Verse 2.2.199

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.2.199:

अथाप्य् आचार्यमाना सा नास्तिकत्वं वितन्वती ।
क्षिपेत् कल्पयितारं तं दुष्टरे नरकोत्करे ॥ १९९ ॥

athāpy ācāryamānā sā nāstikatvaṃ vitanvatī |
kṣipet kalpayitāraṃ taṃ duṣṭare narakotkare || 199 ||

atha api–thus; ācaryamāṇā–behaving; sā–that; nāstika-tvam–atheism; vitanvatī–spreads; kṣipet–it may throw; kalpayitāram–the speculator; tam–that; dustare–in a horrible; naraka–hell; utkare–in a rubbish.

One who considers this body of scriptural evidence, the conduct of great authorities, and famous historical accounts to be simply exaggerations reveals his faithless mentality. His fabrication of such an atheistic position will cause him to fall into a dreadful hell.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

The bhakti-śāstras say, “However, one who disrespects the words and behavior of great personalities and declares the evidence approved by the ācāryas, or spiritual preceptors, to be imaginary is opposed to the Vedic scriptures. In other words, if one alleges those authoritative statements to be embellished overstatements (merely words of hollow praise) in order to establish his own scholarship, then those fabrications will force him into hell.

“This is corroborated in Śrī Nāradīya Purāṇa:

पुराणेषु द्विज-श्रेष्ठाः सर्व-धर्म-प्रवक्तृषु
प्रवदन्त्य् अर्थ-वादत्वं ये ते नरक-भाजनाः

purāṇeṣu dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ sarva-dharma-pravaktṛṣu
pravadanty artha-vādatvaṃ ye te naraka-bhājanāḥ

O topmost brāhmaṇas, the words of the Purāṇas expound all aspects of religious life. Those who consider those teachings to be mere exaggeration (artha-vāda) will surely fall into hell.

“Therefore, one should carefully deliberate on these examples of scriptural evidence. Abandoning one’s preconceived ideas and false cleverness in presenting fallacious and stubborn arguments, one should accept the viewpoint which establishes that bhakti is more glorious than liberation. Otherwise, one will have to suffer in terrible hell.”

Here, Śrī Gopa-kumāra might ask, “Which position should be accepted?”

In reply, the personified bhakti-śāstras say, “One should accept that position which sets forth the four verses beginning with bhagavāṃstu parabrahma (Śrī Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta 2.2.178–181), as well as others. There are persons who have accepted suffering for many lives in their ongoing endeavor for liberation. The message here is that they should be careful to abandon the conception that the glories of loving devotion to the Lord are exaggerated praises (artha-vāda).”