Verse Text
47. atha dāsyam—
dāsyaṁ karmārpaṇaṁ tasya kaiṅkaryam api sarvathā ||183||
Translation
Acting as a servant (verse 87): Dāsyam is defined as offering the results of prescribed duties and acting as a menial servant of the Lord. [Note: This dāsya is distinct from the dāsya-sthāyi-bhāva and dāsya-rasa that appear after sādhana-bhakti, though related.]
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Offering the results of prescribed varṇāśrama actions (karmārpaṇam) is considered by some to be dāsyam. However, Rūpa Gosvāmī’s opinion is that only kaiṅkaryam, acting as the menial servant of the Lord is considered dāsyam. One should identify oneself as the servant of the Lord. It is said in Itihāsa-samucchaya:
janmāntara-sahasreṣu yasya syād buddhir īdṛśī |
dāso ’haṁ vāsudevasya sarvān lokān sa uddharet ||
One who has the attitude of being the servant of Vāsudeva for thousands of births can deliver all people.
Śrīdāma Vipra also states it in the Bhāgavatam:
tasyaiva me sauhṛda-sakhya-maitrī-dāsyaṁ punar-janmani syād
Life after life may I have love, friendship, sympathy and service (dāsyam). SB 10.81.36
The dāsyam mentioned by Śrīdāma means “being in the position of a servant” according to Śrīdhara Svāmī. This service as kaiṅkaryam means to perform actions of service with respect for the authority of the Lord. There is no real difference between this dāsya and paricaryā (service, another aṅga) in its pure form.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
NoD 11: Aspects of Transcendental Service
Servitorship
In the opinion of the karmīs (fruitive workers), offering the results of karma is called servitorship. But according to Vaiṣṇava ācāryas like Rūpa Gosvāmī, servitorship means constant engagement in some kind of service to the Lord.