Verse Text
yathā vā tṛtīye–
nātyantikaṁ vigaṇayanty api te prasādaṁ
kiṁ vānyad arpita-bhayaṁ bhruva unnayais te |
ye 'ṅga tvad-aṅghri-śaraṇā bhavataḥ kathāyāḥ
kīrtanya-tīrtha-yaśasaḥ kuśalā rasa-jṣāḥ ||45||
Translation
From the Third Canto: Persons who are very expert and most intelligent in understanding things as they are engage in hearing narrations of the auspicious activities and pastimes of the Lord, which are worth chanting and worth hearing. Such persons do not care even for the highest material benediction, namely liberation, to say nothing of other less important benedictions like the material happiness of the heavenly kingdom, which are destroyed just by the raising of Your brow. What then to speak of those experiencing rasa? SB 3.15.48
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
These words are referring to the sādhaka. In this verse those who discern the meaning of things according to the scriptures dealing with bhakti (kuśalā) are used as the main subject. They are not those persons experiencing rasa (rasa-jṣāḥ), who are mentioned afterwards. If those who discern the meaning of bhakti scriptures take no interest in liberation, what to speak of those who directly experience the sweetness of the Lord? The raising of the Lord’s brow (te bruva unnayaiḥ) refers to the destructive nature of time.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
A similar statement is to be found in the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fifteenth Chapter, verse 48. The four sages headed by Sanaka Muni addressed the Lord as follows: “Dear Supreme Personality of Godhead, Your reputation is very attractive and free from all material contamination. Therefore You are worthy of being glorified and are actually the reservoir of all places of pilgrimage. Auspicious persons who are fortunate enough to be engaged in glorifying Your attributes and who actually know what Your transcendental position is do not even care to accept liberation offered by You. Because they are so transcendentally enriched, they do not care to accept even the post of Indra, the heavenly King. They know that the post of the King of heaven is also fearful, whereas for those who are engaged in glorifying Your transcendental qualities there is only joyfulness and freedom from all danger. As such, why should persons with this knowledge be attracted by a post in the heavenly kingdom?”