वैष्णवभेदनिरूपणम्
Bound and liberated souls, seekers, the surrendered, eternal attendants, and modes of liberated devotion.
Verses 138–158
अथोच्यते वैष्णवभेद ईप्सितो ज्ञातुं च ते विष्णुपरायणैर्जनैः। सुवेदनीयो बहुधा महामते सुनिश्चितो विज्ञवरैर्महर्षिभिः॥१३८॥
Great-minded disciple, I shall now explain the desired classification of Vaiṣṇavas. Those devoted to Viṣṇu should understand the many distinctions carefully established by the foremost learned sages.
प्राप्तुं परां सिद्धिमकिञ्चनो जनो द्विजातिरिच्छञ् शरणं हरिं व्रजेत्। परं दयालुं स्वगुणानपेक्षितक्रियाकलापादिकजातिबन्धनम्॥१३९॥
One who possesses no independent means and desires the highest perfection should seek refuge in Hari. Supremely compassionate, he does not condition his grace upon the seeker’s qualities, ritual accomplishments, social birth, or comparable bonds.
जीवो द्विधा मन्यते बद्धमुक्तभेदेन पूर्वैस्तु महर्षिवर्यैः। बद्धोऽपि तत्र द्विविधो मुमुक्षुबुभुक्षुभेदाद् गदितो मतज्ञैः॥१४०॥
The ancient sages distinguish souls as bound or liberated. Those who know the tradition further divide the bound into seekers of liberation and seekers of worldly enjoyment.
अनादिकर्मोत्करजातनानादेहाभिमानी सुमतेऽथ बद्धः। स चाच्युताहेतुकृपाबलेनाविद्याक्रियावासरुचिप्रवृत्तेः॥१४१॥
Good-minded disciple, the bound soul identifies with the many bodies produced by beginningless accumulated karma. Through Acyuta’s causeless grace, a new movement away from ignorance, compulsive action, latent tendency, and taste for bondage begins.
विमोक्तुमिच्छुस्तु मुमुक्षुरुक्तः सम्बन्धतः प्राज्ञसुसम्मतोऽयम्। तथैव सांसारिकभोगमिच्छुर्बुभुक्षुरन्यः कथितो बुधेन्द्रैः॥१४२॥
The wise approve the name *mumukṣu* for one who understands the soul’s relationship and longs to be free. One who instead desires the enjoyments of saṃsāra is called *bubhukṣu*.
मुमुक्षवोऽपि द्विविधा महर्षिभिः प्रोक्ता अकामाः स्मृतिभक्तिशालिनः। वेदोक्तवर्णाश्रमकर्मकारिणस्तूपासकादिप्रतिभेदभेदिताः॥१४३॥
The sages further describe seekers of liberation in two broad ways: desireless devotees rich in remembrance, and practitioners who perform the duties of life taught by the Veda. Within these stand worshippers and further subtypes.
स्वकर्मविज्ञानसभक्तिसाधनं तथोररीकृत्य सुविज्ञ कञ्चन। सम्प्राप्य सम्बन्धविशेषमुत्तमं सदा भवन्त्येव च मोक्षनिश्चयाः॥१४४॥
Deeply discerning one, by embracing one or more disciplines—right action, knowledge, and devotion—and attaining clear awareness of the soul’s supreme relationship, they become firmly assured of liberation.
विहाय चान्यत्परमं दयानिधिं प्राप्यं समर्थं निरपायमीश्वरम्। उपायमेतेऽध्यवसीय सुस्थिता ज्ञेयाः प्रपन्नाः सततं हरिप्रियाः॥१४५॥
Those who abandon every rival means and settle firmly upon the Lord—the supreme treasury of mercy, infallible and fully able, both goal and means—are known as the surrendered, forever dear to Hari.
पुरुषकारैकनिष्ठास्तु हरिस्वातन्त्र्यमीक्ष्य च। कृपाप्रचुरमाचार्यं मत्वोपायमवस्थिताः॥१४६॥
Some rest especially in compassionate mediation: recognising Hari’s absolute freedom, they rely upon the grace-filled ācārya as the Lord’s appointed means of approach.
