अणुभाष्य (महाप्रभु वल्लभाचार्य - शुद्धाद्वैत वेदान्त ब्रह्मसूत्र महाभाष्य प्रकाश टीका सहित)

the word 'bhakti' means sneha in Śrī Kṛṣṇa; this is the primary meaning; its use in other places is redundant. Sat-cit-ānandam Brahma sports in the world in three ways; here, the jagat is 'ādhibhautikam'; Akṣara-Brahman is ādhyātmikam; Ādhi-daivikam param Brahma, "puruṣaśca-adhi- daivatam" smṛti says. Likewise, there are three ways for the sports of Bhagavān – ādhi-bhautika mārga, i.e. karma; ādhyātmika mārga, i.e. jñānam; ādhi-daiviko mārgaḥ, i.e. bhaktiḥ. Here, the first one, ādhi-bhautikaḥ – the karma mārga is restricted to world; the second, jñāna mārga ends in Akṣara; third, the bhakti mārga ends in Puruṣottama para-Brahman. The jñānis think that the ultimate end is Akṣara Brahman; but, bhaktas consider this Akṣara Brahman as the dhāma – residence – of Para-Brahma, Pūrṇa Puruṣottama. The evidence for this is – “avyakto'Akṣara ityuktaḥ tamāhuḥ paramāṁ gatim | yaṁ prāpya na nivartante tad-dhāma paramam mama || (Gītā 8/21) Likewise – “yasmāt kṣaram-atīto'ham akṣarādapi cottamaḥ | ato'smi loke vede ca prathitaḥ puruṣottamaḥ ||” (Gītā 15/18) by these testimonies, the meaning of the Vedas and the śāstras is known as bhakti. Well, how do you come to the conclusion that the meaning of the Vedas and other śāstras is bhakti? The answer is - “yatra nānyat paśyati; nānyat śruṇoti; nānyat vijānāti; sa bhūmā; sa vā eṣa evam paśyan evam manvānaḥ evam vijānan, ātma-ratiḥ; ātma-krīḍaḥ; ātma-mithunaḥ; ātmānandaḥ; sa svarāḍ bhavati;” “parambrahmaitad yo dhyāyati, rasati, bhajati, so amṛto bhavati;” “nāham vedair, na tapasā, na dānena, na cejyayā śakya evam vidho draṣṭum dṛṣṭavānasi māṁ yathā;” “bhaktyā tvananyayā śakyaḥ;” “aham bhakta-parādhīnaḥ;” “bhaktyā tutoṣa Bhagavān gajayūthapāya” – by these śruti, smṛti testimonials, only bhakti has been elucidated. By these the sarvātma-bhāva nature of bhakti only is conveyed. xxvi