तल्लक्षणानि वाच्यन्ते नानामतभेदात् ।

tal-lakṣaṇāni vācyante nānā-mata-bhedāt

tat — of it (devotional service); lakṣaṇāni — the characteristics; vācyante — are enunciated; nānā — various; mata — of theories; bhedāt — according to the differences.

Now the characteristics of devotional service will be described according to various authoritative opinions.

पूजादिष्वनुराग इति पाराशर्यः।

pūjādiṣv anurāga iti pārāśaryaḥ

pūjā-ādiṣu — for worship and so on; anurāgaḥ — fondness; iti — so thinks; pārāśaryaḥ — Vyāsadeva, the son of Parāśara.

Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the son of Parāśara Muni, says that bhakti is fond attachment for worshiping the Lord in various ways.

कथादिष्विति गर्गः।

kathādiṣv iti gargaḥ

kathā-ādiṣu — for narrations and so on; iti — so; garga — Garga Muni.

Garga Muni says that bhakti is fondness for narrations about the Lord, by the Lord, and so on.

आत्मरत्यविरोधेनेति शाण्डिल्यः ।

ātma-raty-avirodheneti śāṇḍilyaḥ

ātma — in relation with the Supreme Soul; rati — of pleasure; avirodhena — by freedom from obstruction; iti — so; śāṇḍilyaḥ — Śāṇḍilya.

Śāṇḍilya says that bhakti results from one's removing all obstructions to taking pleasure in the Supreme Self.

नारदस्तु तदर्पिताखिलाचारता तद्विस्मरणे परमव्याकुलतेति(च) ।

nāradas tu tad-arpitākhilācāratā tad-vismaraṇe parama-vyākulateti

nāradaḥ — Nārada; tu — but; tat — to Him; arpita — offered; akhila — all; ācāratā — having one's activities; tat — Him; vismaraṇe — in forgetting; parama — supreme; vyākulatā — distress; iti — so.

Nārada, however, says that bhakti consists of offering one's every act to the Supreme Lord and feeling extreme distress in forgetting Him.

अस्त्येवमेवम् ।

asty evam evam

asti — it is; evam evam — like each of these.

Bhakti is, in fact, correctly described in each of these ways.

यथा व्रजगोपिकानाम् ।

yathā vraja-gopikānām

yathā — as; vraja — of Vraja; gopikānām — of the cowherd women.

The cowherd women of Vraja are an example of pure bhakti.

तत्रापि न माहात्म्यज्ञानविस्मृत्यपवादः।

tatrāpi na māhātmya-jñāna-vismṛty-apavādaḥ

tatra — in that case; api — even; na — there is not; māhātmya — of greatness; jñāna — of awareness; vismṛti — of forgetting; apavādaḥ — criticism.

Even in the case of the gopīs, one cannot criticize them for forgetting the Lord's greatness.

तद्विहीनं जाराणामिव ।

tad-vihīnaḿ jārāṇām iva

tat — of it (awareness of the Lord's greatness); vihīnam — devoid; jārāṇām — of illicit lovers; iva — like.

On the other hand, displays of devotion without knowledge of God's greatness are no better than the affairs of illicit lovers.

नास्त्येव तस्मिन् तत्सुखसुखित्वम् ।

nāsty eva tasmiḿs tat-sukha-sukhitvam

na — there is not; eva — indeed; tasmin — in it; tat — His; sukha — in the happiness; sukhitvam — finding happiness.

In such false devotion one does not find pleasure exclusively in the Lord's pleasure.

सा तु कर्मज्ञानयोगेभ्योऽप्यधिकतरा ।

sā tu karma-jñāna-yogebhyo 'py adhikatarā

sā — it; tu — but; karma — to fruitive work; jñāna — speculative knowledge; yogebhyaḥ — and mystic meditation; api — indeed; adhikatarā — superior.

Pure devotional service, on the other hand, is far superior to fruitive work, philosophical speculation, and mystic meditation.

फलरूपत्वात् ।

phala-rūpatvāt

phala — of the fruit; rūpatvāt — because of being the form.

After all, bhakti is the fruit of all endeavor.

ईश्वरस्याप्यभिमान(नि) द्विषित्वात् दैन्यप्रियत्वात् च ।

īśvarasyāpy abhimāni-dveṣitvād dainya-priyatvāc ca

īśvarasya — of the Supreme Lord; api — also; abhimāni — of those who are proud; dveṣitvāt — because of being one who dislikes; dainya — of humility; priyatvāt — because of being fond; ca — and.

Furthermore, the Lord dislikes the proud but is pleased with the humble.

तस्याः ज्ञानमेव साधनमित्येके ।

tasyā jñānam eva sādhanam ity eke

tasyāḥ — of it (bhakti); jñānam — knowledge; eva — alone; sādhanam — the means; iti — thus; eke — some.

Some say that knowledge is the means for developing devotion.

अन्योन्याश्रयत्वमित्यन्ये ।

anyonyāśrayatvam ity eke

anyonya — mutual; āśrayatvam — dependency; iti — thus; eke — some.

Others consider bhakti and knowledge interdependent.

स्वयं फलरूपतेति ब्रह्मकुमाराः॥

svayaḿ phala-rūpeti brahma-kumāraḥ

svayam — itself; phala-rūpā — manifesting as its fruit; iti — thus; brahma-kumāraḥ — the son of Brahmā (Nārada).

But the son of Brahmā says that bhakti is its own fruit.

राजगृहभोजनादिषु तथैव दृष्टत्वात् ।

rāja-gṛha-bhojanādiṣu tathaiva dṛṣṭatvāt

rāja — royal; gṛha — in a residence; bhojana — in a meal: ādiṣu — and so on; tathā eva — just like this; dṛṣṭatvāt — because of its being seen;

This is illustrated by the examples of a royal palace, a meal, and so on (this and next verse). A king is not really satisfied just by seeing a palace.

न तेन राजा परितोषः क्षु(घाशा) च्छान्तिर्वा ।

na tena rāja-paritoṣaḥ kṣuc-chāntir vā

na — not; tena — by that; rāja — of the king; paritoṣaḥ — satisfaction; kṣut — of hunger; śāntiḥ — pacification; vā — or.

Nor can someone placate his hunger just by looking at a meal.

तस्मात् सैव ग्रह्या मुमुक्षुभिः ।

asmāt saiva grāhyā mumukṣubhiḥ

asmāt — therefore; sā — it; eva — only; grāhyā — should be accepted; mumukṣubhiḥ — by persons desiring liberation.

Therefore seekers of liberation should take to devotional service alone.