Verse 2.4.196

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.4.196:

यद्यप्य् एषां हि नित्यत्वात् साम्यं भगवतो भवेत् ।
सेव्य-सेवकताप्य् आस्ते नित्या सत्या स्वभावतः ॥ १९६ ॥

yadyapy eṣāṃ hi nityatvāt sāmyaṃ bhagavato bhavet |
sevya-sevakatāpy āste nityā satyā svabhāvataḥ || 196 ||

yadi api–although; eṣām–amongst them; hi–indeed; nityatvāt–because of both being eternal; sāmyam–equality; bhagavataḥ–of the Lord; bhavet–is; sevya–of the served; sevakatā–the condition of being a servant; api–also; āste–is; nityā–eternal; satyā–real; svabhāvataḥ–because of their respective natures.

Although there is equality between Śrī Bhagavān and all His eternal servitors due to their eternal natures, His servitors’ feeling that He is the master and they are the servants is both real and eternal. Thus, there is difference between them.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

Śrī Gopa-kumāra might ask, “It is obvious that there is a difference between Bhagavān and the recently arrived associates, whose servitorship is naturally established due to their previous devotional practices. But how can one establish the difference between Bhagavān, who is the object of service (sevya), and the eternal associates, who are His servitors (sevakas)?”

Śrī Nārada replies, “Just as the eternal associates such as Śeṣa, Garuḍa, and others, being completely sac-cid-ānanda in nature, are eternally identical to Bhagavān and are eternally real (nityā satyā); nevertheless they naturally possess the mood and feelings of servitorship towards Bhagavān who is the object of their service. Bhagavān always possesses the disposition of being the master and the eternal associates always possess the disposition of being the servants. This fact exists beyond all logic and reasoning.”