Devanagari
तुलयाम लवेनापि न स्वर्गं नापुनर्भवम् ।
भगवत्सङ्गिसङ्गस्य मर्त्यानां किमुताशिष: ॥ १३ ॥
Verse text
tulayāma lavenāpi
na svargaṁ nāpunar-bhavam
bhagavat-saṅgi-saṅgasya
martyānāṁ kim utāśiṣaḥ
Synonyms
tulayāma
—
to be balanced with
;
lavena
—
by a moment
;
api
—
even
;
na
—
never
;
svargam
—
heavenly planets
;
na
—
nor
;
apunaḥ
—
bhavam — liberation from matter
;
bhagavat
—
saṅgi — devotee of the Lord
;
saṅgasya
—
of the association
;
martyānām
—
those who are meant for death
;
kim
—
what is there
;
uta
—
to speak of
;
āśiṣaḥ
—
worldly benediction .
Translation
The value of a moment’s association with the devotee of the Lord cannot even be compared to the attainment of heavenly planets or liberation from matter, and what to speak of worldly benedictions in the form of material prosperity, which are for those who are meant for death.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Let us not compare even a particle of devotee association to Svarga or liberation, what to speak of any blessings in this world.
Purport
When there are some similar points, it is possible to compare one thing to another. One cannot compare the association of a pure devotee to anything material. Men who are addicted to material happiness aspire to reach the heavenly planets like the moon, Venus and Indraloka, and those who are advanced in material philosophical speculations aspire after liberation from all material bondage. When one becomes frustrated with all kinds of material advancement, one desires the opposite type of liberation, which is called
apunar-bhava,
or no rebirth. But the pure devotees of the Lord do not aspire after the happiness obtained in the heavenly kingdom, nor do they aspire after liberation from material bondage. In other words, for the pure devotees of the Lord the material pleasures obtainable in the heavenly planets are like phantasmagoria, and because they are already liberated from all material conceptions of pleasure and distress, they are factually liberated even in the material world. This means that the pure devotees of the Lord are engaged in a transcendental existence, namely in the loving service of the Lord, both in the material world and in the spiritual world. As a government servant is always the same, either in the office or at home or at any place, so a devotee has nothing to do with anything material, for he is exclusively engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord. Since he has nothing to do with anything material, what pleasure can he derive from material benedictions like kingship or other overlordships, which are finished quickly with the end of the body? Devotional service is eternal; it has no end, because it is spiritual. Therefore, since the assets of a pure devotee are completely different from material assets, there is no comparison between the two. Sūta Gosvāmī was a pure devotee of the Lord, and therefore his association with the
ṛṣis
in Naimiṣāraṇya is unique. In the material world, association with gross materialists is veritably condemned. The materialist is called
yoṣit-saṅgī,
or one who is much attached to material entanglement (women and other paraphernalia). Such attachment is conditioned because it drives away the benedictions of life and prosperity. And just the opposite is
bhāgavata-saṅgī,
or one who is always in the association with the Lord’s name, form, qualities, etc. Such association is always desirable; it is worshipable, it is praiseworthy, and one may accept it as the highest goal of life.
Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
We speak of the glories of the great ocean of association of such devotees as you, from whatever realization we have. We should not compare the results of karma, attainment of Svarga, or the results of jṣāna (liberation) with a small particle of association of devotees (bhagavat-saṅgi). We will not even compare the blessings of this world, such as a kingdom, with that. That is because by association with devotees the sprout of bhakti, which is most rare, appears. Let us not compare even the full results of karma and jṣāna with a particle of association of devotees doing sādhana-bhakti. What then to speak of extended association, and what to speak of association with a devotee having bhāva, the result of sādhana, and what to speak of association with a devotee having prema? Imperative form is used to indicate impossibility. One does not compare a mustard seed to Mount Meru! The plural tense indicates that no one can disprove this fact since this is the consensus of many persons. Bhagavat-saṅgi-saṅgasya is mentioned in the following verse:
na tathāsya bhaven moho bandhaś cānya-prasaṅgataḥ |
yoṣit-saṅgād yathā puṁso yathā tat-saṅgi-saṅgataḥ ||
The infatuation and bondage which accrue to a man from attachment to any other object is not as complete as that resulting from attachment to a woman or to the fellowship of men who are fond of women. SB 3.31.35
This verse says that more than association with women, association with those who associate with women (tat-saṅgi-saṅgataḥ) is condemned. Thus the intention of the verse is to show that association of the devotees of the Lord is more praiseworthy than association with the Lord.