Verse 2.2.216

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.2.216:

इत्थं समाधिजान् मोक्षात् सुखं भक्तौ परं महत् ।
तद्-भक्त-वत्सलस्यास्य कृपा-माधुर्य-जृम्भितम् ॥ २१६ ॥

itthaṃ samādhijān mokṣāt sukhaṃ bhaktau paraṃ mahat |
tad-bhakta-vatsalasyāsya kṛpā-mādhurya-jṛmbhitam || 216 ||

ittham–thus; samādhi-jāt–as compared to that born from trance; mokṣāt–from liberation; sukham–the happiness; bhaktau–in devotional service; param–superior; mahat–great; tat-bhaktavatsalasya–who loves His devotees; asya–His; kṛpā–of mercy; mādhurya–sweetness; jṛmbhitam–the expanding.

Thus, by the influence of the sweet mercy of Śrī Bhagavān, who is affectionate to His devotees, one obtains abundant happiness in bhakti that is far superior to the happiness of liberation achieved in samādhi.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

The personified devotional scriptures conclude their analysis with this verse beginning with ittham. They say, “Śrī Bhagavān, who is supremely astonishing, incomprehensible, wonderful, and the enjoyer of astonishing pastimes is bhakta-vatsala. This means that He is so greatly affectionate to His devotees that by their serving Him in love they receive supreme happiness. That happiness, which is even greater than the joy of the liberation experienced by one in samādhi, manifests by the potency of the sweet mercy of Śrī Bhagavān, who adores His devotees. Because both Śrī Bhagavān and His devotees are embodiments of eternity, knowledge, and bliss, they are one in nature (eka-rūpa), so there is no possibility that varieties of difference exist between them. Still, due to the Lord’s natural affection for His devotees, He particularly desires to give all of them the greatest joy, and to do that, He manifests His great energy and distributes the wealth of happiness.”