In a previous article, I translated the commentary by Śrī Viśvanātha’s commentary to verse 3.29.8 from the Bhāgavatam on the topic of tāmasika bhaktas . I will now translate his commentary to verses 3.29.9 and 3.29.10 that discuss sāttvika and rājasika bhaktas, and end with his explanation of the results of these types of bhakti. Common to all these three types of bhaktas is the concept of pṛthag-bhāva – a separate self-sense.

The pṛthag-bhāva of rājasika bhaktas

Verse 3.29.9 of the Bhāgavata is as follows (translation by Babaji)–

viṣayān abhisandhāya yaśa aiśvaryam eva vā |
arcādāv arcayed yo māṁ pṛthag-bhāvaḥ sa rājasaḥ ||

A practitioner holding to a separate self-sense (pṛthag-bhāvaḥ), who worships Me in My deity form with a resolve to enjoy sense objects, fame, or opulence, is influenced by rajas. (SB 3.29.9)

Śrī Viśvanātha comments —

pṛthak matto’nyatra viṣayādiṣv eva bhāvaḥ spṛhā yasya saḥ ||9||

The word pṛthag-bhāva means he whose attachment (bhāva) is directed toward sense objects, fame or opulence alone, which are other than Me (pṛthak).

In the context of rājasika bhaktas, the word pṛthag-bhāva carries a different connotation – enjoyment of sense objects etc., which are distinct from Bhagavān. As we saw in the previous article, the word pṛthag-bhāva carries a different meaning in the context of tāmasika bhaktas. There it means a lack of compassion for others, rooted in making a distinction between oneself and others.

Note also, that the verse refers to three types of rājasika bhaktas – those who desire sense objects, those who desire fame, or those who desire opulence.

The pṛthag-bhāva of sāttvika bhaktas

Verse 3.29.10 of the Bhāgavata is as follows —

karma-nirhāram uddiśya parasmin vā tad-arpaṇam |
yajed yaṣṭavyam iti vā pṛthag-bhāvaḥ sa sāttvikaḥ ||

A practitioner holding to a separate self-sense (pṛthag-bhāvaḥ), who worships [My deity form (arcādau)] with the intent to become free from bondage to karma, to offer his karma to the Supreme, or because he considers it as a moral obligation, is influenced by sattva. (SB 3.29.10)

Here again, there are three types of sāttvika bhaktas. Śrī Viśvanātha’s commentary is as follows:

karma-nirhāraṁ karma-kṣayam uddiśya yo yajet yasya bhakteḥ karma-kṣaya eva prayojanam ity arthaḥ | parasmin parameśvare tad-arpaṇaṁ tasya karmaṇo’rpaṇam, yatra tad yathā syāt tathā yo yajet sva-dharmārpaṇa-pracurāṁ śravaṇādi-bhaktiṁ yaḥ kuryād ity arthaḥ | yaṣṭavyaṁ sarveṣāṁ nitya-vidhi-prāptatvenāvaśyam eva kartavyaṁ svāśrama-karmavat tad-yajanam iti buddhyaiva svāśrama-dharmācaraṇa-pūrvakaṁ yo yajet pṛthag-bhāvaḥ bhakteḥ pṛthag-bhūte mokṣe bhāvo’bhiprāyo yasya saḥ |

[He is sāttvika] who worships for the purpose of destroying karma. The meaning is that the purpose of his bhakti is only the destruction of karma. [Or] he who worships in such a manner that there is an offering of his karma [tad-arpaṇam] to the Supreme Lord [parasmin], meaning who does bhakti of the nature of śravaṇa and other limbs, consisting of a profusion of the offering of one’s own dharma [duties of varṇa and āṣrama]. Or one who worships through the observance of the duties corresponding to his āśrama, with only the concept that his worship is obligatory (yaṣṭavyaṁ) for everyone because it is a nitya-vidhi, similar to [the duties of] one’s own āśrama. He is pṛthag-bhāvaḥ, meaning his bhakti has for its goal, mokṣa, which is separate from bhakti.

The sāttvika bhākta’s singular goal is mokṣa and not bhakti, and that is his pṛthag-bhāva. This separate-sense is common, as before, to all three types of sāttvika bhaktas.

