35 verses
Uddhava said: O lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa! You are the Supreme Lord, and thus the Vedic literatures, consisting of positive and negative injunctions, constitute your order. Such literatures focus upon the good and bad qualities of work.
Differences in varṇa and āśrama give rise to bad or good, such as pratiloma and anuloma marriages. There is consideration of good and bad objects, places, ages and times. Svarga is considered good and hell is considered bad.
The differences of varṇa and āśrama indicate the good and bad qualities. Pratiloma means a person such as suta or vaidehaka, born from women of superior varṇa and man of inferior varṇa. Anuloma means a person such as ambastha or karaṇa born from a man of superior varṇa and woman of lower varṇa. There are also superior or inferior considerations for objects. Svarga is considered good and hell is considered bad.
Without seeing in terms of good and bad in the Vedas, which are your words, composed of orders and prohibitions, how can man achieve liberation?
Then what are you inferring? Without your words, the Vedas, indicating prohibition and order, seeing in terms of good and bad, (this is prescribed and thus good and that is forbidden and therefore bad), how can the Vedas produce liberation for humans?
O Lord! Your Vedas are the best cause of knowledge for Pitṛs, devatās and humans. The Vedas are the means and goal of liberation and Svarga.
The Vedas are not only the cause of liberation for humans but for devatās and Pitṛs as well. Your Vedas are the best source of knowledge (śreyaḥ cakṣuḥ). Why? For liberation and Svarga, the Vedas are the goal and the means.
The distinction observed between piety and sin comes from your own Vedic knowledge and does not arise by itself. By rejecting the Vedas with their injunctions and prohibitions as you seem to be doing now, such distinction between piety and sin will be nullified. I will be bewildered.
Either way there are difficulties. From the Vedas which are your order composed of rules and prohibitions, arises observation of good and bad. (But then I disregard your order.) By rejecting your own orders, the Vedas, at this time, the vision of good and bad will be impaired. I have become confused, since I have not been able to discern your intentions. Therefore remove this confusion.
The Supreme Lord said: Because I desire that human beings may achieve perfection, I have presented three methodsthe path of jñāna, the path of karma and the path of bhakti. Besides these three, there no other means of elevation.
There will be injunctions and prohibitions based on seeing good and bad according to different qualifications and different situations. The Lord speaks to reveal this. The methods (yogāḥ) of jñāna, karma and bhakti are explained by me through the brahma-kāṇdā, karma-kāṇòa and devatā-kāṇòas. With a desire to give humans mokṣa, artha, dharma, kāma, and prema, all by my mercy, I have explained these methods. There are no other means of elevation except these three. Austerity and yoga are actually included in jñāna and bhakti to some degree, so are not considered separately. Karma is for the karmīs and jñāna is for the jñānīs. They are not qualified for pure bhakti.
Jñāna-yoga is recommended for those who are unattached to material life and thus reject material activities. Karma-yoga is recommended for those who are not disgusted with material life, and have great attachment to pleasures.
Who is qualified for what? Two verses answer. Jñāna is for persons who are unattached to house and family and therefore renounce material actions of household life. Karma is for those who are not detached from material action because they are extremely attached to enjoying their body, house, and wife.
If by unexpected association with devotees one develops faith in my topics, that person, being neither very disgusted with nor attached to material life, is qualified for bhakti and will achieve perfection.
By taking into account the explanation in the First Canto, the meaning of the first phrase is the person who has developed faith in my topics by unexpected association with great devotees. Faith in the Lords topics is the qualification for bhakti-yoga. That has already been stated in śraddhāmṛta-kathāyāṁ me (SB11.19.20) and śraddhālur me kathāḥ śṛṇvan (SB 11.11.23) The context is different in the present verse however. By using the singular number (one person), it is indicated that such a person who has developed that faith is very rare, compared to jñānīs and karmīs. This person is not overly attached to body, house and family. He is also not disgusted with the world, for that is the qualification for jñāna. Being overly attached to body and house qualifies a person for karma-yoga. If he does not have such attachment, he becomes qualified for bhakti. The qualification for the three processes should be considered. The cause of disgust with or detachment from the world is purification of the antaḥ-karaṇa caused by niṣkāma-karma. The cause of excessive attachment is beginningless ignorance. The cause of being devoid of excessive attachment is unexpected association with great devotees. These causes should be considered. However, there are some special persons who become qualified. Even if a person is involved with sense enjoyment, by unexpected association with devotees he becomes qualified.