द्विविधास्ते निजाचार्यकृपामात्रप्रतीक्षकाः। तथा सेवातिरेकप्रपन्नाश्चेति सदा सताम्॥१४७॥
These are again twofold: those who await only their own teacher’s grace, and those whose surrender expresses itself in extraordinary service to the holy.
प्रपन्नश्चापि दृप्तः स तथा चार्त इति द्विधा। शरीरस्थितिपर्यन्तमाद्योऽत्रैव यथोचितम्॥१४८॥
The surrendered are also twofold: the confident and the afflicted. The first remains here for the natural duration of the body.
प्राप्तदुःखादि भुञ्जानः शरीरान्तेऽवसीय च। महाबोधोऽतिविश्वासो मोक्षसिद्धिमवस्थितः॥१४९॥
Accepting the pleasure and pain that arrive until the body ends, the confident surrendered soul rests in profound knowledge, complete trust, and certainty of liberation.
अथान्त्योऽसहमानस्तत्क्षणमेव तु संसृतिम्। तथैव भगवत्प्राप्तौ सत्वरस्वान्त उच्यते॥१५०॥
The afflicted surrendered soul cannot endure saṃsāra even for a moment and is inwardly urgent for immediate attainment of the Lord.
श्रवणादिमात्रनिष्ठाः शुद्धभक्ताः प्रकीर्तिताः। अन्तर्भाव्यास्तत्र तत्र तथानुक्ता मुमुक्षवः॥१५१॥
Those established simply in hearing and the other forms of devotion are called pure devotees. Seekers not separately classified are to be included among the appropriate forms described here.
मुक्ता नित्यकदाचित्कभेदमात्रेण ते द्विधा। नित्याः कदाचित् तत्रापि सिद्धाः सुपुरुषा वराः॥१५२॥
The liberated are twofold: eternally free, or freed at a particular time. The eternally free are the excellent perfected persons who were never bound; the others attain perfection after bondage.
गर्भजन्मादिदुःखं येऽननुभूय स्थिताः सदा। सीतारामप्रियाः शश्वदाञ्जनेयादयो मताः॥१५३॥
Those who never experience the suffering of womb, birth, and the rest, and remain eternally dear to Sītā and Rāma, are the eternal attendants beginning with Āñjaneya.
नित्यमुक्ता अपि द्वेधा परिजनाः परिच्छदाः। मारुत्याद्याः किरीटाद्याः क्रमात् ते च प्रकीर्तिताः॥१५४॥
The eternally liberated are themselves twofold: personal attendants and divine appurtenances. Māruti and the other servants exemplify the first; the conscious crown and other instruments of service exemplify the second.
भागवताः केवलाश्च कादाचित्का अपि द्विधा। तत्र भागवता बोध्या ये तेषु भगवत्पराः॥१५५॥
Those liberated after bondage are also twofold: Bhagavān-centred devotees and those absorbed in the isolated self. The former are wholly directed toward the Lord.
भगवद्भोग्यभूत्यादिसाक्षात्कारसुखाश्रयाः। श्रीराममानसा नित्यं तदनुध्यानतत्पराः॥१५६॥
They rest in the joy of directly beholding the Lord, his objects of delight, majesty, and realm. Their minds belong to Śrī Rāma and remain absorbed in contemplation of him.
केचिद् गुणानुसन्धानपराः कैङ्कर्यतत्पराः। इत्थं महर्षिभिः प्रोक्ता द्विविधा भगवत्पराः॥१५७॥
Some are absorbed in contemplating his qualities; others are absorbed in service. Thus the sages describe two modes among those centred in Bhagavān.
द्विविधाः केवला बोध्या दुःखभावैकतत्पराः। आत्मानुभूतिपरमा इति चोक्ता महर्षिभिः॥१५८॥
The sages likewise describe two modes among those absorbed in the isolated self: some contemplate the suffering inherent in what lies outside the self, while others remain wholly absorbed in direct experience of the self.