The results of sāttviki, tāmasi and rājasi bhakti

Śrī Viśvanātha concludes by outlining the results of these types of bhakti. He first identifies all the nine types of bhakti as sakāma —

evam eṣāṁ nava-vidhaiva sakāmā yathottarādhikyā jñeyā |

In this way, these nine types alone are sakāmā [bhakti], with successive types superior to previous ones.

Of these, sāttviki bhakti can, under certain circumstances, produce rati or love for Bhagavān —

tatra sāttvikī bhaktiḥ kasyacij jñānaṁ janayati, tatrāpi jñānasya guṇa-bhāve sva-prādhānye jñāna-miśrābhidhānā śānti-ratiṁ nirguṇām evotpādayati |

Among these, sāttiviki bhakti produces jñāna in some, but if their jñāna exists as a quality of bhakti which is predominant, then this bhakti is termed as jñāna-miśrā, and produces nirguṇā śānti-rati.

However, if jñāna is predominant, then it produces mukti —

jñānasya prādhānye svayaṁ tad-aṅga-bhūtā tu sāyujya-muktim eva

If jñāna is predominant, and bhakti itself is a limb of it, then it produces sāyujya-mukti.

How can one relate these outcomes to the types of sāttvika bhaktas described in the verse above? He writes —

kasyacit aśvamedhādi-saphala-karmārpaṇavatī bhaktir na tu karmārpaṇa-mayī sukhaiśvarya-mayaṁ sālokya-mokṣaṁ niṣphala-karmārpaṇavatī tu śānti-ratiṁ

The bhakti of some, which is accompanied by the offering of kāmya karma like aśvamedha, but is not exclusively of the nature of offering karma, produces sālokya-mukti consisting of pleasure and opulence. However, bhakti accompanied by the offering of nitya karma produces śānti-rati.

Here we see that the third type of sāttvika bhakta can attain rati. Now he turns to rājasi and tāmasi bhakti —

rājasyās tāmasyāś ca bhakteḥ phala-prāptau satyāṁ bhakty-abhāve prāyas tat-tat-phalam eva phalaṁ bhakti-mahimnā kiñcid adhikam api

At the time of obtaining the results of rājasi or tāmasi bhakti, if there is an absence of bhakti, the results in exact correspondence to [the specific desires in] those types of bhakti are all that are obtained [and sometimes] because of glory of bhakti, results in excess [of what is desired] may also be obtained.

The results of rājasi or tāmasi bhakti, generally, are only what is desired by those bhaktas. For example, a tāmasika bhakta may desire harming someone else, while a rājasika bhakta may desire wealth. These bhaktas may sometimes get something extra as well, but none of these bhaktas will get bhakti as a result. This is because there is an abhāva or lack of bhakti in them when results are obtained. At the time of attaining the result of their bhakti, they forsake the process of bhakti since they have attained what they wanted.

However, for those who do not forsake bhakti at the time of attaining the results of their tāmasika or rājasika bhakti, nirguṇā bhakti can be an additional result —

phala-prāptau satyām api kasyacid bhakti-sattve tu, satyaṁ diśaty arthitam arthito nṛṇāṁ [bhā.pu. 5.19.28] ity-ādi dṛṣṭyā sāpi kāle nirguṇaiva syād iti jñeyam ||10||

For some, though, if bhakti is present even at the time of attaining the result [of the rājasika or tāmasika bhakti], then that bhakti, in time, could become nirguṇā. This is to be understood. This is stated in 5.19.28 —

It is true that Bhagavān, when prayed to by human beings, awards the results that they seek. [Yet by doing so,] He does not offer anything of genuine value, because [after the petitioners have enjoyed their rewards,] they again pray for something new. [Recognizing this pattern,] Bhagavān personally offers His own lotus feet to those who worship Him, even though they don’t aspire for them, and this brings an end to their material desires. (sb 5.19.27)

Summary

The result of sattvika bhakti can be sālokya mukti, sāyujya mukti or śānti-rati

The results of rājasika and tāmasika bhakti are the desired material gains.

— Upon attaining material gain, if bhakti is given up, then nothing else accrues.

— If bhakti is present when the material results are being obtained (a rare event), then one may acquire nirguṇā bhakti.