Verse 2.2.213

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.2.213:

निजात्मारामता पश्चाद् भजतां तत्-पदाम्बुजम् ।
निर्विघ्नम् अचिरात् सिध्येद् भक्ति-निष्ठा-महा-सुखम् ॥ २१३ ॥

nijātmārāmatā paścād bhajatāṃ tat-padāmbujam |
nirvighnam acirāt sidhyed bhakti-niṣṭhā-mahā-sukham || 213 ||

nija–own; ātma-ārāma-tā–achieving the quality of selfsatisfaction; paścāt–after; bhajatām–for those who worship; tatpada-ambujam–His lotus feet; nirvighnam–without impediment; acirāt–quickly; sidhyet–one may become perfect; bhakti–in devotional service; niṣṭhā–faith; mahā-sukham–great happiness.

If one achieves self-satisfaction and worships the lotus feet of Śrī Bhagavān, he quickly and without impediments develops fixed determination in bhakti and experiences great happiness.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

The bhakti-śāstras say, “After having fully achieved the state of self-satisfaction (ātmā-rāmatā), if by the mercy of Śrī Bhagavān, one totally abandons it and serves the Lord, he can very quickly obtain the complete happiness of bhakti.” Alternatively, it can be said, “When one attains the state of self-satisfaction, the distress of material existence is completely destroyed. Then, in one’s ineffable liberated form, one can freely serve the lotus feet of Śrī Bhagavān, the embodiment of sac-cid-ānanda, and very quickly obtain the great happiness of unwavering faith (niṣṭhā) in bhakti.”

They continue, “The significance of the word nirvighna, meaning ‘unimpeded,’ is that bhakti cannot be performed continuously by persons whose hearts are disturbed by varieties of worldly distress. When, by dint of knowledge of self-satisfaction, one actually becomes self-satisfied and free from distress, then by continuously worshiping Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one quickly achieves great happiness. Therefore, some people conclude, ‘Those who are ātmā-rāma are extremely qualified for bhakti.’ They also say, ‘Just as everyone has a right to bathe in the river Gaṅgā, similarly, everyone is qualified to perform bhakti.’ In their opinion, it is unnecessary to depend on performing occupational duties such as varṇāśrama-dharma in order to attain bhakti. In our opinion, however, one can become perfect in the practice of bhakti only by the mercy of Bhagavān.

“For instance, it is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.8):

तत् ते’नुकम्पां सुसमीक्षमाणो भुञ्जान एवात्म-कृतं विपाकम्
हृद्-वाग्-वपुर्भिर् विदधन् नमस् ते जीवेत यो मुक्ति-पदे स दाय-भाक्

tat te’nukampāṃ susamīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṃ vipākam
hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk

Those persons are qualified to attain bhakti who, in their hearts, fully understand the power of the Lord’s mercy and earnestly await it, all the while experiencing the results of their past activities, and at the same time, living in such a way that they continuously offer obeisances to the lotus feet of Bhagavān with their body, mind and speech.

“From these words of Mahā-Purāṇa (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam), it can be understood that if one just awaits the mercy of Śrī Bhagavān, he can very easily obtain complete happiness. One also hears the scriptural conclusion that pure devotion is very easily accomplished: ‘bhaktir eva bhaktiṃ utpādayati–bhakti alone is the cause of bhakti.’ Therefore, according to this logic, if one simply aspires for the mercy of Śrī Bhagavān, all happiness comes without difficulty.” This subject matter has already been discussed.