Verse Text
yathaikādaśe—
yadṛcchayā mat-kathādau jāta-śraddho ’stu yaḥ pumān |
na nirviṇṇo nātisakto bhakti-yogo ’sya siddhidaḥ ||15||
Translation
In the Eleventh Canto it is said: If somehow or other by good fortune one develops faith in hearing and chanting My glories, such a person, being neither very disgusted with nor attached to material life, should achieve perfection through the path of loving devotion to Me. SB 11.20.8
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
A person develops faith (jāta-śraddha) in topics about Me by merciful association with devotees (yadrcchayā). That is the meaning of yadrcchayā in this verse, since it is according to the use of the word in the First Canto where it indicates association with a great devotee by that devotee’s mercy:
tatrābhavad bhagavān vyāsa-putro
yadṛcchayā gām aṭamāno ’napekṣaḥ
alakṣya-liṅgo nija-lābha-tuṣṭo
vṛtaś ca bālair avadhūta-veṣaḥ
At that moment there appeared, by his own will (yadṛcchayā) the powerful son of Vyāsadeva, who traveled over the earth disinterested and satisfied with himself. He did not manifest any symptoms of belonging to any social order or status of life. He was surrounded by women and children, and he dressed as if others had neglected him. SB 1.19.25
The following verses show that a person who has faith in topics of the Lord (mat-kathādau jāta-śraddhaḥ) is qualified for bhakti yoga:
śraddhāmṛta-kathāyāṁ me
Firm faith in the blissful narration of My pastimes…. SB 11.19.20
śraddhālur mat-kathāḥ śṛṇvan
A faithful person who constantly hears such transcendental activities… SB 11.11.23
Nātisaktaḥ means devoid of extreme attachment to body, house and family. Na nirviṇṇa (not detached) means if the person is completely disgusted with sense objects, he is qualified for jṣāna, not bhakti. If he is too attached to sense objects, he is qualified for karma. If the person is devoid of extreme attachment, then that person is qualified for bhakti. Thus, there are three persons qualified by three types of attachment. Disgust with objects is caused by purification of the heart arising from practice of niṣkāma-karma. The cause of too much attachment is beginningless ignorance (avidyā). The cause of being devoid of too much attachment is the unexpected association with exalted devotees alone. These respective causes should be noted. However, there are seen cases of extraordinary qualification. By the unexpected association of the devotee, even a person extremely attached to sense objects (indriyavān) becomes qualified for bhakti.
ko nu rājann indriyavān mukunda-caraṇāmbujam
na bhajet sarvato-mṛtyur upāsyam amarottamaiḥ
My dear King, in the material world the conditioned souls are confronted by death at every step of life. Therefore, who among the conditioned souls involved with senses gratification would not render service to the lotus feet of Lord Mukunda, who is worshippable even for the greatest of liberated souls? SB 11.2.2
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
The Lord describes this awakening of faith:
jāta-śraddho mat-kathāsu nirviṇṇaḥ sarva-karmasu |
veda duḥkhātmakaṁ kāmān parityāge ’py anīśvaraḥ ||
tato bhajeta māṁ prītaḥ śraddhālur dṛṭha-niścayaḥ |
juṣamāṇaś ca tān kāmān duḥkhodarkāṁś ca garhayan ||
Having awakened faith in the narrations of My glories, being disgusted with all prescribed activities (varṇāśrama), knowing that all sense gratification leads to misery, but still being unable to renounce all sense enjoyment, My devotee should remain happy and worship Me with great faith and conviction. Even though he is sometimes engaged in sense enjoyment, My devotee knows that all sense gratification leads to a miserable result, and he sincerely repents such activities. SB 11.20.27-28
In the verse (SB 11.20.28) quoted above, the word tataḥ means “starting from this situation, thereafter.” Bhakti is not dependent on anything else, because it possesses its own great power. It is not like jṣāna or other processes, which are dependent on detachment and other things. However, it is dependent on indifference to karma (nirviṇṇaḥ sarva-karmasu) in order to bring about exclusive concentration on the Lord (anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam). Such an inclination is suitable at this stage of bhakti. However, it is not necessary in the higher stages, such as that of the ātmārāma, when indifference to material goals has already been achieved.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
In this connection, Lord Kṛṣṇa says in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto, Twentieth Chapter, verse 8, “My dear Uddhava, only by exceptional fortune does someone become attracted to Me. And even if one is not completely detached from fruitive activities, or is not completely attached to devotional service, such service is quickly effective.”