ko nu rājann indriyavān mukunda-caraṇāmbujam
na bhajet sarvato-mṛtyur upāsyam amarottamaiḥ
O King! Who among the conditioned souls with senses, confronted by death at every step of life, would not render service to the lotus feet of Lord Mukunda, who is worshipable even for the greatest devatās? SB 11.2.2
As long as one does not become detached from daily and periodic duties or has not awakened his faith in hearing topics about me, one must perform ones prescribed duties of varṇāśrama.
It is natural that the overly attached jīva is qualified for karma. When will he become qualified for jñāna and bhakti? He should perform his daily and periodic duties (karmāṇi) as long as he has not purified his heart by karmas and become detached. Thus he becomes qualified for jñāna. This was stated in verse 7. Or he should continue his karmas until faith in topics of the Lord arises by sudden mercy of devotees. Before that faith, he was qualified only for karma. When faith appears, as explained in the previous verse, he becomes qualified only for bhakti¸ and is no longer qualified for karma. This faith should be exclusive. The person has firm faith that he will reach perfection by hearing about the Lord, not by karma or jñāna. This arises only by association with pure devotees.
It is said:
śruti-smṛtī mamaivājñe yas te ullaḍghya vartate
ājñā-cchedī mama dveṣī mad-bhakto pi na vaiṣṇavaḥ
The śruti and smṛti literatures are to be understood as my injunctions, and one who violates such codes is to be understood as violating my will and thus opposing me. Although such a person may claim to be my devotee, he is not actually a Vaiṣṇava.
Thus, the devotee does not disobey the Lords order. Rather when he develops faith, he will never disobey the orders of the Lord.
Some persons say that even if he does not obtain the mercy of great devotees and consequently does not develop that faith, on seeing the excellence of other devotees (not great devotees), he gives up karma and takes up worship of the Lord, following his orders.
Others say that since śruti and smṛti recommend bhakti, not varṇāsṛama, a person, understanding this, takes to bhakti, (even if he does not meet the greatest devotees), for the Lord says:
ājñāyaivaṁ guṇān doṣān mayādiṣṭān api svakān
dharmān santyajya yaḥ sarvān māṁ bhajeta sa tu sattamaḥ
A person who, understanding good and bad aspects of dharma as taught by me, gives up all his duties and simply worships me is the best of all. SB 11.11.32
Devotees may think that, as devotees following purely, it is not necessary to follow injunctions and prohibitions in śruti and smṛti, such as vows like Ekādaśī and forbidden acts like putting coconut water in a bell metal vessel, or putting yogurt or milk in a copper vessel, or eating the Lords offerings before offering to the Lord. However, understanding that the śruti and smṛti are the Lords order, they follow those instructions.
Some pure devotees in the East, because of the pressure from karmīs with which they have close contact, may perform karmas. But this is not actually performance of karma, because it is done without faith in those acts. The Lord says:
aśraddhayā hutaṁ dattaṁ tapas taptaṁ kṛtaṁ ca yat
asad ity ucyate pārtha na ca tat pretya no iha ||
O son of Pṛthā, whatever is offered in the fire, whatever is given in charity, whatever is undertaken as austerity, but which is done without faith, is called asat since it bears no result now or in the next life. BG 17.28
O Uddhava! A person who is situated in his prescribed duty, properly worshiping by Vedic sacrifices but not desiring the results, will not go to the heavenly planets; similarly, by not performing forbidden activities he will not go to hell.
It is possible that those who are overly attached to material karmas take up niṣkāma-karma. Performing their duties without desiring results, they do not go to Svarga. By avoiding prohibited acts, not breaking rules of ones sva-dharma, one does not go to hell.
