Text 31
śrī-uddhava uvāca
yathā tvām aravindākṣa
yādṛśaṁ vā yad-ātmakam
dhyāyen mumukṣur etan me
dhyānaṁ tvaṁ vaktum arhasi
śrī-uddhavaḥ uvāca — Śrī Uddhava said; yathā — in what way; tvām — You; aravinda-akṣa — O my dear lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa; yādṛśam — of what specific nature; vā — or; yat-ātmakam — in what specific form; dhyāyet — should meditate; mumukṣuḥ — one who desires liberation; etat — this; me — to me; dhyānam — meditation; tvam — You; vaktum — to speak or explain; arhasi — ought.
Śrī Uddhava said: My dear lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, by what process should one who desires liberation meditate upon You, of what specific nature should his meditation be, and upon which form should he meditate? Kindly explain to me this topic of meditation.
It has already been elaborately explained by the Supreme Lord that without loving devotional service rendered to Him in the association of devotees, no other process of self-realization will work. Therefore it may be asked why Uddhava is again referring to the system of meditation, dhyāna. The ācāryas explain that one cannot fully appreciate the beauty and perfection of bhakti-yoga unless one sees its superiority to all other processes. Through comparative analysis, the devotees become fully ecstatic in their appreciation of bhakti-yoga. It should also be understood that although Uddhava asks about those who aspire for liberation, he is not actually a mumukṣu, or salvationist; rather, he is asking questions for the benefit of those who are not on the platform of love of Godhead. Uddhava wants to hear this knowledge for his personal appreciation and so that those who pursue salvation, or liberation, can be protected and redirected to the path of pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord.