BRS 1.2.276

Though many ways of attaining Kṛṣṇa were mentioned in the Bhāgavatam verse, only two among them — kāma and sambandha — are accepted as causes of rāgātmika- bhakti. This is explained in two verses. Nārada mentions fear and hatred only to express kaimutya — how much more the persons performing real bhakti will attain (and not to class them as bhakti). This is illustrated by the following verse. vaireṇa yaṁ nṛpatayaḥ śiśupāla-pauṇḍra- śālvādayo gati-vilāsa-vilokanādyaiḥ | dhyāyanta ākṛta-dhiyaḥ śayanāsanādau tat-sāmyam āpur anurakta-dhiyāṁ punaḥ kim || Inimical kings like Śiśupāla, Pauṇḍraka and Śālva were always thinking about Lord Kṛṣṇa. Even while they were lying down, sitting or engaging in other activities, they enviously meditated upon the bodily movements of the Lord, His sporting pastimes, His loving glances upon His devotees, and other attractive features displayed by the Lord. Being thus always absorbed in Kṛṣṇa, they achieved spiritual liberation in the Lord’s own abode. What then can be said of the benedictions offered to those who constantly fix their minds on Lord Kṛṣṇa in a favorable, loving mood? SB 11.5.48 This point has also already been explained in the third verse (BRS 1.2.3): sā bhaktiḥ saptama-skandhe bhaṅgyā devarṣiṇoditā: bhakti has been explained by Nārada along with other items which are not bhakti. But still, Nārada has also said: yathā vairānubandhena martyas tan-mayatām iyāt | na tathā bhakti-yogena iti me niścitā matiḥ || By devotional service one cannot achieve such intense absorption in thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as one can through enmity towards Him. That is my opinion. SB 7.1.27 However, he makes this statement only to express the greatly inferior nature of his own vaidhi-bhakti, in comparison to the presence of strong emotions, such as lust or enmity, as a means of attaining complete absorption in the Lord. Among the means of attaining the Lord, which are filled with emotions, the relationship of enmity to the Lord, though condemned, is also considered by him to be better than bhakti filled with rules, because it causes absorption in the Lord. (Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura’s commentary says, how much greater then must be the absorption caused by kāma-rūpa-bhakti.) The phrase tan-mayatā in SB 7.1.27 means “being absorbed in the Lord,” in the same manner that a lusty man, who is absorbed in women, is called strī-maya. Sneha is explained as follows: some may claim that the sneha or affection of the Pāṇḍavas should be classed as rāgātmika, since it is filled with friendly feelings of sakhya for the Lord, evident in their dealings with Kṛṣṇa. Nevertheless, because that affection is predominated by awareness of the Lord’s powers, that sneha should be considered predominantly on the path of vaidhi (vaidhi-sādhana leads to prema with awareness of the Lord’s powers.) This sneha is, thus, not suitable for pure rāgānuga-sādhana. If the word sneha is taken to mean general prema, it is impossible to follow such prema, since no particular details are given about actions that are unique to such prema. Thus, it would not be fitting for rāgānuga-sādhana, because of the lack of any unique features to support it. If one proposes that sneha means a particular elevated type of prema (not mixed with awareness of the Lord), then it will end up being classed as sambandha-rūpa (relationships of thirst other than kāma). But that is already mentioned in relation to the Vṛṣṇis (actually the inhabitants of Vraja). The bhakti mentioned in verse 275 (bhaktyā vayaṁ vibho) should be accepted as vaidhi in nature. This is because it is the only type of devotion left, after enumerating rāgātmika (kāma and sambandha), vaidhi mixed with sneha (Pāṇḍavas) and rejecting dveṣa and bhaya as bhakti. It is also understood to be vaidhi-bhakti because the devotion of Nārada was characterized by reverential worship of the Lord in his previous life. In the first of the two verses quoted (274), five items are mentioned: lust, hatred, fear, affection and bhakti. In the explanation of the author, six items are mentioned (corresponding to items apparently listed in verse 275): lust, hatred, fear, relationship, affection and bhakti. This mention of six items is only in deference to the commentary of Śrīdhara Svāmī on the Bhāgavatam verse. Actually, the meaning of the last line of verse 275 should be, “from sambandha filled with affection, you, Pāṇḍavas, and the Vṛṣṇis achieved the goal.” Thus, there is only one item instead of two for both the parties — the Pāṇḍavas and the Vṛṣṇis. [Note: Though the Pāṇḍavas’ relation is here classed as sambandha because of their affection, the previous cause of ultimate rejection as part of rāgātmika-bhakti still stands. The Pāṇḍavas had awareness of Kṛṣṇa as the Lord with powers.] Sambandha and sneha would then not be distinguished as separate items. This is according to Vopadeva. Thus, the second verse will have five items as in the first verse. This agrees well with the next verse in the Bhāgavatam, where five types are again mentioned: katamo ’pi na venaḥ syāt paṣcānāṁ puruṣaṁ prati Any of the five types of persons, but not King Vena (who did not concentrate on the Lord), will attain their objectives in relation to the Lord. SB 7.1.32 Purusam here refers to the Lord. The meaning is “any of these five persons will be successful in relation to the Lord.” [Note: Thus, what the Bhāgavatam verses have illustrated is two types of rāgātmika-bhakti: kāma-rūpa and sambandha-rūpa.]