One who is situated in his prescribed duty, free from sinful activities and cleansed of material contamination, in this very life obtains transcendental knowledge or, by fortune, bhakti to me.
What does this performer of karma attain? Situated on this planet, performing his duties, sinless because of performing niṣkāma-karma, pure in heart, because of no sin, he attains jñāna and liberation. If he unexpectedly attains the association with persons practicing pure bhakti, he attains pure bhakti to me. Then he attains prema. If he attains association with karma-miśra-bhaktas or jñāna-miśra-bhaktas, by that type of bhakti he attains śānti-rati.
The residents of both heaven and hell desire human birth on the earth planet because human life facilitates jñāna and bhakti, whereas neither heavenly nor hellish bodies provide such opportunities.
Kṛṣṇa praises the human body for attaining liberation and prema in six verses. Human life produces jñāna and bhakti. Heavenly or hellish bodies do not produce these.
A human being who is wise should never desire Svarga or hell. A human being should also never desire continuous residence on the earth, for by such absorption in the material body one forgets about jñāna and bhakti.
Having attained the excellent human form, one should not desire lower forms in Svarga or hell by piety or sinful acts. One should not desire to remain on earth comfortably by avoiding sin, because one forgets about jñāna and bhakti by attachment to the body.
A wise person, knowing that the human body, though temporary, allows attainment of perfection, should act for freedom from saṁsāra before death. Knowing the use of the human body, he should not be lazy.
Knowing the human body is useful, one should act for attaining freedom from saṁṣara before death. Knowing that his body gives perfection, he should not be lazy.
When a tree in which a birds nest was constructed is cut down by men cruel as death, the bird gives up the tree without attachment and achieves happiness in another place.
An example of giving up attachment to the body is given. Giving up his nest built in a tree cut down by persons cruel like Yama, the unattached bird goes away.
Knowing that ones duration of life is being similarly cut down by the passing of days and nights, one should be shaken by fear. In this way, giving up all material attachment and desire, one understands the Supreme Lord and achieves perfect peace.
Understanding oneṣ life is being cut by the days and nights, one gives up material desires and attachment and attains peace.
Having attained the human body, which is rarely attained, but attained easily sometimes by good fortune, and which is like a well-constructed boat, with the guru as the captain, pushed by the favorable wind of serving me, a person who does not cross the ocean of material existence is a killer of himself.
The destitute man, finding a touchstone, throws it in the mud. The human body is the source of all desirable fruits. It is difficult to attain, since it is impossible to attain by millions of attempts. But it is easily attained, since it is attained by good fortune. Having attained the boat (verb is omitted), which is by great luck skillfully made, which has a captain when one surrenders to guru, pushed by the favorable wind, by me, when I am served, one can cross the ocean of material existence. Some say this is the result for jñānīs, since the topic is jñāna. It is not suitable for the pure devotees since their goal is not deliverance from material suffering. But others say that though the pure devotees do not strive for this, they also achieve it. Since it comes unsought, there is no fault for the devotees in attaining it.
When a person becomes disgusted with material endeavors, becomes detached from the results of prescribed duties, controls his senses by practice, and follows yamas and niyamas, he should concentrate to make his mind steady.
Having praised the human body which allows practice of both jñāna and bhakti, Kṛṣṇa speaks of the actions necessary for persons qualified for jñāna. Their initial state is described in nine and a half verses. The person is disgusted with material household life, disturbed by seeing its suffering, and becomes detached from the results of karma attained by karmīs. Engaged in the yamas and niyamas of yoga (yogī), he meditates so that his mind becomes immovable.
When the mind which attempts to concentrate becomes doubly agitated and suddenly deviates, one should carefully bring the mind under control, giving some regard for its expectations.
When the mind concentrated with effort suddenly becomes doubly agitated from its initial position with great intensity, one should bring it under control by showing some slight regard for fulfilling its needs (anurodhena). Double agitation takes place when one begins to concentrate on the strong urges of lust and other emotions.
