Verse 2.4.44

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.4.44:

तात्रत्यानां च सर्वेषां तेषां साम्यं परस्परम् ।
तारतम्यं च लक्ष्येत न विरोधस् तथापि च ॥ ४४ ॥

tātratyānāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ teṣāṃ sāmyaṃ parasparam |
tāratamyaṃ ca lakṣyeta na virodhas tathāpi ca || 44 ||

tatratyānām–of the residents of that place; ca–also; sarveṣām–all; teṣām–of them; sāmyam–equality; parasparam–mutual; tāratamyam–gradations of hierarchy; ca–also; lakṣyeta–it may be seen; na–not; virodhaḥ–incongruity; tathā api–still; ca–also.

Among all the residents of Vaikuṇṭha, both equality and hierarchy are seen, yet there is no incongruity in this.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

In the next nine verses, beginning here with tatratyānām, Śrī Gopa-kumāra explains the tattva of Vaikuṇṭha, which appears contradictory.

He says, “Although all the previously-mentioned residents of Vaikuṇṭha are equal and each one of them is all-powerful there seems to be a hierarchy of inferiors and superiors among them. However, this is not inconsistent. They all share the same nature and have equal strength, but some of them have revealed great opulence and others have revealed less. Since all of them, according to their free will, are capable of manifesting all kinds of opulence, no observable contradiction exists in the hierarchy.”