iti tava sūrayas try-adhipate 'khila-loka-mala-
ká¹£apaṇa-kathÄmá¹›tÄbdhim avagÄhya tapÄá¹si jahuḥ
kim uta punaḥ sva-dhÄma-vidhutÄÅ›aya-kÄla-guṇÄḥ
parama bhajanti ye padam ajasra-sukhÄnubhavam
iti - thus; tava - Your; sÅ«rayaḥ - wise saints; tri - of the three (planetary systems of the universe, or the three modes of nature); adhipate - O master; akhila - of all; loka - the worlds; mala - the contamination; ká¹£apaṇa - which eradicates; kathÄ - of discussions; amá¹›ta - nectar; abdhim - into the ocean; avagÄhya - by diving deeply; tapÄá¹si - their troubles; jahuḥ - have given up; kim uta - what to speak; punaḥ - moreover; sva - their own; dhÄma - by the power; vidhuta - dispelled; ÄÅ›aya - of their minds; kÄla - and of time; guṇÄḥ - the (undesirable) qualities; parama - O supreme one; bhajanti - worship; ye - who; padam - Your true nature; ajasra - uninterrupted; sukha - of happiness; anubhavam - (in which there is) experience.
According to ÅšrÄ«la JÄ«va GosvÄmÄ«, in the previous verse those Å›rutis whose presentation of the Supreme Truth may seem impersonal clarified their true purpose. Now, in the present verse, those who focus exclusively on the divine Personality of Godhead, who speak of His transcendental pastimes, take their turn in praising Him.
Because all the Vedas declare the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead as the cause of all causes, discriminating persons should take to His worship. By diving into the ocean of His glories, intelligent devotees help dispel the distress of all souls and loosen their own burning attachment to materialistic life. These advancing devotees gradually give up all material attachment and lose any interest they once had in the troublesome austerities of karma, jñÄna and yoga.
Beyond these devotees are the sūris, connoisseurs of spiritual truth, who honor the nectarean ocean of the Supreme Lord’s glories by immersing themselves fully within it. These mature devotees of the Supreme Lord achieve unimaginable perfection. The Lord, reciprocating their sincere endeavors, empowers them to realize Him in His personal form. Remembering with rapture the Lord’s intimate pastimes and entourage, they are automatically freed from the last subtle traces of mental contamination and from sensitivity to the unavoidable pains of disease and old age.
Referring to the purifying power of devotional service, the Å›rutis say, tad yathÄ puá¹£kara-palÄÅ›a Äpo na Å›liá¹£yante evam evaá¹-vidi pÄpaá¹ karma na Å›liá¹£yate: “Just as water does not adhere to a lotus leaf, so sinful activities do not adhere to one who knows the truth in this way.†The Åšatapatha BrÄhmaṇa (14.7.28), TaittirÄ«ya BrÄhmaṇa (3.12.9.8), Bá¹›had-Äraṇyaka Upaniá¹£ad (4.4.28) and BaudhÄyana-dharma-Å›Ästra (2.6.11.30) all concur: na karmaá¹‡Ä lipyate pÄpakena. “One thus avoids becoming tainted by sinful activity.â€
The Ṛg Veda (1.154.1) refers to the Supreme Lord’s pastimes as follows: viṣṇor nu kaá¹ vÄ«ryÄṇi pravocaá¹ yaḥ pÄrthivÄni vimame rajÄá¹si. “Only he may fully enunciate the heroic deeds of Lord Viṣṇu who can count all the particles of dust in the world.†Many Å›ruti-mantras glorify devotional service to the Lord, such as eko vaśī sarva-go ye ’nubhajanti dhÄ«rÄs/ teá¹£Äá¹ sukhaá¹ Å›ÄÅ›vataá¹ netareá¹£Äm: “He is the one omnipresent Lord and controller; only those wise souls who worship Him obtain eternal happiness, not anyone else.â€
In this connection ÅšrÄ«la ÅšrÄ«dhara SvÄmÄ« prays:
sakala-veda-gaṇerita-sad-guṇas
tvam iti sarva-manīṣi-janÄ ratÄḥ
tvayi subhadra-guṇa-Å›ravaṇÄdibhis
tava pada-smaraṇena gata-klamÄḥ
“Because all the Vedas describe Your transcendental qualities, all thoughtful persons are attracted to hearing and chanting about Your all-auspicious qualities. Thus by remembering Your lotus feet, they are freed from material distress.â€