One should not disregard the actions of the mind. Conquering the life airs and the senses by intelligence endowed with sattva, one should bring the mind under control.
Will one become like one was previously? One should not disregard the movements of the mind, but stop them.
Giving regard to the mind is the highest process of controlling it. One should carefully observe its movements, just as one first observes the mood of the horse one desires to subdue before putting on the reins.
The path of giving regard to the mind (verse 19) is praised, using an example. Controlling the mind by this path of fulfilling its expectations is the highest method. Like inspecting the inclinations of the mind (hṛdaya-jñatvam) of a horse (arvataḥ) what one desires to control, one inspects the inclinations of ones heart. It is impossible to control the horse suddenly, simply by thinking that the horse should know ones intentions. One should follow its movements carefully. Similarly one should follow the movements of the mind. Then one can put on the reins and direct the horse to go. One should not give up.
Until the mind is peaceful, one should contemplate the creation and destruction of the material elements through evolution and devolution by analysis. , After slightly controlling the mind, the method of complete control of the mind should be used. This is explained in three verses. By analysis of the elements from mahat-tattva to earth, one should meditate on the creation from prakṛti to earth, and destruction from earth to prakṛti.
When a person, considering what has been said, becomes disgusted with the world and detached from it by contemplating the subject with analysis, his mind gives up its false identity with the body.
Ukta-vedinaḥ means of a person who has reviewed what has been spoken.
One should remember Paramātmā by following yamas and niyamas in aśṭāḍga-yoga, by analysis of elements, by knowledge, by worship of my form, and not by any other methods.
The mind should concentrate on Paramātmā (yogyam) by analysis of elements (ānvīkṣikyā). The word vā indicates one could follow any of these methods, by ones choice, according to Śrīdhara Svāmī. The word vā means ca according to some. By these methods and no others one should remember Paramātmā.
If, because of inattention, a jñānī accidentally commits an abominable activity, then by the very practice of jñāna, he should burn to ashes the sinful reaction, without employing any other procedure.
If the person disgusted with karma is not qualified for karma-yoga, if he commits sin by fate how will he destroy that sin without resorting the atonement through karma-yoga? If this jñānī commits a sin, he destroys the sin by practice of jñāna (yogena) alone. According to Śrīdhara Svāmī, this also indicates chanting the name of the Lord for the devotee. It is said:
kecit kevalayā bhaktyā vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ
aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ
Some persons, who surrender to Kṛṣṇa, completely destroy sins by pure bhakti, just as the sun destroys fog. SB 6.1.15
sva-pāda-mūlam bhajataḥ priyasya
tyaktānya-bhāvasya hariḥ pareśaḥ
vikarma yac cotpatitaṁ kathañcid
dhunoti sarvaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ
One who has thus given up all other engagements and has taken full shelter at the lotus feet of Supreme Lord is very dear to the Lord. If such a surrendered soul accidentally commits some sinful activity, the Supreme Lord, having great powers, seated within everyones heart, immediately takes away the reaction to such sin. SB 11.5.42
Others explain that the word yogī here indicates either the jñāna-yogī or bhakti-yogī. Thus yogena will indicate either jñāna or bhakti.
When the jñānī or devotee remains situated according to his qualification it is praised as a good quality. With a desire to give up material enjoyment, there should be restriction on karma for the practitioners of karma who are innately impure, by following the rules and avoiding the prohibitions.
