Devanagari
श्रीभगवानुवाच
देवानां गुणलिङ्गानामानुश्रविककर्मणाम् ।
सत्त्व एवैकमनसो वृत्ति: स्वाभाविकी तु या ।
अनिमित्ता भागवती भक्ति: सिद्धेर्गरीयसी ॥ ३२ ॥
Verse text
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
devānāṁ guṇa-liṅgānām
ānuśravika-karmaṇām
sattva evaika-manaso
vṛttiḥ svābhāvikī tu yā
animittā bhāgavatī
bhaktiḥ siddher garīyasī
Synonyms
śrī
—
bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said
;
devānām
—
of the senses or of the presiding deities of the senses
;
guṇa
—
liṅgānām — which detect sense objects
;
ānuśravika
—
according to scripture
;
karmaṇām
—
which work
;
sattve
—
unto the mind or unto the Lord
;
eva
—
only
;
eka
—
manasaḥ — of a man of undivided mind
;
vṛttiḥ
—
inclination
;
svābhāvikī
—
natural
;
tu
—
in fact
;
yā
—
which
;
animittā
—
without motive
;
bhāgavatī
—
to the Personality of Godhead
;
bhaktiḥ
—
devotional service
;
siddheḥ
—
than salvation
;
garīyasī
—
better .
Translation
Lord Kapila said: The senses are symbolic representations of the demigods, and their natural inclination is to work under the direction of the Vedic injunctions. As the senses are representatives of the demigods, so the mind is the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mind’s natural duty is to serve. When that service spirit is engaged in devotional service to the Personality of Godhead, without any motive, that is far better even than salvation.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The Lord said: Bhakti to the Supreme Lord without material desires, composed of actions of the senses to reveal senses objects related to the Lord, which conforms to guru’s instructions, with mind dedicated exclusively to the Lord, and which includes actions on the spontaneous level, is superior to liberation.
In order to speak about yoga filled with bhakti, Kapila describes bhakti beyond the guṇas, the process suitable to the Lord, preferred by the Lord, about which Devahūti asked in verse 28. The bhakti is directed to the Supreme Lord. Sattve means “unto the form of śuddha-sattva, the Supreme Lord,” not the devatās. The devotee’s mind should desire to accept the Lord’s form and name with the thought that the Lord alone is most worthy of service (eka-manasaḥ). His mind does not reject the form as is the case with yogīs and others. And the person’s mind is concentrated on one process, worship of the Lord, not on jṣāna or karma (eka-manasaḥ). That is niṣkāma (animittā) devotion to the Lord in which actions (receiving sense objects) of the sense devatās who reveal the objects of the senses such as sound (guṇa-liṅgānāṁ devānām) are directed to the Lord (sattve); or in which actions of the senses which are engaged spiritually (div) because the object of their functions is the Lord are directed to the Lord. Sattve functions in relation to eka-manasaḥ (with mind exclusively devoted to the Lord) and in relation to the actions of the senses (bhakti is actions of the senses directed to the Lord) in the manner of the one-eyed crow. [Note: Kākākṣi-golaka-nyāya. The crow has one eye ball which moves from one eye to the other as required. So a word can possess to functions in a sentence simultaneously. ] The word sattve cannot mean the devatās like Brahmā or Śiva since the verse speaks of bhāgavatī bhakti, devotion exclusively to Bhagavān. Sattve can also refer to the devotees who are called sat. Thus sattvam means “being a Vaiṣṇava.” One should be thinking only (eka-manasaḥ), “I should be a devotee (sattve).” Thus bhakti is actions of the senses with the exclusive mentality of being a Vaiṣṇava. Bhakti is not action of the senses which act on their own, but action of the senses according the mantra given by guru. The senses should have daily actions in accordance with the mantra concerning the Lord given by guru (anuśravika-karmānām).
utsargān mala-mūtrādeś citta-svāsthyaṁ yato bhavet
ataḥ pāyur upasthaś ca tad-ārādhana-sādhanam
Because the mind maintains a healthy state by excretion of urine and stool, the anus and urinary organ should be considered as senses engaged in the Lord’s service. Viṣṇu-rahasya
Thus even these organs, by functioning in relation to bhakti, are to be considered part of vaidhi-sādhana-bhakti.
The word tu, causing differentiation, indirectly indicates sādhya-bhakti in the form of bhāva-bhakti, of rāgānuga type. The bhakti with natural functioning (svābhāvikī vṛttiḥ) of the senses is better then liberation (siddheḥ). Spontaneous action of the senses directed to the Lord is superior to liberation. Spontaneous or natural action is of two types. One can develop natural action of the senses towards the Lord by ascending through the stages of niṣṭhā, ruci and finally āsakti by constant practice of engagement in pure bhakti as directed by guru, following the dictates of scripture. Similar to the spontaneous attraction of the senses in the material world to husband or sons, one may also develop spontaneous action of the senses without awareness of the dictates of scripture, in which the senses act according to the bhakti scriptures, previous to or after taking instructions from guru, caused by outstanding impressions arising from mercy of great devotees in this or previous lives.
The spontaneity (bhāva stage) developed from vaidhi-bhakti has excellence of quantity. Examples are given in many verses (SB 3.25.34-37). The second type of spontaneity, generated from rāgānuga, has excellence of type (at the stage of sādhana). An example is given in SB 3.25.38. Compared to the two spontaneous types of bhakti, unspontaneous bhakti (vaidhi-sādhana) is inferior in quantity and type. An example is given in SB 3.25.39-40.
Purport
The senses of the living entity are always engaged in some occupation, either in activities prescribed in the injunctions of the
Vedas
or in material activities. The natural inclination of the senses is to work for something, and the mind is the center of the senses. The mind is actually the leader of the senses; therefore it is called
sattva.
Similarly, the leader of all the demigods who are engaged in the activities of this material world — the sun-god, moon-god, Indra and others — is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
It is stated in the Vedic literature that the demigods are different limbs of the universal body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Our senses are also controlled by different demigods; our senses are representations of various demigods, and the mind is the representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The senses, led by the mind, act under the influence of the demigods. When the service is ultimately aimed at the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the senses are in their natural position. The Lord is called Hṛṣīkeśa, for He is actually the proprietor and ultimate master of the senses. The senses and the mind are naturally inclined to work, but when they are materially contaminated they work for some material benefit or for the service of the demigods, although actually they are meant to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The senses are called
hṛṣīka,
and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is called Hṛṣīkeśa. Indirectly, all the senses are naturally inclined to serve the Supreme Lord. That is called
bhakti.
Kapiladeva said that when the senses, without desire for material profit or other selfish motives, are engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is situated in devotional service. That spirit of service is far better than
siddhi,
salvation.
Bhakti,
the inclination to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is in a transcendental position far better than
mukti,
or liberation. Thus
bhakti
is the stage after liberation. Unless one is liberated one cannot engage the senses in the service of the Lord. When the senses are engaged either in material activities of sense gratification or in the activities of the Vedic injunctions, there is some motive, but when the same senses are engaged in the service of the Lord and there is no motive, that is called
animittā
and is the natural inclination of the mind. The conclusion is that when the mind, without being deviated either by Vedic injunctions or by material activities, is fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is far better than the most aspired-for liberation from material entanglement.