Verse 2.2.206

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.2.206:

आत्मारामश् च भगवत्-कृपया भक्त-सङ्गतः ।
सन्त्यज्य ब्रह्म-निष्ठात्वं भक्ति-मार्गं विशन्त्य् अतः ॥ २०६ ॥

ātmārāmaś ca bhagavat-kṛpayā bhakta-saṅgataḥ |
santyajya brahma-niṣṭhātvaṃ bhakti-mārgaṃ viśanty ataḥ || 206 ||

ātma-ārāmaḥ–one who take pleasure in the self; ca–also; bhagavat–of the all-opulent Personality of Godhead; kṛpayā–by the mercy; bhakta-saṅgataḥ–through association with devotees; santyajya–fully renouncing; brahma-niṣṭhatvam–determination to attain impersonal Brahman; bhakti-mārgam–the path of devotional service; viśanti–they enter; ataḥ–thereafter.

When those who take pleasure in the self obtain the association of devotees by the mercy of Bhagavān, they are able to completely give up attachment for Brahman and enter the path of bhakti.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

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

The bhakti-śāstras say, “Because devotional service is far more glorious than liberation, even self-satisfied (ātmārāma) sages completely abandon their brahma-niṣṭhā–steadiness in the realization of impersonal Brahman that is obtained in the deep meditation of samādhi. Forsaking the path of liberation, they enter the path of loving service to the Lord. In other words, distanced from liberation, the self-satisfied sages reject it and embrace bhakti.

In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.29.3), Śrī Uddhava says to Śrī Bhagavān:

अथात आनन्द-दुघं पदाम्बुजं
हंसाः श्रयेरन्न् अरविन्द-लोचन

athāta ānanda-dughaṃ padāmbujaṃ
haṃsāḥ śrayerann aravinda-locana

O lotus-eyed Lord, the topmost swan-like transcendentalists who have realized impersonal Brahman take shelter of Your lotus feet, from which all bliss emanates.”

Śrī Gopa-kumāra might ask, “How do these transcendentalists develop this inclination towards devotional service?”

The bhakti-śāstras reply, “By the mercy of the Lord, they obtain the association of devotees, and in this way develop such an inclination. This means that as Śrī Bhagavān is always busy revealing the glories of His bhakti and His bhaktas (devotees), sometimes even those who are ātmā-rāma receive the mercy of these activities of the Lord and are able to associate with devotees. Influenced by that association, they develop the wisdom to reflect on the most subtle spiritual topics. In their wisdom, they thoroughly understand the insignificance of liberation, completely rejecting it and all the processes to attain it, and become attracted to the glories of the transcendental attributes of Śrī Bhagavān. Thus, they enter the path of pure devotion and worship the Lord in so many ways.”