Why do you say there is no other method? What is the fault if one uses another method? Sve sve indicates the jñānī and the bhakta. The meaning is this. If the jñānī did not destroy sin by jñāna and the devotee did not destroy sin by bhakti, they would have to perform penances or atonements to destroy the sin. Because there are plenty of scriptural statements that jñāna and bhakti destroy sin, if sin is destroyed, why should they perform penances with a different qualification? If they were to perform atonements, it would mean that they have two faults: giving up their dharma and practicing anothers dharma. There is should be no inclination for sin in the jñānī or the devotee, but if by fate it occurs, sin is destroyed by those processes themselves, since jñāna and bhakti are purifying by their very nature. Thus the Vedas generally say that the jñānī and devotee do not fall within the qualifications of injunction and prohibition, good quality and bad quality. However, of the two, when the devotee commits sin, it is everywhere said that one should not see it as a fault, or think that he is subject material guṇas, since it is explained that he is beyond the guṇas. Because the jñānī is in sattva-guṇa, his control of the mind and senses are seen as good qualities and the lack of control are seen as bad qualities:
yas tv asaṁyata-ṣaò-vargaḥ pracaṇòendriya-sārathiḥ
jñāna-vairāgya-rahitas tri-daṇòam upajīvati
surān ātmānam ātma-sthaṁ nihnute māṁ ca dharma-hā
avipakva-kaṣāyo smād amuṣmāc ca vihīyate
One who has not controlled the six forms of illusion (lust, anger, greed, excitement, false pride and intoxication), whose intelligence, the leader of the senses, is extremely attached to material things, who is bereft of knowledge and detachment, who adopts the sannyāsa order of life to make a living, who deceives the devatās, ātmā and Paramātmā, thus ruining all religious principles, and who is still infected by material contamination, is deviated and lost both in this life and the next. SB 11.18.40
Therefore it is not a fault to find good and bad among the jñānīs.
Karmīs by their nature are subject to good and bad. The Vedas repeatedly enjoin that there should a restriction (niyamaḥ) on the natural inclination of engaging in sin for karmīs attached to their houses and bodies by applying the injunctions and prohibitions, for the purpose of giving up attachment to material enjoyment. The meaning is this. Mans inclination to sin is present and cannot be completely stopped immediately. This destruction is accomplished by restricting the natural inclination by injunctions and prohibitions: do this, do not do that. It will be explained later how the Vedas do not encourage enjoyment.
utpattyaiva hi kāmeṣu prāṇeṣu sva-janeṣu ca
āsakta-manaso martyā ātmano nartha-hetuṣu
Simply by material birth, human beings become attached within their minds to personal sense gratification, long duration of life, sense activities, bodily strength, sexual potency and friends and family. Their minds are thus absorbed in that which defeats their actual self-interest. SB 11.21.24
natān aviduṣaḥ svārthaṁ bhrāmyato vṛjinādhvani
kathaṁ yuñjyāt punas teṣu tāṁs tamo viśato budhaḥ
Those ignorant of their real self-interest are wandering on the path of material existence, gradually heading toward darkness. Why would the Vedas further encourage them in sense gratification if they, although foolish, submissively pay heed to Vedic injunctions? SB 11.21.25
tato bhajeta māṁ prītaḥ śraddhālur dṛòha-niścayaḥ juṣamāṇaś ca tān kāmān duḥkhodarkāṁś ca garhayan
Having developed faith in topics about me and being disgusted with all karmas, a devotee knows that all enjoyments are filled with misery. But he is unable to given them up. Still, with affection for me, with faith and determination, he will continue worshipping me, while at the same time partaking of those enjoyments which give rise to suffering and yet condemning them.
In two verses Kṛṣṇa speaks of the initial state of a person qualified for bhakti. He is disgusted with the results of karma ruling Vedic ritual and ordinary life, disturbed by seeing the unhappiness it causes. This repeats what was said earlier: he is not overly attached to karma (verse 8). He knows that desires which give rise to attachment to wife and sons are filled with suffering. But he is unable to give them up. Having entered such a condition, he has resolve: Let my attachment for family be destroyed or increase! Let there be millions of obstacles to my worship, or let the obstacles be destroyed! Let me go to hell if I have committed offenses by keeping those desires. But I will not give up bhakti. I will not accept karma or jñāna even if Brahmā personally comes and orders me. This is his determination. He does not have inclination to unfavorable things to the same extent that he has firm determination for bhakti which he has just started. He indulges in those desires which give rise to attachment to wife and children while criticizing them. Oh! These material enjoyments cause obstacles for me. They are unfavorable for attaining the feet of the Lord. Though I make an oath to give them up in name only, after a while I enjoy them again. I criticize them and enjoy them. In this way he enjoys.
