Priti Sandarbha 5.11 : Direct Realization of Bhagavan is the Meaning of Liberation

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अथ श्रीभगवत्साक्सात्कारस्य मुक्तित्वमाह (भा. ७.६.१८)—

ततो विदूरात् परिहृत्य दैत्या
दैत्येषु सङ्गं विषयात्मकेषु।
उपेत नारायणमादिदेवं
स मुक्तसङ्गैरिषितोऽपवर्गः ॥

Now [after describing Brahman realization as mukti] the "realization of Bhagavān is mukti" is described.

Śrī Prahlāda said:

Therefore, O Daityas, shunning away the company of the Daityas from far, who have set their mind on the objects of the senses, take shelter of Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa, the prime deity. He is the liberation, desired by those who have become free from attachment. (SB 7.6.18)

टीका च—"यस्मात् स एवापवर्ग इष्टः" इत्येषा। अत्र नारायणस्यापवर्गत्वं तत्साक्षात्कृतावेव पर्यवस्यति। तस्या एव संसारध्वंसपूर्वकपरमानन्दप्राप्तिरूपत्वात् तदस्तित्वमात्रत्वे तादृशत्वाभावाच्च ॥

Svāmī also comments, "Because He alone is the liberation sought after [i.e., take shelter of Him]."

Here "Nārāyaṇa as liberation" happens only when one realizes Him directly, because only that (liberation) is the attainment of supreme bliss after destroying the material bondage.Such a liberation is not possible because of His mere existence.

॥ ७.६ ॥ श्रीप्रह्लादः ॥ ५ ॥

To conclude this discussion, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī cites the teachings of Prahlāda in which the latter advises the Daitya children to take shelter of Bhagavān. He says that taking shelter of Bhagavān is the true meaning of mukti, iṣito’pavargaḥ. This also implies that Prahlāda did not accept brahma-sākṣātkāra as the puruṣārtha.

In the next anuccheda Jīva Gosvāmī cites Dhruva who also accepts bhagavat-sākṣātkāra as the puruṣārtha.

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(7.6)
ṣaṣṭho’dhyāyaḥ
prahlādānucarite

|| 7.6.1 ||

śrī-prahrāda uvāca
kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha |
durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam ||

śrīdharaḥ :
ṣaṣṭhe gurau gṛha-vyagre prahrādo daitya-bālakān |
anukampya paraṁ tattvaṁ nāradoktam upādiśat ||
nirarthaka-kriyālāpair āyur-vyayam ajānatām |
prahrādaḥ sa-dayaṁ prāha dharmaṁ bhāgavataṁ kṛtī ||

kaumāra ity-ādinā | ihaiva mānuṣa-janmani dharmān ācaret | yato’rthadam etat | tatra ca kaumāra eva, yatas tad apy adhruvam | na caivaṁ-bhūtaṁ janmāntaram, yato durlabham | tatra dharmān evācaren na sukhārthe prayāsān | tatra bhāgavatān eva na kāmyān ||1||

krama-sandarbhaḥ : bhāgavatān dharmān ācaret yato’rthadam etaj janma, devādi-janmani mahā-viṣayāveśāt, paśv-ādi-janmani vivekābhāvāc ca | tatrāpi na vilambenety āha kaumāre, kaumāram ārabhyety arthaḥ | yatas tad api janma dhruvaṁ punar durlabhaṁ ca | tathā ca brahma-vaivarte—

prāpyāpi durlabhataraṁ mānuṣyaṁ vibudhepsitam |
yair āśrito na govindas tair ātmā vañcitaś ciram |
aśītiṁ caturaś caiva lakṣāṁs tān jīva-jātiṣu |
bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ prāpyaṁ mānuṣyaṁ janma paryayāt |
tad apy aphalatāṁ jātaṁ teṣām ātmābhimāninām |
varākāṇām anāśritya govinda-caraṇa-dvayam || iti |

śāstrasya prādhānyena mānuṣyam adhikṛtya pravartatvāt tad-anuvādenoktir iyaṁ tad-buddhy-ādi-sāmānyena mānuṣatvam āropyaiveti jñeyam ||1||

bhakti-sandarbha (18): ihaiva mānuṣa-janmani bhāgavatān dharmān ācaret, yato’rthadam etaj janma | devādi-janmani mahā-viṣayāveśāt, paśv-ādi-janmani vivekābhāvāc ca | mānuṣaṁ janma ca prāpya na vilambetety āha—kaumāre, kaumāram ārabhya ity arthaḥ | yatas tad api janma adhruvaṁ punar durlabhaṁ ca | śāstrasya ca prādhānyena manuṣyam adhikṛtya pravṛttatvāt tad-anuvādenoktir iyam | tad-buddhy-ādi-sāmyena mānuṣatvam āropyaiveti jñeyam ||1||

