Verse 2.2.164-165

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.2.164-165:

मोक्षो नु भगवन्-मन्त्र-जप-मात्रात् सुसिध्यति ।
न वेति कैश्चिद् आम्नाय-पुराणादिभिर् उल्बणः ॥ १६४ ॥
आगमानां विवादोऽभूत् तम् असोढ्वा बहिर् गताः ।
ते पुराणागमाः कर्णौ पिधायोपनिषद्-युताः ॥ १६५ ॥

mokṣo nu bhagavan-mantra-japa-mātrāt susidhyati |
na veti kaiścid āmnāya-purāṇādibhir ulbaṇaḥ || 164 ||
āgamānāṃ vivādo'bhūt tam asoḍhvā bahir gatāḥ |
te purāṇāgamāḥ karṇau pidhāyopaniṣad-yutāḥ || 165 ||

mokṣaḥ–liberation; nu–certainly; bhagavat–of the Lord; mantra–the mind-delivering names; japa–by chanting; mātrāt–simply; susidhyati–is easily effected; na–not; vā–or; iti–so; kaiścit–by certain; āmnāya–of Śrutis; purāṇa–Purāṇas; ādibhiḥ–and others; ulbaṇaḥ–powerful; āgamānām–of the scriptures; vivādaḥ–debate; abhūt–took place; tam–that; asoḍhvā–not able to endure; bahiḥ–outside; gatāḥ–went; te–they; purāṇa-āgamāḥ–the Purāṇas and Āgamas; karṇau–ears; pidhāya–blocking; upaniṣat–the Upaniṣads; yutāḥ–together with.

One set of scriptures argued, “One can attain liberation merely by the potency of chanting the mantras of Bhagavān,” while others countered, “That is not the way; there are other ways to achieve it.” In this way, a heated dispute ensued between the Āgamas and others and the Vedas and Purāṇas. Unable to endure this quarrel, the esoteric Mahā-Purāṇas, along with the Āgamas and Upaniṣads, blocked their ears with their fingers and went outside.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

Śrī Gopa-kumāra says, “Then a vehement debate broke out as the Vedas, Purāṇas, and others (Itihāsas, and so on) began to quarrel with the host of Āgamas, namely Pañcarātra and the other Tantras.”

The brāhmaṇa might ask, “What was the topic of that argument?”

Gopa-kumāra replies, “They argued about whether or not one can attain liberation simply by the chanting of Bhagavān’s mantras. The confidential Mahā-Purāṇas, Āgamas, and Upaniṣads had previously smiled gravely and maintained silence, but now they could tolerate neither the debate nor the doubt it engendered regarding the potency of the mantras of the Lord, so they left the assembly. They did so because it is improper to even hear doubts about the exalted nature of bhakti. Significantly, in all these confidential scriptures, there is not even a scent of distrust about the glories of devotion to the Lord.”

Initially, the above-mentioned esoteric Upaniṣads were addressed as prominent, and scriptures such as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam were addressed as secondary. The Bhāgavat and other Purāṇas had been silent, following the example of the Upaniṣads. Now, however, when the debate became intolerable, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other Purāṇas were the first to leave the assembly, followed by the Upaniṣads. This topic will be clearly explained later on.