When an intelligent person engages constantly in worshiping me through bhakti, as previously described by me, all material desires within the heart are destroyed, since I am situated in the heart.
So does your devotee remain attacked by enjoyment in the material world? No. This is explained in two verses. It has already been said śraddhāmṛta-kathāyāṁ me śaśvan mad-anukīrtanam: he has firm faith in the blissful narration of my sweetest pastimes and constant chanting of my glories. (SB 11.19.20) Worshipping me by this process of bhakti which I have described, my devotee destroys all the desires in his heart, since I am situated there. If I am situated there, the sins cannot remain situated there, just as, if the sun shines, darkness cannot remain.
Ahaḍkāra is cut and all doubts are destroyed. On seeing the Lord in the mind and with the eyes, all karmas are destroyed.
After the devotee passes through the stages of niṣṭhā, ruci and āsakti, the ahaḍkāra(hṛdaya-granthiḥ) is destroyed. This takes place on its own, not with the endeavor or desire of the devotee. It has been said:
jarayaty āśu yā kośaṁ nigīrṇam analo yathā
Bhakti quickly destroys the subtle body, just as the digestive fire consumes food.
SB 3.25.33
Thus there is no possibility of doubts. All the karmas, even the prārabdha-karmas are destroyed.
bhaktir asya bhajanaṁ tad ihāmutropādhi-nairāsyenāmuṣmin manaḥ-kalpanam, etad eva naiṣkarmyam
Devotional service is the process of worshiping the Supreme Lord. It consists of fixing ones mind upon him by becoming disinterested in all material designations, both in this life and the next. Bhakti destroys all karmas. Gopāla-ṭapanī Upaniṣad I.15
The meaning of naiṣkarmyam is that bhakti causes destruction of all karma.
Therefore, for a devotee engaged in bhakti, with mind fixed on me, the cultivation of knowledge and renunciation is generally not beneficial for bhakti.
Since the ahaḍkāra is destroyed by bhakti alone, which does not give regard to other causes, jñāna and vairāgya are not recommended for my devotee, either for nourishing bhakti or for destroying ahaḍkāra, since they do not exhibit any benefit for the devotee. For a person whose mind is fixed in me (mad-ātmanaḥ), jñāna which differentiates self from body and vaiṛāgya which renounces enjoyment are not beneficial since they belong to sattva-guṇa whereas bhakti is beyond the guṇas. It is a fault to bring in jñāna and vairāgya when bhakti is present. Just as attachment and hatred are functions of avidyā, jñāna and vairāgya are functions of vidyā. Though jñāna and vairāgya naturally exist in bhakti, ahaḍkāra is destroyed by bhakti alone. This will be explained in the Twenty-fifth Chapter (SB 11.25.24 or 11.2.5.32 for instance).
Moreover, jñāna in the form of realization of the Lord and vairāgya in the form of distaste for material enjoyment, which are beyond the guṇas, since they arise from bhakti, will naturally appear. It is said:
bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir
anyatra caiṣa trika eka-kālaḥ
prapadyamānasya yathāśnataḥ syus
tuṣṭiḥ puṣṭiḥ kṣud-apāyo 'nu-ghāsam
Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other thingsthese three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa, in the same way that pleasure, fullness of the stomach and relief from hunger are experienced simultaneously, with each bite, for a person engaged in eating. SB11.2.42
The word generally (prayaḥ) is used because at the first stage of śānta-bhakti sometimes jñāna and vairāgya are accepted without harm. The śānta-bhakta engaged in austerities is described:
bhaktir muktyaiva nirvighnety ātta-yukta-viraktatāḥ |
anujjhita-mumukṣā ye bhajante te tu tāpasāḥ ||15||
The practitioners of austerity in bhakti are those who worship the Lord while practicing yukta-vairāgya without giving up the desire for liberation, since obstacles to bhakti are destroyed by attaining liberation. BRS 3.1.15
sarvaṁ mad-bhakti-yogena mad-bhakto labhate ñjasā svargāpavargaṁ mad-dhāma kathañcid yadi vāñchati
Everything that can be achieved by karma, penance, jñāna, vairāgya, mystic yoga, charity, dharma and all other auspicious means of perfecting life is easily achieved by my devotee through bhakti. If somehow or other my devotee desires Svarga, liberation, or residence in my abode, he easily achieves such benedictions.
