Devanagari
स वै महाभागवतो महात्मा
महानुभावो महतां महिष्ठ: ।
प्रवृद्धभक्त्या ह्यनुभाविताशये
निवेश्य वैकुण्ठमिमं विहास्यति ॥ ४८ ॥
Verse text
sa vai mahā-bhāgavato mahātmā
mahānubhāvo mahatāṁ mahiṣṭhaḥ
pravṛddha-bhaktyā hy anubhāvitāśaye
niveśya vaikuṇṭham imaṁ vihāsyati
Synonyms
saḥ
—
he
;
vai
—
certainly
;
mahā
—
bhāgavataḥ — the topmost devotee
;
mahā
—
ātmā — expanded intelligence
;
mahā
—
anubhāvaḥ — expanded influence
;
mahatām
—
of the great souls
;
mahiṣṭhaḥ
—
the greatest
;
pravṛddha
—
well matured
;
bhaktyā
—
by devotional service
;
hi
—
certainly
;
anubhāvita
—
being situated in the anubhāva stage of ecstasy
;
āśaye
—
in the mind
;
niveśya
—
entering
;
vaikuṇṭham
—
in the spiritual sky
;
imam
—
this (material world)
;
vihāsyati
—
will quit .
Translation
That topmost devotee of the Lord will have expanded intelligence and expanded influence and will be the greatest of the great souls. Due to matured devotional service, he will certainly be situated in transcendental ecstasy and will enter the spiritual sky after quitting this material world.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Being a great devotee, with great determination, the best among those on the level of prema, he will enter Vaikuṇṭha with a mind full of realization by intense bhakti, and give up this material world.
He will be a great devotee, with great determination or intelligence (mahātmā), great among those with symptoms of prema (mahatām). The cause of his being considered great is given. Entering into a condition of the spiritual world, or actually entering Vaikuṇṭha, with a mind which has achieved realization through intense bhakti (mahānubhāvaḥ), he will give up this material world.
Purport
There are three stages of transcendental development in devotional service, which are technically called
sthāyi-bhāva, anubhāva
and
mahābhāva.
Continual perfect love of Godhead is called
sthāyi-bhāva,
and when it is performed in a particular type of transcendental relationship it is called
anubhāva.
But the stage of
mahābhāva
is visible amongst the personal pleasure potencies of the Lord. It is understood that the grandson of Diti, namely Prahlāda Mahārāja, would constantly meditate on the Lord and reiterate His activities. Because he would constantly remain in meditation, he would easily transfer himself to the spiritual world after quitting his material body. Such meditation is still more conveniently performed by chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord. This is especially recommended in this Age of Kali.