Verse 2.3.57

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.3.57:

भुक्तेर् मुक्तेश् च दातायं भगवद्-भक्ति-वर्धनः ।
मुक्तानाम् अपि सम्पूज्यो वैष्णवानां च वल्लभः ॥ ५७ ॥

bhukter mukteś ca dātāyaṃ bhagavad-bhakti-vardhanaḥ |
muktānām api sampūjyo vaiṣṇavānāṃ ca vallabhaḥ || 57 ||

bhukteḥ–of material pleasure; mukteḥ–of liberation; ca–and; dātā–the giver; ayam–he; bhagavat-bhakti–devotion to the Lord; vardhanaḥ–increasing; muktānām–of the liberated souls; api–even; sampūjyaḥ–fully worshipable; vaiṣṇavānām–to the Vaiṣṇavas; ca–also; vallabhaḥ–dear.

“He is the giver of both material pleasure and liberation, and he increases the devotees’ love for Bhagavān. He is worshipable by all liberated souls and is very dear to the Vaiṣṇavas.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

Śrīman Nandīśvara says, “Śrī Śiva displays ever-increasing devotion and affection for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and this makes Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s love for him increase further. Although he is bhagavān, a worshipable lord himself, he increases one’s devotion for Śrī Kṛṣṇa.” It may also be said, “Although he bestows sense pleasure and liberation, he also increases devotion (bhakti), which is the crest jewel of all the goals of human life (puruṣārthas).”

Here, when Śrī Nandīśvara, who is Śrī Śiva’s devotee, uses the words bhagavad-bhakti-vardhana, it conveys the following meaning: Śrī Śiva augments the devotee’s love for him when the devotee regards him (Śiva) as nondifferent from Śrī Kṛṣṇa. However, by his words and his behavior, Lord Śiva only increases devotion to Bhagavān in this world. For this reason, he is dear to the Vaiṣṇavas. He is also dear to all Vaiṣṇavas because he is nondifferent from Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Or, it can be said that because the Vaiṣṇavas receive Śrī Śiva’s association, he is dear to them.