Verse Text
lubdhair vātsalya-sakhyādau bhaktiḥ kāryātra sādhakaiḥ |
vrajendra-subalādīnāṁ bhāva-ceṣṭita-mudrayā ||306||
Translation
Practicing devotees greedy for parental, friendly or servant relationships perform this bhakti with indications of the behavior and mood of Nanda (parent), Subala (friend), and others.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
…It is improper to think of oneself identical to those Vraja devotees. In sakhya-bhakti for instance, one should not identify oneself completely with Subala, thinking, “I am Subala.” Though a type of identification exists, when one carries out the practice of ahaṅgrahopāsanā and thinks, “I am Kṛṣṇa,” one simply goes to hell, because this type of identification produces thoughts which are completely hostile to the inhabitants of Vraja such as Nanda (since one competes with them). Bhakti is service, which is to be performed with the sādhaka-rūpa and siddha-rūpa by the sādhaka. It has already been explained in verse 295: sevā sādhaka-rūpeṇa siddha-rūpeṇa cātra hi.
The phrase “with symptoms of the mood and behavior of Subala and Nanda” (vrajendra-subalādīnāṁ bhāva-ceṣṭita-mudrayā) needs to be explained. If one does not take shelter of a guru, offer respects, observe Ekādaśī etc., using the argument that Subala and others did not perform those acts (and we should only follow after them), one goes to hell, since one commits an offense to the guru. Therefore, the author has said that is a fault if one fails to perform the compulsory aṅgas of bhakti, such as observing Ekādaśī.
ananuṣṭhānato doṣo bhakty-aṅgānāṁ prajāyate
The person qualified for bhakti is at fault for failing to perform all of the important aṅgas of bhakti. BRS 1.2.63
Therefore, the mood and actions of Subala, Nanda and others have been described in Bhāgavatam, so that the devotee can perform similar service mentally in his siddha-deha (and, in his sādhaka-deha, he follows the directions of the ācāryas).
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
However, one should not think of oneself as Nanda or Subala. There are two types of identification: thinking oneself different from those persons, but in a similar role such as a parent; and thinking oneself to be Nanda or Subala. The second type is not suitable: one should not think of oneself as Nanda or Subala. Just as worshipping the Lord thinking that one is identical to Him is not proper, similarly, worshipping His associates while thinking that one is identical to them is not proper, since it will be later explained that those forms are eternal like the Lord’s form. One will commit offense to those associates through thinking of occupying their identities.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
Devotees who are attracted to Kṛṣṇa as parents or as friends should follow in the footsteps of Nanda Mahārāja or Subala, respectively. Nanda Mahārāja is the foster father of Kṛṣṇa, and out of all of the friends of Kṛṣṇa, Subala is the most intimate in Vrajabhūmi.
In the development of becoming either the father or friend of the Lord, there are two varieties. One method is that one may try to become the father of the Lord directly, and the other is that one may follow Nanda Mahārāja and cherish the ideal of being Kṛṣṇa’s father. Out of these two, the attempt to directly become the father of Kṛṣṇa is not recommended. Such a development can become polluted with Māyāvāda (impersonal) philosophy. The Māyāvādīs, or monists, think that they themselves are Kṛṣṇa, and if one thinks that he himself has become Nanda Mahārāja, then his parental love will become contaminated with the Māyāvāda philosophy. The Māyāvāda philosophical way of thinking is offensive, and no offender can enter into the kingdom of God to associate with Kṛṣṇa.