परात्मनि ब्रह्मणि वासुदेवे ।
क्रियाकलापैः समुवाह भक्तिं
ययाविरिञ्च्यान् निरयांश्चकार ॥२५॥
evaá¹ vidhÄneka-guṇaḥ sa rÄjÄ
parÄtmani brahmaṇi vÄsudeve
kriyÄ-kalÄpaiḥ samuvÄha bhaktiá¹
yayÄviriñcyÄn nirayÄmÅ› cakÄra
evam - in this way; vidhÄ-aneka-guṇaḥ - endowed with varieties of good qualities; saḥ - he, MahÄrÄja AmbarÄ«á¹£a; rÄjÄ - the King; para-Ätmani - unto the Supersoul; brahmaṇi - unto Brahman; vÄsudeve - unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, VÄsudeva; kriyÄ-kalÄpaiḥ - by practical activities; samuvÄha - executed; bhaktim - devotional service; yayÄ - by such activities; ÄviriñcyÄn - beginning from the topmost planet; nirayÄn - down to the hellish planets; cakÄra - he experienced that there is danger everywhere.
In this way, because of devotional service, MahÄrÄja AmbarÄ«á¹£a, who was endowed with varieties of transcendental qualities, was completely aware of Brahman, ParamÄtmÄ and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus he executed devotional service perfectly. Because of his devotion, he thought even the topmost planet of this material world no better than the hellish planets.
An exalted and pure devotee like MahÄrÄja AmbarÄ«á¹£a is in full awareness of Brahman, ParamÄtmÄ and BhagavÄn; in other words, a devotee of VÄsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is in full knowledge of the other features of the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is realized in three features — Brahman, ParamÄtmÄ and BhagavÄn (brahmeti paramÄtmeti bhagavÄn iti Å›abdyate). A devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, VÄsudeva, knows everything (vÄsudevaḥ sarvam iti) because VÄsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, includes both ParamÄtmÄ and Brahman. One does not have to realize ParamÄtmÄ by the yoga system, for the devotee always thinking of VÄsudeva is the topmost yogÄ« (yoginÄm api sarveá¹£Äm). And as far as jñÄna is concerned, if one is a perfect devotee of VÄsudeva, he is the greatest mahÄtmÄ (vÄsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahÄtmÄ sudurlabhaḥ). A mahÄtmÄ is one who has full knowledge of the Absolute Truth. Thus MahÄrÄja AmbarÄ«á¹£a, being a devotee of the Personality of Godhead, was in full awareness of ParamÄtmÄ, Brahman, mÄyÄ, the material world, the spiritual world, and how things are going on everywhere. Everything was known to him. Yasmin vijñÄte sarvam evaá¹ vijñÄtaá¹ bhavati. Because the devotee knows VÄsudeva, he knows everything within the creation of VÄsudeva (vÄsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahÄtmÄ sudurlabhaḥ). Such a devotee does not give much value to the highest standard of happiness within this material world.
nÄrÄyaṇa-parÄḥ sarve
na kutaścana bibhyati
svargÄpavarga-narakeá¹£v
api tulyÄrtha-darÅ›inaḥ
(BhÄg. 6.17.28)
Because he is fixed in devotional service, a devotee does not regard any position in the material world as important. ÅšrÄ«la PrabodhÄnanda SarasvatÄ« has therefore written (Caitanya-candrÄmá¹›ta 5):
kaivalyaá¹ narakÄyate tridaÅ›a-pÅ«r ÄkÄÅ›a-puá¹£pÄyate
durdÄntendriya-kÄla-sarpa-paá¹alÄ« protkhÄta-daá¹á¹£á¹rÄyate
viÅ›vaá¹ pÅ«rṇa-sukhÄyate vidhi-mahendrÄdiÅ› ca kÄ«á¹Äyate
yat-kÄruṇya-katÄká¹£a-vaibhavavatÄá¹ taá¹ gauram eva stumaḥ
For one who becomes a pure devotee through devotional service to great personalities like Caitanya MahÄprabhu, kaivalya, or merging into Brahman, appears no better than hell. As far as the heavenly planets are concerned, to a devotee they are like a phantasmagoria or will-o’-the-wisp, and as far as yogic perfection is concerned, a devotee does not care a fig for such perfection, since the purpose of yogic perfection is achieved automatically by the devotee. This is all possible when one becomes a devotee of the Lord through the medium of Caitanya MahÄprabhu’s instructions.