If someone develops faith in your topics but has desires for Svarga or liberation, results of karma and jñāna, since he has not given up his taste for those things, what happens to him? This is answered in two verses. Itaraiḥ means auspicious acts like vows and visiting holy places. This mixed devotee can achieve sālokya (mad-dhāma). What is to be attained by other processes, my devotee easily attains by bhakti What are these things? All things are attained, including Svarga, indicating all material happiness. According to the purity of the heart one can attain liberation or sālokya.
But intelligent devotees, completely dedicated to me alone, do not desire liberation even if I offer it to them.
Somehow or other is here explained. Those who are pure devotees do not desire these things.
It is said that the process which is without dependence on other processes or results is the best process. Therefore a person who does not desire any rewards and does not depend on other processes develops bhakti for me.
That which is without dependence on other sādhanas or other results is superior in type (param) and gives more quantity of auspiciousness than other processes (analpakam niḥśreyasam). The person who has no other desires except me (nirāśiṣaḥ) and does not depend on other processes such as jñāna and vairāgya (nirapekṣasya) develops bhakti for me.
The fully dedicated devotees who see equally everywhere and who have achieved the Lord who is superior to prakṛti do not have the guṇas which give rise to qualities of good and bad.
I have said guṇa-doṣa-dṛśir doṣo guṇas tūbhaya-varjitaḥ: to see good and bad is itself a bad quality, and thus the best quality is to transcend seeing good and bad qualities. (SB 11.19.45) This best quality resides in my devotees. The guṇas of sattva, rajas and tamas from which arise good and bad qualities do not exist in these devotees. They have spiritual qualities because they have achieved the Lord who is eternity knowledge and bliss, who is superior to prakṛti (buddheḥ), and who is thus without any material qualities. All my senses are beyond the material guṇas. The nature of the devotee is described later with the words nirguṇo mad-apāśrayaḥ: a person has taken shelter of me is beyond the guṇas. (SB 11.25.26)
Another meaning is as follows. The devotees have no qualities related to injunctions and prohibitions which give rise to concepts of good and bad. They have no good qualities by performing pious acts and no bad qualities by performing forbidden acts. Śiva describes how the devotees see equally (sama-cittānām):
nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati
svargāpavarga-narakeṣv api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ
Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of Nārāyaṇa never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation and the hellish planets are all the same. SB 6.17.28
What to speak of seeing material faults in the perfect devotees who have attained the Lord by bhakti (upeyusām), one should not find fault even in the sādhakas who commit sins. The Lord has said:
ananyāś cintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate |
teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham |||
I carry the burden of supply and maintenance of those who desire constant association with me, and who, thinking only of me, worship only me. BG 9.22
Persons who seriously follow these methods of achieving me, which I have personally taught, attain peace, my abode Vaikuṇṭha, or liberation in Brahman.
Kṛṣṇa summarizes the best paths. Those who follow my instructions obtain results according to the yoga they choose. The followers of niṣkāma-karma obtain peace. The devotees obtain Vaikuṇṭha. The jñānīs attain Brahman.
Thus ends the commentary on the Twentieth Chapter of the Eleventh Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
In the Twentieth Chapter jñāna, karma and bhakti are well defined, and the qualifications of each are described, with good and bad points. At the end of the last chapter Kṛṣṇa said that one should overcome seeing good and bad. Though Uddhava understood the Lords meaning, he desires to hear from the Lords mouth an explanation with various examples. Thus in five verses, he opposes Kṛṣṇas statement. Your orders, the Vedas, consist of orders and prohibitions. The orders concern good qualities of action which should be done. The prohibitions concern bad actions which are forbidden. By following orders one performs good acts of piety and goes to Svarga. By performing prohibited acts one performs bad actions of sin and goes to hell.