6.263
bhattacarya kahe,--’bhakti’-sama nahe mukti-phala
bhagavad-bhakti-vimukhera haya danda kevala
SYNONYMS
bhattacarya—Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya; kahe—said; bhakti—devotional service; sama—equal to; nahe—not; mukti—of liberation; phala—the result; bhagavat-bhakti—to the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vimukhera—of one who is averse to; haya—it is; danda—the punishment; kevala—only.
Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya replied, “The awakening of pure love of Godhead, which is the result of devotional service, far surpasses liberation from material bondage.
For those averse to devotional service, merging into the Brahman effulgence is a kind of punishment.”
PURPORT
In the Brahmanda Purana it is said:
siddha-lokas tu tamasah
pare yatra vasanti hi
siddha brahma-sukhe magna
daityas ca harina hatah “In Siddhaloka (Brahmaloka) there live two kinds of living entities-those who are killed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead due to their having been demons in their previous lives and those who are very fond of enjoying the impersonal effulgence of the Lord.” The word tamasah means “the coverings of the universe.” Layers of material elements cover the universe, and outside these coverings is the impersonal Brahman effulgence.
If one is destined to remain in the Lord’s impersonal effulgence, he misses the opportunity to render service to the Personality of Godhead.
Therefore devotees consider remaining in the impersonal Brahman effulgence a kind of punishment.
Sometimes devotees think of merging into the Brahman effulgence, and consequently they are promoted to Siddhaloka.
Because of their impersonal understanding, they are actually punished.
Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya continues to explain the distinction between mukti-pada and bhakti-pada in the following verses.