulfill all heartfelt desires. The taste of prema is so replete with varieties of sweetness and paramount pleasure that it makes brahmānanda (the joy of impersonal realization) seem utterly worthless.

[Verse 105] “(7) Therefore, prema is unlimited and indescribable; words are powerless to express its glories.” This last adjectival phrase, mahā anirvācya māhātmyaḥ, means ‘whose glories are ineffable,’ This indicates that just as the glories of prema are unlimited and indescribable, so are the glories of the loving pastimes enjoyed by devotees and the Lord, and they are not being revealed due to their confidential nature.

Later, Śrī Bhagavān’s personal associates will reveal the actual meaning of Śrī Pippalāyana’s philosophical analysis and instructions to Gopa-kumāra. Because the practice of samādhi predominates in Tapoloka, it would not have been appropriate to reveal the confidentialities of bhakti there.