viśvanāthaḥ :
ṣaṣṭhe tu grāhayāmāsa prahlādo bhaktim arbhakam |
āsaktiṁ deha-gehādau byājayāmāsa bodhayan ||

tān āha karuṇo maitra iti pūrvam uktam | tat kim āha ? ity āha—kaumāre dharmān ācaret | nanu kaumāre varṇāśrama-dharmānām anadhikāraḥ ? tatrāha—bhāgavatān caraṇāravinda-kīrtanādīn iha bhārata-bhūmau |

nanu tān yauvanādāv api kṛtvā kṛtārthaī-bhavati ? tatrāha—prājña iti | yadi kaumārānta eva mṛtyuḥ syāt, tarhi kiṁ bhavet ? iti prakṛṣṭa-jñānavān |

nanu tatra kā cintā janmāntaraṁ tu bhāvi tatraiva bhaktiḥ kāryeti | tatrāha—durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma | tad api bhāgyāl labdham apy adhruvam | adya vartamānatve’pi tasya śvaḥ sthitau niścayābhāvāt |

nanu tarhi tāva-mātra-kālena kuto bhakti-siddhiḥ ? tatrāha—arthadaṁ muhūrta-mātra-vyāpi bhaktimatām api khaṭvaṅgādīnāṁ siddhi-darśanāt ||1||

—o)0(o—

|| 7.6.17 ||

yato na kaścit kva ca kutracid vā
dīnaḥ svam ātmānam alaṁ samarthaḥ |
vimocituṁ kāma-dṛśāṁ vihāra-
krīḍā-mṛgo yan-nigaḍo visargaḥ ||

śrīdharaḥ : tasmāt kaumāra eva bhāgavatān dharmān ācared iti sa-hetukam upasaṁharati—yata iti | yataḥ kaścid api svam ātmānaṁ mocituṁ na samarthaḥ, tato nārāyaṇam upeta śaraṇaṁ yātety uttareṇānvayaḥ | asāmarthye hetuḥ—alaṁ dīno lampaṭaḥ | ataḥ kāmo dṛśi yāsāṁ, tāsāṁ vihāre krīḍāyāṁ nimitte krīḍā-mṛgaḥ | vihāram iti pṛthak pāṭhe tāsāṁ vihāra-sādhanam ātmānam, yatas tāsāṁ krīḍā-mṛgaḥ sa ity anvayaḥ | kiṁ ca, yad yāsu nigaḍaḥ śṛṅkhalā-tulyo visargaḥ putra-pautrādi-rūpo bhavati ||17||

krama-sandarbhaḥ : na vyākhyātam.

viśvanāthaḥ : yataḥ kuṭumbāt kvāpi deśe kutracid api kāle samarthaḥ śāstra-jñānādi-sāmarthyavān api kaścid api ātmānaṁ svīyaṁ vā vimocayitum, alaṁ na śaknoti | vihāram iti pāṭhe ātmānam ity asya viśeṣaṇam | samāsa-pāṭhe kartṛ-viśeṣaṇam | yāḥ kāmadṛśa eva nigaḍo yatra tathā-vidhaḥ sargo janma bhavet ||17||

—o)0(o—

|| 7.6.18 ||

tato vidūrāt parihṛtya daityā
daityeṣu saṅgaṁ viṣayātmakeṣu |
upeta nārāyaṇam ādi-devaṁ
sa mukta-saṅgair iṣito’pavargaḥ ||

śrīdharaḥ : vidūrād dūrataḥ saṅgaṁ parihṛtya | yad vā, avidūrāc chīghraṁ nārāyaṇam upeta ity anvayaḥ, yasmāt sa eva apavarga iṣita iṣṭaḥ ||18||

krama-sandarbhaḥ : na vyākhyātam.

prīti-sandarbhaḥ 5: atha śrī-bhagavat-sāksātkārasya muktitvam āha—tato vidūrād iti | ṭīkā ca—yasmāt sa eva apavarga iṣṭaḥ ity eṣā | atra nārāyaṇasyāpavargatvaṁ tat-sākṣātkṛtāv eva paryavasyati, tasyā eva saṁsāra-dhvaṁsa-pūrvaka-paramānanda-prāpti-rūpatvāt, tad-astitva-mātratve tādṛśatvābhāvāc ca ||18||

viśvanāthaḥ : apavargaḥ saṁsāra-bandha-vimocakaḥ | iṣita iṣṭaḥ ||18||