SB 3.25.33

This bhakti quickly destroys the subtle body, just as the digestive fire consumes food. Bhakti alone is the result sought in these two types of bhakti since they have no material desire. Liberation is the unsought result. That bhakti destroys the subtle body (kośam). However the distinction of this liberation from the liberation caused by jṣāna is shown with an example. It is like the fire of digestion devouring edible items like food (nigriṇam). Having no alternative for nourishing the body, the fire of digestion destroys only the useless portions of the eaten food, but nourishes the life airs, senses and dhātus by the good portions of the food. By this the body gains strength of muscle, senses and mind. Similarly bhakti destroys only the bad portions—the material aspects of sound and other sense objects, the material senses and material sense devatās. It does not destroy the good portions of sound or other sense objects and natural senses, which are related to the Lord. Cakṣuṣaś cakṣur uta śrotrasya śrotram: the Lord is the eye of the eye and the ear of ear. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.18) By these sense objects and senses, the spiritual body of the devotee appears. Therefore when the scriptures talk about destruction of the body and senses, they refer to the material aspects of the subtle body. dehendriyāsu-hīnānāṁ vaikuṇṭha-pura-vāsinām The bodies of the inhabitants of Vaikuṇṭha are completely spiritual, having nothing to do with the material body, senses or life air. SB 7.1.35 With a person’s endeavour, the fire of digestion digests the food. The person does not know how the food gets digested. Similarly, bhakti liberates the devotee who daily performs hearing and chanting and experiences as sweet taste, without striving for liberation at all. The devotee does not even ask how or when he will get liberation. tvayy ambujākṣākhila-sattva-dhāmni samādhināveśita-cetasaike tvat-pāda-potena mahat-kṛtena kurvanti govatsa-padaṁ bhavābdhim O lotus-eyed Lord, by concentrating one's meditation on your lotus feet, which are the reservoir of all existence, and by accepting those lotus feet as the boat by which to cross the ocean of nescience, one follows in the footsteps of great saints. By this simple process, one can cross the ocean of nescience as easily as one steps over the hoofprint of a calf. SB 10.2.30 Just as a person walking on the path steps over a hoof print of a cow without seeking it out, so he attains liberation. The devotees lack knowledge of the three stages of Brahman, but by the mercy of the Lord by bhakti, by knowledge in the form of experiencing the Lords’ form, qualities, pastimes, powers and sweetness, he attains liberation. nāyamātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahudhā śrutena yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanuṁ svām The Lord is not attained by contemplation, by meditation or by abundant hearing. He is attained by the Lord’s choice. The Lord reveals his form to that person. Mundaka Upaniṣad 3.2.3 tam eva viditvā atimṛtyum eti Knowing the Lord one attains immortality. Ṣvetāśvatara Upanisād 3.8 The word eva here indicates that only by knowing the Lord one attains liberation. However the following statements of śruti and smṛti show that it is not possible to know the form of the Lord completely. yato vāco nivarttante aprāpya manasā saha From the Lord, words along with mind return, without reaching him. Taittirīya Upanisad 2.41. yasyāmataṁ tasya mataṁ mataṁ yasya na veda saḥ He who says he does not know the Lord knows him and he who says he knows the Lord does not know him. Kena Upaniṣad 2.3 dyu-pataya eva te na yayur antam anantatayā tvam api yad-antarāṇḍa-nicayā nanu sāvaraṇāḥ kha iva rajāṁsi vānti vayasā saha yac chrutayas tvayi hi phalanty atan-nirasanena bhavan-nidhanāḥ Because you are unlimited, neither the lords of heaven nor even you yourself can ever reach the end of your glories. The countless universes, each enveloped in its shell, are compelled by the wheel of time to wander within you, like particles of dust blowing about in the sky. The śrutis, following their method of eliminating everything separate from the Supreme, become successful by revealing you as their final conclusion. SB 10.87.41 The liberation in which the jīva and Brahman become one is rejected by the devotees. This will be explained later. Just as the fire of digestion from the moment the food is eaten, begins digesting it, but completes the process after nine or twelve hours, so, from the being of devotional practice, bhakti begins to destroy material life in the form of lamentation and illusion, but completes the process of destruction only after some time. Thus even at the stage of practice, when lamentation and illusion have not been destroyed, one should not consider the devotee to be in saṁsāra. Action of the senses for the Lord, devoid of jṇāna and karma, devoid of other desires, following the rules mentioned in the devotional scriptures, using the mantra given by guru, but which is small in quantity, is sādhana-bhakti, without spontaneity. When it becomes full in quantity, as sādhya-bhakti, the result of sādhana, it becomes spontaneous bhāva-bhakti. When the bhakti is small in quantity, but has more spontaneity in it, it is called rāgānuga-sādhana-bhakti. When the type and quantity become full, it becomes bhāva-bhakti of rāgānuga type. These distinctions are found in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.